Band Feature: Franz Ferdinand

Author: Josie Afolabi

I was laying in my bed this morning and I was thinking about Franz Ferdinand. As you may or may not do. But not about how HAWT!! Alex may be etc etc (like some of the fans I've witnessed), but on how well they have done this year, this ONE year! The conclusion I came up with is that they have followed the perfect formula for optimum success. Its like someone has written "Musical Domination for Dummies" and landed it right in the hands of Mister Kapranos.

By releasing "Darts of Pleasure" and making it a limited edition CD when they were relatively unknown, they are able to check the "Limited Edition Single that hardcore fans will go on a frenzied hunt" Box. Then, releasing THE ANTHEM (there is no other word for it) "Take Me Out". This song was EVERYWHERE. Shops, background music on well known soap operas, loops on radio shows, adverts, announcements, you couldn't get away from it. Not that anyone wanted to. Remix after remix after remix was made (lets not talk about THAT Daft Punk one) and a video that screams "I'm art! Buy me on DVD!"

After such a big hit, they didn't then lag behind and become the resident couch fillers on The Saturday Show (coughMcFlycough) and try and milk it for all its worth, no. "Matinee" was released this time with the "catchy dance sequence" box checked, you could sit and watch this video and just jazz hand you heart away, and it also had the comical video element too.

Then came the festivals, T in the Park, Reading/Leeds = a lot of pleased fans, and then the influx of awards Mercury Music Prize, a VMA = a lot of pleased Media toffs. What now? "Michael". Infectious, controversy ridden sexathon of a single. Are they gay? Are they bi? Are they together? (even with the hitch on release) does them justice with a 17th chart position on their fourth release from an album, which is pretty darn respectable.

Then transatlanic release of "This Fire" ensures that fans get their favourites released (with a killer video) and Franz don't get into the trap of completely draining an album (coughSnowPatrolcough), because it's released in a different country. And now to top it all off, they are creating their new record early next year. No JJ72 esque eternal wait. I think they have played the media wave just right.

I say well done Franz, and Domino Records of course.