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The Bon Mots
In 2000, Michigan-bred veterans Mike Coy and Eric Chial, whose groups Big Angry Fish and Mitch recorded for Chicago collective Beluga Records in the ‘90s formed The Bon Mots. They brought in Mike’s long-time drummer Kevin Hoetger, who in turn brought in multi-instrumentalist Chris Frantisak, in Light FM and Urge Overkill at the time, to play keys.
The group recorded their debut le Main Drag in 2002 with Neal Ostrovsky (drummer for The Webb Brothers (Warner UK) at his B-Side Audio studio in Chicago. Following Kevin’s move to Austin, Texas in 2002, Jason Styx hit skins for the group at many shows until Neal took over as the group’s permanent drummer in 2004.
Released in late 2003, le Main Drag received significant national college and commercial radio play. The group’s strong songwriting, mid-sixties informed spooky jangle, and British mod and New Zealand pop influences garnered glowing reviews in SPIN, All Music Guide, Amplifier, Big Takeover, USA Today, Chicago Reader and New City, Portland’s Dagger, F5-Wichita, Copper Press, and the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times, among many others.
The Bon Mots have performed on bills with Bob Mould, The Church, The Minders, The Smithereens, Carbon Leaf, The Redwalls, Wheat, The Waco Brothers, and many other great bands, and were invited to play the BMI Stage at Lollapalooza in August 2006.
The group released its second long-player, “Forty Days and Forty Nights with the Bon Mots” on September 28, 2007. www.thebonmots.com www.myspace.com/thebonmots
Reviews of le Main Drag:
SPIN: If Le Main Drag is any indication, the Bon Mots are one of the most promising new bands out there. Before long, they might have a chart-topping double LP on their hands. Think Spoon with a shot of simmered down Hot Hot Heat and a nod to the Yardbirds to boot.
AMPLIFIER: The promise of effusive melodies and surefire hooks may be the initial lure, but a further listen defies any attempt to easily categorize them as mere revisionists. Theirs is a skewered delivery, an atmospheric, heavily textured ambiance that makes their approach sound slightly somewhat aloof and less embraceable than those they're said to emulate . . . they more accurately resemble bands like The Church and REM, groups that also draw on '60s references but often filter them through a hazy, psychedelic sheen. Droll vocals contribute to this perception . . . there's an understated irony that frequently underscores their bittersweet melodies.
JIM DeROGATIS, THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Appealingly jangly psychedelic/power-pop drawing on the familiar influences of the Byrds and Zombies but rise to the top of this always-overcrowded genre by virtue of its strong songwriting, atmospheric keyboards and the swirling production of its 12-song album..”
JACK RABID, THE BIG TAKEOVER: The New Zealand sound of Flying Nun and circa 1986 British whisper-kiss style is alive, with nods to The Chills, The Bats, Church, Help!-era Beatles meets Squeeze and Elvis Costello.
MONICA KENDRICK, THE CHICAGO READER: A lush, mature, and audacious mix of heady guitar fizz and old old-fashioned pop songwriting – a pinch of Zombies and Kinks here, a dash of The Smiths and The Clean there, a splash of something slightly Soft Boys for spice.”
ALL MUSIC GUIDE: The Bon Mots just may be Chicago's best-kept secret. Lush, dreamy odes, head bopping, hummable numbers, and hazy, jazzy, dark and rumbling tunes cement just how dexterous these guys really are.
TIM HINELY, DAGGER: They take the best part of late 80’s New Zealand Jangle (think Straightjacket Fits) and blend it into their own near-perfect stew. Named as Dagger’s Top “Under the Radar” Record for 2003
F5 WITCHITA’S ALT PRESS: Chicago’s The Bon Mots possess much of the same wry mania that Guided By Voices helped originate; they marry it with the kind of insights that are no doubt lurking behind Rufus Wainwright’s marble-mouthed mumblings.
INDEPENDISC (Record of the Year, 2003): The Bon Mots channel an old-school, New Wavy, Garage, Pop rock that reminds us of The Hollies crossed with The Jam, and sprinkled over with a bit of Squeeze and Elvis Costello and the Attractions.”
Reviews of FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS WITH THE BON MOTS:
CHICAGO READER (Monica Kendrick): People give a lot of lip service to the arsenal of vintage gear this Chicago band has stockpiled. I guess when it takes you four years to release the follow-up to an acclaimed debut, the fans have to find something to talk about. But the new album, Forty Days and Forty Nights With the Bon Mots (Mellifluid), sure was worth the wait. The two principal songwriters, Mike Coy and Eric Chial, deliver 13 songs of sensuous Rickenbacker 12-string and flirtatious organ that sound like they were frozen in amber and polished until they could all but emit their own light. This is a record-release party; Welcome to Ashley opens. Friday, 10 PM, Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, 773-227-4433 or 866-468-3401, $8.
