Moxy Früvous
Encyclopedia
Moxy Früvous was a politically satirical
folk-pop
band from Thornhill, Ontario
, Canada
. The band was founded in 1989, and was active throughout the 1990s. Common themes in Früvous songs include Canada and the "human experience".
(then going by Jean Ghomeshi), Murray Foster
and Mike Ford, former classmates at the local Thornlea Secondary School
and playing in a pub band called The Chia Pets at the time, joined with David Matheson
to busk
in Toronto. They drew unusually large crowds, and, eventually, the attention of Toronto-based CBC Radio
, which commissioned songs about political and local issues for the radio show Later the Same Day. Some songs written for the show later appeared on their albums; these songs include "The Gulf War Song" and "My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors
", which was written for a Toronto authors' festival.
They cut a six-song demo tape in 1992, and their first major-label album, Bargainville
, was released the next year. Its single, "King of Spain
", was only the second Canadian independent #1 hit in the country's history. (Torontonians Barenaked Ladies
were first by a few months, with 1991's "Be My Yoko Ono
".) Shortly after, they embarked on a touring schedule that continued, practically without stopping except to record new material, until the end of 2000.
On August 14, 1997, their song "You Will Go to the Moon
" was used by NASA
to wake the crew of STS-85
.
The band sometimes sang with little or no accompaniment in a style similar to contemporary a cappella. A number of their songs also express the band's progressive
political leanings ("The Greatest Man in America", for instance, harps on Rush Limbaugh
, and "Big Fish" lambastes former Premier of Ontario
Mike Harris
). Früvous was also known for their close relationship with their fans and their live shows, which were full of political commentary, humorous banter, and musical improvisation.
The band gave its last concert in 2000 (excepting performances at annual fan conventions in 2001 and 2002).
, the U of T
's campus radio
station, as part of the morning program Toronto Unlocked, an ad hoc program produced and hosted by locked-out
CBC Radio One staff.
The last update to the band's website occurred on July 8, 2008. The website was replaced by a default webserver page in mid-2009, but has since returned.
Ghomeshi, Foster, and Ford performed on CBC Radio One on March 1, 2010, as a goodbye to Metro Morning host Andy Barrie
.
phrase, although the liner notes of their first CD Bargainville contained a faux-dictionary listing of definitions for früvous. The band was known to never provide a straight answer (and for that matter, almost never the same answer twice) when defining the band's name. However, in an interview with WBER radio in Rochester, New York, on November 23, 1999, Jian explained the band's name origin by saying that they were "trying to think of a name that wasn't easy to remember and doesn't mean anything," satirically going against two conventions most bands might use in determining a band name. The name also includes a heavy metal umlaut
, again hinting at the satirical because heavy metal is not a genre most listeners of Moxy Früvous would associate with the group.
Political satire
Political satire is a significant part of satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics; it has also been used with subversive intent where political speech and dissent are forbidden by a regime, as a method of advancing political arguments where such arguments are expressly...
folk-pop
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
band from Thornhill, Ontario
Thornhill, Ontario
Thornhill is a community in the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the northern border of the city of Toronto. Once a municipal village, Thornhill is now a community and postal designation geographically split into two municipalities along Yonge Street, the city of...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The band was founded in 1989, and was active throughout the 1990s. Common themes in Früvous songs include Canada and the "human experience".
History
The band formed in 1989 when Jian GhomeshiJian Ghomeshi
Jian Ghomeshi is a Canadian broadcaster, writer, musician and producer of Iranian descent who was raised in Thornhill, Ontario. Now based in Toronto, he is the host of the national daily cultural affairs talk program, Q, on CBC Radio One and Bold TV...
