Yearlists 2010 (3)

Regular guestposters and/or French music lovers we love send in their Yearlists. Here are the results:

Mordi, from Blowupdoll:
Filles:
1. Alizée – Une Enfant Du Siecle. A totally underrated album full of retro casio keyboards, dark, moody disco and space-age melancholy. LOVE IT. (Video)
2. Marie Espinosa – la Demarrante. Another album I was obsessed with this year. I love the different styles of music on the album that brings together all the best bits of other french female singers. (Video)
3. Marie-Amélie – Dans Un Vertige. Having only recently been released, this has quickly become a firm favourite of mine. There are a few amazing songs that burrow into your brain and grab hold of your heart then you’ll be singing them all day long. Can’t wait for the next album. (Video)
4. Charlotte Gainsbourg – I.R.M.. I know it was released in 2009 but it was released where I am in the U.K. in 2010. Going to see her perform this year in London further cemented my Charlotte obsession. (Video)
5. Emmanuelle Seigner – Dingue. Not a perfect album, but the influence of Keren Ann results in some great songs. (Video)

And as for my top 5 male albums……..there weren’t any! Nothing has bettered Benjamin Biolay’s ‘La Superbe’ from 2009.
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Thomas Bohnet, from Le Tour:
Filles:
1. Babet – Piano Monstre. Second solo-album of Elisabeth ‘Babet’ Maistre, singer and multiinstrumentalist of fantastic indierockers Dionysos. Beautiful collaboration with her husband Andy Maistre, Dionysos-singer Mathias Malzieu and others. Indie-Pop meets Nouvelle Chanson and soundtrack styles. (Video)
2. Zaz – Zaz. What a voice! Smoky, full, dark and clear – succesful newcomer Zaz (No 1 in France) with songs between chanson, blues, soul and a bit of jazz. (Video)
3. Coeur de Pirate – Coeur de Pirate. This album came out in France in 2009, this year in Germany. Still a beautiful album and Béatrice Martin also showed that she is a very good live performer. (Video)
4. Françoise Hardy – La pluie sans parapluie. A nice guestlist helped the icon of French pop to release this lovely album: Arthur H,  Thierry Stremler, Jean-Louis Murat. The title song is a reprise of a song by Munichs French addict/actress/singer Nanette ‘Fouxi’ Kurz. (Video)
5. Emmanuelle Seigner – Dingue. After her rock album Ultra Orange & Emmanuelle another nice try for the actress and wife of Roman Polanski in the music world. (Video)

Hommes:
1. Katerine – Philippe Katerine. Masterpiece by one of the most important songwriters and singers of the French scene. An album full of humour and style, minimalistic pop and elements of French chanson, between musical slapstick and sophisticated pop. Unique, surprising. (Video)
2. Arnaud Fleurent-Didier – La reproduction. He’s a sort of a pop intellectual: AF-D wrote THE French pop song of 2010: France culture, a poetic lament about lost culture over a Gainsbourgesque soundtrack. His songs are inspired by movies, art and literature.  Good lyrics and interesting music. (Video)
3. Féloche – La vie cajun. Very special mixture of cajun and indie-pop, French chanson, rock, New Orleans-soul and jazz . Fantastic live act. (Video)
4. Féfé – Jeune à la retraite. Soloalbum of one of the rappers of famous Parisian band Saian Supa Crew. Good mix of hiphop, soul, blues and other stuff. Think of a French Arrested Development. (Video)
5. Coming Soon – Ghost Train Tragedy. French Americana and indie-folk. Reminds me on Herman Düne, Velvet Underground and Jonathan Richman. Seven young friends from of the small city of Annecy near the French alps with their second album. (Video)