‘Toi’ by Isobel Campbell is the French version of ‘You’, from her latest album (released last June). Isobel writes on her Instagram: ‘I finished writing this song on 22/02/22. The day of Mark Lanegan, my singing partner’s, untimely passing. I’d been listening to ‘Anthem’ by Leonard Cohen on repeat, it was the strangest of days. Over the years we’d bonded so much over the work of Leonard Cohen. I still cry when I hear ‘Anthem’ even now. To have written ‘Toi’ on this date is significant. It’s a mystical, sorrowful song, befitting such a day.’

‘Maintenant ou Jamais’, released earlier, is the French version of her song’Do or Die’.

Juniore, fine makers of ‘yeye noir’, have a new album out. It sounds, in a way, as a tribute to the darker musical heritage of Françoise Hardy (think the Soleil album, songs like Le Crabe). With widescreen undertones. This is one of the highlights:

Now this is an interesting combo. Dutch singer Merol, best known for her feminine and feminist dancetracks (example) is one of the guest vocalists on the new Jungle By Night album. This Amsterdam-based collective started out as afrobeat-heads, but quickly added various warm-blooded styles (and keyboards) to their mostly instrumental repertoire. I’m a fan, ever since their first vinyl single came out. I never, NEVER, imagined they would ever pop-up on this blog, but Merol cooing in French over a pink plushy JBN-groove…well, here we are:

Claude Fontaine (real name: Nicole Rosenfield) is compared to the big guns: ‘At times, Fontaine channels Jane Birkin as backed by Jorge Ben. Françoise Hardy locked into sonic reverie with Mulatu Astatke, or Margo Guryan making lovers rock’, says her record label. She has a gorgeous voice, and her first album was quite a sunny sensation. Her 2nd album is coming up, La Mer, and she sings in French (yay!!)

How ’bout we kick off the new season with a solid indie-rock tune? By Bruxelles-Marseille-based band Coeur a l’index, whose first official single is highly charming (early Cure-references):

The band’s demo is on Bandcamp, HERE. By the way, ‘Coeur a l’index’ was an 1981 single for Muriel, in the Amoureux Solitaire-Lio way. See HERE.