Part 1: John Shade, Your Fortune's Made

Fol Chen | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 17, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Asthmatic Kitty
• ASIN: B001NJY51W
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #216,622 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Believers, The

2. No Wedding Cake

3. You And Your Sisters In Jericho

4. Idiot, The

5. Red Skies Over Garden City (The Ballad Of Donna Donna)

6. Winter, That's All

7. Cable TV

8. Please, John, You're Killing Me

9. Longer U Wait, The

10. If Tuesday Comes

Editorial Reviews

A transmission from Fol Chen: "We sound like Prince with Amon Duul II and a children's religious revival, not to mention Hot Chip, Pink Floyd, Gwen Stefani, Pere Ubu, Danielson Famile, Scritti Politti, Boards Of Canada, The Blow, and Pulp. (Mostly). We are cryptic and joyful and we would like you to dance." Features appearances by Karin Tatoyan and Rafter, along with members of The Liars, Castanets, Let's Go Sailing.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Innovative new rock group, July 17, 2009

By 

Selqet "Silky" (Chicago) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Part 1: John Shade, Your Fortune's Made (Audio CD)

The CD is worth the purchase price if only for the catchy hit, cable TV. The sexy sweet understated lead singer's voice intentionally clashes with the funny, risque lyrics, the beat is infectious, the melody simple but fun, and the electric sitar a nice unique touch. The rest of the CD is interesting and innovative too. Since they don't fit into the major label/oligarchy of radio station/corporate entertainment genres, they won't get much mainstream airplay, you'll have to buy the CD and support innovative new sounds yourself.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deceptively simple sounds with a deeper meaning, August 22, 2009

By 

J. W. Hedden (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Part 1: John Shade, Your Fortune's Made (Audio CD)

Wow! I don't have any good idea how I would describe the music of Fol Chen--especially reading the descriptions here from the band themselves!!! The band reminds me of the party atmosphere of American acts like the Talking Heads and B-52's. But at the same time, they sound really contemporary with pair ups from the Castanets front man and Rafter Roberts. The songs are lyrically complex as well, and I find myself enjoying each listen a little more. I'm loving it.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A solid debut for sure, February 24, 2009

By 

MarkW "MW" (Baltimore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Part 1: John Shade, Your Fortune's Made (Audio CD)

I've listened to this album all the way through several times now and it continues to get better with each listen. At first pass, songs like "No Wedding Cake", "Idiot", and "Cable TV" steal the spotlight. But after enjoying the clever lyrics and catchy melodies present in those songs, you begin to appreciate the depth of the album as a whole. Songs like "You and Your Sister in Jericho" and "If Tuesday Comes" with short, intriguing lyrics and woven layers of sound complement well the catchy pop songs. I was hooked from the somber, driving rhythms of "the Believers" to the drum-filled and jazzy "Winter, That's All" and beyond. With this debut, Fol Chen has proved to be well-rounded and you get the sense there is much more to come.