Apocalyptic D.C. septet Le Loup enjoy long song titles, Dante’s Inferno (see “Canto XxXVI”), pretty electro-acoustic arrangements, dips in the local rivers, and the convergence of multiple devotional voices. Ahh, the perfect septuple date.
The band’s debut The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millennium General Assembly was titled after the lifework of reclusive (aren’t they always?) outsider artist James Hampton. Fitting, because sometimes listening to Le Loup is a bit like reading the side of a Dr. Bronner’s bottle (see/hear, for instance, “We Are Gods! We Are Wolves!,” below), albeit with jubilant ‘n’ skittering bumps, low-bit percussion, hand claps, the slight shadow of a Spacemen 3 guitar burst, bells, sighs. The group’s fronted by Sam Simkoff, who handles voice, banjo, computer, keyboards, percussion, toy instruments, zither, and the band’s loupy philosophies, but no way he could go it alone. Oh yeah, Le Loup is “The Wolf” in French. Wonder if this’ll inspire a bunch of “loup” bands? Loup Parade? Loup Eyes? Etc? Whatever. Check out the “this world was made for ending” space-choiring of “Planes Like Vultures.”
Doomsday never sounded so sweet. Here’s their first single, for your PMP.
The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millennium General Assembly is out 9/11 on Hardly Art. Tour dates after the jump.
09/07 – New York, NY @ Piano’s *
09/08 – Fredericksburg, VA @ The 3rd Floor @
09/17 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theatre %
09/18 – Louisville, KY @ W.L. Lyons Brown Theatre %
09/19 – Bloomington, IN @ Buskirk Chumley Theater %
09/29 – Washington, DC @ The Black Cat ^
10/03 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom+
10/22 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506 #
10/23 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn #
10/24 – Orlando, FL @ Taste #
10/26 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon #
10/27 – Austin, TX @ The Mohawk #
* — w/ Jukebox the Ghost
@ — w/ Travis Morrison Hellfighters, Statehood, Rocky’s Revival
% — w/ Andrew Bird
^ — CD release party! w/ These United States
# — w/ Georgie James
+ — w/ Nightmare Of You
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WEEE!!! Me love ginormous images!! That is one big band.
fantastic band! excited for their upcoming show in nyc…even better, bigger sound live. thanks for this post.
thanks for digging this up! I haven’t been moved to hear more from a new band in quite a while. i was beginning to feel disenchanted honestly… anyway, i feel much better now. thanks!
p.s. i also checked out that artist James Hampton’s stuff. Really freaking crazy. Sort of Darger-esque fantasy world type stuff.
OCTOBER 3rd @ BOWERY BALLROOM W/NIGHTMARE OF YOU, NYC
This is a really nice find. I’ve never really found a Sterogum-featured artist that I’ve been this excited about. I can’t wait to pick up the album.
more upcoming tour dates..
09.07.07 — New York, NY — Piano’s *
09.08.07 — Fredericksburg, VA — The 3rd Floor @
09.17.07 — Lawrence, KS — Granada Theatre %
09.18.07 — Louisville, KY — W.L. Lyons Brown Theatre %
09.19.07 — Bloomington, IN — Buskirk Chumley Theater %
09.29.07 — Washington, DC — The Black Cat ^
10.22.07 — Chapel Hill, NC — Local 506 #
10.23.07 — Atlanta, GA — Drunken Unicorn #
10.24.07 — Orlando, FL — Taste #
10.26.07 — Baton Rouge, LA — Spanish Moon #
10.27.07 — Austin, TX — The Mohawk #
* — w/ Jukebox the Ghost
@ — w/ Travis Morrison Hellfighters, Statehood, Rocky’s Revival
% — w/ Andrew Bird
^ — CD release party! w/ These United States
# — w/ Georgie James
That song is amazing–and they’re my homeboys!
wtf is up with wolves-related shit in every stupid indie band name?
found this thru the hype machine and am making my first blog comment b/c of it! very original – spacey yet beat driven. new fan!
this is the coolest thing I’ve heard in a long time…
this album is like zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
also, the title pushes the pretentious level into the red.
Wait, you have the album?? Where’d you get it? I want one!
Outstanding live band! Easily worth the price of admission. Not sure if a CD could do them justice.
can’t agree with the live praise… but maybe they’ve improved.
in any case, i’m really looking forward to seeing them develop. great stuff.
Love these guys. Until you’ve seen them live, you only really know, at most, 37% of what they’re capable of.
I love you, Jim.
that guy with the beard? sooooo HOT.
I am so glad that you featured this band they are amazing and was surprised to find them on here actually, but I hope it won’t be the last time. Perhaps they could get plug since their cd was released yesterday?
these kids are great. fantastic show with Exit Clov and Jukebox the Ghost at Pianos…