More Camille

In addition to the post below: Camille also guests on the recently released cd called Cinema by violinist Laurent Korcia. This features classical music and standards used in movies (hence the title). Ranging from the theme from Les Valseuses and Mission:Impossible to It Ain't Necessarily So. Camille sings Someday My Prince Will Come, written by Larry Morey and Frank Churchill for the Disney movie Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs. Many covers have been made, by jazzheroes like Miles Davis and Chet Baker, to popdivas like Anastasia, Sinead O'Connor (great version on the great compilation Stay Awake!) and Barbra Streisand.
Camille sings in partly in English, and French. (Merci Isa) Video HERE

Camille & Laurent Korcia - Someday My Prince Will Come

Yann, Camille, Kitty, Coralie

Thanks to Franss, here's a duet Canadian singer Yann Perreau did with Camille. It's from his latest, just-released album Un serpent sous les fleurs. Hadn't heard of Yann until now - turns out he made four cd's, worked some big names and made some pretty disturbing videos.

And in addition to the post about Seufzmädchen, turns out that Kitty Hoff (pictured) did a duet with Coralie Clement on her latest album. In German!

Yann Perreau & Camille - L'ange sur la mezzanine
Kitty Hoff & Coralie Clement - Riesenraeder

What I've learned

Things I've learned thanks to last Saturday's Soiree Gainsbourg in Petrol, Antwerp:

* If I stay up until 06.00 hrs, ánd had Belgian beer, wodka and regular beer to drink, I still feel like I've been hit by a truck come monday.
* Very beautiful, but also very drunk Belgian women who visit the Soiree, like to touch my potbelly, which makes me feel very uncomfortable.
* You can play Jacques Brel's Bruxelles to a crowd of 800 people at 04.00 hrs, and they will dance like crazy and sing along (thanks for showing me, Philip).
* Andy by Les Rita Mitsouko is a killer song (dito).
* DJ Zebra made a killer mashup using Gangsters by the Specials and Bordel by Alister (thanks for sharing that, Pierre).
* There are a lot of French floorfillers from the seventies and eighties that I need to learn about.
* C'est beau la bourgeoisie is an ultra-cheesy novelty song, yes, but nobody cares at 3.30 hrs in the morning (thanks to myself for not being afraid to play it).
* Café Hopper in Antwerp has excellent coffee, and they play Billie Holiday on a Sunday morning, which is very soothing.

Jacques Brel - Bruxelles (Video)
Discobitch - C'est beau la bourgeoisie (Video)
DJ Zebra - Bordel de Gangsters (more DJ Zebra mashups, with Olivia Ruiz and Cali and more French artists)
Les Rita Mitsouko - Andy (Video)

Caipirinha Lounge

New in the linklist: Caipirinha Lounge, a blog devoted to Portuguese music (from bossa to semba. And ofcourse, with pics of beautiful women like Ive Mendes.

Wish I was there

This is great too.

Seufzmädchen

The German language has the reputation of sounding harsh, commandeering, brute. But with the right girlie voice, a lot of false air and ofcourse the beauty to match that voice, German can be almost as comforting as French. In the past, I posted about German filles like Kitty Hoff, Lula, Elke Brauweiler and Donna Regina, but they all sang in French. The girls in this post sing in German. And yes, that's just as nice. Trust me.
OK, we start in French then. Wir Sind Helden is a German poprockband that gained some popularity when this song was played a lot on tv during the World Cup Football in Germany. They translated some songs in French - not a bad move. La Réclamation is a very danceable version of Gutentag, the band's first single, and reminds me of Deutsche Welle bands like Spider Murphy Gang. Singer Judith has a very nice out-of-breath voice.
Hottest chick in this post is Suzie Kerstgens (pictured) of Klee from Cologne. A blonde bombshell with firebrigade-lips and Bambi-eyes. They play rock with lots of electronic help (think New Order), that suits Suzie's supersexy voice really well.
JaKönigJa is probably the oddest band here. They play indie-rock mixed with jazz - there is a link with Stereolab and High Llamas. Ebba Durstewitz has a cool, husky voice that makes the music more odd, but her voice softens things up too. Like using a pillow against barbed wire.
Susie Pinkawa has a Vanessa Paradis-ish voice, she's the singer of Berlin-based Viktoriapark. It's like the band records from Susie's bedroom, she sings like she just woke up. Loving it.

