Jeanne Added: Acoustic session

A great live session on Acoustic, the music show on TV5Monde, featuring Jeanne Added.

Jeanne Added released her debut album Be Sensational was released earlier this month, following the release of  A War is Coming as a single in December , the track featuring on a three-track EP in February.

The session featured A War is Coming, Look at Them, It, Miss it All, and Suddenly, along with brief interview clips.

Jeanne Added has an extensive tour from July until the end of the year, with sets at festivals across France over the summer including Les Eurockéens, Les Francofolies and Rock En Seine.

She plays La Cigale in Paris on October 20

New Acts: Las Aves - Gasoline

A new video for the track gasoline from the debut EP by Las Aves.

Las Aves, originally from Toulouse, were one of the acts that made a name fo rthemselves at the 2014 Bars en Trans festival in Rennes.

The four members of the band, Géraldine Baux, Jules Cassignol, Adrien Cassignol and Vincent Argiolas previusly went under the name The Dodoz, a band who released two albums - a self titled debut in 2009 and the album Forever I Can Purr  in 2012.

The Dodoz eventually called it a day in March 2014.

 Las Aves take a different

Gasoline comes from the debut EP by Las Aves, entitled L.A, featuring Gasoline, Los Angeles, Banshee and Acid Years.

It came out in January, preceded by the track Los Angeles.

A debut album by Las Aves, produced by  Dan Levy  of The Do is expected in September.
Before then Las Alves play the Badaboum in Paris on July 9.

Daven Keller: Eternel Ephemere.

A new video by Daven Keller for the track Eternel Ephemere.

It's another song from his Reeaction C album that came out in April this year.

The song's a groovy number, like something like Sébastien Tellier might cook up in a collaboration with Murat on a relaxed afternoon somewhere sunny.

A classy piece of work, and it's no surprise Keller's previously worked on film soundtracks.

The video was directed and edited by Daven Keller, like his earlier video Slogan, which was featured on the blog in March.

He also performed all the music on the track, showing that working as a solo artist need not an obstacle to what can be produced.

This track also features Charlotte Raffi on vocals.

Fesivals: Solidays and Le rock dans tout ses états

While the Glastonbury festival gets attention in the UK this weekend  there are a couple of significant
music events in France this weekend, with Solidays in Paris and the Le rock dans tout ses états festival  in Évreux in Normandy.

Solidays is a massive event, a three day festival of music and activism at l'hippodrome de Longchamp on the outskirts of Paris.

This year the music acts include The Do, Izia and The Avener on the first day, the Saturday includes Brigittes, Yale Naim, Grand Blanc, Rone and IAM, while the final day features Zebda, Yelle, Fakear and Lilly Wood and the Prick.

Many international acts on the bill as well, including Clean Bandit and Damien Marley.

There is also a full programme of speeches and appearances,  with the likes of photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand and Bill Gates.

If Glastonbury has become a exclusive event for the well-heeled ,  with the majority of its audience sitting at home on the sofa while BBC cameras track celebrities wanting to be seen in the comfortable and exclusive backstage areas,  Solidays remains an event that's not forgotten about activism and inclusion.

Le rock dans tout ses états festival  is a smaller scale event, running over two days, Friday 26 and Saturday 27, but its bill is no less appealing.

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Yelle are at the top end of th ebill, but there are many other acts playing that get the Vive le Roq seal of approval.

Thylacine and H-Burns and Kid Francescoli are playing , but it's an international bill that also features Hudson Mohawke, Fidlar, Metz and Salut c'est cool. Rich Aucoin,  EZ3kiel and Tallisker as well

Grand Blanc: Inrocks Session

A great two track session by favourites of this blog Grand Blanc.

The session for Les Inrocks.tv sees two tracks from their recent EP, Montparnasse and Nord.

The novelty of seeing video of a great band in their relative infancy in such quality doesn't ever get old.

Their Montparnasse / Nord single has just been released on vinyl.

Grand Blanc have been playing in Canada, and play at the Solidays festival in Paris on June 27



Inrocks Session : Grand Blanc by lesinrocks

Benjamin Clementine: London

A new video by Benjamin Clementine, for the track London.

The track comes from Clementine's debut album At Least for Now, released in January.

Since then he's won a  Victoires de la Musique award as the best breakthrough act.

Somewhat ironically given the track's title, it was filmed in Paris. Nicely done too, giving a different view of the city than the usual clichés.

Clementine established his reputation in Paris, and this year has seen him emerge as one of this years'most interesting artists.

