Christine and the Queens with Thee Diane - Ah Ya

A return from Christine and the Queens, this time firmly under the Christine and the Queens name rather than Rahim Redcar.

It even tells you in big letters at the end that it's by Christine and the Queens, in case there's any doubt. He's recently clarified that Christine and the Queens is the artistic project, while his name remains Rahim Redcar. 

Christine and the Queens was an identity he used in the past, but it is not his personal identity which remains as Rahim Redcar. He's comfortable with the older assumed name as it's part of his artistic legacy, but the difference between that name and his personal identity allows him to remain in the identity he is comfortable with.

It's only actually difficult to get your head around if you choose to make it complicated.  

I'm not sure if I really got into the Redcar les adorables etoiles/ Paranoia Angels, True Love work and Hopecore kind of passed me by, but Ah Ya is an interesting piece

Thee Diane, who appears on the cover of Redcar les adorables etoiles, released her debut single Bonjour in November 2024 and perhaps inspired mich of the musical direction of the new piece, but as Rahim comments: "Ah ya is the collaboration of two rebels", hopefully we'll see more rebellious creation on the horizon.

Jacques Higelin and BBH75

Love this clip of Jacques Higelin from 1976. Acoustic and up close and personal, with just a touch of

late glam rock and early punk about him. It's so lowkey and natural, and the talent at his fingertips just shines through.

Cigarette as metaphor? Something very French about that for sure, and it's the kind of song that you couldn't get away with these days. At the very least, a government health warning would be required, perhaps it would only be available in plain packaging and pressed in a nauseating green vinyl if a limited Record Store Day release came out.

The original was from his legendary BBH75 album, an astonishing work where Higelin, previously an experimental singer-songwriter, embraced rock music as part of a three-piece band with drummer Charles Bennaroch and Simon Boissezon on bass and guitar. It was a bold move, and one that not only established Higelin's reputation but also went a long way to establish the possibilities of rock music as a viable proposition in the French language. 

BBH75 maintains the experimental edge that Higelin had in his earlier works, but this is hitched to a raw electric sound, one that evolved from the electric blues and heavy rock of the early 1970s, and pre-dated the championing of the rough-edged urban experience championed by acts from later in the decade. BBH75 somehow sounds post-punk despite being released in 1974.

BBH75 sees Higelin in a place somewhere between Lou Reed and Ian Dury, the poetic lyricist drawing his inspiration from his everyday environment, earthy but with class, style and an effortless literacy. An authentic witness to his world, the sharp guy with the knowledge of the local streets and faces, able to articulate and sum up what's really going on internally and externally. There's perhaps a wink that he doesn't take himself too seriously though, as the smoker's coughs in the studio version of Cigarette confirms.

A French-speaking singer didn't have to try to match what was going in in American or British rock music but could create something unique on its own terms. Concepts like genre - rock, chanson, blues, whatever - could be used, incorporated or discarded as appropriate and a French artist could release something solidly groundbreaking. It was always all about authenticity all along.

Did Higelin ever better the BB75 album? I'm not sure, but I'll be spending some time going through his back catalogue and finding out.

Grand Corps Malade's new clip: C'est aujourd'hui que ça se passe

I love this new clip for C'est aujourd'hui que ça se passe from Grand Corps Malade, I could listen to it on repeat for hours. 

As always he plays with words and rhythms, repetition and vocabulary. If I was just learning French or teaching it to those who were, GCM would be one of the finest teaching assistants that could be deployed. Language becomes a joyous thing in his hands without being overly complicated or obscure.

As for the track itself, it's a joyous thing, uplifting and positive without being trite or oversimplified. If you want the future - either a collective future or simply your own future - to be better, make it start now. Today.

It's all too easy to get in a rut and not get on with the things done that you say you will, to regret not having done it the following day, to plan to make things happen but procrastinate to the point that they don't emerge. I'm as guilty as most, and the weight of unaccomplished things can be a burden we can all do without. GCM makes it clear that life is an interactive game, not a spectator sport, and that rather than putting things off to the next day if we get on with them now we can have a better future. It's extraordinarily uplifting and liberating, simple and effective. 

