New London Music: Bête Noire

Chris Lockie
By Chris Lockie Last edited 114 months ago
New London Music: Bête Noire

Bete Noire

Spiky, edgy, sultry and downright infectious. That's how this band's PR company describes them, and though we weren't born yesterday or even the day before we are in this instance inclined to admit they have a point.

For Bête Noire are a spiky, edgy new band from Bromley and we're writing them up for the latest of our new music picks because it's probably better to have that type of thing on your side than against you. David Hargreaves, Danny Defalco, Billy Bloom, Andrew G and James Whitfield have clearly been listening to music from either side of 1980 and it's done their creativity and subsequently our ear drums no harm at all.

Their new single is entitled D Level Dirt, and it packs a wallop from the get-go. Post-punk is the genre that keeps on giving as each new generation of bands finds a new way to get angry without tipping over into outright flailing about and smashing things, and the song has just the right balance of energy and nastiness to drive itself into your brain and set up camp there. And it manages to sound a bit naughty, as a song called D Level Dirt probably should. You can check out the track yourself below.

The band have three London shows coming up, all in Camden. Firstly they play Proud Camden on 2 October, then it's down the High Street to the Purple Turtle on 11 October, and back up to the Lock Tavern on 19 October. Bête Noire then plan to release a series of singles followed by an EP in early 2015, before moving on to work on their debut album.

Bloc Party and Interpol are the two names thrown around most in relation to Bête Noire, and there's a hint of Placebo in there too, but they are their own band for sure. Heads seem to have been turned — there are positive comments from the NME to be found about this band, and from the frighteningly widespread Clash Magazine, so now is the time to get aboard this particularly dark train.

Bête Noire can be found on Facebook.

See other London acts we recommend.

Last Updated 22 September 2014