La Femme

Location: Paris

While our right wing press and a series of French ministers are doing their best grind the entente cordiale into dust, the rest of us (I hope) still love or at least like our French cousins. They have impeccable style, hot guys, sexy girls, hilariously elaborate expressions, great food (or so I’m told, Paris isn’t so hot for vegans), and, if we break all ties now, we’ll miss out on La Femme.

It seems every year a great hope from across the channel comes to these shores with a hot new sound and a style entirely at odds with everything that’s happening in the UK. In the past Air, Daft Punk, Justice and Yelle have provided a much needed jolt of imagination and in 2011 while the UK was living in a post-dub step world Nicolas Jaar arrived with a jazz noodling fusion sound. In 2012 we will have La Femme.

But where to start with La Femme, Like Jaar, they seem content to hop styles at will, while maintaining a cool detached airless aura. “Le Femme Resort” lingers ominously, before the bass and drums plink and shudder to life suggesting the detached air of minimalist electronica, while lead single “Le Podium” pulsates into life with plenty of winding guitars riffs and some quick-fire vocals from the band’s female lead singer. There are even hand claps, which might help to explain how the band see fit to label themselves surf, but then before you even get to grips with what appears to be a straight forward number a big dub-step thud plonks into action.

It may be infuriatingly hard to pin down this curious band who label themselves “lo-fi surf tropical-wave”, but the surprises they spring only make them more intriguing. I for one will be checking them out at The Garage on February 1^st and whether it’s the hounding synths of “Telegraphe” or brooding 60s inspired atmospherics of “Fracoise” I know we’ll be in for a treat. Come and join me. David Hayter

The Buzz: The hottest genre bending act from France ready to make an impact on the UK.

For Fans Of: Dum Dum Girls, Wild Flag, Cut Copy and Nicolas Jaar,

Website: Bandcamp