(then going by Jean Ghomeshi), Murray Foster
Murray Foster
Murray Foster is a Canadian musician, playing the electric bass and stand-up bass. The first concert he went to was a Peter Frampton concert at age 12 with Jian Ghomeshi in 1978. He attended Thornlea Secondary School, where he formed Moxy Früvous...
and Mike Ford, former classmates at the local Thornlea Secondary School
Thornlea Secondary School
Thornlea Secondary School is a public high school that opened in 1968 and is located in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada, on the north east corner Bayview Avenue and Willowbrook Road, just south of Highway 407....
and playing in a pub band called The Chia Pets at the time, joined with David Matheson
David Matheson
David Matheson was a member of Moxy Früvous and The Ground Crew. Along with Maury Lafoy on upright bass, Matheson entertains audience members at tapings of the Royal Canadian Air Farce at the CBC's Canadian Broadcasting Centre in Toronto, Ontario as "The Ground Crew".- Discography :* Dave Matheson...
to busk
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
in Toronto. They drew unusually large crowds, and, eventually, the attention of Toronto-based CBC Radio
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
, which commissioned songs about political and local issues for the radio show Later the Same Day. Some songs written for the show later appeared on their albums; these songs include "The Gulf War Song" and "My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors
My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors
"My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors" is a song by Canadian pop group Moxy Früvous. It was written for the CBC Radio show Later the Same Day, as a comment on a Toronto literary festival. It mentions famous authors, many Canadian....
", which was written for a Toronto authors' festival.
They cut a six-song demo tape in 1992, and their first major-label album, Bargainville
Bargainville
Bargainville was a 1993 album by Canadian band Moxy Früvous, their first major-label release. This disc's subject matter is divided between comedy and serious personal, social, and ecological issues....
, was released the next year. Its single, "King of Spain
King of Spain (song)
"King of Spain" is a song by Canadian musical group Moxy Früvous, and was the second independent song to hit number one in Canada, after The Barenaked Ladies' "Be My Yoko Ono"....
", was only the second Canadian independent #1 hit in the country's history. (Torontonians Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
were first by a few months, with 1991's "Be My Yoko Ono
Be My Yoko Ono
"Be My Yoko Ono" is a song by the Canadian musical group Barenaked Ladies.The song was written by Steven Page and Ed Robertson and first appeared on their 1989 demo tape, Buck Naked...
".) Shortly after, they embarked on a touring schedule that continued, practically without stopping except to record new material, until the end of 2000.
On August 14, 1997, their song "You Will Go to the Moon
You Will Go to the Moon
You Will Go To The Moon is the third full album by the Canadian folk band Moxy Früvous.-Track listing:# "Michigan Militia" - 3:18# "Get In The Car" - 2:36# "I've Gotta Get A Message To You" - 3:58# "Lazlo's Career" - 4:13...
" was used by NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
to wake the crew of STS-85
STS-85
STS-85 was a Space Shuttle Discovery mission to perform multiple space science packages. It was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 7 August 1997.-Crew:-Crew notes:...
.
The band sometimes sang with little or no accompaniment in a style similar to contemporary a cappella. A number of their songs also express the band's progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
political leanings ("The Greatest Man in America", for instance, harps on Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
, and "Big Fish" lambastes former Premier of Ontario
Premier of Ontario
The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
). Früvous was also known for their close relationship with their fans and their live shows, which were full of political commentary, humorous banter, and musical improvisation.
The band gave its last concert in 2000 (excepting performances at annual fan conventions in 2001 and 2002).
Post-breakup activity
On September 5, 2005, Ford, Foster and Ghomeshi performed on CIUTCIUT-FM
CIUT-FM is a campus and community radio station owned and operated by the University of Toronto community. The station broadcasts live and continuously from Toronto on the 89.5 FM frequency. Programming can also be heard nationally via channel 826 on Shaw Direct, and over the internet via the CIUT...
, the U of T
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
's campus radio
Campus radio
Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the radio station is based...
station, as part of the morning program Toronto Unlocked, an ad hoc program produced and hosted by locked-out
Lockout (industry)
A lockout is a work stoppage in which an employer prevents employees from working. This is different from a strike, in which employees refuse to work.- Causes :...
CBC Radio One staff.
The last update to the band's website occurred on July 8, 2008. The website was replaced by a default webserver page in mid-2009, but has since returned.
Ghomeshi, Foster, and Ford performed on CBC Radio One on March 1, 2010, as a goodbye to Metro Morning host Andy Barrie
Andy Barrie
Andy Barrie is a Toronto-based radio personality, most known for his work at CFRB and later on CBC Radio as host of Metro Morning. Retired from the work of hosting a radio program, he remains active with the CBC.-Early life:...
.
