10 Sexiest Women in French Music Today (5)

We’re approaching #1 of our list of the ten sexiest French singing filles today. On the number 5 spot, a fiery seductress.

5. Élodie Frégé

To quote acclaimed Dutch biologist Midas Dekkers, ‘Red-haired women are the comfort par excellence for everthing that went wrong with creation.’ Look at the picture above. Don’t you want to be comforted by Élodie? If you’re not convinced yet, watch this clip from the movie Potiche, in which she plays a younger version of Cathérine Deneuve. The latter tells her husband (yep, Depardieu) that she cheated on him. Several times. Élodie re-enacts the adultery. She doesn’t speak, but boy, is her acting convincing. She’s a temptress (with an excellent voice, we might add), as this supersexy video for La Ceinture showed earlier – keep watching until the end! Heck, her third album La fille d’après-midi is all about being the girl on the side. It’s a theme we hope she will explore some more.

Elodie Frégé – La fille d’après-midi

10 Sexiest Women In French Music Today (6)

Continuing our countdown of Sexiest Women in French Music Today, we’re celebrating the Clairest of them all.

6. Claire Denamur

There are many Claires. Claire Keim, Claire Diterzi, Claire Lise. But this Claire, she’s OUR Claire. We, the writers and readers of Filles Sourires, we’ve seen her develop over the years. From the fresh-faced, upbeat neighbour’s daughter singing that she wants to frolic around in the nude, to a leather pants sporting chanteuse who dares to cover Big Mama Thornton here
We think French singer Antoine Leonpaul said it best when he said: Oh Claire.

Claire Denamur – Le ciel

10 Sexiest Women in French Music Today (9)

The upcoming days, we countdown to the Sexiest Woman in French Music Today. Because this blog is all about appreciation, and boy, do we appreciate these girls.

9. Tamara Marthe/Shy’m

Martinique-born Tamara used to be shy, now she takes pleasure in putting herself in the crowd. In very reveaing outfits, as this picture, er, reveals. Shy’m (Shy+Martinique=Shy’m) isn’t a regular on this blog, we tend to keep away from the R&B- and electropop-sisterhood. So we miss out on Tal, Sofia Essaidi, Anggun, Sheryfa Luna and Shy’m. With their bedroom eyes, chocolate-covered voices and lyrics like ‘Monte le désir, d’être une femme dans le moindre de mes soupirs/D’être la tienne dans le moindre de tes délires’ (from ‘Mes fantaisies’ by Shy’m). Or Shy’m-videoclips like this one. And this one. One of the members of the SWiFMT-voting committee confessed that he ‘always watches her videos with the sound turned off’.

Shy’m – Et alors!

Celine Mastrorelli

A favourite past time is to follow the progress of supersweet singer Celine Mastrorelli. She first popped up on our rader in 2008. Every now and then, there’s a new song on her YouTube-channel. Tracks from her upcoming album Elle était une fois. Good songs, sexy songs, husky songs. With Gainsbourgian influences (I mean, watch this!) This week, Robe de Cocktail (video) is out as a single. FS-reader Gary (who keeps track of CM’s activities even more than I do) compared it to “early Loane”, which is apt. Album’s out 21 September. Something to look forward to. Very much. In the meantime, keep us up to date, Celine. Please.

Celine Mastrorelli – Robe de cocktail

Goûts de Luxe


They made just three (vinyl-)singles in the late 80s, they sounded like a French Propaganda, and they made a videoclip that’s unintentionally hilarious (this one). I do wonder if Jacques le Honsec can watch himself in that video without cringing, or using the facepalm. The story behind Gouts de Luxe (yep, two 7-inch singles from Patrick’s stash again, earlier postings here and here) is kinda funny as well: ‘Jacques Le Honsec’s employment in the record industry allowed him to meet producers in Paris. Thus, a contract was signed. But while recording the first single, “Les Yeux de Laura”, Jean-Éric Montfort was unable to record the parts played on guitar. A studio musician, Kamil Rustam, did it. As a result, Montfort decided to refuse promoting the single as he did not play on it and left the group. In the meantime, Marianna Kliska, who had married Jacques le Honsec, replaced the guitarist.” (From Wikipedia, obviously).
From the three singles, the first was a minor hit, the rest hardly dented the hitparade. They never found the success of, say, Niagara. GdL’s hard-driving Dans un autre pays is the best. High-energy, raucous, thunderous. Omaha Beach came with a cover of Visage’s Fade to Grey (probably ’cause the songs are very similar), you can hear/watch that here. If you have a good mp3 of the long version of Les yeux de Laura (remixed by Dimitri from Paris, apparently), please let me know! Got it!

Gouts de Luxe – Les yeux de Laura
Gouts de Luxe – Dans un autre pays
Gouts de Luxe – Omaha beach
EXTRA:
Gouts de Luxe – Les yeux de Laura (long version)

Jolie Jumper, Lazy Lovers


A Canadian all-girl country & bluegrass trio who call themselves Jolie Jumper – how can you NOT fall for that? The girls sing in French and English, they just released an EP (find it on Bandcamp), they sound wonderful together. Oh, okay, they get some help from a bunch of guys, but it’s mainly Audrey PM, Marie-Claude Paquin and Victoria Lord. Look at this lovely video. They list rockabilly as a musical influence, just like Lazy Lovers, also from Quebec. Amélie is the eyecatcher of this quintet, she looks great in her tight red polka-dotted number on the cover of their second EP, the first on which they sing in French. Find that one on Bandcamp as well.

Lazy Lovers – Comme toi
Jolie Jumper – Comme