The Foreign Films: Magic Shadows

Canadian power pop singer and multi-instrumentalist Bill Majoros brings the joy of a glorious Spring in the midst of Winter on Magic Shadows, the new album by his project The Foreign Films. His knack for composing lush melodies and wrapping them in carefully orchestrated, psych-tinged backing are a throwback to the early '70s, with no signs of brickwalling whatsoever.

It is an album for both dreamers who are riding high on the rush of being in love and music geeks who get a kick out of figuring out how it was created. Majoros' voice is upfront, bathing in the glow of confidence that he is in control of the proceedings as he leads his fellow musicians through the process of building the tracks. He channels his inner Marc Bolan in the swagger strut of Cosmic Lover, namechecks Cleopatra and Audrey Hepburn in the early ELO-esque Cinema Girl (Magic Shadows), and enlisted veteran punker turned pop musician Dave Rave for the background vocals for Rain Clouds (Sunshine In Your Heart).

HCTF's best of 2021 (10-6)

• 20-16
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• 15-11
• |
• 10-6
• |
• 5-1

» Best of playlist

» Listen here

HCTF's annual list of the 20 albums that will be in regular rotation for many years to come. As per usual many genres are represented. Here Comes The Flood covers a lot of ground and it shows in this eclectic, final tally.

Today: countdown from number 10 to 6.

Please shop at your local record store. Most of them have a website where you can order your stuff. Buy directly from the artist, attend live shows when it's safe to do so again. Tell your friends. Word-of-mouth can't be beat as the prime source to discover new music.

The Foreign Films: Starlight Serenade

Canadian power pop singer and multi-instrumentalist Bill Majoros is an incurable romantic. His new album Starlight Serenade by his project The Foreign Films serves as a companion piece for his previous full-length Ocean Moon (New Songs and Hidden Gems). His well of love songs never runs dry, and with the help of a beffy of superb musicians he has created a suite of orchestrated, transcendent psychedelica that will test the limits of the listener's audio setup.

The outside world might be in a flux, but he finds solace in the sparkling eyes of his loved one, serenading her with songs that are mix of the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Badfinger and Big Star (just to name the ones starting with a "B", but it goes all the way to "Z" for Zombies). His knack for melody and arranging are in full bloom, and his throws in musical teases as if they are going out of style. For starters: the most obvious one happens at the end of Many Moons Ago (Starlight Serenade).

The Foreign Films: new album "Starlight Serenade" 07/30; stream two tracks

Canadian power pop singer and multi-instrumentalist Bill Majoros shares two more tracks from his new album Starlight Serenade by his project The Foreign Films, scheduled for release on July 30. All The Love You Give and Echoes Of The Heart are both sunnyside up, psych-tinged songs, showcasing Majoros' knack for melody and multi-layered music. As a composer he has found his niche, coming up with catchy choruses and smart hooks that sound familiar but fresh. He is already a big name in the inner circle of music geeks and, if there is any justice left in the business, wider recognition could be just around the corner.

The Foreign Films: The Fortune Teller (Pretty in the City)

Canadian power pop singer and multi-instrumentalist Bill Majoros has wrapped the recording of his new album Starlight Serenade by his project The Foreign Films. Due for release in the Summer it will serve as a companion piece for his previous record Ocean Moon (New Songs and Hidden Gems). Lead single The Fortune Teller (Pretty in the City) is a glorious excursion of psychedelica and Beach Boys inspired melodies, a classic pop song with top shelf harmonies and a short and sweet guitar solo.

HCTF's best of 2020 (5-1)

• 20-16
• |
• 15-11
• |
• 10-6
• |
• 5-1

» Best of playlist

» Listen here

HCTF's annual list of the 20 albums that will be in regular rotation for many years to come. As per usual many genres are represented. This blog covers a lot of ground and it shows in this eclectic, final tally.

Today: final countdown from number 5 to 1.

Please shop at your local record store. Most of them have a website where you can order your stuff. Buy directly from the artist, attend live shows when it's safe to do so again. Educate your friends. Word-of-mouth can't be beat as the prime source to discover new music.

The Foreign Films: Ocean Moon (New Songs and Hidden Gems)

After completing his magnum opus The Record Collector Canadian power pop singer and multi-instrumentalist Bill Majoros went back to the drawing board to contemplate his next move for his The Foreign Films project. After some head scratching it resulted in Ocean Moon (New Songs and Hidden Gems), a concept album with new songs and a couple of previously released ones about love and a longing for an era before he was born. Majoros is a big fan of the melodic pop of the Sixties and Seventies, with the Beatles (especially the George Harrison stuff), the Zombies, the Beach Boys, CSNY and Big Star as the most obvious references.

