FROU-FROU FOXES: FROU-FROU FOXES (REVIEW)
January 20th 2007 08:00
FROU-FROU FOXES
FROU-FROU FOXES
(2006; HANDCLAPPIN’)
RATING:
TRACK LISTING: 1) Just Like Little Dogs / 2) Duck Rabbit Problem / 3) Batzzzzzzzzz / 4) Werewolf From Japan / 5) Where The Shit’s The Aircon? / 6) Face On The Carpet / 7) Please Don’t Kick My Baby / 8) Lollipop Party / 9) 34
Like a lot of bands popping up in the Brisbane indie scene of late, the Frou-Frou Foxes have an arty noise-punk sound that I must say is very dear to my blackened heart. ‘Where were these bands when I was a young-un?’ I ask to nobody in particular while I sit in this disgraceland that I call the Earache Hotel because the domain name disgraceland was already taken. The answer is probably either swingin' perilously in bounce-inets or swimming around in their daddies' balls.
The Frou-Frous may just be the youngest of the bunch, and are far fuckin cooler than I ever was at their age. This self-titled debut EP, produced by the Devereaux's Steven Smith, puts their post-punk and indie influences into practice with an absurdist sense of humour and snotty attitude that betrays both their youth and their love of those perennial pranksters the Melvins. Their songs brew with Duncan Evans’s nervous, primal drum rolls; Dalton Batt’s fuzzy rumbling bass; and Andrew Ford’s high-pitched dissonant guitar—all capped off with vocals that are generally shouted, screamed, or screeched by all three members. But it’s less uppity angriness that seems to drive these guys to such severe and urgent sounds than it is the confusion and exuberance of precocious youth. The Frou-Frous delight in being misunderstood, smartass kids. As they themselves screech on "34": 'we are not your favourite children.'
Batt's deep fuzzy bass (or what the band describe as 'sonically confusing guitar') surges and blurts farty sounds that carry most of these tunes with melodic acumen and is placed way up in the mix while the guitar either ejaculates tinny, distorted noise (“Just Like Little Dogs”, “Duck Rabbit Problem”) or jams on some swampy surf riffs that remind me of the Scientists or the Cramps (“Werewolf From Japan, “Where The Shit’s The Aircon?”). Their attack is pretty frenzied and unrelenting, especially on the insane, heavy thrashiness of “34”, although exceptions do exist. One of these is “Face On The Carpet”: a slow burning tune which alternates between washes of oceanic noise guitar and some lovely, jangly shoegazer passages, until all is consumed by their own fiery intensity just like Elvis's demonic twin was back in 1982.
Then there’s the hidden track, an acid-damaged mess of spacey guitars, aimless percussion, and a confusing story about a private detective named Henry who also happens to be a penguin, and his search for a psychopathic polar bear named Frank. Henry’s investigation is marred not only by the fact that the murder weapon is an icepick that melted without a trace, but also because of the random appearance of alien motherships, Little Red Riding Hood, Captain Nemo (or is that EMO?), and an impromptu cover of Syd Barrett’s “Golden Hair”: a reference that makes the album's recipe of playful, childlike lyrics set to intuitive, ear-bleedin' noise suddenly make a whole lotta sense. I can’t decide whether this is the worst or best track on the album, because while it is frustratingly hard to get a grasp on, it also sums up what’s so great about these guys. Their impertinence and refusal to take themselves too seriously make for an uneven and chaotic album, but it’s also a testament to their vivacity, creativity, and irreverent charm.
Like most teenagers, the Frou-frou Foxes delight in keeping old bastards like me guessing. Here’s hoping they’ll continue to do so.
***
LINKS
The Frou-Frou Foxes have a Myspace site. What will those crazy kids get into next?
IMAGES
Frou-Frou Foxes
(album cover used under fair dealing)
* images on this page were taken from the following MySpace page:
Frou-Frou Foxes
FROU-FROU FOXES
(2006; HANDCLAPPIN’)
RATING:
TRACK LISTING: 1) Just Like Little Dogs / 2) Duck Rabbit Problem / 3) Batzzzzzzzzz / 4) Werewolf From Japan / 5) Where The Shit’s The Aircon? / 6) Face On The Carpet / 7) Please Don’t Kick My Baby / 8) Lollipop Party / 9) 34
Frou-Frou Foxes (2006)
The Frou-Frous may just be the youngest of the bunch, and are far fuckin cooler than I ever was at their age. This self-titled debut EP, produced by the Devereaux's Steven Smith, puts their post-punk and indie influences into practice with an absurdist sense of humour and snotty attitude that betrays both their youth and their love of those perennial pranksters the Melvins. Their songs brew with Duncan Evans’s nervous, primal drum rolls; Dalton Batt’s fuzzy rumbling bass; and Andrew Ford’s high-pitched dissonant guitar—all capped off with vocals that are generally shouted, screamed, or screeched by all three members. But it’s less uppity angriness that seems to drive these guys to such severe and urgent sounds than it is the confusion and exuberance of precocious youth. The Frou-Frous delight in being misunderstood, smartass kids. As they themselves screech on "34": 'we are not your favourite children.'
Batt's deep fuzzy bass (or what the band describe as 'sonically confusing guitar') surges and blurts farty sounds that carry most of these tunes with melodic acumen and is placed way up in the mix while the guitar either ejaculates tinny, distorted noise (“Just Like Little Dogs”, “Duck Rabbit Problem”) or jams on some swampy surf riffs that remind me of the Scientists or the Cramps (“Werewolf From Japan, “Where The Shit’s The Aircon?”). Their attack is pretty frenzied and unrelenting, especially on the insane, heavy thrashiness of “34”, although exceptions do exist. One of these is “Face On The Carpet”: a slow burning tune which alternates between washes of oceanic noise guitar and some lovely, jangly shoegazer passages, until all is consumed by their own fiery intensity just like Elvis's demonic twin was back in 1982.
Then there’s the hidden track, an acid-damaged mess of spacey guitars, aimless percussion, and a confusing story about a private detective named Henry who also happens to be a penguin, and his search for a psychopathic polar bear named Frank. Henry’s investigation is marred not only by the fact that the murder weapon is an icepick that melted without a trace, but also because of the random appearance of alien motherships, Little Red Riding Hood, Captain Nemo (or is that EMO?), and an impromptu cover of Syd Barrett’s “Golden Hair”: a reference that makes the album's recipe of playful, childlike lyrics set to intuitive, ear-bleedin' noise suddenly make a whole lotta sense. I can’t decide whether this is the worst or best track on the album, because while it is frustratingly hard to get a grasp on, it also sums up what’s so great about these guys. Their impertinence and refusal to take themselves too seriously make for an uneven and chaotic album, but it’s also a testament to their vivacity, creativity, and irreverent charm.
Like most teenagers, the Frou-frou Foxes delight in keeping old bastards like me guessing. Here’s hoping they’ll continue to do so.
***
LINKS
The Frou-Frou Foxes have a Myspace site. What will those crazy kids get into next?
IMAGES
Frou-Frou Foxes
(album cover used under fair dealing)
* images on this page were taken from the following MySpace page:
Frou-Frou Foxes
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Comment by Kylar
Comment by Hellvis
Earache Hotel
Nice to see ya. Yeah, there's a definite Sonic Youth thing going on with the Frou-Frou Foxes. I think there's some songs you can listen to on their Myspace if you like. The link's under the review.
Comment by Kylar
I would have done that, but computer HAS NO SOUND!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH How will I live! Here's to a new computer in a week.