About 4 years ago, some intrepid musicians disguised as English teachers in Poland came together to form a band.
4 years on they've matured, after countless hours of hard work and alcohol consumption that would make Bacchus wince, into one of the best bands I've heard in a while. I am of course talking about the brilliant
Foxgang.
I first saw them at
'OxJam' a charity event held by the members of
Oxfam at
Mono in Glasgow. Impeccably on time and vouching to save the chickens they played their hearts out and definitely made an impact on mine.
Started by Ryan, a Geordie
frontman on vocals and Joe, a quiet American from Louisiana on lead guitar, the band has been in and out of the spotlight making waves both in Poland and Scotland.
At first listen, they come across as slightly surreal in their music. That feeling
dissappears once they kick it into high gear, involuntarily causing feet to tap and heads to nod in approval. Their songs are the right mix of catchy music and good lyrics that get you attached to the songs.
Individually, the songs carry a character almost as if they were real people -
White English, their opening track combines an acute portrayal of social apathy combined with one of the most addictive pace in a song I've noticed in recent times. This is followed by the
Beatle-
esque beat of
Cheesewire, words imploring you to 'take your life back' to the simpler things.
The extremely popular
Nichola can only be summed up musically as a ticking time bomb. The lyrics are hilarious. They tell a story you would expect to hear from your close friends that would leave one eyebrow in a perpetual raised position, interspersed with hearty laughs.
To my best knowledge, the band's style reminds me of an eccentricity that has been missing from music nowadays. A shot of sharp lyrics and unbeatable melody gives you a much needed vaccination against the sea of indie indigestion. I have yet to find a song these gentlemen have served which isn't brimming with sheer talent.
Regulars around the popular Glasgow venues, I would strongly
recommend seeing the guys live. Their shows tend to crackle and spark with Ryan's excellent vocals and band's unique onstage persona. They don't just play, they introduce you to their craft.
Looking at playing a gig at this year's
Winterfest/
Hogmanay celebrations in George Square, the boys could use your precious votes to give them a stage to rock out on. Details of how to vote are available on the
Myspace page, as are Downloads of their tracks through
TenTracks.
So come on down, be part of the gang.