Franz Ferdinand

The Scottish group's debut is a dirty, stylish racket filled with needling guitars courtesy of the school of art/punk (circa 1982). Throw in their tendency to fall back on a solid 4/4 beat, and you've got a recipe for mega-hipness in 2004. This wouldn't mean a thing if the songs weren't good, but they are.

Franz Ferdinand's first gig was for an all-female art exhibit; the aim of the Glasgow band was
to make the patrons dance. That just about sums up this photogenic foursome, whose mix
of arch lyrics and catchy but decidedly raw dance rock unites the cerebral with the
physical in the English art-school tradition. For once, the inevitable U.K.-press hype is
justified: Franz Ferdinand's debut draws from beloved Brit pop and post-punk ba... More >

Young enough to only work when they need the money, a musical tradition worth fighting for ("Michael," "Jacqueline"). (Grade - ***)