ARCHIVED REVIEWS

"...Today's featured artist gave us an instant thought/memory of Sebadoh days upon first review but, after a few listens, we were almost certain at least one of the creative forces involved must be the proud owner of an old Strawberry Alarm Clock record... and yes this is a very good thing. The French Semester is a Los Angeles, California based indie rock quartet consisting of Riaz Tejani (vocals, guitar), Bryan Sullivan (vocals, percussion, keys), Gil Disloquez (bass) and Mark Bullivant (drums). The band's upcoming, full length release titled Open Letter To The Disappeared is currently available for pre-order through Germany based label Beyond Your Mind Records (BYMR Myspace) The next live performance will take place tonight at local Hollywood venue Relax Bar. Lovely to have another good Winter song to bring about the much needed warmth of Spring for those of us who endure seasonal climates... brrrrr...."
-Milk Milk Lemonade March 21, 2008
_________________________________________________________________________

"Welcome to the most interesting folk sensation of the month. Welcome to the best indie Myspace band of this very minute. Sacred songs near the borders of a jarring note somewhere; a multicultural artistic band whose lead singer has Indian blood, the percussionist is Mexican, the drummer comes from England and the bass player comes from Vietnam. A never-ending hymn, breezy, poppy and distorted, that reminds you of Neutral Milk Hotel or post grunge, only a bit sweeter like early Marcy Playground stuff. And by the end of the day your beard will have grown ..in, believe me. American to the bone, filthy from the dust raised from a little imaginary van filled up with flowers and love that the band travels in, reaching your brain and your ears. Simple chords and a very lo-fi sound which scratches the lowest part of reality. Nice songs, good to tell the people that you just discovered a really interesting band. Pop art, some indie rock elements, and light shoegazer vibes. They're all inside this record, inside the most fascinating musical colour of this Friday."
-Indie for Bunnies February 15, 2008
__________________________________________________________________________

"Antiwar Indie craftsmen The French Semester are on the cusp of a full length release on Beyond Your Mind Records. Reminiscent of mid-90s Guided By Voices and early Shins, these guys say incendiary things like, "Another subway to the sky when you send your brightest/People in the name of national affected pride" against the oddly bouncing rhythms of music that could have easily rotated in the early 60s. Instead of lamenting the paucity of political engagement in indie music, they just get trickier and trickier. If you like your songs smart yet very rocksteady this band has your number."
- The Deli L.A. Jan. 25, 2008
__________________________________________________________________________

"Buzz Staff loves local music. We love seeing it. We love hearing it. We love supporting it. So when we got an email from this band, we went on over to their myspace page to quietly judge them, and voila! we liked it! The French Semester hails from Los Angeles, but its four members are a bit more diverse than that. One Indian-American, one Mexican-American, one Vietnamese-American, and one Englishman, the group defines itself as 'immigrant rock.' And they do rock! Buzz Staff detects hints of Velvet Underground, Will Oldham, or Pavement. To be sure, TFS shares some elements of those bands; mainly the sloppy guitar swagger that we find oh so catchy. But luckily they have left out the nonsensical, overly contrived stupidity that makes Buzz Staff hate a band like Pavement. The French Semester actually has something to say. And if they say it in a way that makes you want to go out and shake all your limbs to their indie-pop goodness? well, even better. Check out their myspace page for info on upcoming shows in the Los Angeles area and for info on their new E.P. "Tossed by the Waves she Does not Sink""
-Ten Second Buzz September 9, 2007
_________________________________________________________________________