One of my alltime favourite German songs is Melancholisch Schön by 2Raumwohnung. Inga Humpe sounds like a tanned Brazilian beauty, wearing a dirndl-dress. This Berlin duo made several solid albums.
MIA is not M.I.A., but a band that's around since the end of the 90s. Singer Sarah Kuttner is a former tv-presenter. Mieze is the name of their singer. MIA apparently stands for Musik ist Alles (Music is everything). Mieze has a nice, melancholic voice.
Maria Antonia is the darkhaired siren of Chapeau Claque (you know, a black hat that you can fold in). The first French name that sprang to mind when I heard them first, was Emilie Simon. Odd but sexy rock.
Annett Louisan has the most fragile voice of all these Mädel. She a nice little tease from the former DDR, who made four albums so far. She sings about love, life and girlie problems. Frank Ramond (yes, a guy) writes all her lyrics.
Swiss honey Heidi Happy sings mostly in English, but recorded one sweet little song in German on her debut. Glad she did.

Wir Sind Helden - La Réclamation (Gutentag)
Wir Sind Helden - Aurélie
Klee - Erinner Dich (VIDEO)
JaKönigJa - Diese Schmerzen Muss Du Teilen
JaKönigJa - Herrin der Balustrade
Viktoriapark - Grau und ganz blass
Viktoriapark - Erika
2Raumwohnung - Melancholisch Schön (VIDEO)
MIA - Tanz der Molekülen (VIDEO)
Chapeau Claque - Rot
Chapeau Claque - Blutenstaubromanze
Annett Louisan - Drück die Eins (VIDEO)
Annet Louisan - Sexy Loverboy
Heidi Happy - Du da, ich da (VIDEO)

Clarika

Thanks to SOM, here's a very special song by Clarika. It was recorderd in 2003 for this webiste. Marco is about Marc Beltra, a French student who worked at the University in Bogota, Colombia. In november 2003, he took a plane to the deep south of the country. He probably got there, but never returned. He's lost for almost 2000 days now. This blog is also about Marc, and other desaparecidos. See a video of Clarika singing the song here.

Clarika - Marco

Oh Canada: Emilie Proulx

You, Mr. Always-in-a-hurry. Miss 75-minutes-in-an-hour. Too much caffeine-people. Sit the f*ck down, okay. Put your legs up. R-e-l-a-x, okay? Not feeling it? Still stressed out? Put this song on, then. It's from Emilie Proulx new album, and this girl likes. To. Take. Her. Time. With. A. Song. Uptempo's a dirty word in her vocabulary. She wants the listener to pay attention, and if your eyelids feel heavy, hey, that's a plus. So sit back, let everything be, and drift away with Em.

Emilie Proulx - Sortir de là

Chanson de Romy

Click above fo one of the most beautiful songs ever, sung by Romy Schneider for the movie Les Choses de la Vie. Covered before (magnificently) by Francoiz Breut. But this time by Berry, and Daniel Darc. As an extra to Berry's re-released Mademoiselle-debut. Yes, they're doing it again: adding a bonus to an album we already have. And no, you can't buy it via webstores outside France. But there's always MySpace. And a recording device.

Berry & Daniel Darc - Chanson d'Helène

Yuri Buenaventura, Berry, Olivia

Few years ago, I was at a Yuri Buenaventura-show at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. I had the feeling I was the only one who knew what kind of music (salsa) Yuri played. Because I was the only one standing up. OK, that had also to do with my low back pain, but still. Older women summoned me to sit down, like the rest. I gazed back with contempt. Yuri and his band walked on stage, with a take-no-prisoners-attitude. He looked surprised, threw a glance over his shoulder, counted to four and it was like the band wanted the walls of Jericho to fall down - latin-style. Screaming horns, rattling percussion: it took about five seconds for the crowd to understand what was happening here, then everybody rose and started dancing.
Yuri gave French standards like Une Belle Histoire and Ne Me Quitte Pas a latin makeover (that actually worked), for his new album Cita Con La Luz he invited gorgeous filles Olivia Ruiz and Berry (pictured) to sing along. Smart guy.

Yuri Buenaventura & Berry - Si Tu Estas Aqui
Yuri Buenaventura & Olivia Ruiz - Te Fuiste

Ariane Moffatt video

Franszelfsprekend

Lists, love 'm or loathe 'm, and that's exactly why we need 'm. Maison Descartes in Holland wants The Public to choose the Best French Songs before 1980, and after. I don't know who compiled the lists, but certainly in the post-80 one they've omitted several big guns. AND added songs that I would never ever pick: Jordy's Dur dur d'etre bébé is there, but no Biolay, no Dominique Ané, no Coralie Clement, no Keren Ann, no Jeanne Cherhal, no Coeur de Pirate, no Mickey 3D, no...I could go on. I suggested to add Los Angeles and Le 22 Bar.
Until they're added, I'm not going to vote.
UPDATE: they're adding this.

