There is something about the combination of French, female scream-shout-sing vocals, crunchy punk guitars and screeching electro action that always has the ability to perk up my ears and my demeanor. This simply addictive (addictively simple?) track from Duchess Says lands in my Inbox, filling in all those bubbles and lands a high-scoring Scantron result.

Emerging in late 2003 when lead singer Annie-C Deschênes and collaborator Ismaël Tremblay (guitar, keys) moved from Québec City to Montreal, bringing Philippe Clément (bass, guitar) and Simon Besre (drums n beats) into the fold. After recording only a short 4-track EP and a few years of live performance honing, they are set to re-release their first LP Anthologie des 3 Perchoirs (Anthology of 3 Perches) with Alien8 Recordings on Sept 2, 2008 (initial US release May 13 2008).

I have no idea whether their entire album is more than just a flash-in-the-pan…whether it has legs to keep up with rockers of a similar vein like the Noisettes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs or even Sleater-Kinney. But I do know their performing experiences are nothing to be scoffed at. Having played alongside heavy-hitters like Depeche Mode, Sonic Youth, The Juan MacLean, and Dinosaur Jr., it seems they have their live approach down pat.

So in the meantime, while you wait for September, proceed to carefree rocking out and enjoyment.

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MP3: Duchess Says – Ccut Up from the forthcoming LP Anthologie des 3 Perchoirs

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