Duchess Says

Montreal's Duchess Says formed in 2003 out of the mysterious "Church of Budgerigars." The group's members, keyboardist/guitarist Ismael Tremblay, bassist Philippe Clément, vocalist/guitarist Annie-Claude Deschênes, and percussionist Simon "Simon Says" Besre all claim to have come together out of their membership in this little-known church to further the religion's message through music. The group also self-identifies as "Moog rock," mixing synthesizers with dancy punk rhythms. The band's first album, Anthologie des 3 Perchoirs, arrived in 2008, and they supported the Yeah Yeah Yeahs that year on a U.K. tour. The group became known for intense live shows, especially for the crowd-taunting antics of charismatic frontwoman Deschênes. The group released both an EP and a split 7" single with Red Mass in 2009 and followed with its second full-length recording, In a Fung Day T!, in the fall of 2011.