review
Troubadour Show Reviewed on News Unlimited
Our first stop on the Broken Compass Tour was reviewed recently by News Unlimited. Here’s what they said.
It can be hard keeping up with the local music scene; bands come and go – you see some make it and then spend the rest of their career telling people you saw them when they were “just starting out”. For that is the natural progression of a band – to start off small and then work their way up to bigger things. Montpelier, a Brisbane four-piece, seemed to have defied all logic and started with the biggest first – and by the looks of it, this is only the beginning to what may become domination of Australia’s indie-pop culture.
It may seem like I’m jumping the gun a bit here (a month ago I had never even heard of the band), but I have since discovered that they recorded their first EP in Fairfax Studios in Hollywood with Kevin Augunas (who worked with Cold War Kids and the Zeros) in Fairfax Studios, Hollywood. Like I said: starting off big. Luckily, I will be able to be one of those who can claim to have seen Montpelier during their humble beginnings as they played the Troubadour along with Claire Whiting and Blame Ringo as part of the Broken Compass Tour. The band is comprised of Dave Butler (vocals/guitar), Greg Chiapello (vocals/bass), Andrew Stone (keyboard) and John Pickering (drums).
Unfortunately, the term ‘indie-pop’ can be more of an affliction than a classification – but the band’s determination to not become defined by the label is what works best for them. Their influences – the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, Arcade Fire, Radiohead and the Shins – can be quite distinctly recognised upon listening to their tracks, but in a way that seem to update and refresh the ‘alternative’ culture of the past.
The songs are diverse. For example, The Rafters contains beautiful harmonies and repetitive pop melodies coupled together in what can be recognised as an uncannily brilliant juxtaposition. And it is not just by chance or luck that these combinations work so well; listening to their self-titled EP reveals this type of layering across many of the songs.
One thing that may be detrimental to the band is that they don’t yet really look like a band. Skinny jeans and thick-rimmed glasses will only get you so far and in my opinion it would perhaps be wise for each of the members to start to forge their own role within the band. This being said, their fans don’t seem to mind at all. They have a distinct group of followers here in Brisbane, and if things keep going to plan, this fan-base is set to multiply big-time.
The review is online here: http://newsunlimited.com.au/2010/08/montpelier-the-broken-compass-tour-stops-in-at-the-troubadour/
Photo by Kate Scantleton from News Unlimited.
EP Review in The Brag
Our debut self-titled EP was reviewed in Sydney’s The Brag.
Broken Compass Tour Review from The Troubadour Show
Our first show of The Broken Compass Tour was reviewed by The AU Review recently. The Tour with Blame Ringo and Claire Whiting was seriously some of the most fun 10 days we’ve ever had. We will definitely be touring again with these wonderful artists again. Anyway here’s what was said about the show:
As a slight contrast, headlining act Montpelier produced a highly polished, smooth sound – something which is an impressive feat by any band, of any measure. This is a four piece who have most certainly found their feet. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t bring on a varied set, either. They take on board quite a lot of sounds – from Foals to Dappled Cities, mixed in with the commercial sounds of a band like Evermore and Powderfinger, Montpelier have quite a lot of potential to make it big. There’s even a good dose of the 90s in their tunes, which they combine with the aforementioned to make their own.
Some tracks were slightly more relaxed, and others quite epic. “Last Boat”, their upcoming single, was brilliant and the easy highlight of the night. Meanwhile “Don’t Change” (working title) proved another amazing point of the set. If the band continue down this track, there’s not saying where they’ll end up. As the saying goes, the skies the limit, and this band should certainly reach for it.
Read the article online here: http://www.theaureview.com/brisbane/montpelier-blame-ringo-the-troubabour-brisbane-29-07-10
Review from Frightened Rabbit Show at The Hi-Fi
Our show at The Hi-Fi in Melbourne was incredible. Crowd was great, Frightened Rabbit were unbelievable. Really really cool blokes as well. Thanks Melbourne for welcoming us so warmly. We can’t wait to come back. FasterLouder reviewed the show and here’s what they had to say.
Brisbane lads Montpelier were first to grace the Hifi stage and gave a great start to the night. Upon early impressions of the band, they appeared to look very mismatched and not particularly cohesive, but once they began playing it all made sense. Their style is a mix of slow rock and alternative synth sounds, with long build-ups in some tracks, and others carrying a real pop rhythm. In the beginning of the set they seemed to struggle with mic control, however this eased up as they got more comfortable.
Both individually and combined, this band showed their ambition through their efforts on stage. Their songs were solid, with the crowd reacting well to songs such as The Rafters and Take a Picture. The shared vocals between Dave Butler and Greg Chiapello worked well to provide variety both in harmonies and solo. Perhaps due to nervousness, or maybe being a little overwhelmed, they managed to mention their band name four times, as well as where they are from. An endearing bunch, this group was obviously very pleased and thankful to be supporting a band they admire so much. Montpelier was captivating, and although at times songs may have bordered on the repetitious in sound, there was always an element of change to hold interest and make people pay attention to them in the future.
Read the article online here: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/reviews/events/24932/Frightened-Rabbit-Montpelier–The-Hi-Fi-Bar-Melbourne-02082010-.htm
There were also some great photos from the night thanks to CazTheTurtle from FasterLouder. Check out the full gallery here: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/gallery/17926/1/Frightened-Rabbit.htm
Single Launch Review on FasterLouder
Our single launch last month was reviewed on FasterLouder.com.au. Here’s a bit of what they had to say about the night:
Turn the tables once again, and main act Montpelier offer yet more points of difference on the musical smorgasbord of the evening. Fresh from a recording stint in Hollyweird, the Brisbane four-piece are a tight and polished pop-rock outfit seemingly from another time and place. This was no polyester-shirt, horn-rimmed glasses, shoe-gazing affair, but unadulterated melodic soaring, backed by some superb uplifting harmonising. Guitarist Dave Butler kicked off the vocal duties, but spent most of the evening wonderfully harmonising below bassist Greg Chiapello’s heart-on-the-sleeve singing style. Drummer John Pickering’s staccato rhythms provided a necessary counter-point early on and significantly lightened the mood in some of the darker moments. Nearing the set’s end, new singles The Rafters and Fireworks were treated to a slight re-working with Larsen joining them onstage for a little extra guitar and vocal kick. With keyboardist Andrew Stone strapping on a piano accordion, the two offerings were clear indications of this band’s ambitions to make memorable, fit-for-the-moment epic rock. The apt rise and fall of Last Boat Out To See You, with its nautical theme and interesting back-story, perfectly illustrated the intelligence and warmth Montpelier bring to their sound and whetted the appetite for more things to come.
Thanks for the review BrisJamin. Check out the full article online here:
