> 
> Surprised to see Franz Ferdiand popping up on a lot of lists here!
> I liked them better when they were called Gang of Four.
> 
> Is it the hype?? I don't get it...
> 
> Jeff

Why must you constantly adopt such a bitterly snarky tone when
speaking about bands that a fair amount of people actually seem to
like?

I think the Franz Ferdinand album is great--and is destined to end up
in my top 20 at the very least. The record rocks and is stuffed with
tense pop singles, delivered with panache and the kinds of hooks that
don't wear off after listen two. "Take Me Out" and "Jacqueline"--both
mentioned by Stewart--are fantastic, but the vaguely Beach Boys-esque
"Tell Her Tonight", the roaring gay love song "Michael", and the new
single "This Fire" are also all fantastic. They've also already built
up a nice mount of B-sides, highlighted by the utterly fantastic,
should've-been-on-the-album "All For You, Sophia". Rumor even has it
that the lead singer is compiling a soon-to-be-released Sparks
best-of.

I was just thinking tonight, actually, how very little from the pop
world has really set me on fire lately, and I'm not exactly sure why
though I have some guesses. One is simply that, in the past 4 years,
the world has become a scarier and more foreboding place, and as a
result I've moved more towards things with a greater edge and attitude
(or even just personality) and found I simply don't have the time for
bands who want to rip off the "B" bands incessantly. That isn't to say
I don't find plenty (if I didn't, I wouldn't stick around) but I'm
finding fewer and fewer acts who really speak to me on any level. I
realize this opens me up to your charges that I'm "believing the hype"
because my tastes have strangely shifted somewhat in favor of the
mainstream, but in fact I see that the mainstream has been producing
better music than it had, and the underground hasn't produced as much
that's appealed to me. It all comes in waves.

But I like Franz Ferdinand and don't give a damn about hype.

--Jason (on a new email address, obviously)
http://www.livejournal.com/users/danabnrml9