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Montreal, it should always be noted, has a solid tradition of producing gnarly garage, punk and ripped r’nr bands since the 50s. Not so much an aping of what was coming out of the mod and rock scenes of America and England, but drawing from that well to produce awesomely raunchily idiosyncratic “yé-yé”, surf, garage mod and freakbeat bands that were loud and proud torchbearers for each generation of rockers who want to pick it up and rip up a dancefloor or two. From local 60s groups like Les Monstres, The Haunted and Les Sinners and through the proceeding decades till today there has never been a lack of raw psych garage to be found in this crumbling metropolis. Le Chelsea Beat are are welcome new band of bad-ass fuzzed out psych rockers that slay in both official languages.
On Mesdames et Messieurs.. , this gang of crack musicians have created a pared-down half an hour plus slab of mod, psych and freakbeat influenced tunes that carry a wide range and obvious love and capacity for the genre. The opening salvo, “Taj Mahal” is a minor key masterpiece, all jangling guitars and spooky modal organ with layers of harmonized lyrics, painted firmly with a paisley 60s brush, with a rad, thunderously echo-laden breakdown. “Tiger” is a go-go dance-party that features organ freakouts and would fill any dancefloor and segues righteously into the fuzzy stridency of “Reaction Chimique”, which extends the dance-party while amping the guitars a la Davie Allen. “Devil” starts with nods to Joe Meek era Screaming Lord Sutch , replete with kitschy howling wind and chain sounds, then picks up into a slow burn fist-pumping rocker. “Les Elephants Alcooliques” is a spooky and circusy ¾ waltz that is very dark and also very French. Among the standout tracks on the album are the propulsive “Si Tu Reviens Chez Moi”, which is smoothly driving nocturnal groove, with a crushing organ solo over an endless, hypnotic riff. “Victim of Circumstances” injects surf twang and modality into LCB’s snappy and exciting songwriting. Closer “Avec Les Garcons” chimes a memorable coda with male/female vocals sung in sweet harmony over more of that fantastic driving groove.
Le Chelsea Beat have manage to draw from a multitude of touchpoints of rock music from way back and make it sound fresh and vital and perfect for today’s ears. A fine and raucous lively recording that snaps and sparkles in all the right places. Mesdames et Messieurs is a dance party unto itself and a showcase of musicians at the top of their abilities making party music that still has depth.
Le Chelsea Beat Mesdames et Messieurs… is out on Brooklyn’s Killer Diller Records December 2nd.
