Pop Noir's unique sound ... shimmering streams of chiming guitar cascading over deep, dark undercurrents of bass and drums ... was born in the drizzle of Manchester, England, and seasoned in the sunshine of Southern California, as were Joe and Luke McGarry, the 21-year-old British twins who head up the Los Angeles indie dancerock trio.
Since their 2004 debut at a concert in an abandoned indoor skatepark in Costa Mesa, California, the McGarry brothers have played more than 200 shows, and their fusion of pounding indie rock and irresistable electro-dance, which one critic dubbed "New Order meets the young Rolling Stones," has attracted a rapidly expanding fanbase along the way, with myspace plays soaring past the quarter-million benchmark. In Los Angeles, Pop Noir has headlined The Echoplex, The Viper Room, The Echo, The Knitti
ng Factory and Club NME at Spaceland, headlined the uber-hip Dim Mak night at Cinespace alongside Steve Aoki, landed residencies at The Key Club in Hollywood and Costa Mesa's Detroit Bar, and supported the likes of Doves, The Wombats, Sebastien Tellier, Iglu & Hartley, Kinky, Mickey Avalon, The Pinkertones and Young Love. When "Pop Noir" released "Girls of Prey" as an exclusive download single on RCRDLBL recently, the track soared straight into the Top 10 Downloads, alongside the likes of Santogold, Moby and Tokyo Police Club.
In late 2006, the band made its European debut, playing a packed showcase at Manchester's legendary "In The City" conference, headlining shows at The Windmill and Dublin Castle in London, and filling the celebrated Fleche D'Or in Paris. The band will play more European dates in late 2009.
Luke, the younger by 45 minutes, plays bass and keyboards, and takes the main vocal duties, while guitarist Joe handles backing vocals and all the programming and production. The addition of Chilean powerhouse drummer Nico Saavedra completes the line-up. Onstage, guitar, bass, keyboards, and an array of loop pedals and sequencers, anchored by Saavedra's thundering drums, sees Pop Noir deliver a stunning live performance that crackles with raw energy and pure electricity.
Sons of an award-winning artist who designed record sleeves for such Mancunian luminaries as Joy Division, Slaughter & The Dogs and Jilted John, and played in bands alongside the likes of Primal Scream's Toby Toman and Donald Johnson of A Certain Ratio, the McGarry brothers were weaned on the post-punk sounds that emanated from the North West of England in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Echoes of the era's influence can be heard in the music that Joe and Luke create: hook-laden songs that delight in dragging indie rock out on the dancefloor for a whirl ... pop at its most infectious ... pop at its most noir...
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