ROCK&ROLL

These Parisian underground stars have the music to back up the moxie.

One has to expect an ego from a band with a name like Rock&Roll. But Frenchmen Gricha Berekachvili, Matthias Cadéac d'Arbaud, Paul Louis Viguier, and a bassist who goes by LAMF’s music back up their moxie. The moppy-coiffed quartet with sharp style and crisper sound picked a name that would, they say, embody the spirit of rock and roll, and after a year of opening for the likes of Editors and We Are Scientists, promptly became Parisian underground stars when their four-track First Class Plane EP sold out within a month's release. But it wasn’t just the good looks (Rock&Roll have since graced the pages of a handful of European glossies and Karl Lagerfeld has dubbed the band his collective muse; not to mention photographed them for the cover of their EP) and lyrics the world over can understand (they sing in English) that stole hearts. Tracks such as "First Class Plane" and "Made It to New York" echo of vintage garage rock with a heavy French pop edge, while "Only Fools Die" is a more wistful track, demonstrating a sonic range beyond the familiar barrage of loud guitar and bass. There is an overall raw vibe apparent with the band's music, down to stylized chords and unfettered vocals. But with bouncy, dance-friendly tunes, Rock&Roll aren’t just standing there looking pretty.

JINNIE LEE

myspace.com/thenameofthebandisrockandroll

Who loves Rock&Roll?



This story was published on June 19, 2007.