Musique

Mazzy Star

  • Posted on 05/11/2011
  • /Under Musique

Though she never sung in French (as far as I know), Hope Sandoval is one of THE penultimate Filles Sourires. So when word got out that she teamed up again with David Roback to reform country-noir band Mazzy Star, my heart jumped with joy. The first two songs of a new album are great, especially Common Burn. Listen to those tracks HERE. More great news, the Spanish band Litoral recorded a beautiful cover of Mazzy Star’s Fade Into You in French, for their upcoming album. Listen/download that one HERE (thank you DJ Triplegym).

Isabelle Boulay

  • Posted on 04/11/2011
  • /Under Musique

Les Grands Espaces, Isa Boulay’s new album, is produced by Benjamin Biolay.  He plays various instruments, most notably organ and trumpet on the Lee Hazlewood/Nancy Sinatra-cover Summer Wine. And yes, Biolay takes on the Hazlewood-role of the silver spurred cowboy who’s seduced by the ‘strawberries, cherries and an angel’s kiss in spring’. Biolay, singing in English. Not for the first time, but hopefully this is where it ends. I don’t mind Frenchies singing in English, but Ben sounds like a comedian. Try for yourself via this streaming service. The Bio-Boulay-duet aside (Isa’s team up with Dolly Parton is a quite allright), there are some great Americana-tinged tracks on Les Grands Espaces. Voulez-vous l’amour (written by Biolay) for instance, first single Fin octobre, debut novembre but the biscuit is taken by J-L Murat’s contribution, Amour aime aussi nous voir tomber. Slow, seductive, with gentle strings, twangy guitars and Isa’s burgundy voice, this says ‘autumn leaves’ like very few else.

Isabelle Boulay – Amour aime aussi nous voir tomber

Ödland

It is always good news when a new album of Ödland comes out. Or maybe I should say a new Ödland movie. But that is what they make: soundtracks of non existing movies. Last year, they took us to the 19the century with Ottocento, and this year they take us on a trip to Northern and Central Europe. “Sankta Lucia” is the title of this new album, and it looks wonderful. Lorenzo Papace is once again supported by singer Alizée Bingöllü (by far the most intriguing name in French music) and Léa Bingöllü and Isabelle Royet-Journoud. Dreamy, folky and very much mesmerising. As usual the artwork is stunning. Check out their website for details and look at the wonderful dreamy video’s like this one. and for your ears only, we picked this lovely song:

Ödland – Østersøen

Miles Kane covers Jacques Dutronc

  • Posted on 03/11/2011
  • /Under Musique

Ever since David Bowie ripped off La fille du père Noël for his Jean Genie, Britrockers have a thing for Jacques Dutronc. Miles Kane (singers of The Rascals, one half of The Last Shadow Puppets) confessed his love for Gainsbourg earlier, and now honours Dutronc by covering Le Responsable – in English. But still. It’s on his just-released Come Closer EP and I think it’s a very good version. Close to the original yes, but energetic and fun. See a good live-version here.

Jacques Dutronc – Le Responsable
Miles Kane – The Responsible

Aznavour Toujours

  • Posted on 01/11/2011
  • /Under Musique

One of Frank Sinatra’s most famous live recordings starts with the words: „We will now do the national anthem, but you needn’t rise.“ That could as well be the introduction to the new Charles Aznavour album, Toujours. Aznavour’s songs had and still have anthem quality in a national sense, reflecting state, sense and sensibility of his country. Toujours mirrors even more: Un homme de 87 ans whose reflection still shows Charlie, his alter ego in Truffaut’s 1962 Paris noir Tirez sur le pianiste, all the desolation, longing, and heartache, blended with the picture of the French big league entertainer who even balanced most embarrassing moments with … well, style. You won’t get more Gallic sweep, pathos and sentiment for your money this year. As for Tu ne m’aime plus: 10 handkerchiefs.

Charles Aznavour – Tu ne m’aime plus

Bonus: The German version of Aznavour’s early 70s Les plaisirs démodés, beginning as a stroboscope disco funkfest, evolving into sublime adult pop and finally into a spoken word oratorio, rugged individual style.

Charles Aznavour – Tanz Wange an Wange mit mir

MM, Ko & Joséphine, Emma Solal

  • Posted on 01/11/2011
  • /Under Musique

MM, Emma Solal and Ko & Josphine are fresh new artists who released noteworthy EPs recently.

MM is a Liège-based artist (I wouldn’t call her a singer, she speaks more than she sings) who made 8 songs about Marilyn Monroe. That’s about all I know about her. Miam Monster Miam send me the link to her Reverbnation-site, where you can listen to the songs and download A l’hotel for free. In a way, this reminds me of Benjamin Biolay’s concept-album about the Kennedy’s. MM sound intriguing, I see that’s she’s profiled in Serge magazine, I’ll keep you posted on more details when I get my hands on that.

