The Fooligans

"...indie-friendly guitar rock." - The Independent Weekly

"...indie-friendly guitar rock." - The Independent Weekly

The Fooligans' 2010 LP, Love Songs for the Apocalypse, may be a heartbreak record—OK, it is—but its celebratory bounce and jangle keeps navel-gazing at bay. Lots of acts do the happy sound with depressed lyrics dynamic, but this Chapel Hill trio's approach eschews the crate-digger obscuros many happy/unhappy pop-rock acts cite. Instead, they tell their breakup stories with '70s radio rock that draws on everything from power-pop to early prog to blues-rock. Onstage, frontman Ian Leinbaugh's frequent guitar solos bring a party feel to the fore. A recent SPIN article on the re-emergence of the guitar solo in indie rock intimated there may be more to shredding than Malmsteen-level showboating, and seeing Leinbaugh play makes it believable. If anything crosses his face in the midst of a run across the 12th fret, it's a "gee-golly" expression of glee. This is a welcome-home show for the band, which has been on the road for two weeks on a jaunt to Chicago. Joining them are local punk squad the Bamfs and Suffolk, N.Y., band High Bluff. Pay $5 at 9:30 p.m. —Corbie Hill - The Independent Weekly

"East Franklin sees some live music love too, with Swift Science and The Fooligans playing Zog's. The former rides a Black Keys-reminiscent dude-blues stomp, distorted vocals and all, while the latter simply rocks the fuck out." - The Independent Weekly

The Bamfs and the Fooligans have shared several recent bills, and it's a logical pairing. Named for either a certain wallet inscription in Pulp Fiction or the sound Nightcrawler makes when he teleports, the Bamfs play power-chords-and-studded-belts punk rock that alternates between breakneck moshers and doo-wop. Chapel Hill's Fooligans originate in the rock camp, yet their Stratocaster worship is decidedly more reckless and physical than the obvious touchstones. Also on the bill are Mumu Tutu, who play ska-tinted, West Coast-facing pop-punk, and Wilmington's Hufton Brothers, delivering deconstructed indie rock on traditional instruments (think an old-time trio covering Modest Mouse). —Corbie Hill - The Independent Weekly

The Fooligans take what they like from the worlds of classic rock and blues, infusing punk energy and Americana storytelling. They walk away with a sort of evergreen rock style that's largely immune to the ebb and flow of genre trends. The focus isn't on reinventing the wheel but rather on writing guitar-driven rock with strong melodic hooks. They succeed admirably. Free/ 10 p.m. —Corbie Hill - The Independent Weekly

The Fooligans is the Chapel Hill based project of Ian Leinbaugh, John Colvin, and Neil Colvin (and, for a time, William Taylor and Tom Dobrov). Setting out to make music that is, in their own words, “something like The Band Meets Yes,” the group pulls together an incredible mix of influences and styles ranging from rock and blues to folk and jazz. The result is a high energy explosion of sound that would send The Band quivering and make Yes take notes. The group’s debut album, Love Songs For The Apocalypse is a collection of tracks fueled by a troubled Romance (as the name might imply)…as Ian Leinbaugh describes it, “I needed to get the album released for purely emotional reasons, as I was losing my fucking mind over this girl and these songs were like toxic waste in my heart and I was semi-convinced the world was going to fall apart by the end of the year.”

This emotional angst is apparent throughout the album, as the tracks weave together sordid tales of Romance that would make Shakespeare and Hemingway proud. As Leinbaugh describes it, Love Songs For The Apocalypse “paints a very honest picture of a boy eternally in love with a girl desirous yet simply unable to consistently reciprocate that love as the world around him begins to dissolve into utter chaos.”

And the group has undergone some recent chaos of its own…everything from side projects to college enrollment (and even a bought of nasal surgery complete with oxycodone)…but things have since settled and The Fooligans will be back on tour in July. Keep an eye out for their tour dates, and of course, be sure to support The Fooligans and get your copy of Love Songs For The Apocalypse. - The Needle and The Groove

The Fooligans are just beginning their onslaught on the music scene, so what better way to welcome them than to make one of their own face down five furious questions. Lead guitarist and singer, Ian Leinbaugh, has gladly stepped up to speak for himself and his fool army, bassist John and drummer Neil Colvin. See what he’s got to say after the jump.


1. If your band were a soap opera, which (or what sort) would it be?
While none of us have ever watched a full episode of any soap opera, we assume our band would most likely be The Young and The Restless, particularly considering that’s the only soap that we are aware of. We are all fairly young–Neil is just recently 18–and all certainly restless. Also, given the amount of “drama” in our lives, and the lives of the former Fooligans, I would bet that our uncensored story would make a wonderful season for “daytime’s #1 drama.”

