FRENCH SCENE REPORT
Bands :
In case you’re not aware yet, here is a list of bands that split up in the last two years : YA BASTA (left-wing ska, one split Ep and three Cd’s out), LES FEMMES (pop-punk, two albums out), SOUP TOXIC (long running melodic Hc band. one album and one Ep out), GANTZ (emo, two records out), SENS INTERDIT (punk, one album out), THE INFORMERS (melodic punk-rock, Ex-BRIGADES), BACCHUS TEMPLE ADDICTS (ex-MASS MURDERERS, punk-metal, one 10" out), NO REASON VOICES (ex-PARIAPUNK, punk-rock, two ep’s out), NOTHING TO PROVE (modern Hc – one mini Cd out), GAMENESS (NyHc, then emo), RIGHT FOR LIFE (old school NyHc, 3 albums out), DISBEER (crust-punk, several Ep’s and Cd’s out), TEKKEN (lo-fi grindcore, tons of records out), BACKSIGHT (old school Hc, one miniCd and one split Cd), … Many of the individuals involved have started new bands :
It’s a bit silly, but to make things easier to read, I’ve separated bands according to music styles :
Punk/ Oi stuff :
SPARKLING BOMBS are still around with 3 Cd’s under their belts (glam/ punk’n’roll featuring ex-members of PITFALL, SECRETOS DEL CORAZON, BRIDWELL HOSPITAL). KOCHISE always seem to split up and then get back together. But besides reunion shows, KOCHISE’s bass player teamed up with two AHORCADOS members to start CRIA CUERVOS (melodic punk-Hc, currently on a hiatus, one Cd, one demo Cd-r out, one split live Cd, and one new album in the works). She also plays in TURTLE RAMBLERS, a country-punk band, as well as sings for CARTOUCHE, a melodic punk-rock band featuring ex-members of BRIGADA FLORES MAGON, YA BASTA and RAYMONDE ET LES BLANCS BECS. ATTENTAT SONORE are the oldest-running French punk band, they have lots of ep’s/ tapes/ comps out (the latest being a split Cd with Fertil miseria from Colombia). METAL URBAIN (’77 punk), BERURIER NOIR, PARABELLUM, and OBERKAMPF, (classic punk bands from the 1980’s) all got back together, put out a couple albums and play gigs once in a while (for money, I guess). THE WARRIOR KIDS (Oï/punk-rock) also play shows from time to time and have put out an album in 2007 called "Fais du rock". KIDNAP, LES TROTSKIDS, PKRK and AL KAPOTT also play reunion shows once in a while. HAYMARKET (punk-Hc reminiscent of the Dead kennedys) did a long break, but are back and will be putting out their second album in Autumn 2008. J’AURAIS VOULU play typical French punk-rock, they have two Ep’s and two Lp’s out. They now play with a real drummer instead of a drum-machine. NEVROTIC EXPLOSION (tight rockin’ punk-rock from Brittany) put out their fourth album and tour intensely. LA FRACTION are a famous punk-rock band from Paris with melodious female vocals (three albums + one Ep are available). BRIGADA FLORES MAGON (Oï) have three albums out, as well as a couple Eps and mini-Cds. ACTION DIRECTE (Oï/ska) changed their name to MUNDO DI MIERDA and are more crust-punk influenced now. CHARGE 69 are our own ’82 type street-punk band, they feature some guy behind the famous punk-rock label COMBAT ROCK. SKUDS & PANIC PEOPLE play tight ska-core with political lyrics, they recently put out their third Cd. CORE Y GANG sound a lot like the almighty MELMOR. They play powerful celtic punk (with a violin), and have one split Ep, two Lp’s, and one split Lp out with DOBERMANN (punk-rock). DOBERMANN have also released two other albums. BRIGITTE BOP (tight punk-rock a la LES RATS or SHERIFF) have already released 4 albums. LA ZONE are a new female-fronted punk band with an Lp out on MASS PROD. 100 RAISONS (tight and original folk-punk from Paris) just put out their third album. THE WANTED, from the deep end of Brittany, play raging punk-Hc with political lyrics (one Cd out). HORS CONTROLE are a basic, lo-fi skinhead band with lots of releases under their belts. They now play with a real drummer and have released tons of records. Ex-STEROIDS people now play in TANKER CHAOS ; they have a more crusty-punk sound and they have one Lp out. HHM (female fronted punk-rock/riot grrl band) have put out their first album. KTS (punk-Oi from Paris) just put out their third Cd. FICTION ROMANCE (typical French punk-rock) tour a lot and have released three albums. Ex-LYSTERIA people can now be found in BAKTERIEN KAVALKADE (punk). TOXXIC TV got back together ! But they are now called KARATE 2000. LUTECE BORGIA (Oi) don’t play too often, but have already released one mCd, one split Ep, and one album. ARRACH (ex-ARRACH MOUMOUTT and ANARKOTIK, punk-Hc) have just released their second album.
