Foster the People





(le to ri: Mark Pontius, Mark Foster, Cubbie Fink)

Foster the People is an American indie pop band I like the most. They were formed in Los Angeles, California in 2009. The group is composed of Mark Foster (vocals, keyboards, piano, synthesizers, guitar, programming, percussion), Cubbie Fink (bass and backing vocals),  Mark Pontius (drums, percussion), Sean Cimino (guitar, keyboard, synthesizer, and backing vocals), and Isom Innis (keyboard, synthesizer, piano, maracas, percussion, and backing vocals), also tour with the band. The group's music, described as melodic dance-infused pop and rock, spans many genres.

Mark Foster was a drug user. He couldn’t help it. Even his friends said that he would end up dying at a young age. And the one who made Mark leave his drug addicton was Snoop Dogg. This is one of many reasons why I love Foster the People. I thought that the ones who struggled with drug addiction were going to die and somehow their minds have lost directon to the right way. But Mark Foster turned favorably and is now being in a band that is very success. I heard that Torches have been sold over 321,000 copies in the US and Pumped Up Kicks finished 2011 as the sixth-best-selling digital song of the year. Half of Torches' songs were licensed—among them are: "Pumped Up Kicks" (Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries, Friends with Benefits, Entourage), "Houdini" (Gossip Girl); "Helena Beat" (The Vampire Diaries); "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" (Suits, Nissan Motors commercial); and "Call It What You Want" (FIFA 12). I have been liking Foster the People and being a Foster Kid (a call for Foster the People fans) since few months ago. I knew them from my cousin. I called my cousin that their music was weird till then I become so freak to everything that is related to them. I found “Broken Jaw” and “Ruby” in my cousin’s iPod playlist. I played them and fell in love with the songs right away. I love how they play an addictive music and I love it when Mark Foster sings in a high note, it brings me fly to the cloud 9. Sadly, they don’t put those two amazing songs intoTorches.

Foster the People on Grammy Awards 2012 red carpet

 

  They got so many nominations for their songs, the debut album, and for the group itself. I wasn’t very surprised they could achieve that because despite their amazing songs, they deserve it. The most prestigious award that they were nominated was Grammy.  The group received two Grammy Award nominations: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Pumped Up Kicks" and Best Alternative Music Album for Torches. At the awards ceremony, the band and Maroon 5 performed with The Beach Boys, one of Mark Foster's childhood idols.

 Beside their excellent talents, of course you will notice their cute faces. A member that I like the most is Mark Foster. Another member, Cubbie Fink whom many people think that he has Cesc Fabregas (FC Barcelona and Spain National Team midfielder) look a like. Mark Pontius, I don’t know if it’s just me or anybody thinks that he looks like Alex Pettyfer.  Furthermore, we can’t just leave Isom Innis and Sean Cimino. They are in the same cute-level with Mark Foster.

left: Cubbie Fink; right: Cesc Fabregas

Foster the People with Isom and Sean

I will talk about their music videos. From Helena Beat, Call it What You Want, Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls), and Houdini, you can see Mark Foster is always be the one who is beaten in the music videos. I don’t know why but still Mark Foster looks really cute. Houdini is my favorite music video so far. They do a little dancing-scene in it and that is suppacute! Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GMQLjzVGfw

Foster the People held a concert on the early 2012. I didn’t know them yet at that time so I don’t go to their concert. On this September 29, 2012 they visited Indonesia again but they held a concert in Bali which is so far from my town. Yeah, I’m desperate and officially jealous of you who ever attended their concert. Lucky you!  

            On the stage, they always play a good performance as good as they did in the recording. Mark Foster's voice sounds very nice, he can reach his high note and his voice sounds just like what we hear in the recording. The music is as amazing as what people hear in the recording. Not all the major label bands can do a live performance as good as they did in the recording. Even some of them do a lip-sync performance.

Indie or Major Label?

Independent music (often shortened to indie music or indie) is music produced independently from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing. While the term indie is sometimes used as if it were a music genre, independent music artists do not fall into a single, defined musical style or genre and usually create music that can be categorized into other genres. They will always find an advantages and disadvantages in an option.  It is up to them whether they choose being in an indie or major label bands.

The advantages that a musician can get from being in an indie band is that they can make the music as they want and not following what the music market wants. They can express their feelings, creativity with freedom because there is no one who can turn them off by saying that “It is not good.” or “No one will buy the album!” Or maybe “The album is not worth it to buy.” They manage themselves. They the way how they promote the album.  But it’s not easy for them to make people listen to their music because the distribution and promotion area aren’t that wide. But thanks to internet, now they can promote their album in online media and they can sell their album digitally.

Being in a major label bands is an easy way to reach an overnight success. They can get the listeners easier because their distribution and promotion area are wider. It makes them going easier to be well-known. But it gets frustrating when thay have to meet what the market needs. The other disadvantage is when one of the band member makes a mistake that can make a bad image on the band, it’s the label authorization to ditch him/her.

 I like indie bands because major label bands are too mainstream hahaha.. And here I want to prove that indie bands can compete with major label bands. Major label bands and indie bands can go keeping in step. Get ready because if you listen to the songs that I will mention in each band, your ears will be tickled with joy J