Sunday Sessions: Foot Village

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Who (or what, as the case may be) the hell is Foot Village?

According to Wikipedia:

"Foot Village is a tribal noise rock band from Los Angeles, consisting of four drummers of which two also do the vocals."

Oftentimes, the vocals are done with megaphones, largely to be heard above the sound of the drums!

On paper this would sound like a complete cacophony, and sure enough it can be, at times. But there are moments where it is just the most exciting music I've heard for quite a while.

Here is a band who perform with completely unhinged manic energy. The band clearly are getting catharsis from their music, and it can also be the same for the listener. The music is fiery and powerful with just a few drummers and some massively intense yelling. If this was what Anger Management classes were like, then sign me up now!

If one was to describe this, at first it would sound like a half a dozen gorillas escaped the zoo and started tearing up the stock in Billy Hyde's Drum Clinic. On closer inspection, there are many deeper elements of avant garde composition in this. Echoes of minimalist composers like Steve Reich and some of the early Philip Glass pieces (such as "Music in the Shape of a Square") spring to mind, with the groove and feel of some classic rock can be heard within. It also reminds me of the craziness of Keith Moon or even Animal from the Muppet Show.

This is my latest favourite band to jump around the loungeroom like a lunatic to. The track below "This Song Is A Drug Deal" is so visceral and intense you can't help but want to move your body in ways it probably shouldn't (or at least at my age, it probably can't!)

Check out Foot Village below. "This Song is a Drug Deal" comes from their 2013 release "Make Memories" while the other clip is an outtake from their 2008 video "Live at the Smell".

Enjoy!