He's appearing at a number of festivals across France this smummer, including Rock en Seine in Paris in August.

New Acts: Montoya - We Are On The Hill,

A track by Montoya, We Are On The Hill, as fine  piece of indie electronic, with something of a folk
flavour about it, as you could wish for.

Montoya are from Paris and Nice, and describe what they do as electric folk / indie pop / cavalcades.

There's something of the epic vision of Florence and the Machine and the charm of Cats in Trees in what they do.

So far they've released their debut single Carry Oceans last year, a track that also deserves a listen, as well as a cover of the GOLF track All in All.

While it's certainly early days for them, they've not put a foot wrong so far.

 A full studio recored EP is next, if what they've done so far is any indication of what we can expect it will be pretty special.

New Acts: Hyphen Hyphen - Just Need Your Love

A strong piece of work by Nice-based four piece Hyphen Hyphen, with a video for the track Just Need Your Love from their newly released  EP.

Hyphen Hyphen make a very modern pop sound, electro that is informed by the ambitious  sounds of the likes of Florence and the Machine and M83 but retaining an approachable pop sensibility.

They have just released a four track EP featuring the tracks The Fear Is Blue,  I See Myself and two versions of Just Need Your Love.

 Their debut album Times is expected to be released on September 18.

Jean Michel Jarre and M83: Glory

A full video clip has emerged for the track Glory, a collaboration between Jean Michel Jarre and M83

The track first emerged as a soundtrack for a short movie put together by Google Play, EMIC: An Interstellar Time Capsule Film. The short film was curated by Interstellar director Christopher Nolan.

The new video was directed by by Lisa Paclet, a Paris based French /Italian director whose previous work includes music videos and work with brands like Yves Saint Laurent and Chanel.

The clip focuses on sport, with its repetition,  and rules and apparent absurdity.

Meanwhile, a version of the track remixed by  Steve Angello, formerly of Swedish House Mafia, has also emerged.

Glory features on the forthcoming Jarre album, which also sees him collaborating with Tangerine Dream, Gesaffelstein , and 3D from Massive Attack.

Nicolas Godin: Orca

A significant new release, with the track Orca coming from the  first solo release by Air 's Nicolas
Godin.

Air set a new standard for French music with their Moon Safari album in 1998, for many the definition of modern French music.

Contrepoint, his first solo album after seven releases with Air, their most recent being a soundtrack for Le voyage dans la lune in 2012.

Godin's partner in Air, Jean-Benoît Dunckel, has been involved in the duo Tomorrow's World who released their self-titled debut album in 2013.

He also released a four track solo EP The Man Of Sorrow in March.

Godin, meanwhile, demonstrates with Orca the playful spirit and exotic retro/futurist aesthetic that informed Air.

Contrepoint will be released later this year on Because Music.

New Acts: Fellini Félin - Money can't lie

A summer styled track by Bordeaux act Fellini Félin, with the song Money can't lie.

The track emerged earlier this month, a collaboration with Camel Power Club.

Despite it's English lyrics it's unlikely to get much radio play in the anglophone world, perhaps a discrete substitution of a  particular word in the refrain might help.

Fellini Félin released the Wisteria EP in September last year, with four tracks and a radio edit of the song On the Way Home.

Since then an unofficial remix of Tame Impala's track Beverly Laurel emerged, as well live shows and DJ sets, and attention from LesInrocks Lab.

We Were Evergreen: Dormant (with The Hermes Experiment)

An unusual clip from We Were Evergreen, London's favourite resident French indie stars.

It features the band in a classical context, playing alongside The Hermes Experiment, a Harp/ Clarinet/Soprano and Double Bass act.

The performance was for  London-based concert producers Listenpony, and took place on the Crypt on the Green in London on May 12 2015.

The original version of Dormant featured on their Towards album, which was released in 2014.

Their most recent release was a cover of the Disney song Be Like You, this new version of Dormant
certainly shows them in a different light from that release.

New Acts: Poom - De la vitesse à l'ivresse

Classy French electro from Poom, a duo of Camille Ferrera et Siegfried de Turckheim from Paris.

De la vitesse à l'ivresse is a dreamy piece perfect for a chilled summer which emerged as a lyrics video earlier this month.

It follows earlier tracks like Qui es-tu? and Les Voiles, which came out last year.

Their cover of Boris Vian's Je Bois also requires your attention.

Poom's debut album is expected in the autumn.

Kid Francescoli: Does She?

A new video by Kid Francescoli for the track Does She?

The video is something of a short film in its length and cinematic qualities.

It's a prequel to the video they made for the track Blow Up.

