Somehow...a band called Angine de Poitrine, from Saguenay, Quebec in Canada...has become the most talked about thing in music in quite some time. I mean, look at these guys (are they guys? I think so) and tell me if they look serious to you. The one on the left has an inverted pyramid for a hat, a long tubular nose like a sausage, fake blonde braids, and plays barefoot. The one on the right has a gigantic helm, although his eyes are clearly seen through the mouth slit, shoulders bigger than David Byrne's in the "Once in a Lifetime" video, and a big saggy nose. Both are adorned in white or black polka dots. What is this madness? Despite their outfits being a cross between Kiss and Primus, they're selling out venues like the Burton Cummings Theatre in Winnipeg, Manitoba for as much as $350 a seat or more! So who are they? All we know is that they go by Khn de Poitrine (guitarist) and Klek de Poitrine drummer). Being from Quebec, French is likely their first language. And the name? It's French for heart attack, more specifically for coronary artery disease. Their music is classified as math, progressive, and experimental rock. I've tried to like math rock, but it's usually so boring and predictable that I gave up on it long ago. And yet, there's something to like in the strange chords, and the predictable gives way to the unpredictable. Whether this is human-influenced or chaos theory, who can say. Khn, the guitarist, has a double-necked instrument with a 6-string guitar above a 4-string bass. If you look closely at the guitar, you may notice that there are too many frets. That's how they access what I've learned are called microtonal quarter notes. They make extensive use of looping, and despite the normally boring math rock drivel, they create compelling grooves. Check out this video for an in-depth analysis of their music and rise to fame. Meanwhile, the duo has appeared on Jimmy Fallon's late-night show this year, and have made fans out of the likes of Jack White, Dave Grohl and DJ Deadmau5 and have even played at the Calgary Stampede.
A few songs to check out - all instrumentals - are below. And don't bother looking for interviews with the duo - they only respond in what sounds like an alien language.
