Indie Darlings Shine at Pitchfork Avant-Garde Showcase in Paris

Last month, the Pitchfork Music Festival Paris kicked off on November 3rd with a show from Blood Orange at L'Olympia. The performance, set against a backdrop of screens, featured Devonté Hynes, Eva Tolkin, and the magnetic Ian Isiah playing songs from the new album Essex Honey as well as older favorites, including a minimalist string version of the Smiths' "How Soon Is Now?"

The festival also included the annual Pitchfork Avant-Garde showcase, a three-day event highlighting up-and-coming acts. In the intimate bandshell of La Mécanique Ondulatoire, the London quartet, comprising vocalist and guitarist Toby Bardsley, drummer Beth Diana, guitarist Lawrence Bordean, and bassist Adam Anderson, delivered a wholehearted set that was appealingly shaggy and '90s-inspired. The band marked their first French show with the new single "Warm" and the more ballad-like "Dreams," closing with "Nevermind," a nod to their heritage T-shirts.