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Lou Doillon

The four-track EP by Lou Doillon (fille de Jane Birkin & Jacques Doillon) is out. It features two versions of the title-track ICU, the brass-y remix by Bright Moments is truly beautiful. Mid-tempo groover Devil and Angel is very much in the vein of her half-sister Charlotte, Questions And Answers is a piano-driven track that gets more interesting when the chorus comes on. As said before, Philippe Zdar and Etienne Daho are the big names behind this EP. I don’t think we’ll hear Lou sing in French on her upcoming album (September), but one can hope, right?
See Lou sing ICU and Questions and Answers live.

Lou Doillon – ICU (Bright Moments remix)

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger versions

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger is probably the best known track by French dance-duo Daft Punk. That’s because it was sampled, covered and Youtube’d (if that’s a word) the most. A few weeks back, I heard the new, very good album by Philippe Uminski. I had heard of him before, as a songwriter (for La Grande Sophie, Calogero and more), I didn’t know that he made an album as Uminski with a garage rockin’ cover of HBFS. Which triggered me to search for more covers. I didn’t find any as good and radical as Uminski’s, but they’re nice nonetheless. I also found a solid cover of Cola Bottle Baby by Edwin Birdsong, the sample-source of HBFS. Of course, Kanye West’s rework is present as well. Enjoy. And dance!

Daft Punk – Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
Matt Mulholland – Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
Mike Tompkins – Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
Uminski – Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
Wilt Ribeiro – Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
Kanye West – Stronger
Edwin Birdsong – Cola Bottle Baby
Baker Brothers – Cola Bottle Baby

Liza Manili

Actress slash singer Liza Manili released her debut album this week. There’s a heavy Lio-influence in her songs, which is nice. Shame tho that all the five songs from her earlier EP are also on the 11-track album. ith a voice like hers, we need as much new stuff we can get! Se Revoir is my fave on her self-titled album, lots of sighs, mid-tempo beat, happy-to-be-sad atmosphere and off-key synths – all good! More on Liza here, and here. Found this trailer with Liza online. Not exactly Oscar-winning material, I’d say.

Liza Manili – Se revoir

Camille covers Johnny Hallyday

Out of the blue, French vocal-wonder Camille covers a Johnny Hallyday-classic. On her site, she writes: “Que j’aime chanter Que je t’aime ! Bijou érotique. Eclipse de soleil. Où se mêlent l’ombre et la lumière, le Yin et le Yang, la puissance et l’infinie délicatesse, Johnny Hallyday et son contraire.” It’s in the style of Camille’s most recent album, Ilo Veyou. So less bombastic then the original. I thought the song was covered more, but a part from a Dutch duo (cough) and a few lesser known French names, I didn’t find a lot. Camille did a great job, her version is sure a lot more erotic then Hallyday’s. Unless, a long haired, sweaty old guy is your fave fetish, of course.

Camille – Que je t’aime
Johnny Hallyday – Que je t’aime

Melody Gardot

Edith Piaf did (co-)write La Vie en Rose, she wasn’t the first one to record the song. Wikipedia tells us originally, the song was registered as being written by Louis ‘Louiguy’ Guglielmi, since at the time Piaf did not have necessary qualifications to be able to copyright her work with SACEM. In 1945, Piaf’s friend Marianne Michel gave it a first try, for Piaf wasn’t sure it would fit in her repertoire. But from the first time she did sang the chanson, it became her signature song. La Vie en Rose was covered many, many times. Louis Armstrong (love his version), Dean Martin, Madeleine Peyroux, Aretha Franklin, Grace Jones, the list goes on.
And now American jazz singer Melody Gardot covered it, on her most recent album The Absence (a music magazine joked that the title refers to the lack of clothing on the album cover). Melody spices it up, sings it like it’s a booty call. Hard to ignore, judging from that album cover.

Melody Gardot – La vie en rose

Laura Cahen

  • Posted on 31/05/2012
  • /Under Video

So many new songs to share, so little time…

History of French Pop in 10 Songs

Interesting feature in The Guardian, a list of 10 songs that catch the diversity and Frenchness of French pop throughout the decades. Some excellent choices, the challenge is of course to better this list. I would’ve traded Sylvie Vartan for Jacques Dutronc, changed Mylène Farmer for Keren Ann or Coralie Clément and I would leave out Nicoletta, and add Le 22 Bar by Dominique A. and Francoiz Breut, as the official start of la nouvelle scene Française. Or maybe add Les Négresses Vertes. Or Camille. Or Benjamin Biolay. Not as easy as you think.
Post your lists (with explanation!) in the comments.

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