does fountains of wayne still exists as a band and what to you think of them

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by veloso2, Nov 6, 2015.

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  1. veloso2

    veloso2 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I love them and have non news? have you got some and what is your favorite album?
     
  2. I have no idea if they're still together and the last record of theirs I bought was Welcome Interstate Managers.
    I saw them live when they toured for the first album.
    Great show, they did a Steve Miller Band cover
     
  3. Sammy Waslow

    Sammy Waslow Just watching the show

    Location:
    Ireland
    They have some absolutely killer songs, but I feel like they started off great, and then sort of ran out of steam. My affection for them dwindled with each album. The first album is probably the best. I loved Utopia Parkway, especially on its initial release, but it's probably a fraction overlong and is a bit too saccharine, or something. When I was loading up the third album (again, it outstays its welcome) onto my iPod, I only took a handful of tracks. I like Maureen and their cover of ELO's Can't Get It Out of My Head on the Out of State Plates collection, but most of the songs on that had clearly been b-sides for a reason. I felt it was low on hidden gems, though it's probably an album I should re-visit. I thought Traffic and Weather was awful, and I lost interest after that.
     
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  4. Monosterio

    Monosterio Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Florida
    I have Welcome Interstate Managers and like it, though it's a little long and could use a couple more fast songs like "Bright Future in Sales."
     
  5. egebamyasi

    egebamyasi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Worcester, MA
    I think Sky Full Of Holes is an underrated masterpiece. I might be going a little overboard but I think it's a great album. Probably my favorite album of the last 10 years. It took me six or seven listens to really start getting it. My other favorite is the first one. I like the second one too. I never really liked Welcome Interstate Managers all that much and I don't have the one after that. Out Of State Plates is great too.
     
  6. Monosterio

    Monosterio Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Florida
    I've just been listening to the tracks from Utopia Parkway on Youtube, and just based on this one listen I'm thinking PCM7027 may have a point about each album getting worse. Definitely liking this more than Welcome. :righton:
     
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  7. Sammy Waslow

    Sammy Waslow Just watching the show

    Location:
    Ireland
    Katy Perry did Hackensack on her Unplugged show.

     
  8. Greg Arkadin

    Greg Arkadin Forum Resident

    Location:
    Detroit
    I like pretty much everything they've done and was quite surprised at how good Sky Full of Holes is. High point for me was Utopia Parkway and Welcome Interstate Managers, but Out-of-State Plates has its charms and Traffic and Weather, though a bit formulaic, is still worth an occasional spin.

    Don't know whether the band is still together but I'm guessing they'll get together every now and then to record.
     
  9. Splungeworthy

    Splungeworthy Forum Rezidentura

    One of my top 5 favorite bands, a power pop mainstay. Probably one of the most intelligent yet enjoyable pop bands to come along in the last 20 years. Quirky, hyper-literate songs with amazing hooks. I will agree that the quality of their output has started to diminish, but that's coming from such a high standard that I still enjoy their more recent music anyway. Bonus points for including so many tri-state references in their songs (besides being named after a Jersey landmark). Utopia Highway is their best album, one of the best albums of the '90s in fact (yeah I said it). The two main songwriters, Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger, farm out out their work extensively and were/are involved in many diverse projects (everything from Sesame Street to That Thing You Do). They're also an immensely entertaining live band, and are not above covering everyone from Britney Spears to the Kinks. They seem to be in hibernation lately.
     
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  10. Farmer Mike

    Farmer Mike Forum Resident

    I stumbled upon their performance from "Live from Infinity Hall" on my PBS station just ran last weekend, good show. I love the first album and "Utopia..", "Welcome.." and "Traffic.." were kind of hit or miss for me. I think "Sky Full of Holes" is pretty great and was in my car player for a couple of months. "Out of States Plates" is well put together and it saved me some money, not having to run down all the import singles and albums. They didn't play near Detroit for that tour and it looks like they haven't played since the fall of 2013. Their Facebook page has had some activity recently, so maybe they're ramping up for something new. Hope so!
     
  11. Pizza

    Pizza With extra pepperoni

    Location:
    USA
    I like that thing they do. ;)

    I'm also a fan. I've enjoyed all their albums. :)
     
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  12. ggergm

    ggergm another spring another baseball season

    Location:
    Minnesota
    I played Sky Full of Holes a couple of times when it came out and was unimpressed. After reading this post, I pulled it out again and am listening to it right now. It's much better than I remember. It will go into rotation for a re-evaluation. Thanks for the recommendation, egebamyasi. :righton:

    FWIW, the Yep Rock LPs for Sky Full of Holes, the self titled album and Utopia Parkway are all excellent. Now if they'd only release Welcome Interstate Managers on vinyl, I could die a happy man.
     
