Everybody Was in the French Resistance...Now!
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Everybody Was in the French Resistance...Now!
| image = Everybody Was in the French Resistance...Now! at Dingwalls (4345715274).jpg
| landscape = yes
| caption = Everybody Was in the French Resistance...Now! in 2010
| origin = Deptford/Bournemouth, England & Los Angeles, California
| genre = Indie rock
| years_active = 2010–present
| label = Cooking Vinyl
| associated_acts = Art Brut
The Blood Arm
The Art Goblins
| website =
| current_members = Eddie Argos
Dyan Valdés
}}
Everybody Was in the French Resistance...Now! are a band dedicated to writing responses to popular songs, featuring Eddie Argos of Art Brut and Dyan Valdés of The Blood Arm. They have released one album, Fixin' the Charts, Vol. 1 in 2010.
History
Eddie Argos announced the band on his blog in 2008, stating that this was a response to Avril Lavigne attempting to "steal men from happy and loving relationships," a sardonic reference to her song "Girlfriend".{{cite web|url=http://the-eddie-argos-resource.blogspot.com/2008/04/everybody-was-in-french-resistancenow.html|title=The Eddie Argos Resource- Everybody Was in the French Resistance...NOW|website=The-eddie-argos-resource.blogspot.com|accessdate=2020-06-02|date=7 May 2008}} Eddie Argos is a renowned 'music geek',{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13895-fixin-the-charts-vol-1/|title=Pitchfork Reviews- Fixin' the Charts, Vol. 1|author=Marc Hogan|date=18 February 2010|website=Pitchfork}} and took the opportunity to reply to several songs on this project, from 60's soul numbers on "Hey, It's Jimmy Mack", to Kanye West on "Coal Digger".
It is currently not clear if the band was a one off side project, or if there are plans for a second album, although it has been mentioned in passing on Eddie Argos' blog.{{cite web|url=http://the-eddie-argos-resource.blogspot.com/2010/12/entire-ewitfrn-show.html|title=THE EDDIE ARGOS RESOURCE: An Entire EWITFR...N Show.|website=The-eddie-argos-resource.blogspot.com|date=8 December 2010|accessdate=2020-06-02}}
''Fixin' the Charts, Vol. 1''
{{Infobox album
| italic_title = no
| name = Fixin the Charts, Vol. 1
| type = studio
| artist = Everybody Was in the French Resistance...Now!
| cover = FrenchResistancealbum fixinthecharts.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{start date|2010|1|25|df=y}}
| recorded = Joshua Tree
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Indie rock, garage punk, garage rock
| length = 35:26
| label = Cooking Vinyl
| producer = Dave Newton
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
Everybody Was in the French Resistance...Now!'s album was recorded in Joshua Tree, California, and was produced by David Newton (guitarist) of The Mighty Lemon Drops. The 12 tracks reply to a wide variety of songs, and often take a completely different tack to the original, for example, where Creeque Alley by The Mamas and the Papas sang about the history of the band and the California music scene of the time, Creque Allies is a potted history of the French Resistance in World War II.
= Critical reception =
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = Allmusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}
| rev2 = Pitchfork Media
| rev2Score = {{Rating|3.5|10}}
| rev3 = Spin
| rev3Score = {{Rating|7|10}}
| rev4 = Robert Christgau
| rev4Score = (A-)
| rev5 = The A.V. Club
| rev5score = (B)
}}
The album received mixed reviews in the media. Pitchfork, who are normally favourable to Argos' main band Art Brut stated that it was "for obsessives only", and of the concept that, "a mildly amusing Myspace click can lead to a painfully obnoxious album." It was also variously described as "half finished",{{cite web|url=http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2010/01/everybody-was-in-the-french-resistance-now-fixin-the-charts-volume-1/|title=The Line of Best Fit- Fixin' the Charts|author=Jude Clarke|date=25 January 2010|publisher=The Line of Best Fit|access-date=8 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513102109/http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2010/01/everybody-was-in-the-french-resistance-now-fixin-the-charts-volume-1/|archive-date=13 May 2011|url-status=dead}} and "disposable"{{cite web|url=http://www.contactmusic.com/new/home.nsf/albumreview/everybody-was-in-the-french-resistance-fixin-the-chartsx10x02x10|title=Everybody Was in the French Resistance...Now! – Fixin' the Charts Vol.1 Album Review|author=Spencer Kornhaber|website=Contactmusic.com|date=10 February 2010 }} However, Spin magazine gave the album 7/10, referring to Eddie as "one of his generation's great poets of the mundane".{{cite web | url=http://www.spin.com/reviews/everybody-was-french-resistance-now-fixin-charts-vol-1-cooking-vinyl | title=Art Brut moonlighter role-plays with pop hit|website=Spin| accessdate=2011-03-15}}
However, some songs on the album were praised individually in the same reviews, for example He's a Rebel was regarded as "Funny and witty", and Stereogum referred to Argos as "Indie rock's thick-browed sardonic clown prince.".{{cite web|url=http://stereogum.com/110021/new_everybody_was_in_the_french_resistancenow_eddi/video/?__nored=1|title=Stereogum- EWITFRN GIRLFREN video|website=Stereogum.com|date=19 January 2010}} Contact Music's largely negative review did concede that, "There are moments of pitch perfect piano pop".
= Track listing =
| class="wikitable" |
| #
!Title !Time |
|---|
| 1
|"Creque Allies" |3:08 |
| 2
|"G.I.R.L.F.R.E.N (You Know I've Got A)" |3:21 |Avril Lavigne – "Girlfriend" |
| 3
|"(I'm So) Waldo P. Emerson Jones" |2:52 |The Archies- "Waldo P. Emerson Jones" |
| 4
|"The Scarborough Affaire" |2:29 |"Scarborough Fair" (trad. arr.) |
| 5
|"Billy's Genes" |3:27 |
| 6
|"Think Twice (It's Not Alright)" |3:31 |
| 7
|"Hey! It's Jimmy Mack" |3:01 |
| 8
|"He's A "Rebel" " |2:42 |The Crystals – "He's A Rebel" |
| 9
|"Coal Digger" |2:40 |
| 10
|"My Way (Is Not Always the Best Way)" |3:19 |Frank Sinatra – "My Way" |
| 11
|"Superglue" |1:37 |Elastica – "Vaseline" |
| 12
|"Walk Alone" |3:19 |
= Personnel =
- Eddie Argos – Vocals
- Dyan Valdés – Vocals, piano, composer
- David Newton – Producer, guitar, bass
- Louis Castle – Trumpet
- Nick Armoroso – Drums
- Bekki Newton – Vocals
- Dave Schultz – Mastering{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/fixin-the-charts-vol-1-mw0001958668/credits |title=Fixin' the Charts, Vol. 1 – Everybody Was in the French Resistance...Now!|publisher=AllMusic|date=2010-02-16 |accessdate=2020-06-02}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Art Brut}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Everybody Was in the French Resistance...Now!}}