CHICAGOIST (Tankboy): The Bon Mots' profile has long been on the rise, including a spot on last year's Lollapalooza bill, and it seems certain to only climb higher with the release of their sophomore effort Forty Days And Forty Nights With The Bon Mots. Singers/guitarists Mike Coy and Eric Chial again share songwriting duties, alternating spots on the track listing, and again we find ourselves enjoying the way the two men's complementary yet conflicting styles complement each other. Coy tends towards the more straightforward tempos and sunny melodies, while Chial traipses through territory marked by Byrds-ian guitar flourishes and a slightly unbalanced rhythmic delivery that keeps the listener engaged and on their toes. Both men have a severe weak spot for the sugary beauty of pure pop, and both have an uncanny knack for composing songs that make one want to snap their fingers from side-to-side while doing the shimmy-shimmy-shake. The new disc also benefits from the addition of Neal Ostrovsky's solid drumming that manages to swing while still nailing down the beat. His chops help the band get a little grit in there, giving their songs better traction and a more solid presence. The band's secret weapon, though, just might be keyboardist Chris Frantisak. He hides in the background, but his layers of keys and vocal melodies support everything the band does. We're looking forward to seeing all four men replicating the savoir-faire and fine wit of this album at their CD release party this Friday.
CHICAGO NEW CITY (Tom Lynch): For an intoxicating dose of slap-happy, sixties-inspired pop look no further than The Bon Mots' upcoming "Forty Days and Forty Nights with the Bon Mots," an improvement on the band's debut "le Main Drag" and a fun excursion altogether. Opener "Walk to California" is especially hook-filled, followed by the jangly, smooth "Past or Present," a beach-bum kind of song that makes the most of the band's vocal harmonizing, if only for brief moments. And "On Her Telephone" is pure pop bliss, a bit like what the Lemonheads used to do so god-damn well. An entirely light, enjoyable record from start to back, it's nice to know that The Bon Mots exist in this cruel, cruel world. Tonight the band celebrates the record's release.
DAILY HERALD (Mark Guarino): This is a CD release show to celebrate "Forty Days and Forty Nights with the Bon Mots," the second album from the Chicago band that, since debuting four years ago, remains one of the area's best-kept secrets. In recent years the band's knack for lush harmonies, big guitar riffs and gauzy psychedelic textures puts them in league with early-era R.E.M. and classic Byrds records. Live, they prove to be more than revisionists, delivering songs just as strong on their own.
www.AVANTCHICAGO.com (Brent Kado): If you were into any facet of indie music in 2004, Le Main Drag by the Bon Mots was an album you most certainly heard or heard someone talking about. The group's debut garnered more ink and college radio play then most band's could wish for in a decade. Spin called the Bon Mots, "one of most promising new bands out there," and the Reader claimed that Le Main Drag was, "a lush, mature, and audacious mix of heady guitar fizz and old-fashioned pop songwriting." From the Sun-Times to USA Today Le Main Drag got stellar marks. Now after almost three years the Bon Mots return with their sophomore release, Forty Days and Forty Nights with the Bon Mots. The band has expanded their sound with more lush harmonies and deeper instrumentation. Take a listen to Emily's Birds and On Her Telephone on their Myspace page and you'll hear the Sixties style pop wadding in atmospheric haze. And while Forty Days and Forty Nights has yet to go on sale you can get an advance copy Friday at the Hideout and see the Bon Mots and Welcome to Ashley for only $8. See the band (and get their album) that everyone will be buzzing about in a few months from now.
[edit] Sources
Chicago Tribune, 9/28/07, "On the Town" p. 18, by Andy Downing Chicago Reader, 9/27/07, Section Three, p. 2, by Monica Kendrick Chicago New City, 9/27/07, Music, by Tom Lynch
From USA TODAY: A Bon beginning This morning I've been hanging out with The Bon Mots, a Chicago-based band that wound up with Lollapalooza's first slot at 11:15 a.m. Singer Eric Chial says that's all right with him, since the folks slated for later this afternoon will face even more oppressive heat. “I don't think I've ever played this early in my life,” he added, “but it's a great opportunity to pimp the band.” The Bon Mots have been together since 2000 -- you can hear their 2004 debut, Le Main Drag, for free on their website. Chial, dressed in all white, says another perk to the early gig is he's free to roam the grounds afterward. On his must-see list: Eels, Cameron McGill and Ween. (Today's biggest dilemma, it seems, is whether to check out The Raconteurs or My Morning Jacket at 6:30 p.m.) When he's not playing bass and guitar for the Mots, Mike Coy teaches physics and chemistry at a local high school. Already he's run into a couple students, including one who's now a nanny for Spencer Tweedy, son of Wilco singer Jeff. This year two Tweedys play Lollapalooza: Wilco performs Sunday, while young Spencer plays a gig with his band, The Blisters, in the “Kidz” tent later this afternoon.
Posted at 11:54 AM/ET, 08/04/2006 in Music | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)
www.thebonmots.com www.myspace.com/thebonmots
170.74.0.41 20:33, 1 October 2007 (UTC) Articles for creation/2007-10-01
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