Pop Music Reviews : Dancing French Liberals of ’48 Frolic at Bob’s

Despite the amusing band name, the Dancing French Liberals of ’48 wasn’t born out of the most jovial of circumstances. The group, then known as the Gits, was among Seattle’s most promising bands before its singer, Mia Zapata, was murdered in 1993. The remaining members regrouped last year, took the new moniker and recently released a solid album.

The quartet--which has an awfully long name for a group whose songs mostly clock in at less than three minutes--now plays an accelerated style that may not be breaking the originality barrier, but serves as great music to drink, pogo and shoot pool to.

There weren’t a lot of people to see the band Thursday night at Bob’s Frolic III, a tiny bar/club off Santa Monica and Vine. But most on hand knew the band well. It played speedy hardcore and punk with an upbeat edge, and while the music wasn’t quite as distinctive without Mia’s raspy, blues belts, it still came off compelling and strong.

Singer Andy Joe Spleen sang in no-frills tones, spraying out lyrics with machine-gun speeds and measured precision. His mates contributed anthem-like back-up vocals, but also let out intermittent howls that gave some songs a renegade and sort of spontaneous feel.

Considering what the band has been through, it’s commendable that the Liberals are even in existence. But the icing on the cake is that the band is also good.