Costello Music

Last updated

Costello Music
TheFratellis-CostelloMusic.jpg
Studio album by
the Fratellis
Released11 September 2006
Recorded2006
Genre
Length44:16
Label
Producer Tony Hoffer
The Fratellis chronology
The Fratellis EP
(2006)		Costello Music
(2006)		 Flathead EP
(2007)
Singles from Costello Music
  1. "Henrietta"
    Released: 12 June 2006
  2. "Chelsea Dagger"
    Released: 28 August 2006
  3. "Whistle for the Choir"
    Released: 27 November 2006
  4. "Flathead"
    Released: 4 March 2007
  5. "Baby Fratelli"
    Released: 12 March 2007
  6. "Ole Black 'n' Blue Eyes"
    Released: 11 June 2007

Costello Music is the debut album by Scottish indie rock band the Fratellis. It was released on 11 September 2006 on Fallout Records and Drop the Gun Recordings and on 13 March 2007 on Cherrytree Records in the US [1] and was a success, peaking at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart and spent 83 weeks in the Top 100. It debuted behind FutureSex/LoveSounds by Justin Timberlake and stayed in the No. 2 position for two more weeks, this time behind Ta-Dah by Scissor Sisters. The album had five single releases, as well as the download-only EP Flathead . "Chelsea Dagger" was the most successful single, peaking at No. 5 in the UK and No. 4 in the Netherlands, but the other singles failed to chart in most countries.

Contents

The band toured the record internationally, playing shows in Europe, the United States and Japan, and won the 2007 BRIT Award for Best British Breakthrough Act. As of March 2018, the album had sold 1,145,000 copies in the UK. [2]

Background

The band's first gig was in a basement in Glasgow in February 2005. The band were spotted by a record company talent scout shortly thereafter. Music Week's Stuart Clarke said, "A month after the scout discovered them, labels were flying up to Scotland to see them. Most, if not all, the major labels and a handful of indies showed a lot of interest in the band." [3] The band was eventually signed to Island Records and the album was released under its UK subsidiary, Fallout Records. The band were flown to LA to record the album in the Sunset Sound recording studio, which was previously used by Bob Dylan and the Beach Boys. [3] They were in Studio 3, which contains vintage equipment. Jon said, "It makes you feel a bit more like you’re part of something you were interested in". [4] Producer Tony Hoffer was flown in to help complete the album. [5] The album was named "Costello Music" after a studio they used to rent in Budhill, Glasgow. [6]

Lyrics and composition

Critics likened the album to the works of The Libertines, Babyshambles and Arctic Monkeys, all bands known for their British rock roots. [7] [8] [9] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine said that "they sound like songs by about 15 other Britpop acts" but went on to say "it's one thing to copy a look, a sound, or a formula, it's another to do it so utterly convincingly and with such infectious raucousness". [10]

Paul McNamee of NME noted that most tracks on the album told a story; "Henrietta", tells the story of an older woman who stalks the song's narrators; "Vince the Lovable Stoner" is about a man with a drug addiction, and "Chelsea Dagger" is said by Jon Fratelli to be about a showgirl. [3] [5]

Release

Costello Music was released on vinyl and CD on 11 September 2006 in the UK. Five songs were released as singles; "Henrietta", "Chelsea Dagger", "Whistle for the Choir", "Baby Fratelli" and "Ole Black 'n' Blue Eyes". "Flathead" was used in an iPod commercial, which led to it being released as a download only single via iTunes and later as an EP. The album was then released on 13 March 2007 in the US. The cover art for the album and its singles was created by Sam Hadley.

The album did best in the UK, peaking at number two on the charts there. It reached forty-two on the US Billboard 200, and managed to chart in Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, France and New Zealand. "Chelsea Dagger" was the most successful single, peaking at five in the UK and four in the Netherlands. The other singles with the exception of "Flathead" only managed to chart in the UK, where they were moderately popular. [11]

A Japanese version of Costello Music was released on 21 February 2007 containing two tracks unavailable on other versions: "Dirty Barry Stole the Bluebird" – a B-side of the "Chelsea Dagger" single, and "Cigarello" from the Flathead EP. This version of the album also contained the videos for "Flathead", "Chelsea Dagger", and "Henrietta", which could be viewed directly from the disc using an Adobe Flash program.