2. When did you decide to start this project?
Despite numerous attempts to sit down and start a “real” band, there was no specific moment when we decided to make ourselves into The Fooligans. William Taylor and I had been playing music for several years in various configurations but always intended to create something that was our own. When John Colvin began playing bass with us, we knew we had found the third piece of the puzzle, as his style and influences meshed wonderfully with our own. It wasn’t until Tom Dobrov began jamming with us several months later that we began to form our own original music and decided to call ourselves “The Fooligans.” Our band name, which was thought up by my girlfriend, defined our sound as much as anything else, though Tom’s extensive musical background certainly has directed us towards shorter, tighter, and more aggressive songwriting. By the winter of 2009 the four of us had written about eight songs and we have done our best to keep the wheels on the road since then!

3. Describe your feelings toward the local music scene.
Well, my feelings certainly have changed a lot over the ten years that I’ve been a musician! The three of us grew up listening to older music–stuff like Ray Charles, Jimi Hendrix, Parliament Funkadelic, Tom Petty–and any good music on the radio, which at the time was, to us, a lot of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Sublime. Presently, John and Neil don’t pay too much attention to local music, while I started listening mostly as a result of feeling guilty for putting the blinders up as a result of discouraging encounters with local musicians in middle school and high school. Since crawling out of my cave, I have been absolutely floored by the variety and incredible talent in the Triangle, particularly the songwriting and definitive sound of bands like The Moaners, Love Language, Dynamite Brothers…the list goes on and on! After years of disinterest I must say that I LOVE LOCAL MUSIC!!

4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that would really surprise people?
The three of us have listened to just about anything we can get our hands on so there are bound to be a few unexpected items in our collection, but some of the more surprising influences would perhaps be stuff in the jazz, classical, or hip-hop realms. We all love Jurassic 5, Wu Tang, N.W.A., and we all believe Outkast to be one of the greatest groups of all time. Studying music at UNC has given both John and myself a real appreciation for classical composition. He and I both studied jazz improvisation under Stephen Anderson, which has left us with a dedication to discipline and musicianship. John has studied jazz bassists Paul Chambers, Ray Brown, and Charles Mingus, Neil is a big fan of Billy Cobham (we actually have a ride cymbal of his that was acquired at an auction in the early ’80s), and I am enamored with Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane. Local virtuoso John Garris had a huge impact on my guitar playing; as of late, my songwriting has been profoundly influenced by the garage/indie sounds coming out of NYC and the Triangle, as well as the folksier sounds of groups like Dawes and Delta Spirit.

5. What did you want to be when you grew up? (How did that work out?)
Originally I wanted to be a surgeon like my grandfather, then an actor, then in middle school I dreamed of being a football player; John and I both wanted to be football players, though we both decided we weren’t cut out for it (conveniently, we both started really playing music once we came to terms with our lack of athletic skill). Neil would still be very happy being a professional golfer. We also reluctantly admit that we, like so many others, have always held on to the dream of being a “rock star.” Still got a ways to go for that one. We’ll let you know how things are going when we grow up!

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Follow your feet to The Nightlight tomorrow, Friday, April 8th to hear The Fooligans in action. And by all means, give Ian a high five when you see him! - MILL

The Fooligans
Love Songs For The Apocalypse
3 Stars

The Fooligans are the little engine that could of the Triangle. The band isn’t polished and it doesn’t have the best sounding material, but brute talent and a raw rock ‘n’ roll sound keep the band trucking up the mountain. Love Songs For the Apocalypse can attest to The Fooligans’ determination.

The album would be considered demo quality for most bands, but the group is able use its talent, lyricism and composition to help compensate for this blight. Full of references to North Carolina, The Fooligans’ debut album provides a warm correlation between traveling and the beauty of the
landscape in our own back yard. The vocals stay within safe limits for the better part of the album, but
when the band puts its gut into belting out emotion, the product is crackly and bland. The whammy bar riffs on “Don’t Go To Sleep” are one of the more aberrant moments on the record, but an emphatic cowbell helps ease this strange deviation.

“That Mountain” is one of the more melodious and folk tinged songs with swinging guitars that eventually lead to Skynyrd-like breakdowns and multiple changes in pace, making for a six minute ride that changes elevation like a mountain range.

The band doesn’t rely on its melodious southern infused rock though — it switches gears to a lonesome-cowboy jukebox tune on “Problem Solver” and pulls it off with ease. The seventh and final song of the album is an eleven-minute rigmarole that starts off with lively action but wallows into an even lower-quality acoustic solo that just doesn’t work.

Though Love Songs for the Apocalypse shows apparent weaknesses initially, the raw sound of The Fooligans is dangerously enjoyable and ultimately easy to befriend. - The Daily Tar Heel

Found a fantastic band, The Fooligans. Sign 'em up without delay! - Twitter