Retro French Rock from Mustang

By Admin, Published on March 21st, 2012, Updated on July 29th, 2020

Photo of Mustang by Nicolas Auproux

The French band Mustang keeps it old school. A band obsessed with the origins of Rock ‘n’ Roll, they incorporate Tennessee Honky Tonk and Rockabilly, Punk, Surf Rock, and New Wave into their retro sound and add a uniquely French twist.

The French have done Rock before, of course, and it’s often an awkward pairing. But like their peers BB Brunes, Mustang has managed to make it seem like a natural fit.

Mustang was formed in 2006 by three school pals from central France, (Jean Felzine, Johan Gentile, and Rémi Faure). The band counts among it’s influences Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Lou Reed / The Velvet Underground, and The Stooges.

Clearly, Elvis Presley impacted lead singer Felzine, as evidenced by his dance moves, slick pompadour, and even the way he croons. They even described their debut album, A71, as an imagined encounter between the Punk band Suicide and Elvis, but all in French.

They’ve taken something American and made it their own. Their sound is very niche and it definitely isn’t for everybody, but if you like old time Rock n Roll, then check out their work.

After releasing a couple of self-produced EPs, the band began to get press coverage, thanks to their participation in major music festivals. They were selected for the Découvertes (Discoveries) du Printemps de Bourges, a prestigious festival and showcase for new artists, and also got written up after performing at Les Francofolies (another big music festival in France).

Le Pantalon

Le Pantalon is the first EP the band released after being signed to a boutique record label in 2009, and 3 of the songs from it made it onto their full-length album later that year. They delve into a bit of Surf Rock on the titular single, as evident by the electric organ, reverb-drenched guitars, and ample tremolo.

Tabou

In 2011, Mustang released their sophomore album, Tabou, which further showcases their mastery of retro Rock. The sound of the title track is definitely rooted in the 60s, though they do sample something from every era from the 50’s to the 80’s.

The song “Ce Qui M’branche” is unbashedly Elvis, and so are the hiccups on “Niquée,” and so is the title track.

I can’t explain what’s going on with the dog and the crocodile, but Mustang’s videos are always a tad offbeat and tongue-in-cheek, punctuated by Felzine’s deadpanning for the cameras. Check out “Tabou”:

More Music

The group’s next album was called Ecran Total.With generous helping of 80’s Electro / Synth interspersed between the Tennessee twang, this album should be more accessible to people than their previous efforts. But Felzine’s Elvis-haunted vocals remain firmly in place.

“Les gens serieux” is really cool, and is my early pick for a forthcoming single. I also like “Mes oignons (ne font pleurer que moi).” The title track was released as the leadoff single. Here’s the follow-up, “Le sens des affaires.”