This is the third installment of December's Three Stars. On Wednesday, we covered The Bonapartes, and yesterday we discussed The Lucky Bastards. Today, we bring you Lejeune.

Lejeune

Not too long ago, several DCists headed to DC9 to listen to a trio of Three Stars candidates. By the end of the second act's set, we felt comfortable about featuring either of the bands we'd heard. It was getting late, and we all had to get up for work the next day. Martin and Ryan headed out; this DCist decided to stick around for a couple of songs before braving the frigid bike ride home. Lejeune took the stage; I ended up staying for the entire set.

The first thing you notice is Greg Gendron and Ody Leonard's rhythm section — this is a band that plays tight live. Soon enough J. Forté's filling synths and Sam Bishop's Michael Stipe by-way-of Robert Smith vocals assert themselves, and evoke fond memories of songs on HFS whose names you never learned. But it's the half-surf tones of Matthew Richardson's clean, delayed hollowbody electric that define the band's live sound: crisp, loud, and classic. In short, these guys sound like the band your best friend's cool older brother wouldn't stop listening to during his first summer home from college.

Lejeune's self-titled, eight-song debut has earned them the attention of podcasters and satellite radio; their live show makes them worthy of yours. They were nice enough to correspond with DCist about their background, plans, and thoughts on the city's music scene.

Visit them at: www.lejeunemusic.com

See them next: Lejeune will be playing an early show at DC9 on Tuesday the 13th, but the best show to catch might be their headlining gig at Iota on the 20th. You can find sample mp3s on their website, or buy Lejeune's debut LP from CD Baby or the iTunes Music Store.

Questions for Lejeune:

Your bio says that you got together in summer of 2003. Can you tell us anything more, or are you trying to cultivate an air of mystery?

Sam: It’s not that we’re so much interested in cultivating an air of mystery; rather, we’re just trying to avoid telling a longer story that might not be that unique in the realm of band origin stories. However, it does begin with a fun little anecdote, so I’ll try to present an abridged version.

Matthew and I have been playing music together for sometime now. We met in 2001 while working in an Alexandria restaurant — he was a new sous-chef; me an increasingly jaded waitron. Matthew distinguished himself from the rest of the kitchen staff by his choice of headwear — technically, they were not porkpie hats, but they were close enough that I would tease him by asking when his Madness tribute band was playing out again. This line of questioning became decreasingly entertaining for him over time, so one night he finally shut me down by saying, “Look, I don’t play ska, but I am looking to start a band.” As a somewhat reclusive bedroom-based singer/songwriter, this was the entrée that I’d been waiting for, which began a conversation, which turned into a band. But not this band.

Over the next two years, Matthew and I fine-tuned our collaboration while our rhythm section continued to change — bassists and drummers left for other projects or Iceland. When we finally met Greg and Ody in 2003, we were ready for a more permanent line-up, and, conveniently, both of them were looking for a long-term home. That they were enthusiastic about what we were doing was very encouraging, as was what they brought to the table: Ody’s bass playing upped the sophistication factor, and Greg’s metal-hewn drumming effectively killed any sissified leanings we had. The combination felt solid, so we celebrated the new beginning with a new name. Enter Lejeune.

As a band, we continue to have conversations about what kinds of additional players might help to round out our sound. To that end, we’ve been very pleased lately to have J. Forté (ex-Ape House) joining us on keyboards at recent shows.

From reading your comments in past interviews, it's clear that you guys know and love the city's rock scene But Lejeune's sound isn't shared by many of your local peers. So where did it come from?

Sam: “Where didn’t it come from?” might be a better question. I was raised on the radio pop of the 70s and 80s. My folks were big fans of Simon & Garfunkel and The Beatles, and one of my favorite records, Paul and Linda McCartney’s “Ram,” I actually stole from them. I didn’t really get into college rock until, well, college, where I learned to alphabetize my CD collection so people wouldn’t find Wham! accidentally placed next to Morrissey. Of course, that only exposed the juxtaposition of Stereolab and Styx.

With the band at large, though, while we have overlapping tastes, it’s where we diverge that makes it most interesting for us. Matthew and I share a love for Duran Duran, but he has spent some serious time in the goth and punk arenas. And while Ody played bass in a New Orleans style funk band before joining Lejeune, both he and Greg are quite deft at name-dropping indie bands, despite Greg’s thorough education in the school of “heavy metal” rock (i.e, Sabbath, Megadeth).

You've played a lot of venues in the area. Got any favorites?

Sam: We played Iota at the very beginning of the year, and it was a genuine pleasure. They really take care of their performers. Their soundman was one of the most accommodating we’ve worked with, and, as a result, we enjoyed probably our best-mixed show to date. That said, we are really looking forward to returning to Iota on December 20th for our show with The Positions.

Your first recording session turned from an effort at making a demo to creating a genuine album. Were you just more comfortable in the studio than you expected to be?

Ody: The credit for that belongs with Mr. Dennis Kane, our engineer. He whipped us into shape and had us knocking out songs in record time. Plus we were having so much fun, nobody wanted to stop recording.

Sam: I think location played an important role, as well. At the time of the recording, Matthew was living in Richmond and working at the historic Hotel John Marshall, which is located downtown. The hotel was — and I believe still is — undergoing renovations, and many of the floors were not being used. So the lot of us, Dennis included, lugged our gear down to Richmond and set up shop on an unoccupied floor about three stories above any paying guests. Having that much room — and we really spread out — allowed us the freedom to find the set-up, or set-ups, that worked best for the recording. Plus, the exceptional views of downtown Richmond provided an inspiring backdrop.

Your MySpace page says that last month you returned to the studio to work on a new EP. Where did you record, and how did it go? Any word on a release date?

Ody: Well, you can’t believe everything you read on the internet. Case-in-point; we actually postponed the sessions when we stumbled on some inspiring new directions for some of the songs.

Sam: Yeah, having an additional hand in the mix — i.e., J. Forté — has made us rethink what the songs are capable of becoming. We don’t plan on putting it off for too long, as we have our location and engineer lined-up — we’ll again be recording with Dennis Kane in a nontraditional studio setup — and are really excited to begin the process. In the meantime, we should probably update that information, no?

Ody: To quote Orson Welles — or at least the brilliant ad copy read by Orson Welles in those famed Paul Masson spots — “We will sell no wine before its time.” But be on the look out for some new sounds online before long.

We like to ask Three Stars acts what they consider to be the best and worst things are about the D.C. music scene ? What do you think?

Ody: This is a gratifying town to hail from musically. There are good venues owned and operated by people who actually care about the music. People who could probably be making more money working for a beltway bandit. You have to appreciate the folks in D.C. that encourage artists — especially musicians — because D.C. has to scratch and claw every day to prove that it is a creative community. There’s a tendency to write the Washington area off as a place with no creative soul.

What are your favorite local acts?

Sam: I still hold the pop near and dear to my heart, and thankfully there are a number of quality purveyors in the area. My current faves include The Antiques and Pagoda, not to mention J. Forté’s solo work — J. might be D.C.’s answer to Stephen Merritt. I know Matthew digs The Antiques, too, and is also a fan of The Opposite Sex.

Ody: We in the Lejeune rhythm section are champions of locals Gist and Verbal. Personally, I also enjoy Five Maseratis, Red Racer, John Previti’s Mingus/Monk Tribute, and The Pietasters. Greg has also expressed his appreciation for Metropolitan and The Chance.