Editorial: May 2018

"Don't call it a comeback", to quote LL Cool J.

I know the VLR blog's been off the air for the best part of a month, and I can only apologise for this. One of the hassles of being a one-man operation is that if I'm ill I don't have any cover to work on the blog.

But now that I'm back on my feet, we can get back to business.

And there's plenty for us to cover. Hopefully we can make up for some of the lost time as well, and mention some of the things that have been going on in our absence too.

Other news? We've got some plans afoot. VLR has been going for a matter of years, and we're keen to take things to a new level and to branch out into other areas. I'll say more as things come together and hopefully this will be quite soon.

As always, you can contact us at 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 drop me an email. I'm always keen to hear new things, as well as passing on the latest about acts I already know and love.

The blog is also on Twitter as @viveleroq, although that's pretty much just an autofeed when we update with a new article. You can usually find me on my personal Twitter account quicker, @karnag

If you're around Facebook, remember to like the French Music Podcast UK page, where you can get regular updates with both fresh and vintage French music.

Thanks as always to the good folks at Oui Love Music From France for all their hard work introducing French acts to the international audience.

John K

Saez at the Bataclan

The final show of three tonight at the Bataclan in Paris by Damien Saez, and artist who has been a favourite of this blog for a good few years, a unique voice as capable of the finest poetic expression as it is of venting the most righteous anger.

2016 saw him embark on a year long project of new releases, poetry and gigs. The Manifeste tour taking him across the country ahead of the 2017 presidential elections and his new album Le manifeste, l'oiseau liberté - released earlier this month - captures an artist at the height of his powers.

Les enfants paradis, written in tribute to the victims of the Bataclan atrocity is one of the finest songs of last year. An affecting work, avoiding anger, dramatisation or sentimentality, a reflection on humanity in the face of atrocity.

2016 has been a difficult year and there are more clouds on the horizon for 2017. If there's a storm ahead few artists will be able to articulate it better than Saez


>

Justice: Fire

 A new clip by Justice, released a week after their much anticipated Woman album.

the new clip features Susan Sarandon, one of the more interesting Hollywood stars, in perhaps a homage to Thelma and Louise.

There's no Geena Davis in this version, Justice sharing the car with her instead, after they've given it a well deserved clean.

There have been mixed reviews of Woman, Pitchfork commenting it was "better suited to soundtrack a car commercial than to actively engage the listener".

Perhaps appropriate then that they have a video that plays a bit like an ironic 80s car commercial.

Les Inrocks festival

This weekend sees the Les Inrocks festival, with shows at venues in Paris as well as elsewhere in
France.

Tonight there are sets by Her, Lescop, Paradis and Juliette Armanet at La Cigale in Paris, La Boule Noire features Palace, A Giant Dog and Goat Girl.

Tomorrow sees Shock Machien, Parcels and Keep Dancing Inc at La Boule Noure, La Cigale features Jagwar Ma, Lost Under Heaven, Rat Boy, Let's Eat Grandma and Clara Luciani.

On Sunday  La Boule Noire hosts Pumarosa, Lewis Del MAr and Elf Kid, while the Cigale features Cassius, Formation and Adan Naas.

On Monday The Bataclan has a show by Tinariwen, Seratones and The Lemon Twigs.

Venues in Tourcoing, Nantes and Bordeaux host a selection of the acts over the weekend,  Lescop and Paradis playing all three towns,  Her playing Tourcoing and Nantes and Juliette Armanet at Bordeaux and Nantes.

Jagwar Ma, Lost Under Heaven and Rat Boy also play the three towns, and are joined by Let's eat Grandma at Nantes.

Tonight's sold out show by Her, Lescop, Paradis and Juliette Armanet is being streamed live. so a good opportunity to drop in on what looks like a very tastefully considered bill.

Mick Harvey: Je T'Aime Serge event

Another mention for tonight's Je T'Aime Serge event at the  Institut Francais du Royaume-Uni in
London, with Mick Harvey discussing his three albums of English language covers of Serge Gainsbourg songs.

Harvey is of course a bona fide legend in his own right, from his part in The Birthday Party to his role with Nick Cave as one of the key members of the Bad Seeds.  As part of Crime and the City Solution to his work with PJ Harvey.

He's also an established solo artist and has also released a number of film soundtracks over the years.

I've loved both Intoxicated Man and Pink Elephants, his first two volumes of Gainsbourg songs that were released in the 90s. Quite simply, they're albums I've listened to repeatedly for years.

This year's  new collection - Delirium Tremens - is every bit as classy in its sympathetic re-imagining of Gainsbourg's work. Another volume is coming out early next year.

In the meantime, tonight's a great opportunity to find out more about Mick and Serge.

Festival Interceltique de Lorient

This weekend sees the start of the world's biggest Celtic festival, with the Festival Interceltique de Lorient held in the Breton city.

This year's festival, the 46th, puts the spotlight on Australia, while still featuring the Celtic  nations closer to home.

Around 4500 singers, musicians and dancers are involved in events, from traditional to contemporary, pipe bands to rock acts, and among the big names are the Corrs, Joan Baez, Alan Stivell and Dan Ar Braz.

