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A lockdown re-styling for Yelle by the looks of things in the video for the new song Je t'aime encore.

It's been six years since Julie Budet, Grand Marnier and Tepr dropped an album, 2014's Complètement Fou and since then there has been a slow and steady stream of singles, most recently 2018's OMG!!!

Directed by Loïc Prigent, a French director noted for his documentaries about fashion, the video features Haute Coiffure hairdresser Charlie Le Mindu. If you're going for the lockdown haircut, you might as well call in the best.

The song's a lot less frenetic than their usual technicolor technopop, and could easily be interpreted as a song about Julie's relationship with France, where the band have not perhaps enjoyed the success that they should have. Yelle have, after all, made some significant inroads in the USA including a tour supporting Katy Perry, while in France they still remain better known for their debut single Je veux te voir, released back in 2006.

As well as a new album, They've got live dates ahead, fortunately much later in the year, with a sold-out show at Paris La Cigale on October 29 and a second date now added on the 30th.

Yelle: OMG!!!

A new song by Yelle, celebrating summer just as the winds of autumn come over the horizon and France returns to work, school and studies.

OMG!!! tells the tale of a man who has lost his lust for life, but regains it when the sun returns. However, the video makes clear the subject of this tale is in fact...a hamster.

The clip for the new track is every bit as over the top as we have come to expect from Yelle. I have my suspicions it might not be broadcast on TV in the UK.

Julie Budet wearing nothing but glitter might be a visual metaphor for the sun in the clip, but in the UK it's more something The Sun newspaper might get excited about.

Yelle haven't released an album since 2014's Complètement fou collection, but there has been a steady stream of songs though, including Interpassion and Romeo last year.

They've been playing live extensively - they were on the bill at last weekend's Rock en Seine festival near Paris - and have made some significant inroads in the USA, no doubt on the back of their repeat performances at Coachella and their association with Katy Perry.

They've got shows in the USA from October, including three night in New York in November. Two nights have already sold out. They're back in France in the new year.

 

Yelle: Moteur Action

A new single from Yelle, with the track Moteur Action getting a feature release.

No video clip as yet, but a teaser has been realsed for what will no doubt be appropriately technicolor and cinematic. Popcorn and corny pop at the ready.

It's the fourth  track from last year's Complètement fou collection to emerge as a single, following Bouquet final, the title track and Ba$$in.

Yelle have established themselves to a big-screen audience in recent years, hopefully Moteur Action will give them the blockbuster they deserve.

Yelle play at the Casino de Paris on October 10, supported by Grand Blanc. Should be quite a night.

New Acts: Menthol - Les sirènes

A refreshing piece of French electro by Menthol with the track Les sirènes.

The track was recommended by Yelle on on Twitter, and it's an appropriately tasteful and very cool piece.

Menthol have been around under that name since  2014 a duo whose most memorable output so far has been an electro cover of MC Solaar's Caroline and the track L'or et le miel.

Previously they were members of the band Rafale.

Menthol played the Art Rock 2015 festival this summer and supported Yelle towards the end of last year.

Yelle: Ba$$in

A new clip by the always effervescent Yelle, with the track Ba$$in.

It's the second single to be taken from their Complètement fou album, released in September last year.

It's a suitably over the top pop art video, with the kind of craziness others could only dream of.

Perhaps the English subtitles are a nod towards the anglophone market. It would be fascinating to see tham make inroads outside France. they're no strangers to playing in teh UK and USA, having played Coachella and supported Katy Perry on tour.

Julie Budet certainly deserves to be better known outside France.

Yelle have festival dates over the summer, with shows at Solidays and Le Rock Dans Tous Ses Etats Festivals, as well as shows in New York and Florida.

Yelle play at the Casino de Paris on October 10.

Yelle: Live in London

French electro-pop favourites Yelle take to the stage in London tonight.

It's a welcome return for a fabulously French act, who have been in recent years making inroads to an anglo audience.

For all their electroopo and dance credentials, Yelle have always been a

Yelle dropped a remixed version of the track Moteur Action a few days ago, a nre take on the song re-built by Sophie and A.G. Cook.

Yelle play in Paris on March 11, and after that they are off to perform shows in North America including the Coachella festival in California.

Yelle: Moteur Action (remix by Sophie and A. G. Cook )

A remix of a track by Yelle from last year's Complètement Fou album.

This version of Moteur Action is re-constructed by Sophie and A. G. Cook into a seriously explosive piece.

Yelle say that "Sopie and A.G. Cook bring ‘Moteur Action’ to the future." Not that the original was in any way too dated or anything.

Yelle play in London later this week and play Paris on March 11, before embarking on shows in North America including the Coachella festival in California.

Yelle: Complètement Fou

The new clip has emerged for the track Complètement Fou by Yelle.

The French electropop trio are set to release the follow-up to their 2011 Disco Safari Club album at the end of this month, and the new track shows that they've certainly been keeping up with things.