With many directors finding that French acts are delivering the kind of music that fits well in the soundtrack for a 21st century movie, it's easy to imagine Kid Francescoli following the likes of Woodkid, Brodinski and M83.

The track comes from the duo's With Julia album that was released last year, and re-issued in March this year.

They play at the Festival Les 36h de Saint Eustache in Paris on Saturday this weekend, and at the Festival Le Rock Dans Tous Ses Etats next week, and have dates elsewhere in France before returning for a show in Paris in October.

Hellfest 2015: Live streaming

This weekend sees the international metal music scene focus its attention on France, with the Hellfest
three day event unfolding in the west of the country.

It's the tenth year of the festival, which has established itself as one of Europe's premier rock events alongside Download, Rock Am Ring and Wacken Open Air.

Some of the genre's biggest names are on the bill, with Judas Priest, Scorpions and Faith Korn headlining the main stage on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Also on that stage are ZZ Top, Slash, Alice Cooper, Motorhead and more.

But one of the main attraction of Hellfest is that there are six stages, each with their own curated line up, so that the event can cover pretty much every sub genre of metal.

So there are headline places on the main stage two for Slipkot, Marilyn Manson and Nightwish, and performances by Faith no More, Lamb of God, In Flames and Epica.

One particulaly impressive feature is that much of the festival is being streamed by broadcaster Arte, so that even if you can't be in a field in Clisson near Nantes, you can enjoy the event in the comfort of your own laptop or tablet.

New Acts: Rhum for Pauline - When Endless Ends

A video for the track When Endless Ends by Rhum for Pauline.

Rhum for Pauline are a five-piece  Nantes-based act.

The track features on their new three-track EP, alongside Pursuit and a live version of their song Boyshake Lady.

For a band yet to release a debut album, Rhum for Pauline have been around for a few years, their debut EP Miami emerging in 2010, followed by the Can Reach the Top EP in 2012. They've had the rare chance to mature nicely, working with other musicians and other projects over the years to craft their sound.

I've previously featured Lenparrot, side project from Rhum for Pauline vocalist Romain Lallement.

The band now features him alongside two original members Thibaud Vanhooland and Emile Ployaert, and Raphaël d'Hervez from Pégase on keyboards and former Pony Pony Run Run member Antonin Pierre on guitar.

The band are on FVTVR Records, home of the likes of Disco Anti Napoléon, Minitel Rose and  Pégase, who produced and mixed When Endless Ends.

The debut album from Rhum for Pauline is expected in September.

Before then, they play at the Nüba in Paris on June 20 and are on the bill for the FVTVR festival in Nantes alongside labelmates and associates from July  9 - 11

Nekfeu: Le Grand Journal

An appearance on the Le Grand Journal TV show last night by rapper Nekfeu, an artist who looks
likely to be one of the key hip hop acts of 2015

Nekfeu's a member of rap act 1995, who have released two  EPS and one album since their 2011 La Source debut.

His first solo album Feu was relased earlier this month, and it's been met with both critical and commercial success.

It set a record for number of downloads for a debut album by a French artist.

Singles released ahead of the album included Égérie, On verra, Nique les clones (Pt II),and  Tempête.

As Maître Gims did last year, Nekfeu is making a move from French rap scene figure into mainstream commercial success.

Nekfeu - Nique les Clones - Le live du 16/06

 

Nekfeu - On Verra - Le live du 16/06

Alain Souchon and Laurent Voulzy: La baie des fourmis

A new single by  Alain Souchon and Laurent Voulzy, with the track La baie des fourmis being
promoted from their self-titled  collaborative album.

The album has been a massive success since its release in December last year.  The pair have found that there's still a massive market for their brand of easy listening chanson in France.

Their album went to number one in France, and went on to win a Victoires de la musique award earlier this year for the best chanson/variety album of the year.

They've released two singles from the album so far, Derrière les mots and Oiseau malin.

The album is the first time the two artists write and perform together, Souchon having enjoyed a career as a hugely successful solo artist since the 70s, Voulzy with a career that spans a similar era and his La Septième Vague album reaching number one in 2006.

 They've collaborated before, but until the released of the album it just songwriting rather than performing together as well.

 Souchon and Voulzy are in the middle of a tour, with shows at arenas across France including four nights at the Zénith in Paris in December

Martin Solveig: +1

 A piece of electro-house by Martin Solveig, with a new video for the track +1.

The track features Sam White was unveiled on Beatport last week.

His track Intoxicated gave him a hit in France earlier this year, reaching the top 20.

