Marc Collin

Nicolas Comment

  • Posted on 21/01/2011
  • /Under Musique

Serge Gainsbourg, produced by Martin Hannett, of Joy Division-fame. An apt description of the songs on Nicolas Comment‘s second album, Nous Etions Dieu. That was actually produced by Marc Colling, of Nouvelle Vague-fame. Nicolas is a photographer too, several books with his works were published. See examples here. Where you also can read that he worked with Rodolphe Burger and Jacques Higelin, and that Comment made a book-plus-cd in 2008. See/listen to a track from that album here.  I listened to Nous Etions Dieu several times now. The Gainsbourg-influence is easy to spot, first song Je te veux sounds like a Melody Nelson-outtake. Closing song Comme d’une foret la hache is more in the Tête de chou-vain. First single and title track Nous étions Dieu is haunting, catchy, retro-chic song with a great video (posted that one earlier, here). L’Attendue is very strong too. Jerome Attal made a similar sounding album a few years back, he didn’t cross-over to non-French-speaking countries. But I can see Nicolas step over the border.

Nicolas Comment – Nous étions Dieu

Nouvelle Vague

  • Posted on 09/11/2010
  • /Under Musique

Couleurs sur Paris, the new Nouvelle Vague album is out now in France and Belgium (should be out in Europe and overseas next week, god willin’), and it’s a beauty! I haven’t been that enthusiastic in the past about NV, because the concept stopped working after the second album. For me. But this time, Marc and the girls (and a few guys) really really outdid themselves. French new wave hits from the 80s worked over by the creme de la creme of les filles fragiles of today, why didn’t I think of that?! I’m sooo happy that Coeur de Pirate, Jeanne Cherhal, Olivia Ruiz and of course our guardian angel Coralie Clément are on board. CC’s version of Taxi Girl‘s Je suis déjà partie (video) is amazing.
I’ve posted about the 4th NV-album before. See tracklist here. Here you can find a zip with all the original versions.
Nouvelle Vague feat. Coralie Clément – Je suis déjà partie

Nouvelle Vague + Adrienne Pauly

  • Posted on 19/10/2010
  • /Under Musique

The upcoming album from Nouvelle Vague promises to be brilliant, Marc, Olivier et les filles take on French 80s hits. The tracklist was published here before, now it’s time for the first single. Adrienne Pauly, she of the provocative hit Je veux un mec, sexes up Les Rita Mitsouko’s indestructible Marcia Baila. A song that was covered many times, not always in the right way. Even craterface Ricky Martin recorded a version, that’s not as bad as one would expect. See a French interview with Marc Collin and Adrienne about the new Nouvelle Vague project here.

Nouvelle Vague feat. Adrienne Pauly – Marcia Baila
Les Rita Mitsouko – Marcia Baila
Maria Gasolina – Marcia Baila
RIcky Martin – Marcia Baila
Olivia Ruiz – Marcia Baila

Ollano

  • Posted on 09/09/2010
  • /Under Musique

The very sensual Helena Noguerra (Lio’s sister!) was featured on Filles Sourires many, many times. But never with this video, or this song from the brilliant, yet overlooked Ollano album (= Marc Collin & Xavier Jamaux).

Ollano – Latitudes (English version)
Ollano – Latitudes (French version)
There is an Air-remix for this track too, here.

Hansje

  • Posted on 12/06/2010
  • /Under Musique

‘Incroyable!, cried Marc Collin on his Facebook when he clicked on the link to the video above. Someone had just shown him this, which triggered me to introduce him to Hansje (Ravesteijn). I posted about her earlier (here), but now that the video has been uploaded on YT, I feel it’s time for a repost. The former model, dancer, Debbie Harry-lookalike contest winner and singer made a couple of singles in the late seventies and early 80s. Automobile and the Plastic Bertrand-ripoff Silex Pistols Piew Piew made her a star in Germany.  The video was shot for the music show Musikladen. Another claim to fame was her show in 1982 for Dutch military in the Lebanon. When Hansje revealed a tiny leopard skin dress under her soldier’s uniform, the local Muslim militia was offended, and started shooting.  Several Dutchbatters were injured. This Dutch article tells the whole story. When I first posted about Hansje, Belgian breakcore-heroes Mascotte were so excited by the track that they made a remix. Now, with the video, Collin’s enthusiasm and more people responding quite good, who knows what might happen next…
UPDATE: Thanks to Swie Tio, now I know that Silex Pistols is actually a cover of Belgian punkband Too Much. The whole song is in French. More details (and download) here.

Hansje – Silex Pistols Piew Piew
Hansje – Automobile (video!)
Hansje – Tu es belle
Hansje – Silex Pistols Piew Piew (Mascotte RNR Breakcore remix)