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| Arlo, French
Kicks |
| February 8 at Spaceland |
| BY WAYNE LEWIS |
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| French Kicks |
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Funny how
one album can start a cottage industry. Weezer's debut
somehow took on a life of its own between its 1994 release
and the turn of the millennium, earning a deep devotion
in a community of self-perceived teenage outcasts well
beyond the songs' radio shelf life. The legacy of sun-and-fun
melodies, Cars parts and Pixies riffology continues,
albeit secondhand with little spark or distinction,
via a crop of bands including Ozma, Phantom Planet and
SoCal Sub Poppers Arlo. In concert, the peppy distorto-pop
of that last band turns into a mush of ersatz Weezerisms
that fails to thrill. Here's hoping these guys develop
a stronger identity of their own over time.
The substance of the night's entertainment is provided
by New York's French Kicks, who brew up a skewed blend
of garage and art rock on their Young Lawyer
EP. Their singing drummer drives the music with basic,
booming beats and spits out appropriately attitude-laden
vocals backed by his compatriots' harmonies. Guitars
peal out catchy, jagged riffs and the occasional seesawing
lead over bouncy bass grooves. Most importantly, for
players who have developed quite an overpowering style,
the French Kicks display a commitment to songwriting
that shows in the chewy pop center of their spiky
postpunk confection. All reports aver that their energetic,
slanted but enchanted approach represents well live,
so their set is not to be missed.
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