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Quick Hitters:: Dukes of Burgundy
It had to happen. Despite how awesome everyone thinks tiny, nut-squeezing jeans and wispy moustaches are on dudes, someone had to start the backlash. As with all awesome things, The comedy of Dane Cook (who I actually used to find hilarious), Nickelback, Drake, the vuvuzela, eventually there is a saturation point and a small, underground resistance builds slowly into a movement that ends up turning the public’s opinion. So who’s the vanguard of the anti-skinny jeans & ’stache battalion you ask? That would be Montreal’s Dukes of Burgundy.
In truth, I know nothing about the Dukes, other than the debut EP for this four-man outfit showed up on our cyber-doorstep out of the blue with a note (or bio) attached, proclaiming that the band “ignored the current trend of skinny jeans, dirty moustaches and having 20+ band members to focus on crafting solid rock tunes”. It’s an admirable sentiment, but one that would ultimately ring hollow if you didn’t back it up with good music. And if you’re asking me, I think the Dukes of Burgundy have done exactly that.
The 1-2 punch of Strong and Talking Backwards open the EP rather impressively, showcasing the Dukes brand of indie rock, mixing melodic vocals & catchy hooks with a bit of an edge that go above & beyond radio rock territory. Obviously the Dukes can do catchy very well, but they aren’t averse to getting expansive and a little experimental as the nearly 7 minute Vultures shows. If you’d like indie rock-out of the catchy, clean-faced variety, the Dukes of Burgundy might just be for you.
- Herohill
Written by: Jamie O'Meara
As Dukes Of Burgundy say both rightly and righteously, "no skinny jeans, no moustaches and no 20-plus band members," just crisp, cool and collected rock writing of the pop variety. The unpretentious, brightly textured tunes on this five-song debut EP have a discernable albeit hard-to-pin-down New Yorksiness about them, though the four-piece is comprised of homegrown Montrealers. Plaintive and impassioned lyrical delivery courtesy of complementary co-vocalists Jimmy Cacchione and Danny Lajoie bring the lion's share of character to the playing, which is simple and straight to the finely sharpened point. Most definitely ones to watch out for.
- The Hour - Montreal
Written by: Amanda McCulley
Between Jimmy and Danny’s vocals, the pace of the album’s five tracks, and their pop-rock hooks, the Dukes Of Burgundy sound sort of like The Kooks, but with a Canadian rock vibe that sets them apart from the crop of indie-pop bands that have been gaining popularity. The album tends to mix uptempo rhythms and pleasantly moody lyrics. The third track, ‘Radio’, is oddly catchy — the sort of song you may skip over once but find yourself playing on repeat a few days later. ‘Talking Backwards’ winds up being the standout, finding a good balance between catchiness and unconventional songwriting. These songs highlight the musical abilities of the four musicians, and exhibit Lajoie and Cacchione as a songwriting duo.
- Sun on the Sand
Discography
Duke of Burgundy EP (Oct 2009)
Photos
Bio
Dukes of Burgundy are Jimmy Cacchione, Danny Lajoie, Nic Jorgensen and Geoff Hughes. The song writing is mostly shared by the two main vocalists Jimmy and Danny who met about 10 years prior to putting their efforts together while competing against each other in a battle of the bands (neither band won). Although they're musical styles were polar opposites, they shared a mutual respect for each other and continued to play shows together.
A few years later, after their bands broke up they started throwing some song ideas at each other, leading to an eventual collaboration. They recruited Geoff and Nic as their rhythm section and started playing shows and rehearsing regularly.
Being from Montreal they ignored the current trend of skinny jeans, dirty moustaches and having 20+ band members to focus on crafting solid rock tunes.
In the summer of 2009 they recorded their debut EP at Digital bird studios banging out 5 songs in 4 days, an intense process that lead to a distinct feeling on the record. With a long road ahead of them they plan to play more live shows and work on new material.
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