I wasn’t originally planning on doing a show this evening, but decided to take my normal spot behind the microphone anyway. So the playlist didn’t begin coming together until the evening of. There was no theme, it was all variety; folk to electronic to noise rock.

If you missed it, here’s the list:

“The Crystal Cat” by Dan Deacon by Spiderman Of The Rings
“A Dark God Heart” by Sleep Party People off We Were Drifting On A Sad Song

“The Harvest” by Teen Daze off A Silent Planet
“Lately” by Memoryhouse off The Years EP

“The Organ Grinder” by The Migrant off Travels In Lowland
“Ten Sleep, WY” by Damon Moon and The Whispering Drifters off Lungs, Dirt & Dreams
“Martha Ann” by David Karsten Daniels off Fear Of Flying

“Lowtide” by O’Death off Broken Hymns, Limbs And Skin
“Blood Of Angels” by Brown Bird off Salt For Salt
“Lonely Mountain” by Paladino off Paladino

“Gold Rush” by The Horde and the Harem off Harvest EP
“Marathon Runner” by Yellow Ostrich off Strange Land
“Neighbor Crimes” by Capybara off Dave Drusky

“Promise I Won’t Laugh” by Barna Howard off Barna Howard

“Summertime Cowboy” by Husky Rescue off Country Falls
“Pariah” by Mike Wexler off Dispossession
“The Sun Is Going Down II” by Sóley off We Sink

“Enchanted Humanoid” by Steve Moore off Brainstorm

“Broken Record” by Eux Autres off Sun Is Sunk
“Hitman” by Wax Idols off No Future

“Arab Spring” by Literature off Arab Sprint
“Junebouvier” by Whirl off June

“Wait For Us” by Mind Spiders off Meltdown
“Busted Lip” by Odonis Odonis off Hollandaze
“Coma Summer” by Weekend off Sports

I always get excited when something new by Eux Autres comes across my desk. The ex-Portland, now San Francisco brother-sister duo plus third member Yoshi Nakamoto (The Aislers Set, Still Flyin’) will release a new EP called Sun Is Sunk via Bons Mots Records on February 28. Recorded by Jason Quever (Papercuts), expect Sun Is Sunk to push the boundaries of what you know about Eux Autres.

The Larimer siblings (Heather and Nicholas) have always created highly infectious, French-influenced garage pop, and that continues in “Right Again”. No surprise: “Right Again” has plenty of rough, gritty guitar riffs and choppy, punchy drum licks. Here the band employs harmony vocals in a way entirely new and very intriguing.

“Right Again” will get inside your head and stay there. It’s delightful!

Download: “Right Again” by Eux Autres

It’s amazing to hear the changes Eux Autres has gone through since they debuted with Hell Is Eux Autres in 2004. That album was rough and punchy, raw and bouncy. The punch and the bounce remain, but on Broken Bow things are smoother and more refined. They still contain all those elements I loved from the original — the stripped-down indie pop with a French twist, those lovable lyrics by Heather and Nicholas Larimer.

The changes are significant; such circumstances always run the risk of losing that early audience, of changing things too much, or even letting the core greatness of those earlier works slip away. Eux Autres does not succumb to these problems. Most notably, the band added Yoshi Nakamoto (The Aislers Set, Still Flyin’) in 2008 around the time of their Cold City release. In advance of this release, the trio became a quartet with Nathan Berlinguette on bass.

Songs on Broken Bow are just as poignant and stunning as before. You can hear it in “Under Rays” where Nicholas takes the lead, and in the lyrics the band writes. Always fun, there’s generally a hint of emotion, be it pensive dwelling on being treated poorly, or a raucous jaunt on a favored sports team. Fun, always; but the lyrics speak something a little different from what you might be used to. That, above almost anything else, is what makes Eux Autres one of the better pop bands around.

Download: “Go Dancing” by Eux Autres

[CD, 2010]

1. Jamais
2. Queen Turner
3. Under Rays
4. Wind Me Up
5. A Band Undone
6. You’re Alright
7. Rosehill
8. Go Dancing
9. My Love Will Not Let You Down
10. Take It Or Leave It
11. Cover Rights

Longtime FensePost favorites, Eux Autres release their new EP today. Strangled Days finds the brother/sister pop duo straying slightly from their French roots, but it’s still the same great pop we always loved from these guys. Heather and Nicholas Larimer have since expanded to a trio, having added Yoshi Nakamoto (Aislers Set & Still Flyin’) on drums in 2008. Strangled Days was recorded by Jason Quever (Papercuts) and can be found as a 10″ EP on Where It’s At Is Where You Are Records.