Ko & Joséphine were already profiled in Serge magazine, that’s how I got to know this jolly duo.  They hail from Bretagne, Christelle sings (and sighs a lot, just the way we like it here, listen to her giggle in ‘Supermarket’), Niko is the music guy. A comparison with Les Rita Mitsouko is easily made, also because Niko & Christelle like to add a lot of 80s influences in their music. See them in action here.

Emma Solal introduced herself by saying that she made an album with help from Pierre Faa, of Peppermoon-fame. That made me sit up straight. Her voice reminds me a little of Barbara Carlotti’s, her songs are rooted in French chanson tradition, from the Brassens-era and the seventies-era, much loved by Pierre. Robe du Soir, written by Pierre, could’ve been a Peppermoon song allright. I chose the jazzy, very sultry Première fois. Are you paying attention, Serge?

MM – A l’hotel
Ko & Josephine – Elle aime le catch
Emma Solal – Premiere fois

NN+

It is always good news when old friends have a new album released.  Especially when it is a brand new album from the legendary Filles Sourires Sweethearts Nous Non Plus. Jean-Luc Retard and (in particular) Céline Dijon  are on our radar since the beginning of this blog as can be seen here. And their first album even made the list 0f best albums of the decade by official FS-contributor Sky.
After that debut album came a second one in 2009 and now there is a new album called “Freudian Slip”. And it doesn’t disappoint. Céline Dijon is as sultry as ever and the sixties yéyé influence is still there as is the eighties electronic organ. The title song sounds like a rediscovered Serge track, “J’en ai marre” strongly reminds me of French eighties new wave. Unfortunately there are  only eight tracks on the album.
First single is a “tribute” to Italian President Silvio B. called “Bunga Bunga”. It goes with a lovely video that can be seen here.
 But for today I choose for what could very well be the last summer song of the season, the lovely “Yé-Yé C’est l’Été”.

Nous Non Plus – Yé-Yé C’est l’Été / Summer Song

Dirty Beaches vs Françoise Hardy

  • Posted on 23/10/2011
  • /Under Musique

Françoise Hardy’s piano in Voilà, combined with eerie, dark rockabilly. Now there’s a treat. The guy responsible for the mix is Alex Zhang Hungtai (aka Dirty Beaches), a Taiwan-born Canadian immigrant who spent a good chunk of his life feeling unmoored and adrift. He loves David Lynch, Jim Jarmusch, Wong Kar Wai and the music of Johnny Cash and The Stooges (he covered them both). Dirty Beaches’ album was released in March, but Jan Kooi told me about Lord Knows Best, with the Hardy-sample. This video merges images of Hardy and Hungtai. In the same vein was the use of Chantal Goya in a track by Wild Nothing.

Dirty Beaches – Lord knows best
Françoise Hardy – Voilà

Alex Beaupain & Camelia Jordana

We know Alex from his brilliant filmscores, but he makes albums under his own name too. I missed this duet, an update of an older song, from Beaupain’s Pourqoui battait mon coeur-cd when it came out in April. But now it’s released as a single, with a nice video (shot by Christophe Honoré) featuring gorgeous Camelia. Not for a second you feel awkward that she’s 19 and he’s 37, this is totally believable. See an acoustic version HERE

Alex Beaupain & Camelia Jordana – Avant la haîne

Aurelie Cabrel, Bertrand Betsch

  • Posted on 18/10/2011
  • /Under Musique

Yes, Aurelie Cabrel is the 25-year old daughter of Francis Cabrel. One of France’s highly acclaimed singer-songwriters, it’s not easy to follow his footsteps. Then again, lots of sons and daughters of famous French musicians started their own career – Thomas Dutronc, Arthur H(igelin), Charlotte Gainsbourg and M(athieu Chedid) all are very succesful. Aurelie will need a bit more time and experience to get to the level of Thomas and the like. Her voice is pretty, girly and very fragile. Her (rock)songs are very French, they remind me of Mademoiselle K and Jeanne Cherhal. The overall feeling of this album is that she’s talented, but not quite there yet. You have to start somewhere, she can be proud of her first effort. We’ll keep listening to what happens next.

Aurelie Cabrel – Un rien

Bertrand Betsch gave Nathalie Guilmot again a prominent role on his new album. As we remember from La chaleur humaine, Guilmot has a pretty, husky voice that sounds great next to Bretsch’s more gruffy pipes. The new Bretsch-album is pleasant, acoustics mix with electronics, but lacks real bite. Too few songs creep under your skin.

Bertrand Betsch & Nathalie Guilmot – Pour une chance

← Newer Posts
Older Posts →