The Dorques

Listening to The Dorques is a bit like staring into a kaleidescope. No, scratch that -- it's more like riding a shopping cart at warp speed through an empty hypermarket. It's a mess of colors and sensations, whizzing by you. It's a little disorienting, but in a good way. You just know there's a method to all this insanity, but you're too caught up to figure it out, really. You're surrounded by a veritable marketplace of audio pleasures, from all over the world. One moment it's spoken word in Nihonggo, before giving way to a manic indie rock hook. By the next song, it may be a country-tinged boogie, or dirty French pop. The key difference is that you'd never feel alone with this bunch. Joffy Cruz is the de facto ringmaster, a sven gali, frontman, guitar hero, and rodeo clown, all wrapped up in a lanky six-foot-plus frame. His song-writing is the glue holding it all together. Arnel Fabiana radiates effortless cool, his funky bass lines providing a solid bottom end. Tani Santos brings his "New New Wave" pedigree to the band, armed with a recent history of twinning synth-driven punk with organic guitar work. Nina Beltran turns on the charm, tinkling away at the keyboard with reckless abandon, even as she coos in Japanese over the electronic melodies. And did I mention that she's a dead ringer for Maggie Gyllenhaal, if she were a perky chinita? It's no wonder they've gained such a dedicated following. Of course, tireless gigging helps. So does a healthy online buzz, via websites like MySpace, Multiply, AMP by Channel [V], Odyssey Live!, and the Nokia Independent Artists Club. Well, then... are you ready for a Dorquegasm yet? Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.