The term “Indie” is everywhere these days. This catchall buzzword is liberally applied everything from pop punk and emo, to alt-country, nu-metal and a host of other post-grunge, alternative genres. But for all of its implications, the term no longer carries with it the panache it may have had a few years ago. Indie is now mainstream, just like alternative music became in the ’90s. So if you fancy yourself as an indie fan, get over it…you’re part of the corporate machine now.
Buzz-band-of-the-month Louis XIV, are the latest product to be shoe-horned into the category. But upon listening to the band’s full-length debut The Best Little Secrets Are Kept, aside from some lo-fi tendencies, nothing could be further from the truth. There isn’t much angst, introspection, political correctness—or even seriousness—to qualify this as a bona fide indie release. In reality, the album is rife in rock debauchery, packed tightly into its sprawling anthems, and beset with distorted guitars and vintage glam-rock swagger.
What makes the story interesting is the fact that the band is an offshoot of lazy roots rockers Convoy—the quintessential Indie band. The San Diego outfit garnered a loyal following a few years ago with its reflective country- material, but unfortunately didn’t sell too many records. Three of Convoy’s members went back to the drawing board, and voila, Louis XIV was born…and while they were at it, they obviously studied a few vintage rock classics along the way.
The album’s opener, the snotty “Louis XIV” sets a sardonic tone for the rest of the material in an affected, self-aggrandizing stomp. “Finding Out True Love Is Blind,” the album’s first single ups the ante with salacious lyrics aimed squarely at the fairer sex—but remember, since Louis XIV are still considered an “indie” band, and not a “misogynistic hard-rock” band, they can get away with it (note hint of sarcasm). Either way, it’s minimalist trappings are offset by a big chorus guaranteed to make a recovering rock addict fall of the wagon. “A Letter To Dominique” is an absolute dead ringer for T.Rex’s “Metal Guru,” down to the faux-Flo and Eddie background vocals, while “Pledge Of Allegiance” is another glam-flavored morsel, this time biting off bits of Gary Glitter in the process. “Illegal Tender” seems like an homage of sorts to AC/DC’s FM-rock classic “Big Balls.” The song’s infectious aristocratic-style rap morphs into a rousing chorus Angus and company surely wouldn’t scoff at.
With all of its references to past rock luminaries—particularly in the ‘God save the Kinks” line in “Ball Of Twine”—it’s hard to figure out just where exactly the band is coming from. Are they fans merely wearing the influences on their collective sleeves, or comic-book caricatures just poking fun, Spinal Tap style? In Jason Hill’s vocals there’s more than enough irony to spare, so it would be easy to make the assumption that Louis XIV is a post-modern novelty act, trying to enhance their indie cred with a few bits of tongue-and-cheek kitsch. And if this is the case, the band pulls it off well. But, in all of its campy sex talk and rock posturing, there’s a certain spark that has been virtually absent in popular music for nearly a decade or more—a sense of depravity and spectacle that imbues The Best Little Secrets Are Kept, making it an album that should appeal to far more than just the Indie horde.
+ Jim Kaz
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