Foster the People

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Foster the People is an American band from Los Angeles, formed in 2009. They were originally called Foster & The People; their name was eventually changed to its current state after people misheard it as such. Founding member Mark Foster liked it so much (due to its nurturing connotation of "curing the people"), so he just stuck with it.

Discography:
  • Foster the People EP (2011)
  • Torches (2011)
Foster the People provides examples of the following tropes:
  • After the End: The video for "Helena Beat", complete with packs of semi-feral kids.
  • Black Sheep Hit: "Pumped Up Kicks" isn't exactly radio friendly (in sound or lyrical content), so its success on pop radio was pretty surprising.
  • The Cameo: Gabby Sidibe appears in the "Don't Stop" video.
  • I Will Wait for You: "Waste" is about waiting however long it takes for somebody to realize you care about them.
  • Indecipherable Lyrics: "Pumped Up Kicks" is slightly guilty of this. The whole song sounds as if it were recorded on a broken drive-thru speaker. Justified, though, by the recording that was released originally being just a demo.
  • Mr. Fanservice: In "Call it What You Want", Mark (Pontius) appears shirtless and Cubbie is shown in a bathtub.
  • Lyrical Dissonance: "Pumped Up Kicks" is a upbeat, summery song (complete with a whistling hook)… about gun violence.
  • Neoclassical Punk Zydeco Rockabilly: Many people have a hard time describing the band's sound, and it's actually the subject of "Call It What You Want""

"You're taking your words and you take your judgements and stick em on to everything / If it don't conform to what you were born into, then you run the other way / You say now "what's your style" and "who do you listen to?" / Who cares?"

  • One-Hit Wonder: It remains to be seen if they can release another single that reaches the great success of "Pumped Up Kicks", or at least comes close to it. At the very least, further singles "Helena Beat" and "Don't Stop" have been warmly received on American alternative radio.
    • "Don't Stop" later started to cross over to some pop radio stations, but it died out quickly. For now, it is safe to say that "Pumped Up Kicks" will probably remain their only song to ever reach the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.
  • One Steve Limit: Averted by Mark (Foster) and Mark (Pontius)
  • Only Known by Their Nickname: Cubbie Fink.
  • Record Producer: Mark (Foster) produced Torches with the notable Paul Epworth and Greg Kurstin.
  • Rock Trio: Although, the band used to have four primary members. They usually tour with a few other musicians in their band as well.
  • Shout-Out: "Call It What You Want" was filmed in the same mansion where Lady Gaga shot her "Paparazzi" video!
    • Also in the same video: during one scene, Mark (Foster) motions to shoot at his teenage fangirls. Taking the subject matter of "Pumped Up Kicks" into consideration, one could assume that Mark really likes guns, or at least it seems so.
  • Romantic Hyperbole: "I Would Do Anything For You".
  • Surreal Music Video: The "Call It What You Want" definitely qualifies as this.
  • Title-Only Chorus: "Call It What You Want"
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