Wednesday, September 23, 2015
R.R. 9/23
Nicholas Croogan and James Parker argue that the one of the ways to combat retro-historicism in criticism is by asking why the music is so historically oriented and what effect the orientation has on the listener. Their example is, "if Paradinas' music is so overtly referential, what are we to make of this? And if the album is indeed a series of empty musical reference points, then sure this bears a certain aount of critical scrutiny and engagement." I want to you take this attitude when you write a quick review of "San Francisco" by the band Foxygen. This song was the band's first single of their 2013 release We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic.
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"San Francisco" is a complete rip off of a Beatles song. There is the same exact sound, it has the light voice with simple guitars plus a nice melody. I mean the song does lack creativity but I think the band did it for a purpose. I think that Foxygen was trying to take people back to another time period when life was easier and things were simpler. I mean they are even wearing clothes that look like they are from the 70's. All of this is again to take the listener back to the 1960's and 1970's. I also believe that they were trying to use the same audience as the Beatles were but trying to make it more modern.
ReplyDeleteThis song clearly takes from the music of the 70s, though it's message is very clear even though it uses these aspects of past music. The song talks about swimming upstream or up tide, which can show that the progression of music has halted and to know this all one has to do is tune in to the radio. So what Foxygen is doing with its not-so-subtle 70s vibe is trying to get people to leave all of the new things like he left his love in San Francisco. People are bored with the repetitiveness of songs and how they copy the past, but to Foxygen there is only way to move past the boredom of new songs and move into a new light and that is by going back to where the music started, just as the love interest was born in L.A. We are supposed to realize that they are referencing back to the past of music and listen to what their message is to us about music's past. We need to go back to where it all was born.
ReplyDeleteThis song is overtly referential to the seventies through the instrumentation, style, and vocals. The video looks as if it was literally shot in the 70's through the retro wardrobe and the color scheme. The vocals also mimic the sounds of that decade by the backup vocals having a rougher sound (almost staticy). Foxygen's main singer's voice is also very breathy and high pitched, seeming very passive. It almost seems like there are so many references without any reason. As if they might have been making a statement by totally leaving the music style of 2013. The album title even alludes to an idea that they wanted to insert their retro music into the 21st century and restart that trend of music style. If that's the case, they sure achieved the right style but I don't think it had the impact they had anticipated.
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ReplyDelete"San Francisco" by Foxygen is blatantly obviously inspired, and even a reference to, The Beatles and other smooth rock bands of the 1960's and 70's. The lead singer's stye even bears physical resemblance to The Beatles. But, this song is not purely a throwback to honor the glory days. It brings nostalgia to the days of "Blackbird" and "Yellow Submarine," sure, but it does more than that. It adds to that sound. It puts something new into it, something that couldn't have been there when this sound was first popular 50 years ago. "San Francisco" brings its own little flavor to the smooth rock of the 60's: it brings something fantastical and ethereal, if you will. It brings Foxygen.
ReplyDelete*style. whoops
DeleteThe beginning of the song sounds similar to an old child's rhyme, which begins to build the feeling of youth. Foxygen's song sounds very similar to the Beatles, which was a very defining characteristic of many people's youth, even if they didn't grow up when the Beatles were at their peak. This creates a nostalgic feel that everyone can relate to. The song feels innocent and young in its lyrics as well as its music. Foxygen spins this 60's feel at some parts in the song by sing-talking, which is not something that was that popular back then, while it is now. It does feel a bit unoriginal at certain points because of how similar it sounds to older music. However, it is still an enjoyable listen.
ReplyDeleteFoxygen channels a 1970's soft Paul McCartney tone and embraces the historical connection that Croogen and Parker were really talking about. However, Foxygen also channels almost a Vampire Weekend beat, bringing the 60's voice to the future. I would agree though that the song is almost trying too hard, being too referential to the 60's and 70's with the continuous bells chiming(?) and the way the music video is masked. It's obvious with the outfits they have on, the way they're performing the song, that they're going back in time. A bit overwhelming, but the chorus makes it work in the 21st century. They do an awfully shoddy job of attempting to be Paul McCartney early Beatles-esque, because nobody can even come close to an icon like that. However, Foxygen's branding is real and they stick with their vintage vibe throughout, no matter how poor the imitation may be.
ReplyDeleteThe overtly referential nature of Oxygen's "San Francisco" can be thought of in a few ways. I believe the artist is trying to do either of two things. He is either fond of the musical style from the time period he is referring to because maybe he grew up listening to more classical music. He is fairly young so he obviously isn't reminiscing on the past times so i think he either grew up listening to this type of music and wanted to make music similar to it or he wanted to do something completely different from the norm. He could have been fed up with the direction of music today and just took a flash back to the past and what music used to sound something like. He gives it a little bit different of a sound, but for the most part this could have been placed back decades ago.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that strikes me about "San Francisco" by Foxygen is the similarities to the sound of The Beatles. The lead singer's high voice along with the overall sound of the song sounds as if this band is trying to imitate The Beatles' sound. Even the outfits and hair styles in the music video remind me of The Beatles. It is difficult to listen to this track and not immediately begin to compare it to the sound and quality of Beatles songs, which I think reflects badly on the song.
ReplyDelete"San Francisco" is Oxygen’s first single of their 2013 album, We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic, and is very much a flashback to the 60’s era. In my opinion, the music is historically oriented to make the song appear better, or more unique, than it really is. By making the song emit a retro feel, Foxygen attempts to come off as a cooler, more innovative band than they really are because in reality, they are just redoing a previous genre rather than creating something new. This vintage method has been used numerous times in hopes of shedding light on the history in a new way. The effect that this has on the listener is tricking them into believing they are an old soul with an appreciation for historic themes and styles when really this retro characteristic in music is the norm or the rule in today’s society rather than the exception. It is interesting that Foxygen rooted this song in the 60’s when their album name specifically declares that they are representatives of the modern age making the song almost a contradiction, or making them seem like Marty McFly of Back to the Future.
