Foxygen :: JAGJAGUWAR

Foxygen is the Los Angeles-bred songwriting duo of Sam France (vocals, Olympia, Wash., 22 years old) and Jonathan Rado (guitar/keyboards, NYC, 22). They are the raw, de-Wes Andersonization of The Rolling Stones, Kinks, Velvets, Bowie, etc. that a whole mess of young people desperately need. They create a sometimes-impressionistic, sometimes-hyper-real portrait of sounds from specific places and times. Yet, it never comes across as anything but absolutely modern music. They bring the manic, freewheeling qualities of an artist like Ariel Pink to those aforementioned influences to make for one of the most refreshing listens of the year. They are the real deal and total savants. Their albums are love letters to vinyl collections. The first track, "Abandon my Toys," only gives you two seconds of electronic soundery before acoustic instruments take over along with a vocal that sounds channeled in by a medium. "Why Did I Get Married?" plays like a mournful lounge act until about the two minute mark, when it starts to crash into something else, and a gooey kind of Ray Davies vocal gives way to shouts and barks. After you listen to even a few songs on the album, any attempt to define its genre will start with a discussion and end with a shrug, maybe a "rock and roll?" or a "psychedelic?" And that's how shit needs to be said. More question marks. Less periods. Less declarations. Cause it's only questions that can take us where we need to be, to a place of profound and active ignorance. As a tiny organism adrift on a sea of infinite nuance, ignorance is the only honest state of being. And Take the Kids off Broadway is an album full of question marks.

[MORE]

In May 2011, France and Rado nervously handed off a CD-R of this homemade mini-opus Take the Kids Off Broadway to producer and visionary Richard Swift after his performance in a Lower East Side club. The duo, who had just mixed and burned the disc that very night, had been devotees of Swift's outsider-pop oeuvre since high school, when they first began recording their own pubescent forays into oddball rock n' roll (At least a dozen records were finished before they graduated high school). Foxygen left the venue that night unsure whether Swift would truly listen or sling the disc into a dumpster on his way out. You're reading this right now because he did listen. In fact, Swift fucking flipped for Foxygen's bugged out, esoteric majesty and called upon them immediately to say as much.Eight months later, Foxygen was holed up for a week-long recording session at Swift's neo-legendary National Freedom studio, creating what has become We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic, a precocious and cocksure joyride across California psychedelia with a burning, bursting punk rock engine. The songs were written in an inspired fury just after Take the Kids... was complete, pouring from their hands and mouths. Foxygen believes each song was a message of peace delivered from cosmic beings who used France and Rado as their messenger vessels. Some listeners may approximate with that old trope: "It's like listening to The Kinks on acid." But that doesn't exactly do it. The deeper truth might be that this is what The Kinks would be like if they themselves --the brothers Davies--dropped some blotter and struggled through a trip to lay down the follow-up to Arthur. Bubbling beneath their supreme melodic instincts, there's a wild, nervy energy and a raw musicianship that makes Foxygen incapable of doing anything exactly straight. And we wouldn't want it any other way. They somehow pack a host of musical left turns, lyrical non sequiturs and decades-spanning bridges into industry-prefered 3-4 minute gems that are at both reinvention and memorial. Don't call them the new young dudes on the scene. They're only new to you. They've been at this rock god thing since junior high.In the same year as Scott McKenzie the singer of "San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)" leaves this mortal coil, Foxygen delivers unto us the dandy Glockenspiel-packing "San Francisco," which both circumvents and dissects McKenzie's tune and its many cousins of the era. "I left my love in San Francisco/(That's okay, I was bored anyway)/I left my love in a field/(That's okay, I was born in LA)" goes the lovely call-and-response chorus, slamming together the archetypal flower children of the 60s and the archetypal ADHD vapidity of our recent generations. Another highlight, "Shuggie," manages to fit all the light bounce of the song's namesake and the climbing choruses of ELO into it's 3 minutes while still filling the tune with imagery of "rhinoceros-shaped earrings" and haunted parlors. Every nook and cranny of the record is loaded with their unflappable, brazen personalities. Foxygen takes "swagger," that as-of-late misused adjective, back once and for all. It's flipping pyramids old and new upside down -- from the miracle demo hand-off to their Richard Pryor-as-Jagger live shows to their singular idiosynchratic vision of rock n' roll. [LESS]

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HEY, Here’s a New Foxygen “No Destruction” Video

Posted: May 10th, 2013 by katie

Ole Foxygen are at it again. Here we are with a new [old] video for their song “No Destruction.” Why it’s a modern day Western! It’s an ode to adolescence! But really, you’re looking at a mix of newly filmed video plus a bit of footage from Foxy’s high school days; clips from The Legend of Colonel Bedlum and the Salty Biscuits (2005), Metronome (2007), Here’s Another One, Jon! (2008), The Buffalo Son (2009), and more included! The video was directed by Sam and Rado’s childhood friend Bryan Felber. WATCH ABOVE!

DON’T WAIT TO GET YOUR “NO DESTRUCTION” b/w “WHERE’S THE MONEY?” 7″! The single is out on May 28 and available for pre-order at SC Distribution.

Filed under: 7", bryan felber, Foxygen, sc distribution, scd, Video

Foxygen Frighten French School Children in Takeaway Show

Posted: April 17th, 2013 by katie

Foxygen, oh Foxygen. They’re always up to something. If you haven’t managed to watch their Takeaway show, do so now. The folks behind La Blogotheque met with the Foxy gang in Paris this past February to film a live, moving performance of “No Destruction,” “On Blue Mountain” and “In The Darkness.” Watch above and check out the entire shoot HERE.