The album's success led to the band winning the BRIT award for Best British Breakthrough Act in 2007. [3] The album also won an EBBA award in January 2008. [12] In total, the band sold 1.5 million copies of Costello Music worldwide and over 900,000 copies in the UK. [12] [13]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 71/100 [14]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Pitchfork 5.5/10 [17]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [18]
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [19]
Stylus Magazine B [20]

Costello Music received generally favourable reviews. Pitchfork 's Stuart Bertman called the Fratellis "artless but amiable", "predictable", and "intermittently rewarding". [21] Elizabeth Goodman of Rolling Stone called the single Flathead "preternaturally catchy" and stated that "it makes you elated in the moment". [22] Helen Phares of AllMusic called it "high energy" and "fun in the moment". [7] Stylus Magazine's Ryan Foley shared similar views, describing it as "beyond infectious" and claiming that they fill "their three-minute, pop-punk ditties with melodic snarl, flouncing sass, and enough lusty sing-along parts to keep the punters busy". [23] IGN's Chad Grischow gave the album an Outstanding rating in his review of the album saying it was "not the most refined album you will buy this year, but surely one you will not regret". [24] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine was less favourable, calling it "tediously misogynistic" and "instantly memorable but thankfully wordless". [10]

Costello Music was voted the fourth-worst Scottish album ever in a 2007 online poll of music fans. [25] [26]

Tour

Following the release of the album, the Fratellis embarked on a tour of the UK festival circuit, headlining at popular festivals such as NME's Rock ‘n’ Riot tour and T in the Park 2007, amongst others. [5] [27] They opened for The Who at the BBC Electric Proms in October 2006, and in December they supported Kasabian on their UK tour before playing 10 dates by themselves in February and March 2007. The locations included Nottingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and London. [28]

The band then set out on a worldwide tour to play dates in Japan, continental Europe and the US. [29] They cut short the US leg of their tour, canceling nine dates, citing fatigue from their many months of touring as the cause. [30]

Track listing

All tracks are written by the Fratellis

No.TitleLength
1."Henrietta"3:32
2."Flathead"3:17
3."Cuntry Boys & City Girls"3:31
4."Whistle for the Choir"3:35
5."Chelsea Dagger"3:35
6."For the Girl"2:48
7."Doginabag"3:20
8."Creepin up the Backstairs"3:07
9."Vince the Loveable Stoner"3:14
10."Everybody Knows You Cried Last Night"3:54
11."Baby Fratelli"3:56
12."Got Ma Nuts from a Hippy"3:11
13."Ole Black 'n' Blue Eyes"3:16

Bonus tracks

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Costello Music
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [45] 4× Platinum1,200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Meteora</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Linkin Park

Meteora is the second studio album by American rock band Linkin Park. It was released on March 25, 2003, through Warner Bros. Records, following Reanimation, a collaboration album which featured remixes of songs included on their 2000 debut studio album Hybrid Theory. The album was produced by the band alongside Don Gilmore. The title Meteora is taken from the Greek Orthodox monasteries originally bearing the name. Meteora has a similar sound to Hybrid Theory, as described by critics, and the album took almost a year to be recorded. It is the first Linkin Park studio album to feature bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell after he rejoined the band in 2000 following his temporary touring with other bands.

