FFS (aka, Franz Ferdinand and Sparks)

And why not?

https://www.facebook.com/FFSMUSICOFFICIAL

https://scontent-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t31.0-8/10984558_954209097946863_5967678152674424981_o.png

would have preferred a Fiery Furnaces collaboration if they were so desperate to make that joke

Better than fleet foxes anyway

foo fighters & sparks ftw

I can imagine being sort of interested to hear what Fleet Foxes/Mael bros supergroup would sound like at least, I can't imagine this sounding like anything other than a slightly more boring version of 21stC Sparks

That sounds like it would rule, if slightly less than C21 Sparks

I love Sparks, Franz Ferdinand are.. OK, I guess, but when I think of all the artists they could be collaborating with, it's hard not to be disappointed

or they could just be doing more Sparks stuff!

John Frusciante and Cake

Sparks, Momus and Den Harrow would be my dreamteam I think

Ron mael, dave eggers

Paul McCartney and Kanye.

You're not actually surprised by this, soref? They've been talking about doing this for almost a decade now and you're acting like it was only just revealed.

it had passed me by somehow, I tend to only become aware of these kind of things when someone starts an ilx thread (so thanks, I suppose?)

Aim to serve. But yeah, they pretty much started up a mutual admiration society when FF first had hits and not long thereafter they talked about how they'd love to collaborate on something when the time was right. It had been going on so long I thought it would never happen but last year they started posting photos from the joint recording sessions and so forth.

If part of this involves a tour with FF as Sparks' backing band (that actually comes to the US) then count me in.

John Frusciante and Cake

haha, that's good. (I'm actually fairly interested in this collab tho, if only because it will likely be a more rocking outing than Sparks' recent nu-symphonics.)

And yeah, what cwkiii said.

Yeah for me this boils down to new sparks material + band shows, just hope they don't let Franz bro sing too much on this

Of course the real dream ff for them to collaborate with would be final fantasy

He Poos Sparks

Russell said there'll be some US dates after the UK tour. I also heard the shows will feature the bands playing each other's songs, like FF doing Sparks songs and Sparks doing FF songs, but I imagine it will all be pretty collaborative.

This sounds like great fun. No-one should be skeptical about it.

I feel guilty about being sceptical of this earlier, maybe it will be good

I wonder if lots of the Sparks fan backlash is coming from only knowing of FF through "Take Me Out". If they'd heard how great their last record was, it might ease the pain.

Either way, I think this is pretty cool and I'm anxious to hear it.

George Thorogood Frank Ocean

Paul McCartney and Kanye.

...as...joked...above.

I'm aware

just hope they don't let Franz bro sing too much on this

him and Russell duetting on 'Singing in the Shower' could be pretty cool

FFS!

John Frusciante and Cake

― katherine, Monday, March 9, 2015 1:35 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Weezer and The Fall

Paul McCartney and Kanye.

Paul McKanye and Sparks

To be quite honest, even (especially?) if you only knew Franz Ferdinand from "Take Me Out", you should be saying "I bet they'd do an awesome "Kimono my house" set!"

I do, anyway.

Annnnd we got first song.

https://soundcloud.com/dominorecordco/ffs-piss-off

Going to see them in Glasgow - expecting fun.

Not a huge fan of FF but, I don't know, I think this is pretty enjoyable.

lol at some of the song titles. "Collaborations Don't Work," "King of the Song"

I really like this a lot

also is sounds *exactly* like sparks w/franz ferdinand

Yeah! This is fun!

His voice has held up so remarkably

First single and I'm really enjoying it, mostly sounds like FF are happy to be a backing band for the Maels

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac3qj-E4K4M

i'm gettting really excited about this!

Another song out, "Collaborations Don't Work"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGAwp5syXyE

And first video, for "Johnny Delusional"

http://www.vevo.com/watch/GBA321500043

Fun interview:

http://www.nme.com/features/ffs-interview-franz-ferdinand-and-sparks-on-how-broken-teeth-and-1990s-pop-shaped-their-unexpected-c

Another new one here:

http://po.st/CallGirl

For anyone who doesn't want to sit through a minute of redirect error warnings, that is a youtube of audio only of a song, not another new interview

Ha, true.

American tour happening!

https://twitter.com/ffs_music/status/628617213952569344

Cannot wait.

Annnnd interviewed Russell tonight after interviewing Paul of FF last week. Story'll be in the SF Weekly on October 8.

As important as Sparks were to me in my teens and 20s, I haven't paid much attention for the past fifteen years (and I know next to nothing about Franz Ferdinand, but I'm really liking the new album.) They're playing here next month and I'm suffering what I call "Fear Of Missing Something." Haven't seen them since the '80s, but also have tentative plans to go out of town that weekend.

go go go go

I haven't paid much attention for the past fifteen years

You've missed one of their most fertile periods btw

I was about to say. And you really, really should go.

Yeah, maybe. I didn't really care for the recent stuff I did hear ("The Rhythm Thief" and "Dick Around" come to mind.) I did like their 2-man set at Coachella, and as I said, this new record really sounds like old times. But mostly I've just been digging into old country and rockabilly; I'm more into Sparkle Moore than Sparks these days.

Hey, nothing wrong with that at all! But think of it this way -- this is almost certainly the only time this combination is going to be touring America, and go for it for the crazy one-off it is.

Seeing them in Toronto on Wednesday - and arrived in the city to find it moved to a venue half the size originally booked. Boo for them, yay for me!

Here's a festival set I shan't be watching before the show: http://culturebox.francetvinfo.fr/festivals/festival-rock-en-seine/concerts-2015/franz-ferdinand-sparks-ffs-au-festival-rock-en-seine-225771

And here's my short interview with Russell and Paul

http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/franz-ferdinand-sparks-ffs/Content?oid=4136165

The show was fantastic btw - they really feel like a whole band, and Alex & Russell interact as co-frontmen throughout. If you have half an interest in either, I strongly recommend going.

