FOALS new album Holy Fire at number two in the official UK album chart
That's kinda crazy isn't it? Maybe moreso if you saw those early shows when they were first on at White Heat, opened DiS nights at the Barfly and played the tiniest stage at Truck. Of course their rise seemed likely, but with the complexity of their songs, and the way the 'mainstream' is, it never quite seemed inevitable.
Given that Biffy and Frightened Rabbit have done really well recently too, does this mean we might see more great British acts bubble to the fore this year, and if so, who could and should it be? Or is this just a blip for a few bands who've slogged it out done good (with, to be fair, a wad of major label dosh behind them)?
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Here's what the official chart press release had to say:
Official Albums Chart: Foals land highest charting album of their career
Foals have landed the highest charting album of their career with third studio project Holy Fire!
It was looking like a contender for the top spot on Wednesday’s Official Chart Update, however, despite a strong midweek lead, Holy Fire was pipped to the Number 1 slot by less than 1,000 copies as they raced over Sunday’s finish line. The Motion Picture Cast Recording of Tom Hooper’s big screen adaptation of Les Miserables maintains its hold at the peak for a fourth (non-consecutive) week.
By landing the Number 2 slot today, Oxford rockers Foals pick up a personal best; 2008’s Antidotes and 2010’s Total Life Forever peaked at Number 3 and Number 8.
http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/foals-land-highest-charting-album-of-their-career-1861/
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if you missed the DiS review and interview they're here
http://drownedinsound.com/releases/17462/reviews/4146016
http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4145909
nah just shows people will buy any old shite if its on radio one
enough.
which is so embarrassingly bent in the direction of major labels that the patterns actually stand out pretty clearly.
Saw them play in my favourite club in Wigan years ago
There was about 5 of us stood on the dancefloor
(They were gr8)
Can someone explain the Frightened Rabbit love?
They don't sound much different to Snow Patrol to me. Am I just missing something?
listen to the second album
a few times. It's beautiful, raw and passionately written.
Yes
Ok
so, they're a beautiful, raw and passionate version of Snow Patrol? Still not sold.
imagine
two bands playing a similar style of music but one doing it about a thousand million times better
well, to be fair
Snow Patrol used to be a beautiful, raw and passionate version of Snow Patrol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVJtGeqG3Kw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk97UpH0uMo
Why do people go on about how complex Foals' songs are?
Because they really aren't.
The logic seems to be:
From Oxford + song called "Mathletics" ergo math rock ergo complex.
Yeah DiSsers, shallow aren't they
don't have a clue what they're on about
...
There weren't straight ahead songs with obvious structures when they started
And have you heard how bland, generic and simplistic most modern music on the radio is?
Yeah, but even when they started their songs weren't exactly complex
And now I wouldn't say their songs were any more complicated than the Maccabees or something
Or Alt-J
Alt-J's songs are far more complex than Foals' songs.
We're not having a competition to
see who has the most complex songs. Chill
plus
foals' first album came out five years ago now. what they make is pretty unashamedly pop music but it's done in an interesting way. without them being a super kewl buzz band back in '07/'08 i can't honestly see the likes of the xx and alt j breaking through like they have.
I wasn't.
I was just saying that reviewers always seem to make a point of the complexity of Foals' songs.
I think Alt-J's songs appear more complex than they are personally
They seem at their best when they write simpler songs.
The number of times that first album went into that
bloody indie-disco drum beat (you know the one) made me hate their drummer, which is a shame because hearing Providence (verse in 7/4) blew my mind, cos they nail it completely.
Don't a few bands like Foals (can't think of good examples though)
do pretty well in album charts each year? It's a little bit easier to make waves in album sales...given that most popular artists usually release at most one album per year, as opposed to the trillion singles trotted out by Rihanna et al.
Yeah, usually in January bands will slip out their album before things get busy
They've avoided the Brits next week which is a big week for record sales but it's still a helluva achievement.
It's not very good.
That's why loads of plonkers have bought it.
Chuffed for them
Shame they couldn't go all the way and make it to #1 though.
It's great that a decent band has a first good week of sales
the problem is most "indie" bands slip out of the charts and into oblivion the next one to two weeks. You really have to hang the top 50 for 15 weeks before you're really considered a "crossover act." It seems like that Alt-J record is selling well and oddly enough The XX appear to have quite some staying power.
wow
the latest foals album charted higher than the latest bloc party album
did they open that DiS @ the Barfly show?
I can't believe I saw Foals open for :(
amazing
(I also saw them at White Heat, but I think that was headlining. Friendly Fires supporting!!!!!!!)
How many copies did it shift?
Because I'm sort of surprised it didn't get #1 by some space. Inhaler/My Number have given it pretty widespread marketing/backing track coverage over the last few months, and it wasn't really up against anything.
Not sure exactly how many they sold
But they were 7,000 ahead of Les Mis in the midweeks though! I guess most Holy Fire sales were pre-orders, and it didn't sell many copies in the second half of the week (and it will sell even less in subsequent weeks - see auteur's post above) whereas Les Mis sales are the sort of supermarket buy that can be any day of the week.
indie releases tend to sell more first half of the week
as nerds rush out and buy it first day of release, whereas CDs sold to older / more casual buyers shift more at the weekend
It's nice to see really
Saw them in front of about 30 people for £4/£5 when they were first about, then saw them open for Bloc Party a little later. Not seen them since. Really like Holy Fire and pretty much everything they've done.
People were raving about their live show from the start
But since those early gigs, they've become a really incredible live band - definitely catch them on their tour next month if you like the new album.
I'm assuming they'll play Glasto
So I'll catch them there unless they clash with somebody ridiculous. Looking forward to it.
their set at the Breeders ATP was a thing of beauty
I wish Late of the Pier were on their 3rd album by now
Will These New Puritans be the next band to tip over into bigger things? Last one was NME album of the year
I'd rather listen to the Les Mis soundtrack tbh.
I'm not sure Frightened Rabbit, Foals or Alt-J have ever written lyrrics that's as iconic as:
"Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!"
Just sayin'.
kinda crazy?
i am not surprised at all. brilliant live band get (for once, deservedly) hyped LOADS and release very good first album. band release even better second album. band release third album to good reviews. album sells lots of copies.
then again compared to you i don't really know that much about the music industry.
Is it "kinda crazy"? Really?
I mean I do like Foals, but five years after their debut they've had an NME Track of the Year, played festivals across the land, cemented themselves as one of the bigger indie bands of recent years, with a relatively broad appeal and plenty of mainstream support.
So to go from No.3 to No.2 doesn't strike me as a particularly staggering feat
that's isolated criticism though
well done Foals for a third consecutive Top 10 album. That's great for the band, and deserved.
they're just shit aren't they. not really sure how any self respecting >16 year old could talk about how it's so amazing that a guitar band has made the top 3, unless you spend all your time reading meme twitters and press releases about how guitar music is back
calm down
<insert snidey comment about actually agreeing with grouchy for once>
But seriously, there is obviously still a demand for 'proper haircuts, proper guitars' rock music, especially in album form, and this Foals album is in no way a challenging listen, it's just a fairly boring chuggy rock record with a couple of singles on heavy rotation on Radio 1. Not in the least bit surprising, unless as grouchy says you honestly think the 'general public' only listen to Gangnam Style and Jessie J. If this was a number 1 single it'd be slightly more of interest (only slightly though).
To be fair
Antidotes peaked at number 3. I think whats more impressive is that they have a single lingering outside the top 20. As far as these days are concerned, thats a mightily impressive feat.
No one has mentioned The Courteeners
I blame David Platt