He dances with his girl in the jukebox light in Dream With Me Tonight, pretending that it is 1964, a time when the world appeared to painted in TechniColor, and string arrangements added a glow to pop songs. Majoros likes to look up to the sky, looking for a sense of perspective and being a bit envious of the Birds In A Blue Sky. He can't believe his luck, having a woman by side that he is madly in love with (Under Your Spell).

The Foreign Films: interview on SweetSweetMusicBlog

SweetSweetMusicBlog has an interview with power pop singer and multi-instrumentalist Bill Majoros about where to go next after the release of his magnum opus The Record Collector, a 3LP set by his project The Foreign Films. About measuring the level of success he has achieved after the universal critical acclaim for the album:

Personally, this album is a defining artistic statement, that was one of the main goals. It’s a personal high water mark, I consider it a success as of now. I set out to create my own musical world, a triple vinyl album with creative artwork and a short story. It was a creative marathon but we crossed the finish line. The ending is now the starting point for the next album because I love the process; it gives me hope for the future.

HCTF's best of 2018 (5-1)

• 20-16
• |
• 15-11
• |
• 10-6
• |
• 5-1

» Best of playlist

» Listen here

HCTF's annual list of the 20 albums that will be in regular rotation for many years to come. As per usual many genres are represented. This blog covers a lot of ground and it shows in this eclectic, final tally.

Today: countdown from number 5 to 1.

Please shop at your local record store, buy directly from the artist, attend live shows. Don't block anyone's view with with your phone (better still, switch it off altogether). Shut the fuck up while the band is playing. Educate your friends. Word-of-mouth can't be beat as the prime source to discover new music.

The Foreign Films: The Record Collector

Canadian multi-instrumentalist Bill Majoros has scored an A+ for perseverance as he was putting together his magnum opus, the 3LP concept album The Record Collector. He worked industriously on what might well could become the ultimate indie pop project of the early 21st Century. Originally intended as a double album by his project The Foreign Films, and preceded by the pop suite Fall Of The Summer Heart in 2013 (a piece that later would turn out to be the closing piece), the double album grew into a triple. Every now and then he would release a digital side as a single dish of the full course meal. And now it's here, housed in a nice slipcase for the LP's, plus a booklet with a short story that helps explaining the story line.

Majoros grouped his songs into three separate themes, telling a different tale on each album, allowing the listeners to follow the ups and downs of the characters. The Record Collector is part autobiography and part make belief and dreams. Real adventures and everyday life events are closely examined, dissected and put back together again as he saw fit. The narrative point view tends to shift, with first-person observations giving way to character voices. It might take awhile to understand that the female voices could be belonging to the same person - the evasive and mysterious Emily, who turns up on various occasions, sometimes not even by name, but it slowly becomes clear that she is the axis around which the album rotates. Is she his muse? Changes are that Majoros is familiar with Dante's Beatrice or Orpheus's Eurydice. Well, maybe not that highbrow, but the "boy meets girl and is afraid to loose her" never gets old.

The Foreign Films: stream "Side 4" from the double album "The Record Collector"

Bill Majoros of Hamilton one-man band The Foreign Films has put up Side 4 of his work-in-progress project, the double album The Record Collector, after kicking thins off with Side 2 (2014 )and Side 3 (2015). In fact, it's no longer a double album, but it will be a triple: the third record will be filled with the all new "Fall Of The Summer Heart" suite and unreleased tracks.

Final sides of double albums are used to rethink and summarize the contents of the preceding sides. The tracks are slower and often fully orchestrated, with a melancholic finale looking to the future beyond the last track. Side 4 carefully follows that blueprint. Majoros is very much in love with the lavish pop sounds of the late Sixties and early Seventies, and has come up with his own brand of layered, complex melodies, weaving sonic tapestries containing elements of jazz, West Coast pop and even Caribbean percussion. Dutch musician Wim Oudijk took care of the arrangements, connecting the dots between Brian Wilson, Elton John and Billy Joel.

The Foreign Films: "Girl By The River" video

Bill Majoros, main man of The Foreign Films, has made a video for Girl By The River. It is a glorious power pop ballad from his work-in-progress double album The Record Collector, wrapped in tasteful string arrangement courtesy of Wim Oudijk.

The Hamilton musician is unveiling the contents of the album one side a the time. Side 2 and Side 3 are available on Bandcamp (pay-what-you want).

» theforeignfilms.com

HCTF review of Side 3.

The Foreign Films: stream "Side 3" from new double album "The Record Collector"

Bill Majoros of Hamilton one-man band The Foreign Films has put up Side 3 of his work-in-progress project, the double album The Record Collector, after kicking things off with Side 2 last year. Once again aided by Kori Pop he has build carefully constructed pocket pop symphonies, a mix of The Beautiful South and the Beach Boys, with some glam rock licks thrown in.

