How Does It Fille Does Paris

So much for the hoped-for resurrection; I've had a really stressful few months which meant it just wasn't possible to post anything. Now I'm living and working in Paris until April, and at the moment I only have net access at work, but I think I may be able to upload files- let's see. There's a lot of music I think I would like to post, so fingers crossed...

Ton coca va être froid

After 3 years away, on Monday Camille released her new album Music Hole.
The follow-up to 2005's hugely successful Le Fil, it dispenses with the drone (or "thread") which ran through that album, but the use of body percussion and vocal loops remains. This album is also mostly in English, apart from some snippets in French. I've had the album for a few days and it's not really connected yet. At the moment some of it seems to be more style over emotional depth,perhaps due to the lyrics being in English. Hopefully it'll be a grower...saying that, "Gospel With No Lord" is undeniably a great catchy song; "Waves" is lovely, and the layered choirs of "The Monk" create something undeniably affecting from worldless vocals and piano.

'Gospel With No Lord' (mp3)
'The Monk' (mp3)
'Waves' (mp3)

official Camille Music Hole website (link)

Comment vais-je faire? Tu ne reviens pas

Today I finally got hold of Françoise Hardy's 2004 album Tant de Belles Choses, which gives me an excuse to write about my absolute favourite yéyé fille.
Françoise signed with Vogue records in 1961, and released the phenomenally successful "Tous Les Garçons et Les Filles", which sold 2 million copies. She went on to release a number of albums with Vogue before leaving them in 1967. Although my knowledge post-Vogue is a bit patchy (I'm trying to work my way through the later albums), inasmuch as I've heard the odd song but not many complete albums, I would say her early Vogue material is my favourite; there's not a song I don't like pre-68. I got into Françoise in 2004 just before TdBC came out but at that point I didn't know where to find new French CDs in shops, so I'm still playing catch-up.

Tant De Belles Choses is great, a bit soporific at times but the rest makes up for it:

Soir de Gala (mp3)
La Folie Ordinaire (mp3)

Two great Vogue-era tracks:

Si C'est Ça (mp3)
Le Premier Bonheur du Jour (mp3)


official Françoise Hardy website (link)

J'ai un chagrin de baby doll

Mordi at Blowupdoll (link) has just posted the video to one of the best French pop songs, ever- "Boule de Flipper" by Corynne Charby. I know nothing of her apart from what's on Wikipedia, so, she was a model who went into movies, had a tiny bit of success, then in the mid-80s, released some music. As far as I understand, BdF was her biggest hit, and deservedly so. It's full of great imagery which I'm not going to try and explain, in case I get it totally wrong and someone with native French spots my mistakes. Just trust me, it's amazing.

*I do have the single version, somewhere, but can't find it. If I do, I'll post it, but I like the 12" version more, anyway.

"Boule de Flipper" (12" version) (mp3)

EDIT: I found it- "Boule de Flipper" (single edit) (mp3)

En plus, je sais que ça t'excite

Camille is best known in the UK for her 2005 album "Le Fil" (The Thread), in which every song is built on one continous note running through the recording. She also sung on the first Nouvelle Vague CD. However, Le Fil is not her debut release; in 2002 she released "Le sac des filles". Unlike "Le Fil" the record uses conventional song structures, but unusual elements remain, for example the apparent crockery fight that breaks out halfway through "Les Ex". (mp3)

The song features on her 2006"Live Au Trianon" CD, losing the crockery and flute line in favour of beatboxing and piano: the CD gets a UK release in July according to play.com

Les ex (live) (mp3)
Au port (live) (mp3)

Official Camille Website (link)