Emo/ new school stuff :
AMANDA WOODWARD (melodic emo, Ex-ALCATRAZ, ex-PEU ETRE, ex-SEASON, ex-HIPPIES OF TODAY) have now split up (they have four albums available). Some members went on to play in DEMANDE A LA POUSSIERE. AGHAST are another french emo band (early Ebullition style) from the south of France, they have put out about 5 records in all. MYRA LEE (Ebullition style emo) have released two full-length albums. Same goes for LOISIR, their brother-band (in a more emo-rock style). ROBOTNICKA are a funny electro-punk band, they put out an album on their own label MALOKA. Ex-HK and RAWNESS people can now be found in AGUIRRE (emo-Hc, one Cd out). ASIDE FROM A DAY have just put out their third Cd (metal/modern Hardcore).
Old school/ Hardcore stuff :
NINE ELEVEN (ex-NO TIME TO LOSE) play melodic old school Hc and have two mini Cd’s out. These guys tour a lot. UNLOGISTIC (melodic Hc) changed their style to more minimalist straight-forward/ melodic Hc with a drum machine. They have a whole bunch of records out, including two discography Cd’s. FACE UP TO IT (ex ÖPSTAND and JEAN SEBERG - old style Hc) still play once in a while, at their own pace. Some members have started side-projects like DAYMARE (crust-punk, now defunct) or GASMASK TERROR (crust-punk, one Lp and two Ep’s out). FTX tour a lot, and play tight & typical old school Hc (two records out). BY MY FISTS (old style NyHc) have probably split up. They featured ex-members of HATE PM (one split Cd out). IMPLY IN ALL started as an old school Hc band but play metal-core nowadays. They have two albums out, and are working on a third one. KEN PARK play mid-tempo old style Hardcore and have put out one Ep and one Lp. REVIVE (old school Hc) have been around for quite some time now, and released one cd and one mini Cd.
Grind/ crust stuff :
SUBMERGE (featuring ex-members of DISCORDE) is a strong noisy/ grind/ emo/ metal band. Check out their discography Cd on the Spanish label Throne records. They also released one album after that. Ex-MURDER ONE and DISRUPTIVE ELEMENT folks re-ignited an old french Grind/thrash band from the 80’s called THE MAD THRASHERS ; they released a couple Cd-rs, as well as two split Ep’s. VÖMIT FOR BREAKFAST hail from Saint Etienne, they’re France’s most well known thrashcore/ grind act. BLOCKHEADS are a long-running, powerful, not too metal, grindcore band. They have already released 5 albums ! SICKNESS (crust) appeared on various comps, Ep’s, and recently released a split Lp with Tinnitus (American band). GEORGE BITCH JUNIOR (thraschore) split up, but one member went on to form MONARCH (sludge-core).
Look out for those new bands :
SLEAZY JOKE (punk, one Ep + one Lp out), YOUSSOUF TODAY (old school Hc, their first Ep is out), GU GUAI XING QIU (technical/experimental grindcore), PLAINE CRASSE (anarchopunk), ELYSIUM (grindcore), BOOTER (noisy-Hc a la Born against), LOUT SOCIETY KURSE (crust, two Lp’s out), STRONG AS TEN (old style thrashcore), BRIXTON CATS (punk-rock, one demo and one album out), CHICKEN’S CALL (punk-Hc, two Ep’s out), RATWASTER (punk with horns, split up ?), CHACHI ARCOLA (modern Hc), MEDEF INNA BABYLONE (punk-ska), CHAROGNE STONE (one Ep out, power violence a la Spazz), TROMATIZED YOUTH (old style NyHc, one mCd out), FOR THE REAL (NyHc, one mCd out), GOLDEN DISTRICT (NyHc), YEARS OF DECAY (crust-punk, one Lp out), DHIBAC (Grind-crust), LES RAMONEURS DE MENHIRS (folk-punk featuring ex-BERURIER NOIR’ guitarist), UP RIGHTS (old school SxE Hc), 10LEC6 (experimental punk, 2 albums out), etc, etc.. That’s it for bands. Of course there’s more, but these are the ones who put out records. Read zines if you want info on more unknown ones, Ok ?
