Swinging Mademoiselle III
Ten years after the release of 
Volume II, here’s Volume III of the most heralded French swinging 60s compilation series, Swinging Mademoiselle. Vinyl-only, just likte the other volumes. This volume contains a lot of Belgian filles. I bought it yesterday at this wonderful record shop in Groningen. A word of warning: it was a sealed copy yet it did not contain the insert that is promised on the sleeve. Not the record shop’s fault, it’s something you best check out before checking out.
Volume III is again compiled by ‘Sasha Monett’, who also put together this French volume of Girls in the Garage (there’s another GitG-comp dedicated to French filles, #10). Now, bear with me here. There are two other volumes of Swinging Mademoiselle (I, II). They’re out of print, sellers on sites like Discogs ask around 50 euros for used vinyl-copies. And there are two volumes of Swinging MademoiselleS, released on CD by the Silva Screen label (I, II) – easy to find, not that expensive (about 10 euros). Purists try’n find the vinyl-versions (check out Spiked Candy’s comment below, here), I’m okay with the CDs as well.
OK so far? Clothilde is on all those compilations. Now, Paris-based Born Bad Records released a compilation of Clothilde tracks called ‘French Swinging Mademoiselle’. So far, it’s a digital release only (see HERE), I don’t know if the label will do either a CD or vinyl version. On the Bandcamp-page it says ‘March 1’ as release date, that might be a sign there’s more coming up.
By the way, this is THE winning track on SM vol III: Patricia – Avez-vous déjà-vu? (youtube link). It’s orchestrated by Jean-Claude Vannier!
Under the Radar (2): La Gale
She’s part Libanese, part Swiss. She raps, in French, over fierce electronic music. Yes, I know, we usually post about hoarse girls, but this is really good too. La Gale, also an actress, incorporates all kinds of influences in her music. In Frontières, imho the strongest track on her first album, you can hear the Middle-Eastern atmosphere. But also the tough, laidback-yet-agressive rapstyle of the great French hiphopcrews, like NTM. Women in hiphop are rare, girls with their own voice are hard to find. Granted, it’s not revolutionary what La Gale’s doing. But it has style, quality and, well, I dunno, I guess it’s nice to hear a fille spit rhymes for a while instead of whispering sexy in my ears. Try it.
Under the Radar (1) : Mathilde Forget
This month, we’ll feature French filles who slipped under our radar, that didn’t get the attention they deserve. Mathilde Forget is one of them. The Parisienne released an EP last September, with pretty, electronica-infused and piano-driven songs, sung with an exquisite, fragile voice. Complainte d’anges is the strongest song on her 4-track EP, she’s not breaking new grounds but the fusion of electronics and strings is tasteful, balanced and, oh, that voice. Charlotte Gainsbourg is an easy made reference. Not a big fan of the English track. And then there’s this one too.
Mathilde Forget – Complainte d’anges
Axelle Red
What a great way to kick off the new year! A new song by Belgian Axelle Red, from her upcoming new album.
Axelle Red – Rouge ardent
Sophie Hunger
Ne me quitte pas by Jacques Brel; often covered, seldom bettered. Swiss singer Sophie Hunger (whom we know because of this fantastic cover) does a great rendition on her new album The Danger of Light. She keeps it simple, adds a tad more swing to the melody (great trumpet playing too) but leaves the song as it is: a sad story about heartbreak. It’s the first time Hunger recorded the song, but she played it live earlier.
Sophie Hunger – Ne me quitte pas
Siouxsie, Robert Smith, Bruce Cockburn
I’ve been collecting odd Christmas tracks for about ten years (and blogging about it on this blog), and every year I’m surprised about who recorded what. I mean, check this video. 80s Gothic queen Siouxsie Sioux plus part time Banshees-member Robert Smith miming miserably to original French carol ‘Il est né le divin enfant’ (He is born the divine Christ Child). This was a b-side to the Melt!-single in 1982.
And what about Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn, best known for his both brilliant and furious If I Had A Rocket Launcher? On his 1993 ‘Christmas’ album he sang ‘Anges Dans Nos Campagnes’ (Angels we have heard on high), a carol dating back to the 18th century:
Bruce Cockburn – Anges dans nos campagnes
Siouxsie & the Banshees – Il est né le divin enfant
C’est Chouette 2012 Yearlist (7)
Doubtless there have been more captivating years in French music, and actually, it was more a year of single songs than of entire albums. It was a sexy landscape anyway, full of signs and wonders, and populated by so many people finding their voice. Maybe for you as well.
10. Raphaël, Super-Welter. Raphaël’s Chanson pour Patrick Dewaere is one of the most heartbreaking French songs ever. It’s not on this album which obviously deals with his new faible for boxing. Now he sounds like the missing link between Lou Reed, Bowie and Bashung.
09. Françoise Hardy, L’amour Fou. Always hated her nice girl schlager attitude. She was so much older then, she’s younger than that now.
Françoise Hardy – Rendez-vous dans une autre vie
08. Olivier Bloch-Lainé, Mercredi. I listened to this one about a year ago for the first time, at Vaea’s flat in the Marais, and it has never left me since. Fuck 2012. It’s 1976, so ultra-tender like it’s never gonna be again.
07. La Femme, Paris 2012. Surfin’ the asphalt jungle, riotous, juvenile and way cool. Along with Mathieu Boogaert’s Avant que je m’ennuie and Sebastien Tellier’s Cochon Ville video of the year: Say au revoir to the Eiffel Tower.
06. Dionysos, Bird’n’Roll. Mathieu Malzieu doing the Phantom of the Time Warp Picture Show, rollercoaster sonique style, and of course the French never understood what rock’n’roll is about (me neither). The right approach for a grand spectacle.
05. Juliette Gréco, Ca se traverse est c’est beau … Direction liberté. A saint who hasn’t forgotten about la revolution. Adult cinéma including the finest hommage to proto-surrealist poet Guillaume Apollinaire ever written.
Juliette Gréco – Mirabeau sous le pont
04. Daphne, Treize chansons de Barbara. Norman Lebrecht once stated that French chanson legend Barbara was »all about the unsaid«. Daphne’s album is nothing less than a highly intimate approach to the spirit of the animal triste.
03. The Limiñanas – Crystal Anis. From Perpignan, Dept. Pyrénées-Orientales: The Limiñanas (see album cover above) throw Morricone, Gainsbourg and Fabienne Delsol in the garage blender and shake it, psychedelic sex groove style. Cool as shit, and featuring the sharpest fuzz guitar around.
02. Bertrand Burgalat – Toutes directions. Maybe BB follows one or two routes too many, but the ride includes Bardot’s Dance, an extremely infectious 70s style electro/ disco sweeper, as well as the irresistible Sous les colombes de granit, easily qualifying as one of the premier chansons of the year.
Bertrand Burgalat – Sous les colombes de granit
01. Marie-Pierre Arthur – Aux Alentours. Catchy melodies, gritty riffs and sweet, at times angelic moods. Aux Alentours is a revelation, starting in Reference Alley, but heading straight to Reinvention Boulevard in that Grand State of the Art.
Marie-Pierre Arthur – Chacun pour toi
See you in 2013.
Sky
