Les Georges Leningrad, Sangue Puro

Post-punk, aka electro-punk, aka avant-garde rock. Who the hell is Les Georges Leningrad (not to be confused with the notorious gypsy punk band from Russia, Leningrad), and what the hell are they doing to my headphones? Self-proclaimed “petrochemical rockers,” Les Georges Leningrad are a trio of bohemian all-stars from Montreal who, on their latest album, Sangue Puro, have adopted a largely unexplored genre of electronica that sounds like it was conceived as the bastard child of Blondie and Fugazi at a Bad Boy Bill concert.

With a radical percussion attack, the group throws down hardcore beats on almost every track on Sangue Puro and matches them with psycho feedback, chain-saw guitars, and fax machine/Matrix-y sounds, to boot. Meanwhile, lead singer Poney P. growls and shrieks over the loud, gritty chaos composed by the other two members, Bobo Boutin and Mingo L’Idien. Between progressive post-punk songs of filth and fury, however, Sangue Puro offers sophisticated experiments in world beat rhythms. Songs like the African-oriented “Eli Eli Lamma Sabachtani” and the old-school, punky hip-hop groove of “Sleek Answer” provide interesting forays into roots music, giving listeners a view of where the band is going based upon its influences.

Despite lyrics unintelligible and music that’s as frantic as it is weird, this album really does hit the mark as far as what makes interesting music interesting. Sangue Puro provides a unique energy without losing its frame of reference, giving it an especially fresh sound. I like the album because, much like the modern world, despite the violence, despite the eccentricities, through it all blindly, it almost actually makes sense in the end.