Le Couleur is a Montreal-based quartet, fronted by the lovely Laurence (who has Vietnamese roots). Their music refers mostly to Stereolab, but they’re not afraid to add some kitschy (poppy, if you like) elements as well. Which is good. Listen to Billet pour Paris, for instance. Their album (and singles) are downloadable for FREE on their Bandcamp-page, HERE.
Le Couleur – Billet pour Paris
Very, VERY good track:
(merci Bruno)
For your pleasure, the new single from CdP’s Blonde album. Plus La Reine, a song that was released in Canada only on this compilation.
Coeur de Pirate – Adieu
Coeur de Pirate – La Reine
Out november 7. Limited, numbered edition. Vinyl, 2 cds, dvd. Probably around 100 euros. Just so you know.
Six years ago, I started writing about girls, singing in French. Making me sigh. In the past years, I also wrote about guys, singing in French. Serge Gainsbourg especially. I posted songs in various languages. I got help from Maks, Sky and FransS. I interviewed several of my heroes and heroines. Among them: Charlotte Gainsbourg. I interviewed her twice (third time coming up!), the first time in a posh hotel in Paris. Halfway through the interview, she slid from the couch and sat at my feet for the rest of the time. I know I kept on with the interview, because the questions were recorded on my device but I have no recollection asking them. I brushed past her in an Amsterdam hotel, when she was a secret guest at an Air-concert. I did not recognise her at first, but I was immediatly mesmerized when I saw her.
This compilation (also made for EHPO and Perfect Alles, cover was made by Wilbert) is my ode to an actress who interprets songs like they’re scenarios. Who gets help from big guns like Jarvis Cocker, Conor O’Brien and Beck, but has the ability to make a song her own. All songs are especially written for her, about her experiences, about her fears and of course inspired by her heritage. When Charlotte sighs, or whispers (like in Beauty Mark, one of the most beautiful songs she ever recorded), I start glowing. It’s not sexual (well, maybe a little), it’s out of pure contentment.
Thanks for all your visits, comments, suggestions, songs, guestposts etcaetera. Here’s to another six years.
Download from HERE, listen on Spotify HERE
Gérard Lenorman is one of the big guns from the seventies, on par with Julien Clerc, Yves Duteil and J-J Goldman. He released his last original album in 2000, after that it was just live-albums and compilations. It was just a matter of time until a duets-album saw the light of day, and now there is one. Featuring youngsters like Joyce Jonathan, Gregoire and Anggun and older artists like Roch Voisine and Maurane. Shame that no one thought of Pépé et sa guitare, who rockified two Lenorman-classics a few years back (here). Instead, we get risk-free, close-to-the-original versions. Not bad (like his duets with Jonathan an Gregoire), sometimes amusing (Si j’étais président is gipsy-fied, interesting choice if you think of the political situation of the Roma in France, shame they needed a cheapo housebeat too), sometimes too cheesy (duets with Shy’m and Anggun). My fave is the one with Zaz. Nothing new here, still as upbeat as the original.
See Gérard and his guests in this teaser-video.
Gérard Lenorman & Zaz – La ballade des gens heureux
Two new(ish) singles by non-French (yet French-speaking) filles. Caracol (Carole Facal) hails from Canada, was once one-half of DobaCaracol but released a very nice countryfied solo-record in 2008. Her new single Quelque Part is just out, and is featured in a movie. New album is out in October.
Naif (Herin) was born in the North of Italy, near the Mont Blanc and records in English, Italian and French, sometimes all in one song. Goûte-Moi isn’t a new track, videos from her singing the song date date 5 to 7 months back (like this one) yet it’s not on her album from 2010. I heard this one on FIP a few weeks back and it really stuck.
Caracol – Quelque part
Naif – Goûte-moi
Dutch doll Renske Taminiau surprised the world a few years back by a) deciding that she didn’t want to be a doctor and b) making a wonderful debut album. Waiting to be told was the equivalent of drinking tea from a porcelain cup, sitting on a plush chair in a cosy, almost prissy room with lots of pink flowers. Music-wise, she related to Kurt Elling and Feist. Renske sings like she’s just been skinny dipping in cristal clear water – and she still sounds like that on her new album Move Me. On which she sings in French. A melancholic ode to Paris, with help from accordion and strings. I’d love to walk through Montparnasse with this on repeat on my iPod.
Here are two versions of ‘Paris’, the second one she recorded earlier and is a demo-version. No accordion, but still very beautiful.
Renske Taminiau – Paris
Renske Taminiau – Paris (demo version)
See videos of Renkse here, and here.
(picture by RVDA)
It is a difficult one…we do Filles that sing in French, and sometimes in English. But now we have an issue: Aylin Prandi is born in Paris, but has released a surprising album with.. Italian classics from the sixties, seventies and eighties. A little bit comparable to what Mareva Galanter did a few years ago with french yé-yé classics.
But in case you are in doubt if we should discuss her work here, just look at her version of Adriano Celentano’s 24.000 Baci.
One song is a French original: Twist À Saint-Tropez, originally by Les Chats Sauvages form 1961. Belgian New Wave act Telex made a cover of the song in 1978. Now Aylin does an Italian cover, in her own style. Summer ain’t over!
Dick Rivers & Les Chats Sauvages – Twist À Saint-Tropez
Telex – Twist À Saint-Tropez
Aylin Prandi – Twist À Saint-Tropez
