At the moment there is only one man defending the French on a full-time basis. He's called Owen and he's quite shy. There used to be a full band attached but they moved away or split up with each other. If you like what you hear and live in or near Leeds then let him know, as he's always on the lookout for kindred spirits. Blue skies one and all. x x x x
Influences
Trembling Blue Stars, Belle and Sebastian, R.E.M., Blueboy, The Lodger, The Research, The Cardigans (especially their peerless 'Long Gone Before Daylight' LP), Laura Veirs, good 90's Britpop, Mazzy Star, The Wannadies, Ooberman, Saint Etienne, The Field Mice, Sarah Records and indie-pop far and wide. Above all however, influenced by the many pretty girls who turn me down.
Sounds Like
the pop noise your ears are currently dealing with on behalf of your sweet sweet popbrains...
New! This video for Clearer Than Recently was recorded at La Cafetiere cafe on Hyde Park corner by James Rhodes for the OUR CITY OUR MUSIC project. It was recorded with binaural microphones, so if you watch it with headphones it feels like you're actually there! Check out the rest of James's stuff (click on his name!). We're really happy with it, and hope you are too!
"There's something just so lovely about this... heartbreak may be horrible, but it sounds good." - Sandman Magazine.
"even the hardest of hearts cannot deny the quality of the song writing, and ultimately you will surrender." - Leeds Music Scene
"A solo singer songwriter with a a very distinct set of themes and a very beguiling voice. Recommended." - Whisperin & Hollerin
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..Hellooo! We're the French Defence and we live in Leeds...
Somewhere between work and sleep these songs are created with a heavy heart and a fumbling hand. There's a lot of history behind these writings of a young man attempting to find someone special, and here for you are the fractured splinters of the search - most of what follows is true, but it's up to you to work out which bits aren't. Telling you would be too easy...
These days the French Defence is a solo concern. It wasn't always this way but people split up, move on or just get tired. Owen keeps plodding on nonetheless, looking for kindred spirits and sublime melancholy. Gigs are rare, but hopefully will become more numerous in the near future.
There are some songs for you to listen to! Please do, and let us know what you think of them. Some journalist-type people like them, they wrote the comments at the top there. If you really like the songs you can save them to your computer and listen to them at work, as long as you don't get in trouble for doing that sort of thing. If you really really like them, you can buy the CD "We Had Fun... Didn't We?" from www.anorakcd.net.
Thank you for reading, hope you like the music.
Owen xx
Please support our Indie Pop "EP CLUB" presented by Series Two Records and Eggnog Records. It is a collaboration between an Indie Pop label in Nebraska and one in New Zealand. The indie pop EP CLUB's include artists from around the world.
Meet Sirella the BEARDED LADY who has joined the Laycock family. This Sat 19th from 8pm till 1am at the Chemic Taverns one and only Pirate Night! Includes new local bands and musicians as well as Leeds famous sea shanty choir! Then on Sat 3rd Oct at Hull Truck Theatre Madam Laycock will perform with a fantasic shadow puppet storytelling background (See below!)
Hello Owen ! (here is a piece of English à la Limoges) : It's time for me to go to your page... and to discover that you mention our new release in one of your blog !!! Thanks a lot for that !!! I try to watch the video but am not able to... I'll try later ! Talkin of videos, did you see this veryveryvery cheap of ours ? http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=56114533 Try to find where I did borrow these chords ! ...... Valentine strum. I admit. I hope you'll forgive me ; ). I love children of a lesser god and his vocals... becketts is such a hit, too ! A bientôt, j'espère qu'on se reverra et qu'on fera un peu de musique ! guillaume
Hello Owen ! I hope everything is fine !!! What a plesaure to listen to your songs again... A quick ad ??? Here is our new release !!! a bientôt ! guillaume
thanks owen! i wish you were in melbourne so we could do a gig together. got a spare 1000 quid?? yes the uke must be flogged to the masses....so do you know joe from the lodger then? have i met you before?? i used to live with joe. toodle pipples amylou x
Picnic, new album! Portia Records, Out now! (US & CA, delivery worldwide) buy Molécula Records, Out now (México) buy Universal Records, Out October 2008 (Philippines) ******************************************** Buenos Aires born, Barcelona resident and graphic artist Sebastian Litmanovich is Cineplexx.
With the help of friends Duglas Stewart (BMX Bandits), Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub), Federico Aubele and Jad Fair, Cineplexx presents Picnic, a gorgeous Spanish-language record of beautiful harmonies and lush instrumentation similar to Belle & Sebastian a la The Boy with the Arab Strap, the swaying rhythms of Gilberto Gil and tender 60s rock reminiscent of Love and the Zombies.
Picnic is a rare treat of a perfect pop record with revelatory songs underneath the album's fuzzy, echoed wash.
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