Articles Written By: FransS

Soko

Remember Soko? The French actress/singer who gained popped up in 2007 as “one of those artists  gaining popularity through the internet?” Her “I Kill Her” even became a hit in Belgium and Denmark. You know, The Soko who sang in English with a very heavy French Accent (“Ai Kiell Uhr”), that some people love?  But the success as a singer didn’t last. Only an EP was released (“Not Sokute”) and in January 2009 she used her Myspace site that made her popular to declare herself “dead”. She dissapeared from the music scene, disappointed with “the music industry”..

Last year there was a sign of a comeback when she participated in the newest Nouvelle Vague project en now she is back. Or at least we hope she is. She finished her album but it will be only released in February next year, because she has a film career too that is asking her attention.
But what is known so far is wonderful. First there was this “official” video of “No More Home, No More Love”, with gives us a glimpse of the Soko we knew. Now there is a new song included in the French magazine “Les Inrockuptibles” and it is very nice. The accent is still there but the sound is different. Think sixties, girl groups  and add some electronica.  Her new album will be something to look forward too.

Soko – Just Want To Make It New With You

Claire!

Yes, we are partisan. Always were, in the six year this blog exists. You all know we have our prefered sweethearts. we’re on first name basis with ‘m: Camille, Charlotte, Beatrice (Coeur de Pirate), Coralie, Vanessa. And Claire. And because Claire has a new album, it is a happy day at Fillessourires. Us and Claire, it started in 2008 and continued in 2009 when her first, self-titled album came out.
And now there is a new album “Vagabonde”. Earlier this year we could see Claire has grown (duh!), as she showed in the catchy “Bang bang bang” (released on an EP in May) and in some sessions she did this year, like this one where she covers Big Mama Thornton.

And now there is “Vagabonde”. She continues to be our Claire, but she is older, more mature. It is clear that she’s studied the musical history, especially Americana (she lived in America, you know). The whole album sounds like an Americana album, sung in French, with “our” Claire’s husky voice, like in the new single “Rien de Moi” (also on the EP).
Was “Bang Bang Bang” a potential summer hit, the rest of the album is perfect for the upcoming autumn. No wait, autumn started already in July. With old whiskeys and/or good red wines and fireplaces…
For a teaser I decided to pick “34 Septembre” because that is a new song and it is in two weeks from now. Welcome Back, Claire!

Claire Denamur – 34 Septembre

Aylin

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

 

Catching up

  • Posted on 31/08/2011
  • /Under Musique

Time to catch up and bring you few recently released albums to your attention. First there is LouiZ , pseudonym of Kathalyne Detry, from the French speaking part of Belgium. She recently released an EP with 5 tracks, which is a bit “Cabaret”-like. As a teaser we bring you here “Le Royaume”, which is also the title of her EP.

Another EP appeared from Delphine Coutant. she already released three albums and this EP “Parades Nuptiales” is a teaser for her new album that will be released in the beginning of 2012, and to be honest I was pleasantly surprised. Very good songs, very complicated arrangements and a great voice. Looking forward to the album!

Louiz – Le Royaume
Delphine Coutant – La Parade Nuptiale

Vanessa

OK, OK, I don’t mean THE Vanessa, but here we present to you another Vanessa: Vanessa Philippe. And, to be honest, it is a bit late for an introduction, because she just released her third (or second) album. It is called “La Fille Sans Qualités” (the Girl Without Qualities) and that is definitely not true. This album is inspired by a book with the same title, by Juli Zeh.
Vanessa has a very sweet voice, which she uses exactly as we like it here: sweet, tender and sultry in some songs too. You can see her too, here, with a song from her earlier album. For you to listen to, we picked the first single of this new album: “La Robe Verte”.

Vanessa Philippe -La Robe Verte

 

Lili (&Thierry)

They worked together before, Lili Cros & Thierry Chazelle. In 2008 they made two seperate albums that looked the same from the outside and could be put together, and now there is their first “real’ album together, called “Voyager Léger“. Their new collaboration led to a very pleasant album, with both Lili and Thierry solo, and some nice duets, all done in a sweet melodious, folky way. Texts and music are by Lili and Thierry. Lili Cros has a very nice voice which reminds me in some songs of Clarika.
One of the nicest songs on the album is IMHO “A la Radio”. a song about listening to musique, so very suitable.
BTW, they are funny too, as you can see here in the small “commercial” they made in their kitchen.
Lili Cros &  Thierry Chazelle – A la Radio

Evie

And then there was Evie. Parisian with Initials A.V. but when pronounced that in English, it explains her stage name. She recently released her first solo album “La route”. It is a very nice mix between pop and chanson, between outspoken and intimate. An example of the first can be found here, in a cover version of “Because the Night”. example of the other part  can be heard (and seen) in “Au bout des doigts“. For today I picked another song, a song about waiting, “L’attente”, because it suits this weblog best.

Evie – L’attente

Tribute again…

  • Posted on 13/08/2011
  • /Under Musique

It is a holiday time in France too. Last week I wrote about the amount of tributes that appeared and someone pointed me another one that recently came in the shops: “Brassens Chanté Par…”. Songs of the legendary Georges Brassens sung by others. On this album popular bands like “Debout Sur Le Zinc” and “Les Ogres De Barback”, but also Aldebert and as the only fille  Agnès Bihl. She sings one song on her own and one “duo” avec Aldebert, with whom she worked before. Most songs on the album are done with a folky gypsy-esque sound (think manouche guitare style, think Thomas Dutronc). Best song is the lovely “La Cane De Jeanne”  The Weepers, but we offer you Agnès Bihl solo.

Agnès Bihl – La Chasse Aux Papillons

Elisa

Since her second album, ‘”Je ne mâche pas les mots” from 2006 (remember?) she has been a favourite of Filles Sourires.. And since the end of June there is a new album from here,  and we didn’t even write about it. In the years between the albums she did some acting and appeared on some tribute albums, but now there is a whole new album, her third in total. It is as dreamy as the title “Le Syndrome de Peter Pan” suggests, but a bit more poppy and less outspoken than her 2006 album.Still it is nice up-tempo with some catchy songs. The duet with Belgian singer Tom Dice (“Ils Nous Faut”) even became a small hit in France. Here you have the video of it, but I must admit it is not the best track of the album. Here you have an other song, which sounds much more like “our” Elisa…

Elisa Tovati – L’ABCD

Les Bien-aimés

  • Posted on 10/08/2011
  • /Under Musique

Les Bien-Aimés (The Beloved)  is a new film written and directed by Christophe Honoré. A mouthwatering cast for Filles Sourires Fans: Ludivine Sagnier, Catherine Deneuve and her daughter Chiara Mastroianni. The story is set in the 1960s and 1990s in Paris, Prague and London. You can see the trailer here and along interview with the three (en français) here. In an earlier film “Les chanson d’amour” (2007), Honoré already worked with Ludivine and Chiara. That resulted in a wonderful album, witten and composed by Alex Beaupain. This time they team up together again, and again the result is worth it. To put it short: what a lovely album! All the ladies have their own songs, they sing duets (with each other and with other actors). There is one mother/daughter duet and a song by all three. Because it is so hard to choose, two songs. The ladies all together in “Tout est si Calme” and a very nice duo from Ludivine with Rasha Bukvic, “Les Chiens Ne Font Pas Des Chats”

Sagnier, Mastroianni, Deneuve & Clara Couste – Tout Est Si Calme
Ludivine Sagnier & Rasha Bukvic – Les Chiens Ne Font Pas Des Chats

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