The Way Serge Was

  • Posted on 18/05/2011
  • /Under Musique

Would you buy a used Jane Birkin record from this man? Berlin-based guitarist Kristof Hahn, who has played with the likes of Alex Chilton, Tav Falco, or Chris Spedding, is now touring with US 80s noise legends The Swans and hitting Munich tomorrow, May 19th; the pic actually is from the tour poster. Living in the Rue Verneuil of his mind, Hahn also has quite a francophile schtick that can be heard on his recordings with Les Hommes Sauvages, and he’s also a great storyteller, provided that you speak German: Four years ago, he told a few Serge Gainsbourg anecdotes during a gig in Vienna before continuing with a solo version of Serge’s Je suis venu te dire que je m’en vais – deadpan humour plus some sharp, grungy licks the original song lacked for a few decades.

Kristof Hahn – Je suis venu te dire …

Liesbeth List

  • Posted on 17/05/2011
  • /Under Musique

‘Ik dans dus ik besta’ is a Dutch translation of ‘Je dans donc je suis’, a song written by André Popp for Brigitte Bardot. She had a hit with it in 1964, this cover by List is from her debut-album from 1966. I recently came across this version, and thanks to Sylvester and Paul, I can post it here. Liesbeth List, for the uninitiated, is Holland’s most respect chansonniere. She made her tv-debut in 1964, duetting with Gainsbourg. Later, she recorded several chansons in French and translated versions. Songs by Barouh, Gainsbourg and most famously, Jacques Brel. I had the distinct pleasure to meet her at the presentation of the Filles Fragiles #2 compilation, that features a Gainsbourg-cover by her.
This Bardot-cover was never released on cd, oddly enough.

Liesbeth List – Ik dans dus ik besta
Brigitte Bardot – Je danse donc je suis

Rummelsnuff

  • Posted on 16/05/2011
  • /Under Musique

You know Rammstein. This German band mixes metal with (homo-)eroticism, electronics, East-German references, irony, humour and great visuals. Introduction? See here. You might not know Roger Baptist, aka Rummelsnuff. He’s a one-man Rammstein, who recorded several albums under different monikers. He once recorded a cover of Becaud’s Nathalie, on his most recent release Brüder the Gainsbourg-and-Bardot-duet Bonnie & Clyde gets a treatment. Roger gets help from French actress and singer Valerie Renay (pictured).

Rummelsnuff – Bonnie & Clyde

 

Benjamin Biolay & Chiara Mastroianni

Nice surprise on the upcoming Jacno-tribute: Biolay teamed up with his ex Chiara Mastroianni, for a tender rendition of D’une rive à l’autre. A song Jacno sang originally with Romane Bohringer. See here. As any Biolay-fan knows, Chiara is the daughter of Marcello Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve, and the mother of Biolays daugther Bambi Rose. They recorded one album together as HOME, an utterly sexy road-trip. Apparently, the idea to record this album came from a trip the two made to The Hague.

HOME (Benjamin Biolay & Chiara Mastroianni) – D’une rive à l’autre
HOME (Benjamin Biolay & Chiara Mastroianni) – Tête à claques

Lisa Portelli

  • Posted on 11/05/2011
  • /Under Musique

The weird, almost frightening yet compelling video for Lisa Portelli‘s Dans l’air has ‘David Lynch’ written all over it. The music reminds me of Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet as well. Her second album Le régal (‘A pleasure’) contains more of these atmospherical country-noir tracks, like Les chiens dorment or L’échelle. On these, 24-year old Lisa sound like an auto-tuned Vanessa Paradis – tuned to ‘odd’ that is. On other songs she rocks out, like in the very strong title-track, or the blues-y Animal K. Not everything works, probably because her voice is, at times, less compelling than her videos. See live videos here, here and here.

Lisa Portelli – Le régal

Baby pop

  • Posted on 08/05/2011
  • /Under Musique

A Dutch version of France Gall’s Baby Pop, a song written by Gainsbourg. A pleasant surprise, I wasn’t aware it existed. It was the b-side to the only single Eindhoven-born Leontien Snel made in the 60s. See ReadySteadyGirls for some background. Many thanks to @LatoUno and of course @Frans_s for unearthing this gem. Anyone who saw the Gainsbourg-Vie Héroique movie (and if you’re a regular visitor, I’m sure you saw it), remembers the kind of cruel scene with Sara Forestier playing France Gall, singing Baby Pop totally out of tune to a bemused Gainsbourg, played by Eric Elmosnino. The only other cover of Baby Pop that I know of, was made by French singer Antoinette. If you know of other versions, please send me (guuzbourg (a) gmail) an mp3!

France Gall – Baby pop
Sara Forestier (as France Gall) – Baby pop
Leontien Snel – Baby pop
Antoinette – Baby pop

Little Majorette

  • Posted on 05/05/2011
  • /Under Musique

Whilst making a Spotify-playlist with Scandinavian filles (who do not sing in English, see here), FS-regular André introduced me to Little Majorette. A band of Swedes who got together in 2007 and made a couple of EP’s. Their album Rifle Heart is out now. On the last EP there’s one song with a French title that’s partly sung in French too. Zoe Durrant has a gorgeous voice, I’m very much into that electronic-kitschpop sound. What I’ve heard so far is very, very sultry. Hope Little Majorette will sing in French some more.

Little Majorette – Sous les étoiles

Oh La La!

  • Posted on 05/05/2011
  • /Under Musique

I’m surprised Oh La La! is the first French band (former A.S. Dragon-singer Natasha Le Jeune, Clément Fonio and Antoine Boistelle) to actually name themselves after one of France’s best known catchphrases. I’m not surprised professional weirdo Philippe Katerine pops up on the OLL!-album, for a duet. Their music is an update of A.S. Dragon and Elli & Jacno/Catherine Ringer & Fred ChinChin-styled new wave-pop, with electronic touches, heavy bass and sometimes lyrics in English. Single Oser has a great video (see here, and while you’re at it, see a riotious RUN-DMC cover here), but I’m more in favour of the RitaMitsouko-fied Nu Dans Ton Jeans. This waaaaaaay better than the disappointing solo-effort by Catherine Ringer. As Natasha stated on my Facebook, Catherine without Fred is like Serge without Jane. Sad, but true.

Oh La La! – Nu dans ton jeans

DJ Set

  • Posted on 03/05/2011
  • /Under Podcast

Last Sunday, the homies of Wicked Jazz Sounds asked me to do a dj-set in their weekly show on Dutch Radio 6. Much obliged! You can listen and/or download my set (great songs, no dj-trickery) HERE

In other news, go HERE to download a remix of Serge Gainsbourg’s Hold Up by Manu El Chino.

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