Film Noir
Paris, Île-de-France, France | INDIE
Music
Press
Oan Kim, the founder of Film Noir, a new rock band from Paris, had his musical roots deep into classical composition. But when he discovered Nirvana and Radiohead, Kim had an epiphany and decided to start a band with mates Alex Choiselat (guitar), Erwan Jaffre (bass), and Assen Tzankov (drums). Kim added guitar and keys and took the duties as vocalist and principal songwriter. What emerged was a wildly popular rock band with pop overtones. Their sound is multi-layered, intricate, and infectious, and their lyrics are in English. They have become one of the leading rock bands in France, keeping the band touring widely through the country. They will be releasing their first album, I Had a Very Happy Childhood, in March of this year. - Skopemag
"un groupe aux ambiances imagees et a la musicalite affirmee, que l'on aime decouvrir en secret et que l'on affectionne en exces"
a band with visual atmospheres and a strong musicality, that we like to discover secretly and love excessively"
- foutraque
"d'enthousiasmants morceaux avec de belles envolees melodiques. Les saccades repetitives de ces parisiens changent de tonalite en gardant une veritable coherence"
Exciting tunes with beautiful melodies. The repetitive jerks of these parisians change moods while always keeping a real coherence.
- Longueurs d'ondes
I Had A Very Hapy Childhud (their spelling) is an exceptional debut album from French band Film Noir. It is one of best the indie pop / indie rock albums I’ve heard for some time.
The14 track album starts with the razor-sharp juttering guitar of It’s Goodbye, that lives somewhere between the rhythm of Orange Juice and the aggressive speed of The Wedding Present.
On various tracks I am reminded of The Charlatans, Libertines, Dirty Pretty Things, Radiohead and The Strokes. What a combination!
There is also traces of vaudeville and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band in The Thief Is In The Tree and The Dog.
Fabulous tracks such as The Strokes-like Shooting Game and An Accident are perfect pop songs; as are the Libertines / Dirty Pretty Things sounding CNN. But don’t think that I am referring to other bands in a condenscending way. These are songs that need to be heard by as many people as possible.
The music is tight and fresh while Oan Kim vocals are the perfect accompaniment. Another favourite track is the lighter-fuelled Radiohead-esque Red, Purple & Blue. Forget The Killers. Get into Film Noir and help make them as popular as they deserve to be. A wonderful, perfect album.
Film Noir are Oan Kim (Lead vocals, Gtr, Keys), Alexandre Choiselat (Lead Gtr/Vocals), Erwan Jaffre (Bass/Vox), Assen Tzankov (Drums).
If you like the aforementioned artists, I am confident you will love this album.
- buzzinmusicblog.co.uk
"du rock coupable d'intelligence avec la cin�matique, l'avant garde, le jazz et le suspense atmosph�rique, un bel hybride avou� de Tom Waits et Radiohead"
"rock music guilty of intelligence with the cinematics, the avant garde, jazz and atmospheric suspense; a nice hybrid of Tom Waits and Radiohead"
- Lylo
"Bien decide a mettre un coup de pied dans la fourmiliere de la pop et a en faire sortir quelque chose de nouveau (...) On comprend qu'il se passera vite quelque chose autour de cette formation que le reste du monde risque rapidement de nous envier."
"something big should happen very soon around this group that the rest of the world will soon envy!"
- zicazine
"Se pourrait-il que ces jeunes français soient parvenus à "originaliser" ou du moins, personnaliser la pop? (...) On ne peut souhaiter qu'une chose à Film Noir: continuer sur leur lancée et leur originalité"
"Could it be possible that these young frenchies wen't to originalize pop music?
(...) Let's only wish Film Noir that they follow up on their drive and originality"
- Sounds of violence
Discography
'I had a very happy childhood' debut album on Le Son du Maquis
Photos
Bio
When band leader Oan Kim was studying classical composition at the paris conservatory, (and as anyone who can write a 4 part fugue in the style of Bach usually does), he thought that rock music was for wankers and posers. That is, until Nirvana came along. Then it was like being hit by a Jackson Pollock painting for the first time, he was overwhelmed by the raw emotion and power of the music.
Then the sophistication of the music of Radiohead made him conceive the possibility of an ambitious, refined form of pop music. Pop music the new standard of high art? Why not. It's possible, the transition could be made, though not in some artsy prog-rock way: you have to play by the rules.
So old friend Alex came in with his guitar licks and rock n roll attitude: Film Noir was born... Well, 'White Light' was then born. Yes, like the Velvet Underground song.
Flash forward two years later: drummer Assen, son of the drummer of legendary bulgarian pop band 'the crickets' and bassist Erwan complete the final line up.
January 2008: they are by many accounts one of the finest rock bands in France, and start promoting their album. They tour France extensively, occasional gigs in Europe, play NXNE Festival in Toronto and tour the East Coast of the US.
6 months later, rave reviews keep coming "a band the entire world will soon envy us" boasts the influential french webzine Zicazine, one of dozens of many webzines tht praise Film Noir, while Buzzinmusicblog.co.uk lists their album as « one of the top 10 of 2008 ». Spin Magazine spots them, their music is aired several times on WFNX FM and a few radios in the US, Canada and even Mexico.
All the buzz eventually lands them a record deal with Le Son du Maquis/Harmonia Mundi, setting an official release in the main market of their debut album for September 2009 in France, and throughout Europe and America in the following months.
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