Artist description Influenced by 1960's French "ye-ye" pop, NYC residents Les Sans Culottes filter those sounds through their own garage-hewn pop sensibility.

Music Style French 60's ye-ye/pop.

Musical Influences gainsbourg, dutronc, gall, brel, stereo total...

Similar Artists stereo total, serge gainsbourg

Artist History After meeting in the late 1990's at the Ecole Internationale in Verbier, Switzerland, Les Sans Culottes moved to Paris to swiftly craft their own Gallic-cymbal revved-up sound. Diehard aficionados of modern French revolutionaries Serge Gainsbourg, France Gall and Jacques Dutronc, Les Sans Culottes borrowed their name from the "ill-clad and ill-equipped volunteers of the French Revolutionary army." Having wowed numerous left-leaning French intellectual cultural critics in the boites of St. Germain-des-Pres, Les Sans Culottes brought their unfiltered swagger to New York City in 1999. Fronted by singers Clermont Ferrand (ex Les Refusals, the "Caruso of the Massif Central"), Kit Kat le Noir and Celine Dijon (ex Eau Gazeuse), the band is known for its furious, attitude-drenched Grand Guignol live shows and mordant worldview. Propelled by the rhythm section of Jean Luc Retard on bass (Les Nonchalants) and Pascal Blasé on drums (ex Les Refusals), Anouk Ennui on keyboards and Cal D'Hommage on guitar (ex Cafe Top Super) the band is truly a melange of "Parisian Superstars"(OUI magazine, Sept. 2000). Les Sans Culottes have been praised by Le Press Americain in The Village Voice, The New Yorker, and The New York Times, were nominated Best Local Unsigned Band in New York by Citysearch.com (Editor's Choice and Audience Choice) 2000, and selected as an A&R pick-of-the-week by CMJ Weekly. The band has spent the years-2k blowing away audiences in the U.S. and Canada. As Americains were kind enough to give France rock and roll in the 1960's, Les Sans Culottes return the gift to the citizens of the Etats Unis presenting their own cocktail of potent potables on the upcoming release, The Ennui and the Ecstasy. Les Sans Culottes are ready to entertain for you and make a good song at your expense, anywhere, anytime!  Call them on the phone for more informations:  718-622-5039 (request a conversation of Guillaume) or email le chef, Clermont Ferrand.

Group Members clermont ferrand - chef celine dijon - chanteuse kitkat le noir - chanteuse jeanluc retard - bass pascal blase - drum cal d'hommage - guitar anouk ennui - keys

Albums The Ennui & the Ecstacy, 2001

Press Reviews "The Brooklyn ensemble Les Sans Culottes play raunchy faux-French rock and roll that's both a sendup of and a tribute to the dark tunes of late-period Serge Gainsbourg and punchy ye-ye girl pop." The New Yorker January 20, 2001 The giddy, light-headed charm of the 1960's French rock known as ye-ye is concept enough for Les Sans Culottes, a Brooklyn band that revives the style...fuzz-toned guitars, electric organ, cooing female voices and know-it-all male growls. All Les Sans Culottes had to do is bring back the psychedelic-patterned clothes, come up with stage names like Kit Kat le Noir and add some extra Franglais to savor the music's loony essence. Jon Pareles - New York Times January 26, 2001 Les Sans Culottes voted. . . BEST LOCAL UNSIGNED BAND in NYC Voter's Choice + Editor's Choice 2000 "Like Jose Bove pelting your McDonald's-eating ass with a bushel of apples, the French-by-way-of-Brooklyn party band Les Sans Culottes readied the crowd for a roquefort and roll revolution. As lead singer Clermont Ferrand struggles to put it in English, "this is music that gets in your butt." Kit Kat Le Noir sways and yodels 'Lolita Lolita' to calypso beats, while Gigi Soleil in go-go boots whispers a French version of 'These Boots are Made for Walking.' the chanteuses are to Ferrand what the B-52's Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson are to Fred Schneider - injecting his goofiness with a doo wop here, a yelp there. Bassist Jean Luc Retard sports a sleeveless Honda shirt and blows air kisses to the crowd, Cal D'Hommage makes agonized love to his guitar,madman Beau Pantalon emits obscene bassoon like noises from his keyboard, and Pascal Blase keeps the beat so the band can "make you" such songs as "Ecole de Merde" (rough translation: School of Hard Knocks; literal translation: School of Shit) and Serge Gainsbourg's "Soixante Neuf Annee Erotique" (France after all, put 69 on the map)." Carla Spartos -Village Voice January 2000 A&R PICK OF THE WEEK The sans culottes were the rabble-rousing poor who helped mount an insurrection during the French Revolution. Les Sans Culottes, the band, consists of seven New Yorkers who perform as a faux French group undercover of pseudonyms such as Jean Luc Retard. This mob is far too busy making a sublimely goofy retro racket to carry out any kind of revolt, but the group will certainly overthrow your notions of what constitutes pop. Les Sans Culottes' brand of garage-hewn ye ye, which is driven by ragged guitars and keyboards and sweetened by chanteuses Gigi Soleil and Kit Kat Le Noir, possesses a psychedelic swagger that could take down the Bastille. Frontman Clermont Ferrand's louche, gutteral Barry White-meets-Serge Gainsbourg impression makes wonderful sense on these covers of obscure songs originally penned by classic French popsters. The lyrics about body builders, fatal LSD hits and cacti make this work of high kitsch even more irresistible. Carlene Bauer, CMJ New Music Report November 22, 1999

Location New York, New York - USA

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