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  13. Farmer Mike

    Farmer Mike Forum Resident

    I does look like FOW is not Chris and Adam's main focus, with the other projects happening. Chris has a version of "Life In A Northern Town" on a 80's new wave trib.
    www.facebook.com/HereComesTheReignAgain
    I haven't heard it yet but it looks interesting.
     
  14. Shriner

    Shriner Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ann Arbor, MI, USA
    It seems to take the band 4 years between albums and it's been 4 years since Sky Full of Holes, so I'm hoping they come out with something soon (though the last thing I remember reading about the band was that Chris was working on a solo album...) An incredible band with a great body of work. I would agree that Utopia Parkway is probably one of the best albums of the 90s as well.
     
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  15. ARK

    ARK Forum Miscreant

    Location:
    Charlton, MA, USA
    I've had the debut a while but didn't love much outside of "Radiation Vibe". Got Welcome Interstate Managers recently and that thing is fantastic. Funny, but not a "joke" band. A hard achievement.
     
  16. Mechanical Man

    Mechanical Man I Am Just a Mops

    Location:
    Oakland, CA, USA
    We had a good thread going a few years ago concerning Welcome Interstate Managers, a first rate album. Nothing else they did has ever grabbed me the same way, but I own their whole catalog and will reassess over the next few days as I follow this thread.
     
  17. bibijeebies

    bibijeebies vinyl hairline spotter

    Location:
    Amstelveen (NL)
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  18. misterdecibel

    misterdecibel Bulbous Also Tapered

  19. Atmospheric

    Atmospheric Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eugene
    That's really sad. It makes me doubly glad I caught them on their last tour. They were a fantastic live band.

    I'm usually not a rarities/deep cuts guy (I believe there was probably a good reason they were left off the album in the first place), but I finally picked up Out-Of-State Plates on a lark. I'm really enjoying it.

    Sky Full Of Holes is a fitting swan song. Their best work and a modern masterpiece. I didn't bond with S/T. I really like parts of their other records.
     
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  20. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Dunno.

    Not much.
     
  21. Django

    Django Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
    Loved radiation vibe when it was out. Years later they put out Stacy's mom. Didn't like that one at all.
     
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  22. melstapler

    melstapler Reissue Activist

    That's a great article. Never expected Chris to make a solo album with producer Mitchell Froom, but I admire his work with Crowded House and Los Lobos. The phrase "power pop" has rarely been big-selling as a genre, but Fountains Of Wayne did well enough to mostly avoid that categorization. They were sophisticated and humorous, without the stereotypically nerdy lyrics and cheap production values. Based on the new song sample, this new solo album isn't a radical departure from FOW and it should be pleasing to most fans.
     
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  23. cdollaz

    cdollaz Forum Resident

    Location:
    Richmond, TX, USA
    I haven't heard anything other than Stacy's Mom, but that one is enough to keep me from diving deeper.
     
  24. joepepitone

    joepepitone Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I grew up in Wayne, NJ and drove by the Fountains of Wayne hundreds of times. Not familiar with any of their LP's.
     
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  25. Victor/Victrola

    Victor/Victrola Makng shure its write

    I don't know if they are still active, but I hope so.

    I like everything they've put out and agree that some of it is better than others. The first album is very good (Radiation Vibe, Survival Car and Leave The Biker are the highlights), but Utopia Parkway is their best album. Really great songs fill it up from beginning to end. Red Dragon Tattoo, Hat and Feet, Amity Gardens, It Must Be Summer and The Senator's Daughter should all be giant hits.

    I loved Interstate Managers when it first came out but I don't think it aged well. Stacy's Mom - despite the stunning vocal harmonies - kind of put them on the map as a joke band and did more damage than good to their reputation when all was said and done. Still, the album is pretty terrific. My faves are Mexican Wine, Bright Future In Sales, Little Red Light, Supercollider and what I think is their best song ever, All Kinds Of Time.

    I had trouble getting into the odds-and-sods album but was happy to have I Want An Alien For Christmas in my possession so I could put it on Christmas comps for friends.

    I didn't like Traffic & Weather very much on first listen, but it's grown on my. Yolanda Hayes is a great song.

    I remember thinking Sky Full Of Holes was great but I think I listened to it twice and don't really remember which tracks were standouts. I should probably give it another spin soon.
     
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