The years since might have only seen a handful of releases, but they've been touring - with Katy Perry amongst others - and DJing extensively.

Safari Disco Club was their second album, a follow up to their 2007 debut Pop Up. The band, a trio of GrandMarinier (Jean-Francois Perrier), Tepr (Tanguy Destable) and Yelle (Julie Budet) initially found success with songs like Je Veux Te Voir and A cause des garçons.

The track Bouquet Final emerged over the summer in anticipation of the new album.

Needless to say, the video's an appropriately colourful and visually provocative affair, with giant corn cobs, vogueing and the kind of visuals that feel like an over the top  21st century take on a late 80s dance video.

The band have a number of live dates in support of their album, and play in London on December 2 and Paris on December 16.

Yelle: Bouquet final

French electro pop favourites Yelle have returned, with the track Bouquet final.

The track comes three years after 2011's  Safari Disco Club album, which saw them tour supporting Katy Perry.

Safari Disco Club was their second album, a follow up to their 2007 debut Pop Up. The band, a trio of GrandMarinier (Jean-Francois Perrier), Tepr (Tanguy Destable) and Yelle (Julie Budet) initially found success with songs like Je Veux Te Voir and A cause des garçons.

Safari Disco Club established them as more than just a pop act, with their songs displaying a maturity and a wider musical palette, but retaining the sense of playfulness.

Last year saw the tracks A + B = C, a cover of a song by new wave act Mathématiques Modernes, and L'Amour Parfait emerge.

The name of their new album hasn't been confirmed yet, nor has the release date, although it's expected some time in the autumn.

Tour dates  have, however, been confirmed. October sees then play in North America, and in Europe in November and December, with shows in Hungary, Poland, Denmark, Norway, UK and France and Spain. They play London on December 2 and Paris on December 16.

Yelle: A + B = C

A new track by Yelle, a cover of French synth-pop track A + B = C.

The song was originally recorded by the duo Mathématiques Modernes on their 1981 album Les Visiteurs Du Soir.

The original track was produced by Jacno, the late punk and electro musician who was half of Elli & Jacno as well as a founder of punk pioneers Stinky Toys.

Yelle are currently at work on their third album, a follow-up to 2011's Safari Disco Club.

Safari Disco Club saw the trio attract a huge amount of international attention. They played live extensively, playing dates in the USA and supporting Katy Perry on her tour.

One new track, L'Amour Parfait emerged in February.

Meanwhile, the Mathématiques Modernes album, very much a classic of its time, was re-released on vinyl in Febuary on the US-based Medical Records label. 

Yelle - L'amour Parfait

A new track by Yelle - L'amour parfait - has surfaced, ahead of the release of their new album.

They'd promised that they'd have new material out on Feb 11, but put this song online a few days early.

The song comes from an EP that comes out next week.

The new song is a classy piece of contemporary electro pop that demands a repeated listen. It's a  sophisticated and mature work and Yelle's voice really stands out against the darker beats.

Their last album, Safari Disco Club, was released in 2011 and it saw the band get a huge amount of international attention, including a huge amount of live dates in the USA and support for Katy Perry on her tour.

While the album didn't produce a hit like the song Je Veux te Voir from their 2007 debut Pop Up, it certainly got the band a huge new audience.

The new track is producer by Grandmarnier and Aeroplane, and the EP features remixes by Baadman, Sticky K, Ruben Mandolini and The Phantom.

Festival: French acts at SXSW, Austin Texas

With the SXSW festival getting under way in Austin Texas, some fine French acts are carrying the standard.

Bureauexport has an event- France Rocks Austin 2012- at the festival, presenting some of France's finest to an influential crowd.

SXSW has increasingly become a key event in the US music market, particularly for foreign acts aiming to establish a reputation in America.

Featuring at the France Rocks Austin 2012 event are The Octopus Project, College, Housee de Racket, Anoraak, Yan Wagner, Rodrigues, Hindi Zahra, Doldrums, the Two and Gush.

Yelle are also at the event with a DJ set.

Other French acts like Yuksek are playing other events during the course of the event.

An interesting set of acts, some very well known in France and others less so, all getting a chance to get better known across the water.

BureauExport has made a dowloadable sampler available, featuring tracks by Hindi Zahra, Yuksek, Yelle and others, so that even if you can't get to the event, you can still check out some of France's finest new sounds.

It's available to download from this page> http://www.francerocks.net/austin2012/sampler/

Yelle: Remix competition winners

A couple of official remixes of tracks by Yelle from their Safari Disco Club album have emerged

The tracks were chosen following a Facebook competition on the band's French page.

The original versions of the tracks S'éteint le Soleil and Comme un Enfant are on their Safari Disco Club album that was released in March last year.

