FANDOM: Foxygen on Alex Cameron

Written by


Foxygen is back with a new album and will be making their Morning Becomes Eclectic debut early next year! In anticipation of their appearance, Cali native Jonathan Rado (who released his debut solo album “Law and Order” in 2013) took a few moments to share an artist he’s digging.

“This November, I saw Alex Cameron perform at Silencio in Paris, David Lynche’s sssupersssecret exxxclusive subterranian nightclub where Kayne West hangs out with the Olsen twins. This is where I first experienced Alex Cameron.

I watched at the back of the room as a huge, huge man dressed in a long blue jumpsuit with his long hair slicked back revealing a face full of fake bad skin take the stage, accompanied by only a small sampler that played his backing tracks at the foot of the stage.

I had no idea who this man was, and it seemed nobody else in the room did either.

But goddamn, he stood up there and told us his stories of failure and delivered one of the most memorable, moving concerts I have or will ever witness.

It was like seeing the Beatles for the first time (I was at the famous Hollywood Bowl show, 1964).

The music sounded like Bruce Springsteen — The Boss covering Suicide or vice versa (but if that was performed by a demo button on a casio).

Hell, you could compare it to a few more things, but let’s not. Let’s just say it sounded real nice-like.

His performance was smooth. He moved slowly and deliberately, dropping to his knees only when it was absolutely needed, caressing the mic cord in that fleshy part between his thumb and forefinger the whole time.

The highlight of his set for me — something that I will remember forever — was his performance of “The Comeback”: a song from the point of view of a talk show host who has his TV show taken away by the network and fights to “get his show back”. It brought a tear to my eye, honestly.

He also finished his performance with the best version of “Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Old Oak Tree” that I’ve ever heard. Tony Orlando smiles from heaven. Is Tony Orlando dead? Alex Cameron should have his own talk show.

His album, “Jumping The Shark“, is an eight-song masterpiece.

The songs are told from the point of view of people we don’t often get to hear from in: traveling business men, rich drunk young men, washed up talk show hosts, lawyers. etc.

All of them failed.

These people don’t normally have a voice in music, and Alex gives them one.

They’re not always the most flattering portraits, but they’re all treated with some sort of compassion.

It’s like a Nick Cave record that I actually want to listen to. Damn, there I go comparing things again.

I listen to his record every morning when I get up. It’s part of my morning routine. I find it pairs well with a Keurig breakfast blend and a toasted english muffin/poached egg combo that my girlfriend makes for me.

I would follow Alex Cameron around the world, and will. I could write you a laundry list of my favorite lyrics. I had to delete like three paragraphs from this thing, that’s how much I love Alex Cameron. Oh, Also he’s Australian.

His album is available for free here.”