I’m Your Villain

Franz Ferdinand have been out of the loop so long I’m beginning to suspect they’re not the cool thing anymore. You have to keep constantly doing stuff if you want to stay hip. These guys have been promising to deliver a fourth album for about three years running. It’s an encouraging sign that they toured last year and even debuted a couple of new songs. Perhaps the new album will materialize sometime this year. It will be about fucking time if it does. Franz Ferdinand was one of the most important bands in the great rock’n'roll revival of the 2000s, but they haven’t bothered much about keeping themselves in the spotlight since then. They need to come out with something great, lest people forget or dismiss them.

The Fallen

Franz Ferdinand. One of the best rock bands of our times, no? Anthemic, high-spirited, cheeky, and hot. Everything you want, right? Lots of bands play well, and a few write catchy songs, but who many do it with flair? Flair is important, people. Personal style, musical style, a well-honed sense of image, self expression… Here, a keen lesson in how to make a visually arresting video armed with little more than greenscreens. I am continually excited about the nebulous prospect of a new album. May it be. Soon.

Fade Together

As usual, some dumb person who ruins everything tells me this song is about taking heroin. Why everything has to be about taking heroin I don’t know. Or why ‘fade’ is an approved term for various getting-high type activities. Though it does sound like he’s singing about getting high. What your youth counselor told you notwithstanding getting high together is a great way to bond with your object of desire. Just doesn’t necessarily have to be heroin. Even humble old alcohol will do in a pinch. So long as the vestibules of perception are opened you’re good to go. Then you can feel like you’re communicating on a higher level. But you gotta be careful who you choose as your copilot. I’ve had cases where I got absolutely blitzed with someone only to realize we were not on the same trip at all. It really harshed my buzz, dude. But you know what, I bet this song isn’t in any way referring to substance abuse of any kind. It’s probably about staying up too late watching TV. What would the boys of Franz Ferdinand know of shady illegal things? Would a good,clean, wholesome rock band like them ever dream of such a thing? I refuse to believe it. Ha ha, that was sarcastic. It’s totally about taking heroin.

Evil and a Heathen

Franz Ferdinand have cut out a niche for themselves in terms of party-friendly rock’n'roll. They squarely established themselves in 2004, making music that could be danced to, like crazy, without being dance music. Since then it’s been an ongoing drudge of ‘when’s the next one already?’ The good news is there’s a next one in the pipes for sometime this year, supposedly. The poor news is that there’s no news really – nothing much is known about it except the vague promise of existence. The band has vowed not to let publicity get in the way of creative spirit, and refuse to discuss their muse prematurely. They feel that too much hype has surrounded them since their debut. That’s fine, there’s no need to whip the public into a frenzy of anticipation, any more than they naturally already are, as long as the long awaited reward gets delivered in a timely manner.

Eleanor Put Your Boots On

Franz Ferdinand don’t much deal in lovey-dovey type songs. Eleanor Put Your Boots On is downright the lovey-doviest song they’ve ever written, and even then it’s a little fractured. He’s imploring his Eleanor for  a leap of faith, but he’s making no promises. He could be there for her, but is he? Sounds like he has some reservations. Still, you don’t usually hear Alex Kapranos get this thoughtful. That’s because Eleanor is a person. Eleanor is Eleanor Friedberger, of The Fiery Furnaces, who Kapranos was dating when You Could Have It So Much better was written and released. I have no idea if those two are still together or not. Either or, Eleanor has got her spot in the great-song-inspiring rock ‘n roll muses hall of fame. If that’s something she wants to be remembered for, I doubt. Gone are the days when a woman’s best chance for rock ‘n roll immortality was for a dude to write a song about her. Today the ambitions are a mite higher.

Do You Want To

LUCKY, LUCKY, YOU’RE SO LUCKY, LUCKY, LUCKY, YOU’RE SO LUCKY!

What a delightful send-up of bullshit fame. Nice that having found themselves at the epitome of cool these boys still have a sense of humor about it. Such charming boys. Making songs for jumping up and down to, and with great lines as well. This is a party-starter, so start your party already.

Darts of Pleasure

An artistic video achievement, with its distinctive inside-Alex’s-mouth p.o.v. Is there a point being made about the state of dentistry in the British Isles? Not so bad as it use to be, innit.

The Dark of the Matinée

These boys always make fun videos. It feels like a long time since they’ve been heard from, even though I recall they put out a record last year. There needs to be more Franz Ferdinand records in the world, that’s all. They’ve only made three albums, not nearly enough. Bands today. So lazy. Yet hope remains. There’s word on the street that Franz Ferdinand supposedly started recording new material all the way back in February. They also vowed not to over-publicize a work-in-progress. Godspeed to them.

Come On Home

And I am still waiting for the chance to see Franz Ferdinand. It’s high on my priority list. Especially since I’ve missed out twice already. I think it’s pretty important. Let’s see…they’re clever, they dress nice, and they hit the dance bone in a major way.

Cheating On You

Franz Ferdinand has played here twice in the past year and both times I was too broke-ass broke to even consider attending. That makes me sad. Their first album is one of my favorite records. It’s one of those completely perfect records that never get old (and records like that are increasingly hard to come by.) The second one was almost but not quite as good. The third one was just ok. It had some great moments, but for one thing it was too long and for another…it just didn’t sparkle like it should. I haven’t heard of any plans for a fourth album, so that means no tour on the horizon.