Le Villejuif Underground, a French bunch of riffraff centered around Australian poet Nathan Roche, originated in a squat in the Parisian banlieue Villejuif. They’ve been touring the French café- and squat circuit for years with their dirty mix of garage rock, pop, country and disco. Some larger festivals like Dour, Rock en Seine and the European Showcase Festival Eurosonic have featured them as well. Through some random circumstances, the band even ended up in China, touring with Chinese top 40 acts: an experience about which Roche wrote ‘Wuhan Girl’.
If you like your shows no holds barred and drenched in red wine, Le Villejuif Underground will be just the kind of concert for you. Frontman Nathan Roche is a true whirlwind on stage, combining French intellect with Australian cowboy vibes. If you appreciate the chaos of King Khan & The Shrines, Fat White Family and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, you’ll be right at home here.
After an LP through French label Born Bad Records, Le Villejuif Underground returns this spring with a 7”, about which Roche stated that he’d never touch another instrument over 5” tall.

Do you remember the dingy American bands from the mid-90s, which released songs that would make the Smashing Pumpkins green with envy but also sounded like recording equipment was just something they could never afford? Maybe you don’t, but Bryan’s Magic Tears could easily have been one of those. This French combo uses ‘teenage angst’ to create an emotional wall-of-guitars, and wraps its silver melodies in a thick layer of rust. If you love to rock out to bands like Sebadoh, Hüsker Dü, The Replacements and Missions of Burma, you owe it to yourself to check out Bryan’s Magic Tears.