Pop Noir

Shimmering streams of chiming guitar cascade over deep, dark undercurrents of bass and drums ... it's a unique sound born in the drizzle of Manchester, England, and seasoned in the sunshine of Southern California, as were Joe and Luke McGarry, the 20-year-old British twins who head up Los Angeles indie dancerock trio Pop Noir.
Since their 2004 debut at a concert in an abandoned indoor skatepark in Costa Mesa, California, the McGarry brothers have played more than 150 shows, and their fusion of pounding indie rock and irresistable electro-dance, which one critic dubbed "New Order meets the young Rolling Stones," has attracted a rapidly expanding fanbase along the way, with myspace plays nudging the quarter-million benchmark.
In Los Angeles, Pop Noir has headlined The Viper Room, The Knitting Factory and Club NME at Spaceland, headlined the uber-hip Dim Mak night at Cinespace alongside Steve Aoki, landed a residency at Costa Mesa's Detroit Bar, and supported the likes of Kinky, Mickey Avalon, The Pinkertones and Young Love.
In late 2006, the band made its European debut, playing a packed showcase at Manchester's legendary "In The City" conference, headlining shows at The Windmill and Dublin Castle in London, and filling the celebrated Fleche D'Or in Paris.
Luke, the younger by 45 minutes, plays bass and keyboards, and takes the main vocal duties, while guitarist Joe handles backing vocals and all the programming and production. Onstage, with guitar, bass, keyboards, and an array of loop pedals and sequencers, anchored by the thundering drums of Chilean Nico Saavedra, Pop Noir delivers a stunning live performance that crackles with raw energy and pure electricity.
Sons of an award-winning artist who designed record sleeves for such Mancunian luminaries as Joy Division, Slaughter & The Dogs and Jilted John, and played in bands alongside the likes of Primal Scream's Toby Toman and Donald Johnson of A Certain Ratio, the McGarry brothers were weaned on the post-punk sounds that emanated from the North West of England in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Echoes of the era's influence can be heard in the music that Joe and Luke create: hook-laden songs that delight in dragging indie rock out on the dancefloor for a whirl ... pop at its most infectious ... pop at its most noir...