Daved and Confused: Foxy ShaBLAM!

I rarely get openly excited about new bands. In fact I usually say, “Oh yeah? Suuurherr, I’ll check ‘em out when I get home...” and do everything but check ‘em out when I get home.
I’m not talkin’ local bands. I’m talkin’ the bands who are signed to major labels and come to a city near you charging a left nut and a first born to get in. “Real” bands (if ya wanna be a dick about it).
I was recently turned on to a wild fucking band from Cincinnati called Foxy Shazam. I was as sceptical as you probably are based on the awkward sounding name alone. Sounds like a terrible progressive pop-funk band from Slovakia. But boys o’ boys was I wrong. 

 
I was an instant fan after watching their video for their latest single “I Like It,” from their January 2012 release “The Church of Rock and Roll.” An ambitious and perhaps a li’l bit obnoxious sounding album name. You’ve got a lot to live up to when you title your album after a ministry of some kind.

 Everyone’s expecting it to be the catch of the day and won’t hesitate to throw it back when they hear the smallest of faux pas. People are like that. And why not? I don’t want to listen to shit. That’d be like the Stogies naming our next album “The Art of Badass” or “The Temple of Sound” and coming out with an autotuned country album. No one appreciates a phony, isn’t that right Milli? Vanilli knows what I’m talkin’ ‘bout. 

 
Any breed of band has a certain responsibility to practice what they preach. And Foxy does just that on “Church...”

 
The record doesn’t play from A to B like “Night at the Opera” or “Appetite for Destruction”; however, it does take you through a theatrical sermon of over-the-top lyrics, flawless vocal harmonies and big, dramatic peaks and valleys of interesting and refreshing arrangements and timber. 

 
The first thing you’ll notice is Eric Nally’s similarity to Freddie Murcury, Perry Farrell and/or the guy from My Chemical Romance. Fuck that guy though. Nally’s got a very theatrical and ringleader at the circus type of quality and he does it with hoostpa along with the rest of the roster.

 
Something that few bands do nowadays. Err, should I say, do WELL. They don’t appear to be forcing it or being strange “on purpose,” it comes off genuine and artistic. Strange for the sake of strange at times but good strange...I think.

 
The album begins with the title track, and rips threw to the first single, “I like it.” I was especially blow away by the third song “Holy Touch.” It reminds me of a mix of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” and “Your My Best Friend.” Killer backing vocals, a poetic sounding breakdown and the craziest high-pitched scream I’ve heard since Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) on “Space Truckin’.” I know, big pipes to compare but trust me, aside from the talented trumpet, keys, guitar and rhythm section, Nally’s voice and stage presence are what’s helping this band along.

 
As the album progresses, a couple softer, more melodic tunes take over your ear strings. Really delicate, honest lyrics and vocals with dynamic musical accompaniment. And like any decent record Foxy finishes strong with wailing noggin scratchers and rump rumblers. “The Temple” is a lilting, straight-up rock tune, while “Freedom” is the coup de grace of the album. A twelve-string thought-provoking operatic conclusion to an album that takes you to familiar territory while maintaining genuine, raw and best of all, a rejuvenating artistic approach to rock ‘n roll. Really dig this band. Really dig this album. Hope they aren’t another flash in the pan... eh, The Darkness.

 
Check out this badass video of the first single “I Like It”; an acoustic version of “Oh Lord”; and a suggestive but powerful li’l ditty, “Unstoppable”
Shazam!