Pas Chic Chic! – Haydée Morcelée// Blindé D’attentions (Semprini Records) 2008. Amazing release from this great band from Montreal. How many great bands are from Montreal? I mean really. From The O-Voids minimalist mystery to AIDS Wolf’s total bad time, art-gun damage and all points in between. Each band I hear from there is so unique. How many times do you hear something totally unique nowadays? Sure, with Pas Chic Chic there are precedents. I can very easily hear the crooning of Serge Gainsbourg in the vocals, the drone of Neu! on the B-Side and the sonic textures of Meddle-era Pink Floyd on the A-Side. I know Julian Cope has raved about this band and I agree that there is an element of psychedelia in their sound but really, the whole thing sounds so fresh and interesting that I hate to compare them with other bands. Visually as well, the whole shebang comes off as so militantly French that I would imagine you are either going to love it or hate it depending on how well you can handle that particular er, aesthetique. Me personally, I love it.
Hardcore Podcasts
September of 2010 I put together eight Hardcore Podcasts. You can check them out here if you are interested. For more insight into how I came up with the years 78-90 for the First Wave you can read about The Hardcore Superiorty Myth.