I don’t remember how I came across Toupée; like the ghouls they are, they probably wormed themselves into my brain like an amoeba from contaminated tap water. After some simple Facebook stalking and checking out a few tracks, I was transformed into a huge fan; this phantom band had completed their mission of telepathic mind control.
A few days before Toupée’s show here in Providence, I Bandcamp.com’d a copy of their full length, Leg Toucher. It is an era defying enigma that drags you through the Goth punk/noise wave of the 80’s (think Tinderbox/Juju-era Siouxsie and the Banshees or some of the more trashier Bauhaus songs) and then through the 90’s Kill Rockstars, Dischord era of “punk” and “post rock” (Circus Lupus, Slant 6, and Excuse 17) to early Babes in Toyland and Dog Faced Hermans (without the horns). With the current influx of throwback bands trying to revive the Joy Division/Banshees-ish 80’s Goth Rock sound and failing hard, Toupée has taken these ideas and carved them into their own brand of gut-churning, gloomy rock and are running with it.
Like mentioned above, Leg Toucher reminds me of the movie It Follows; things sound/look familiar but you can’t put your finger on when and where your brain has assigned these familiarities and to what decades. This album could have comfortably been released anywhere from 1980 to last week (I mean, look at that album cover). With this said, there is a genius to Toupée’s song writing and the dynamics of their craft. Songs like “Sensai, Swami, Guru,” “Gramma in the Slamma,” and “Constrictor” summon the sonic and funereal darkness of Siouxsie and the gang and at the same time evoking the more sullen and grittier tracks on Babes In Toyland’s Spanking Machine. Songs like “Mommy Is a Mummy,” “Glitter Roach,” and “Fort Knight” are where more of the 90’s post-rocking (god I hate genre terms) comes in. Creeping and angular guitars, shifting percussion, and vocals that weave in and out of demonic possession remind you of the days when the majority of active bands in this era and scene were captivating and energetic. There are other songs on Leg Toucher that range from no-waveish to noise rock. In my eye, Leg Toucher is a crucial record for 2015 and quenches the thirst for a sound that a lot of people currently crave but have not been able to find.
So yeah, I saw Toupée live last month and it was awesome. The songs on Leg Toucher translated well and were raw, engaging, and gritty, just like rock should be. The vocalist/bassist performed a variety of theatrics during her performance, adding another layer of mystery to what this band is all about. Another plus was her split-personality vocals, growls, and screeches that soared perfectly over the music, creating one of the best voices in rock right now.
Rating: 5.25 out of 6 Doves – Prince’s Minnetonka Tea Time was interrupted when he overheard Toupée’s Leg Toucher and thought for a split second that it may almost be as good as one of his own. After splashing his cup of tea into his ankle masseuse’s face, he went downstairs into his studio and wrote the best mind-melting neo-funk-jazz-fusion box set known to man.