Fox Academy are Michael Todd Berland and Christian Novelli from Portland, Oregon. The duo make a dreamy brand of indie pop. They have recently released a new EP called Elsie, in partnership with Z Tapes.
The EP begins with ‘Goodbye My Love’, a song short and sweet and sad, like a sweetheart leaving for war, which opens with the line, “goodbye my love, I wish things were different”. Next is ‘Choking On Flowers’, which has a tropical lilt, slinking along in the late afternoon sun. The sense of summer is almost palpable – laughing children and gentle lapping waves and bronzed bodies and chinking icy drinks, the perfume of blooming flowers and suntain oil and cigarette smoke. But the song isn’t exactly a bright and breezy one. It has the bleached, dusty atmosphere of happy memories or old photographs, sounding like it’s floating from a gramophone in a lonely 50s summer house, sweetly evocative of a lost type of paradise.
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‘Nosebleed Forever’ changes direction with what I can only describe as twee pop hip-hop. I feel there is little I can do except post some of the lyrics…
“we’re in the club
dont wanna go home
we’re at home
just wanna go out
we’re in the club
got a lot of gold chains
we’re in the club
never ever change
we’re in the club
making all the cash
we’re in the club
walking all the dogs
we’re in the club
just show some respect
we’re in the club
dont got a lot left
spendin all the money
i love everyone
we’re in the club “
The EP finishes up with ‘Perfect Shirt’, a hallicinatory stumble of a pop song, which has to be in the running for the title of weirdest love song of 2015. The band have also made a video for the track which has a great 90s home-video vibe and some pretty bizarre images, from car logos and military procession footage to axe-wielding maniacs and irresponsible lawnmower use. It also ends in a really cool shot of the candles being blown out on an impressive-looking birthday cake. Check it out below!
You can get Elsie on cassette, or a pay-what-you-want digital download, via the Z Tapes Bandcamp page.