Instrumental Indie Rock. Is this what the world needs now? Mmm. Axlaustade might just be on to something …
The band collectively say: “We wanted to create some music you could meditate, headbang, dance or run to. Reminiscent of the past while foreseeing the future. The soundtrack to a cool story. What’s common and what’s extraordinary. A story about the love of music.” A fine idea and a positive mission statement from this Montreal trio – guitarist Steve Dumas (Dumas), drummer/percussionist Francis Mineau (Malajube) and bassist Jonathan Dauphinais (Dumas, Ariane Moffatt).
The music is grungy, shoegazy, generally upbeat, sometimes dreamy. It’s more about the whole vibe than the individual tracks themselves, but let’s look at them anyway!
Respiration gets things going with that sense of something new, fresh and interesting but nicely familiar. The atmospheric, drum heavy Axl au stade is a bit more stoner, like they have Karma To Burn (it’s Axl as in Axl Rose, and yes, there’s a story behind it you might know). With Ouverture they approach the realm of The Pixies and it’s all about the riff. Oui no na slows things down and reveals a panoramic vista like a new dawn, with some nice lead guitar. Visiblectronic nails the beat, hits a groove and stays in control.
Paruline strips things back with minimal percussion but a fine sense of forward motion before Beethoven (seattle bongos) picks up the tempo and brightens the mood again as the bass goes for a jog and everyone keeps up before a sprint to the finish. Tingwick opens with drum rolls and some feedback before settling into another bright, go-ahead track via a sonorous, chiming guitar figure. Feu de joie rumbles and grumbles but sorts itself out with an almost childlike melody and piercing guitar before humming itself to sleep. Closing track Nuages takes us back to where we started, a bookending echo, all rippling guitars and bright, light beats. Jolly good. None of the tracks outstay their welcome – only Feu de joie is more than four minutes. The record was produced by Justin Raisen (Charli XCX, Sky Ferreira, Kim Gordon).
If you have any meditating, headbanging, dancing or running to do, why not let Axlaustade be the soundtrack to your own cool story?
Axlaustade’s self-titled album is out now via La Tribu Records