Friendly Foes

Based in Michigan, Friendly Foes unites musicians drawn from Thunderbirds Are Now!, Kiddo, and the Satin Peaches into a supergroup. The outfit formed in November 2007 and devoted its first months to refining songs that Ryan Allen, frontman of Thunderbirds Are Now!, had written while away on tour. Those numbers emphasized melody and sweetness yet stayed intentionally concise, bypassing the dominant trends of 2007 in favor of a blend that recalled retro power pop alongside alternative rock styled after the 1990s. Adding drummer Brad Elliot and bassist Lizzie Wittman, the trio captured its debut album, 2008's Born Radical, then backed the release with concerts shared with Sloan, the Walkmen, and the Whigs.