Parisian Orgy: S/T 12"

Parisian Orgy: S/T 12” (Neon Taste Records) We know Neon Taste Records mostly from the hardcore punk records they’ve given us from groups like Bootlicker, Chain Whip, and Imploders, but the label’s discography includes a couple of curveballs, the latest being the debut vinyl from Calgary’s Parisian Orgy. Parisian Orgy’s debut isn’t a smooth jazz record or anything, but it has a different energy than hardcore punk... adjectives like playful, feminine, contemplative, and experimental come to my mind. To me, Parisian Orgy fits into the same stylistic universe as some of the early Rough Trade Records bands or the wider UKDIY movement. As with the Raincoats, Swell Maps, Young Marble Giants, Desperate Bicycles, etc., you can hear punk’s energy in Parisian Orgy’s creative drive, as well as in the scrappy, very DIY nature of their recording and performance. However, Parisian Orgy doesn’t sound like they’re trying to ape a particular sound (at least to my ear)… just doing something similar in making ambitious music with limited means. People who aren’t looking to slot Parisian Orgy’s music into some extant historical milieu have described them as “slapstick synth pop” and “cabaret meets Pee-wee Herman,” and while I like how evocative those descriptions are, I don’t think they get at the whole wide-screen view of what Parisian Orgy’s music encompasses, especially over the course of this richly varied album. If you’re ready for a break from all the screaming and are up for a record that’s artistically ambitious, homespun, and very un-macho, this is a great pick.