Les Chaussettes began when Bella McKee pulled her three friends together in an attempt to cover "He's Not There Anymore" by the Chymes. A year or so later they continued getting together and writing songs while Punk Fox tracked the Vancouver, BC band down and offered to put out their first seven inch single. I'll never get tired of reminding people it wasn't that long ago that bands had to call each other on the phone or write letters just to figure out how to set up a tour.
On A-Side's "Kate" the guitars jangle in with a bendy soul sound and a stab or two of a precarious Hammond organ in that southern B52's meets Detroit sound. Something of a love song to 'Kate' who is also in a band. Handclaps against the kick drum, Jovana isn't afraid to snarl and get raunchy in this sideshow twee sounding carnival. Like the Manhattan Love Suicides it's a fuzzy unrehearsed punk love song that kneels before attitude instead of sonic perfection. A '90s Juliana Hatfield pop sound with a subversive wink while a mix tape of 'The walls of sound' and a DIY guide to building reverb out of an old spring.
B-Side's "Volcanoes" opens on a fuzzy bass that plugs through a couple of measures until that trio of falsetto harmonies from Jovana, Bella and Maria float in and unnerved guitar cuts in to expand on this atmospheric sound. A new take on the Vivian Girls in three chord distortion and in the way they peel off from the main melody and haze to nail down the refrain especially in the solo 'oooo.. oooo... oooozing' lyric about volcanos. They're taking that garage vocal device and turning it into a lyric that actually makes sense. They aren't just ooo-ing and ah-ing back there for effect. They're bashing this together with a sense of humor eventually turning a little heavier and darker than that pure, airy sound of the other bands with 'Girls' in their title hinting at some tougher Jesus and Mary Chain noise.
On lipstick pink vinyl from Punk Fox. No site, try Rough Trade or contact the band for domestic copies.
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