Franz Ferdinand (band)
Encyclopedia
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival
band formed in Glasgow
in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos
(lead vocals and guitar
), Bob Hardy (bass guitar
), Nick McCarthy (rhythm guitar
, keyboards
and backing vocals), and Paul Thomson
(drum
s, percussion and backing vocals).
The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out
", reached #3 in the UK Charts, followed by their debut album, Franz Ferdinand
, which debuted on the UK album chart at #3. The band went on to win the 2004 Mercury Music Prize, and two BRIT Awards
in 2005 for Best British Group and Best British Rock Act. NME
named Franz Ferdinand as their Album of the Year. From the album, three top-ten singles were released: "Take Me Out", "The Dark of the Matinée
", and "This Fire
".
The band's second album, You Could Have It So Much Better
(2005), was a platinum
-selling album in the United Kingdom and gold-selling in the United States. The album topped the UK Album Charts, and made the top ten in the Billboard 200
in the US. The album produced the hit single "Do You Want To
", amongst many other singles. After the release of You Could Have It So Much Better, the band took some time recording their third album, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
, which was released internationally on 26 January 2009, and made the top ten in the United Kingdom and the United States. "Ulysses
" was released as the lead single, although "No You Girls
" proved to be popular, being their second longest-charting single in the UK, after "Do You Want To
" (2005).
The band has been nominated for several Grammy Awards, becoming one of the few Scottish bands or artists to be nominated for a Grammy Award. They have been nominated for several BRIT Awards
in the UK, and have won an NME Award. With their three studio albums, the band sold over 3 million albums worldwide in 2009.
, 10p Invaders, and Embryo
. Alex Kapranos and Paul Thomson played together in Yummy Fur, and subsequently teamed up to write songs. Around the same time, Kapranos taught his friend, Bob Hardy, how to play bass after being given a bass guitar by Mick Cooke of Belle & Sebastian
. Kapranos met co-guitarist Nick McCarthy, who had returned to Scotland after studying jazz
bass in Germany, in 2001. Franz Ferdinand's longtime sound engineer is Michael Parker.
In May 2003 the band signed to Laurence Bell's independent record label
, Domino Records. The band had recorded an EP
which they intended to release themselves; it was released by Domino as Darts of Pleasure
in the latter part of 2003. The cover art was designed by Thomson. It reached #43 in the UK chart. The band won the "Phillip Hall Radar Award" at the NME Awards of 2004
, announced in November 2003.
, Sweden, with Cardigans
producer Tore Johansson
to record their debut album. In January 2004 the single "Take Me Out" reached #3 in the UK charts. The album, Franz Ferdinand, was released in early 2004, debuting at #3 in the UK Albums Chart in February 2004, and at #12 in the Australian album charts in April 2004. The album only reached the lowest levels of the Billboard 200 album charts in the US as of early 2004, but reached the top 5 of the indie rock
chart and the Heatseeker chart for debut artists. After a couple of North American tours and heavy rotation of the "Take Me Out" video on MTV, the album eventually reached #32 on the Billboard 200 later in 2004, and sold over a million copies in the United States. Franz Ferdinand received a generally strong positive response from critics. NME
rated it 9 out of 10, and said that the band was the latest in the line of art school rock bands featuring Duran Duran
, The Beatles
, The Rolling Stones
, The Who
, Roxy Music
, the Sex Pistols
, Wire
, Travis
, and Blur
.
On 7 September 2004 the album was awarded the 2004 Mercury Music Prize. "Take Me Out" gained first place in the Australian Triple J Hottest 100
for 2004, winning more than twice the votes of the second-place entry, with This Fire
and The Dark of the Matinee
entering at #24 and #50 respectively. Franz Ferdinand won an Ivor Novello Award in 2004 and two BRIT Awards
in 2005. The avant-garde music video for "Take Me Out" earned them a Breakthrough Video
MTV Award. NME named Franz Ferdinand the best album of 2004, and placed it 38th on their 100 Best Albums of All Time list. The band performed "Take Me Out" as a live medley with Los Lonely Boys
, Maroon 5
, The Black Eyed Peas
, and Gwen Stefani
at the Grammy Awards of 2005
. "Take Me Out" was featured on the video games NHL 2005
, Madden NFL 2005
and the breakthrough game Guitar Hero
. The album has sold around 3.6 million copies worldwide.
's 1924 portrait of Lilya Brik
. The band attempted to broaden its musical range on the album; Hardy said, "There's more to life than disco-beat guitar music". After the critical acclaim of their debut, reviews of the new album were more polarised, with some complaints that the recording was rushed. However, it was generally well-received in the press and seen as an album equal to, or better than, their first by most critics. It entered the UK Album Charts at Number 1 and the US charts at Number 8. On the tour that followed the album release, Franz Ferdinand broke the record for the longest run at the Alexandra Palace
, North London
, by playing four sold out nights in November–December 2005. To support the album, four singles were released. Included in that set is a double A-side single that contained a video-clip-only single as well (both the AA-side "L. Wells" and the video-clip "Jeremy Fraser" are not featured on the album, recorded in early 2006 during the band's tour of Australia in support of the album). Also included is another video-clip-only single called "Wine, In the Afternoon" which is the B-side to "Eleanor Put Your Boots On
", and was also not featured on the album, but recorded on tour in Michigan. "Do You Want To
" made it to number 4 and was declared by Q to be the greatest single of 2005, while "Walk Away
" and "The Fallen" / "L. Wells
" entered the top 15 of the UK Singles Chart. The fourth and final single from the second album, "Eleanor Put Your Boots On", peaked at number 30.
Tonight was mixed by Canadian Mix Engineer Mike Fraser
. The song "Ulysses
" was chosen to be the first single and was released on 19 January 2009. It was first played by Zane Lowe on 17 November 2008. Shortly afterwards it hit YouTube. It did not see that much success in the UK Top 40, reaching only #20, but it fared better in Spain and Japan where it reached #2 and #3 respectively. It also entered the Top 20 of the US Modern Rock Chart. The album, Tonight was released 26 January 2009 and debuted at #2 in the UK Album Chart and #9 in the U.S. Billboard 200
. The second single, No You Girls
saw success both in the charts and on the radio prior to release, eventually reaching #7 on the US Modern Rock Chart and was performed by Franz Ferdinand on Comic Relief 2009 Top of The Pops special. "Can't Stop Feeling
" was released on 6 July as the 3rd single from the album and on 28 August, "What She Came For" was released as the 4th single in the form of a remix single. The band performed What She Came For on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
on Wednesday, 26 August 2009.