First choice Ponderosa Stomp and second choice rockabilly fest road trip didn't work out for me, so I'm going to FFS tonight. Off to listen to "Take Me Out" to see if I even know it. I'm painfully unhip to Franz Ferdinand.

Fuck this tour is so good I command you to see them if there are any remaining dates in your city, most fun I've had at a show for a long time

Han agrees apparently

https://scontent-fra3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfl1/v/t1.0-9/11954711_10152959856816875_17821622003459695_n.jpg?oh=326cf58f8e15d67e6b02ac8e7dc03a7a&oe=56899AF5

:-)

Bummed I opted out of seeing them in the end

i didn't get chance but kids spoke v highly

Yeah, this was so fun, I don't know how I was ever on the fence about going. I could have used a few more vintage Sparks songs, but fantastic night.

Caught the Boston show at the Orpheum and it was perfect.
Very smiley crowd. Everybody just seemed stoked. Loads of young people too. I would've thought even FF fans would skew much older.

Anyway. If you have the opportunity, do what everybody else in this thread is saying, and GO.

i was at that show too!

Did you notice all that smiliness too?
I hope I wasn't just imagining it. haha

Well last night in Oakland was the end of the tour and they confirmed it was the end of FFS -- at least for now but I think we have to treat it as the glorious one-off it was rather than something that'll happen again. Stellar show of course and it all ended after some appropriate farewell notes (San Francisco was where they finally got the ball formally rolling on this two years ago) with "Collaborations Don't Work."

yeah you know, I'm okay with that. This was great and this year felt kinda "special" in a way that is hard to replicate. I loved Grinderman (and that 2nd album tour was something else!) too but I was okay with Cave doing away with that quickly too.

but yeah an all-time concert for me

not to be a downer but how much has Sparks got left in 'em? they've been around since '68!

Russell's voice has held up amazingly well and FFS album was great and this tour felt pretty triumphant so seems like an odd time to ask that question.

that's why I'm asking. it's almost inhuman.

Ron just turned 70 a couple of months ago. I suspect they'll outlive us all.

Anyway, one last new FFS song, planned for the album but never completed.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/post/idsa.cecc4b7c-77d6-11e5-adf9-e48966e073bf

An acquaintance of mine I barely know (let alone knew she is into Sparks) took this at the show here and posted to her FB:

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh310/yodelagogo/ron.jpg

lol sorry hueg, that's a little scary!

But appropriate. Ron Mael, the great stone face.

btw, thanks to you and everyone else upthread for pulling my coat to get to this show. It really was memorable.

found a copy at the local shop that had been marked down 3 times. I guess I get it, unless you look at the tiny text on the sticker you'd have no idea who it was. anyway I'm spinning it now and it's so much better than I remembered, it's like everything they tried to be in the 80's. can already tell "Police Encounters" will be in my head for the next 3 weeks

this was such an amazing show, I miss live music

Yeah, still so glad they came through and ended the tour with us. What a blast it was, that was their summer/fall for sure.

Thanks for reminding me of this little gem. Now playing: "Collaborations Don't Work".

incredible they did manage to sneak in a "Dick Around"-like mini-opera in there after all

I was pleased, when I saw them, that they performed all the songs on their album (except the bonus tracks). Obviously, that's their body of work, but it was nice to see that they didn't just do a few songs from the record and then do a mixed greatest hits set, it spoke to their faith in the quality of the record.

well its not like those Yes/Styx or Sting/Peter Gabriel shows where you assume both fanbases know each others' material well, what makes this collaboration different and strange is that there doesn't really seem to be any overlap whatsoever between the two fanbases. that said every song on the record seems like it would go down well live

They snuck in a couple of each others' songs, to their mutual benefit -- "Take Me Out" sounded great but that version of "Number One Song In Heaven" is easily among the top two times I've seen that performed (and I've seen that done something like...seven, eight times, maybe more? I've lost count at this point with Sparks).

This also reminds me that the Sparks documentary by Edgar Wright gets its premiere this weekend via Sundance online, so.

I don't really know much about FF but they do seem like they would be a particularly good backing band for Sparks

okay now I'm on "The Gambler" and I have to say "Taste Of My Love" may not even have the worst lyrics on the album

oh whoops thought this was the Love Beach thread

you know I kinda wonder if I've been getting FP'd for bumping all these old obscure album threads. I don't blame you if you do

by the way is there any indication which group wrote what? like "Dictator's Son" & "Piss Off" are clearly Sparks, no one else writes songs like that, but something like "Little Guy From the Suburbs" is probably FF? there aren't any credits in the sleeve.

Probably intentional!

by the way is there any indication which group wrote what? like "Dictator's Son" & "Piss Off" are clearly Sparks, no one else writes songs like that, but something like "Little Guy From the Suburbs" is probably FF? there aren't any credits in the sleeve.

There was fan club newsletter around the time the album came out that broke down the writing credits song by song. You're right about these three, if I remember correctly. I think "Suburbs" was the only one that was entirely credited to Alex Kapranos on the album proper, and he also had the bonus track "King of the Song." The other tracks that were entirely Sparks-written were "Johnny Delusional," "Save Me from Myself," "The Power Couple," "So Many Bridges," and "Look at Me." Everything else was collaborative. I remember being surprised that most of my favorites were the true collaborations and just the ones where FF were essentially Sparks' backing band!

when I first heard "Call Girl" my thought was "hmmm this sounds a bit like that 'Do You Want To' song" without realizing the band who wrote it was literally on the record