By Dan Strachota July 27th, 2010 5:30 am |
In the July/August issue of Afar, I wrote a piece about French pop icons of the ’60s and the current scene, musicians who infused the stomping blues-rock of the Kinks with a vivid sensuality and ebullient charm that was uniquely French. Here are a few more innovative artists worth searching out:
Jacques Dutronc During the mid-’60s, Dutronc crafted hits on par with anything coming out of England or the U.S. Not only did he prove adept at concocting raucous tunes like “Le Responsable,” but he also spun sweet acoustic numbers like “J’aime Les Filles,” all the while poking fun at the peculiarities of the ’60s youth culture that turned him into a star. Essential release: Jacques Dutronc (Vogue, 1966)
Nino Ferrer Ten years older than most French pop stars of the ’60s, Ferrer was also more conflicted about the music industry. Schooled in gospel and U.S. soul, the gravel-voiced singer scored hits with quirky, organ-driven numbers about telephones, pickles, and Mao—and then retreated to his 15th century fortress in Lataillade to live with his mom, before committing suicide in 1998. Essential release: Je Veux Erte Noir (Barclay, 1966)
Les Chats Sauvage One of the very first French rock bands (whose name loosely translates as “the Wildcats”) took Elvis Presley’s leather-sporting, hip-swiveling, blues-growling persona for a surfboard ride down the Seine, eventually setting the stage for beat-rockers like Ronnie Bird. Essential release: L’Integrale Studio 1961-1964 (EMI, 2000)
Marianne Dissard Written following a bad break-up, Dissard’s 2008 disc L’ Entredeux covers the whole scope of her relationship, from nights of creaking bed frames to mornings with soiled handkerchiefs. Dissard sings in an affectingly hushed whisper, calling to mind Juliette Greco, while the backing music (written by Joey Burns of Calexico) places her halfway between the Pyrenees Mountains of her youth and her present Arizona home. Essential release: L’ Entredeux (Le Pop Musik, 2008) Recent release: Paris One Takes (Self-released, 2010)
Françoiz Breut Breut sounds like Edith Piaf, if the iconic chanteuse had gorged herself on a steady diet of ’80s-era Tom Waits and Sonic Youth. On her four albums, Breut cloaks her angst-ridden vocals within sculpted feedback, clattering percussion, and wistful horns, updating Piaf’s sorrowful approach for the modern age. Essential release: Francoiz Breut (Lithium, 1997) Recent release: A L’aveuglette (Le Pop Musik, 2008)
Holden Between Armelle Pioline’s airy vocals, Evan Evans’ spaced-out organ, Mocke’s anarchic guitar, and Jacques Tellitocci’s clanging beats, Holden captures the beauty and chaos that is Paris. Drawing inspiration from Stereolab’s metronomic space-pop and Serge Gainsbourg’s more outlandish productions, the quintet’s four discs put the urban in urbane. Essential and recent release: Fantomatisme (Le Village Vert, 2009)
Compilations are an excellent way to get an overview of a music scene. Here’s some of the best French pop collections:
Pop a Paris, Volumes 1-5 (Universal) Excellent comps of the ’60s milieu, focusing mainly on hard-charging dance floor tracks like Anna Karina’s “Roller Girl.”
Wizzz! Volumes 1-2 (Born Bad) Focusing on the psychedelic side of the ’60s, featuring Bruno Leys’ carnivalesque “Hallucinations” and Philippe Nicaud’s freak-funky “Cuisses Nues, Bottes de Cuir.”
Pop Romantique: French Pop Classics (March) Nineties indie-rock acts such as Luna and the Magnetic Fields cover ’60s French pop from the likes of Gainsbourg, Michel Polnareff, and Jeanne Moreau. Hardy, herself, makes an appearance, dueting with Air.
Le Pop 1-5 (Le Pop Musik) This series from a German label (quelle surprise!) showcases both big stars (Delerm, Breut, Coralie Clément) and lesser lights (Poney Express, Mickey 3D) of France’s mellower nouvelle chanson scene.
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