French electro duo Justice are nice guys. Or are they?

Here’s the second installment in our occasional series of news, reviews and videos to countdown to this summer’s massive Monolith music festival at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The two-day event, which takes place Sept. 13-14, features bands like Justice, TV on the Radio, DeVotchKa, Vampire Weekend, Neko Case, Silversun Pickups, Band of Horses, CSS and dozens of others.

Get Real Denver writer Marlon Frisby checks in with his review of “Stress” video by headliners Justice. (The French electro duo will appear at Monolith on Sunday, Sept. 14.)

No offense to Justice, but Romain Gavras’ video for “Stress� stands so well on its own as a short film that it’s easy to forget one of the French house band’s songs is playing in the background. Garvas, who also directed music videos for Simian Mobile Disco and the Last Shadow Puppets, creates a visceral experience for the viewer and aptly conveys the confusion and misguided hatred that emits from the Parisian suburbs.

A fictional camera crew follows a gang of young teenagers – likely residents of the ghettos that lie on the outskirts of Paris – as they terrorize Parisian citizens. Anger seethes out of these young men. They harass women sitting on benches, spray paint on men in the subway, mug other youths in the park and barge into a bar, seriously injuring (possibly killing?) the bartender. And while the people they confront have apparently done nothing, it’s not hard to find yourself rooting for the gang members.

When Garvas’ youths find themselves cornered by the police in an elevator they somehow manage to break free of the riot control tactics, steal a car, and speed away to safety. Then they set the get away vehicle ablaze. The youths, satisfied with a days work, take out the camera crew that has been following them all day.

“Stress� will be a shock for young Americans who think France is all about eating croissants and tasting red wine.

Marlon Frisby is a Denver Post staff writer.