Malajube

There’s just something about shaggy-haired boys in indie rock bands that get me every time, and when they’re singing in French, I only end up blushing even more. While my knowledge of French ended in grade 12, it really doesn’t matter to me what the guys of Montreal-based band Malajube are saying, because their music sounds so good. Winner of three “Felix” awards and nominated for three “Juno” awards this year, Malajube is francophone indie-pop-rock at its best.

Malajube released its first album, Le Compte complet, in 2004, and received play on college radio across the nation. With the release of its highly acclaimed sophomore effort, Trompe-l’Oeil, and addition of guitar and keyboard player Renaud Bastien in 2006, Julien and Francis Mineau, Thomas Augustin, and Mathieu Cournoyer are well on their way to becoming huge rock stars. Trompe-l’Oeil shows a leap in maturity overall from the band’s first album. From crunchy, transcending guitar lines in “le crabe” and the huge hit “Montreal-40ºC,” to the gentler “jus de canneberges” and “la monogamie,” Malajube’s sound is unique, multi-textural, and refreshing. Each song is filled with juvenescence and energy while maintaining a cleanliness and sheen difficult for young bands to achieve.