". . . The foursome considers itself a pioneer in "immigrant rock"--a brand of minimalist guitar rock that reflects the murmurings of human globalization. It is inspired by such diverse sources as Guided by Voices, the Pixies, Buddy Holly and The Crickets, human trafficking, Third Worldism, The Frankfurt School, and the Situationist International. In 2007 the French Semester self-released its debut record "Tossed by the Waves she Does Not Sink." The title is a translation of the latin motto to the city of Paris, France, where NYC-born singer/guitar player Riaz Tejani spent three years living and working on a doctoral dissertation about protest movements. The band also features Bryan Sullivan on percussion, keyboards, and vocals; Mark Bullivant on drums, and Gil Disloquez on bass guitar. Together they are known for their "sloppy catchy" songcraft and musical arrangements, bitingly understated political commentary,lively stage performances, and photorealist concert fliers. The band has enjoyed airplay on both KROQ and KXLU in Los Angeles, and are appearing weekly at choice venues there."
-the deli magazine August 17, 2007
_________________________________________________________________________

"The French Semester is a 4 piece from Long Beach, California specializing in what has been dubbed "Immigrant Rock". Since the band is comprised of one Indian-American, one Vietnamese-American, one Mexican-American, and an Englishman, it only makes sense that they would want to pioneer in this fledgling indie genre. Their sound is a reflection of their varied heritage and melds into a tight, minimalistic guitar sound. The band is currently unsigned and are promoting their debut EP Tossed By The Waves She Does Not Sink, which you can purchase through their myspace page."
-Modsuperstar August 17, 2007
_________________________________________________________________________

"L.A.'s The French Semester have hit the ground running. After getting together just a few months ago, the foursome have already recorded a self-released CD, and have been playing L.A.-area shows left and right, with Safari Sam's and Mr. T's Bowl gigs coming up in the next few weeks. Their sloppy, catchy indie rock can be compared to Guided by Voices and Pavement, but they clearly take some pointers from the Britpop/shoegaze era. Jump on the bandwagon before it expands into a jumbojet or a zeppelin or something."
-Alright Alright Alright June 20, 2007
_________________________________________________________________________

"Long Beach, CA, isn't known worldwide for its indie scene; mostly, it brings images of surfboards and Snoop Dogg. However, I recently came across a band that's traditionalist in its approach of indie pop: lof-fi sounds and a taste for Elephant6-like songcraft (think Guided by Voices, Pavement, Of Montreal B-sides...). The French Semester are four kids (two East Indians, one Brit and one Mexican) who named their band after the guitarist's three-year stay in Paris; he says "the songs are heavily inspired by readings in French critical theory but try to hide that fact". To the casual listener, it sounds like solid indie pop songs, with a taste for crude noise and Californian harmonies. I guess te Swedish Semester is my favourite ("semester" translates as "vacation"), but the French Semester are pretty damn good too. Their EP Tossed by the Waves she Does not Sink comes out may 31st; they also have material for an upcoming full-length....."
-Eardrums May 13, 2007
_________________________________________________________________________

The French Semester - Indie/Shoegaze sound, I've been following their myspace a while now... pretty awesome stuff.
-Looperman
_________________________________________________________________________

 

MISC MUSIC LISTINGS

The French Semester is still modernist: song comes before sound and sentiment before irony. They’re all there. Cardinal rules were heeded, then misplaced. Melodies equipped with hooks, rusty ones, then delivered in their imperfection. Attach them to your body and save them for later: shakey melodies for shaking bodies—they’ll come in handy.

The band was in and of the world. India, Asia, Africa, Europe, and S. America. Where hearts break and mend over basic elements. Water, heat, electricity, and protein. They felt compelled to always remind you, like children in the morning. Pop songs of gestalt, flights of fancy over nationalism, ecology, decolonization, and Empire. Call it the marriage of rolling backbeat and third world nostalgia. The sound of classic roots under rickshaw wheels. Scratchy phonorecords and wet laundry beaten on the rocks.
-Last FM

KillRadio.org "...IS GOOD" w/ Jon Hershfield [Live On Air] :: Tripwire Podcast 034 :: The Hype Machine :: Elbo.ws :: Podcast Directory :: Music Glob :: City Zine :: Upcoming

home :: about :: reviews :: shows :: music :: video :: gallery :: contact

© 2008 The French Semester.
All Rights Reserved. Site design by Gil Disloquez.