Zines :
There are basically no zines in English around here, but I’ll drop a couple names : EARQUAKE, france’s biggest punk/ Oï/ Hc zine (in French — over 80 issues out, although it comes out less regularly nowadays). WE’RE GONNA FIGHT (SxE/ Hc/ punk/ Oï) is also worth checking out and is written in English ! MONONOKE is a hardcore zine written in French with a big emphasis on international DIY scenes. (write me for addresses !).
Labels :
PANX has slowed down a lot label-wise, but he still runs one of the biggest french web-sites. Huge database there (photos, MP3’s, distro…) ! TIEN AN MEN (distributed by DARBOUKA) regularly put out ep’s by bands from far-off countries (Iran, Iraq, ex-USSR, South America, etc). MALOKA releases and distributes hundreds of international punk, Hardcore, crust records, zines, pamphlets… (10LEC6, Active minds, Usual suspects, René Binamé, etc)… STONEHENGE hasn’t put out any records in a long while, but he still runs the distro. MASS PROD still organizes lots of concerts, and puts out (punk) records on a regular basis : HAPPY KOLO, ADRIFT, Sensa Yuma, BUNKUM, CRAFT, Rejected,… RATBONE : (Hc/ crust) HEIMATLOS, FACE UP TO IT, GASMAK TERROR…. RURAL MUZIK (punk-rock) ; The filaments, AL KAPOTT… TRAUMA SOCIAL (punk-rock : ARRACH, DOBERMANN, PASTEUR GUY, TOXIC WASTE, BIMBO KILLERS,… SOLITUDE URBAINE (punk-rock, Oi) : BRIXTON CATS, J’AURAIS VOULU, LOS FOIROS, Nabat, Klasse kriminale, etc... KAWAII label & distro (old school Hc, Hc-punk and rap) specializes in bands from far-off countries, but also put out a couple records by French Hc bands (KEN PARK, Fpo, THE TAN CASE, TROPIEZO, GET LOST,…). SOLITUDE label/distro releases stuff by weird, noise, experimental bands, and distributes stuff ranging from emo to grindcore. FIGHT FOR YOUR MIND (crust/punk) put out a lot of records recently, amongst which : Witch hunt, Sista sekunden, Fall of efrafra,… UNDISLESSED (crust, Hc, death) has put out lots of international bands, as well as WARKORPSE and SICKNESS from France.
Distros :
I’ll just drop a few distro names (the biggest and most reliable). Panx, Boisleve, Maloka, Stonehenge, Emergence, Walked in line, New wave, Mass prod, Burn out, Kanivo chaos, Guerilla front, Punkahontas, High hopes, Crucial action, Hardcore trooper, etc... (if you wanna deal with one that doesn’t appear on this list, write and ask me first).
Web sites :
The biggest and most interesting ones are those : from there, you can follow the links and find out about our whole scene !
http://www.panx.net, http://www.LimogesPunx.com, http://www.stonehengerecords.com, http://www.massprod.com, http://www.chez.com/maloka, http://www.punk-hardcore.info
Politics :
People interested in politics, antisexism, antiracism, anticapitalism, whatever, should contact the hardest-working organization in France : Maloka, BP 536, 21014 Dijon cedex (see website above). Another hard-working collective is THEY LIE WE DIE : these guys have a huge database at : http://www.theyliewedie.org. People interested in animal rights can check out : www.vegetarisme.info. There are very few squats in France that are "socially active", you can find them in most major cities, but they usually don’t last long ; Paris, St Etienne, Rennes, Dijon (Les tanneries - longest-running French squat, where they organize shows regularly),...
You can also check out this cool online libertarian library. They specialize in books, magazines, fanzines, and videos. They carry items in French and English : http://www.la-petroleuse.com
And now onto some personal plugs (did ya really think I was doing this for free ?!?) :
I run a fairly big web-zine/ Hc resource at http://punk-hardcore.info (international scene reports, interviews, reviews, photos, MP3s, etc – send your stuff in !). Still available on my label (last copies !!) : New days rising (punk-Hc compilation, 8 international bands) + Agent 86 (Classic US punk-Hc from 1985-1990, discography) + MDC (Us Hc re-release, their two first Lps) + ASIDE/ SHORTCUT split cd (two albums = two fast & raging Hardcore bands from France) + TAKE NO HEROES (international old school Hc comp : 10 bands from 10 countries, 70 minutes) + FEUD (filippino political old school Hc). I also run a big NON-PROFIT punk/ Hc/ SxE/ crust distribution with thousands of records from around the globe, check out the website !
For more info on the French scenes and for contact addresses do not hesitate to write me !
Yann, 3 place Adrien Ruelle, 05400 Veynes, France.
Coinxxxcoin [at] yahoo.fr
http://www.punk-hardcore.info