The band appeared on Radio 1's live lounge performing their second single No You Girls
, and did a cover of Britney Spears' comeback single Womanizer. In February 2009, Glastonbury Festival
announced Franz Ferdinand as the first major band playing at that year's festival. The band also unveiled a 19-date tour of the USA during the spring, in support of the new album. The tour included a set at the Coachella Festival. The band were also one of the main stage acts performing at Radio 1's Big Weekend in Swindon in May. On 6 May 2009, it was announced that Franz Ferdinand would be the 3rd opening act for the Green Day
's 21st Century Breakdown World Tour
. They played from 8–26 August 2009. They followed Kaiser Chiefs
and The Bravery
.
On 1 June 2009, the band released Blood
, a compilation album that includes dub music
versions of songs from Tonight: Franz Ferdinand. The release was timed to coincide with Record Store Day
.
Also made for the Record Store Day, Domino released on April 16, 2011 the compilation "Covers EP". Its first edition was only vinyl and on May 2 it was released on CD. It featured songs of "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand" played by Peaches
, LCD Soundsystem
, Stephin Merrit, ESG
and Debbie Harry
(who recorded in duet with the band).
song "All My Friends
" which appeared as a B-side on the single, and is also working on an album of Sparks
covers, collaborating with the group on the recordings. They have also covered "Sexy Boy" by Air and "It Won't Be Long" by The Beatles
, Pulp
's popular single "Mis-Shapes
", Gwen Stefani
's top 5 hit "What You Waiting For?
", and Blondie
's "Call Me
". Recently covered the Britney Spears
song "Womanizer" and David Bowie
's song "Sound and Vision", featuring Girls Aloud
on backing vocals, for a compilation disc marking the 40th anniversary of BBC Radio One along with other leading artists. Additionally, Franz Ferdinand recorded a cover of The Fire Engines
' song "Get Up and Use Me". In return, the Fire Engines recorded a cover of "Jacqueline". The band also took a similar approach with Dutch band De Kift
, covering the song "Heisa-Ho" whilst De Kift
recorded a cover of "Love And Destroy" with Dutch lyrics. The cover by De Kift is named "Liefde En Puin" which is the title "Love And Destroy" translated into Dutch. The band has had remixes by electronic artists Daft Punk
, Hot Chip
, Justice
, The Avalanches
, Microfilm, and Erol Alkan
.
Kapranos announced that on 22 April 2008 he would begin collaborating with an unknown Canadian artist, as well as implying that the band was working with Xenomania
on the new album, as Alex is a fan of their work with Girls Aloud. The band also performed, played, and recorded with Jane Birkin
, covering the Serge Gainsbourg
song "Sorry Angel" for the 2005 album Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited
. In addition, Franz re-recorded the track "Brown Onions
" for David Shrigley's compilation album Worried Noodles. The band kept instrumentation identical but used lyrics written by Shrigley which include the consistent repetition of the word "No" and occasionally "No brains, no teeth, no legs, no eyes...". Hot Chip
, a band who are reported to be a favourite of Franz Ferdinand, also performed their own version of "No" on the same album.
The band 'met' Gorillaz
in December 2005, and interviewed each other for a feature in Observer Music Monthly
.
On 11 October 2008 at Diesel's Rock and Roll Circus, the band performed with rapper T.I on his hit "Live Your Life
".
At the 2009 NME Awards ceremony they performed a cover of Blondie
's "Call Me
" with Elly Jackson of La Roux
on guest vocals.
When Franz appeared on Radio 1's Live Lounge
on 6 April 2009 to promote No You Girls
they covered Womanizer
by Britney Spears
. For their version they added in the interlude from 2004 B-Side "Shopping For Blood".
They have also collaborated with Marion Cotillard
for the 2010 Lady Dior campaign. The band wrote the lyrics and plays the music for the song "The Eyes of Mars", while the actress is on vocals. Kapranos noted that it was refreshing working with her as she had a lot of fun going and retrying the song time and time again.
In 2010, Franz Ferdinand contributed to the "Alice in Wonderland
" soundtrack with their adaption of the song "The Lobster Quadrille". Later that year, Kapranos and McCarthy collaborated on the song "Do It Again" with Edwyn Collins
on his album Losing Sleep
.
The name of the band was originally inspired by a racehorse called Archduke Ferdinand. After seeing the horse win the Northumberland Plate
in 2001, the band began to discuss Archduke Franz Ferdinand
and thought it would be a good band name because of the alliteration
of the name and the implications of the Archduke's death (his assassination
was a significant factor in the lead-up to World War I
).
"Mainly we just liked the way it sounded," says Bob. "We liked the alliteration
." "He was an incredible figure as well," continues Alex. "His life, or at least the ending of it, was the catalyst for the complete transformation of the world and that is what we want our music to be. But I don't want to over-intellectualize the name thing. Basically a name should just sound good ... like music." Paul offered, "I like the idea that, if we become popular, maybe the words Franz Ferdinand will make people think of the band instead of the historical figure."
The song "Take Me Out", on the band's first album, was the second single to be released by the band. The single release of "Take Me Out" came with the B-side, "All for You, Sophia", based on the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife, whose name was Sophie
, not Sophia. The band chose the name Sophia rather than Sophie to give the song a better ring. The song mentions the assassin Gavrilo Princip
, the Black Hand
, the location of the Apple Quay and "Urban" (Franz Urban), the name often mistakenly given to Leopold Lojka
, the driver of the car.
In addition to this, in 2004 the band played a number of "secret" gigs under the pseudonym
"The Black Hands", alluding to the secret society
that was held responsible for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand.
imagery in album and single covers. Examples include: "You Could Have It So Much Better", which references a 1924 portrait of Lilya Brik
by Alexander Rodchenko
; "Take Me Out", which references One-Sixth Part of the World, also by Alexander Rodchenko; "This Fire
" which references Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge by El Lissitzky
; and "Michael
", with single art based on A Proun by Lissitzky. The song "Love and Destroy" was inspired by the scene of disorder made by Margarita, a character of Michael Bulgakov
's "The Master and Margarita
", in the apartment of the literature critic Latunzky.
Also, in "Outsiders", the lyrics "In seventeen years will you still be Camille
, Lee Miller
, Gala
or whatever" are a reference to the lovers of the artists Auguste Rodin
, Man Ray
and Salvador Dalí
.
much like their LP and CD sleeves.
