By Chris Ziegler

Between Childish—who contributed Stuckist artwork to the vinyl—and cavemannish is Operation S, who unstuck the two tuffest people from French ponks the No Talents (one-and-a-half being singer Cecilia) and put them in a band that puts a keyboard in the back. The new-wavey songs are too gooey but “Je Vois Des Gens” has promise: you can hear the bassist’s knuckles click over his pickups and the rest is antsy guitar/drums and pucker-up-bay-bee giggles from Cecilia. Like Jackie Taieb made mes amis with Poly Styrene—dirty songs delivered with a sidewise smile. Self-described “punk wave” just means someone got a synth when they used to only fetch drinks, but this is still unreconstructedly primitive—songs that sound as happy blind as blind drunk.

Operation S with CH3 and The Stitches. Alex’s Bar, 2913 E Anaheim St, Long Beach 90804. 562.434.8292. Fri 9pm. Call for cover. 21+.

Tags: To Do