Calogero: Drôle d'animal (acoustic)

A tasteful acoustic take on the track Drôle d'animal by Calogero.

Calogero was of course one of the winners at the  Victoires de la Musique 2015 earlier this month, with the song  Un jour au mauvais endroit winning the Best original song category.

Drôle d'animal  comes from his 2007 Pomme C album, a collection that reached number  two in France.

The acoustic clip followed the broadcast of his show at the Trianon in Paris, shown on the Alcaline show on France 2.

New Acts: Carpenter Brut - Anarchy Road

An apocalyptic and cinematic video by Carpenter Brut for the track Anarchy Road.

The music is an epic piece of widescreen electro that features on their EPIII release that came out last month.

Carpenter Brut take electronic music to somewhere darker than it normally goes, influenced by 80s horror movies, retro synths and metal.

In a recent interview he said he was inspired  by Depeche Mode for this track.

Carpenter Brut release their debut album trilogy next month, a triple album on on Neuropa / No Quarter records.

Jeanne Added: Deezer Session

A  new Deezer session by Jeanne Added, coinciding with the release of a new EP.

The session was recorded at the Transmusicales de Rennes festival in December last year, where Jeanne Added played five nights at L'Aire Libre venue.

There are three tracks, A war is coming, It and Miss it all.

Jeanne Added released an EP featuring these three tracks earlier this week, and she's got live dates in March including a show at Le Divan du Monde in Paris on March 26.

Her debut album is expected to be released later in 2015.

Festival: Art Rock at Saint-Brieuc

More details have been confirmed about the acts playing as this year's Art Rock festival in Saint-
Brieuc in May.

Last month saw features Shaka Ponk, Placebo and Izia confirmed, along with some other acts.

A host of other big names have now been included, with The Dø, Lilly Wood and the Prick, Etienne de Crécy and Dominique A added to the bill.

Meanwhile, fresh from her triumph at the Les Victoires de la Musique awards earlier this month, Christine and the Queens are set to perform.

Vive le roq favourites  Moodoïd, Grand Blanc and Yelle are confirmed, as are Acid Arab for a DJ set, and there will be a show by C.A.R.

Previous years have seen acts like Thomas Dutronc,  Yann Tiersen and  Gaëtan Roussel perform, along with acts like The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Klaxons, Pete Doherty and Editors.

As well as music events at venues across the town in the Côtes d'Armor department of Brittany, there are art, dance and theatre events taking place.

Art Rock takes place in May 22, 23 and 24.

New Acts: Manceau - Full Time job

I was lucky enough to catch a set by Manceau during the Bars en Trans festival in Rennes in
December, and thouroughly enjoyed what I heard.

Manceau released their debut album Life Traffic Jam in 2012, their debut EP On a Mellow Day having emerged in 2010.

The album was met with positive reviews, including a nod from the NME as "An adorable, charming little creature ressembling Polyphonic Spree, Allo Darlin, Mercury Rev, Moldy Peaches and all manner of cutesy indie pop classic."

They finished the recording of their new album at the end of last year, and hopefully it won't be long until we can hear more of this kind of thing.

Sneazzy feat Guillaume Griefjoy - SNZ

An interesting track that combines some of France's cutting edge electro with some of the country's top rap acts.

Sneazzy , sometimes Sneazzy West, is one of the six members of rap act 1995, one of France's foremost hiphop acts.

Meanwhile,  Guillaume Griefjoy is from the four piece act that shares his surname, whose album Griefjoy was released in 2013.

The last release by 1995 was their Paris Sud Minute album from 2013, a  number three album in France.

Sneazzy has a solo album scheduled for later this year.

Fauve: Vieux Frères - Partie 2

A number one album in France this week for the new release by Fauve, the collective knocking M Pokora off the top spot with their new collection.

Last year's Vieux Frères - Partie 1 established the act as one of France's most interesting performers, taking spoken word in a new direction. The new collection Vieux Frères - Partie 2 has been met with even more enthusiasm by the French public.

Fauve are touring in March April and May.  Their live dates include a mini-tour of venues in  Paris, with shows at the Nouveau Casino on March 10, the  Gaîté Lyrique on March 11, Le Bataclan the 12th, L'Olympia the following day, Le Casino de Paris on March 17, Le Trianon the 18th, the Trabendo on the 19th, La Flèche d'Or on March 20, La Maroquinerie on March 21.

They also play on May 26 at the Zénith in Paris.