10 Reasons Why The Foreign Exchange Should Be Your Favorite Band
With this week’s release of FE’s remix compilation, “+FE Music: The Reworks”, now is a good time to point out why The Foreign Exchange should be one of your favorite bands.
To wit:
1) If you don’t like one FE album, there is every chance in the world that you will like two other ones.
Their Wikipedia description lists them as “an R&B/electronica/hip hop duo” and is actually 100% accurate. We’re not talking about the errant hip-hop bridge here and there. This band has an ALBUM of hip-hop, an ALBUM of R&B, an ALBUM of 80s Tears for Fears electro goodness, and with “Reworks,” they’ve got it ALL.
2) A Grammy nomination didn’t change them.
They put out the best R&B record of 2008, period. Any other artist in the industry would have been putting out “Leave It All Behind: Volumes 2-X” for the next ten years. These guys flipped the script and put out an album in 2010 that would have went gold on MTV in 1986 and it was STILL the bomb. So technically, change is their constant.
3) They’re not complacent.
This band is doing something different every time you see them and still manages to be one of the best bands doing whatever it is they’ve decided to do that year. One of the best hip-hop records of 2004? Check. Best R&B album of 2008? Check. One of the best pop/rock records of 2010? Check. They are able to do this because…
4) They maintain serious quality control.
The average number of tracks on a FE record is 12 tracks. These guys don’t pad out albums with throw-away sides and guest appearances in an attempt to convince you that it’s worth the price tag regardless of its content. In the tradition of “fit it on one record,” they trim their albums down to the songs that actually make a great record.
5) They can play anything.
FE could very easily have recorded the material for their 2011 live album, “Dear Friends,” on any tour stop and it would have been an awesome snapshot of what they’re about. Instead, they booked a small performance space, invited a few dozen fans to sit in, and then proceeded to run a completely acoustic set. THEN, during the song that will end up on their tombstones, “Daykeeper,” they flip from a country version with a brief straight revamp to a jaw-dropping chop and screw treatment. Did I mention this was all acoustic?
6) Their live show is truly an experience.
I’ve seen this band five times and two of those times were in my top 10 concerts ever. They’re fun, intimate and driven by a catalog that spans multiple genres, all of which is funneled through a top-notch band that can flip styles on a dime.
7) Phonte can actually sing.
Lots of rappers try, few succeed. And almost no other rapper/singer is more invested in proving that it can be done well on both sides of the fence than Phonte. Listen to “To Be Yours” from his 2011 solo album, light a candle for Marvin Gaye, and then go hug your woman.
8) They have great product.
For a genuinely indie band, they offer a TON of stuff to pad out your FE experience: five records (with one on the way), a live DVD, t-shirts, vinyl, posters. Every album you buy from them comes with a digital copy you can download right out of your email, sometimes in advance of the release. Their business is professional and handled swiftly. They have back-end support that shames most major label experiences I’ve had.
9) You don’t have to wonder if you will like them.
They share their catalog liberally as a streaming radio station on their website. YouTube is littered with their songs. They recognize that people mostly want to share music to infect others with it, not merely to steal it. They trust that you will like what you hear, and that you will support it one way or another. And they’re right.
10) “Take Off the Blues.”
If this song comes on and no part of your body moves, you’re dead.
To wit:
1) If you don’t like one FE album, there is every chance in the world that you will like two other ones.
Their Wikipedia description lists them as “an R&B/electronica/hip hop duo” and is actually 100% accurate. We’re not talking about the errant hip-hop bridge here and there. This band has an ALBUM of hip-hop, an ALBUM of R&B, an ALBUM of 80s Tears for Fears electro goodness, and with “Reworks,” they’ve got it ALL.
2) A Grammy nomination didn’t change them.
They put out the best R&B record of 2008, period. Any other artist in the industry would have been putting out “Leave It All Behind: Volumes 2-X” for the next ten years. These guys flipped the script and put out an album in 2010 that would have went gold on MTV in 1986 and it was STILL the bomb. So technically, change is their constant.
3) They’re not complacent.
This band is doing something different every time you see them and still manages to be one of the best bands doing whatever it is they’ve decided to do that year. One of the best hip-hop records of 2004? Check. Best R&B album of 2008? Check. One of the best pop/rock records of 2010? Check. They are able to do this because…
4) They maintain serious quality control.
The average number of tracks on a FE record is 12 tracks. These guys don’t pad out albums with throw-away sides and guest appearances in an attempt to convince you that it’s worth the price tag regardless of its content. In the tradition of “fit it on one record,” they trim their albums down to the songs that actually make a great record.
5) They can play anything.
FE could very easily have recorded the material for their 2011 live album, “Dear Friends,” on any tour stop and it would have been an awesome snapshot of what they’re about. Instead, they booked a small performance space, invited a few dozen fans to sit in, and then proceeded to run a completely acoustic set. THEN, during the song that will end up on their tombstones, “Daykeeper,” they flip from a country version with a brief straight revamp to a jaw-dropping chop and screw treatment. Did I mention this was all acoustic?
6) Their live show is truly an experience.
I’ve seen this band five times and two of those times were in my top 10 concerts ever. They’re fun, intimate and driven by a catalog that spans multiple genres, all of which is funneled through a top-notch band that can flip styles on a dime.
7) Phonte can actually sing.
Lots of rappers try, few succeed. And almost no other rapper/singer is more invested in proving that it can be done well on both sides of the fence than Phonte. Listen to “To Be Yours” from his 2011 solo album, light a candle for Marvin Gaye, and then go hug your woman.
8) They have great product.
For a genuinely indie band, they offer a TON of stuff to pad out your FE experience: five records (with one on the way), a live DVD, t-shirts, vinyl, posters. Every album you buy from them comes with a digital copy you can download right out of your email, sometimes in advance of the release. Their business is professional and handled swiftly. They have back-end support that shames most major label experiences I’ve had.
9) You don’t have to wonder if you will like them.
They share their catalog liberally as a streaming radio station on their website. YouTube is littered with their songs. They recognize that people mostly want to share music to infect others with it, not merely to steal it. They trust that you will like what you hear, and that you will support it one way or another. And they’re right.
10) “Take Off the Blues.”
If this song comes on and no part of your body moves, you’re dead.