Franz Ferdinand totally sucks...

Yeah, we don't really think they're boring. We must love them because we talk about them a lot! wtf

Ned already mentioned their affinity for Sparks, but I'm also glad they keep talking about ABBA in their interviews. A lot of their album tracks remind me of the overwrought decadence and sensuality in "Lay all your love on me" or "Gimme gimme gimme (a man after midnight)." To my ears, they seem to pay homage to that sort of music without sounding like they're trying too hard to pull it off (except perhaps the opening track).

I suppose the reverse argument could be made, that instead of giving a hint of subtlety and intellect their music simply feigns sophistication in order to lure the hordes of pretentious college students who refuse to shake their asses to the plainer plebeian stylings of Lil' Jon. Well, so be it. Like my ass gives a damn.

....there is more than one way to shake an ass.

Well yeah, but then you still have plenty of people who prefer one over the other. And neither group are wrong. ;-)

http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~ta299701/vader.jpg

"Word. Peeps in Toronto be eatin' mad sausages....J-Rock's the hook-up.

We Torontonians do enjoy a good sausage now and then...

Thank gawd roger pointed out that these charlatans sound like the world's most original band - The Strokes.

i see what you're saying, but...no.

I can not answer this question as Franz Ferdinand do not provide me with a vibe! I don't think they're Satan, they just don't move my ass.

(*sighs* No, Duran don't count, because I've viewed them as Big Sellouts since 2001.)

(*sighs again*)

(p.s.: I fucking HATE The Strokes, so don't give me any bullshit about how much Franz Ferdinand sound like them, because if FF sounded anything like The Strokes, I would fucking hate FF too. But I don't. I adore FF. So fucking THERE.)

http://www.moviesnapshot.com/1996Stills/Swingers.JPG

no baby, you're money!

I wasn't referring to Franz themselves as "zzzzzzzzzzz", but to my observation (which could well prove inaccurate to more seasoned ILM players) that many Franz conversations repeat themselves more than any other contemporary band.

I think you know what I'm getting at. I don't really care for them much either, but I don't know of another band that one could listen to in order to get the same thing that they provide. You may find it boring (and I may too), but obviously many, many people get something out of them.

And I don't think the fact that there's no other bands around currently that sound like them who don't suck even more justifies their existence.

I mean c'mon, what's next, The Hives FFS?

Actually I was asking you if they were unique or if there are other similar yet better bands (i feel like i've said that about 4 times now).
Okay so you've said who they sound like. I'm guessing you don't see the appeal of those bands either? Maybe they're catchy/poppy enough to attract a wide audience yet also have enough perceived coolness/edginess (relatively speaking. relative to say, Jessica Simpson) for those who normally don't like pop to not be ashamed to admit to liking them? I dunno.

Is it shocking to anyone that the people making the "corny indie fuxx" argument against NME's pet bands are being exactly the sorts of clannish, snobby asshats that they're railing against?

You've got the "katie" franz ferdinand email hotkeyed and just waiting to be the piece de resistance of the latest and greatest Frinterpol Strokillers debate. You don't let mainstream radio OR Spin/NME decide what you like (and Magnet's for fags). Big fucking deal. You couldn't fit the indie stereotype more unless you died twenty years ago and pitchfork was reviewing reissues of your first record.

hasn't that always been obvious? indie fuxx make fun of indie fuxx, fanboys make fun of fanboys (ahem), religious nuts make fun of other religious nuts...and so on.

I'm glad I found ilx and I love the sense of community, 99% of the time you get insightful and/or hilarious posts, but sometimes the posturing is a bit much.

I do, but they're not post-punk

I'm not talking about the "general population", though -- I'm talking Serious Music People, whom I'd always kinda hoped I'd end up being considered one of, but also always seem to be out of step with.

Uh, sure. If you want to call that lukewarm, tepid, "Eh, they're sorta okay-ish" or "I like two or three songs of theirs" or "They're, like, really, really, really simple, but I like them anyway" sort of "liking" that.

Really, Franz Ferdinand will probably be passionately extolled in some futuristic version of ILX eleven years down the line, when I'll be onto another group people will think is horribly derivative or overly simple or something. It'll be destiny.