Festival: Vieilles Charrues 2016

Some more very significant additions to the bill of this year's Vieilles Charrues festival in Carhaix, Brittany, in
July.

The Pixies and Lana Del Rey have been added to the haedline slots, with Pixies at the top of the bill on the second night, Lana Del Tey on the final night.

The two previosuly annouced headliners are Les Insus (the former members of Téléphone) and Alain Souchon and Laurent Voulzy.

Also confirmed today are Jeanne Added, Synapson and Denez Prigent.

It's a festival that's always had a strong representation from French performers, as well as some of the best international acts.

Also on the bill this year are Lou Doillon and Hyphen Hyphen, neither strangers to this blog, while Flavien Berger was added today.

More acts are yet to be confirmed, but given what has been confirmed so far it looks like an event well worth the 148E pass for four days. A bargain by the standard of UK festival prices.

This year's Vieilles Charrues festival is held on July 14, 15, 16 and 17 in Carhaix.

Louis Bertignac: Hallelujah

A magnificent live version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah performed by Louis Bertignac.

Bertignac dedicates it simply: "For Paris and France."

It, of course, recalls the version of the song recorded at the Bataclan club by Jeff Buckley, from his 1995 EP.

Bertignac has been playing solo shows as part of the tour following the release of his solo album Suis-Moi last year,  and he's also played a few shows with two fellow Téléphone veterans under the name Les Insus, to huge demand.

Téléphone  are enjoying a higher profile than ever, with a raft of re-issues and re-packages on the market, along with a new various artists tribute CD.

 Bertignac has a show scheduled at La Cigale in Paris on December 3.

Review: Ça (C'est vraiment nous)

Today sees the release of  tribute album to French new wave legends Téléphone entitled Ça (C'est
vraiment nous), with a selection of artists interpreting the work of the seminal French act.

Recent years have seen similar albums spotlighting Renaud, Jean-Jacques Goldman and Jacques Dutronc.

Songs on the new collection include La bombe humaine, interpreted by Gaëtan Roussel, Hygiaphone by Zaz and Anna by Tété.  The album was preceded by the single Un autre monde, performed by Superbus

Whatever your feelings on the artists involved, these projects stand or fall on the strength of the songs. In the case of Téléphone, that's  pretty strong start. Most of Téléphone's best songs are here.

 But the interpretations throughout seem a bit polite.  This certainly isn't Téléphone  re-invented as Rage aganst The (answering) Machine.

The version of Argent trop cher for example loses its sense of injustice, too much reverence, not enough venom.  Still,  Zaz's take on Hygiaphone and Gaëtan Roussel's La bombe humaine retain the edge of the originals.

If the purpose of the album is to get people thinking about Téléphone and their songs, then job done.

But if its purpose is to suggests these artists should be held in the same regard as Téléphone, not so much.

Superbus: Un autre monde

The cover of the Téléphone classic Un autre monde by Superbus emerged at the beginning  of last
month, and now the clip for the track has been revealed.

It comes alongside the release of more information about the new Téléphone tribute CD  entitled Ça, c'est vraiment toi, featuring 15 tracks originally by the 80s stars re-interpreted by contemporary French acts.

Among those on the track listing are Gaëtan Roussel, Olivia Ruiz, Skip the Use, Zaz and Plastiscines.

Tracks on the compilation include La bombe humaine, New York avec toi, Argent trop cher, Cendrillon and Hygiaphone.

Jean-Louis Aubert, Louis Bertignac and  Richard Kolinka from Téléphone have been playing live, albeit under a different name  with shows so far in Paris, Lille and Lyon.

A deluge of Téléphone reissues are also in the pipeline, all marking the group's 30th anniversary.

Whether there's more on line or if the return of Téléphone will be cut off remains to be seen, but for the moment the sound of the Téléphone will certainly  be ringing out around France.

Téléphone - Les Insus - Live in Paris

An unprecedented gig in Paris tonight, as a (more or less) reformed Téléphone take to the stage.

Former Téléphone  bass player  Corine Marienneau isn't part of the band, which is why Jean-Louis Aubert, Richard Kolinka and Louis Bertignac are having to perform under the pseudonym Les Insus when they take to the stage at the Point Ephemere.

It's a tiny venue for such a historic appearance, given that there were rumours that a reformed Téléphone would play shows at the Stade de France just a couple of years ago.

What the appearance means is uncertain, however, another show has been added in Lille for September 15.

What is sure is that in forthcoming months a whole batch of Téléphone  reissues are scheduled, along with a various artists tribute CD that's already seen a version of Un Autre Monde by Superbus released.

Will France's new wave legends be back for long? The Point Ephemere's website makes it clear that if there's one concert not to miss this year, it's this one.

We'll see where it goes from here.

Superbus: Un Autre Monde - Téléphone tribute CD

An interesting new various-artists tribute CD due out later this year, with contemporary acts
performing tracks by French new wave legends Téléphone.

Téléphone were one of the most successful French acts of the late 70s and 80s, with a  style that bridged punk and pop with a modern take on rock 'n' roll.

Their influence was massive . They set a standard against which all other French rock acts could be compared, with a back catalogue full of classic songs.  All the more surprising considering that they only released five proper albums.

The collection, entitled Ça c'est vraiment nous, Téléphone Tribute, marks the 40th anniversary of the band and coincides with reissues of Téléphone back catalogue with unissued material.

The first track to emerge is a version of the track Un Autre Monde, by Superbus. It was the title track of Téléphone's 1984 album, and Jean-Louis Aubert also memorably performed the track at the Victoires de la Musique 2015.

There have been rumours of possible reformations of Téléphone many times since they split, and occasional low profile appearances by the members together.

Later this month they are, however, finally playing together.  Three of the members of Téléphone - Jean-Louis Aubert, Louis Bertignac and Richard Kolinka playing a show at a tiny venue in Paris this month.

Bass player Corine Marienneau isn't expected to be part of the group, which is why the band are listed on the Point Ephemere venue's website under the pseudonyme Les Insus.

The only comment being "If there's one rock concert not to miss this year, it's this one..."

Jean-Louis Aubert: Isolement

An interesting video for  Jean-Louis Aubert's song Isolement, a track from his album of songs based on
poems by French writer Michel Houellebecq.

Houellebecq makes an appearance himself in the video for the single, which for all its highbrow heritage is a great song.

Aubert is a veteran of the French music scene, one of the founder members of Téléphone in the 70s, before embarking on a solo career

 He initially released the Plâtre et Ciment album with Télephone's Richard Kolinka under the name  Aubert'n'Ko in 1987, before his first solo album proper Bleu Blanc Vert in 1989.

Aubert's last album was 2010's Roc éclair, a collection which although focussing on sombre matters didn't stop it selling over 370,000 copies, an RTL album of the year award and his first solo Victoire de la Musique award for best show or tour of the year in 2012 for the tour that followed the album.

The track comes from Aubert's forthcoming Aubert chante Houellebecq - Les parages du vide which is due to come out on April 14.

 In the meantime, the video will no doubt keep cultural commentators busy for a while.