The avant-garde music video for "Take Me Out", directed by Jonas Odell
, was inspired by Dada
ism (especially Max Ernst's Une Semaine de Bonté
), Busby Berkeley
choreographies and Russian constructivist
design. Alex Kapranos explained the many and varied influences behind the 1930s-style promo for second single "Take Me Out": "It's kind of two dimensional in a three dimensional style if that makes any sense. It's a montage of images; ourselves, pictures and things taken from other places and put together in a strange, abstract way. That's what gives the video that strange, jerky, style". The video for "This Fire" is similar to "Take Me Out" in style.
The lyrics of "Do You Want To" make reference to parties at the "trendy" Glasgow art gallery Transmission and the video includes a variety of the work of contemporary artist Vanessa Beecroft
, along with a reference to Pink Floyd
in the mix.
In July 2009, Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" was voted number 100 in Triple J
Hottest 100 songs of all time.
Post-punk revival
The post-punk revival was a development in alternative rock of the late 20th and early 21st centuries in which bands took inspiration from the original sounds and aesthetics of garage rock of the 1960s and post-punk and New Wave of the late 1970s...
band formed in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos
Alex Kapranos
Alexander Paul Kapranos Huntley , commonly known as Alex Kapranos, is a United Kingdom-based musician who is the lead singer and the guitarist of the Glasgow band Franz Ferdinand.-Early life:...
(lead vocals and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), Bob Hardy (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), Nick McCarthy (rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and backing vocals), and Paul Thomson
Paul Thomson
Paul Thomson is the drummer for the Glasgow based band, Franz Ferdinand....
(drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, percussion and backing vocals).
The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out
Take Me Out (song)
"Take Me Out" is a song by the Scottish band Franz Ferdinand. It was released as the second single from their debut album Franz Ferdinand in the United Kingdom on the 12 January 2004 and in the United State on 9 February, both through Domino Records...
", reached #3 in the UK Charts, followed by their debut album, Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (album)
Franz Ferdinand is the debut album by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand, released in early 2004. It entered the United Kingdom album charts at number three in February 2004 and contains three UK top ten singles: "Take Me Out", "This Fire" and "The Dark of the Matinée"...
, which debuted on the UK album chart at #3. The band went on to win the 2004 Mercury Music Prize, and two BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
in 2005 for Best British Group and Best British Rock Act. NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
named Franz Ferdinand as their Album of the Year. From the album, three top-ten singles were released: "Take Me Out", "The Dark of the Matinée
The Dark of the Matinée
"The Dark of the Matinée", also known simply as "Matinée" is a song by Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand. It was released as the fourth track on the self-titled album Franz Ferdinand on 9 February 2004...
", and "This Fire
This Fire (song)
"This Fire" is the fifth single by Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand from their eponymous album. It received widespread airplay.It was released as a download-only single, and reached #17 on the United States Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and #8 on the UK Download Chart...
".
The band's second album, You Could Have It So Much Better
You Could Have It So Much Better
You Could Have It So Much Better is the second studio album by Glaswegian indie rock band Franz Ferdinand that was first released 3 October 2005 in the United Kingdom. Recorded in both the United States and their own studio in Glasgow with producer Rich Costey, the album gave birth to the release...
(2005), was a platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
-selling album in the United Kingdom and gold-selling in the United States. The album topped the UK Album Charts, and made the top ten in the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in the US. The album produced the hit single "Do You Want To
Do You Want To
"Do You Want To" is the lead single for Franz Ferdinand's second album, You Could Have It So Much Better. It was released 19 September 2005 and charted at number four in the UK Singles Chart . The video, directed by Diane Martel, was released on August 23 and was played every hour on MTV2 on the...
", amongst many other singles. After the release of You Could Have It So Much Better, the band took some time recording their third album, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
Tonight: Franz Ferdinand is the third album by Scottish rock group Franz Ferdinand. It was released through Domino Records on 26 January 2009 in the UK. "Ulysses" was released on the 19 January 2009 as the first single and is available for streaming on the band's Myspace page. It is a concept album...
, which was released internationally on 26 January 2009, and made the top ten in the United Kingdom and the United States. "Ulysses
Ulysses (song)
"Ulysses" is a song from the Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand. It is the lead single from their third album Tonight: Franz Ferdinand.-Song information:...
" was released as the lead single, although "No You Girls
No You Girls
"No You Girls" is a song from the Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand. It is the second single from their third album Tonight: Franz Ferdinand...
" proved to be popular, being their second longest-charting single in the UK, after "Do You Want To
Do You Want To
"Do You Want To" is the lead single for Franz Ferdinand's second album, You Could Have It So Much Better. It was released 19 September 2005 and charted at number four in the UK Singles Chart . The video, directed by Diane Martel, was released on August 23 and was played every hour on MTV2 on the...
" (2005).
The band has been nominated for several Grammy Awards, becoming one of the few Scottish bands or artists to be nominated for a Grammy Award. They have been nominated for several BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
in the UK, and have won an NME Award. With their three studio albums, the band sold over 3 million albums worldwide in 2009.
Formation and early years (2002–2003)
The members of Franz Ferdinand played in various bands during the 1990s, including The Karelia, Yummy FurYummy Fur
The Yummy Fur were an indie rock band from Glasgow, formed in 1992, and disbanded 1999. The band was centered around lead singer and guitarist John McKeown, with a regularly changing lineup of other musicians. McKeown has since gone on to form the band 1990s...
, 10p Invaders, and Embryo
Embryo (band)
Embryo is a musical collective from Munich which has been active since 1969, although its story started in the mid-1950s in Hof where Christian Burchard and Dieter Serfas met for the first time at the age of 10...
. Alex Kapranos and Paul Thomson played together in Yummy Fur, and subsequently teamed up to write songs. Around the same time, Kapranos taught his friend, Bob Hardy, how to play bass after being given a bass guitar by Mick Cooke of Belle & Sebastian
Belle & Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian are an indie pop band formed in Glasgow in January 1996. Belle and Sebastian are often compared with influential indie bands such as The Smiths, as well as classic acts such as Love, Bob Dylan and Nick Drake. The name Belle & Sebastian comes from Belle et Sébastien, a 1965...
. Kapranos met co-guitarist Nick McCarthy, who had returned to Scotland after studying jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
bass in Germany, in 2001. Franz Ferdinand's longtime sound engineer is Michael Parker.
