Jamaica, courtesy.

This story originally appeared in the Oakland Tribune.

When up-and-coming French electro-rock band Poney Poney changed its name to Jamaica in 2009 after the trio lost its drummer, the name change wasn’t meant to create any controversy. It was a calculated effort to stay hip.

“We really had to get rid of this name because animal names were pretty out-of-date at the time,” singer-guitarist Antoine Hilaire said in a recent telephone interview from Paris. “Our drummer left and we needed some fresh air. People know a lot about Jamaica, thanks to reggae music. It’s pretty sunny and catchy – and a smart name for a band.”

The problem for Jamaica, which performs Tuesday at the Independent in San Francisco, was that while its infectious guitar pop is sunny and catchy, and very reminiscent of Phoenix, another French band that has found success in America, it definitely was not reggae. Initially, the name change also drew the ire of Jamaica’s – the country – intellectual property administrator.

“They realized it was ”… an artistic thing,“ Hilaire said. “We didn’t mean any disrespect or, like, a joke. When we played in the U.K., we met some guys from Jamaica, and they said it’s a really cool name. So that’s OK,” he laughed.

The trio, which includes bassist Florent Lyonnet and, now, drummer David Aknin, originally formed in 2007. The guitarist and bassist were friends who decided to leave their jobs at the time to start a band.

Hilaire said his job at a record label wasn’t going well, anyway.

“I didn’t know that I was supposed to sign bands that would sell loads of records,” he said. “I thought I was supposed to sign bands that were really good.”

Lyonnet and Hilaire shared a love of American hook-laden rock ‘n’ roll, and Hilaire described their debut album, “No Problem,” released stateside earlier this month, as “American music with French accents.”

Because they sing in English, the Parisians immediately were compared to Phoenix, with whom Jamaica shares a label in France.

“Definitely I think (Phoenix) allowed people outside France to believe that French bands with guitars were interesting and relevant. So we really have to thank them,” Hilaire said.

But the boys in Jamaica do not know the musicians in Phoenix very well and have a lot of work to do to catch up with that band, which has released four albums and won a Grammy.

“Even their first record was better than our first record,” Hilaire laughed. “I really hope we are following in their footsteps because I think a Grammy would do really good in my flat.”

To record its debut, Jamaica recruited Xavier De Rosnay of French electronic duo Justice, who in turn brought along Daft Punk sound engineer Peter Franco.

“Peter and Xavier were really important in the making of not only the record, but they helped us shape the whole concept of the band,” Hilaire said.

The first single off the new album, “I Think I Like U 2,” is a cheeky double entendre that professes love of either a woman or the Irish rock band. The ’80s-themed video, which chronicles the rise of Jamaica as rock behemoths and the band’s opulent fall from the celebrity spotlight, includes an appearance by a Bono look-alike.

Franco is a big U2 fan and got the Jamaica boys, previously haters of the Irish band, to give the music a second chance.

“First and foremost, we actually like U2 now,” Hilaire said. “I got to listen to the first record they did, and they really write good songs.”

The song, however, originally was written about a girl, Hilaire admits.

Another tune off the album, “Jericho,” features the same guitar riff as “Sweet Jane.” Hilaire said Jamaica recorded several versions of the song before deciding that the best version was similar to the Lou Reed classic.

The riff, Hilaire points out, has been used by others in the past, such as Chuck Berry and the Beach Boys.

“You can hear that riff not only in ‘Sweet Jane’ but in a hundred different songs; it’s ‘Louie Louie’ in reverse,” he said. “I’m happy people think about Lou Reed when they listen to Jamaica instead of thinking about Kenny G or Hootie and the Blowfish.”

Follow editor Roman Gokhman at Twitter.com/RomiTheWriter.