My post-80 top ten would be:

1. Axel Bauer - Cargo de nuit
2. Camille - Ta Douleur
3. Coralie Clement - Beau Fixe
4. Dominique A - Le 22 Bar
5. Jo Lemaire - Je suis venue te dire
6. Benjamin Biolay - Los Angeles
7. Vanessa Paradis - Tandem
8. Noir Desir - Le Vent nous portera
9. MC Solaar - Nouveau Western
10. Francoiz Breut - Si tu disais

Le Matos/CdP/Phoebe Cates

To me, Phoebe Cates (pictured) is Amanda from Bright Lights, Big City. But to North-Americans over 35, she's Christine Ramsey from Private School (or Linda from Fast Times @ Ridgemont High). For the soundtrack of Private School, Phoebe sang How do I let you know (see here), and that 80s song was covered by Le Matos and our favourite Canadian fille, Béatric Martin aka Coeur de Pirate. And what a great version that is. This track has something to do with this.

Le Matos + Coeur de Pirate - How do I let you know

Clarika

Moi en mieux is the title of Clarika's new (fifth) album, and it sounds like a best-of indeed. Claire Keszei (her real name) sings her beautiful ballads, bobs her head to hot-pink electropop and puts on her sunglasses for some mariachi-rock. One of the best songs imho is Rien de tel (qu'une petite chanson), that reminds me of great Clarika songs like Les garçons dans les vestiaires. It starts with a classical intro, then changes into a groove, adds horns and chorusses. It's very Beatles-esque, and has various singers, like the ensemble of a theatershow. Also good is single Bien Mérité, see video here.

Very nice review of Clarika's album in Les Inrocks.

Clarika - Rien de tel (qu'une petite chanson)

Charlie

Guestpost! Maks on Charlie:

In The Netherlands there's a saying that states something like 'the longer it lasts, the sweeter the taste'. I guess and hope that'll probably the case with Charlie's forthcoming album, although the tracks at her MySpace are pretty exciting already. Some are released in december 2008 as single, like Ema (video here) and Le Sapin. Charlie also recorded a very tempting duet with Fabrice Mauss in 2007 called Je Recherche, that even made it into the charts and had over one million (!) viewings at YouTube. Her voice sometimes childish as Vanessa Paradis in her early years, sometimes more mature (think Olivia Ruiz), but always as seductive and delicate as a real certified Fille Fragile should sound like. And with a track like 'Angel', she even shows that her sound can be a bit more edgy too, as this track is a little bit more rock than the other ones. Herefor and hopefully for the rest to come Charlie already received Le Prix du Tremplin Musik'Elles in 2008.
Charlie's here to stay, but there's one quite important last detail missing right now: her debut-album. Come on, don't let us wait too long darling.
See video for Le Sapin here.

Cool live performance of 'Je Recherche' by Mauss and Charlie at Taratata here

Charlie - Ema
Charlie - Angel

RIP Alain Bashung

Alain Bashung has gone up to the great concert hall in the sky, to meet all his blues heroes, and raise a glass with his old buddy Serge Gainsbourg. Rest in peace.

Oh Canada: Stephanie Lapointe

People always ask me, Guuzbourg, connaisseur of French singing females, aficionado of the sigh, please define sexyness. Tell us what's hot, and what's not. Paint us a picture that makes your, and our, juices run. I pull up a chair, stretch out my legs, lean back and say, well, someday it's Carla Bruni, sitting in the back of a car with bare legs, playing the guitar (click). Then it's Claire Denamur, singing that she feels naked on stage (click). It's in the lips of Emmanuelle Beart (click). In that little space between Vanessa Paradis' teeth (click). But mostly, it's in the surprise. In opening a zipfile of the just-released album by Stephanie Lapointe, and hearing, well, just right click, save as...

Stephanie Lapointe - Nus sous les étoiles

And see here for a verrry sexy live reprise of Nancy Sinatra's Bang Bang (in French). Also on the album!

Claire Denamur interview

Interviewed Claire Denamur for Fileunder.nl. In Dutch, ofcourse. If you're clueless about Claire, check here. And here. And download this.