<i>Parachutes</i> (Coldplay album) 2000 studio album by Coldplay

Parachutes is the debut studio album by British rock band Coldplay. It was released on 10 July 2000 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom. The album was produced by the band and British record producer Ken Nelson, except for one track, "High Speed", which was produced by Chris Allison. Parachutes spawned the singles "Shiver", "Yellow", "Trouble", and "Don't Panic". The album was also supported by the Parachutes Tour, which saw the band performing 131 shows in their first world tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elvis Costello discography</span>

The discography of the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello includes 33 studio albums, 6 live albums, 17 compilation albums, 6 tribute albums, 2 extended plays, 62 singles and 4 box sets. This page distinguishes between United States and United Kingdom release dates and record labels. Of note are the reissue series, Costello's back catalogue having undergone reissue three times by three different companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fratellis</span> Scottish indie rock band

The Fratellis are a Scottish rock band from Glasgow, formed in 2005. The band consists of three unrelated members, who perform under pseudonyms: lead vocalist and guitarist Jon Fratelli, bassist Barry Fratelli, and drummer Mince Fratelli. Their singles "Chelsea Dagger" and "Whistle for the Choir" were both top ten hits in the UK charts.

<i>Black Holes and Revelations</i> 2006 studio album by Muse

Black Holes and Revelations is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Muse, first released on 3 July 2006 through Warner Bros. Records and Muse's Helium-3 imprint. It was produced by Rich Costey over four months in New York City, London, Milan and southern France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chelsea Dagger</span> 2006 single by the Fratellis

"Chelsea Dagger" is a song by Scottish rock band the Fratellis. It was released as the second single from their debut studio album, Costello Music (2006), on 28 August 2006. It is named after Jon Fratelli's wife Heather, a burlesque dancer whose stage name is a play on Britney Spears. Fratelli described the tune as "a rock 'n' roll gig in an old speakeasy or something like that."

<i>A Weekend in the City</i> 2007 studio album by Bloc Party

A Weekend in the City is the second studio album by British indie rock band Bloc Party. It was recorded at Grouse Lodge Studios in Westmeath, Ireland, in mid-2006 and was produced by Jacknife Lee. The album was refined and mixed at several locations in London at the end of 2006. It was released on 24 January 2007 in Japan and in the first week of February in the rest of the world, with Wichita Recordings as the primary label. The album peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart and on the Irish Albums Chart. In the United States, it entered the Billboard 200 at number 12.

<i>Yours Truly, Angry Mob</i> 2007 studio album by Kaiser Chiefs

Yours Truly, Angry Mob is the second studio album by English rock band Kaiser Chiefs. It was released on 23 February 2007 in Belgium and the Netherlands, 26 February 2007 in the rest of the world by B-Unique Records and in March in North America by Universal Motown. Produced by Stephen Street, who produced the band's debut album Employment, Yours Truly, Angry Mob is lyrically darker and more socially aware than its predecessor, with tracks dealing with street crime, violence, fame, and the inaccuracy of tabloid articles. The song "Boxing Champ" features drummer Nick Hodgson on lead vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Fratelli</span> Scottish musician and songwriter

John Paul Lawler, known professionally as Jon Fratelli, is a Scottish musician and singer-songwriter, best known for his work with the band The Fratellis. Alongside his work with The Fratellis, Lawler has played in a band called Codeine Velvet Club and as a solo artist.

<i>Accelerate</i> (R.E.M. album) 2008 album by R.E.M.

Accelerate is the fourteenth studio album by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on March 31, 2008, in Europe, and on April 1 in North America. Produced with Jacknife Lee, Accelerate was intended as a departure from the 2004 album Around the Sun. R.E.M. previewed most of the album's tracks during a five-night residency at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin, Ireland, and recorded the album in a nine-week schedule.

<i>Metro Station</i> (album) 2007 studio album by Metro Station

Metro Station is the debut studio album by American pop rock band Metro Station. The album was released on September 18, 2007, under Columbia/Red Ink. Four singles were released from the album; "Kelsey", "Control", "Shake It" and "Seventeen Forever". The group completed recording the album in July 2007.

<i>Konk</i> (album) 2008 studio album by the Kooks

Konk is the second album by British indie rock band the Kooks, released on 14 April 2008 on Virgin Records. Produced by Tony Hoffer, the album is named after the London studio where it was recorded, which is the property of Ray Davies. This was the last album to feature original bassist Max Rafferty.

