Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Gérard LeCain 'Nothing at all' (No! Demo). Mark my words given the current climate happening on the indie front don't be to surprised if in the coming weeks / months the name LeCain starts cropping up at increasingly regular intervals. Admittedly we've had this CD for a fair while - found beneath a pile of albums then carefully dusted down it then pretty much took up a whole mornings residence on the hi-fi. Now you might think - hell nothing strange or unusual about that - but then from out of nowhere we get an email from No! Records asking us to get our arses sharpishly over to LeCain's myspace page where apparently (and pardon the vernacular here) the shit is hitting the fan - do they have a crystal ball we wonder. LeCain as he prefers to be known is a young English born song writer who resides in Stockholm, Sweden and has to take a boat ride to visit friends - though why exactly he has to take a boat ride isn't fully explained perhaps he lives on an island or has a huge moat surrounding his apartment - one thing you can be sure of is that water is involved (why what else - be a bit daft paddling down the high street in rush hour). Described by the man himself 'as pretty depressing really' the two cuts featured on this particular CD suggest an element of restless raggedness, an inner exposure to the world of blistered emotions accompanied by a detuned guitar. But then the storm brewing candour of the opening cut 'Nothing at all' is anything but depressing, instead it works an unnatural chemistry that combines a cutely honed tug and pull dulling intensity that numbs to the bone while being shot through with an almost death rattle like lo-fi punk blues, add to the mix the almost deadpan vocal delivery suggesting a rather more overburdened degree of disinterested weariness than melancholic moping and saddle to it a chorus hook so nakedly potent it's cut through with the precision of a chainsaw to the chest plate and you have a rather fetching though fucked off unlove song for the new beat generation of sorts. The stripped to the bone 'No chance of remorse' slows the momentum to a feint heart beat with the inherent fraught intensity finding it's surroundings unliveable and as a result seeping from the very grooves in an attempt to escape the overwhelming ache within. Harrowing stuff. For a chance to grab yourselves some LeCain action check out http://www.myspace.com/LeCainMusic where you'll be treated to three new cuts which we have on good authority have had insiders at esteemed record labels in tears of fondness - bless us we really do treat you. - LosingToday.com
www.groups.myspace.com/majorlabelmusicnetwork
"Suffocate Me" & "This Is Not A Test" -Strokes meets The Cure. EXCELLENT stuff. Not big payoff choruses- but it's an overseas greasy-vocalled fab act. Recordings are distorted and they need a good go round with a proper production- but if u can hear THRU what is what production-wise- u will hear a commercial alternative format act heading skyward. These guys are good geezers- give em a push when it's time, will ya? Singer Lecain is amazing...a star.
- Major Label Music Network (MySpace User Group)
Sounds like somebody likes Brian Jonestown Massacre...
this is not a test: this sounds like if BJM boned radiohead... i like this stuff a lot, you guys get some free points, because this is some cool indy indy rock, that hasnt been fused with emo as the genre at large seems to have done... this is a pretty good recording, i can hear all the instruments, and i like the tripped out thom yorke esque vocals... this has sme great qualities to it, and i like how much it reminds me of why i like indy... the melodies are great, the vocals vary from a cool droning, to a very melodic almost eerie sounding vocal... the bass part is fun, the drums are simple but they work... good stuff... definitely something i will download when my bandwidth allows.. suffocate me
the first thing that sticks out about this song is that bass riff... this one has a more art rock vibe to it... i am reminded of 'and you will know us by the trail of dead'... i think that everything that i said about the other song is also true for this one, although i like that the drumming changes up a little more... your riffs are good, and your melodies in general are cool, and change up a lot... the only thing i dont like about this is the chorus... i am primarily a writer, and i think that 'suffocating me'/'drowning me'/'eating me alive (id like to hear more songs with this line in it, come to think of it)'/'smothering me' line is overused... there really isnt anything inherently wrong with the lyrics, many bands i greatly enjoy end up with choruses that are overused, and thus i think the words within lose some of their power... but overall, im very impressed with this stuff... i wouldnt say that it is particularly avant garde, but you guys do something creative and cool with a genre that has lost a lot of its flavor in recent years... (i dont mind the indy emo fuse, i just prefer the more exiting and faster paced art/indy rock type stuff a whole lot better)
although i like the movie garden state (and the soundtrack for that matter), i must say that im a little dissapointed that the new independent movie trend is to integrate indy rock with indy movies, because i think this is going to be done a million more times now that this movie hit it so big... thumbsucker for example... thats actually a pretty cool and interesting flick as well, but i think that indymovie/indyrock/emo are all going to be a sauscy threesome for a long time to come... its not even about a distaste in the music really, its mostly about me thinking its kind of limiting to only use indy/emo type music for a film score...