Here’s a stream of “Queen Turner” from the new EP:

Cold City finds the Larimer siblings that make up Eux Autres maturing as musicians and songwriters. Where Hell Is Eux Autres included many viable tracks, the recordings were stiff. Still, despite the slightly lower production value, many of those older songs remain true favorites; and Cold City packs in several new favorites as well.

Included in this mix are “Molly” and “When I’m Up”. The first has catchy hooks in the chorus and includes a heavy reverb in vocals. The latter sees Heather taking the lead vocals in the verses with Nicholas joining during the chorus. In Hell Is Eux Autres, it was noticeable that the band was simply two, while Cold City gives the impression of a larger group—it’s not due to added instruments or a choir of vocals, instead the sound is simply fuller.

It is also important to note that despite the matured songwriting style, Eux Autres maintains their heavy 70s French pop influences. And that can be seen in “Gratte-Ciel”, the sole song sung in that language (as opposed to several tracks with French vocals on Hell Is Eux Autres). “Gratte-Ciel” also finds Eux Autres at their most pop-ridden, and in a minor sense, their most rewarding.

“Anne Boleyn” includes slightly sparser percussion from Heather that hints of their earlier work yet finds the band in their most mellow and melodic, which can be attributed to the inclusion of strings and keys, as well as the lighter edge in Heather and Nicolas’ vocals. “The City All To Himself” harmonizes the siblings for one of the most lovable melodies.

Overall, Cold City blends the lovable aspects of 70s French pop with the indie rock of today’s more twee-focused artists. And it finds Happy Happy Birthday To Me with yet another phenomenal release in 2007, adding Cold City to an already powerful lineup including Fleeting Frequencies by Patience Please, Albatross by Fishboy, and Unclever by Keith John Adams, among others.

This review was originally published November 29, 2007 on the old version of FensePost. Eux Autres recently released a new single called You’re Alright. It can be purchased from the Eux Autres website.

Eux Autres: When I’m Up [mp3]

HHBTM [CD, 2007]

1. The Deadball Era
2. Molly
3. Gratte-Ciel
4. When I’m Up
5. Anne Boleyn
6. The Town That Never Was
7. The City All To Himself
8. Graceful Exit
9. Collision Theory
10. Park Bench Vacation

Written by Fense

Today’s feature video is a Christmas tune by my favorite French pop band from the US, Eux Autres (MySpace). It’s a lovable little pop tune that emphasizes the good Christmas brings out in people (at least some of it); whether you believe in celebrating it or not, it’s an enjoyable time to be with family that loves you and friends that care. Wishes are made and merry times are had. There’s always a little drama, but in the end you remember the good times (the lyrics may fade but the upbeat pop remains).

In true Eux Autres form, “Another Christmas At Home” features what appears to be stop-motion video, or at least a graphically manipulated and digitized cartoon, created by member Nicholas Larimer. That animation was also featured in “Anne Boleyn”. While “Another Christmas At Home” isn’t available for free download, I have included gratis tracks from their last two albums.

“Another Christmas At Home” is the title track off Eux Autres’ Christmas single. While all physical pressings of the single are out of print, this song and many more are available from any digital retailer. I’ll even make it easy for you: it’s $0.89 on Amazon.

Eux Autres: When I’m Up [mp3]

Eux Autres: Ecountez Bien [mp3]

Eux Autres – “Another Christmas At Home” from Nicholas Larimer on Vimeo.

Written by Fense

My FensePost inbox is out of control. Recently, it topped 500 messages, most of which I had yet to read. Thanks to a bit more free time of late, I am finally beginning to tackle this mass o’ crap and get some shit done. One item that surprisingly slipped through the cracks was the video for “Anne Boleyn” by French-pop Portlanders Eux Autres (MySpace).

Yesterday I noted that The Lovely Sparrows’ video for “Year Of The Dog” had some similarities to Fleet Foxes’ “White Winter Hymnal” and that’s true yet again with “Anne Boleyn”, though Eux Autres’ video was out a few months before that of Fleet Foxes—the note was from way back in March. “Anne Boleyn” is yet another great claymation-based music video.

What I really love about Eux Autres is their ability to create such heartfelt pop songs and “Anne Boleyn” is one of their more beautiful ballads. Here, the once duo adds a third member on keys and a fourth on strings. Their live performance has also grown, thanks to the keyboardist joining them on the road from time to time.

“Anne Boleyn” can be found on Cold City, out on HHBTM Records. I’ve also included an mp3 of “When I’m Up”, another track off that album, for your listening pleasure.

Eux Autres: When I’m Up [mp3]

Eux Autres – “Anne Boleyn” from Nicholas Larimer on Vimeo.