Clarika, Dominique

Trying to get a copy of the new Clarika album asap - in the meantime, here's a song from the Boby Lapointe tribute-album (2002) that I hadn't posted yet. Boby's one of the funniest lyricists in France, so I read. Think Bourvil, who also recorded his songs.
I found two new songs by Dominique A(né) also, his new album drops April 6. The very intense Ané is the godfather of the Nouvelle Scene Française, the one who saved French pop from eighties-hell, dusted it off and made it au courant again. So for that, and because of brilliant albums like Auguri and Tout sera comme avant, we follow him closely on FS.

Clarika - Comprend qui peut
Dominique A - Immortels (see video)

Rockfort

New in my linklist: Rockfort Online (yes, David and Ludovic from the radioshow of the same name) presenting the best in French music and culture. Kindred spirits, so to speak. Great discovery: Oh La La!

Melanie Pain

So, not only the new Olivia Ruiz album in April, and by AnnaO, but also Melanie Pain. For the uninitiated: the gorgeous singer from Nouvelle Vague. Ok, well, they're ALL gorgeous, but you'll recognise her. First single Helsinki, a duet with Julien Doré, is out now. On My Name (that's the albumtitle) Melanie sings in English and French. What I've heard so far (thanks Alex), this promises to be a brilliant album. Mel's a sweet and tender hooligan, and she proves it.

Melanie Pain & Julien Doré - Helsinki (live video with SKC from Zita Swoon)
Melanie Pain - Tard dans la vie (poem set to music, not on the album)

Ana Pankratoff

Born in Paris, of Russian descent, a dancer, a singer and a big Gainsbourg-fan, Ana Pankratoff calls the moon her biggest inspiration. It took a while before I realised that I'd posted about this beauty before, back when she was calling herself John (see?). Her debut-album was released November 2008. A lyrical snippet: 'Je verse des larmes pour rien et tant pis, si j’oublie des détails/C’est ma biographie de travail/Je suis une amante pas religieuse parfois brûlante ou paresseuse/Je sais faire le lotus/Je collectionne les bonus.' Emotional, you betcha. To be honest, this debutalbum lacks really strong songs, but it's a start. Fille Amère was just released as a single, see video here. More videos here.

Ana Pankratoff - Fille Amere
Ana Pankratoff - Demantibulee

Alex & Graziella

Meteorological spring has begun, and the spring songs pop up like mushrooms. Take this collab between singer-songwriter Alex Rossi, and 80s icon Graziella de Michele. You might know the latter from hits like Pull over blanc (that was covered by Arno) and Cathy prend le train. I love the happy go lucky atmosphere, don't be put off by the title. By the way, friends call Alex 'the Iggy Pop of Michel Delpech-ism', and you Delpech knows a thing or two about the seasons.

Alex Rossi & Graziella de Michele - Je veux bien mourir un jour

Cathy Claret

One grey Monday afternoon you're randomly clicking some links on MySpace, and all of a sudden you bump into this blonde goddess. Born in Nîmes, but relocated to Spain, she's been making records since the eighties, and who you have never heard about. But once you hear Loli-Lolita, you're hooked. That's what happened today, the blonde is called Cathy Claret, and her childlike voice stars over songs with flamenco, bossa nova and gypsy-influences. On almost every album she released (the last one appeared in 2007), there are some French songs, and on her website she calls Gainsbourg an influence. Ofcourse. She worked with Finlay Quaye, Pascal Comelade and Hook Herrara. She has in many ways an unique voice - the only references I can think of are Isabella Antena and Helena Noguerra. See her perform 'Toi' here. I now have her first two albums, but if you can share more recent material, I'd be grateful.

Cathy Claret - Loli-lolita
Cathy Claret - Regarde-moi sourire
UPDATE: two more songs, from later albums:
Cathy Claret - Bulle de savon
Cathy Claret - La joie de vivre

Victoires de la musique

Camille won the prize for best female artist @ yesterdays Victoires de la Musique, France's most prestigious music prize. Other winners: Alain Bashung, BB Brunes, Julien Doré, Arthur H and Rokia Traoré.

Olivia Ruiz

Maks already stated that Marie Pierre Arthur's album is his favourite Filles-cd of the year. Bold move. He might reconsider when he reads what Olivia Ruiz has in store. A new album, featuring collaborations with The Noisettes, Lonely Drifter Karen & Buck 65, who programmed the first single Elle Panique. The album will be released in April, can't wait to hear it. It seems like she dropped the southern French, northern Spanish influences (although she did release a Spanish version of La Femme Chocolat), and maybe will incorporate the Burkina Faso-rappers she worked with on the EP by her brother Toan. Also good to know - all songs are in French.

Olivia Ruiz - Elle panique