Long Beach, CA, isn’t known worldwide for its indie scene; mostly, it brings images of surfboards and Snoop Dogg. However, I recently came across a band that’s traditionalist in its approach of indie pop: lof-fi sounds and a taste for Elephant6-like songcraft (think Guided by Voices, Pavement, Of Montreal B-sides…).
The French Semester are four kids (two East Indians, one Brit and one Mexican) who named their band after the guitarist’s three-year stay in Paris; he says “the songs are heavily inspired by readings in French critical theory but try to hide that fact”. To the casual listener, it sounds like solid indie pop songs, with a taste for crude noise and Californian harmonies.

I guess the Swedish Semester is my favourite (“semester” translates as “vacation”), but the French Semester are pretty damn good too. Their EP Tossed by the Waves she Does not Sink comes out may 31st; they also have material for an upcoming full-length. Below are three brilliant songs, stright from their latest recording session!

The French Semester – Arrowheadings
The French Semester – Paradise
The French Semester – The Day of the Barrel

The French Semester on Myspace