I have to respect what the Futureheads were trying to do... they saw Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand guitar, hook based guitar talent and got on board with the whole internet self promotion machine. This led to Warner Brothers singing them for their last album and then dropping them not long after? I don't think they are hiding the fact that it was unpleasant, I remember getting an email asking for people to resign their mailing list because the label wouldn't give them the people that singed up through the WB site. It sounded like kind of a mess, and their sound has definitely suffered. But it could have been headed in that overproduced boring direction before they went to the majors. I guess that's what they were shooting for and they got it, but it's not the same band. Some reviews compare their success to the kaiser chiefs and they fucking blow.
This album/singles are a far cry from that first self titled release... in songwriting and sound, I even loved the videos 'first day', it was a pretty specific raw kind of devo pop, and they were singing about the first day at a shitty job, but with labcoats on? Perfect. Now they are becoming like Spoon....another slick, overproduced mess.
On to the singles...I like that they are in blue and brown and on their own self funded Nul label...they don't care if you pirate their work, they want to get paid through playing live. That's an interesting business model, most bands it seem make their money this way already, but the attitude of just putting it out there and developing fans I think will work in the end. The first album might even be free, then you tour on that, sell limited 12"'s, 7"'s, all kind of side formats and then your next record might sell 100,000. That makes sense, people are in it for the long haul and if you're respected and talented, it will sell.
Maybe this step backwards will help them? But it might be too late....I can't even bring myself to listen to their latest album, I don't have it in me to be disappointed.... again.
From Norman recs, seriously imported.
Futureheads-Radio heart [part one]-The second single to be taken from their new album this is not the world. Features radio heart along with invasion on the flip side. Limited edition blue vinyl pressing. May 2008-7"-Nul-€1.99
Futureheads-Radio heart [part two]-The second single to be taken from their new album this is not the world. Features radio heart along with a live version of the same track on the flip side. Limited edition brown vinyl pressing. May 2008-7"-Nul-€1.99
No comments:
Post a Comment