In May 2003 the band signed to Laurence Bell's independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
, Domino Records. The band had recorded an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
which they intended to release themselves; it was released by Domino as Darts of Pleasure
Darts of Pleasure
Darts of Pleasure is the debut single by the post-punk revival band Franz Ferdinand, released in the United Kingdom on 8 September 2003 and in North America on 18 November 2003, both through Domino Records....
in the latter part of 2003. The cover art was designed by Thomson. It reached #43 in the UK chart. The band won the "Phillip Hall Radar Award" at the NME Awards of 2004
NME Awards
The NME Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953 as the NME Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
, announced in November 2003.
Franz Ferdinand (2004)
The band moved to Gula Studios in MalmöMalmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
, Sweden, with Cardigans
The Cardigans
The Cardigans are a Swedish rock band formed in the town of Jönköping in October 1992.Their debut album Emmerdale gave them a solid base in their home country and enjoyed some success abroad, especially in Japan. It was not until their second album Life that an international reputation was secured...
producer Tore Johansson
Tore Johansson
Tore Johansson is a Swedish record producer, composer and musician based in Malmö, Sweden.-Biography:In an interview with HitQuarters, Johansson claimed that the main impetus for his becoming a music producer was the lack of good recording studios in the Malmö area at that time in which to record...
to record their debut album. In January 2004 the single "Take Me Out" reached #3 in the UK charts. The album, Franz Ferdinand, was released in early 2004, debuting at #3 in the UK Albums Chart in February 2004, and at #12 in the Australian album charts in April 2004. The album only reached the lowest levels of the Billboard 200 album charts in the US as of early 2004, but reached the top 5 of the indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
chart and the Heatseeker chart for debut artists. After a couple of North American tours and heavy rotation of the "Take Me Out" video on MTV, the album eventually reached #32 on the Billboard 200 later in 2004, and sold over a million copies in the United States. Franz Ferdinand received a generally strong positive response from critics. NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
rated it 9 out of 10, and said that the band was the latest in the line of art school rock bands featuring Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
, the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
, Wire
Wire (band)
Wire are an English rock band, formed in London in October 1976 by Colin Newman , Graham Lewis , Bruce Gilbert , and Robert Gotobed...
, Travis
Travis (band)
Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy , Dougie Payne , Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose...
, and Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
.
On 7 September 2004 the album was awarded the 2004 Mercury Music Prize. "Take Me Out" gained first place in the Australian Triple J Hottest 100
Triple J Hottest 100
The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music poll, based on the votes of national Australian radio station Triple J listeners, in order to determine their favourite song of the year. Voting is conducted by the internet and begins roughly two weeks prior to the new year for the previous year's songs...
for 2004, winning more than twice the votes of the second-place entry, with This Fire
This Fire (song)
"This Fire" is the fifth single by Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand from their eponymous album. It received widespread airplay.It was released as a download-only single, and reached #17 on the United States Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and #8 on the UK Download Chart...
and The Dark of the Matinee
The Dark of the Matinée
"The Dark of the Matinée", also known simply as "Matinée" is a song by Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand. It was released as the fourth track on the self-titled album Franz Ferdinand on 9 February 2004...
entering at #24 and #50 respectively. Franz Ferdinand won an Ivor Novello Award in 2004 and two BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
in 2005. The avant-garde music video for "Take Me Out" earned them a Breakthrough Video
MTV Video Music Award - Breakthrough Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video was first awarded in 1988, replacing the award for Most Experimental Video. Along with Best Direction in a Video, this award was considered to be one of the most important professional categories at the VMAs, as every once in a while it was even...
MTV Award. NME named Franz Ferdinand the best album of 2004, and placed it 38th on their 100 Best Albums of All Time list. The band performed "Take Me Out" as a live medley with Los Lonely Boys
Los Lonely Boys
Los Lonely Boys is a Chicano rock power trio from San Angelo, Texas. They play a style of music they call "Texican Rock n' Roll," combining elements of rock and roll, Texas blues, brown eyed soul, country, and Tejano....
, Maroon 5
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...
, The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
, and Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
at the Grammy Awards of 2005
Grammy Awards of 2005
The 47th Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2005 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were hosted by Queen Latifah , and televised in the United States by CBS. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year...
. "Take Me Out" was featured on the video games NHL 2005
NHL 2005
NHL 2005, the successor to NHL 2004, is a hockey video game first released on September 14, 2004 in North America and September 24, 2004 in the PAL region.-Improvements/flaws:...
, Madden NFL 2005
Madden NFL 2005
Madden NFL 2005 is an American football video game that was released on August 9, 2004. It features Ravens star linebacker Ray Lewis on the cover...
and the breakthrough game Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the first entry in the Guitar Hero series. Guitar Hero was released on November 8, 2005 in North America, April 7, 2006 in Europe and June 15, 2006 in...
. The album has sold around 3.6 million copies worldwide.
You Could Have It So Much Better (2005–2006)
The band spent much of 2005 in the studio in Scotland working on their follow-up album, You Could Have It So Much Better, which was released on 3 October 2005. The band initially intended to leave the album self-titled like their debut, but they changed it to You Could Have It So Much Better...With Franz Ferdinand before settling on the final title. The album's cover design was modelled on Alexander RodchenkoAlexander Rodchenko
Aleksander Mikhailovich Rodchenko was a Russian artist, sculptor, photographer and graphic designer. He was one of the founders of constructivism and Russian design; he was married to the artist Varvara Stepanova....
's 1924 portrait of Lilya Brik
Lilya Brik
Lilya Yuryevna Brik is known best as a muse of Vladimir Mayakovsky. She was an older sister of Elsa Triolet and wife of Osip Brik. Pablo Neruda called her "muse of Russian avant-garde"...
. The band attempted to broaden its musical range on the album; Hardy said, "There's more to life than disco-beat guitar music". After the critical acclaim of their debut, reviews of the new album were more polarised, with some complaints that the recording was rushed. However, it was generally well-received in the press and seen as an album equal to, or better than, their first by most critics. It entered the UK Album Charts at Number 1 and the US charts at Number 8. On the tour that followed the album release, Franz Ferdinand broke the record for the longest run at the Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is a building in North London, England. It stands in Alexandra Park, in an area between Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
, by playing four sold out nights in November–December 2005. To support the album, four singles were released. Included in that set is a double A-side single that contained a video-clip-only single as well (both the AA-side "L. Wells" and the video-clip "Jeremy Fraser" are not featured on the album, recorded in early 2006 during the band's tour of Australia in support of the album). Also included is another video-clip-only single called "Wine, In the Afternoon" which is the B-side to "Eleanor Put Your Boots On
Eleanor Put Your Boots On
"Eleanor Put Your Boots On" is a song by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand, and is featured on their second album, You Could Have It So Much Better. The band recorded a new version of the song in Benton Harbor, Michigan during their 2006 tour with Death Cab for Cutie...