-miles
- MACJAMS.com by Miles J Briand
Self described as Old Street Sheet meets Swedish Chic. Chic or not, this is East London indie of the finest quality. Slow brooding vocals over bluesy lofi indie. The music is a darker version of the Strokes and the vocals are not too far off Interpol. Can’t help but think these guys are influenced by the Kinks. - www.BANDWAGON.co.uk (June 2006)
Dagens låt.LeCain -Suffocate Me (Your Pretend Boyfriend remix) totalt jävla underbar låt!
Translation:
The day's track. LeCain - Suffocate me (Your Pretend Boyfriend remix) totally fucking wonderful song! - www.skunk.spray.se (Aug 2006)
(BEST SINGLES OF THE WEEK) LECAIN – SUFFOCATE ME: Suffocate Me is the first track from new and hotly-tipped London-based act LECAIN. With all the trademarks of their highly individual droning guitars and vocals in a post-rock alternative indie formation, the track is a powerhouse offering that contains hints of everyone from Muse, Radiohead, Interpol and The Strokes to more cult bands such as The Brian Jonestown Massacre. LECAIN’s debut completely symbolizes what the act is about. Dark yet catchy with hooks and turns, a completely original vocal style, and a delivery that makes them sound a lot older than they really are. Suffocate Me is described by the band as a song about existence and an intolerance to the mundane. It’s designed to come as a sharp tongue to those that fail to recognize a world beyond their doorstep. The release features two remixes for club/dance environments and is backed up with a music video produced by Swedish model-turned-photographer, Lina Scheynius. It’s well worth checking out, particularly as they’re so hotly-tipped for 2007. - http://www.indielondon.co.uk (Dec 2006)
3/5 stars
Rather obvious title aside this is from the same school of thought as Boy Kill Boy. Basically, rip off Placebo’s best era. Apart from it’s never really anywhere near as good. Maybe that’s a little harsh, as the guitars clash and clatter in the background with art rock perfection, Lecain easily make a good dark pop song that’s full of nooks and crannies. But why the droney vocals? More led balloon drowning than Interpol but what an oh-so nearly great little song. - highvoltage.org.uk (dec 2006)
Discography
Self funded EP – Killing Angels "Black Poetry" (July 2007/Unreleased).
Self release live Single – LECAIN "Suffocate Me" (2006).
Self release Demo – LECAIN "Nothing At All" (2005).
Self release EP – Exlover "Sniper D'amour" (2002).
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Killing Angels has recently changed names to Black Poets. and is now a band based around English singer- songwriter Gerard LeCain’s songs.
His music first came to light under the name LECAIN when he sold copies of his
demo “Nothing At All” via iTunes in late 2005 while living in Stockholm, Sweden. These were strange and intimate.
Prior to this Gerard had been in unsigned acts including post punk/alt-electro act
Exlover.
It was in Stockholm that he was noticed by a music industry guy that suggested he move to London to get some attention as he had written an album during the first half of 2006 and had started to get a bit of exposure opening for top 10 swedish singer songwriter Lasse Lindh.
By late summer 2006 Gerard had put together a strong lineup having moved to London and within a few weeks was offered the chance to record some live tracks at the band, Athlete’s studio in London through engineer Pete Abbott (Athlete, Misty’s Big Adventure) after Pete checked out the band’s MySpace page.
Shortly afterwards Gerard decided to try and expose these tracks via pressing a short run CD to sell in local shops, such as Sister Ray and Rough Trade, but the
main reason was to just let people hear it.
By December 2006 LECAIN had not only been confirmed as being aired on various MTV networks across Europe with the video to the track “Suffocate Me” but was also listed as a Carling Music top recommended video. About the same time the band played various packed shows around London.
By the time LECAIN had received national airplay on Steve Lamacq’s primetime show in December 2006, they were asked to perform three live acoustic tracks
for The Sun (UK's largest selling daily) newspaper’s Bizarre Entertainment’s section’s podcast, which Gerard did with friends using two acoustic guitars and a cello recording an interview at the same time.
The next few months over 2007 were to see Gerard create a name for his act, dropping the name LECAIN for a less personal and more suitable one – Killing
Angels – as well as developing the album he had written; moving the sound from a dark Interpol-esque indie sound to a brighter, bigger, glossier sound more akin to the work of modern-day Placebo and Smashing Pumpkins circa 1998 which retained the basic element but with better production and raising the vocals to higher octaves as well as moving certain song keys.
The three track EP – "Black Poetry" – that accompanies this bio, featuring the songs “Empty Betrayal”, “The Ascension” and “Irene” are the result of that development together with producer Thomas Johansen (Boy Kill Boy), which Killing Angels recorded in Thomas’ London studio in July 2007 and was mastered by Noah Mintz (The Dears, DFA 1979, Broken Social Scene).
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