Is Born to Harangue as serious as they say?

This is my new favourite band. They have EVERYTHING as far as I’m concerned. The songs, the melodies, the visuals, a wide range of influences, they don’t take themselves too seriously, the quirkiness doesn’t seem forced, they’re French but live in the USA so the songs have a Europop flair with American influence, they take the listener to unexpected places sonically, each song is filled with hooks, and so on! I say “and so on” because like I said, they have everything so there’s no point in sitting here and listing everything, because ‘everything’ means everything.

But I’ve started now so here’s another thing: one of the two brothers looks a lot like Klaus Kinski which I deem to be the icing on the cake. What they’re doing is joyous *and* musically interesting which is rarer than it should be, since modern music is often - not always, but often - either joyous and vacant or musically interesting and gloomy. It’s surprising to me that they’re not all over the radio and as big as Daft Punk were, but they haven’t released an album yet, just an EP and a few singles, so there’s still time!

A comment on one of their videos says “it’s like Yello and The Residents ended up in Eurotrash land”. They get plenty of negative comments as well, although that Yello/Eurotrash one could also be viewed as negative depending on your taste in music. A few of the comments are saying they get 80s vibes from the songs but I disagree — it sounds more like 2001 to me except better than 99% of what was being released in 2001.

I’m reluctant to compare their sound to older bands and eras because that’s all we seem to do with new music nowadays, but if I had to, then yes I would say they’re taking the music of the early 00s and improving upon it. Taking it to where it should have gone. In comparison with Lemon Twigs— I saw someone saying in a YouTube comment that Lemon Twigs is “not breaking any new ground in the best way possible”. And that’s fine too.

But with Faux Real, for the first time in a long time I’m hearing a band where I want to know everything about them, all their influences (even though I’m not finding much), and I’m genuinely intrigued/enthusiastic about what I’m hearing and invested in finding out what direction they go in next. I’ve listened to 252 singles from 2024 so far and this is the first band I’ve come across where it feels like in some way I’m hearing music being pushed forward.

I doubt most of you will get it though! You’ll listen to 30 seconds of one song, laugh, shake your head, switch it off, and never think of them again. I’m right aren’t I!? You’re going to make me regret showing you!!

2022


2024


2022


2020
 
Kindred Spirit’s the video I chose to watch. It was interesting.

I prefer the other three songs, I just chose to add Kindred Spirit because it’s a somewhat different style to the others, with more guitar. I nearly added Faux Maux but then I would have had four songs which aren’t that dissimilar in sound. But I hope all four end up on the debut album because they fit well together. I doubt Kindred Spirit will be on it as it was on a 2020 EP. I’m curious to see what other styles they might bring to the table; as far as I can tell they’ve only released 10 or 11 songs during the five or so years that they’ve been together in this band, which is unusual and I’m not aware of the reasons for it. The Smiths had released seven times as many songs after five years. With that said, every Faux Real song is a banger so I don’t mind that they take their time with it.
 
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What up with these weird duo musical acts?

Yes.. Yellow, there was also Sparks, Soft Cell, Pet Shop Boys. I’m sure there are others. I guess it’s a formula/novelty that never gets old. And it’s usually electronics for obvious reasons.
 
I think the answer to the question about weird electronic duos in this particular case is “they’re French”. When the answer to a question is “they’re French” I think it can be used to explain just about anything. Q. “They’re brothers, why are they cavorting and contorting like lovers?” A. “…French.”

While they’re unlikely to surpass Pet Shop Boys or early Sparks, Faux Real are more interesting to me than all those bands at the moment because good God we need something new. They have less than 40,000 monthly Spotify listeners right now which is ridiculous!

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Something funny, Lucifer Sam? You can’t call Faux Real wallpaper music or music for latté drinkers, so what is it instead? Too bleepy bloop? I haven’t seen such an invigorating art for art’s sake statement in quite a while as what I’m seeing from them. Yuk it up though, chuckles, it’s not Bob Dylan sitting on a chair playing the acoustic guitar so I know it’s hilarious :rage: :rage:
 
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Something funny, Lucifer Sam? You can’t call Faux Real wallpaper music or music for latté drinkers, so what is it instead? Too bleepy bloop? I haven’t seen such an invigorating art for art’s sake statement in quite a while as what I’m seeing from them. Yuk it up though, chuckles, it’s not Bob Dylan sitting on a chair playing the acoustic guitar so I know it’s hilarious

Of course something's funny. Faux Real is. Aren't they supposed to be funny? The only one I watched was The United Snakes of America. Watching again, I'm not seeing anything about it that says "take us seriously." Musically, of course, they're not at all to my tastes ("too bleepy bloop" for sure and the crazy vocals). But I can laugh at the zaniness and camp quality, can't I?
 