<i>Years of Refusal</i> 2009 studio album by Morrissey

Years of Refusal is the ninth studio album by English alternative rock singer Morrissey. It was released on 16 February 2009 in the UK by record label Decca and on 17 February 2009 in the US by Lost Highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fratellis discography</span>

This is the discography of Scottish band The Fratellis. They have released 6 studio albums, 4 EPs, and 17 singles since their breakthrough in 2006. They won in the category Best British Breakthrough Act at the 2007 BRIT Awards.

<i>Forth</i> (album) 2008 studio album by the Verve

Forth is the fourth and final studio album by the English alternative rock band the Verve before their third break up in 2009. It was released internationally on 25 August 2008 on EMI and a day later in North America on the On Your Own label. The band reformed in 2007, having broken up in 1999. Forth was their first album of new material since their 1997 album Urban Hymns and their first since 1995's A Northern Soul to feature the original line-up without second guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong. It is also the second album to feature the Urban Hymns and Ashcroft's solo album producer Chris Potter.

<i>The Resistance</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Muse

The Resistance is the fifth studio album by English rock band Muse, first released on 11 September 2009 through Warner Bros. Records and Muse's Helium-3 imprint. Produced by the band and mixed by Mark Stent, the album was recorded from September 2008 to May 2009 at Studio Bellini in Lake Como, Italy. Musically, the record is similar to some of the band's previous material, mixing orchestral elements with rock and electronic music. The album also saw the band craft a three-part, 13-minute long symphony piece titled "Exogenesis". Lyrically, it is a concept record, as well as a continuation of the themes from their previous records, being influenced by politics and more oppressive subjects.

<i>Humbug</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Arctic Monkeys

Humbug is the third studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, first released on 19 August 2009 through Domino Recording Company. The band started to write new material for the album towards the end of summer 2008 and finished it entirely in spring 2009. Like their previous release, Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007), Humbug was released first in Japan, followed by Australia, Brazil, Ireland, and Germany, on 21 August 2009. It was then released in the UK on 24 August 2009, in the US the following day, and in Greece on 31 August.

<i>Holy Fire</i> (album) 2013 studio album by Foals

Holy Fire is the third studio album by English rock band Foals, released on 11 February 2013 in the United Kingdom on Transgressive Records. The first single "Inhaler" first aired on 5 November 2012 on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show, with the music video being released later that same day. The second single "My Number" debuted on Later... with Jools Holland on 13 November 2012. The track had its radio debut one month later, also on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show. The music video premiered on 23 January 2013.

<i>Underclass Hero</i> 2007 studio album by Sum 41

Underclass Hero is the fourth studio album by Canadian rock band Sum 41. It is the first of two albums by the band recorded without guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh since he left a year earlier to focus on Brown Brigade. It was first released on July 18, 2007, in Japan by Island Records and distributed worldwide by Aquarius Records, the band's final album on the label. In comparison to the heavy metal-inspired punk style of their previous album Chuck (2004), Underclass Hero marked a return to the band’s pop-punk sound.

<i>Everything Now</i> 2017 studio album by Arcade Fire

Everything Now is the fifth studio album by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released on July 28, 2017, through Sonovox Records, Columbia Records, and Rough Trade Records. It was produced by Arcade Fire, alongside Thomas Bangalter of the electronic-house duo Daft Punk and Steve Mackey, the bassist of the band Pulp. Additionally, Markus Dravs, one of Arcade Fire's frequent collaborators, co-produced two tracks, and he, Geoff Barrow of Portishead, and Eric Heigle each provided additional production on one track.

