Just so you know

Maybe you remember my surprise a few weeks ago about some posts that went AWOL. Well, like I thought, Blogger removed them because of copyright infringement. Here's a letter, I received on the very day I got the brandspanking new copies of Filles Fragiles #2. They even threaten to close my blog. If this happens, please turn to my other blog (guuzbourg.blogspot.com, or myspace.com/guuzbourg) to see where I went.

Francoiz Breut

When I think of Francoiz Breut, I think of a big plane between Normandy and Brittany, on a not too sunny day with a bit too much wind. A raven-haired girl standing on a cliff, the sea deep down below, singing a song of longing, of desire, of dreams. For all the outside influences (Spanish lyricists, collaborators from Arizona), Francoiz always has a Northern French feel to me. On new album A L'Avleuglette, this vibe is still very much in place. This time, FB and her band (two guys, plus help from Mansfield.TYA) aim for widescreen images via very rhythmic songs, with use of vibraphones, strings, brass and all kinds of percussion. These are not popsongs like Si Tu Disais, these are little soundtracks to movies in your head. Calexico is a reference, just like Tortoise and a times even Godspeed You Black Emperor. Francoiz sounds as lovely and fragile as ever, with a hint of smile. Not an easy album, but surely a good one. Out November 3 - and ofcourse en direct on November 13 and 14 in Amsterdam and Leiden.

Francoiz Breut - A L'Avleuglette

FB contributed earlier on the album of The Ideal Husband, the band to book for your Twin Peaks-revival party. Odd, campy music with lots of ukelele, lapsteel and double bass, plus dark fairytale lyrics. Singer of The Ideal Husband is Sandrine Collard, who was featured on this blog before with her electronic album. Most songs are in English, Francoiz sang backing vocals on Dors. The Ritornello is partly in French. TIH play the Crossing Border festival in The Hague on November 21.

The Ideal Husband - Dors
The Ideal Husband - The Ritournello

Mina, Dalida

Already a little while has passed since I emailed Guuzbourg for re-promoting the French movie Mina Tannenbaum (1994). It's about the coming of age of two jewish friends, their dreams, fears, their differences. Dalida's 'Il venait d'avoir 18 ans' plays a prominent role throughout, and – hence the email – I spotted a wee glimpse of le Gainsbourg singing . A very beautiful, a very French film.
"Bon, just deliver me a guest post for FillesSourires, and I will submit the Mina-clip along to it". I then started on writing my article, but the words just wouldn't come to me. For what is there to add in words to this music, this fragment, this theme? So. I wish to end this simple post with my thesis that in France, the chanson and the cinema remain at a very close distance from each other.

Dalida - Il venait d'avoir 18 ans

Catherine & Julien

Catherine Deneuve makes a cameo appereance in Julien Dorés new, fantastic campy video:



The part where Julien is standing between two black models reminds me very much of this this video.

Random tracks

Three songs that have almost nothing in common, apart from sounding real good and one having a Serge-reference:

There's a connection between Marc Collin and La Boétie, but I forgot what it was (the booking agent, probably). Anyhoo, this Parisian rockquartet is fronted by the charming Elsa (pictured), and make powerpop with modern (think LCD Soundsystem) touches. No album yet, but all songs on their Myspace are very cool.

La Boetie - L'Etre Ideal

Paul & Louise are obviously a duo, that make also upbeat rock. They sing in English and French, one song of theirs was covered by Sinead O'Connor no less for a soundtrack. Also, no album yet. But there's always MySpace.

Paul & Louise - Je ne pense plus a toi

And finally an older track by the wonderful Angel Corpus Christi. I never give money to musicians on the street, except violist younger than 10 (they need the encouragement) and accordionist of any age. I love the accordion, wish I could play this poor man's piano. ACC is a master on the instrument, and also a very funny songwriter. White Courtesy Phone is a great album, but if you like (Lou Reed-)covers then Louie Louie is a good one. From that album comes this mash-up of SG's Je t'aime and I Want to Boogie With You (by Lou Reed, yes).

Angel Corpus Christi - I Want to Boogie/Je t'aime...moi non plus

Jane Birkin

Out in November: Enfants d'Hiver, the new album by Jane Birkin. For the first time, she wrote all lyrics herself, and they're all in French. For the music, she turned to Hawksley Workman, Alain and Pierre Souchon, Alain Lanty and Bertrand Louis (among others). I've heard it a few times now, and it's a very genteel album. Beautiful, mostly acoustic music (few samples, inna triphop stylee), and Jane telling a story. Not a lot of actual singing, and not every song is a, erm, song. With chorusses and refrains and all. Serge's nowhere in sight, but remember: she's doing her Arabesque-album again in Paris, during the big Gainsbourg-expo.

Jane Birkin - Periode Bleue

La vie en rose

(this is a restored post)

Fils sourires update! A brave move by Belgian band Suarez, to cover La vie en rose. The song has been sung many many many times, but the fourpiece add something to this standard. In fact, they redressed it in such way you don't recognise it immediatly. It was when I scanned the small print on their recently released debut album On Attend, that I saw that this was the famous Piaf song. They also do a very nice rendition of Brassens' La non demande en marriage. Suaraz is a rock band with folky roots, and fish in the same pond as the mighty Saule, Joseph d'Anvers, Salsedo, Eté 67 and other young lions. They're playing Brussels' Royal Circus on November 15 with Coralie Clement. Nice way to get acquinted, I'd say.

Here's Suarez' version, plus Edith's, and a still brill version by Satchmo.

Suarez - La vie en rose
Louis Armstrong - La vie en rose
Edith Piaf - La vie en rose