The actual visuals are simple, GCM looking through a window at the world in its various ways in motion, whether city skyline or Paris streetscape, sea or sky and stars. With his image in the glass, it's a nice metaphor for being both reflective and looking outwards.

The song is the third release from his REFLETS album that came out in October last year, and the follows Retiens les rêves and Le jour d'après. He's been on tour for the last three months, with two dates in Paris, and he plays the summer festivals across France and beyond before returning to tour the arenas towards the end of the year.

I'll have this song on repeat to banish the uncertainty, the doubts and the inertia. The more I listen the more it impresses me. If we make things happen we can, as he puts it, turn our DeLorean Back To The Present. There might not be as much time as we think, but there's still space to take care of two or three important things.

Make it happen today, it's now or never.

Serge Gainsbourg online discussion #GainsbourgForever

 A quick plug for an event taking place tomorrow that's been organised by the Institut français du Royaume-Uni in London to mark the 30th anniversary of the death of Serge Gainsbourg.

Author Jeremy Allen, whose biography of Gainsbourg Relax Baby Be Cool: The Artistry and Audacity of Serge Gainsbourg has just been published, is in conversation with French music expert David McKenna.

Gainsbourg is without a doubt a towering figure in French music and culture in general, his work extending to film, literature and television. While his notoriety has at times surpassed his artistic endeavours, even thirty years after his passing he remains a significant influence and a cross-genre innovator. 

I'm reading Allen's book at the moment, and it's probably the definitive book in English about Gainsbourg. I'll have more to say about it when I've finished it, needless to say, it's both incredibly informative and very entertaining.

Tomorrow night (Tuesday March 2, 7pm) you can hear more about the man, the musician and the myth. Get full details at the Institut français website.

Woodkid covers Cabrel

Although I somehow didn't get round to organising any kind of formal award ceremony in the closing months of last year, Woodkid's second album S16 was probably this blog's album of the year. 

It's an album that somehow fitted perfectly with the strange year we had. For all the grandeur of the textures he plays with, there's fragile humanity at the centre of it. While apparently inhuman and gigantic forces surround us and bewilder us, rather than simply focusing on the large-scale drama and celebrating it, his focus remains on the human dimension throughout.

For all the industrial-scale mechanics of Goliath, with its epic orchestral and electronic flavours, it asks simple personal questions: Where are you going boy? How did you get so lost?  Amidst the apparently overwhelming situation, with its depersonalising, uncertain and strange unfamiliarity, these questions remain pertinent and unanswered.

Meanwhile, the In your likeness video is set in the inhospitable and unfamiliar environment of an oil rig, lit as strangely as an alien space station in a Hollywood movie. But a song that focuses on one human voice, illuminating the darkness like a distress flare.

A lot of us have been moving towards personal reflection in a year that has seen us confronted by circumstances that are alien to us, frightening and beyond our control. A year where, for many of us, what once were optimistic horizons have become distant battlefields.

With his cover of Francis Cabrel's things are even more personal. The song by Cabrel from his 1994 Samedi soir sur la Terre is one of the songwriter's key works, a love song to his partner and to his child. With Woodkid's version, almost everything is stripped away, the focus is on voice on piano, and it's incredibly affecting.

If Cabrel was at the time thought to be one of the standard-bearers for the French chanson tradition, Woodkid has quietly established his own claim to the title.

NRJ Music Awards 2020

With gigs and events cancelled or postponed across France, this year's NRJ Music Awards are just one of the many events to have been affected.

While the French government has given permission for the filming of TV shows and films as well as rehearsals and preparations for events to continue during the lockdown, it looks like the NRJ Music Awards will be a different event this year, even though it takes place on December 5, just days after the confinement period is expected to end.

