Je conseillé. I recommend.
I have started a collection of modern French music and whilst my command of the language is small I enjoy the often quirky/theatrical/poetic practitioners and wanted to pass their details to you all in a ‘suck it and see’ way. Quite often the fact that the sounds are purely sounds and not words with a meaning and thereby sans interpretation can be beneficial to the ears.
D’accord, il ya ici mes choixs de la musique français populaire à ce moment pour moi.
Jeanne Cherhal: Very quirky singer who incorporates a lot of humour into her songs. I found her work very engaging and fun and wished I understood what the live audience were finding so funny. On the ‘suck it and see’ scale I would say 9 out of 10 for ’off the wall’ quirky value.
Find her work at: www.fnac.com
Amélie les crayons – et porquoi les crayons? In a similar vein to Jeanne Cherhal but of a more romantic yet still quirky bent. I particularly liked the tracks Mon docteur and La valse du danseur du lune. Amélie’s group, Les Crayons play traditional French instruments and there is a strong French flavour to this album. Aussi 9/10.
Link to: www.amelielescrayons.com
Jane Birkin: Three albums definitely worth listening to are ‘Arabesque’, ‘Jane Birkin Rendez-Vous’ and Jane Birkin in concert ‘Jane Birkin au Bataclan. Her late husband Serge Gainsbourg is a strong influence to her work. Tout les albums 11/10!
Film soundtracks from Amélie (Van Tiers) and A Very Long Engagement and Les Triplettes de Belleville (Bellville Rendez-vous) (Ben Charest) are also recommended by me for their full French flavour.
All these albums should be available at FNAC and some of them through outlets like Virgin or HMV.
http://www.fnac.com