This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
I have no idea if Tim Vanhamel, the leader of Belgian quintet Millionaire, is as rich as his band name would suggest. But it’s obvious from their debut disc Outside the Simian Flock that the singer-guitarist boasts a wealth of musical influences.
You can hear Pixies in his choppy riffs, quirky subject matter and nasal vocals. You can hear Queens Of The Stone Age in the chugging robo-rock riffage. You can hear Devo in his mongoloid guitar twang. You can hear dEUS — with whom he has toured as a sideman — in his artsy approach and abrasive textures. You can even hear a little Beefheart in the floppy boot stomp of his beats and the angularity of his licks. And when you hear ’em back-to-back, it makes this 12-song offering a quirky little gem indeed. Here’s hoping Vanhamel stays outside the musical flock — even if he doesn’t get rich doing it.