According to Ara Aprikian, the director of programmes on TF1 speaking to FranceInfo, the event will take place without a live audience and with the majority of performances pre-recorded. The announcements of the winners will still be live.

Public voting for the winners is open until December 4.

So who's been shortlisted this year? The NRJ Awards recognise both French and international artists, and regularly attract some of the biggest international names.

Female French artist of the year

Amel Bent,  Aya Nakamura, Camelia Jordana, Carla Bruni, Clara Luciani, Louane, Wjdene

International female artist of the year

Ava Max, Billie Eilish,  Dua Lipa, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Sia, Tones and I 

Male French artist of the year

Amir, Dadju, Gims, Julien Dore, Kendji Girac, M Pokora, Vianney 

International male artist of the year

Harry Styles, Jason Derulo, Justin Bieber, Lewis Capaldi, Shawn Mendes, The Weeknd, 

Breakthrough French artist of the year

Alliel, Hatik, Soolking, Squeezie, Tayc, Wejdene

International breakthrough artist of the year

Doja Cat, Karol G, Master KG, Nea, Tom Gregory, Zoe Wees

French group/duo of the year

Boulevard des airs, Indochine, Tryo, Vitaa and Slimane, 

International group/duo of the year

Black Eyed Peas, BTS, Imagine Dragons, Major Lazer, Maroon 5 One Republic 

French song of the year

Jusqu'au bout Amel Bent  and Imen Es, La fête Amir, Facile Camelia Jordana, Angela  Hatik, Nos Célébrations Indochine, Désolé pour hier soir Tryo feat. Mc Fly and Carlito, Avant toi Vitaa and Slimane

International song of the year

Kings and Queens Ava Max, Ritmo Black Eyed Peas and J Balvin, Physical Dua Lipa, Savage Love Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo, Tusa Karol G, Before you go Lewis Capaldi,  Jerusalema Master KG, Blinding Lights The Weeknd

French collaboration of the year

Amel Bent and Imen Es (Jusqu'au bout), Bigfo and Oli and Bon Entendeur (Coup de Blues / Soleil), Gims and Sting (Reste), Grand Corps Malade and Camille Lellouche (Mais je t'aime), Lartiste and Carolina (Comme Avant), Soolking and Dadju (Melegim)

International collaboration of the year

Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber (Stuck with U), Black Eyed Peas and J Balvin (Ritmo), David Guetta and Sia (Let's Love), Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo (Savage Love), Karol G and Nicki Minaj (Tusa), Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande (Rain on me)

Video of the year

Say so Doja Cat, Physical Dua Lipa, Pendant 24h Grand Corps Malade and Suzane, Watermelon Sugar Harry Styles, Nous Juien Dore, Rain on me Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, Donne-moi ton oeur Louane,  A nos héros du quotidien Soprano, Blinding Lights The Weeknd, Ça ira Vitaa and Slimane

DJ of the year

Calvin Harris,  David Guetta, DJ Snake, Kygo, Ofenbach, Regard, Robin Shulz

Festival: Garorock 2019

As details of next summer's music festivals in France start to emerge, the first acts to perform at next summer's Garorock event have been confirmed.

Christine and the Queens, one of the biggest French acts around, are on the bill alongside Macklemore and German electronic producer Paul Kalkbrenner.

Elsewhere, Belgian rapper Roméo Elvis, who has become a significant voice in Francophone hip hop, takes to the stage.

Therapie Taxi, Columbine and Bagarre are among the other acts performing. It's a very strong French presence in the bill, which also includes international acts including Sum 41

It still amazes me that Bagarre are not one of the biggest acts in France right now, but some festival performances in front of the massive crowds they deserve should go some way to putting that right.

Garorock takes place on June 27-30 and details of the rest of the acts who will play the four day event will be made public on December 18.

It's the 23rd edition of Garorock, which last year included performances by Indochine, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Orelsan. Over the years it has progressed from its punk rock roots to feature headline acts included Muse, David Guetta, Justice and Iggy and the Stooges.

It's always had a strong focus on French acts, and it's noticeable how many of those on the bill have played Garorock before, albeit far lower on the listings. Events like this giving a stage to French acts helps them reach an appreciative French audience, it's as simple as that.

Tickets for this year's Garorock go on sale on December 5 at 10am.

 

Gaspard Royant: Making of new album clip

A mini documenatry about the making of the new album by Gaspard Royant, this blog's favourite exponent of the Haute Savoie Doo Wop Garage and Roll sound.

He talks about working with Scottish music legend Edwyn Collins who produced the album, and their shared love of Northern Soul. There's a mention of his mixing the collection in Helmsdale in Scotland. It's an appropriately stylishly shot short giving some flavour of what we can expect next month.

If there's any justice the link with Edwyn Collins will win him some much-deserved radio airplay and some media attention in the UK.

The new album, entitled Have You Met Gaspard Royant is released on April 8 and is available to pre-order in a variety of formats now, including CD and vinyl, with three tracks available immediately to download with every order.

He plays La Maroquinerie in Paris on April 11, and in Strasbourg on April 21, but before then has a show in London on March 25 at the Zoo Zoo club at the Blues Kitchen Camden.

Festival: Nördik Impakt

The influential Nördik Impakt festival gets under way in Caen in Normandy today, with five days
celebrating digital and independant culture.

Shows are held in venues around the town, others in the larger Parc Expo.

The focus is firmly on electronic music, encompassing electro, techno, hip hop and rock, featuring emerging acts to more established artists.

Among those on the bill this year are Superpoze, Jeanne Added and Flavien Berger. Add dozens of more acts like Môme, Nuit, Killason,l Antigone and Madame.

Festival Nordik Impakt 17 - Teaser - vidéo dailymotion

Booba: Tony Sosa

A new clip for the track Tony Sosa from French rap supremo Booba, coinciding with the announcement of a live date at Bercy in Paris.

The track's a nod to the gangsters of the film Scarface, and it comes ahead of the release of his new album D.U.C, which is due to be released in April.

His last full album was 2012's Future, a collection that was a platinum seller in France, a special edition Futur 2.0 gathering more sales.

More recently the new track OKLM, was released in May last year, 3G in September , Caracas in December and the track Billets Violets emerged in January.

D.U.C. looks set to be one the most eagerly awaited  hip hop albums in France of 2015.

Booba plays at Bercy on December 5 2015 and he's likely to confirm tour dates around France before this show.

Festival: Solidays 2015

Another summer festival unveils its line up, and today it's the turn of Solidays.

Solidays is a three-day  event on June 26 - 28 at the Longchamp Racecourse in the Bois de Boulogne in Paris.

For their 17th festival, organisers have announced the nine first  acts including Brigitte and The Avener.

Also there are  Franco-American folk act  Moriarty  and  Israeli s folk rocker Asaf Avidan, along with Damian Marley and Zoufris Maraca.

Solidays, while a massive music fesival welcoming over 150,000 fans, is also an event that focuses attention and funds to organisations fighting Aids.

Last year, the event was orgainsed under the theme The Fight Must Go On, in homage to Nelson Mandela, and featured the likes of Fauve,  Shaka Ponk,  Christine and The Queens, Vanessa Paradis and Woodkid.

Tickets for Solidays 2015 go on sale on Monday.

Playlist: Victoires de la musique

With the 2015 Victoires de la musique awards next month, a playlist has been created to give the nominate acts the listen they deserve.

The winners are announced on February 13 at a show in the Zénith in Paris, but ahead of then this playlist gives you the chance to get up to speed with the acts who are on the list.

Some well known names for sure, some others that are less well know, but certainly all deserving of a listen.

New Acts: Benjamin Clementine

Benjamin Clementine  is an artist who has been tipped for great things in 2015, following the release
of his debut album this week.

The collection entitled At Least For Now showcases his unique voice, which combines with a poetic turn of phrase in his songwriting and a performance style that withstands comparison to some of the greats.

Although born in London, Clementine has lived in Paris for years and embarked on his musical career by initially singing on the Paris metro.

He released his first EP Cornerstone in 2013, which led to an appeareance on BBC's Later with Jools Holland, a second EP emerging in 2014.

Clementine  has dates across France in March, and plays at the Trianon in Paris on the 19th and 20th.



 

Editorial: December 2014

Well, November was quite a month!

Even I'm surprised by the amount of content I've been able to put on the site, perhaps down to better organisation or perhaps down to a huge amount of great things being released over the past weeks.
Most likely a bit of both.

Midway through the month November was already the month that had seen the largest number of articles this year.

And quietly, we passed another landmark, with 1,000 posts on viveleroq.com now under our belt.
That momentum has little sign of slowing, as it's just a few days until I'm over to Rennes for the Transmusicales Festival, and a complete immersion in some of the latest interesting sounds coming from France.

I'm be continuing my preview reports, and there will be reviews from the shows that I get too.

Obviously I won't be able to get to everything, remembering that the city also hosts the Bars en Trans festival at the same time, which sees dozens of acts play at bars and clubs around the city.

But that being said, I'll be doing my best and the past few weeks have seen me introduced to some wonderful new acts. I'm really looking forward to it.

Last year saw me introduced to bands like Moodoid and Fat Supper, Exp0, Le Vasco and Superets to name just a few. This year will hopefully be every bit as eye - and ear - opening.

Meanwhile, the relentless pre-Christmas release schedule continues, and live evente are taking place with Yelle and Stromae both playing in the UK over the next few days.

As always, I can be contacted on johnkilbrideAThotmailDOTcom, with the appropriate punctuation where you'd expect it to be. I'm always pleased to hear from record companies, PR companies and promoters, so do get in touch.

We're also on Twitter as @viveleroq or you can find me at @karnag

Thanks as always  to the good people at the French Music Office in London and to the Institut francais in London for their help and encouragement.

Merci et à bientôt

John K

SACEM Grands Prix 2014

Today's the day of the SACEM Grands Prix 2014, where the organisation celebrates some of the biggest players in the field.

The Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique performs a job like the Performing Rights Society does in the UK, collecting payments of the rights of artists and then distributing these to the songwriters, composers and music publishers.

The ceremony at the Olympia in Paris sees an award going to Johnny Hallyday , who receives the Prix Spécial.

Among the other awards, there's recognition for Lilly Wood and the Prick for Prayer in C, getting the Rolf Marbot Prize for song of the year.

Martin Solveig gets an award for best Electro, The Grand Prize for French Song, creator-performer goes to Pascal Obispo and the Grand Prize for French Song creator goes  Jean-Pierre Bucolo, who has worked with Johnny Hallyday and others.

There are awards for Jazz, traditional and world music, symphonic, humour as well as awards for film directors and music publishing.

The event is being streamed on the sacem.fr website from 8pm Paris time.


Grands Prix Sacem 2014 by SACEM

Review: Comett - My reality is your fiction

I first came across Comett when I chanced upon the track Once upon a time/ the city of lights with its
delightful clip, and I've been awaiting their debut album since.

The album My reality is your fiction finally came out last month, and while they've not rushed into it, the time they've spent putting it togtehr has certainly been worthwhile.

If Once upon a time/ the city of lights got my attention, songs like Don't Turn Off Your Light make it clear that it was no one-off, and the entire collection is infused not only with imagination but also displays ample evidence that they've got the skills to make it real.

 My Reality is Your Fiction is the kind of crafted electro indie pop that convinces you entirely.

At times there are touches of the epic and cinematic that are reminiscent of M83, at other times the off-kilter pop of Air. What's certain is that Comett are capable of greatness.

The European Space Agency landed a spaceship on a comet just days ago.

This Comett is easier to find but every bit as deserving of exploration.

MTV European Music Awards

The MTV European Music Awards event takes place in Glasgow this weekend, with David Guetta in
the Best Electro Act category.

