Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CXXV--Foster the People: Pumped Up Kicks

This week's tune--which is the most recently released of the 125 songs covered thus far here on FNJ--follows in the tradition of other troubled youth songs ("I Don't Like Mondays" by the Boomtown Rats,"Jeremy" by Pearl Jam, among several others) except for one major difference:  you can dance to it.  Considering the gun violence epidemic that currently is ripping so many of our youth to pieces, if we can get them dancing instead we might eventually make some progress...

Foster the People was formed in 2009 in Los Angeles and shortly thereafter received international acclaim following the release of their first song, "Pumped Up Kicks."  They were quickly signed to a recording deal after a homemade version of the song went viral, and have parlayed that into two albums with a third on its way later this year.  The song also garnered them three Grammy nominations, numerous music festival invitations, and a steady stream of touring.  And in thirty years if I'm still here and haven't run out of tunes for Friday Night Jukebox (not bloody likely) I'll probably be marveling over how the members of Foster the People managed to turn one song into a thirty year career...

Fun Fact:  The video for "Pumped Up Kicks" has received over 284 million views on Youtube.  That's enough views that nearly every American could have seen it once.  I know, I know--fascinating, my God...

Officially released in 2010 on their Torches LP, "Pumped Up Kicks" (for those who are old like me and may not know, "pumped up kicks" are nice/expensive tennis shoes) went on to become quite the sensation, ending up at #3 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100.  The song is really a one of a kind single--driven mostly by its bass guitar and its drums, it is as funky as a pop song can get.  It features vocals that sound like they've been recorded in a tin can (but it works), followed by a catchy as all hell chorus, all dedicated to a young man having homicidal fantasies which may or may not come to fruition.  And despite the rather upbeat music, there is a certain eeriness to the song and its lyrics that take it to another level rather than being just another misguided pop song.  There's even a section where the chorus is whistled and, once again, despite the oddness, it works.  I remember being taken the first time I heard it and it still sounds as good to me today as it did back then.  Every now and again a heretofore unknown band creates a magical song, and Foster the People were lucky enough to do just that with "Pumped Up Kicks."

Rap Sheet:  "I reason with my cigarette/Then say, "Your hair's on fire, you must've lost your wits, yeah?"

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee