Musique

Jungle by Night featuring Merol

  • Posted on 13/09/2024
  • /Under Musique

Now this is an interesting combo. Dutch singer Merol, best known for her feminine and feminist dancetracks (example) is one of the guest vocalists on the new Jungle By Night album. This Amsterdam-based collective started out as afrobeat-heads, but quickly added various warm-blooded styles (and keyboards) to their mostly instrumental repertoire. I’m a fan, ever since their first vinyl single came out. I never, NEVER, imagined they would ever pop-up on this blog, but Merol cooing in French over a pink plushy JBN-groove…well, here we are:

Marie-Pierre Arthur

Canadian bassplayer and singer Marie-Pierre Arthur was first featured on this blog in 2009 (see?), back then we gushed about gothic touches and Eno-esque soundscapes. Later, we talked about ‘angelic moods’ and nods to 70s glamrock (here). Pop from the seventies was, and is still an influence on MPA, as her newest Album Bleu sonically shows. This soft rock beauty is a strong example:

But MPA isn’t just looking back. This fantastic groove is a NOW song, with (dare we say it, yes we do) African touches:

Claude Fontaine

  • Posted on 04/09/2024
  • /Under Musique

Claude Fontaine (real name: Nicole Rosenfield) is compared to the big guns: ‘At times, Fontaine channels Jane Birkin as backed by Jorge Ben. Françoise Hardy locked into sonic reverie with Mulatu Astatke, or Margo Guryan making lovers rock’, says her record label. She has a gorgeous voice, and her first album was quite a sunny sensation. Her 2nd album is coming up, La Mer, and she sings in French (yay!!)

Meimuna

Beautiful new single by Meimuna:

Coeur a l’index

  • Posted on 02/09/2024
  • /Under Musique

How ’bout we kick off the new season with a solid indie-rock tune? By Bruxelles-Marseille-based band Coeur a l’index, whose first official single is highly charming (early Cure-references):

The band’s demo is on Bandcamp, HERE. By the way, ‘Coeur a l’index’ was an 1981 single for Muriel, in the Amoureux Solitaire-Lio way. See HERE.

Aud Rey

Pop with a big P, about an ‘amour avec un grand A’. Slightly desafinado, as we like it. Short but sweet, in any shape or form:

Augustin Parsy & Clio

Slow burner (meaning: he writes mostly gorgeous ballads) Augustin Parsy recorded a second duet with Clio for his new EP.

Myra

Myra (pronunciation: ‘Maïra’) changed to French, after two EPs in English. Which is a good thing, we say. She likes warm-blooded rhythms, from flamenco to reggaeton to bossanova. First heard this new single:

And then dove in her other material. This funny video jumped out:

Yes, it’s sexy pop music. But with a nice subtlety, not just productional trickery, there’s some weight to it too. Which is nice. Find out more HERE

Ceylon

Cosmic indie-psyche-soul. It’s a thing, and Toulouse duo Ceylon, comprised of Louise Holt and Tristan Chevalier, play this. To break it down: there are West-African-ish guitar lines, downtempo rhythms, funky basslines, psych-electronics (very subtle), plus the high, sultry voice of Louise and the more down to earth groan of Tristan. Two albums so far, and a handful of singles. I’d never heard of ‘m before (shame), but their latest offering is VERY up my alley. See this:

← Newer Posts
Older Posts →