I.C.U. is th first single from a new EP (out in June) by Lou Doillon, daughter of Jane Birkin, half-sister of Charlotte Gainsbourg. Go HERE (or here) to see the video. Album’s out in September, produced by Etienne Daho, mixed by Phillipe ‘Cassius’ Zdar.
David again, guestposting about his recent discovery Catleya:
It’s hard to find out much about Catleya, a French quartet self-described as “folk rock” but that sails closer to rock than folk. Like Mademoiselle K, lean and sexy, singer Syrile has a strong, low voice, and plays the guitar with a driving rock beat. Cataleya formed in 2002, put out an album in 2007 (“Rien ne Press”, Sony/BMB, video of title track here), and followed with a second album in early 2010, “Cataleya II”, which they independently produced. (A video of “Les Jardins de Kyoto” from “Cataleya II” is here) There’s also “Bang, Bang”, an EP mostly in English, but with one chanson francaise worth a listen, “Mes Salines”. My favorite track of Catleya’s, having played them the better part of this past weekend, is “A folle allure”. Okay, maybe “Tête brûlée”. It’s not an easy choice though – both of their albums are strong efforts, which I found worth giving a listen straight through from beginning to end.
Catleya – A folle allure
Guestpost! David on Canadian (yes, ANOTHER gorgeous Canadian) Sophie:
Judging from the cover of Sophie Beaudet’s first CD, Garconne, Sophie’s clearly a fille fragile. Unconvinced? Then give the first song “À quoi tu penses?” a listen. Sophie’s from an artistic family and grew up listening to a wide variety of music, including classical and jazz. While in her early twenties, Sophie met famed Canadian jazz singer Ranee Lee, who agreed to teach Sophie the basics of jazz. While personally I like jazz, I am glad it didn’t take over the entire CD, as the music hews more closely to folk rock. The jazz overtones provide additional color, and are especially strong in “Dans les bras de Léa”. Other favorites songs from this CD are “Tu n’es pas à moi” and “Où vont-ils?”. See her perform live here.
Sophie Beaudet – A quoi tu penses?
A new Emily Loizeau album! In September! Check out the rural preview
In other news: If you have a Facebook-account, you can listen to Berry’s new album here. And if you don’t have an FB-account, try the title track:
Berry – Les passagers
Great video that cartoonist/Serge Gainsbourg biopic-director Joann Sfar made for Dionysos:
VERY charming, that clip of former model, actress and singer Liza Manili. That smile, that hairstyle, those lips, that voice – oh la la. But somehow I didn’t keep up with the news. Liza made very good EP, released more charming videos, and on June 4th her first proper album is released. The Strasbourg-born beauty, who also plays in a couple Revolver-clips and a Kyo-video, channels early Lio, via Jeanne Cherhal and Emily Loizeau. She duetted with Séverin, and was one of the singers on the Dr Tom project. Yearlist material, you people ask? Who knows. Looks good, tho.
Liza Manili – L’eclipse
Liza Manili & Séverin – Les restes
Liza Manili – Le verdict
Some people have sex in unusual places. Tony Dekker, mastermind behind Canadian country folksters Great Lake Swimmers, makes music in such locations, trying to capture their energy and acoustics – churches, subway stations, castles, tiny islands named Just Room Enough or, well, a grain silo. That’s probably why Tony’s music is about as sexy as Hank Williams’ clothbrush. It’s tender though, calm and serene, alternative country all the ruggedly sensitive way. In that sense, The Great Lake Swimmers’ recent album New Wild Everywhere is surely neither new nor wild, but a respectable one, recorded for the first time in a real studio, featuring even a French language tune reminiscent of the great Iowan songwriter Greg Brown, and commemorative of those times when dancing was different in Ontario. Mind a little country waltz?
Great Lake Swimmers – Les Champs de Progéniture
Honey-voiced Australian singer Julia Stone teamed up with French hero Benjamin Biolay for the first single off of her new sophomore album, By The Horns. A rework of Julia’s single Let’s forget all the things that we say. The album, by the way, also features a cover of The National’s Bloodbuzz Ohio. Album’s out in May, this single is, as far as I know, only available in France.
Julia Stone & Benjamin Biolay – Let’s forget
Liverpoolian babe Rebecca Ferguson came second to some painter dude on British casting couch show X-Factor in 2011. She sang Chris Isaac’s Wicked Game then, he crooned Amy Winehouse and Roberta Flack. They must have swapped the songs inadvertently, since Becky Ferguson’s debut album Heaven is unmistakably another one in the Retro Soul Mixed With Dusty, Randy, Macy, Tracy, Amy & Adele Vein. With a difference. Although with the help of Adele collaborator Eg White, her songs are mostly self-written, and okay ones. The most remarkable one might be Mr. Bright Eyes, sounding for a few elusive déja-vu moments like Serge G. had once been a contract writer for Berry Gordy. But come to think of postmodernism and intertextuality: Probably Serge had listened to some Motown records back in 1967, too.
Rebecca Ferguson – Mr. Bright Eyes