", and was also not featured on the album, but recorded on tour in Michigan. "Do You Want To
Do You Want To
"Do You Want To" is the lead single for Franz Ferdinand's second album, You Could Have It So Much Better. It was released 19 September 2005 and charted at number four in the UK Singles Chart . The video, directed by Diane Martel, was released on August 23 and was played every hour on MTV2 on the...
" made it to number 4 and was declared by Q to be the greatest single of 2005, while "Walk Away
Walk Away (Franz Ferdinand song)
"Walk Away" is a song by Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand and is featured on their second album, You Could Have It So Much Better. It was released 5 December 2005 as the second single from that album in the UK, entering the UK Singles Chart at #13 a week later...
" and "The Fallen" / "L. Wells
The Fallen / L. Wells
"The Fallen" and "L. Wells" are songs by Scottish Post-punk revival band Franz Ferdinand. "The Fallen" is taken from their second album You Could Have It So Much Better, while "L. Wells" was, at the time, a newly recorded track by the band...
" entered the top 15 of the UK Singles Chart. The fourth and final single from the second album, "Eleanor Put Your Boots On", peaked at number 30.
Tonight: Franz Ferdinand (2007–2009)
On 26 January 2009, the band released their third studio album, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, which they had been recording in Glasgow since mid-2007. Alex Kapranos has stated that "The last record was...like a teenager having sex. This one's a bit more assured and a bit friendlier for the dance floor."Tonight was mixed by Canadian Mix Engineer Mike Fraser
Mike Fraser
Mike Fraser is a Canadian record producer, engineer, and mixer. Mike is best known for his work with AC/DC, Metallica, Aerosmith and Joe Satriani...
. The song "Ulysses
Ulysses (song)
"Ulysses" is a song from the Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand. It is the lead single from their third album Tonight: Franz Ferdinand.-Song information:...
" was chosen to be the first single and was released on 19 January 2009. It was first played by Zane Lowe on 17 November 2008. Shortly afterwards it hit YouTube. It did not see that much success in the UK Top 40, reaching only #20, but it fared better in Spain and Japan where it reached #2 and #3 respectively. It also entered the Top 20 of the US Modern Rock Chart. The album, Tonight was released 26 January 2009 and debuted at #2 in the UK Album Chart and #9 in the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. The second single, No You Girls
No You Girls
"No You Girls" is a song from the Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand. It is the second single from their third album Tonight: Franz Ferdinand...
saw success both in the charts and on the radio prior to release, eventually reaching #7 on the US Modern Rock Chart and was performed by Franz Ferdinand on Comic Relief 2009 Top of The Pops special. "Can't Stop Feeling
Can't Stop Feeling
"Can't Stop Feeling" is the 3rd single released from Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand's third studio album Tonight: Franz Ferdinand. The song was released on 6 July 2009 worldwide.-History:...
" was released on 6 July as the 3rd single from the album and on 28 August, "What She Came For" was released as the 4th single in the form of a remix single. The band performed What She Came For on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009 to January 22, 2010 as part of NBC's long-running Tonight Show franchise...
on Wednesday, 26 August 2009.
The band appeared on Radio 1's live lounge performing their second single No You Girls
No You Girls
"No You Girls" is a song from the Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand. It is the second single from their third album Tonight: Franz Ferdinand...
, and did a cover of Britney Spears' comeback single Womanizer. In February 2009, Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
announced Franz Ferdinand as the first major band playing at that year's festival. The band also unveiled a 19-date tour of the USA during the spring, in support of the new album. The tour included a set at the Coachella Festival. The band were also one of the main stage acts performing at Radio 1's Big Weekend in Swindon in May. On 6 May 2009, it was announced that Franz Ferdinand would be the 3rd opening act for the Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
's 21st Century Breakdown World Tour
21st Century Breakdown World Tour
21st Century Breakdown World Tour was a concert tour by American punk trio Green Day in support of the group's eighth studio album, 21st Century Breakdown, which was released in May 2009....
. They played from 8–26 August 2009. They followed Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs....
and The Bravery
The Bravery
The Bravery is an American rock band from New York City that consists of Sam Endicott , Michael Zakarin , John Conway , Mike Hindert , and Anthony Burulcich...
.
On 1 June 2009, the band released Blood
Blood (Franz Ferdinand album)
Blood: Franz Ferdinand is a compilation album of dub music versions of songs from Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, the third studio album from Scottish band Franz Ferdinand. It was released in June 2009 through Domino Records...
, a compilation album that includes dub music
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
versions of songs from Tonight: Franz Ferdinand. The release was timed to coincide with Record Store Day
Record Store Day
Record Store Day is an internationally celebrated day observed the third Saturday of April each year. Its purpose, as conceived by independent record store employee Chris Brown, is to celebrate the art of music...
.
Also made for the Record Store Day, Domino released on April 16, 2011 the compilation "Covers EP". Its first edition was only vinyl and on May 2 it was released on CD. It featured songs of "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand" played by Peaches
Peaches
A peach is a type of fruit that is different shades of orange in color and fuzzy. Peaches contain a pit at their core, which is a seed for a peach tree.Peaches may refer to:See Nectarines-People:* Lori Fullington, who wrestled as "Peaches"...
, LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem was a prominent American dance-punk band from New York City. It was fronted by American singer-songwriter and producer James Murphy, co-founder of record label DFA Records...
, Stephin Merrit, ESG
ESG
ESG may refer to:* Engineering Seismology Group, a microseismic monitoring and data analysis company from Canada.* Environmental Social and Corporate Governance, the commonly accepted factors involved in Responsible Investment assessments...
and Debbie Harry
Debbie Harry
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers...
(who recorded in duet with the band).
Fourth studio album (2010–present)
In February 2010, the band announced they had started to work on a new album. The release date is currently unknown. Kapranos stated that the band promised themselves they would also focus on not over-publicizing their progress as he felt that's something he regretted about their previous album.Collaborations and covers
Franz Ferdinand covered the LCD SoundsystemLCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem was a prominent American dance-punk band from New York City. It was fronted by American singer-songwriter and producer James Murphy, co-founder of record label DFA Records...
song "All My Friends
All My Friends
"All My Friends" is the second single from LCD Soundsystem's second album, Sound of Silver. It was released on May 28, 2007 in the United Kingdom, and reached #41 in the UK singles chart....
