Franz Ferdinand

These dapper, disco-digging Scots put the fun back into rock with a hit album that got people dancing on both sides of the Atlantic

It was a pleasant surprise for many when Scotland's Franz Ferdinand (PRS) hit the big time with their incredibly catchy dance songs, seemingly popping up out of nowhere. Named after the assassinated Austrian archduke, the band rejuvenated a frenzied excitement abroad with their slick, danceable rock songs, and soon America was singing along to their infectious singles, "Darts of Pleasure" and "Take Me Out." There is an inherent cool sexuality to their music that swaggers with an irresistible urge to flirt with the disco ball. In 2003 the group signed with Domino Records and released their buzzworthy Darts of Pleasure EP. Soon they were touring with acts like Hot Hot Heat and Interpol. By 2004, Franz Ferdinand released their debut self-titled full-length on Epic. Their singles took off on both mainstream and college radio. In 2004, they won England's prestigious Mercury Prize and the group was named the most influential rock band of the year by Spin magazine. Early in January 2005, they received five nominations for Brit Awards (England's equivalent of a Grammy), the most of any rock act in the UK this year. At press time, they also had scored three Grammy nominations. —JM