Discount for Jayne Mansfield, Bettie Page and Stevie Nicks look-a-likes...

[Livia]

http://www.montrealmirror.com/2006/042706/music3.html

Sacré blue

Sexy Boy is bigger than Jesus


by LORRAINE CARPENTER

“My father tried to convince me that it was wrong to name my band Sexy Boy,” says Christophe Lamarche, “and that’s when I was sure it was the right thing to do.”

All the way from scenic Sherbrooke, QC, Lamarche and guitarist Pwell, keytarist Guy Baston, bassist RNO and drummer Bruno Le Veau brought their lurid electrofunk to town late last year, just prior to the release of their debut album, Lollypop on Sunday School.

Lamarche, whose Sexy Boy moniker started off as an “ugly and pretentious” DJ name, is also the new keyboardist for Echo Kitty, who’ll open for Sexy Boy at this weekend’s inaugural Kimono My Klub, a new glam & glitter monthly at Playhouse. (There’s a discount on the cover charge for Jayne Mansfield, Bettie Page and Stevie Nicks lookalikes, as well as “Major Toms,” “cute sailors” and “20th century boy/toys.”)

Sexy Boy’s ridiculous, spandex-clad persona might bear some resemblance to David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, but musically it’s modern punk-funk and electro that fuel their sound. Lamarche lists local bands like les Georges Leningrad, We Are Wolves and the World Provider as influences, along with acts off New York City’s DFA label, but it was a little band from France that really sealed the deal.

“Everything’s because of Daft Punk,” gushes Lamarche. “During the summer two years ago, I was a bit drunk and I listened to Daft Punk’s Discovery album and it changed my life. I decided right there to be part of popular music.”

With an album, a couple of hot new demos and a roof-raising music video directed by Lamarche’s roommate Olivier Lambert (see/hear the latter two at myspace.com/

sexyboyband), Sexy Boy is on the upswing—it’s right there on their Web Site, they’re “plus gros qu’Jésus.” But the band’s arrival in Montreal was marred by a streak of bad luck. Their label, the Mintaka Conspiracy, folded days before their record launch, leaving them scrambling in a new city, with no contacts, business savvy or stage experience to speak of.

“That show was terrible,” says Lamarche. “Really, it was a failure. We had a lot of stress and we did everything really fast. (laughs) It was like a state of emergency.”

But it was all uphill from there, as the band tightened up and turned their gigs across the city into booty-bopping parties, from Divan to Chaos to Foufs to Club Soda, where they recently topped the bill at a UQÀM talent show as the token “professionals.”

That’s right, Sexy Boy is no amateur act. All five members are music-school grads, and their previous band played jazz.

“It’s a really purist way to learn music, and we were tired of it,” says Lamarche. Conversely, the band has been accused of copping a Montreal sound, something that might force them to return to their roots.

“Yeah, we’re gonna play jazz on the next album,” jokes Lamarche, contemplating “the Sherbrooke sound.”

[David]

Livia, you dig up the coolest references to Stevie. I just need to tell you I for one appreciate it!

[Livia]

You wanna know my secret? Curtie asked me once where I find all this stuff and I just told him, "Ancient Chinese secret." Anyone can do it, and it's really easy...

(Drunk girl voice from SNL): Doyawannaknow? Do ya? Doyawannaknow how I find all thith craaaazy stuff and post it onthaLedge?

And did ya see the one I just posted on the Rumours board? Classic!

[David]

Originally Posted by Livia

And did ya see the one I just posted on the Rumours board? Classic!

I did! It was beautiful!

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by Livia

(Drunk girl voice from SNL): Doyawannaknow? Do ya? Doyawannaknow how I find all thith craaaazy stuff and post it onthaLedge?

Pffffft, whatever. I know your secret


Just kidding, I don't .

[ragandbone]

Secret? Google news search?
i dunno,
but thanks for sharing what you find.

Anyway, if any of you are deadringers for bettie Page, Jayne Mansfield, or Stevie Nicks, you can do a lot better than getting into a glam club, IMO.
And I suspect some Ledgies will want to see pics.

[foxyluva]

Originally Posted by ragandbone

Secret? Google news search?

My thoughts exactly

[ragandbone]

Hmm, when I look at my post above, my comment about the "secret" sounds snotty - didn't mean it to be. I just meant that I recognized some of these stories from my late-night insomnia google news searches, so I think maybe that's your secret.
But I thank you for bothering to post them, and paste the stories into the posts, etc.

[Livia]

That's just it - it's not a "secret." Anyone can do it. I consider it a labor of love. But I don't literally search every day, I just sign up for google news alerts (one for FM and one for Stevie) and whatever pops up gets emailed to me. I only post what I myself find interesting and/or amusing. I don't post the numerous articles about radio stations who have changed their format and their song list now includes FM...

Anyway, glad y'all enjoy 'em!