Kevin Bronson on March 22nd, 2013

0

[File under More People We Should Not Have Missed at SXSW But Did:]

Citizens! sound far too young to have any idea what “True Romance” really is, but that’s part of the dodge here. The London five-piece melds stabbing electro-pop and ’70s glam into punky, funky dance-pop that masks its hard, chewy center with the sweetness of adolescence. Singer Tom Burke and mates Lawrence Diamond, Mike Evans, Martyn Richmond and Thom Rhoades have been embraced by pop confectioner Kitsuné, the French label known for its mood-elevating sensibilities. The band’s album “Here We Are” was produced by Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand, and maybe it’s us but you can hear his minimalist touches all over it. You can also hear some deep breathing, but that’s another story.

||| Stream: “True Romance” and “(I’m in Love With Your) Girlfriend”:

||| Download: “True Romance” (Gigamesh remix)

||| Live: Citizens! play tonight at the Echo along with Lovelife and Torches.

||| Watch: AFter the jump, check out We Are From LA’s video for “True Romance,” during which love and all hell break loose: