Téléphone

European punk rock outfit Telephone fused the swagger and energy of hard rock with the urban aggression of punk to emerge as the most admired and influential French band of the post-student revolt era. Loud, snotty, and defiantly primitive, the band effectively reinvigorated French rock in one fell swoop. Though by no means the classic frontman, Jean-Louis Aubert nevertheless transcended his limits as a vocalist and guitarist with sheer aggressive energy, becoming the poster boy for a new generation of French rock icons, while Louis Bertignac's raw, electrifying guitar solos evoked antecedents from Keith Richards to Jimmy Page. ~ Jason Ankeny