His last full album was 2011's Smash, which produces a string of international hits including Hello and Ready to Go.

Solveig has weekly dates in Ibiza over the summer, as well as dates around Europe and some further afield in Las Vegas and Chicago.

Jeanne Added:Le Grand Journal

A high-profile TV appearance from Jeanne Added this week, with two tracks on Le Grand Journal, the nightly Canal+ chat show.

Her appearance on the show came the same week as Muse played.

There were two tracks, A War Is Coming and Look at Them.

Her debut album Be Sensational was released at the beginning of this month. Both tracks feature on the album.

Jeanne Added certainly seems to be this year's rising act, hopefully following in the footsteps of Christine and the Queens in their rise from cult act to national treasure.

Jeanne Added - A War is Coming - Le live du 10/06

 

Jeanne Added - Look at Them - Le live du 10/06

The Enchanted Wood: I'm From Rennes

Some nice video emerged by The Enchanted Wood, an act that I've enthused about on this blog since I heard their 2012 Monster Parade album.

The Enchanted Wood is essentially a solo project by Fat Supper associate Michel Le Faou, regularly backed by live members of that band and other musicians.

Le Faou has done video work for Fat Supper, including the clip for their track Grotorro.

The video comes from September last year, when The Enchanted Wood performed as part of the I'm From Rennes festival, and was shot in the city.

It's a tasteful representation of Le Faou's crepuscular crooning, with its nod to neofolk.

It features three tracks, Rise of the Jellyfish, Children of Solitude and The Menstrual World


 

La Grande Sophie: Maria Yudina

A new video for the track Maria Yudina by La Grande Sophie.

Yudina was a Russian classical musician and despite being Stalin's favourite pianist, was a vocal critic of the Soviet leadership. She died in 1970.

The track comes from  La Grande Sophie's forthcoming new album, her seventh. The title of the new collection hasn't been revealed yet.

It is expected to be released in the autumn.

Her last album, 2012's La place du fantôme reached the top ten in France.

La Grande Sophie plays at the Trianon in Paris on November 26.

Matmatah: Triceratops

A new track's emerged by the band Matmatah, the  cult Breton group that split in 2007.

Triceratops is a new track from the band that has emerged ahead of a greatest hits album.

They reconvened to mark their 20th anniversary with a best of CD, to be entitled Antaology.

During their career Matmatah released four albums, their debut album La Ouache released in 1998. The band played an indie flavoured rock with a celtic infusion that met with massive popular appeal.

The collection will be a 2CD set, the second disc featuring rare and unreleased material.

Antaology is due to be released on  September 25.

Christine and the Queens: Paradis Perdus

Another single released by Christine and the Queens from the Chaleur Humaine album.

It marks a year since the album came out. During that time it has become one of the most significant French releases in recent years.

Paradis Perdus was a song originally by Christophe, from his 1973 album of the same name.  Lyrics for the track were written by a young Jean-Michel Jarre.

Christine's version also quotes from Kanye West's track Heartless.

Christine and the Queens played at the We Love Green festival in Paris, and are playing at pretty much every festival in France over the summer, before touring arenas in autumn.

She plays at the Zénith in Paris on September 25.

Benjamin Biolay: Revoir Paris

A new single by Benjamin Biolay, with his version of the Charles Trenet song Revoir Paris.

It comes ahead of a new album by Biolay which features his interpretations of 12 songs by Trenet.

Trenet's original version of the song came from 1947. Biolay's version is a chilled jazzy arrangement where he is accompanied by Nicolas Fiszman and Denis Benarrosh.

 It's two and a half years since Biolay's last album, Vengeance.

Biolay's new album is avaiable from June 15, and he plays two nights in Paris at Les Folies Bergere on June 29 and 30.

La famille Chedid: Anne, ma sœur Anne

An interview and a performance by La famille Chedid, an acts that spans generations of French musical talent.

The band, consisting of  Louis, Matthieu, Anna and Joseph Chedid played a series of  concerts at the Olympia in Paris, their set featuring both the hits of Matthieu Chedid - perhaps better known under his -M- pseudonym - and songs by his father Louis.

Anna and Joseph Chedid have both also musical careers, under the names Nach and Selim.

As well as an interview, the clip sees them perform the track Anne, ma sœur Anne.

La famille Chedid play festivals around France over the summer, and play at the Palais Garnier in Paris on September 6.

Lilly Wood and the Prick: Shadows

Some long-awaited new material by Lilly Wood and the Prick with the track Shadows.

The track follows their international success with the remix of the track Prayer in C by  Robin Schulz.

