Brit-rock invasion, hide the kids and virgins...

So I heard Franz Ferdinand when I was in France in 2004. Some fellow travellers from Australia said "...hey, these guys rock.." and I became an instant fan. This makes up for the years of alternative rock that was...well, craptastic.

Frenetic, herky-perky pop that rocks!!

VOOP!VOOP!VOOP!VOOP! over and over! That BEAT! It's insistent! And that makes a great pop song - insistence! Franz Ferdinand have managed to spread it successfully over two albums now, but I prefer this, their debut, because the songs sound the most alike, and that's actually a strength in this kind of music! I don't want a slower song or some experimental new sounds breaking up the VOOPS! However, their second album is great, too. This first one is just more FUN due to the VOOP quotient! (I can see it now: review not helpful, in droves...) It seems that Franz Ferdinand have spawned or are a part of a movement of similar bands: Kaiser Chiefs, Hot Hot Heat, The Killers, The Futureheads, Bloc Party (the BEST of the lot!)...They are all really good bands even though they share some of the same sounds. If you like ANY of these bands, you simply MUST check out the albums that influenced them the most, and are equally great (or better!) albums: DRUMS N WIRES(1979) by XTC (also check out WHITE MUSIC(1977) by XTC, but DRUMS N WIRES is the best of the two - a 5 star classic!) and ENTERTAINMENT!(1979)by GANG OF FOUR. The latter is a bit more raw and harsh (with political lyrics) and that GANG OF FOUR style of guitar playing came from John Lennon's playing on the 1970 song, I FOUND OUT, on the album, PLASTIC ONO BAND, if anyone wonders! Anyway, if you love Franz Ferdinand of any of the other bands I mentioned, you'll love the albums I mentioned, especially DRUMS N WIRES! And vice versa, you XTC fans!

Incredible!!!

This album is filled with great rhythms and music, plus Alex Kaprano's voice is really good, something that really helps. Another thing I liked a lot about this band, is the fact that when they play live they sound exactly like in the CD's (yesterday I saw them live, they were the opening act on a U2 concert).