" which appeared as a B-side on the single, and is also working on an album of Sparks
Sparks (band)
Sparks is an American rock and pop band formed in Los Angeles in 1968 by brothers Ron and Russell Mael , initially under the name Halfnelson...
covers, collaborating with the group on the recordings. They have also covered "Sexy Boy" by Air and "It Won't Be Long" by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Pulp
Pulp (band)
Pulp are an English alternative rock band formed in Sheffield in 1978. Their lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker , Russell Senior , Candida Doyle , Mark Webber , Steve Mackey and Nick Banks ....
's popular single "Mis-Shapes
Mis-Shapes
"Mis-Shapes" is a song by Sheffield band Pulp. Taken from the number-one album Different Class, it was released as a double A-sided single with "Sorted for E's & Wizz" in September 1995, and reached number two in the UK charts....
", Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
's top 5 hit "What You Waiting For?
What You Waiting For?
"What You Waiting For?" is a song by American recording artist Gwen Stefani from her debut solo album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. . Written by Stefani and Linda Perry, the song is the album's opening track, and was released as its lead single...
", and Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
's "Call Me
Call Me (Blondie song)
"Call Me" is a song by the American new wave band Blondie. Released in 1980, "Call Me" topped the singles charts in both the US and the UK ....
". Recently covered the Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
song "Womanizer" and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
's song "Sound and Vision", featuring Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
on backing vocals, for a compilation disc marking the 40th anniversary of BBC Radio One along with other leading artists. Additionally, Franz Ferdinand recorded a cover of The Fire Engines
The Fire Engines
The Fire Engines are a post-punk band from Edinburgh, Scotland. The band was a part of the same literary art-punk scene as the Scars and their most famous contemporaries, Josef K. They grew out of the Dirty Reds which had actor Tam Dean Burn as singer....
' song "Get Up and Use Me". In return, the Fire Engines recorded a cover of "Jacqueline". The band also took a similar approach with Dutch band De Kift
De Kift
De Kift is a Dutch musical ensemble that was formed in 1988. Their music might be best classified as fanfare with influences of rock and punk. The band is closely connected to and befriended with The Ex with whom they did several projects together....
, covering the song "Heisa-Ho" whilst De Kift
De Kift
De Kift is a Dutch musical ensemble that was formed in 1988. Their music might be best classified as fanfare with influences of rock and punk. The band is closely connected to and befriended with The Ex with whom they did several projects together....
recorded a cover of "Love And Destroy" with Dutch lyrics. The cover by De Kift is named "Liefde En Puin" which is the title "Love And Destroy" translated into Dutch. The band has had remixes by electronic artists Daft Punk
Daft Punk
Daft Punk are an electronic music duo consisting of French musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter . Daft Punk reached significant popularity in the late 1990s house movement in France and met with continued success in the years following, combining elements of house with synthpop...
, Hot Chip
Hot Chip
Hot Chip are an English electronic indie band. They have released four studio albums—Coming on Strong, The Warning, Made in the Dark and One Life Stand.-Formation:...
, Justice
Justice (French band)
Justice is a French electronic music duo consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay . The duo is one of the most successful groups on Ed Banger Records and is managed by the label's head, Pedro Winter...
, The Avalanches
The Avalanches
The Avalanches are an Australian electronic music group formed in 1997 with mainstays Robbie Chater on keyboards, Tony Diblasi on keyboards, bass and backing vocals, and Darren Seltmann on vocals and keyboards. They are known for their live DJ sets and their debut album Since I Left You , which was...
, Microfilm, and Erol Alkan
Erol Alkan
Erol Alkan is a London-based electro DJ of Turkish Cypriot descent.-DJ and club promoter:In 1993, Erol Alkan started DJing in various Indie nightclubs in London....
.
Kapranos announced that on 22 April 2008 he would begin collaborating with an unknown Canadian artist, as well as implying that the band was working with Xenomania
Xenomania
Xenomania is a British songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent, England. Formed after Higgins met Miranda Cooper, Xenomania has written and produced for renowned artists such as Cher, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Pet Shop Boys, and Sugababes...
on the new album, as Alex is a fan of their work with Girls Aloud. The band also performed, played, and recorded with Jane Birkin
Jane Birkin
Jane Mallory Birkin, OBE is an English-born actress and singer who lives in France. In recent years she has written her own album, directed a film and become an outspoken proponent of democracy in Burma.- Early life :...
, covering the Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
song "Sorry Angel" for the 2005 album Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited
Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited
Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited is a tribute album to the works of late French singer/songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. First released on Virgin Records in 2006, it consists of English language cover versions of Gainsbourg songs, performed by a diverse array of contemporary artists...
. In addition, Franz re-recorded the track "Brown Onions
The Fallen / L. Wells
"The Fallen" and "L. Wells" are songs by Scottish Post-punk revival band Franz Ferdinand. "The Fallen" is taken from their second album You Could Have It So Much Better, while "L. Wells" was, at the time, a newly recorded track by the band...
" for David Shrigley's compilation album Worried Noodles. The band kept instrumentation identical but used lyrics written by Shrigley which include the consistent repetition of the word "No" and occasionally "No brains, no teeth, no legs, no eyes...". Hot Chip
Hot Chip
Hot Chip are an English electronic indie band. They have released four studio albums—Coming on Strong, The Warning, Made in the Dark and One Life Stand.-Formation:...
, a band who are reported to be a favourite of Franz Ferdinand, also performed their own version of "No" on the same album.
The band 'met' Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Gorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
in December 2005, and interviewed each other for a feature in Observer Music Monthly
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
.
On 11 October 2008 at Diesel's Rock and Roll Circus, the band performed with rapper T.I on his hit "Live Your Life
Live Your Life
"Live Your Life" is a song by American rapper T.I., and the third single, from his sixth studio album Paper Trail. It was released as the third single from the album on September 23, 2008. The song features Barbadian pop singer Rihanna, and was produced by Just Blaze and Canei Finch. It officially...
".
At the 2009 NME Awards ceremony they performed a cover of Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
's "Call Me
Call Me (Blondie song)
"Call Me" is a song by the American new wave band Blondie. Released in 1980, "Call Me" topped the singles charts in both the US and the UK ....
" with Elly Jackson of La Roux
La Roux
La Roux are an English electropop duo made up of singer, keyboardist, co-writer and co-producer Eleanor Kate Jackson, and co-writer and co-producer Ben Langmaid. Jackson describes their relationship as "very much a half and half sharing situation... not like a singer producer outfit", but also...
on guest vocals.
