New Narcotic of the Day #26:
Montage Populaire
Montage Populaire
Hey! How about some inventive and intelligent indie rock that defies the generic guitar/bass/drums attack and throws in a realm of psychadelic trance-tastic electronics, travelling in the realm of The Beta Band, a band who capitalised on the electronic accessibility in the late 90s to meld this burgeoning indie rock ideology to glitchy glimmers and shuddering robotic shimmers. Since then, the likes of Fiery Furnaces and Destroyer have expanded, exploded and explored this, which continues beating and building in the hearts and minds of the fivesome known as Montage Populaire.'Break Up The Band' utilises a steady, driving beat until a frantic central riff starts winding towards a muffled vocal lead and a wonderful chant-like cheer. A carefree ethos with the concept of vocals are vital to the fantastic frivolity this band exude, utilising a varying degree of effects and ideas to showcase their lyrical spurts. 'Reject Reinstall' is a brooding, burning flame of a track, using heavy handed backing electronics with surprisingly chipper synth to craft that concise contrast that brings about repeated listens. There are (albeit warped and bolder) bursts of Britpop in the likes of 'Attraction Repulsion' and an Of Montreal-like series of flurrying dashes weaving a rugged path through the majority of their work, standing out like a firecracker in the monstrously madcap 'Simon Says'.
Montage Populaire have a number of gigs coming up at the likes of Old Blue Last and (forever in my heart) Lennons. Tomorrow, they play at The Bull & Gate alongside Francis Neve (previously mentioned HERE!)
