When Jean Luc Goddard wrote and directed À bout de souffle, one of the most influential movies of the 60s, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg, did he have any idea how many earnest young men would end up stealing the film's British title for their band names?
Of course he didn't, otherwise he'd have called his film Duran Duran instead. (In case you're wondering, there was only one band to ever use the name Duran Duran... although there is a band called Duran Duran Duran... but I'd stick with Simon Le Bon if I were you.)
Bands called Breathless then... take a deep breath!
BREATHLESS #1
Cleveland, Ohio AOR band who enjoyed a few breaths of success in the late 70s and early 80s with chunky guitars and singalong choruses. Warms my heart, it surely does.
BREATHLESS #2
BREATHLESS #3
Acclaimed dream-pop band (I think Khayem first brought them to my attention) who met while working at the Virgin Megastore in London and released their first recordings in 1984. Amazingly, they're still in the go, having released their 8th album just a couple of years back. Frontman Dominic Appleton also sang with This Mortal Coil.
BREATHLESS #4
German speed-metal band from 1985 who would later change their name to Glory Anthem.
BREATHLESS #5
More German metal, also from 1985. Must have been something in the air.
BREATHLESS #6
Belgium metal band, also from 1985. By this point, I was wondering if it was the fall out from Chernobyl, but that didn't happen till '86.
BREATHLESS #7
If you're the sort of person who gets turned on by record labels, you'll be thrilled to hear that these guys were on Blanco Y Negro in 1999. They were from Spain and their only release appears to be a track called Snow On The Sahara. I imagined something atmospheric, perhaps more dream pop. I didn't get it...
BREATHLESS #8
Greek rockabilly band who arrived on the scene in 2008, but sound like they came from 50 years earlier...
BREATHLESS #9
Female-fronted punk bank from Italy in 2011...
BREATHLESS #10
And finally today, a Thai Goth-Metal band from 2012 led by Narusha Dithabenjakul who also created a comic strip called Bunny Man.
Which ones take your breath away... and which ones leave you gagging for breath?
The only place on the Internet that you will hear Greek Rockabilly and Thai Goth Metal in the same post.
ReplyDeleteOutstanding!
Something to listen to whilst I make a courgette and sultana crumble
ReplyDeleteUp to #5 there's been nothing terrible. Nothing good either, it's all just washed over me as I grated the courgettes
ReplyDeleteFinally, something really terrible, #6. 380 seconds of complete bobbins. #8 was rather good, #9 not too shabby, and #10 is very enjoyable over the top nonsense. A fantastic vocal range, and it could very well feature on vol. 222 of my not-at-all-dodgy Download series. so it's #10, just beating #8 as my favourite today.
ReplyDeleteInteresting - it's not often you prefer the latter songs in the list.
DeleteAnd it is almost as rare that I agree with George but in the absence of anything that stands out the ludicrous bombast of #10 takes it.
DeleteBetween you and CC its a big day for Thai music.