So have you ever wondered what would happen if you crossed The Strokes with a bunch of well-mannered (they call me Miss) boys from the North of France? Well ok, neither have I, but if I had, stumbling upon Standards would pretty much be enough to put those inane musings to bed. This brand new band, who have just recently played their fifth show ever, combine Julian Casablanca’s slighty hazy vocal style with the softly distorted garage rock of fellow French anglophones, Poney Poney, and to wonderful effect. Someone (possibly Bibabidi’s Nik Mercer) once made the observation a good while ago that English vocals sung with a French accent is an inexplicably endearing thing (cases in point: The Teenagers and Phoenix) and Standards certainly are no exception to that rule.
Hailing from that region of France which has as its neighbours Belgium and south-east England, Standards are gearing up to take part in a relatively young music festival, Northern Sounds, which is held over three nights in early April and features bands from all three countries. Not that I’ll be there, being the destitute demi-student that I am whose rent just increased, thus making it virtually impossible to ever travel overseas again (sigh), but I just thought I’d mention it in case, you know, you’re in the area. Goddamn landlords.
- bec