References

  1. ↑ "The Fratellis – Costello Music (2007, CD)". Discogs . 13 March 2007.
  2. ↑ Jones, Alan (23 March 2018). "Charts analysis: Greatest Showman matches Adele's chart run at the top" . Music Week . Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Fergus Sheppard (2007). "Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of the Fratellis". The Scotsman . Retrieved 1 August 2007.
  4. ↑ Alastair McKay (28 November 2006). "Pure Sex And Heavy Psyched: The Sensational Rise Of The Fratellis". Blogspot . Retrieved 24 March 2008.
  5. 1 2 3 Paul McNamee (2007). "Costello Music review". NME . Retrieved 30 July 2007.
  6. ↑ Stephen Phelan. "Just who are The Fratellis?". The Sunday Herald . Archived from the original on 14 June 2008. Retrieved 15 April 2008.
  7. 1 2 Heather Phares (2007). "Costello Music review". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 July 2007.
  8. ↑ Jamil Ahmad (2007). "Costello Music review". musicOMH. Archived from the original on 16 August 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2007.
  9. ↑ Matt Schild (2007). "Costello Music review". Aversion. Retrieved 1 August 2007.[ permanent dead link ]
  10. 1 2 Sal Cinquemani (2007). "Costello Music review". Slant Magazine . Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 4 August 2007.
  11. ↑ "UK Chart Database" . Retrieved 25 March 2008.
  12. 1 2 "Fratellis get award for breaking Euro borders". The Sunday Herald . 27 January 2008. Archived from the original on 14 June 2008. Retrieved 24 March 2008.
  13. ↑ David Sinclair (6 March 2007). "The Fratellis". The Times. London. Retrieved 24 March 2008.
  14. ↑ "Costello Music by the Fratellis". Metacritic .
  15. ↑ AllMusic Review
  16. ↑ "The Fratellis: Costello Music". NME . 13 September 2006.
  17. ↑ "The Fratellis: Costello Music". Pitchfork.
  18. ↑ "Rolling Stone : Costello Music : Review". Rolling Stone . 10 March 2007. Archived from the original on 10 March 2007.
  19. ↑ "Music". Slant Magazine . Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
  20. ↑ "Stylus Magazine". stylusmagazine.com. Archived from the original on 4 April 2007.
  21. ↑ Stuart Bertman (2007). "Costello Music:Pitchfork Record Review". Archived from the original on 15 January 2008. Retrieved 28 January 2008.
  22. ↑ Elizabeth Goodman (2007). "Costello Music review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 15 July 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2007.
  23. ↑ Ryan Foley (2007). "Costello Music review". Stylus magazine . Archived from the original on 4 April 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2007.
  24. ↑ Chad Grischow (2007). "IGN: Costello Music Review". IGN . Archived from the original on 25 December 2007. Retrieved 15 March 2008.
  25. ↑ "Texas Album is 'Worst Scottish Record'". Daily Record . 23 October 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  26. ↑ "Texas top chart.. of bad CDs". Mirror . 23 October 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  27. ↑ "T in the Park line-up unveiled". NME . 2007. Retrieved 5 August 2007.
  28. ↑ "The Fratellis announce 2007 tour dates". Indie London. 2007. Archived from the original on 14 February 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2007.
  29. ↑ "The Fratellis – Ole Black n Blue Eyes". ilikemusic.com. 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 5 August 2007.
  30. ↑ "Fratellis cancel US tour". Spin . 2007. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 5 August 2007.
  31. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – The Fratellis – Costello Music". Hung Medien.
  32. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – The Fratellis – Costello Music" (in German). Hung Medien.
  33. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The Fratellis – Costello Music" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  34. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Fratellis – Costello Music" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  35. ↑ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH.
  36. ↑ "Lescharts.com – The Fratellis – Costello Music". Hung Medien.
  37. ↑ "Charts.nz – The Fratellis – Costello Music". Hung Medien.
  38. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  39. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – The Fratellis – Costello Music". Hung Medien.
  40. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  41. ↑ "The Fratellis Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  42. ↑ "The Fratellis Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard.
  43. ↑ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2006". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  44. ↑ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2007". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  45. ↑ "British album certifications – Fratellis – Costello Music". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 4 March 2023.

Chart archives

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.