Heritage. Toulouse: zoom on Armadillo, the haunt of the rock spirit, at Les Carmes
By Toulouse editorial staff
Published on
“Among the nuggets, on the first reissued albums of Neil Young with period covers, those of the Byrds thanks to the Edsel label or even the complete lives of Jimi Hendrix at Winterland in October 1968″.
Living Encyclopedia of Rock
Antoine Madrigal is a living rock encyclopedia. the record store, co-founder in 1988 with Benoît Binet of Armadillo, knows rock artists and bands from every angle, from the classics to the most unknown. Even if it means going beyond consensus and pre-established patterns. When he talks about the New York scene of the 70s, he prefers to mention the group Television and Richard Hell than Patti Smith. And when pressed to choose his preference between the Beatles and the Stones, he replies… the Kinks. “They described England in the 1960s with devastating distance and humor. They are a bit like musical ‘Ken Loach’”.
From “Nineteen” magazine to radio shows
In the 80s, this enthusiast, a subscriber to outings on foot, to Isle-Jourdain (Gers) and at Boulevard du Rock, near the Matabiau station, would already pass on his passion, with his sidekick, through “Nineteen”, a fanzine that quickly became a reference magazine of the genre.
“We didn’t recognize ourselves in the new wave and the big hits of the time. In October 1982, we launched this title, in homage to a piece of the first 45 rpm of the Dogs, a rock group from Rouen”.
For six years, the time of 27 issues, they wrote articles and conducted the most detailed interviews, with an appetite for American garage rock. “In the 60s and 70s, it was underground rock, where the style was quite raw and the sound wild, with fewer instruments than in traditional bands. Mainstays include the Sonics who are to the garage what the Beatles are to pop, with their debut album Here Are The Sonics in 1965, and hits like The Witch and Strychnine.”
At the same time, they produce Going Loco and Dig it, two radio programs on the local antenna of FMR and organize in the Pink City and in the region concerts of both French and American garage groups.
psychedelic rock
The psychedelic also particularly holds Antoine’s attention with Thirteen Floor Elevator.
“He is the first to claim this movement, with a more fragmented musical style linked to the consumption of illicit substances, in particular LSD. As for the cover of their first opus “The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators”, it is visually very beautiful with the eye and the pyramid”.
This musical scene finds its quintessence around Love, with mixed success, remained in the shadow of the Doors and the charismatic Jim Morrison, and which today finds a second youth among connoisseurs. “An extraordinary group. One can even consider technically that Arthur Lee, the leader of the group, was the alter ego of Jimi Hendrix”, concluded Antoine Madrigal.
Matthew Arnal
.
Was this article helpful to you? Note that you can follow Actu Toulouse in the My Actu space. In one click, after registration, you will find all the news of your favorite cities and brands.