Maudite Dance feature on Time For Heroes Fanzine

For those of you not lucky enough to be from God's City, The Clerks were a locally popular four-pice guitar/synth-type beast who jacked it all in whilst on the verge of greatness a few months back. Fear not, however, as three quarters of the band are now Maudite Dance, along with two new recruits. It's charmingly dark indie-synth that deserves to take over the world. 8/10

NME "Unsigned Bands Special" feature

Manchester dwelling Parisian four-piece MAUDITE DANCE were formerly ace angular rockers and general NME faves The Clerks. Now, though, they've developed a melodramatic electro sound and are stalking across NME Breaking Bands like a vulcanised panther. 'Echoin'' is a spiralling stadium epic, while 'Underground' sounds like The Killers if they spent less time counting their cash and more listening to Ladytron. Slick back your hair, polish your shoes and go throw some immaculate shapes to these poseurs.

Maudite Dance Feature on Blanathema blog

Looking back at my recent posts, I’ve realized that a lot of time has been spent dwelling on new album releases, which is not I originally started writing this blog for. Of course, things change and I am now writing a lot more about albums but I can’t resist it; when I hear a new record that I love/hate, I get the urge to come and express my feelings about it. Still, as good as some of that music is the majority of it, with a couple of exceptions, has been in the UK or US top 10 over the last few months. It is because of this that I’ve decided to skip back to how things used to be and unleash a little bit of new music onto the Blanathema - something I’ve not got round to doing for a little while.

First of all, I’ll apologize for regularly posting about Manchester-based bands; the places I look for new music are, predominantly based in my local area. As you might expect, then, this next band are once again from Manchester. Maudite Dance is their name and I can assure you that I’m not just picking them to fit along nicely with other such recent mentions as Autokat and Polytechnic (whose album review will be coming soon enough). They list amongst their influences the Rapture and although I’m not a fan of this particular band, you can see where the similarities lie.

I must mention that Maudite Dance is not an entirely new conception; they were originally called the Clerks and sprung out of the French capital before heading over to make their home in Manchester. After some success earlier this year under their former name, supporting the Sunshine Underground and the Automatic, they appear to have reformed with a different line-up (one extra member, I believe) and a different name to go forth and conquer the world.

With songs such as these, too, it’s not as farfetched an idea as it sounds. Whilst I’d never come across the Clerks before, the band’s Myspace allows you to listen to songs from both bands and see where they’ve come from. Maudite Dance isn’t a whole load different, though, but why change something which is already so good. The two songs labeled under their new name are both incredible tunes. Whilst Echoin’, with its sharp, rapid-fire vocals and some very jerky guitars, is very good, it’s Underground, the other free MP3 available on their Myspace, which shows the band at their very best. I just love the dark, powerful tones of those vocals, as well as some quite catchy lyrics. It’s actually quite a haunting performance from the band.

If this isn’t promising enough, have a browse through some of their previous work, specifically The Dissidents; another example of how magnificent this band can be. Anyway, if you only do one thing, just click play below and have a listen to Underground, what I consider to be the band’s most brilliant piece of work and one that promises plenty more slices of indie perfection from these guys. If you like what you hear - and I’m sure you will - just head on over to the band’s Myspace page. Scroll further down that page, too, to hear better quality versions of all their songs and also download your copies of Underground and Echoin’.

x

Manchester Music live review

Mostly formerly The Clerks, as they are billed here - oversee the shift from evening into night with a fine set of dark-fringed post-punk pop. With the name change comes an extra guitar and a shift away from the electro-heavy sound of "Dissidents" et al, deeper into the territory generally inhabited these days by Interpol and other serious-looking types. Yet with Maudite Dance there's an overwhelming sense of joy as well as Joy Division. They're blessed with two excellent leading lights - Max standing so tall he's frequently dodging a low beam and with a classic 80s darkwave voice but a guitar covered in the sort of stickers of stars and cartoon animals that eight-year-old girls spend their pocket money on; then there's Alex, shining in a sparkly dress and exuding St Etienne cool from behind a keyboard that still makes itself known, if a little lower in the mix than it used to be. The interplay between the two as they exchange lead vocals is perfect. "You Are Sound" must be the next potential single, all atmospheric layers and driving bass, but it's not all reinvention - "Dissidents" still gets plenty of feet moving. There's more power behind the pop these days, and it's a rather wonderful place they've found.

Cath Aubergine

The Plastic Ashtray demo review

One of the travesties of 2007 so far besides Paris Hilton not being locked away for longer is that the band The Clerks split up. Whilst still relatively unknown the band whose Anglo-French jolty pop charmed this very site months ago decided to call it a day. Sometimes there’s a twist to every tale and the band reincarnated themselves as Maudite Dance who guess what? They make catchy angular pop! Hurray!
This three track cd shows them in very chipper mood and infact writing better songs than ever before.
‘Echoin'’ centres around some catchy stripped down electro indie pop with bursts of buzz-saw guitar.
Their boy-girl vocal charm is still the main course in this four minute pop stomp. The main thing is these songs aren’t so brash, things are more considered. The circling synth sounds, the Clash style cluncking guitars and New Order basswork all work together to create some fine music!
‘Underground’ follows nicely with some dark disco pop drumming. The bass is thick and moody bringing comparison’s which groups like Bauhaus but without so much doom. There’s certainly a lot to enjoy about this song. It builds nicely with added elements like the twinkling guitars and drum crashes.

Maudite Dance when you compare them to The Clerks are just that step along. Stripping down things slightly and playing to their advantages they have conjured up two great slices of earnest pop. There is no reason at all why this band can’t make a second stab at it. They have all the right pieces in the right order, that equals great music. Trust me.

Pete Stanley

Manchester Music 'Demo of the week'

Featuring former members of MM favourites The Clerks, this Anglo / Gallic outfit have a bigger sound that builds on their previous inventive new wave sounds. “Echoin’ ” is a swirling crash of keyboards and guitars, punctuated by firm, driven bass lines and an underlying alt.rock theme. The chorus punches out with an 80’s indie splendour and elsewhere it’s obvious this is a band with an ambition to fill bigger stages. Maudite Dance have an agenda that essentially embodies an alternative spirit and energy that’s equally as obvious on the widescreen riffs of “Underground”. There’s a sound here that preserves the dark core in a body that beats with a pop heart and the track growls as much as it sparkles. “The Dissidents” is of course a visit back to the song written by former members of The Clerks and it’s sensible to bring such a sharp and memorable track with them. Maudite Dance storm into new territories with an appetitive for angular but lush rock sounds, alternative and soul crushing melodies, set to clockwork beats – it’s very probably the sound of the future – I hope so.

MMMM ½

JA

Sounds Xp demo review

The Clerks are dead, Long Live Maudite Dance

It’s grim up North but even the grey city landscape of Manchester must have its wistful appeal if four French young musician chose northern gloom to the chic bohemian streets of Paris.

The name of the band might have changed, the number of members increased, but the love for the Mancunian music heritage that inspired The Clerks still survives in their new incarnation – Maudite Dance.

Their first demo offering as a 5 piece brings a new injection of energy and pop sensitivity to the band’s music. Infectious keyboards and the light, soft refrain of ‘Echoin’ are a sophisticated sunshine indie pop exercise smartly clashing against the darker Joy Division urgent guitars and sharp bass lines of ‘Underground’, topped only by the familiar feisty boy-girl juxtaposed vocals and bouncy dance beats of first single, ‘The Dissidents’.

The Dance might be Maudite but definitely worth a try.

Elisabetta P.