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The best description I've heard of Famous Lovers was by someone who said that if they ever come up with one really catchy song, they'll be huge. Of course, when that person said it, they hadn't yet heard the band's self-titled debut EP, so they may have just been referring to the fact Famous Lovers are, collectively, one of the most attractive bands today.
Even after listening to the EP, however, to me this seems like an entirely accurate assessment, albeit for entirely different reasons. Famous Lovers definitely sound like a band on the verge of really big things. They're extremely tight musically, and every song on their debut throbs with the kind of twitchy, nervous tension that defines some of the best post-punk/dance-punk/however-you-want-to-define-it. Frontman Andrew Sepic has haunting, spooky vocals, but in an accessible kind of way, and tracks like "The Boys of Summer" and "Fear of Women" form the backbone of an extremely solid album.
All that's missing, really, is one big hit, something that will make everyone in the world sit up and take notice. Judging from the music that's on evidence here, though, it seems like it would be extraordinarily foolish to think that Famous Lovers don't have that one big hit in them. Give these guys a few more months -- one year at most -- and I can almost guarantee that they'll be the Next Big Thing everyone is raving about.
Wednesday, August 15. 2007 - Mathiew - I Heart Music
From the oceanic, haunting organ hits on “The Sweet Goodnight,” to the punchy bass kick on “John Batt” and the punk-inspired “Fear of Women” (which, to my knowledge, these guys have none of), Montreal’s Famous Lovers have quite the explosive EP on their hands. While there’s an element of that new new-wave sensibility, these guys also mix in elements of Television-style angularity and dark, elegiac layers of atmospheric sound that hover subtly under the surface, creating an ambiance that is both melancholic and instantly infectious. You can get the Famous Lovers EP on their web site, and soon enough, they should be making their way from the frozen plains of Canada out to L.A. – assuming their music doesn’t melt under all that hot Southern California sun.
–Bill Dvorak H Magazine
- H Magazine
"When you go to a famous lovers show you just feel like making out with the person next to you, whether they are boy/girl or anything else they could be."
"They remind you of stars with an edge albeit a bit happier of course... i wouldn't be surpsied if they play osheaga next year"
"Some good solid catchy guitar riffs, melodies that will make you want to glide throught the air rounded out with a keyboard that comes in to fill out the sound and make it complete."
"They wear their name well , sexy men ,some with moustaches and tight pants others with scarfs and keyboards."
August 25, 2007
- CIBL 101.5 - Radio host Mike Gowing
I fought against a photographer with a far more sophisticated lens than our ‘roid, comparing gadgetry over hits of scotch as an unfairly sparse audience took in the show, and by unfairly I mean that the Lovers attain a sound worthy of a packed venue where eyes meet across a jam packed floor of bodies grooving and clothes end up strewn across the hallway by morning. It’s a large sound without the pretense, combining rock-solid musicianship with a certain vulnerability and reticence in the vocals of Andrew Sepic, creating an element of tension accentuated by the delicately raucous sound the entire band is able to produce – the kind of sound which forces audiences to make a choice: dance or make out; cut a rug or cut loose, call a taxi home so that you and your lover can keep the neighborhood up all night.. Drummer Jordan Coyne refuses to let this band come across as anything sounding remotely sissy, while guitarist Jonathan Jude and bassist Susil Sharma bring an unrestrained, yet precisely conceived element of tension and force, contributing to a sound which is equally catchy and powerful. Expect no drumloops, or contrivance disguised as cute. Bands take note: cuteness is not cute. It falls far too flat to be taken seriously and its lasting power is as brief as the haircut that accompanies it. I will likely not sleep with any of these folks, but their name is surely determine their future.
July 7, 2007 - Mr. Fingers Matrix Magazine
Discography
2007 - Famous Lovers EP (self-released)
Photos
Bio
When Famous Lovers chose that name, their separate notoriety as Lotharios, Casanovas, and such was not unimpressive, but they were hardly, in the broad sense, famous. However, they guessed, it was only a matter of time. A multinational crew of four, they form a kind of super-selective United Nations, only better dressed and they get more done. Jordan (drums) and Andrew (keys, vocals, guitar) are childhood pals from Kingston, a town equally famous for its love of classic rock and its hardcore prison. Susil is the Nepalese bass guitar whiz-kid they met at a Dandy Warhols show, and Jonathan Jude (guitar) is an Irishman who frequently gets rowdy. On stage they are focused like laser beams, stoic and serious. Andrew croons abstract lyrics in a strong tenor, throwing in organ backing to the dark melodies, while Jonathan’s guitar anchors everything, screeching out lonely notes stage left. The songs offer just enough riff-happy rock to keep you dancing, and just enough po-mo dissonance to keep you wondering. These days, with their freshly-pressed EP and super-sweet Econoline van, Famous Lovers are on the move. Aside from frequent gigs at home in Montreal, they’ve finished four tours of Ontario, one of Eastern Canada and two of the Eastern U.S. They roll like Vikings, sleeping in parks and unlocked college dorms, and leaving a trail of mayhem, broken hearts, and spilled motor oil in their wake. It’s less because they can’t afford hotels, and more because that’s just the way they do things. With the EP circulating on college radio, and the promise of ever-bigger crowds, the band plans to tour indefinitely, until death or fame, whichever comes first. Or something like that. Right now, in any case, they’re happy to do it for the love.
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