Current projects
- Jian GhomeshiJian GhomeshiJian Ghomeshi is a Canadian broadcaster, writer, musician and producer of Iranian descent who was raised in Thornhill, Ontario. Now based in Toronto, he is the host of the national daily cultural affairs talk program, Q, on CBC Radio One and Bold TV...
works for CBC Radio OneCBC Radio OneCBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
, primarily as the host of the arts and cultural program QQ (radio show)Q is a Canadian radio show, which airs on CBC Radio One. Hosted by Jian Ghomeshi, the program is a national arts magazine show. The program is also now syndicated to public radio stations in the United States through Public Radio International....
, and writes. - Murray FosterMurray FosterMurray Foster is a Canadian musician, playing the electric bass and stand-up bass. The first concert he went to was a Peter Frampton concert at age 12 with Jian Ghomeshi in 1978. He attended Thornlea Secondary School, where he formed Moxy Früvous...
is the bass player for Great Big SeaGreat Big SeaGreat Big Sea is a Canadian folk-rock band from Newfoundland and Labrador, best known for performing energetic rock interpretations of traditional Newfoundland folk songs including sea shanties, which draw from the island's 500-year-old Irish, English, and French heritage...
and is part of the band Great Atomic Power, with Dave Matheson, Tory Cassis, Mark Mariash and Jason LaPrade. He also performs in a vocal jazz standard group called The Lesters. Most recently, Foster has been touring as part of Great Big Sea, replacing bass player and singer Darrell Power. - Dave Matheson performs solo and with Murray Foster in Great Atomic Power.
- Mike Ford often performs in schools, singing his songs about the history of Canada.
Band name
The name "Moxy Früvous" is a nonsenseNonsense
Nonsense is a communication, via speech, writing, or any other symbolic system, that lacks any coherent meaning. Sometimes in ordinary usage, nonsense is synonymous with absurdity or the ridiculous...
phrase, although the liner notes of their first CD Bargainville contained a faux-dictionary listing of definitions for früvous. The band was known to never provide a straight answer (and for that matter, almost never the same answer twice) when defining the band's name. However, in an interview with WBER radio in Rochester, New York, on November 23, 1999, Jian explained the band's name origin by saying that they were "trying to think of a name that wasn't easy to remember and doesn't mean anything," satirically going against two conventions most bands might use in determining a band name. The name also includes a heavy metal umlaut
Heavy metal umlaut
A metal umlaut is a diaeresis that is sometimes used gratuitously or decoratively over letters in the names of hard rock or heavy metal bands—for example those of Mötley Crüe and Motörhead...
, again hinting at the satirical because heavy metal is not a genre most listeners of Moxy Früvous would associate with the group.
Album discography
- Moxy FrüvousMoxy Früvous (album)Moxy Früvous is the first indie tape release from Canadian band Moxy Früvous. It was recorded in 2 days in 1992 in Toronto. It contains six songs, five of which were re-recorded for their major-label debut, Bargainville.-Track listing:...
(1992, demo, rare) - BargainvilleBargainvilleBargainville was a 1993 album by Canadian band Moxy Früvous, their first major-label release. This disc's subject matter is divided between comedy and serious personal, social, and ecological issues....
(1993) - WoodWood (album)Wood was the 1995 second studio album by Canadian artists Moxy Früvous.-Track listing:#"Down from Above" – 4:34#"Horseshoes" – 3:57#"Fly" – 4:57#"The Present Tense Tureen" – 3:38#"Poor Mary Lane" – 3:28#"On Her Doorstep" – 3:22...
(1995) - The 'b' AlbumThe 'b' AlbumThe 'b' Album is a collection of B-sides and rarities released in 1996 by the Canadian folk band Moxy Früvous. A sticker on the packaging warned, "Not the third album!" At first self-published by the band, it was rereleased later that year with a revised track order in Canada by Warner Music...
(1996, b-sides and other oddities) - You Will Go To The MoonYou Will Go to the MoonYou Will Go To The Moon is the third full album by the Canadian folk band Moxy Früvous.-Track listing:# "Michigan Militia" - 3:18# "Get In The Car" - 2:36# "I've Gotta Get A Message To You" - 3:58# "Lazlo's Career" - 4:13...
(1997) - Live Noise (1998, live)
- Thornhill (1999)
- The 'c' Album (2000, b-sides and other oddities)
External links
- Official website
- Moxy Früvous collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive - Information on Murray Foster