Also coming in today is a brand new 7″, complete with Richard Swift artwork (pictured above), for your purchasing pleasure. You’ll find an a-side of “No Destruction,” backed with “Where’s the Money.” Pre-order the single at SC Distribution.

As always, we’ve got a round of tour dates for you. Foxygen hit the road this summer, playing a million different music festivals. You’ll find all the dates HERE.

Filed under: Foxygen, La Blogotheque, No Destruction 7", sc distribution, summer tour dates, Takeaway Show

FUN & ENERGETIC // It’s Your Daily Dose of Foxygen

Posted: March 5th, 2013 by katie

Part 1:
In this new Turn Style interview with Foxygen, we learn all about the band’s inspiriation: space and poetry. Who’s surprised really? Not us. Catch the clip above.

Part 2:
Are you in need of some inspiration? Get your daily dose with NPR’s webcast of Foxygen’s show at D.C.’s Rock and Roll Hotel. Recorded last week, the performance is a real goodun. You’ll find it HERE.

Part 3:
Are you satisfied yet? No?! Stop your bellyachin’ and listen to Foxygen’s interview and session with BBC’s Huw Stephens. You’re guaranteed endless happiness with this gem.

Filed under: bbc, Foxygen, huw stephens, Interview, NPR, rock and roll hotel, turn style, washington d.c.

SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK // Jagjaguwar at SXSW 2013

Posted: March 4th, 2013 by katie

SWIM.AT.YOUR.OWN.RISK. Jagjaguwar has teamed up with Dead Oceans and Secretly Canadian for an OFFICIAL SXSW SHOWCASE and folks, let me tell you, it’s a real winner. Jagjaguwar artists include Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Foxygen, Small Black and The Besnard Lakes.

The event takes place on THURSDAY, MARCH 14 at RED 7 (611 E. 7th St.), and all with wristbands/badges are invited to attend. Artists will perform on both the indoor and outdoor stages! See the full showcase schedule below (JAG artists shown in bold). You’ll also find all of our artists’ performance schedules at the end of the post.

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DOC/JAG/SC Official Label Showcase

Outdoor Stage

Unknown Mortal Orchestra: 1:00 – 1:45
Phosphorescent: 11:55 – 12:40
Foxygen: 10:55 – 11:35
Bleached: 10:00 – 10:35
Small Black: 9:05 – 9:40
Cayucas: 8:15 – 8:45

Indoor Stage

Akron/Family: 12:35 – 1:20
The Besnard Lakes: 11:30 – 12:15
DIANA: 10:40 – 11:10
Suuns: 9:45 – 10:20
Night Beds: 8:50 – 9:25
Brazos: 8:00 – 8:30

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ARTIST SHOWCASE SCHEDULES:

The Besnard Lakes
3/13 @ 4406 AVE C Pussy Palace (Brooklyn Vegan) 4:30pm
3/13 @ Swan Dive (Planet Quebec) 11:00pm
3/14 @ Red 7 (DOC/JAG/SC Showcase) 11:30pm
3/15 @ Pussy Palace (BUST) 2:00pm
3/15 @ The Ginger Man (Blurt) 4:45pm

DIANA
3/13 @ Empire Control Room (EXFM/Megablaag) 11:00pm
3/14 @ Red 7 (DOC/JAG/SC Showcase) 10:40pm

Foxygen
3/13 @ Stage on Sixth (Paste) 2:00pm
3/13 @ Hype Hotel (Aquarium Drunkard) 11:00pm
3/14 @ Flamingo Cantina (Under the Radar) 2:25pm
3/14 @ Red 7 (DOC/JAG/SC Showcase) 10:55pm
3/16 @ Old Emo’s (Brooklyn Vegan) 12:45pm
3/16 @ Hotel San Jose (SXSJ) 4:00pm

Small Black
3/14 @ Red 7 (DOC/JAG/SC Showcase) 9:05pm
3/15 @ 508 House (C3 – DJ Set) 1:00pm
3/15 @ Lustre Pearle on Rainey (Filter) 9:00pm
3/16 @ Stubb’s BBQ 9:00pm – Official SXSW Showcase w/Vampire Weekend

Unknown Mortal Orchestra
03/13 – 5:30pm – Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop – KEXP Showcase
03/13 – 11pm – Scoot Inn – Life or Death PR Showcase
03/14 – 3:45pm – 1100 Warehouse – Pitchfork Unofficial Day Party
03/14 – 1am – Red 7 – Jagjaguwar Label Showcase
03/15 – 1:50pm – Stubbs BBQ – SPIN Media Official Party
03/16 – 5pm – Old Emos – Brooklyn Vegan

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Filed under: Dead Oceans, Foxygen, indoor, Jagjaguwar, official showcase, outdoor, red 7, Secretly Canadian, Small Black, SXSW, unknown mortal orchestra

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FOXYGEN

HEY, Here’s a New Foxygen “No Destruction” Video

Foxygen Frighten French School Children in Takeaway Show

FUN & ENERGETIC // It’s Your Daily Dose of Foxygen

SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK // Jagjaguwar at SXSW 2013

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HEY, Here’s a New Foxygen “No Destruction” Video

Foxygen Frighten French School Children in Takeaway Show

FUN & ENERGETIC // It’s Your Daily Dose of Foxygen

SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK // Jagjaguwar at SXSW 2013

06/21/13

Dover, DE - Firefly Music Festival

06/23/13

North Adams, MA - Solid Sound Festival

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New York, NY - River Rocks Series at Pier 84 w/ Thao & The Get Down Stay Down -FREE

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