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  Malajube - Etienne D'Aout
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The indie music hotbed of Montreal is steaming again. Malajube is a Canadian pop-rock quartet that in 2004 quietly impressed hungry listeners with their debut record Le Compte Complet and more recently has drawn favorable praise for their second album Trompe-l��il, which is yet to even reach the US.

With sounds oscillating between rock, punk and bubblegum pop, Malajube distinguishes themselves with intelligent and meticulous French lyrics (no English here, except during a secret track), abrasive guitars, virulent bass, nervous keyboards, and raging drums. Although hailing from the artistically rich music scene, the group has a sound unlike any of their geographical contemporaries, and in fact, has heard superlative comparison when mentioned alongside Montreal pride Arcade Fire.

Le Compte Complet was released in November �04 on the independent label, Dare To Care Records, and was recorded at Ground Zero studio by Martin Pelland from The Dears. This record originally propelled their sounds into Quebec�s musical universe, many songs charting in all the region�s college and university radio stations and on Musique Plus.

In 2005, Julien Mineau (vocals, guitars), Francis Mineau (drums), Thomas Augustin (keyboards, vocals) and Mathieu Cournoyer (bass) entered the studio to record Le Compte Complet�s follow-up. Still on the Dare To Care imprint but now recorded at Breakglass and Beat Box studios in Montreal by Ryan Battistuzzi, Trompe-l��il sees the band collaborating with the likes of Pierre Lapointe (singing on �Montr�al -400 �), Loco Locass (on �La Russe�), and members of Les Trois Accords and The Dears. Fans of the band�s performances of the last two years will recognize some of the included songs, but Trompe-l��il is an additionally �improved� Malajube. The new album captures and energizes elaborate, carefully crafted, catchy, and melodic tracks such as �Casse Cou,� �La Monogamie,� and the standout single �Montr�al - 400�. In spring 2006, with new member Renaud Bastien (guitar,keyboards), Malajube toured Scandinavia, then headed to France to promote the overseas release of Le Compte Comple, on the Ladilaf� label.

Now pushing 22,000 sales in Canada (and still counting), along with winning the GAMIQ (Gala de l'Alternative Musicale Ind�pendante du Qu�bec) prizes for Artist of the year and Best rock album, Trompe-l��il has also earned the band a nomination for the Polaris Music Prize (Canada�s answer to the Mercury prize as well as 6 nominations at l'ADISQ and a nomination for the Prix de la Chanson Echo, for their song �La Monogamie�. Since the first album came out, Malajube has extensively toured the country and abroad with invites in festivals such as Osheaga and Les Eurok�enes, CMJ, turning on industry-heads and listeners alike. Moreover, the band won the Rising Star and Nova Awards at the last Mimi Gala in Montreal.

November 14th 2006 marks the US domestic release for the album.