Their creativity is deadly serious! They’re not a novelty act, unlike let’s say Electric Six who I used to laugh at rather than with when they arrived on the popular music scene when I was about 14. Nothing about 1960s Monty Python says “take us seriously” either but we don’t laugh at them. You can laugh, but I disapprove of the reasons for which you’re laughing :rage:. Faux Real are no laughing matter; unless we’re laughing because we’re exhilarated by how great they are!
 
I doubt most of you will get it though! You’ll listen to 30 seconds of one song, laugh, shake your head, switch it off, and never think of them again. I’m right aren’t I!? You’re going to make me regret showing you!!

I put Full Circle and Rent Free as the first two videos for a reason, and yet people are choosing to listen to Kindred Spirit and The United Snakes of America first :rage:!!!!! The second two songs are the ones you should listen to only after you’ve fallen in love with the first two! I’m starting to think some of the people on this website hate music! This domain appears to be available if any of you want to buy it: https://ihatemusic.net/
 
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I've watched Kindred Spirit now. Just so I have this correctly, when you watch these videos, you don't find them humorous? I mean, I laugh at the video for November Spawned a Monster, too. I don't know what else the response is to a camp/absurdist/wacky presentation. I think laughter is intended.
 
I put Full Circle and Rent Free as the first two videos for a reason, and yet people are choosing to listen to Kindred Spirit and The United Snakes of America first :rage:!!!!! The second two songs are the ones you listen to only after you’ve fallen in love with the first two! I’m starting to think some of the people on this website hate music! This domain appears to be available if any of you want to buy it: https://ihatemusic.net/
I listened to Kindred Spirit because I like the title. I’ll check out the others tonight, unless there’s an earthquake and I lose internet or something.
 
Isn’t there ANYONE on this website who can back me up and talk some sense into these two!?

So Faux Real get a “nawe” from you but the state of Israel gets a ‘yeehaw’. In the words of Gregor Samsa: “disgusting”. I don’t laugh at the absurdity/wackiness because it’s art not comedy. I’m not amused by the visuals, I’m impressed by them, but more so by the musicality, the adding of sounds/textures that add to rather than detract from the songs, their ability to write a memorable chorus and a bridge that’s on par with the chorus, along with creative touches like the way they go into the chorus on ‘Rent Free’ the second time around with the verse vocals blending with the chorus vocals. They didn’t have to do that but they had the musical intelligence to think of it and then pull it off which is the sort of thing that keeps me engaged as a listener. Admittedly I was less than impressed with their presentation at first because it was giving me Erasure-ish vibes (I don’t care for Erasure) until I looked them up and found out they’re brothers which caused me to change my tune. Rent Free started out as my 15th favourite song from February but it kept creeping up, and - not to spoil the list which I’ll try to post in full later; I’m sure everyone’s on the edge of their seat about that, right honey bunny?? - now it’s #1.
 
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I listened to Kindred Spirit because I like the title. I’ll check out the others tonight, unless there’s an earthquake and I lose internet or something.
I just listened to the other three videos and found Full Circle interesting as well as Kindred Spirit. The two videos in between them were hypnotic at least.
 
I listened to 120 singles that were released in January 2024 and I wanted to do a top 25 but I’m indecisive so I’m going to do a top 33 instead. I’m not sure that I’m happy with all the placements but I’m posting it anyway!

