Marine Pellegrini is the sweet husky voice of N’Relax, a jazzy band from Lyon that sound like a cross between early Björk and Dutch diva Schradinova. They released two albums, the most recent is more experimental, less breezy. I bumped into this band while looking for songs about bicycles. And guess what. Find free mp3s and more info on N’Relax here.
See a nice video here. And see another nice video here, in which Marine channels her inner Camille.
N’Relax – Le vélo
‘Ik dans dus ik besta’ is a Dutch translation of ‘Je dans donc je suis’, a song written by André Popp for Brigitte Bardot. She had a hit with it in 1964, this cover by List is from her debut-album from 1966. I recently came across this version, and thanks to Sylvester and Paul, I can post it here. Liesbeth List, for the uninitiated, is Holland’s most respect chansonniere. She made her tv-debut in 1964, duetting with Gainsbourg. Later, she recorded several chansons in French and translated versions. Songs by Barouh, Gainsbourg and most famously, Jacques Brel. I had the distinct pleasure to meet her at the presentation of the Filles Fragiles #2 compilation, that features a Gainsbourg-cover by her.
This Bardot-cover was never released on cd, oddly enough.
Liesbeth List – Ik dans dus ik besta
Brigitte Bardot – Je danse donc je suis
You know Rammstein. This German band mixes metal with (homo-)eroticism, electronics, East-German references, irony, humour and great visuals. Introduction? See here. You might not know Roger Baptist, aka Rummelsnuff. He’s a one-man Rammstein, who recorded several albums under different monikers. He once recorded a cover of Becaud’s Nathalie, on his most recent release Brüder the Gainsbourg-and-Bardot-duet Bonnie & Clyde gets a treatment. Roger gets help from French actress and singer Valerie Renay (pictured).
Rummelsnuff – Bonnie & Clyde
Nice surprise on the upcoming Jacno-tribute: Biolay teamed up with his ex Chiara Mastroianni, for a tender rendition of D’une rive à l’autre. A song Jacno sang originally with Romane Bohringer. See here. As any Biolay-fan knows, Chiara is the daughter of Marcello Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve, and the mother of Biolays daugther Bambi Rose. They recorded one album together as HOME, an utterly sexy road-trip. Apparently, the idea to record this album came from a trip the two made to The Hague.
HOME (Benjamin Biolay & Chiara Mastroianni) – D’une rive à l’autre
HOME (Benjamin Biolay & Chiara Mastroianni) – Tête à claques
The weird, almost frightening yet compelling video for Lisa Portelli‘s Dans l’air has ‘David Lynch’ written all over it. The music reminds me of Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet as well. Her second album Le régal (‘A pleasure’) contains more of these atmospherical country-noir tracks, like Les chiens dorment or L’échelle. On these, 24-year old Lisa sound like an auto-tuned Vanessa Paradis – tuned to ‘odd’ that is. On other songs she rocks out, like in the very strong title-track, or the blues-y Animal K. Not everything works, probably because her voice is, at times, less compelling than her videos. See live videos here, here and here.
Lisa Portelli – Le régal
A Dutch version of France Gall’s Baby Pop, a song written by Gainsbourg. A pleasant surprise, I wasn’t aware it existed. It was the b-side to the only single Eindhoven-born Leontien Snel made in the 60s. See ReadySteadyGirls for some background. Many thanks to @LatoUno and of course @Frans_s for unearthing this gem. Anyone who saw the Gainsbourg-Vie Héroique movie (and if you’re a regular visitor, I’m sure you saw it), remembers the kind of cruel scene with Sara Forestier playing France Gall, singing Baby Pop totally out of tune to a bemused Gainsbourg, played by Eric Elmosnino. The only other cover of Baby Pop that I know of, was made by French singer Antoinette. If you know of other versions, please send me (guuzbourg (a) gmail) an mp3!
France Gall – Baby pop
Sara Forestier (as France Gall) – Baby pop
Leontien Snel – Baby pop
Antoinette – Baby pop
Whilst making a Spotify-playlist with Scandinavian filles (who do not sing in English, see here), FS-regular André introduced me to Little Majorette. A band of Swedes who got together in 2007 and made a couple of EP’s. Their album Rifle Heart is out now. On the last EP there’s one song with a French title that’s partly sung in French too. Zoe Durrant has a gorgeous voice, I’m very much into that electronic-kitschpop sound. What I’ve heard so far is very, very sultry. Hope Little Majorette will sing in French some more.
Little Majorette – Sous les étoiles
I’m surprised Oh La La! is the first French band (former A.S. Dragon-singer Natasha Le Jeune, Clément Fonio and Antoine Boistelle) to actually name themselves after one of France’s best known catchphrases. I’m not surprised professional weirdo Philippe Katerine pops up on the OLL!-album, for a duet. Their music is an update of A.S. Dragon and Elli & Jacno/Catherine Ringer & Fred ChinChin-styled new wave-pop, with electronic touches, heavy bass and sometimes lyrics in English. Single Oser has a great video (see here, and while you’re at it, see a riotious RUN-DMC cover here), but I’m more in favour of the RitaMitsouko-fied Nu Dans Ton Jeans. This waaaaaaay better than the disappointing solo-effort by Catherine Ringer. As Natasha stated on my Facebook, Catherine without Fred is like Serge without Jane. Sad, but true.
Oh La La! – Nu dans ton jeans
Last Sunday, the homies of Wicked Jazz Sounds asked me to do a dj-set in their weekly show on Dutch Radio 6. Much obliged! You can listen and/or download my set (great songs, no dj-trickery) HERE
In other news, go HERE to download a remix of Serge Gainsbourg’s Hold Up by Manu El Chino.