Former Konki Duet member Kumi Okamoto releases a new EP next month. On Soundcloud you can hear the first new track by this Japanese honey-voiced singer
Lola Dutronic
Amazingly, Richard Citroen (head honcho of Lola Dutronic) did NOT include footage of singer Stephanie B. in the original video of Everybody Loves You When You’re Dead. Granted, with clips from music giants like Otis, James, Jim and the like to illustrate the point of the song, one could argue that it’s not really necessary. But then you obviously never saw Stephanie. Michael Des Barres (yep!) stepped in and urged Richard to include the real star of the song:
(By the way, see if you can make out Tina Weymouth in the background choir)
Saint Lou Lou
They’re Swedish/Australian, they’re called Miranda and Elektra and The Guardian wrote: ‘They’ve got the flaxen hair and cheekbones of Mariel and Margaux Hemingway in 1978 and they sound like a depressed tATu.’ They’re signed to French dance-label Kitsuné, they have angelic voices, and they’re not afraid to show it:
If you like your filles more discofied, try this remix.
Emily Loizeau
‘Tyger, Tyger, burning bright/In the forests of the night.’ William Blake’s famous poem The Tyger is cited in the first track of Emily Loizeau’s third album, Mothers & Tygers. A very delicate, folky affair with English and French songs. She has a French mamam and an English dad, on her earlier albums she sang both in French and English. At first, she wanted to make an English album. But later on she decided not to go against her bilingual upbringing. Family, the relationship between mothers and daughters and the poetry of William Blake (read to her as a little girl by her grandmother) are recurring themes on this album. Em’s a mom herself, which made her think back of her own childhood and the tiger-like wildness she felt back then. At least, that’s what she says in this interview.
Emily sings two duets, one with Camille, and another (Blake’s The Angel set to music) with Herman Düne’s singer David-Ivar Herman Düne – both work very, very well. Because of Loizeau’s roots, you never cringe when she sings in English, her beautiful, slightly hoarse vocals are set to banjo’s, strings, acoustic guitars and percussion. Lesser leftfield sounds then on her sophpmore album, more restrained. Not the all-out party folk of, say, Mumford and Sons. But more like in earlier single Vol le chagrin des oiseaux.
Pauline Croze new song
(thanks Elmar)
Amelie Veille
Guestpost! Dave on yet another beauty from Quebec: Amelie Veille.
One of the nicer things that can happen on any given day is coming across a new album by a favorite artist who you thought had stopped recording. I think I can be forgiven for thinking this, as Amelie’s last CD, “Un Moment ma Folie”, was from six years ago. Amelie’s on the folk side of rock, a pretty singer-songwriter with girl next door looks (well, I wish she was next door, anyway), a soft voice, and an acoustic guitar. Her first two albums were a bit on the melancholy side, from her own description, but even so most of the songs stay upbeat in tempo. Amelie’s new CD, Mon coeur pour te garder, strikes out in a different direction, light-hearted and fun. (Video here, nice article here) Here are three favorites, one from each of her albums.
Now if only Adrienne Pauly would finally, finally come out with a new album.
Amelie Veille – Mon coeur pour te garder (original here)
Amelie Veille – La main sur le carreau
Amelie Veille – Je voudrais te dire
Benjamin Biolay
Aime Mon Amour is the first, horn-driven single from Biolay’s new album. On his YT-channel, you can see several clips of the work in progress. I’m saving a space in my Album top ten of the year. Remember, he’s duetting with Vanessa Paradis on this new album, and Julia Stone, Orelsan and former Libertines-singer Carl Barat are also present.
Benjamin Biolay – Aime mon amour
Amelie-les-Crayons
Thought we’d lost her, but no, Amelie with the crayons returns with an new album, out October 8. Preview on Bandcamp:
Dawn Landes
A Kentucky-girl with a husky voice who fell in love with France, who learned to speak French by listening to French music and finally released a French EP. Dawn Landes‘ story in a nutshell. The countryfied singer, who released two albums on France-based label Fargo, got help from (among others) Karen Lohier of Katel, Tunde from TV On The Radio and Matthew C. from Nada Surf. With the latter, she sings a pretty duet. The EP closes with a Georges Brassens cover, and features touches of doo-wop, country, jazz and Françoise Hardy-style weepers. Not all songs are great (not a big fan of La Vie Au Lasso), but that duet is just lovely. The EP comes with a book of illustrations by Dawn.
Dawn Landes & Matthew Caws – L’ingénue
Liminanas
If Serge Gainsbourg had written songs with The Velvet Underground, it might have sounded like The Liminanas. Somebody else wrote that, but it’s a great way to describe the sultry, fuzz-drenched basement-sound of the trio from Perpignan. Their second album Crystal Anis is out, and the second you hear the bass in Ballade pour Clive, you’ll get the Gainsbourg-reference. This is music to listen to with darkdarkdark-shades on, while Super8-porn is being shown on the screen in the humid cellar, the leather-clad crowd is getting anxious yet you’re keeping it cool. You might dance. Horizontally or vertical, maybe both. Gimme another shot, barkeep!
See a video for an English track from their debut album here.
Listen to their Beach Boys cover here
The Liminanas – Ballade pour Clive