My evening at the Velvet Lounge was off to a rough start. Grating keyboards, an eye-burning smoke machine, and a crowd that was just a bit too crowded for me. I turned to the dark-haired guy standing next to me, on a night when the local band Let’s French was sharing a ticket with three others, and yelled into his ear “Which band is this?” After he told me, I yelled back, “Do you know when Let’s French is going on?” The guy cocked his eyebrow at me and replies, “I’m in Let’s French.” I turn three shades of red and babble something about him not being French. And really, I should have known. My requisite internet research was done, I had checked out their pictures, listened to their music. But on a night when the three bands to go on first -- including New York's Valeze and Delaware's The Metrosexuals, who both have a distinctly last-year-electro/new wave sound -- I wasn’t sure what to expect from Let’s French or who exactly these characters would turn out to be.

Hailing from Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights, Let's French is comprised of Randy Chugh on lead vocals, Maxwell Sorenson on lead guitar, Matt McCoy on Drums and Tim Gibbons on Bass Guitar. With a website stating Charles De Gaulle as a collective influence, and making claims of the French exile, my interest was piqued.

When they finally came on at the Velvet Lounge’s small upstairs room, the crowd had thinned out a bit and the smoke machine's smoke had subsided. Right off the bat I noticed the lead singer’s strong vocals. His sound is reminiscent of Interpol's Paul Banks', but Let's French's tone is more quirky and care-free. Their strongest song of the night was “Boys and Girls” and the beginning actually has a repetitive guitar lick that also sounds a bit Interpol-esque. However, the Interpol comparison ends when the background vocals kick in. They harken to the often whimsical and effervescent nature of early Beatles, and gave the song a certain innocent qauality that I quite liked.

Another stand out song that evening was “Razor’s Edge,” opening with a guitar riff that exposes the band's Soundgarden influence (as stated below), as it sounds rather mid-90’s grunge. The song’s character changed drastically as Randy began to sing. This may sound strange and perhaps will turn people off (though it shouldn't), but I was reminded of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” from one-hit wonders Deep Blue Something. Despite being the last band to perform, Let's French started out strong and kept up an enthusiasm for their own playing and for the audience throughout the performance.

Ultimately, Let’s French -- while clearly gleaning musical styles from a variety of bands -- were the most original band of the night. Strong vocals, playful lyrics and background vocals, and the general energy of the band elevated them above generic indie rock basics. Let's French has the legs to grow into something really unique with time.

Visit Let's French online at:: www.myspace.com/letsfrenchdc

See them next: At Wonderland Ballroom on September 7th, and Velvet Loung again on September 29th.

Questions for Let's French:

How did you start as musicians and come into the D.C. music scene?

Randy: I was playing the open mic circuit, Matt was dreaming of finding a place to play his drums, Tim was too busy silk screening, and Max was playing with another group. One day I saw Max playing and it was love at first sight.

Max: Yeah Randy approached me rather awkwardly and asked if I’d be interested in joining his revolutionary cause, and possibly playing some music as well. And I think you met Matt at a party?

Randy : Yes, actually it was one of “those” parties, where everyone has to be “cool." A very select group.

Favorite Venues? Either to play at, or to check out a band?

Max: I just went to the Rock’n’ Roll Hotel for the first time, I was disappointed when they told me the breakfast buffet wasn’t included in the price of the room, but the space is a great place to see a band. As for playing, DC9 has always been good to us, but all of the local venues are great. We just played the Red and the Black and it was great.

What do you like, and what don't you like, about the D.C. music scene?

Max: What I like, eternal friendship. What I don’t like, it’s incestuous and catty.

What local bands are you listening to right now?

These United States, Middle Distance Runner, Deleted Scenes, Greenland, Kitty Hawk, Let’s French

What was the last CD each of you bought?

Max: I stopped buying CDs, but my vinyl collection is blossoming. I just bought a Beach Boys record, “Surfer Girl.”

Randy: Superunknown, Soundgarden

What are each of your musical influences?

Matt likes Pantera, and Max listens exclusively to the soundtrack of Fellini’s Dolce Vita. Aside from that I guess you could say Roy Orbison, Neil Diamond, the Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Kinks, and oh yeah, Soundgarden, big time Soundgarden fans.

I personally think your lead singer, Randy, sounds uncannily like Paul Banks of Interpol. What do you think of that comparison? Who else do you think you sound like?

Max; I didn’t know Interpol was doing music these days, I thought they were spending more time tracking down bootleggers distributing black-market VHS. Honestly, I never heard Interpol until after I joined this band. I can see the comparison because they both sing in a lower register, but I don’t see much else they have in common.

Randy: I can’t hear my own voice when I sing, so it’s hard for me to judge. I think we sound like Let’s French.

What's the future looking like for the band? Any plans to tour or try to sign to a label?

Max: Well yes, we’d like to do both. We’ve had some indie labels express interest, but for now we’re producing our material ourselves. We’ll be beginning work on our full length at the end of this month. It will be spectacular.

On your MySpace profile, you claim to be French exiles in “hopes of bringing about a violent revolution in the United States under a party program advocating a three hour work day, socialized medical treatment, and croissant for all.” Has that goal been scratched completely? Who is the creative genius behind your myspace profile?

Randy: Actually, that revolution was achieved at 9:00 last Wednesday, but the bourgeoisie have prevented that information from being disseminated through the media.

Max: We are still the musical wing of a radical leftist anarcho-syndicalist party, which will remain unnamed. As for the creator of the profile, I wouldn’t say he’s a genius, but I would say he’s remarkably good looking and charming.

Finally, where is the best place to get a croissant in DC?

Mid City Fish Company