2013: Le Mix de L'année français
A great song is just that... a great song, regardless of the language that it was originally written or sung in... And so without further ado, here's the Blog's 8-track mix of some of the best French or Francophone music of 2013...
Les soeurs Boulay - "Mappemode" (From the album "Les Poids des Confettis")
My favourite track from my favourite album of 2013. "Mappemonde" is a bitter-sweet breaking-up song about unreciprocated feelings. Sisters Mélanie and Stéphanie Boulay's telepathic, oh-so note-perfect harmonies perfectly convey the soul-searching remorse... Has heart-break ever sounded so sweet?
Axelle Red - "Quelque part ailleurs" (From the album "Rouge Ardent")
"Rouge Ardent" rendre hommage à both the sound, spirit and soul of Memphis and Stax. However, I chose "Quelque part ailleurs" primarily because with its vocals centre-stage and solo piano accompaniment, this troubling melancholy ballad really highlights Axelle's distinct and powerful vocals.
Alizée - "Le dernier souffle" (From the Album "5")
Alizée's 5th studio album marked a welcome return to the girl from Ajaccio. It proved beyond a doubt that a teen pop star could transform herself into a serious adult artist. "Le dernier souffle" with its retro-60's feel, hand-clapping beat, soaring chorus and catchy hook encapsulates everything about how a great pop song should sound.
Chantal Archambault - "Les détours" (From the album "Les élans")
From an album chock-full of classy compositions, "Les détours" is a great up-tempo contemporary country-tinged pop song. There's something deliciously disturbing about the way that Chantal's angelic vocals deliver this outwardly romantic ballad with just the hint of a smirk...
Les Hay Babies - "Chu pas une femme à marier" (From the EP "Folio")
With it's full-on-in-yer-face Arcadian French patois, spotless harmonies, all dirty guitar and ukulele, "Chu pas une femme à marier" is a text-book example of the "trashy-folk" style. It's probably not a coincidence that the trio hail from New Brunswick, home to la reine of trash-folk herself, Lisa LeBlanc.
Forêt - "Le verbe amour" (From the album "Forêt")
Dreamy, atmospheric, hunting electro-pop. Émilie Laforest's breathless, dreamy vocals add structure and substance to Kim Doré's poetry... and then there's an added symphony of synthesisers and strings; the chorus kicks-in, the voice drop an octave - there's a hint of over-dubbing - and you're transported to an ethereal other world...
Chantal Bellavance - "j'attends" (From the EP "J'attends")
Soaring crystalline vocals, retro-80's synth-pop, catchy chorus and tight production all makes this song encapsulating life, love, despondency, disillusionment and hope a nigh-on perfect breezy pop song.
Hôtel Morphée - "Des histoires de fantômes" (From the album ""Des histoires de fantômes"")
Dark and brooding, and with a repetitive thumping bass married to Laurence Nerbonne's hauntingly breathless and deliberately flat vocals makes the title track from the band's debut album capture the nocturnal Gothic menace which ripple throughout the album.
Ariane Brunet - "Rentrer tard"( From the album "Fusée")
Another finely-tuned folkish, yet refreshingly contemporary, country-pop song and a catchy, up-beat homage to the artist's hometown of Montréal. Ariane imploring that she wants the city all to herself; "Je Veux Montréal juste pour moi... Montréal avec moi... Montreal rien qu'a moi".
Robi - "Où suis-je" (From the album "L'hiver et la joie")
Hypnotic, pumping, pounding synth drums and reverbed synths paint a stark desolate post-industrial synth-pop landscape which are perfectly married to Robi's deliberately monotonic vocals, evoke searing headlights illuminating a dark, two-lane flat top...
Anik Jean - "Baise-moi" (From the "Schizophrène")
It was John Lydon who sang 'This is not a love song", and this searing, powerful, driving rock song is most definitely not a love song. It's a song about sex (hint: check the title!) and raw, animalistic desire - all from a female perspective - "Baise-moi, frôle-moi, love-moi, touche-moi" - indeed.
Marianne Bel - "Dagmar" (From the album "Le Balcon")
A wickedly racy and humerous up-tempo pop song with an incredibly melodic and catchy hook. Marianne may have the kind of sweet angelic vocals that suggests butter wouldn't melt in her voice, but with a devilish grin and a wink there's obviously more than one way to skin a cat (or guinea pig, apparently)...This is the kind of song that is guaranteed to leave a smile on your face.
Moongai - "Zombie" (From the album "Cosmofamille")
Dreamy electro-pop songs of this quality come along once in a blue moon. If the combination of infectious rhythms and Eva Ménard's fragile vocals wasn't enough, the middle-eight's dynamic change of tempo launches this song to even greater heights. Arguably the electro-pop song of the year (in any language).
Carla Bruni - "Chez Keith Et Anita" (From the album "Little French Songs")
The kind of effortless chanson that when she puts her mind to it, makes every Carla Bruni album a delight. Revolving around a simple acoustic guitar, Latin rhythms, the subtle addition of horns and Carla's trademark dreamy, lilting vocals and cleverly poetic, playful lyrics; Carla imagines sharing the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards and Anita Pallenberg's bohemian lifestyle at their home in the South of France....
Cover Artwork:
January 17th is the 70th Birthday of arguably one of the greatest of contemporary French singers - and the original fille fragile - Françoise Hardy. So what better way for this US-based blog to celebrate the best French music of 2013 with a photograph of her taken in New York City in 1965?
Guuzbourg's Parfait Françoise Hardy Spotify Mix
Guuzbourg's Parfait Françoise Hardy Spotify Mix
Françoise Hardy Official Website
Françoise Hardy Discography on iTunes
Françoise Hardy Discography on iTunes
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