When she placed it in his hand, people must have seen the sparks. Neither understands what just happened to their hearts.

March 30, 2011 8:37 PM

Canadian indie/hardcore band Fucked Up have released the first of four singles from their upcoming rock opera, David Comes To Life. The album appears to be about a man who works in a lightbulb factory and is a follow-up to their critically acclaimed The Chemistry Of Modern Life. Cryptic character bios can be found on the album's site and more information from the band can be found on their blog.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn (24 comments total)

thanks for this, they are one of my favorite bands
posted by Mach5 at 8:48 PM on March 30, 2011

Got to love Year of the Pig.
posted by lumensimus at 8:50 PM on March 30, 2011

I recently missed seeing them. In my defense: it was the day after Social Distortion/the Bronx which was the day after Gaslight Anthem/Foxy Shazam which was the day after an all day festival with all those bands and a million others. and i was going to see them at that festival but they were on the same time as Iron Maiden. and they (Fucked Up) were playing a 40 minute set before H20/Terror/Polar Bear Club. but i still regret not going
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 8:51 PM on March 30, 2011

I take it that mainstream media exposure isn't in the marketing plan here.
posted by Yakuman at 8:51 PM on March 30, 2011

Well, their lead singer shows up on Fox News every once in a while, because one of the hosts is randomly a fan of the band. If that counts.
posted by jackflaps at 8:56 PM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]

Green Day charted with a 12 minute punk single. Cake just had a number 1 album. Mainstream music is utterly strange and non-sensical these days, so you never know. But in Australia they're still billed below Polar Bear Club (also strange and non-sensical: Soundwave Sideshows).
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 8:58 PM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]

I got smacked in the face by a reality TV contestant at a Fucked Up show.

That's pretty much it.
posted by theodolite at 9:05 PM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]

I take it that mainstream media exposure isn't in the marketing plan here.

They've appeared on CBC's Q a few times, always vocally credited as F'ed Up, but as Fucked Up in the text used on YouTube. (That link includes their acceptance speech for winning the Polaris Music Prize in 2009.) So not super-mainstream, but not invisible either.
posted by maudlin at 9:06 PM on March 30, 2011

Neat, I like this band. Or was it Fuck Buttons? Actually I think it was Fuck Buttons, but I do have the first Fucked Up record.
posted by tumid dahlia at 9:15 PM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]

They're also releasing "a few companion records, including a compilation of fictional bands from that fictional town." Don't miss the british punk of Animal Man.
posted by saul wright at 9:18 PM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]

A friend of the Best Show.
posted by HLD at 9:24 PM on March 30, 2011

Neat, I like this band. Or was it Fuck Buttons? Actually I think it was Fuck Buttons, but I do have the first Fucked Up record.

are you sure it's not Holy Fuck?
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 9:34 PM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]

Context! Much better.
posted by IjonTichy at 9:46 PM on March 30, 2011

The only place they had left to go was Prog Punk. I'm looking forward to it.
posted by thecjm at 9:48 PM on March 30, 2011

Dunno LiB, they all get kinda jumbled up in here.
posted by tumid dahlia at 9:53 PM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]

For all their attitude, they're a pretty cerebral band. "Chemisty of Common Life" was an album about faith and doubt in a Christian theological context, kinda.

I'm looking forward to it.
posted by bardic at 9:54 PM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]

I take it that mainstream media exposure isn't in the marketing plan here.

This band won the Polaris Prize last year, probably the most prestigious award in the Canadian alt music scene, which has artistic merit as its sole criterion. It was amusing seeing the various Canadian music publications and media personalities struggling with the decision of how to print/speak their name in the press explosion that followed. I heard a lot of discussion on CBC Radio 3 and noticed that some anchors would say 'Fucked Up' and others 'F*d Up'; it seemed to be a personal choice.
posted by PercussivePaul at 10:03 PM on March 30, 2011

The New York Times reviews a band they cannot mention by name.

I love Fucked Up.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 10:13 PM on March 30, 2011

I have been sitting here thinking this band was Holy Fuck, right down to thinking Holy Fuck won the Polaris Prize, for the last ten minutes. I always get their names confused, though their music is nothing alike. Argh!

Hooray for Canadian music!
posted by just_ducky at 11:27 PM on March 30, 2011

I love Fucked Up too and am super excited about the new record. I also love that they destroyed a bathroom at MTV Canada and the people there seemed shocked that such a thing could happen. Awesomeness.
posted by friendlyjuan at 12:01 AM on March 31, 2011 [2 favorites]

Fucked up recorded 15 extra tracks than are on the forthcoming album. They're releasing it on Record Store Day as a compilation by a fictitious band from Britain circa 78 - 83 called The Town.
posted by dobbs at 4:56 AM on March 31, 2011 [1 favorite]

Can't wait for the sequel about David's friend Joe, who works at a button factory. He has a job and a wife and a family. He has an unfortunate habit of admitting to his boss that he's not busy and ends up pushing the button.
posted by maryr at 8:41 AM on March 31, 2011

He works at a lightbulb factory? I wonder if he's looking for a job that doesn't suck.

/CANCON
posted by Theta States at 8:48 AM on March 31, 2011

Fuck Buttons are referred to as 'F Buttons' on the radio here/
posted by mippy at 1:54 AM on April 1, 2011