That track, reached number one in countries across Europe, including the UK.

The song originally featured on their Invincible Friends debut album which was released in 2010.

They went on to win a  Victoires de la Musique award the following year.

Since then they released their The Fight album in 2012, a collection that reached the top 20 in France.

Nili Hadida and Benjamin Cotto, the pair behind the band, have spent some time in Mali recently, where the new video was shot. It was directed by Benjamin Cotto.

Their new album, their third, is due out later this year.

Before that, Lilly Wood and the Prick have got live dates at festivals across France over the summer, including the Solidays and the Main Square festival.

H-Burns: Live at the We Love Green

A chance to catch the live set by H-Burns at the We Love Green festival in Paris the other weekend,
courtesy of the good people at Arte making the show available to watch online.

The show was held at the Parc de Bagatelle in the Bois de Boulogne on Saturday May 30. H-Burns were the opening band to play the event that also featured Christine and the Queens, C.A.R., Flavien Berger and other favourites of this blog.

It's great to see H-Burns playing in such a pastoral setting on such a beautiful day.  Can there be a better place for a show than in a park in Paris on a sunny afternoon?

H-Burns deserves to be massive, or at least well known as a cult act outside France. A listen and a watch of their set should convince you.

Their last album Night Moves was released in January this year and a special record store day release album of covers emerged since then.

Grand Blanc: Montparnasse

A new clip by vive le roq French music blog favourites Grand Blanc, with a big budget court métrage  style treatment for the song Montparnasse.

It's a slow burning and intense piece, confirming my suspicions that Grand Blanc are a band that have been touched by greatness.

The single, which also features the track Nord, is available later this month and is available to pre-order.

It follows the release last year of their four track Self titled EP. A debut album is expected next year.

Grand Blanc play festival dates in Montreal this month, and at the Solidays festival in Paris on June 27 and at the Les Eurockéennes festival next month.

Flavien Berger: Abyssinie

 An aquatic excursion for Flavien Berger with the track Abyssinie.

I featured Flavien Berger in April with their track Rue de la Victoire, this is another slice of electronica from a stanger place than most.

Berger's debutr album Léviathan, a 2LP set,  was released at the end of April on Pan European Recording, and if you're quick you might still be able to pick up a vinyl copy of it.

Abyssinie is one of the ten tracks on it, as is his last video Rue de la Victoire and the track La Fête Noire, another single from earlier this year.

Berger played the We Love Green festival in Paris at the weekend, and has other live dates ahead including an appearance at the Route du Rock festival in St Malo in August.

Thomas Dutronc: Allongés dans l'herbe

A new video by Thomas Dutronc for the track Allongés dans l'herbe, a song from his new album
released last week.

Éternels jusqu'à à demain is the third album by the son of Jacques Dutronc and Françoise Hardy, who despite his French music royalty status has established a musical reputation of his own.

Dutronc's last studio outing was 2011's Silence on tourne, on tourne en rond which reached number two in France.

His debut album, 2007's Comme un manouche sans guitare saw him win the  Victoires de la Musique award in 2009 for the best original song.

Dutronc  has a tour of arenas in France in October, November and December, playing the Zénith in Paris on November 25.

Fakear: Asakusa

A new EP emerges today by Fakear, one of Frances' most promising electro artists.

The new release entitled Asakusa includes the track Skyline.

He has released three Eps so far, Morning In Japan in 2013, Dark Lands from December 2013 and the seven track Sauvage last year.

Eash release has continued to cement his reputation as a real innovator in electonic music.

I saw him perform at the transmusicales in Rennes in 2013, and his work was striking in its incorporation of eastern sounds, painting with a more colourful audio palette than many of his contemporaries.

Fakear has along list of live dates over the summer, including a set at the Solidays festival in Paris on June 28, and a show at the Olympia in Paris on October 8.

Editorial: June 2015

It's June, so that means that the summer already here, although the weather conspires against us so
far.

While there will continue to be new releases throughout the month, as well as new acts worth bringing to wider attention, more musical activity takes place outdoors this month.

June of course sees the festival season get under way with some of France's biggest outdoor events held this month.

Hellfest sees metal hoards descend on the Clisson on the weekend from June 19- 21, the following weekend sees Solidays in Paris.

Don't forget to give a Facebook like to the French Music Podcast page on Facebook for plenty of listening suggestions from the team in your timeline.

As always, I can be contacted on johnkilbrideAThotmailDOTcom, with the appropriate punctuation.

I'm always pleased to hear from record companies, PR companies and promoters, so be sure to 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