The Fashion

Danceable post-punk band The Fashion made a big splash in their native Denmark with their 2003 debut album, but the core members of the group — singer Jakob "Plastic Kid" Printzlau, guitarist Anders Find Axelsen, and bassist Christian Lignell Bækholm — had been playing together since 1995. All three hail from the town of Svendborg, and their joint musical ventures had ranged from industrial metal group Faceplant to the punky Joyphilter. Despite developing a strong fan base in that latter incarnation, they decided to start again from scratch after the departure of Joyphilter's drummer, drafting in Jakob Ankaer Johansen on drums and Christoffer Griebel on keyboards. A three-song 3" CD on the indie label North Post led to the newly formed group signing with BMG, who released their debut full-length as the Fashion, 2003's Rock Rock Kiss Kiss Combo. The upbeat singles "Let's Go Dancing" and "Roller Disco Inferno" blended the spiky guitar rock of the internationally burgeoning dance-punk trend with a particular sprightly sense of fun comparable to fellow Danes Junior Senior. Despite some success across Europe and attention from MTV and Rolling Stone, they took an extended break from touring and recording, during which members of the group went back to school, started families, and honed their songwriting. Now a four-piece (keyboardist Griebel had departed shortly after the release of their debut), the band returned in 2007 with a slightly harder-edged self-titled sophomore album, including the poppy singles "Like Knives," "Solo Impala," and "Letters from the Ambulance." The Fashion was slated for a 2008 release in many countries, including the U.S., and the group planned an extensive international tour to correspond. ~ K. Ross Hoffman, Rovi