Welcome to my French pop and rock section... Here are a few recommendations to albums I've enjoyed that I think you might like as well, ranging from 1960s ye-ye to a few more contemporary albums from France's blossoming indie and electronica scenes. There is also a separate section for older musical styles, such as chanson and musette, if you like the old stuff, too!
Daphne "L'Emeraude" (V2, 2006)
Daphne "Carmin" (V2, 2007)
Da Silva "Decembre En Ete" (Tot Ou Tard, 2005)
Da Silva "De Beaux Jours A Venir" (Tot Ou Tard, 2007)
Gabriel Delar/Teddy Raye "Twistin' The Rock" (Universal-Mercury, 2002)
Vincent Delerm "Vincent Delerm" (Tot Ou Tard, 2003)
The premiere album by this intelligent, deliberate neo-chanson singer... The son of French novelist Philippe Delerm, Vincent is suave, cool, laconic... This crisp, stripped-down set features Delerm alone with his piano, and sounds unlike his later, lusher albums, and is more overtly anchored in the classic chanson tradition. It's classy, though not as compelling and catchy as his later records.
Vincent Delerm "Un Soir De Boulevard Voltaire" (DVD) (Tot Ou Tard, 2003)
Vincent Delerm "Kensington Square" (Tot Ou Tard, 2004)+
A lovely, relaxed set with of chamber music-indiepop. Delerm's sparse piano buoyed by bouncy string arrangements... The songs are laconic and open-ended, lazy rambles, easy on the ears and quite delightful, although he may overplay the orchestral card a bit. There are some catchy tunes on here; the duets with Irene Jacob are particularly nice. If you're looking for some of the best modern hipsteriffic neo-chanson, then check this one out. Recommended!
Vincent Delerm "Les Piqures d'Araignee" (Tot Ou Tard, 2006)
What a great record. This was the first Vincent Delerm album I heard, and is still my favorite. It's also the record that introduced me to the Tot Ou Tard label, for which I will be eternally thankful. A delicious mix of pretty-sounding indiepop and brainy neo-chanson, with delightfully deadpan, sexy vocals. This guy is cool, and he knows it, but not in a way that makes you hate him or think that he's a phony. This is one of my favorite albums of the decade... Highly recommended!
Vincent Delerm "A La Cigale" (CD & DVD) (Tot Ou Tard, 2007)
A four-disc set -- two CDs, two DVDs -- documenting Delerm in concert at the fables Cigale theatre. One of the CDs has been released separately, as the Favourite Songs album, listed below.
Vincent Delerm "Favourite Songs" (Tot Ou Tard, 2007)
This album seems to consist of the second CD from Delerm's 4-disc concert release, A La Cigale,
Julie Delpy "Julie Delpy" (2003)
I heard a few tracks from this album in the film, Before Sunset and I knew I had to track a copy down... Actress Julie Delpy croons to her own compositions, with just a hint of Claudine Longet and Phoebe Bouffe in there around the margins... Online opinions about this album seem split between folks who love it, and those who loathe it, with French listeners, interestingly enough, leading the charge against the album. Grudingly, I have to admit this really isn't all that good. The acoustic opening tracks, "My Dear Friend" and "Mr. Unhappy," are a nice slice of naifish, English-language twee, but as the guitars get grungier and the songs more convoluted, the album becomes a bit of a grind. Delpy has a voice as delicate as her irony-laden sense of humor, and each needs the proper setting to work its magic... Unfortunately, this disc doesn't always deliver, and on many of the tracks, she leaves herself dangling in the wind, willing to dive into the deep end and take a chance, but bellyflopping more often than not. There's a nice version of "Waltz For A Night," the song she sings at the end of Before Sunset, and though this electro-ed version isn't as moving as the film's acoustic version, it's still a highpoint in the album, and a welcome respite from the more grinding, tortured moments on other songs. Delpy's fans will want to check this album out; some will love it, others will not. I found it pretty disappointing.
Deportivo "Parmi Eux" (Universal-France, 2005)
Impassioned, punky alt-rock. A Gallic, Green Day-ish throwback to '77-style punk, with kooky diversions into acoustic stringband cabaret tunes. Mostly, though, it's the clang-clang-clang of treble-heavy electric guitars alongside vigorous, shouted vox. A little slick, but not bad.
Deportivo "Deportivo" (Barclay, 2007)
Still rockin' out, but this time with a broader rock palette, more power-poppy and with more textured production. If you took them super-seriously as a "punk band" then you might see this as a sell-out, but if you're looking for more stylistic variety, this disc might have more to offer than their first. The dips into English-language lyrics don't add much, though: I like it much better when they sing in French.
Des Airs "Lunga Notte" (Crammed Disc, 1982)
This arty Belgian no-wave band had a lot in common with early '80s contemporaries such as Kleenex, the Au Pairs and James White. They play loose-ended, soul-derived avant-y pop skronks, and make fun of French accents. It's not exactly my cup of tea, but might make be an interesting missing link for any hardcore franco-popophiles out there, so I'll pass the info on...
The Dogs "Different" (Mercury-France, 1979)
The Dogs "Walking Shadows" (Mercury-France, 1980)
Alice Dona "L'Integrale: 1963-1966" (Magic, 2007)
Dutronc "Dutronc! Dutronc! Dutronc!" (Damaged Goods, 1996)
An affectionate, Billy Childish-related, European garage-rock tribute band, honoring the great French pop provocateur Jacques Dutronc. Apparently, this group includes a member of Thee Headcoats, as well as Bongo Debbie of Thee Headcoatees fame. Some Dutronc purists might disavow this album, but I think it's certainly good enough to check out, if you are fortunate enough to find a copy. Along with this album, the band has released several singles and EPs, and supposedly there is another album floating around in the aether... For the full skivvy, check out the Dutronc web page on the Hangman Records site.
Jacques Dutronc - see artist profile
Thomas Dutronc "Comme un Manouche Sans Guitare" (Universal/Podis, 2007)
The debut album of Thomas Dutronc, son of chanteuse Francoise Hardy and actor/pop star Jacques Dutronc. A mellow, eclectic mix with reverent, nostalgic nods back towards the acoustic swing of Django Reinhardt and the gypsy jazz scene...
French Music Index
French Chanson & Musette
