1960 Ray Bryant Combo, The Madison Time. Elmore James, Madison Blues. William (Bubbles) Holloway was with Sonny Payne and Larry Steele in front of the Birdland in New York. Bubbles asked Larry how to get to Madison Avenue from the Birdland and he answered: "Take it to the left, young man, take it to the left." That remark laid the groundwork for the Madison dance which starts on the left

A few years back, older Hollywood actresses complained that there just were no good roles for them. As a woman, you'd either be cast as a granny, or a bimbo, and nothing inbetween. This complaint went away somehow, but I thought about it while listening to the brandspanking new cd (released end of June) by Sylvie Vartan. The icon of the sixties, as much a grand-mère of Les Filles Sourires as Jane Birkin, chose to cover songs from her heyday. Dylan (in French), Beatles, Stones, Leonard Cohen (also in French), and from France Gainsbourg, Hardy and Dutronc. When [...]

Earlier this week I discovered a French band called the Plastiscines thanks to a tip from a friend. They're an all-female rock quartet out of Paris whose influences "include the White Stripes, the Strokes and, from an earlier generation, the Kinks and Blondie. Their name derives from the phrase "plasticine porters with looking glass ties," from the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." They've just released their debut album titled LP1 this year. Thinking the Plastiscines had a pretty cool sound, I figured I'd use them [...]

"One says that you like me. The other does not believe it." Sylvie Vartan ~ Il y a deux filles en moi from Il y a deux filles en moi by Sylvie Vartan

Here are the final songs from Est-Ce Que Tu Le Sais? by Sylvie Vartan. #25, #26, & #27: Sylvie Vartan ~ Mister John B Sylvie Vartan ~ Par amour, par pitie Sylvie Vartan ~ Garde-moi dans ta poche #28, #29, & [...]

This week: songs 22, 23, & 24. Sylvie Vartan ~ Quand tu es la Sylvie Vartan ~ Ce jour-la Sylvie Vartan ~ J'ai fait un voeu from Est-Ce Que Tu Le Sais? by Sylvie Vartan

This week: songs 19, 20, & 21. Sylvie Vartan ~ L'homme en noir Sylvie Vartan ~ Gonna Cry Sylvie Vartan ~ Cette lettre-la from Est-ce que tu le sais? by Sylvie Vartan

The next three from Est-ce que tu le sais? by Sylvie Vartan . Sylvie Vartan ~ La plus belle pour aller danser Sylvie Vartan ~ Ne l'imite pas Sylvie Vartan ~ Te voici

Three more from Est-ce que tu le sais? by Sylvie Vartan . Sylvie Vartan ~ Si je chante Sylvie Vartan ~ La La La Sylvie Vartan ~ Fini de pleurer
The next three from Est-ce que tu le sais? by Sylvie Vartan . Sylvie Vartan ~ Avec moi Sylvie Vartan ~ Ne t'en va pas Sylvie Vartan ~ Comme tu es fou

Three more from Est-ce que tu le sais? by Sylvie Vartan . Sylvie Vartan ~ Tous mes copains Sylvie Vartan ~ Il revient Sylvie Vartan ~ En ecoutant la pluie

Presenting the next three songs from Est-ce que tu le sais? by Sylvie Vartan . Sylvie Vartan ~ Le Loco-Motion Sylvie Vartan ~ Dansons Sylvie Vartan ~ M'amuser

Welcome to Sylvie Vartan Monday #1! This series will feature three songs every Monday* from Est-ce que tu le sais? by Sylvie Vartan . This 'best of" compilation has 30 songs, making this a 10 week cycle. Sylvie Vartan ~ Est-ce que tu le sais? (What'd I Say?) Sylvie Vartan ~ Bye Bye Love [...]