Music Video Of The Day: Foxygen 'How Can You Really'

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 16, 2014 10:30PM

We can't lie to you, Foxygen's new album, ...And Star Power, is a bloated mess of a beast. The constraint they brought to their last psychedelic outing has been thrown out the window in favor of a double-length meandering selection of songs and half-songs that could have used some serious culling. There's an excellent EP hidden under the layers of flab—we recommend you make one of your own out of "How Can You Really," "Star Power III: What Are We Good For," "Brooklyn Police Station," "Freedom II," and "Hang"—so it's not like the core songwriting team of Jonathan Rado and Sam France has lost their touch. They've just decided to indulge themselves a little too fully this time around.

That said, the band begins the first night of a two-night stand at Lincoln Hall tonight with a 9-piece band in tow. Foxygen shows can be wildly uneven affairs, but they're never boring. And when they hit their mark, even obliquely, it's thrilling. With a a pack of musicians backing France and Rado up we're wagering even the weaker material on the new album will find new life in new arrangements.

So to get the folks who are going to the two shows we're running the video for "How Can You Really," a song that is great no matter what context surrounds it, off their new album.

Since you apparently can't watch music videos on television anymore, we'll showcase one here daily. There's no rhyme or reason, time or season, to which video we'll choose. Have a suggestion? Contact us at tips@chicagoist.com.