Monthly Archives: March 2010
Start a War in a Bookstore
While we were on tour in Sydney we played an acoustic gig at this little bookstore cafe. Greg and Dave went to find a place to do vocal warmups and stumbled upon an awesome room in the downstairs part of the shop. We felt inspired to record a song down there. So here’s Start a War in a Bookstore.
EP Launch Show at The Zoo
After touring our EP down the East Coast of Australia for the last two weeks we got home yesterday. We’ll post about the tour a little later but this one’s all about the Brisbane launch.
To each one of the more than 450 people who made it along to The Zoo on March 5 we’d like to thank you for making our EP launch an amazing night for us. Thanks to Timothy Carroll and Tin Can Radio for playing some incredible music on the night as well.
Here are some photos and a few videos from the show. Andrew Tallon and Elleni Toumpas were great behind the lens as always. Check out their work!
Sydney EP Launch
Last Friday we played our Sydney EP Launch show at The Gaelic Theatre in Surry Hills. First off, The Gaelic is a very very cool venue. Thanks to everyone who made it to the show. We had a great night. Music Feeds was there and this is what they had to say. Thanks for the kind words Shestyn.
I like Montpelier. I don’t know whether it’s their beautiful music or that they’re a bunch of good-looking, well-dressed young blokes. Either way, the fondness exists. Okay, so pretty faces aside…
Whether you’re a fan of sentimental indie pop (think Death Cab for Cutie) or passionate indie rock (Arcade Fire style), the Brisbane band caters for all with an individual sound that encapsulates both and then some. Their songs aren’t your standard clone pop numbers, yet are catchy enough to imagine on some top twenty music list. This charming quality carried across from their debut self-titled EP to its Sydney launch at The Gaelic Theatre Friday night.
Montpelier are an act worth seeing live. Vocalist Greg Chiapello has a powerful, stirring voice that is a great asset to the band, and their passion and talent carries across in their performance with heartfelt precision. They played songs from the EP such as the Celtic-flavoured ‘Take A Picture’ (reminiscent of The Pogues) and a selection of other songs, ranging from a bluesy number to the nostalgic ‘Last Boat’. I would have liked to have heard even more of the EP though – don’t hold back, fellas!
Preceded by rock band Sunroom, the contrast in atmosphere and audience with Montpelier was astonishing (exchange Tool t-shirts and mosh pit for composed kids wearing glasses and pretty dresses). Their lyrics are wistful and poetic, revealing that those of the male species can be as profound and romantic as the rest of us. Strong drums and guitar amplified the rock element, while melodious keyboard and persistent harmonies reinforced the sentimentality. The intimate Gaelic Theatre provided a fitting atmosphere for the emotional intensity that comes across with Montpelier.
Montpelier left the best until last with ‘The Rafters’, a catchy tune marked by a fantastic keyboard riff and the subtle vocals of Dave Butler. The song was welcomed with crowd-clapping and dancing and finished with a communal chorus singing “oh-oh-ohhh…”. I amusingly recalled singing along in the same passionate way listening to their EP in my bedroom. Montpelier are proficient at spirited, anthemic phrases which draw the crowd into their colourful world of “comets” and “fireworks”.
A talented bunch, Montpelier have great potential and are one to watch. The next step is getting their music heard, so let’s all sing along—in, and out, of our bedrooms. In their words: “let the music play, doesn’t matter where you are.”
You can read it online here: http://musicfeeds.com.au/gig/montpelier-ep-launch-the-gaelic-theatre-120310/
AIR Staff Pick
The Australian Independent Records Labels Association chose Montpelier as their staff pick for this week. This is really special for us. Thanks AIR and for all the good work you do for Australian music. Here’s what they had to say:
Montpelier… timeless Australian indie-pop.
If I was a thoughtful, modern man and wanted to be a band with integrity and class (and I was a good singer and could write great music) then I’d probably record earnest songs about love with subtle string arrangements and slow building crescendos. I’d also set them to uncomplicated visually arresting film clips which are about love too. Wouldn’t you?
There’s something about Montpelier which to me smacks of class. The name of the band, the beautiful packaging of their EP, the unresolved nature of the love story in this film clip and their songwriting. There’s a subtlety there that tells me that they think hard about their music, their web presence and themselves. Big things I reckon, that’s what’s going to happen to Montpelier.
Read it online here: http://www.aircharts.com.au/airstaffpicks
The Rafters (Official Music Video)
On Friday night we launched our first record, our self-titled EP. We also premiered our first ever music video for the song “The Rafters”.
It was directed by Brodie Rocca, produced by Bec Blomberg, and stars Chris Beavon and Katrina Lilwall. Thanks guys for doing such a wonderful job and for working so hard. We owe you immensely.
So here it is, our first video.
