Aidan Curran posted on May 24, 2008 12:47
In the world's collective imagination, French women are cool like Catherine Deneuve, intense like Jeanne Moreau, dreamy like Juliette Binoche, and chic like all three. After years of dedicated research, your Paris correspondent can confirm these findings.
But did you know that mademoiselle la Française can also rock? It's true - and combined with all her other attributes (see above) that makes her a bona fide pop star.
Dublin punters will soon have the opportunity to continue our research. All-girl punk-pop outfit Plastiscines (right) are playing the A.L.T. on Friday 27 June. What's more, support comes from Dublin's resident French rockeuse, Lauren Guillery.
Regular readers of this blog will be familiar with both acts. Plastiscines first came to our attention when they featured (and stole the show) on 'Paris Calling', a 2006 compilation of young new French bands. Those groups, many of whom formed after meeting at a 2003 Paris show by The Libertines, were dismissively lumped together as a scene, under the name of 'babyrockers'.
Unlike their dull garage-rock peers, Plastiscines play snappy, catchy alt-pop along the lines of The B-52s and Sleater-Kinney - all mixed with that classic '60s French pop sound. Their 2007 debut album, 'LP1', is a half-hour of deadly tunes and killer attitude.
On the other hand, Lauren Guillery (left) makes fiery indie-rock. Unless you watch Balcony TV, who once gave her an award for Best World Music Act. All that traffic roaring up and down Dame Street makes it hard to tell guitars from pan-pipes.
CLUAS Discussion Board users, however, would rightly present her with the Palme d'Or for Greatest 'Musicians Wanted' Ad Ever.
By now a well-known performer on the Irish rock circuit, Lauren is playing many of this summer's local festivals. She'll be at Shakefest in Tullamore on 31 May, Life in Gort and Knockanstockan in Wicklow (both in July) and Solas in Carlow in August. She also has three of her own shows in Dublin during June. Check her MySpace page for full details.
Finally, there'll be one other hard-rocking French girl at ALT on 27 June - Dublin-based blogger and lumièreuse Edith Pollet will be at the lighting desk. Chapeau to her for giving us the info on this show. Pity the poor Irish bloke who tries messing with all these derriere-kicking French she-rockers.
You can find out more about Plastiscines at their MySpace page. Here they are performing 'Shake' at a showcase in Paris last year:
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