The list of artists performing an those shortlisted for awards show it's very much a US/UK dominated event. It's being hosted by Nicki Minaj and acts appearing include Charli XCX, Kiesza, Ariana Grande, Royal Blood and Ed Sheeran.

The MTV European Music Awards were last held in France in 1995 at the Zénith in Paris.

Five acts competed for the Best French act local category, which was won by Indila whose Mini World album was a diamond seller and number one in France this year.

The other acts in the French act nominations shortliset were Julien Doré, Casseurs Flowters and Christine and the Queens.

The award has previosuly been won by the likes of Manu Chao and Indochine, as well as Justice and Jenifer. The last two years saw Shaka Ponk win, beating Daft Punk, Maître Gims, Tal and C2C least year, Tal, Irma, Orelsan and Sexion D'Assaut the previous year.

Prior to that, the five nominated acts this year, the pre-nominations list also included Tal, Black M, Fauve, Team BS and  Maître Gims.

But this year's winner is Indila, the R&B styled pop star whose album was one of the biggest French sellers in 2014.

Pendentif: UK live dates

A trio of UK dates for Bordeux indie act Pendentif this week, with shows in Leeds, Manchester and
London.

They play at the Mine nightclub in Leeds on Thurs Nov 6 , Friday November 7 at Mono Chorlton in Manchester, and on Saturday November the eighth at the Lexington in London.

For a French band they're remarkably informed by contemporary UK indie acts. classic pop with an open-minded attitude.

They've been active since 2010, releasing their first four track EP the following year. The single Jerricane followed in 2012, and the Embrasse-Moi EP in 2013.

Their debut album Mafia Douce was released in September last year and they're made an EP of remixes of tracks form the album available as a free download. 

The band's singer Cindy Callède confirmed that she had left the band this summer, with new singer Julia Jean-Baptiste at the microphone.

With the band having toured extensively to support the release of the Mafia Douce, they're now looking towards the follow up release.

David Guetta: Dangerous

A new clip by David Guetta, for the song Dangerous,  ahead of the release of his new album later this

month.

Guetta's last album, 2011's Nothing but the beat, sold so many copies I suspect the French president is hoping the new album sells enough to turn around France's economy.

 It's probably not impossible, give the international success of Nothing but the beat. Just about every song on the various versions of the album went on to be hits.

The new clip sees Guetta as a Formula One driver, and is directed by Jonas Akerlund who has directed videos for the likes of Madonna and he Rolling Stones, as well as Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga and Britney Spears.

He's also the former drummer with metal legends Bathory.

The new Guetta track features Sam Martin on vocals

The new single follows first track from the new album, Lovers on the sun, a sing that reached number one in the UK.

The new album, to be titled Listen, is available from November 24.

Mission Control: The Rising

A new video for singer David Hallyday, a comeback of sorts with the track The Rising by his band Mission Control.

Hallyday's last solo album was his  Un nouveau monde collection from four years ago. He's had a long career since his 1988 album True Cool. He's also pursued his interest in motor racing.

David Hallyday is of course the son of Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan, and while that heritage no doubt opened a few doors for him over the years, being the family of a superstar is no guarantee of success - and maintaining a career over several decades makes a strong case that David Hallyday has talent very much his own.

But this new release sees the family name taken down and a new brand - and a new band - on the front.

The new release features Hallyday as part of a band - Mission Control - that also features Olivier Frèche, Fabrice Ach et Alexis Hadefi.

The track  has a more modern sound than you would perhaps expect from Hallyday, with a strong electro feel to it. Mission Control will no doubt appeal to a lot of people who probably wouldn't even have considered listening to David Hallyday's solo work.

The video was directed by David Tomaszewski, a French director who has worked with the likes of rapper  Orelsan as well as the hip hop duo Casseurs Flowters that features Orelsan.

The song comes from the forthcoming album, entitled Alive, which is due to be released on Novermber 10.