Duchess Says, whose first full-length album I chose as one of my favourite releases from 2008, have put out an awesome video of their song Tenen Non Neue for Mange Ta Ville, a web-based television show about arts and culture in Montreal (Mange Ta Ville means “eat your city” - it sounds snappier in French. Really). They set up their instruments at the St. Michel flea market in east-end Montreal and quite likely freaked out (or delighted) any number of shoppers out for antique lamps, ashtrays with pictures of the Olympic Stadium, and steamees.
In true post-Velvet-Underground rock ‘n’ roll style, the video starts with a good minute or so of fuzzy electronic whine. But hold steady, it’s worth it when you get to A-Claude’s robot-gone-berserk singing and dance moves. I’m not sure what it is about female-fronted Quebecois punk bands who sing in made-up languages that sound like a stew of English, French, German and what-all (see, for instance, Les Georges Leningrad and the obscure and legendary La Gerantole) - is it a kind of Esperanto meant to bridge the language gap? Possession by demons? - but I like it. A lot. I hope you will too.



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three comments
Duchess Says is the shit. A-Clause is a frickin' crowd commander when she's on stage.
Posted by Ry-Tron
January 18, 2009, 10:28 PM
A-Claude (Annie Claude) I, of course, meant.
Might I suggest Lioness' "What You Do (Will Come Back To You)" for the next playlist...
Posted by Ry-Tron
January 18, 2009, 10:38 PM
It looks like Vanessa from Lioness will be one of our 'Shameless Women' in the next little while! We've been emailing and I'm hoping to do the interview asap. So it's cool that you suggested the band here, Ry-tron!
Posted by D. Cole
January 19, 2009, 8:20 AM
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