Adrenalized guitar rock... angular, dynamic, dark, insistent, new-wavey, and no-wavey, with nods to Krautrock & ‘60s spy-rock! Male and female vocals, yelled more often than sung. 11 tracks that zip by in 26 minutes. Debut LP from local four piece includes two KZSU DJs/Stanford students. Their eponymous debut EP had a nice run in our top 10 in Feb 2006. Great production & sound thanks to SF’s Tiny Telephone studios, with prominent bass reminiscent of Young Marble Giants and Bush Tetras. Songs mid-fast, end cold unless marked. (The band’s name is a mishearing of a drug-baked Lou Reed singing the words “foggy notion.” On air say “effing ocean.”) Play with Mika Miko, James Chance & The Contortions, The Slits, Erase Errata, DNA, The Bush Tetras, Electrelane, & fast songs by Joy Division. All GREAT. Start with 4, 5, 7, 9. FCC clean.

1. Jumpy, angular no-wave fun! Starts like a no-wave/classic-rock orchestra tuning up. Ends on an extended synth chord.
2. Driving new wave/Krautrock hybrid. Starts with guitar and drum. Ends on “That’s true.”
3. Mid-tempo. A poignant no-wave ballad, I think. Starts with drums & then bass. Picks up energy at end.
==> 4. Incredibly catchy dance rock with cheerleader vox. Starts with guitar and cheerleading. Female/male lead vox. (Reminds me of a kid’s goth halloween costume I saw named “The cheerless leader.”)
==> 5. ‘60s spy-rock references! Very dynamic. Trippy 4/4 mixed with 5/4 time signatures. Male/female lead vox... actually sung this time. Starts with full band.
6. Dark, intense, and repetitive. Works well if you play it continuously with next song. Starts with full band.
==> 7. More ‘60s references (guitar figure reminiscent of the theme to TV show Hawaii Five-0). Works well played continuously from previous song. Ends with twin guitars and drums.
8. Gosh... sounds like Yo La Tengo to start. Did TFO have a good day? Ah, not to worry... gets very dark and intense. This one fades on a guitar note.
9. Pissed off, tribal diatribe against... uh, whatever. Starts with percussive guitar. Ends especially cold.
10. Thematic near-instrumental with French monotone vocals mixed low. Like Electrelane on a very dark and wired day. From TFO’s debut EP. Starts with guitar notes. Ends with multiple false climaxes, then stops.
11. Very dynamic and musically prosaic... this is what no-wave prog would (does) sound like. Yelled vox at end remind me of Grant Hart (drummer for Husker Du). Wonderful closer for a wonderful album.