Cours lapin

  • Posted on 23/08/2010
  • /Under Musique

Denmark’s not really the first country you think of when you go look for French singing, fragile girls. That is probably why I missed the memo’s about Cours lapin, a Danish foursome consisting of three guys and one girl who make money making music for films and documentaries. The girl’s Louise Alenius, and if you’re a big Biolay-fan you know her babyvoice from a song on Benjamin’s Clara et Moi-soundtrack. Cours lapin’s first album is out now, sporting 11 songs that meander between Amélie-style chansons (like Mes larmes secretes) and darker, Portishead-ish stuff like Débutants. Cache Chache was kind of a hit in the blogosphere (see?), I’m posting end-song La Fin.

Cours lapin – La fin
Benjamin Biolay & Louise Alenius – The word

Comment te dire instrumental

  • Posted on 18/08/2010
  • /Under Video

Yes, great instrumental version of Comment te dire adieu (see above). But who plays it? What orchestra? Is it available on vinyl, cd? It sounds a lot like the backing of the Hardy-version, but it’s not. The girl who uploaded this version doesn’t know. I searched Discogs and Originals, but to no avail. Maybe you, dear FS-reader, can help? (Did you know, by the way, that Amanda Lear did a version of Comment te dire too? See a funny lip-synch video here. No, that’s not Amanda, but it is her voice)

UPDATE: Got it! Here.

Charlie, Charlie

  • Posted on 12/08/2010
  • /Under Musique

First, there was this French song, by our beloved husky superstar Vanessa Contenay-Quinones, together with her O’s (don’t forget to check out her new song!). Then, while searching for non-English filles to play in my podcast, I bumped onto Ania Dabrowska (pictured). A star in Poland, where she scored a hit with the same song about Charlie Charlie, only in Polish. Then I found out that Charlie Charlie was written by O’s member Niclas Frisk, who originally wrote it in English (in 2001) for Nina Persson’s A Camp. Can’t decide which version is my favourite. Ania Dabrowska also sang with Nouvelle Vague (a Robert Palmer cover on the third NV-album 3, but also live in Poland, see this video) and recently released an album with soundtrack-covers in English, wonder where she got that idea. Her Polish albums are way better, try her second album.

Vanessa & the O’s – Charlie Charlie
Ania Dabrowska – Charlie Charlie
A Camp – Charlie Charlie

Gainsbourg en Israel

  • Posted on 09/08/2010
  • /Under Video

Several French and Israeli artist paid hommage to Serge on July 28 with a concert in Tel Aviv, with Serge’s son Lulu behind the piano and FS-faves like Rose and Alizee singing (and a gorgeous singer called Shirel, whom I never heard of). Check out a highlights-trailer below. Fan-made video of Alizee’s visit to the promised land here, AFP-reportage about the concert here. (Merci Christophe)

Gaele

  • Posted on 06/08/2010
  • /Under Musique

Raven-haired beauty Gaele made a second album, that leans heavy on percussion. Because of the way she sings and talks, I’d call her a slammeuse. There are mostly acoustic instruments used on the album, ranging from the ukele to a full brassband. There’s a reggae-vibe, some New Orleans-style funk and lyrics about current affairs (like the financial crisis). One song was written by the great Daniel Belanger. Kick-off track Femme en ic is my favourite because of the jazzy style and the wordplay.

Gaele – Femme en ic

Too hot

  • Posted on 03/08/2010
  • /Under Musique

A kooky girl, a phat groove and musings about going to a party, going to the beach, going nowhere….what more do you want from a summer jam? Anais teamed-up for Too hot with Beat Assailant, the American-born producer who is also the mastermind behind French soul-phenomenon Ben L’Oncle Soul. Too hot reminds me of Luscious Jackson, with that laid-back vibe, funny (partly French) lyrics and monster-bassline. Flavour will last until October, definitely.

Beat Assailant & Anais – Too hot

Les filles du Crépuscule

  • Posted on 02/08/2010
  • /Under Musique

Les Disques du Crépuscule was a Belgian label that specialized in sophisticated songs and gorgeous sleeves – designer Benoit Hennebert loved putting beautiful girls on the recordcovers (like the one pictured) LDdC’s peak was in the eighties, when they released album by Anna Domino, (Isabelle) Antena, Paul Haig and Tuxedomoon. Read an extensive history on Crépuscule-activities here. Recently, LTM started re-releasing the backcatalogue and making nice compilations. Like Les filles du Crépuscule, featuring songs by FS-faves like Cathy Claret, Mikado, Antena and Marie Audigier. Great liner-notes, great package, this is what a compilation should be. I was pleasantly surprised by the Patrick Juvet-cover by Isabelle Antena (real name: Powaga) and her sisters, and the discovery of Ludus’ Bardot-cover.

Powaga Sisters – J’aime regarder les filles
Ludus – Nue au soleil

In other news: I upped a new podcast featuring great non-English songs from all over the world (Italian rock, French soul, Texan mambo, Libanese dance, etc), go here.

Fredda vs Henri Matisse

  • Posted on 29/07/2010
  • /Under Musique

Because of a Henri Matisse exposition in MoMa New York, five great French bands and singers were invited to play in the Big Apple. Barbes Records releases a digital-only compilation (out Aug. 3 on iTunes, Amazon, etc) with songs by FS-faves like Holden, Marianne Dissard and Fredda to promote the expo and the artists. The only song about a Matisse painting is an inédit by Fredda (Fréderique Dastrevigne) called Fenêtre à Collioure. Which, as you all know, is also a painting by Matisse (pictured). The brushes in the intro sound like a brush on canvas – intentional? Fredda sings about the boats in the window and the colours – lovely song. Dates for the NYC-shows here. If any of my American readers is going to one (or more) of these shows, please write a review!

Fredda – Fenêtre à Collioure

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