Meanwhile, smaller scale events and workshops take place across the city. Some of the events such as the Grande Parade on Sunday will be broadcast online on Culturebox and on TV on France 3

The festival takes place in tighter security than ever before, in light of events in France. This weekend's Lille Braderie, a huge fleamarket event held in the northern city, event was cancelled over security fears.

The Festival Interceltique de Lorient  runs until August 14.

France at The Great Escape 2016

The Great Escape festival begins in Brighton today, a major event showcasing some of the finest emerging talent as well as an opportunity for music business professionals to get together, discuss, swap notes and hear some interesting sounds.

It's the closest thing in the UK to SXSW, with hundreds of acts playing in dozens of venues across the town.

The event has in the past featured some of the best French acts and this year is no exception, with 12 acts from France featuring on the bill.

The event has in the past seen the likes of Christine and the Queens, while last year Jeanne Added, Hollysiz, Saycet and Camp Claude were among the French acts.

Jain might have been nominated for a Victoires de la musique award in February for last year's Zanaka album in the breakthrough album category,  the Yodelice produced collection going on to sell massively on the back of the number one single Come, but there's a rare opportunity to catch her in the UK as she plays Brighton this afternoon at the Queen's Hotel and at Paganini Ballroom tonight.


Hyphen Hyphen picked up the Victoires de la musique award for breakthrough act in February, following their Time album from 2015. I've liked their busy electro style since I featured it last year, and they're at Brighthelm on Friday afternoon and at Prince Albert on Saturday afternoon.


Her are one French act who have been making small but significant inroads to the UK recently, and they're playing Brighton as the last of four dates in Britain that saw two shows in London earlier this week.

Their Her Tape Number One EP  was released last year and it presented an act overflowing with very interesting ideas. They've followed it with Her Live tape One six track EP featuring live versions and covers of released earlier this month. They're at the Queen's Hotel this afternoon, and at the Hope and Ruin this evening.


Also on the bill are Fakear, who plays a set at 2am on Friday at Komedia, DBFC who play Horatios on Friday afternoon and Prince Albert on Saturday evening. Holy Oysters play on Saturday at Brighthelm and M. A. beat platy tonight at Patter and on Friday at Horatios.

Pollyanna meanwhile plays a shot n Saturday afternoon at the Spiegelpub and at the Queens Hotel on Saturday night,

Fauve ≠ Azulejos

Another track has emerged from Fauve ahead of the release of the forthcoming live collection that
documents the spoken-work collective's live activities.

The track azulejos will feature on the album 150.900, a number that signifies the number of kilometers the collective have travelled in their tours.

Fauve have established themselves as one of France's most significant acts over the period of the past three years, their live reputation one of the key factors in their appeal.

They followed the release of the two volumes of the Vieux Freres albums with an extensive schedule of live dates in France and beyond. The act want the new live album to be more than just a collection of live version of tracks already available on the studio albums, but want it to be more of an audio documentary of the band while they were touring.

The new track comes after the release of a live version of the track Blizzard,a track from their debut EP.

The new live album is released on April 1 and is already available to pre-order in a variety of formats.

Michel Polnareff: L'Homme en Rouge

A Christmas song from the legendary Michel Polnareff, ahead of a year that sees him touring  and
releasing a new album.

It will be his first since 1990's Kama Sutra album. Since then he's made occasional return to performing,  his profile sustained by cover versions and celebrity magazine coverage.

He's sold over three million albums, and his new collection is one of 2016's most anticipated releases.

Typical for Polnareff, the song  L'Homme en Rouge is an anti-Christmas song. And probably one of the most memorable Xmas releases in recent years.

Indochine: Live at Le Trianon

A special gig tonight at Le Trianon in Paris, as Indochine mark the release of their new live collection
 Black City Concert with an intimate show.

The live album/DVD/Blu Ray/Box Set was recorded in June last year at the band's two show at the Stade de France, tonight sees them take to the stage of the historic theatre with a capacity of just over 1,000.

Indochine toured extensively following the release of  Black City Parade in 2013. There were three legs of the tour from February 2013 until June 2014, with sold-out shows at arenas throughout France and beyond. It was followed festival dates that summer including a show in London.

This year Indochine have played sold-out club shows at eight European cities.

A live album Black City Tour, documenting their gigs in Brussels on March 2014 came out in December last year in  2CD, DVD and Blu Ray versions.

However the new release should be a pretty different affair.

Editorial: December 2015

December kicks in after what was one of the most significant months I've covered in my time writing this
blog.

There's no way around it, the attacks in Paris were one of the darkest moments in the history of the city of lights, a place that for all its reputation for vibrancy and life has known its times of almost immesurable bleakness.

Much will, for years to come, be measured by what took place in Paris this month.

To add my views or opinions seems almost banal and inappropriate given scale of events. My thoughts are with those who were hurt, and with the friends and families of those who fell.

Things go on. To be intimidated out of our way of life seems like a surrender, to hate and to wwant vengeance feels like playing into their hands. The moment's silence has been observed, songs have been sung again, at first defiantly and mournfully, and also full of hope.

