Francois & the Atlas Mountains

Frànçois and The Narcoleptics

  • Posted on 25/01/2012
  • /Under Musique

In 2003, Frànçois Marry moved from the French west coast to Bristol where he played trumpet for bands like Movietone or Camera Obscura. Now signed to Domino Records (Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys) with his fourth album E Volo Love – caution: palindrome –, he beguiles the English Roses with a nonstop soft boy mixture somewhere between Belle & Sebastian, Paul Simon and a dazed Dominique A, opening with Les Plus Beaux, doubtless a nice 5:00 a.m. starter. Alas, the other cuddle tunes never manage to wake you up. The somnolent reviewer of British Q magazine gave Frànçois 4 stars out of 5. Actually, it’s more like un et demi étoiles when you already had your morning espresso.

Frànçois & The Atlas Mountains – Les Plus Beaux
Frànçois & The Atlas Mountains – Azrou Tune

François & Françoiz

  • Posted on 10/10/2011
  • /Under Musique

French artists who get signed by cool British indie-labels, there aren’t that many. Barbara Carlotti’s part of the 4AD-family, Françoiz Breut’s albums were at some point distributed by Bella Union and now Domino has taken François & the Atlas Mountains under their indie wings. François Marry is no stranger to overseas labels, though.  He was part of Movietone, and joined Crescent (who both released records on FatCat and Domino). After three albums (self-released or on Fence) the fourth F&tAM cd gets a worldwide release via the home of Franz Ferdinand, Anna Calvi and The Kills. Next year, that is. But in France it’s already out. Shame, ’cause it’s a very good album. François sings both in English and French, has a pleasant voice and likes his songs groovy, with African popinfluences. He also likes to add a good string section, and when Françoiz Breut is his duet partner, we at FillesSourires HQ are definitely all ears. La Breut with strings, in a tristesse song – Cherchant les ponts sounds like a track from Breut’s masterpiece Une Saison Volée.

See/watch the new F&tAM single Piscine HERE

Francois & the Atlas Mountains & Francoiz Breut – Cherchant les ponts