Franz Ferdinand 'Franz Ferdinand' album

Named after the Archduke whose assassination spurred WWI, Franz Ferdinand is fast becoming a sure-fire phenomenon both here and in their native UK. As Britain's most hotly-tipped band, they come on like all your favorites rolled into one, with definite flavors of early Factory Records and late-'70s New York punk. After a hit single in the UK, " Darts of Pleasure," and three sold-out, word-of-mouth November shows in New York, Franz Ferdinand are poised to release their debut full length self titled album.

So, who is Franz Ferdinand? No, not the man whose assassination set off thirty years of international strife (which would make for a boring rock record anyway), but four young men who converged on Glasgow's incestuous music and art scene, and united under the singular credo to "make music girls could dance to" (and I ask you, is there a more noble cause, really?).

It was upon this quest that they happened upon a disused art-deco warehouse, convinced the landlord to put it to better use (on the condition they were to fix it up) and christened it "The Chateau." The Chateau became Franz Ferdinand HQ, home to wild themed parties, where the quartet honed their craft... and succeeded splendidly with that female dancing bit. Well, that is until the police shut it down after a month of searching for the source of all that noise. Lead singer (and house booking agent) Alex is arrested for various offenses that come with running an illegal club, and Chateau Mark I is closed.

However, the lads remained undeterred and, inspired by their run-in with the law, moved quarters to a decrepit unused Victorian court and jail: a new Chateau was born. Jail cells became artists' residences while Judge Franz Ferdinand presided in the main court. Word spread and travelers from distant lands came to witness the spectacle as a new plan was hatched: to bring The Chateau to the world.

Franz Ferdinand's relatively quick rise is no hype job. They have arrived fully-formed with that rare combination of great hooks, smart looks, live prowess and swagger without all that messy pretension. Their songs are a delectable mix of rock, pop, disco and post-punk - a band not afraid to combine the nervy guitar funk of The Talking Heads and Orange Juice, the off-beat hi-hat accents of Moroder-era Blondie and the glam stomp of The Fall. Their first UK single, "Darts Of Pleasure," debuted in the UK Top 40 charts and the upcoming follow-up, "Take Me Out" is set to scale even greater heights.

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Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand