Houdini (song)

Last updated
"Houdini"
Houdini FTP.JPG
Single by Foster the People
from the album Torches
ReleasedMay 15, 2012
Format Digital download
Recorded2010
Genre
Length3:20
Label
Songwriter(s) Mark Foster
Producer(s)
Foster the People singles chronology
"Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)"
(2012)		"Houdini"
(2012)		"Coming of Age"
(2014)

"Houdini" is a song by American indie pop band Foster the People from their debut studio album Torches . Written by the group's frontman Mark Foster, the song was first released as a promotional single exclusively in the United Kingdom on April 1, 2011. The song was released as the album's fifth single on May 15, 2012. It is featured on the soundtrack for video game SSX and in the episode "Yes, Then Zero" of Gossip Girl . [1] [2] The song appeared in the 2012 film LOL. It also appeared in the TV shows Awkward and Suits .

Indie pop is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and subsequently generated a thriving fanzine, label, and club and gig circuit. Compared to its counterpart, indie rock, the genre is more melodic, less abrasive, and relatively angst-free. In later years, the definition of indie pop has bifurcated to also mean bands from unrelated DIY scenes/movements with pop leanings. Subgenres include chamber pop and twee pop.

Foster the People American rock band

Foster the People is an American indie pop band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2009. It currently consists of lead vocalist Mark Foster, lead guitarist Sean Cimino, keyboardist Isom Innis, and drummer Mark Pontius.

<i>Torches</i> (album) 2011 studio album by Foster the People

Torches is the debut studio album by American band Foster the People, released on May 23, 2011 by Startime International and Columbia Records. In 2010, the group parlayed the popularity of frontman Mark Foster's song "Pumped Up Kicks" into a record deal with Startime International, and wrote the album to back the song's popularity. "Pumped Up Kicks" proved to be a sleeper hit; after receiving significant airplay on modern rock stations, the song crossed-over onto contemporary hit radio and became one of 2011's most popular songs. Four additional singles were released from the album: "Helena Beat", "Call It What You Want", "Don't Stop ", and "Houdini", which had previously been released as a promotional single in the United Kingdom prior to the album's release.

Contents

Writing and recording

"Houdini" was written by the group's frontman Mark Foster while he was working as a commercial jingle writer at Mophonics. While showing his then-girlfriend the offices on a so-called "take-your-girlfriend-to-work-day", Foster demonstrated how he wrote songs, putting a simple drum beat and vocal sample together in 10 minutes. Four days later, he revisited the composition and began adding piano chords. Reflecting on the song, he described his then-girlfriend as a "good muse". [3]

A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television commercials; they can also be used in non-advertising contexts to establish or maintain a brand image. Many jingles are also created using snippets of popular songs, in which lyrics are modified to appropriately advertise the product or service.

Live performances

The band performed "Houdini", as well as "Pumped Up Kicks", on Saturday Night Live on October 8, 2011, which was hosted by Ben Stiller. American saxophonist Kenny G guested on the performance of "Houdini". [4] Foster the People performed the song on Late Show with David Letterman in October 27, 2011 along with "Pumped Up Kicks", "Helena Beat", "Call It What You Want", "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)", "I Would Do Anything for You", "Miss You" and "Life on the Nickel".

Pumped Up Kicks 2010 song by Foster the People

"Pumped Up Kicks" is a song by American indie pop band Foster the People. It was released as the group's debut single in September 2010, and the following year was included on their EP Foster the People and their debut album, Torches. "Pumped Up Kicks" became the group's breakthrough hit and was one of the most popular songs of 2011. The song was written and recorded by frontman Mark Foster while he was working as a commercial jingle writer. Contrasting with the upbeat musical composition, the lyrics describe the homicidal thoughts of a troubled youth.

<i>Saturday Night Live</i> American late-night live television sketch comedy show

Saturday Night Live is an American late-night live television variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title NBC's Saturday Night. The show's comedy sketches, which often parody contemporary culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers the opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast as with featured performances by a musical guest. An episode normally begins with a cold open sketch that ends with someone breaking character and proclaiming, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!", properly beginning the show.

Ben Stiller actor, Comedian, director, writer

Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, musician and director. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara.

Music video

The music video for "Houdini" premiered on YouTube on April 26, 2012. James Mackey guest stars as the paramedic.

A music video is a short film that integrates a song with imagery, and is produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. There are also cases where songs are used in tie-in marketing campaigns that allow them to become more than just a song. Tie-ins and merchandising can be used for toys or for food or other products. Although the origins of the music video date back to musical short films that first appeared in the 1920s, they again came into prominence in the 1980s when the channel MTV based their format around the medium. Prior to the 1980s, these kinds of videos were described by various terms including "illustrated song", "filmed insert", "promotional (promo) film", "promotional clip", "promotional video", "song video", "song clip" or "film clip".

YouTube Video-sharing service owned by Google

YouTube is an American video-sharing website headquartered in San Bruno, California. Three former PayPal employees—Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim—created the service in February 2005. Google bought the site in November 2006 for US$1.65 billion; YouTube now operates as one of Google's subsidiaries.

Synopsis

The band (Mark Foster, Mark Pontius, Jacob Fink) is filming a music video in the studio when a lighting rig falls on them. A paramedic arrives and declares them dead. The video director is devastated. A crew member calls someone he knows, a fixer, to help. The fixer arrives and his assistants take over. The assistants, dressed completely in black, stand behind the band members and move their limbs. The video crew is doubtful, but after a change in lighting and background that effectively hides the assistants, they are convinced that the fixer's plan will work. Together, the assistants and crew prepare for the band's concert that evening. Electronic controls are added to the faces of the band members, and now the illusion that they are alive is complete. The concert is a huge success, and the music video ends with the crew members partying backstage in front of the lifeless bodies of the band.

Awards and nominations

This music video was nominated for the 55th Annual Grammy Awards award for Best Short Form Music Video.

55th Annual Grammy Awards event held on February 10, 2013

The 55th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 10, 2013, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT and was hosted for the second time by LL Cool J. The "Pre-Telecast Ceremony" was streamed live from LA's Nokia Theater at the official Grammy website. Nominations were announced on December 5, 2012 on prime-time television as part of "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live! – Countdown to Music's Biggest Night", a one-hour special co-hosted by LL Cool J & Taylor Swift and broadcast live on CBS from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Fun, Frank Ocean, Mumford & Sons, Jay-Z, Kanye West and Dan Auerbach received the most nominations with six each.

Track listing

  1. "Houdini" – 3:20

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2011–12)Peak
position
Canada Rock ( Billboard ) [6] 21
Japan (Japan Hot 100) [7] 70
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [8] 98
US Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [9] 37

Release history

CountryDateFormatLabel
United KingdomApril 1, 2011 [5] Digital download Columbia
United StatesMay 15, 2012 [10] Alternative radio

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References

  1. ↑ "SSX Soundtrack To Feature Foster The People, Pretty Lights, The Naked And Famous And Many More". EA News. ea.com. February 7, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Gossip Girl Music - Season 5, Episode 1". The CW. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  3. ↑ Graff, Gary (2012-06-12). "Foster the People: Next Album to Be 'Celebratory' With 'More Grit'". Billboard.com . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved 2012-06-12.
  4. ↑ "Saturday Night Live". fosterthepeople.com. Archived from the original on October 10, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  5. 1 2 "Houdini - Single by Foster the People". Apple Inc. iTunes UK. April 1, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Foster the People Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Foster the People Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Foster The People – Houdini" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Foster the People Chart History (Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Alternative Radio Adds (May 15, 2012)". Allaccess.com. Archived from the original on April 1, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
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