33. Grandaddy - Long As I’m Not the One
32. Vegyn - The Path Less Travelled
31. The Black Crowes - Wanting and Waiting
30. DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - Anything Lost (Can Be Found Again)
29. I Don’t Know How But They Found Me - Infatuation
28. Sega Bodega - Deer Teeth
27. Pet Shop Boys - Loneliness
26. Joy Orbison - flight fm
25. Diamond Cafe - When You Can’t Resist
24. Squid - Fugue (Bin Song)
23. Marika Hackman - The Yellow Mile
22. Mette & Sam Gellaitry - Darling Drive
21. Lola Young - Wish You Were Dead
20. Sir Chloe - Seventeen
19. Bullion feat. Carly Rae Jepsen - Rare
18. Nia Archives - Crowded Roomz
17. Liam Gallagher & John Squire - Just Another Rainbow
16. Bleachers - Tiny Moves
15. Waxahatchee feat. MJ Lenderman - Right Back to It
14. Jamie xx - It’s So Good
13. Bring Me the Horizon - Kool-Aid
12. Chelsea Wolfe - Everything Turns Blue
11. Kim Gordon - Bye Bye
10. Squarepusher - Wendorlan
9. Ariana Grande - yes, and? (I have to squeeze my girl, the black widow, the woman with the darkest heart in pop music, the ultimate siren, into the top 10)
8. Buck Meek - Cuero Dudes
7. The Smile - Friend of a Friend
6. Adrianne Lenker - Sadness As a Gift
5. Justice feat. Tame Impala - One Night/All Night
4. Sunny Day Real Estate - Novum Vetus
3. Future Islands - Say Goodbye
2. Julia Holter - Spinning
1. The Lemon Twigs - My Golden Years

Here’s the list of my favourite singles from 2024 that I listened to for the first time in February. A few of them were released in January. I listened to 132 singles, the list is one song per artist. I had 11 songs vying for the 40th place so I put their names into a hat. Still Corners won the first time, then I did it a second time and had the same result. So that’s how they earned their wildcard spot on the list. I was leaning more towards Kacey Musgraves myself but the hat doesn’t lie. Also below is the Born to Harangue chart rundown (39-1)! I’m not going to admit to how long it took me to record it, but it took long enough that I’m never going to do it again. It features a special appearance at the end from a certain blond lothario, because there’s no point taking the time to do something like this unless I’m going to do something trollish with it.

No one seems to read these posts anyway, I can’t even get a measly ‘informative’ reaction even though what I’m doing here definitely qualifies as informative, so if I make another list like this for March 2024 I’ll bypass this website and post it on Reddit. Maybe they’ll appreciate it 🖕 (how’s that for netiquette). Anyway here’s the list!!



40. Still Corners - The Dream
39. Dev Lemons - Give Mama a Hug
38. Pissed Jeans - Cling to a Poisoned Dream
37. Lana Del Rey - Blue Skies
36. The Voidz - All the Same
35. Coco Bryce - One Hundred
34. Blockhead - Scumlord
33. Paul Weller - Soul Wandering
32. Porno for Pyros - Little Me
31. Mannequin Pussy - Nothing Like
30. Mount Kimbie - Fishbrain
29. Dua Lipa - Training Season
28. Adrianne Lenker - Fool
27. Free Nationals, A$AP Rocky & Anderson .Paak - Gangsta
26. Halo Maud - My Desire Is Pure
25. Kelela (feat. Shygirl) - Holier (JD. Reid remix)
24. Waxahatchee - Bored
23. Refreshers - Crumbling Down
22. STRFKR - Together Forever
21. Marcus King - F*ck My Life Up Again
20. Lola Young - Intrusive Thoughts
19. Kim Gordon - I’m a Man
18. Lætitia Sadier - Panser L’Inacceptable
17. Vegyn (feat. John Glacier) - A Dream Goes On Forever
16. Liam Gallagher & John Squire - Mars to Liverpool
15. Beth Gibbons - Floating On a Moment
14. Depeche Mode - Before We Drown (SiGNL remix)
13. St. Vincent - Broken Man
12. Pearl Jam - Dark Matter
11. DIIV - Brown Paper Bag
10. MGMT (feat. Christine and the Queens) - Dancing In Babylon
9. Jessica Pratt - Life Is
8. Vampire Weekend - Capricorn
7. Fabiana Palladino - Stay With Me Through the Night
6. Caroline Polachek (feat. Weyes Blood) - Butterfly Net
5. Julia Holter - Evening Mood
4. Everything Everything - The End of the Contender
3. Burial - Dreamfear
2. The Lemon Twigs - They Don’t Know How to Fall In Place
1. Faux Real - Rent Free
 
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Trivia about the list:

Vegyn (#17) is the son of songwriter/producer Phil Thornalley who amongst other things produced The Cure’s Pornography and The Love Cats, Prefab Sprout’s When Love Breaks Down, and co-wrote Torn which was later covered by Natalie Imbruglia.

Fabiana Palladino (#7) is the daughter of Pino Palladino, a session bassist who played on albums by Jeff Beck, The Who, Eric Clapton, Tears for Fears, Phil Collins, Elton John, Bryan Ferry, Tina Turner, Rod Stewart and others.
 
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