Another day, another new and exciting band I ran across whilst idly browsing MySpace.  Well, not knicker-soilingly exciting exactly – I mean, Pete Doherty is unlikely to give up crack for these guys – but lots of bizarre joys for you to wrap your listening kit around.

The Moulettes wander a terrain that should be quite familiar to Toad readers – somewhere inbetween the  ghostly anachronisms of the wonderful Paris Motel and the carnival folk of, erm, well any number of bands I love.  There’s an Englishness to them that reminds me, oddly enough, of Johnny Flynn & the Sussex Wit and occasionally a melodrama that recalls modern day Kate Bush reinterpreters.  Is that enough comparisons for you yet?

They started off a few years ago with guitar, cello and bassoon.  Yes, bassoon.  This is rock ‘n’ roll, bitches, what else did you expect?  Anyway, they’ve added drums, guitar and fiddle since then, which brings a brilliant head-over-heels pace to proceedings when they all get going – try the completely brilliant Cannibal Song for an example – and gives the impression of a folksy bar-room orchestra gone horribly astray.  I wouldn’t say I was completely smitten with everything of theirs that I’ve heard, but a good chunk of it is just brilliant – in a “Fetch Me Gin!” sort of way.

They’re an impulsive band from the sound of it, and seem to be more caressed by their collective muse when performing live than in the clinical environment of a recording studio, so there are two live EPs to be purchased, so go to their MySpace page for a preview and to buy – I’m guessing you’ll have to contact them directly for this.  There’s a few live dates coming up, all down South unfortunately for me, but this is absolutely the band to see live so I’d be really keen to get there if I were you.

And just in case you didn’t think I was a vain, superficial fellow, here’s what Hannah said in her email when I asked for a little information about the band:

I also have an inexplicable love of the word toad, especially if the oh sound is elongated, which may in part have originated from the fact that my mother used to call me a ‘mucky toad’ which I received with gleeful delight.
So I feel we share some common ground.

*Preens & twirls moustaches in a debonaire fashion* Why yes my dear, I do believe we do.

The Moulettes – Cannibal Song
The Moulettes – Devil of Mine
The Moulettes – Blood & Thunder