Cléa Vincent, Felix Dyotte

Cléa Vincent has been featured on this blog a lot less than I could remember, been listening to her warm, breezy pop (with lots of tropical influences, but also some 80s synthpop) for a while now. This duet with Montreal’s Felix Dyotte is certainly feature worthy. Starts tender, gets some glitter along the way.

The song explores themes of traveling (“par-delà l’océan”), questioning who awaits on the other side (“quelqu’un qui nous attend”), and finding calm versus seeking change (“une nouvelle vague”). It reflects on moving away to flee worries (“fuir mes soucis”) and seeking new experiences (“voir ce que tu ne connais pas”).

Mitsou

It’s about 30 degrees Celsius in Amsterdam, so it’s time to look at summer singles. One of the names that caught my eye was Mitsou. Canadian cult heroine from the 80s, she updated a single from the 90s.

This is the new version, with added rap, latin vibes, summer breezy:

This is the 1994 version, and yes that’s a Perez Prado sample, five years BEFORE Lou Bega used it in Mambo No. 5:

And this is the indestructible 80s classic by Mitsou:

Opaline

As you know, voices are very important by selecting tracks for this weblog. And Opaline‘s sad but sultry vocals immediatly struck a chord. So did her atmospherical, new wave-ish electronic music – I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the cover of her new EP has some Stranger Things design overtones. I really like the more danceable ADN, but do try the other tracks too.

Adèle Luisa

It seems to me that Franco-Italian singer Adèle Luisa‘s mission is to befuddle all of us with lush, laidback and leisurely songs that spark images of sultry beaches, fresh young coconuts and swaying palm trees. Take this floating airbed of a song, En Sous-Marin:

Or take this relaxing track:

More Adèle Luisa on this blog, here.

RIP Claudine Longet

Actress, chanteuse and former inmate (yep) Claudine Longet has passed away, at 84. This French version of the Diana Ross classic is among her best work:

More on Claudine on the former FillesSourires blog, here.

Maelydée

Nice pseudonym, nice song. Maelydée (Mélissa Doyon) from Montreal writes ‘sensitive poetry to indie pop’, and this new single makes me wanne dive in earlier work (on Bandcamp here):

Majora

Pop melancosolaire – wish I had thought of that tag. But Majora, Alexis & Maeva from Lyon, made it up for their understated disco pop. A new EP has just been released, ideal for shuffling your feet on a sunny day.

Fleur de Peau

From Quebec City, Canada, it’s the duo Fleur de Peau. On their Bandcamp page, it says that it’s a musical synth-pop project. Pop, sure. But with lots of dream pop guitars, at least on this new album. Listen to this track, that nods to the 80s, there is a synth present, and that wonderful high-pitched voice of Elle Dubois-Sénéchal (her musical partner is Louis Fernandez). There are also more folksy, acoustic songs on this very versatile album.

Eleonore Dessureault

Her name has a musical ring to it, Canadienne Eleonore Dessureaults first album has jazzy, folky vibes and (to me) sounds like Dutch songstress Janne Schra found a vocal family member across the ocean.

Eleonore writes songs that are piano driven, and give way to her wonderful, almost free style way of singing. References, apart from Janne Schra, are Emily Loizeau and (early) Feist. Her lyrics are very poetic, I love the title of the this track: The embrace of lost bodies.

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