Le French May Musical Showdown 2010

This year Le French May promises some serious ear-candy with top-notch artists who will rock, groove and spin for our pleasure.

“self-aware, smart sentiments, played out against a backdrop of lush, danceable, huggable pop.” NME, 2008

Founded in 2005, THE TEENAGERS started out as a lyrical online project on Myspace. Their lyrics soon blossomed into songs and it wasn’t long before they developed an unmistakable sound.

Their songs ‘Homecoming’ and ‘Starlett Johansson’ grabbed huge online attention and lead to a record industry cat-fight, won by Merok/XL (Vampire Weekend, Klaxons). ‘Homecoming’ was elected #4 best song of the year by NME, which lead to the release of their debut album ‘Reality Check’ in 2008. The Teenagers have played in 100 cities and at major festivals including Glastonbury (UK) and Summersonic (Japan).

"they barely add up to 40 years between them, but are already imposing nerve and melodic genius" Les Inrockuptibles, 2007

A two-piece band formed in 2006, COCOON takes musical inspiration from a diverse range of artists that include The Pentangle, Fairport Convention, Nick Drake, CocoRosie, Devendra Banhart and Sufjan Stevens. In 2007 the pop/folk duet released its first album titled ‘My Friends All Died In A Plane Crash’. Winners of the CQFD music contest organised by the French magazine Les Inrockuptibles, Cocoon has performed at a variety of festivals that include Le Printemps de Bourges, The Brighton Great Escape Festival, Les Eurockéennes de Belfort, and more recently, the South by SouthWest in Austin, Texas.

“The French turntable maestro whips up a compelling mix of addictive groove, stirring soul and orchestral hip-hop, serving up a series of fabulous melodies in the process.” RFI Music radio

Often referred as the Boss of French Trip-Hop, WAX TAILOR is today a well established and respected music producer. His first album ‘Tales of the Forgotten Melodies’ (2004) drew comparisons to the likes of RJD2, Portishead and DJ Shadow, while his second ‘Hope & Sorrow’ (2007) landed him nominations at the Victoires de la Musiques and US Indie Awards. After wowing crowds at more than 200 concerts, Wax Tailor will be in Hong Kong to spin his latest album ‘In the Mood for Life’. Written in both Paris and New York, this third album is an organic landscape that blends soul, funk and hip-hop with 60’s pop.

Supporting Acts by Hong Kong's Favourite Indie Bands

Noughts and Exes

With one of the most unique sounds in Hong Kong, Noughts & Exes have quickly risen to become a cult favourite in the city. Their distinctive sound has been described by fans as “breath-taking” and has drawn comparisons to Elliott Smith, Death Cab for Cutie and Damien Rice.Their debut music video ‘A Major To Minor’ from the first album “Act One, Scene One” received airplay in the US, Canada and Australia, and the band’s second album is set to be released later in 2010. Utilising inventive instrumentation and catchy melodies, their mix of harmonies, keyboards, typewriters, whistles and cello has audiences captivated across the globe.

Chochukmo

Formed in 2005, Chochukmo is a 5-piece indie rock band based in Hong Kong, China. With the chemistry triggered by different musical interests, Chochukmo has been claimed to have created a unique style of their own, experimenting rock music with different elements from jazz, punk or bossa nova. Known for their passionate and energetic live performance, Chochukmo has been selected as the “Top 20 Hong Kong Musicians” by Time Out Hong Kong in 2008 and has been described as “the most charismatic band to have emerged in southern China in recent years” by TIME Magazine!

Photos
© Tung Walsh, Lisa Roze, Nicolas Guerin, Matthew Bo, Christophe Mcpherson