When Franz appeared on Radio 1's Live Lounge
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format...
on 6 April 2009 to promote No You Girls
No You Girls
"No You Girls" is a song from the Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand. It is the second single from their third album Tonight: Franz Ferdinand...
they covered Womanizer
Womanizer (song)
"Womanizer" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus. It was released on September 26, 2008 by Jive Records as the lead single of the album. Produced and co-written by Nikesha Briscoe and Rafael Akinyemi of The Outsyders, the song had to be...
by Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
. For their version they added in the interlude from 2004 B-Side "Shopping For Blood".
They have also collaborated with Marion Cotillard
Marion Cotillard
Marion Cotillard is a French actress and singer. She garnered critical acclaim for her roles in films such as La Vie en Rose, My Sex Life... or How I Got Into an Argument, Taxi, Furia and Jeux d'enfants...
for the 2010 Lady Dior campaign. The band wrote the lyrics and plays the music for the song "The Eyes of Mars", while the actress is on vocals. Kapranos noted that it was refreshing working with her as she had a lot of fun going and retrying the song time and time again.
In 2010, Franz Ferdinand contributed to the "Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)
Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 American computer-animated/live action fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, written by Linda Woolverton, and released by Walt Disney Pictures...
" soundtrack with their adaption of the song "The Lobster Quadrille". Later that year, Kapranos and McCarthy collaborated on the song "Do It Again" with Edwyn Collins
Edwyn Collins
Edwyn Stephen Collins is an Ivor Novello Award winning Scottish musician, playing mostly electric guitar-driven pop. Collins formed the musical group Nu-Sonics in 1976, which later became Orange Juice...
on his album Losing Sleep
Losing Sleep (Edwyn Collins album)
Losing Sleep is the seventh solo album by the Scottish singer/songwriter Edwyn Collins, released 13 September 2010 on Heavenly Records.The album was recorded at Collins' West Heath Studios and features guest appearances from Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos and Nick McCarthy, Aztec Camera's Roddy...
.
Name
Northumberland Plate
The Northumberland Plate is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Newcastle over a distance of 2 miles and 19 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late June or early July.-History:The event was established in...
in 2001, the band began to discuss Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Franz Ferdinand was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Austro-Hungarian and Royal Prince of Hungary and of Bohemia, and from 1889 until his death, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. His assassination in Sarajevo precipitated Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia...
and thought it would be a good band name because of the alliteration
Alliteration
In language, alliteration refers to the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of Three or more words or phrases. Alliteration has historically developed largely through poetry, in which it more narrowly refers to the repetition of a consonant in any syllables that, according to...
of the name and the implications of the Archduke's death (his assassination
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were shot dead in Sarajevo, by Gavrilo Princip, one of a group of six Bosnian Serb assassins coordinated by Danilo Ilić...
was a significant factor in the lead-up to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
).
"Mainly we just liked the way it sounded," says Bob. "We liked the alliteration
Alliteration
In language, alliteration refers to the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of Three or more words or phrases. Alliteration has historically developed largely through poetry, in which it more narrowly refers to the repetition of a consonant in any syllables that, according to...
." "He was an incredible figure as well," continues Alex. "His life, or at least the ending of it, was the catalyst for the complete transformation of the world and that is what we want our music to be. But I don't want to over-intellectualize the name thing. Basically a name should just sound good ... like music." Paul offered, "I like the idea that, if we become popular, maybe the words Franz Ferdinand will make people think of the band instead of the historical figure."
The song "Take Me Out", on the band's first album, was the second single to be released by the band. The single release of "Take Me Out" came with the B-side, "All for You, Sophia", based on the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife, whose name was Sophie
Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg
Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg ; 1 March 1868 – 28 June 1914) was a Czech aristocrat, the morganatic wife of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. Their assassination sparked World War I.- Early life :...
, not Sophia. The band chose the name Sophia rather than Sophie to give the song a better ring. The song mentions the assassin Gavrilo Princip
Gavrilo Princip
Gavrilo Princip was the Bosnian Serb who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914...
, the Black Hand
Black Hand
Unification or Death , unofficially known as the Black Hand , was a secret military society formed by members of the Serbian army in the Kingdom of Serbia, which was founded on September 6, 1901. It was intent on uniting all of the territories containing significant Serb populations annexed by...
, the location of the Apple Quay and "Urban" (Franz Urban), the name often mistakenly given to Leopold Lojka
Leopold Lojka
Leopold Lojka was the chauffeur of the car carrying Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand at the point of Ferdinand's assassination in Sarajevo in 1914....
, the driver of the car.
In addition to this, in 2004 the band played a number of "secret" gigs under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"The Black Hands", alluding to the secret society
Black Hand
Unification or Death , unofficially known as the Black Hand , was a secret military society formed by members of the Serbian army in the Kingdom of Serbia, which was founded on September 6, 1901. It was intent on uniting all of the territories containing significant Serb populations annexed by...
that was held responsible for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand.
Art
The band is notable for its use of Russian avant-gardeRussian avant-garde
The Russian avant-garde is an umbrella term used to define the large, influential wave of modern art that flourished in Russia approximately 1890 to 1930 - although some place its beginning as early as 1850 and its end as late as 1960...
imagery in album and single covers. Examples include: "You Could Have It So Much Better", which references a 1924 portrait of Lilya Brik
Lilya Brik
Lilya Yuryevna Brik is known best as a muse of Vladimir Mayakovsky. She was an older sister of Elsa Triolet and wife of Osip Brik. Pablo Neruda called her "muse of Russian avant-garde"...
by Alexander Rodchenko
Alexander Rodchenko
Aleksander Mikhailovich Rodchenko was a Russian artist, sculptor, photographer and graphic designer. He was one of the founders of constructivism and Russian design; he was married to the artist Varvara Stepanova....
; "Take Me Out", which references One-Sixth Part of the World, also by Alexander Rodchenko; "This Fire
This Fire (song)
"This Fire" is the fifth single by Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand from their eponymous album. It received widespread airplay.It was released as a download-only single, and reached #17 on the United States Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and #8 on the UK Download Chart...
" which references Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge by El Lissitzky
El Lissitzky
, better known as El Lissitzky , was a Russian artist, designer, photographer, typographer, polemicist and architect. He was an important figure of the Russian avant garde, helping develop suprematism with his mentor, Kazimir Malevich, and designing numerous exhibition displays and propaganda works...
