Les Demoniaques

Teenage Lust [postcard flexi] (2011)

Joe Pelone

My first impression of Les Demoniaques' cover of Jesus & Mary Chain's "Teenage Lust" was, "Why?" A side project from shoegaze vocalist Tamaryn and Dum Gum Girls leader Dee Dee Penny, the cover is pretty much in line with what the two artists have achieved separately. Further pushing the question is the physical release. Rather than vinyl, the duo went with an etched postcard, a format that's physical but much more susceptible to wear and tear.

So what I have is a picture of boobs that I paid $5.99 for. Granted, it's a limited-edition printing of boobs with only 1,000 copies in existence, no represses, but it's still just boobs. Boobs, boobs, boobs.

Boobs.

Yet while I can argue for the inessential nature of this 45, I still have to admit that Les Demoniaques do a great job with "Teenage Lust". It's appropriately got that acoustic shoegaze quality folks expect from JaMC, but with cooing female vocals to lend it a whole new kind of haunting grace. The guitars and lyrics glide by, intertwined. It's appropriately spooky for a quasi-goth band named after a '70s horror movie. Granted, folks might be better off just finding the digital version, as it's more environmentally friendly, but the point is that they're listening. Dum Dum Girls' next full-length, Only in Dreams, is due in September. While I expect great fuzz-pop things from that group, hopefully Les Demoniaques will evolve into a more substantial act in its own right, something a little more ethereal but just as enchanting.