ReplyDeleteFoxygen brings back a different kind of historical context, which reminds us of a lackadaisical attitude of the hippie era. The singer says that he left his love in San Fran, but she says “it's ok, (she) was bored anyways.” The way that Foxygen presents this song in such a way that it elicits a historical vibe reminiscent of the past styles of music. They have used the themes of that time to make a track that has a modern origin yet a historical context. The music video also adds to the stylistic approach that Oxygen is attempting to convey. The song generally doesn't make much sense, bringing up the point that maybe this has no musical reference points whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteThe base for the song seems to be pretty deeply rooted in 70's rock, with respect to The Beatles, but an overwhelming resemblance to The Monkees keeps popping up in my mind as well. I believe that Foxygen is trying to build off of the two groups sound, and take The Beatles' audience and tune it into a more modern sense, while not trying to deviate from a nostalgic feeling listeners get that remind us of 70's rock.
ReplyDelete"San Francisco" gives an overwhelming 70's vibe not only through the actual music itself, but also by the clothes the band is wearing and the décor in the room. It's very surprising that this song was produced only two years ago, because the beat and instruments such as the xylophone make it seem like it's from a completely different decade. The lyrics are very soft and flowing, reminding me of hippie culture that was very popular in the 70's. The lead singer and the girl dance in the woods in one part of the video, which also promotes this idea of hippie culture.
ReplyDeleteFoxygen's song "San Francisco" and the music video for the song make multiple references to an older time period like the 1960's or 1970's. The clothing, decorations, and props in the music video are very retro and resemble that of decades ago. I think Foxygen does this because "San Francisco" has a chill and hippy-like vibe that was very popular during the time period that they are alluding too. By making this song seem like it takes place decades ago it helps listeners appreciate the song more and feel like they too are in this time period when music like this was very popular.
ReplyDelete"San Francisco" by the band Foxygen is very representative of music from the 1960's or 1970's. I believe this song heavily mimics The Beatles. The melody of the song with its relaxed, carefree, and youthful feel is what made me create the connection. I think it is really bold of Foxygen to try and reimage the work of such a prestigious band. When a band has left such a mark in music history, it seems so silly to try to recreate what has already been done.
ReplyDeleteThis song and video reminds me of The Beatles. From the singers voice to his bowl shaped hair cut, it just screams The Beatles. This would definitely be a song that would be met with a "certain amount of critical scrutiny and engagement" as Croogan and Parker say. They could be choosing to model the Beatles so closely because they love the bands older music and want to put a modern spin on it or they may be trying to reach out to an audience who also shares a love for the Beatles. Listening to the song, my mind kind of time travels. I feel like I have gone back and am listening to a Beatles song. I also am flooded with memories from visiting the John Lennon Memorial in Central Park called "Strawberry Fields Forever." It reminds me of all the street performers around the area singing "Imagine" as people come through to remember the legend that was John Lennon. That is one thing that retro-historicism is good for. It can remind people of where they have been and things they have done while listening to music that they are referencing.
ReplyDeleteWhen listening to the song, I honestly wasn't sure what to think of it. I personally think it's very smart to pull from previous music. If you can realize what other artists have done well, learn from it, and apply it to your own music, then I think that is just as artistic as coming up with something new in the first place. In this case, I didn't really catch all of the music references, but I thought the sound did have a Beetles kind of feel.
ReplyDeleteThis song seems to be referencing the 1970s the whole time. The music video, the sound of the instruments, the vocals, and the overall style all seem to evoke bands from that time period, especially the Beatles. It's a pretty obvious reference, and a bold move by the band, seeing as how iconic the Beatles are to the entire music industry.
ReplyDeleteSan Francisco by Foxygen sounds like it pulls from old 60s tunes, show-tunes, the Beatles, and some jazz. This creates a nostalgic or sentimental effect surrounding the music that people are attracted to because it is familiar. It is a sort of a hybrid of retro sounds, which makes it recognizable but also intrigues listeners because it is different. It's a way of keeping old music culture alive, but in a modern way, kind of reassuring listeners that old music is still relevant and can be reborn in the modern music world without becoming boring.
ReplyDelete"San Fransisco" by the band Foxygen have many allusions to the 70's. The song features a hippie vibe that created a feeling of monotonous happiness. He talks about how he left his love in San Fransisco, but she says thats okay! The song structure is simple, not much variation from a steady beat. The song is neither happy, nor sad. It reminds me almost of a high, you're aware of your emotions, but you don't really react.
ReplyDeleteAs opposed to referencing past music styles to show credibility or create a new style, I think some artists revert back to past music styles simply to show appreciation for that style or genre of music. I think that is the case here. Foxygen didn't really evolve the music from the era that they were portraying but rather just made another song to fit right into that genre. Everything from the instrumentation to the aspects of the music video suggests that they just want to kind of bring back the same music that was popular in the 70s or 80s. It would have been better if they had built upon the music that they appreciated from past times to create something truly new.
ReplyDeleteWhile this song was released in 2013, its video is clearly set in an earlier time period (around the 70's) as well as the song itself having a tone from the past. This is symbolic to the lyrics themselves, because with the repetition of the line "that was many years ago" as well as the tone of the song, it brings a sense of nostalgia to the listener as intended to do by Foxygen. The song is about him reflecting on a time of his life years ago, and that is why these historical references are appropriate for this piece.
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