Friendly Foes

Strip it down. Cut the fat. Verse chorus verse. No bridge? No problem. That's it: the simplistic formula behind Friendly Foes ? a pop-inspired three-piece hailing just outside of Detroit. But hold up?just because they choose the most economic way to get to power-pop's Pleasure Island, it doesn't mean their songs don't come without a hefty wallop, a fierce bite, and a few twists and turns to keep you on your toes. In Friendly Foes' world, simple does not equate with boring.

That's it: the simplistic formula behind Friendly Foes ? a pop-inspired three-piece hailing just outside of Detroit. But hold up?just because they choose the most economic way to get to power-pop's Pleasure Island, it doesn't mean their songs don't come without a hefty wallop, a fierce bite, and a few twists and turns to keep you on your toes. In Friendly Foes' world, simple does not equate with boring.

Inspired as equally by 70s punk-songwriters like Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello as they are the glory days of 90s indie rock (Superchunk, Guided By Voices, Chisel) ? with a healthy dose of Husker Du and Replacements-style bash ?n pop thrown in for good measure ? Friendly Foes craft rag-tag, rough around the edges rock songs that do away with pretense. Instead, they choose quick routes to get to the gooey guts of what makes for rock-solid jams: whip-smart lyrics and anthemic melodies delivered at an unrelenting pace.