Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand

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  • Franz Ferdinand
    Franz Ferdinand
    Franz Ferdinand

    Debuting around the same time as the likeminded Arctic Monkeys and Libertines, Franz Ferdinand crafted an introduction that matched the wry wit of an art-school band with the mass appeal of stadium rockers. In other words, music you’d be just as likely to hear in a dimly lit hipster bar as in a game of Guitar Hero. Led by the gargantuan “Take Me Out” (and the equally great “Jacqueline” and “The Dark of the Matinée”), the album was a punk-spiked, stylish alternative to the straightforward fare of mid-’00s modern-rock radio—plenty tough, but smart enough to play it close to the vest.

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About Franz Ferdinand

Scottish indie-rock band Franz Ferdinand took their name from the Austrian Archduke whose 1914 assassination set off World War I. ∙ The band’s 2004 self-titled debut won the Mercury Prize and was nominated for the Best Alternative Album Grammy Award, the first of their five Grammy nominations. ∙ Their sophomore LP, 2005’s You Could Have It So Much Better, produced by Rich Costey (Foo Fighters, Muse, Sigur Rós), was their first US Top 10 album. ∙ Starting in 2005, lead singer and former chef Alex Kapranos wrote a food column for the The Guardian, chronicling the meals and snacks he ate while on tour with the band. ∙ The 2011 EP Covers features songs from their third album, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, as interpreted by such artists as LCD Soundsystem and Peaches. ∙ Together with the legendary rock duo Sparks, they formed the supergroup FSS, releasing their acclaimed debut in 2015.

FROM
Glasgow, Scotland
FORMED
2001
GENRE
Alternative

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