Comme un Enfant was released as a single in the autumn, and the band have been touring extensively throughout the year, with a huge number of dates across North America as well as shows supporting Katy Perry.

Yelle - S'éteint le soleil (Ridù Remix) by DJRidu


Yelle - Comme Un Enfant (Viceroy Remix) ***CONTEST WINNER*** by VICEROY

Commercial break: Yelle

I came across this advert for Dove shower gel by Yelle, which is pretty funny and a good example of why music and advertising are uneasy bedfellows.

It's an incredibly cheesy advert, I'd like to think that it's knowingly so, but it's pretty hard to tell.

One thing that does strike me is how much the song sounds like a regular Yelle song. Perhaps their songs sound like ad jingles, or maybe they're just pretty switched on to consumerism and marketing.

The advert came out in 2009, and I reckon Yelle have become a bit more sophisticated since then.

I see that Dove are using the Go Fresh slogan in the UK, but I won't hold my breath about whether or not we'll be seeing this advert on the TV here anytime soon!

Live: Yelle in Glasgow

Yelle were playing in Glasgow last night supporting Katy Perry at the SECC as part of her California Dreams tour, and there was a review of the gig on the STV website that had some great things to say about the French band.

While the article focussed on the big-budget show by Katy Perry, reviewer Kirstin Lynn wrote: "French dance-pop trio YELLE grabbed a hyped crowd on their side before infecting them with retro synths and modern beats."

"With intense rhythms and grimey electronics the band seem to fit nicely into the rulebook of French dance being done incredibly well. A few songs later though and YELLE are a bit more up-beat euro-pop than Daft Punk."

She added: "...the enthusiastic YELLE are the stubbornly hyperactive soundtrack to a sugar rush and leave the SECC sweet, if a little sweaty for a certain Miss Katy Perry and her Californian Dream Tour."

Read the full review here >

Good to see Yelle getting some well-deserved attention. Much of the press so far about the support acts for the Katy Perry tour has been about the spat between DJ Calvin Harris and Katy Perry that saw him leave the tour without any mention of Yelle, so good to see them get the kind of review that they deserve.

Yelle released their second album Disco Safari Club earlier this year.

The Katy Perry tour should see Yelle playing to a massive new audience, and one that is exactly right for Yelle. Hopefully France's brightest stars are set to go far in 2011




(Yelle picture from the Glasgow show at the top of the page is by Tony Lynch)

New: Yelle release second album

Yelle release their second album this week, Safari Disco Club, the long-awaited follow-up to 2007's Pop Up.

The band - a three piece of GrandMarinier (Jean-Francois Perrier), Tepr (Tanguy Destable) and Yelle (Julie Budet) - have taken a step up with their brand of day-glo electro-pop. The songs are still bright, punchy and smart, and there is a cleverness that takes it beyond simple 80s revival playground-pop without losing its sense of fun.

As I said in January, if there's a French act likely to make it big in the UK in 2011, my money would be on Yelle.

The band have made the most of their successful debut, and rather than just rushing into a quick follow up have taken their time to craft something worthwhile, with a wider scope and broader sonic palette.

In the press release for the album, GrandMarnier explained: "Pop-Up was produced differently, we did Je Veux Te Voir then waited two or three months, then started another song… Safari Disco Club is a more fluid, cohesive album."

Yell said: "There’s a lighter and darker edge to each track. All the songs on SFD are dual in this sense, but it’s up to the listener how they take it."

The band have already attracted international attention with their debut, and Safari Disco Club looks likely to secure their place as France's most colourful pop export.

Yelle are currently touring the UK opening for Katy Perry and play in Glasgow on April 5, and follow the British dates with a huge North American tour in April and May.

New: Yelle release title track of second album

If there's a French act that makes it big in the UK in 2011, my money would be on Yelle. They're supporting Katy Perry on her UK tour, so they'll get a huge amount of attention as well as a huge audience.

The band, a three-piece electropop outfit led by the singer of the same name from St Brieuc in Brittany, have already carved a name for themselves in France and beyond with songs line Je veux te Voir and A cause des garçons.

Their appearance at the Coachella festival and a French version of Roby's Who's that girl - and Roby's English version of A cause des garçons (Because of boys)

The second album, their follow-up to 2007's Pop-Up, is due to be released on March 21 in the UK and the title track is available to donwload free from Yelle's official website>

The Katy Perry tour is probably a result of the remix Yelle did of Katy Perry's Hot n Cold, which was released on a digital remixes EP.

Full tour dates below the video.



Tour dates supporting Katy Perry

London Hammersmith Apollo - March 17/18/19
Manchester Apollo - March 21/22
Liverpool Arena - March 27
Nottingham Trent FM Arena - March 30
Bournemouth BIC - March 31
Cardiff International Arena - April 1
Newcastle Metro Radio Arena - April 3
Birmingham LG Arena - April 4
Glasgow SECC - April 5
London Wembley Arena - April 9