La Scala
Press
"The Harlequin" - TimeOut Chicago
March 24, 2008
The dilettantes in La Scala dress like Sicilian intellectuals and drape a similar style over smokey new wave, garnished with a touch of the Gypsy. But with a singer named Balthazar de Ley crooning about counts, wine and bon vivants, it feels like brilliant branding. The local quartet supports its fresh apéritif, The Harlequin EP.
"The Harlequin" - TrebleZine
March 23, 2008
It's a shame that post-hardcore is, for the most part, dead. There are a few bands here and there still keeping the spirit of Midwest and D.C. agit-punk alive, but most of those who were part of the movement in the '90s have since moved on to other things. Balthazar de Ley, formerly of Hum, is one such musician, having moved away from Champaign style power-pop-punk to a strange, carnivalesque rock more reminiscent of Gogol Bordello or The World/Inferno Friendship Society. That said, it's pretty awesome. His band, La Scala, plays a distinctly European-sounding approach to post-punk, with touches of his powerful, abrasive past converging with dizzying circus waltzes on "Bon Vivant" and classy, continental pop on "Parallel Lives," which actually harkens back to early '80s post-punk more than anything else. "The Harlequin" is spooky and alluring, like peak-era Pulp, yet "Draculina" is closer to a more abrasive, castanet-clacking Interpol. The Harlequin is a damn good introduction to this new, exciting band, and even more commendable is the packaging. Released as a seven-inch, The Harlequin actually comes with a CD version as well, with a bonus track no less. So while convenience is taken into consideration, sound quality is foremost, and no matter what, you can have it both ways. – Jeff Terich
"The Harlequin" - Friction NYC
March 11, 2008
Sounds like a nice strange mix of stellastarr* and Gogol Bordello.
