Funk groovin’, rafter climbin’ UK rockers Foals will grace the stage at Madison’s High Noon Saloon this Wednesday, July 31. The indie rock quintet, whose records have consistently made the Top 10 in England, has had a more arduous ascent here in the States. Why, you ask? A poor promotional campaign? Perhaps, but they’re signed to Warner so that could be a stretch. A disparity between English and American tastes? I think our synergistic musical history would say otherwise.
Q: Well, then, why, why, why did Foals’ most recent funk/indie/arena-ready opus, Holy Fire, debut at No. 2 in the UK and No. 86 in our humble nation?!
A: I simply don’t care! The fact that Foals have yet to “break” America on a level like their home territory is a blessing; it warrants the opportunity to see a headliner-level band in a 400-person venue like High Noon.
Holy Fire, the group’s third record, came out earlier this year to rave reviews. Coming from a group who released their sonically myopic (though still enjoyable) math-rocky debut, Andidotes, in just 2008, Holy Fire sounds unbelievably mature. And for good reason — Foals have toured the world several times and experienced respectable success. As the most expansive record they’ve released, Holy Fire features everything from downtempo keyboard tunes (“Moon,” “Stepson”) to the funky indie anthems that first put Foals on the map (“My Number,” “Out of the Woods”). As a result, Foals’ current show is even more captivating and cohesive than older versions. Their ability to transition from a swoon-inducing ballad to a burn-down-the-house level rocker is expert, and it makes for a damn good concert. Side note: their performance at Bonnaroo was potentially the best show I saw all weekend. Yannis Philippakis, their vocalist/guitarist, crowd surfed three times! Three times!
As if it wasn’t evident in my overly effusive tone — I am excited and and, dammit, you should be too. Foals’ nearly sold-out show, announced late and sandwiched in-between higher profile gigs at Fuji Rock and Lollapalooza, will be a real treat to see.