Filles Sourires Fifteen

2006 is coming to an end - and what a year it was. Not only did I become a father, I got the chance to spend a half hour in the presence of Charlotte Gainsbourg, and stare for 40 minutes in the steelblue eyes of Carla Bruni. Plus I dj'ed at a fantastic Gainsbourg-tribute in Amsterdam, and my ears got treated to a lot of lovely voices and chansons. Here's a roundup of the 15 best Filles Sourires-songs of 2006.
[NOTE: ALL FILES ARE DOWN!]
1. Charlotte Gainsbourg - 5.55
Brilliant album (also called 5.55), great lyrics. Yes, most are in English, but do you care? I don't. (Video)
2. Camille - Au Port
Taken from the utterly fantastic Live au Trianon-album, on which the hugely talented Camille shows that you just need a voice, very few instrumentation and a lot of présence to wow a public. Or a listener. (Video)
3. Emilie Simon - Fleur de Saison
Rock with a gentle, wide-eyed touch. Taken from the versatile Végétal. (Video)
4. Lio - Vieil Ami
Glorieus comeback of the eighties Pop Model. Dites Au Prince Charmant is an album by a woman scarred, but not broken.
5. Jeanne Cherhal - La Peau sur les os
My current obsession. Her third album L'Eau is a masterful collection of intelligent popsongs. (Video of Voilà)
6. Yelle - Je veux te le voir
The new Lio, with a foul mouth. Future's looking bright for this electropop-princess (release that song with that Heaven 17-sample already!) (Video)
7. Mareva Galanter - On Roule à 160
Suddenly, this beautiful woman (ex-Miss France) popped up with a great collection of covers, with added ukelele. Ukuyeye is the surprise-smash of 2006. (Scopitone)
8. Elodie Frégé - Le Velours des Vierges
Another cover, this time written by Serge for Jane, but bettered by a former Star Ac-contestant. With Benjamin Biolay overseeing most of her second album Le Jeu des 7 Erreurs, very little could go wrong. (Video for La Ceinture)
9. Jane Birkin - La Reine Sans Royaume
The Queen-mum made a Serge-free, but still wonderful album, in the year she hit the big six-o, the year her former lover was remembered all over the world (via a so-so tribute-album) and her daugther made the best album of the year.
10. Axelle Red - Papillon
For a while, we were led to believe Jardin Secret was the last album from the Flemish red fury. She still has ambivalent feelings for the music industry, but promises to keep writing and recording songs. Phew. (Video for Temps pour nous)
11. Lady Palavas - Cuisine Actuelle
Made some great friends, and discovered a lot of great artists via MySpace. One of the bestest is retro-band Lady Palavas - groovy, baby!
12. Claire Diterzi -Infidèle
I like a touch of gothicness. Fairytale music from a talent-to-watch. (Video for Je Me Souviens dans la Neige)
13. Dorval - Celle Que Vous Croyez
Title-track of the second album by the illustre duo, that I thought had disappeared forever. But no. Thank God no. (Video via Dorval-site)
14. Austine - Leitmotiv
The embodiement of what Filles Sourires stands for. The fille of the fillest, if you like.
15. Adrienne Pauly - J'veux un Mec
Ravenhaired beauty wants a boyfriend. Do you take side-orders, mamzelle? (Video)