Bella Union Party @ La Flèche d'Or

Perhaps the transportation strike that has been raging here for the past week was the cause but the crowd was surprisingly small for such a gathering of fine Bella Union label talent. The 21H00 (right on time!) show was opened by Toronto bass and drum noise-core duo (I didn’t catch the name, not Bella Union apparently). Up next to get the night kicked into musical gear were the Los Angeles band The Autumns (3 guitars, bass and drums). Fronted by operatic tenor-voiced Matt Kelly (think Jeff Buckley!), the band serves up an ambitious mix of rock and roll noise, sweetness and drama. A bit stunning in their reach, The Autumns are a fine band and a welcome change from the usually humdrum!!

Label: theautumns.com
MySpace: myspace.com/theautumns

Stephanie Dosen from Wisconsin was up next. Backed up by light bass, drums, violin and cello musicians and singing little songs of love and loss in a wobbly falsetto, she did prove to be a pretty funny story and joke teller between songs.
Label: stephaniedosen.com
MySpace: myspace.com/stephaniedosen

The brave hero’s to save the day were Danish band The Kissaway Trail. This writer had never heard of them before but I was most pleasantly surprised from the first anthemic opening chords to the very end of their all too short and powerful 40-minute set. Do you like Fender guitars? Fender amps? Powerful drumming? Great songs? Five-vocal harmonies? Exciting and varied live performances? Five young, good looking (and friendly!) rock and roll musicians? This band has it all and more. Hey, I even bought the record. The kind of band that lets you believe in the power of rock and roll again!
Label: thekissawaytrail.com
MySpace: myspace.com/thekissawaytrail

Well done Bella Union and thanks for bringing the show to Paris!!

Bookerfatz2

The Autumns - Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want .mp3 from Covers 3 (2005)
The Autumns - Slumberdoll .mp3 from The Autumns (2004)
The Kissaway Trail - Smother + Evil = Hurt .mp3 via Brooklyn Vegan .com

Bonus: Cocteau Twins - Cherry Coloured Funk .mp3 with Simon Raymonde

Photo: Bookerfatz2 - The Kissaway Trail – La Flèche d’Or – Paris – November 21, 2007