Superbus

French rock band Superbus were formed in 1999 by Jennifer Ayache upon her return from a seven-year stay in the U.S. Michel Giovannetti and François Even co-founded the original lineup, with Patrice Focone and Guillaume Roussé later added to the roster. Inspired by both the sound and visual iconography of pre-Beatles rock & roll, the group took its name when Ayache saw the word "superbus," meaning proud and superior, in a Latin dictionary. In the spring of 2002 Superbus issued their debut LP, Aéromusical, and while the record entered the lower reaches of the French charts, its 2004 follow-up, Pop'n'Gum, proved to be their commercial breakthrough. ~ Jason Ankeny