Meanwhile, the regular business continues. For December, the releases continue with DVDs by Stromae, Indochine and  Shaka Ponk in the diary.

Live event see a series of sold-out UK dates from Benjamin Clementine, as well as a tour by Caravan Palace. A London date by The Dø takes place in the middle of the month.

In France, the Transmusicales festival takes place in Rennes, alongside the Bars en Trans event that sees several dozen of the city's small venues host a well-chosen selection of acts.

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

If you're around Facebook, remember to like the French Music Podcast UK page, for a regular dose of fresh and vintage French music.

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

Merci et à bientôt

John K

Nolwenn Leroy, Camélia Jordana and Yael Naïm: Quand on n'a que l'amour #hommagenational

Tributes have been paid in Paris this morning to those killed in the terrorist atrocities earlier this month.

A ceremony at Les Invalides saw leading figures from the world of politics as well as the arts pay tribute.

One significant moment was the performance of the song Quand on n'a que l'amour by Nolwenn Leroy, Camélia Jordana and Yael Naïm.

The song was originally written by Jacques Brel, it's been coverd by many artists since.

A measured and considered song choice, and an absolutely appropriate one for the circumstances.



Nolwenn Leroy, Camelia Jordana et Yael Naïm... by Europe1fr

Bose headphones advert: Charles Aznavour - Hier Encore

Another high-profile appearance by some French music on an advertising campaign, with a song by Charles
Aznavous being used in an ad for Bose headphones.

The advert, entitled Music Deserves Bose: Someone Special features a man being transported back in time through the music he is listening to on his fancy new wireless headphones.

The song was originally released by the veteran chanteur in 1964 and makes an unusual choice of track for an advert like this, a classic tune for a piece of modern technology.

The song is better known to an anglophone audience in its English version, under the title Yesterday When I Was Young, and was co-written by Aznavour. Many artists hare recorded covers over the decades, including Julio Iglesias, Bing Crosby and Marc Almond.

The advert makes the point that music is a time machine. Perhaps that makes Aznavour, now in his 90s and still performing, some kind of time traveller.

The Dø: Trustful Hands

A new clip by The Dø, with a new representation of the song Trustful Hands.

It's another track from their Shake Shook Shaken album, the duo's third collection. The album won the best rock album award in the 2015 Victoires de la Musique awards.

The new clip sees  Olivia Merilahti and Dan Levy adopt a Japanese aesthetic.

The Dø had a show in Paris on Saturday November 14 cancelled as a consequence of the attacks on the capital the day before, and have rescheduled their gig at the Olympia for December 20.

They also play a show in London at The Electric in Brixton on December 16.

Transmusicales preview: Inüit

The Transmusicales festival is all about new and emerging acts, and while acts from across France andbeyond get the chance to impress on the big stage, the inclusive nature of the event sees it extend into the city centre, where the L'étage venue hosts a series of shows, almost like a mini-festival within the larger event.

There is a programme of free shows on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday, meaning that the festival is not just for those able to attend the late night sets at the parc expo on the edge of the city.

The late afternoon/early evening times mean that the truly dedicated can of course fit in both in the course of a full-immersion in music over the course of several days.

Getting proceedings under way this year are Inüit, who perform on Thursday afternoon. They are a six-piece from Nantes, associated with that city's Conservatoire. But what they perform is not any rarified classical material, but a very organic and unique electroacoustic thing.

Their debut EP is released in January 2016.

Transmusicales Preview: Paradis

The Transmusicales festival in Rennes at the beginning of next month is a crucial showcase for some of France's finest emerging acts, so in the run-up to the event I though it only right to feature some of them on this blog.

The last two years saw Benjamin Clementine and Jeanne Added achieve considerable recognition as a result of their performances, both being give the opportunity to play multiple shows during the course of the festival.

This year sees a similar opportunity being given to Paradis, who play five shows at the Aire Libre venue.

The act, a Paris-based duo of Simon Mény and Pierre Rousseau have been releasing material since 2011,  their French language vocals and sophisticated groove making them one of the country's most promising new acts.

They've featured on this blog earlier this year, with the track Sur une Chanson en francais. You can probably expect to hear a great deal more of them in 2016 following their performances at this years Transmusicales.

Minute's silence observed

Rencontres Trans Musicales 2015: First names confirmed

Details of the first 15 names confirmed for this year's Rencontres Trans Musicales 2015 festival in
Rennes in December have been revealed

A nicely done video reveals the names in a street art project in Rennes.

Dralms, Her, Grand Cannon, Paradis, Klaus Johan Grobe, Inuit, City Kay, Kaviar Special, Okmalumkoolkat, Rival Consoles, Binkbeats, Georgia, Swaggers, Mawimbi and Kokomo are the first names to emerge.

Many, many more will be added in forthcoming weeks.

The event has been one of the musical highlights for this blog over the past couple of years, with a real chance to experience a well-curated cross section of talent from France and beyond.

The  Rencontres Trans Musicales 2015 is held in Rennes from December 2 - December 6.