Majoros is firing on all cylinders during Empire Of The Night and goes pastoral Girl By The River (imagine Tame Impala trying to channel Nick Drake). It is only fitting that he saved the most ambitious track to end Side 3. Co-written with Pop, who sings lead, the country-rocker A Foolish Symphony (Wait) with its lush strings, a snippet of horns and slide guitar is a tough song to follow. That will be revealed when Side 4 sees the light of day, but Majoros might decide to unveil Side 1 first.

The Record Collector will eventually be released a double vinyl album. Buy (pay-what-you want) Side 3 from his website.

Tracks:

1. Northern Love Song
2. Stars In Her Eyes
3. Empire Of The Night
4. Girl By The River
5. The DeLuxe
6. A Foolish Symphony (Wait)

» theforeignfilms.com

HCTF review of Side 2.

The Foreign Films: new double album "The Record Collector", stream "Side 2"

Bill Majoros of Hamilton one-man band The Foreign Films got some outside help from with singer Kori Pop for his next project, the double album The Record Collector. He will unveil the album one "side" at a time over the next few months. He kicks off with Side 2, five neo-psychedelic songs two of which were co-written with Pop.

Teardrop Town contains some pretty nifty guitar work that Chris Isaac fans will appreciate. And with Broken Dreamers he comes close to mainstream power pop - the kind of song that is tailor made for a teen flick soundtrack. Pop sings lead on the orchestral Land of 1000 Goodbyes, Californian Sixties pop transferred to the 21st Century. People can't do time travel, but music can.

The Record Collector will eventually be released a double vinyl album. Buy (pay-what-you want) Side 2 from his website.

Tracks:

1. Emily Blue
2. Teardrop Town
3. Broken Dreamers
4. State of the Art
5. Land of 1000 Goodbyes

» theforeignfilms.com

The Foreign Films: Fall Of The Summer Heart

Hamilton based singer and multi-instrumentalist Bill Majoros who goes by the stage name The Foreign Films has released Fall Of The Summer Heart the first single from his forthcoming album The Record Collector. It is a sprawling, fragmented pop suite.

Tipping his hat at dreamy Sixties pop psychedelica, most notably Love, the early Floyd and The Zombies, it is ambitious project that could have run in to the ground when he had lost focus. Kori Pop (background vocals), Carl Jennings (bass, background vocals, additional guitar), Kirk Starkey (strings) and Tim Allard (B3 Organ) blended in seamlessly, while Marie Avery came up with the piano for the intro of the sound collage.

Fall Of The Summer Heart is a self-released single. Buy it (pay-what-you-want) from his website.

» theforeignfilms.com

The Foreign Films: "Night Without The Day" b/w "Glitter"

When Bill Majoros, operating as The Foreign Films, released his Fire From Spark EP, plans for a full-length were in advanced stage. Reality got in the way of the Hamilton, ON, musician, who re-released the EP in expanded format and is now adding two new songs by way of the Night Without The Day b/w Glitter single.

Majoros is a garage rocker with a soft spot for lush wall-to-wall arrangements. A concept that has "fail" written all over it, when not handled carefully. With the help of producer Michael Keire sax, string, horn and synths were added to Majoros' guitar. Balancing things out proved to be a time-consuming process, but all the hard work paid off handsomely. That evasive full-length is still going to happen, with a release penciled in for Spring 2012.

Night Without The Day b/w Glitter is a self-released single. Download it for free from his website.

Live date:

• 11/11 Rivoli, Toronto, ON

» theforeignfilms.com

HCTF review of Fire From Spark.

The Foreign Films: Fire From Spark EP

Bill Majoros from Hamilton, ON, is The Foreign Films. A veteran guitar player, singer and composer, his latest project is a 4-track EP. Fire From Spark is a garage rock album wrapped in pop sensibilities. Plenty of room for stings and piano. An urge for the grandiose symphonics clashes with basic rock, which could have led to a major train wreck of a record. Majoros holds a firm reign on the proceedings. The music may be trying to wring itself from his grip, but he brings it home safely, dripping with sweat and tired beyond belief, but knowing that he has gotten the job done.

Majoros name might ring a bell with Feist, The Great Lake Swimmers, and Holy Fuck fans. He played with Julie Fader and Graham Walsh in the cult band Flux A.D. before they became big in the indie scene. The EP serves as a teaser for a full length that he is hoping to have out in the first half of 2011.

The Fire From Spark EP is a self-released album. Download it for free from his website.

Tracks:

1. Fire From Spark
2. City Of Bright Lights
3. Imperfect Perfection
4. A Message

» myspace.com/theforeignfilms
» billmajoros.ca