; and "Michael
Michael (Franz Ferdinand song)
"Michael" is a song by Franz Ferdinand and was the fourth single released from their debut self-titled album. The song was notable for its homoerotic lyrics such as "stubble on my sticky lips" and "beautiful boys on a beautiful dancefloor"....
", with single art based on A Proun by Lissitzky. The song "Love and Destroy" was inspired by the scene of disorder made by Margarita, a character of Michael Bulgakov
Mikhail Bulgakov
Mikhaíl Afanásyevich Bulgákov was a Soviet Russian writer and playwright active in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his novel The Master and Margarita, which The Times of London has called one of the masterpieces of the 20th century.-Biography:Mikhail Bulgakov was born on...
's "The Master and Margarita
The Master and Margarita
The Master and Margarita is a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, woven around the premise of a visit by the Devil to the fervently atheistic Soviet Union. Many critics consider the book to be one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, and one of the foremost Soviet satires, directed against a...
", in the apartment of the literature critic Latunzky.
Also, in "Outsiders", the lyrics "In seventeen years will you still be Camille
Camille Claudel
Camille Claudel was a French sculptor and graphic artist. She was the elder sister of the poet and diplomat Paul Claudel.- Early years :...
, Lee Miller
Lee Miller
Elizabeth 'Lee' Miller, Lady Penrose was an American photographer. Born in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1907, she was a successful fashion model in New York City in the 1920s before going to Paris where she became an established fashion and fine art photographer...
, Gala
Gala Dalí
Gala Dalí , usually known simply as Gala, was the wife of first Paul Éluard, then Salvador Dalí, and an inspiration for them and many other writers and artists.- Early years :...
or whatever" are a reference to the lovers of the artists Auguste Rodin
Auguste Rodin
François-Auguste-René Rodin , known as Auguste Rodin , was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past...
, Man Ray
Man Ray
Man Ray , born Emmanuel Radnitzky, was an American artist who spent most of his career in Paris, France. Perhaps best described simply as a modernist, he was a significant contributor to both the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal...
and Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
.
Videos
Many of the videos to promote the band's singles take inspiration from Russian avant-gardeAvant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
much like their LP and CD sleeves.
The avant-garde music video for "Take Me Out", directed by Jonas Odell
Jonas Odell
Jonas Odell is a Swedish music video and film director and founder of FilmTecknarna. Odell, who specializes in a mix of animation and live action, has directed a number of short films, music videos and commercials...
, was inspired by Dada
Dada
Dada or Dadaism is a cultural movement that began in Zurich, Switzerland, during World War I and peaked from 1916 to 1922. The movement primarily involved visual arts, literature—poetry, art manifestoes, art theory—theatre, and graphic design, and concentrated its anti-war politics through a...
ism (especially Max Ernst's Une Semaine de Bonté
Une Semaine de Bonte
Une semaine de bonté is a graphic novel and artist's book by Max Ernst, first published in 1934. It comprises 182 images created by cutting up and re-organizing illustrations from Victorian encyclopedias and novels.-History:...
), Busby Berkeley
Busby Berkeley
Busby Berkeley was a highly influential Hollywood movie director and musical choreographer. Berkeley was famous for his elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geometric patterns...
choreographies and Russian constructivist
Constructivism (art)
Constructivism was an artistic and architectural philosophy that originated in Russia beginning in 1919, which was a rejection of the idea of autonomous art. The movement was in favour of art as a practice for social purposes. Constructivism had a great effect on modern art movements of the 20th...
design. Alex Kapranos explained the many and varied influences behind the 1930s-style promo for second single "Take Me Out": "It's kind of two dimensional in a three dimensional style if that makes any sense. It's a montage of images; ourselves, pictures and things taken from other places and put together in a strange, abstract way. That's what gives the video that strange, jerky, style". The video for "This Fire" is similar to "Take Me Out" in style.
The lyrics of "Do You Want To" make reference to parties at the "trendy" Glasgow art gallery Transmission and the video includes a variety of the work of contemporary artist Vanessa Beecroft
Vanessa Beecroft
Vanessa Beecroft is an Italian contemporary artist living in Los Angeles.-Artistic practice:Beecroft's work is a fusion of conceptual issues and aesthetic concerns, focusing on large-scale performance art, usually involving live female models...
, along with a reference to Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
in the mix.
Discography
- Franz FerdinandFranz Ferdinand (album)Franz Ferdinand is the debut album by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand, released in early 2004. It entered the United Kingdom album charts at number three in February 2004 and contains three UK top ten singles: "Take Me Out", "This Fire" and "The Dark of the Matinée"...
(2004) - You Could Have It So Much BetterYou Could Have It So Much BetterYou Could Have It So Much Better is the second studio album by Glaswegian indie rock band Franz Ferdinand that was first released 3 October 2005 in the United Kingdom. Recorded in both the United States and their own studio in Glasgow with producer Rich Costey, the album gave birth to the release...
(2005) - Tonight: Franz FerdinandTonight: Franz FerdinandTonight: Franz Ferdinand is the third album by Scottish rock group Franz Ferdinand. It was released through Domino Records on 26 January 2009 in the UK. "Ulysses" was released on the 19 January 2009 as the first single and is available for streaming on the band's Myspace page. It is a concept album...
(2009) - TBA (2012)
Awards and honours
| Year | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Mercury Prize | Mercury Prize Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British... |
| Ivor Novello Award | Ivor Novello Award | |
| NME Awards | Philip Hall Radar Award | |
| MTV Awards | Breakthrough Video Award (Take Me Out Take Me Out (song) "Take Me Out" is a song by the Scottish band Franz Ferdinand. It was released as the second single from their debut album Franz Ferdinand in the United Kingdom on the 12 January 2004 and in the United State on 9 February, both through Domino Records... ) |
|
| Q Awards Q Awards The Q Awards are the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine Q. Since they began in 1990, the Q Awards have become one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards, helped in no small part by the often boisterous behavior of the celebrities who attend the event... |
Best Video (Take Me Out) | |
| 2005 | BRIT Awards Brit Awards The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust... |
Best Group |
| BRIT Awards | Best British Rock Act | |
| NME Awards | Best Track (Take Me Out) | |
| NME Awards | Best Album (Franz Ferdinand) | |
| Meteor Music Awards | Best International Group | |
| Meteor Music Awards | Best International Album (Franz Ferdinand) | |
| 2006 | NME Awards | Best Live Band |
In July 2009, Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" was voted number 100 in Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
Hottest 100 songs of all time.