Parisian Orgy Parisian Orgy LP
Wonky art-punk from Calgary, where the “art” in question skews heavily toward a theatrical/performance sensibility—toy instruments, handmade outfits/costumes, a genuine troupe of freaks building their own hodgepodge world from the detritus of synth pop plasticity, off-kilter new wave, and the warble and wobble of late ’70s/early ’80s DIY. Classic femme-punk references abound within: “Cream Dream” flirts with the playful post-no-wave polyrhythms of LIZZY MERCIER DESCLOUX before upending into blown-out basement punk outro, French electro-wavers TOKOW BOYS are paid tribute via a relatively faithful cover of “Four Boys,” and Gwen Morgan’s vocals veer from coolly delivered spoken word in the late-night dub drift of “Jazz Song for Shrimp” to ecstatic shrieks over the bouncy bass/synth-driven beat of “Come Pretty Pump Sleep,” bringing to mind ALGEBRA SUICIDE’s Lydia Tomkiw fronting PINK SECTION and PINK SECTION’s Judy Gittelsohn fronting ALGEBRA SUICIDE in equal turns. I’m imagining unexpecting, Neon-Taste-following hardcore men having their minds bent into pretzels by this record, and it brings me immense joy. Magnifique!