Holden is a French duo who began recording in 1997. Band members are Armelle Pioline (vocals) and Dominique Dépret (aka Mocke, guitar). With Pierre-Jean Grapin (drums), Evan Evans (clavier) and Richard Cousin (bass), they released 'L'arrière monde' in 1998. In 2001, they met the producer Senor Coconut aka Atom aka Uwe Schmidt, who mixed their second album, 'Pedrolira' (2002). They recorded their last album, Chevrotine, in Chile, 2006 Holden 's newest album Fantomatisme was released in 2009. The four songs streaming at their MySpace are great. Time Out [...]

The ten best French albums (not necissarily from France, but songs sung in French) (mostly) were round up by ten ( twelve , actually) people. You might have checked out the websites of the artists. Here are songs from the ten (twelve, actually) Number One choices. Here's to another ten years of great French music! Lina - Redevenir Modeste (2003) ( Sky's top ten) Coralie Clément - Salle des pas perdus (2002) ( Guuzbourg's top ten) Arno - Lola, etc. (2002) ( Maks' [...]

And finally, the list of Thomas Bohnet . He's a dj, a promotor, a cd-compiler and a nice guy. Pictured is Keren Ann (no. 4). More lists? See here . 1 Benjamin Biolay - Rose Kennedy (2002) Biolay`s fantastic debut, with songs between Chanson and Pop. Elegant and with international flair. 2 Noir Desir - Des visages des figures (2001) The most important rockband. With the big hit Le vent nous portera. 3 Dionysos - La mécanique du coeur (2008) One [...]

Alexandre/SOM is a regular contributor to FS. Here's his list. Emily Loizeau (no.4) is pictured. 1 Keren Ann - Nolita (2004) I could put any of Keren Ann album in this list. I've chosen this one because Que n'ai-je is maybe one of the best French song ever ! A classic. 2 Daphné - Carmin (2007) When I discovered this abum I couldn't stop listening it. The voice of Daphne is incredible. "Mourir d'un oeil" is my favorite song of the album... 3 Camille - Le fil (2005) [...]

Frans_S is a key figure for this blog. Without him, many tracks here would not've been posted. Here's his list. Pictured is Mareva Galanter (no.5) 1. Coeur de Pirate - Coeur de Pirate (2008) Suddenly there she was. Beatrice! A tattooed young girl with piano and songs that stuck in your head and heart. Deserves a place in the list, and not only to proof that there is French music in other countries too. 2 Coralie Clément - Salle des pas perdus (2002) Sweet, soft and tender, with this [...]

Mordi, he of the brilliant Blowupdoll blog , made his list of poptastic French albums of the past 10 years. Alizée (no.7) is pictured. 1. Calogero - Pomme C. (2007) The emotive vocals of calogeo enfused with the songwriting of zazie make this album a pop/rock french masterpiece. 2. Carla Bruni - Comme Si De Rien N'etait (2008) i was surprised how much i enjoyed this - it blended all my favourite aspects of charlotte,coralie,keren-ann etc and it hypnotised me. 3. Alex Beaupain - Les chanson d'amour [...]

Here's my list. Camille is pictured (no.8) 1 Coralie Clément - Salle des pas perdus (2002) The reason why Coralie Clément is in the header of this blog, is this album. My interest in French music, sung by sultry girls really took off when I first heard Salle. The whispered songs, the smokey atmosphere, the lyrics (by Benjamin Biolay), it's the holy trinity of Filles Sourires. 2 Benjamin Biolay - La Superbe (2009) A double album: versatile songs (there's jazz, there's Argentinian reggae-metal), great lyrics (almost all whispered), this is what [...]

The end is nigh! Well, the end of the decade that is, and whilst almost everyone is rounding up the best ten albums of the past ten years, why don't we? I asked several contributors and FS-friends to make up a list. I will post those lists in the upcoming days. Here's the first, by official FS-contributor Sky. (Pictured is Clare Muldaur from Clare & the Reasons, no.10) 1 Lina - Redevenir Modeste (2003) Retro dancefloor electropop, Erotheque style, refined with sharpest fuzz guitars and grown-up lolita tongue play. The sexiest motherfucker of an album imaginable. [...]

Chilean born and L.A based songstress Yael Meyer is set to release a new album. Her second independent release 'Heartbeat EP' , will be available via iTunes and amazon mp3 on November 10th 2009. The EP features all new material written by Yael Meyer. Recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Bill Lefler (Ingrid Michaelson, Tim Myers, Fall Out Boy, Gym Class Heroes) 'Heartbeat' includes guest appearances by Danny Levine on trumpet (Lenka), Fil [...]

Shaa'ir + Func , menwhopause (pictured) and Motherjane will represent India on a new compilation called PEACE that features artists from over 50 countries. The compilation will be released digitally in January 2010 with a pay-what-you-want system (minimum two Euros), and all the proceeds will go to Amnesty International's humanitarian aid projects in areas of conflict. Over 100 artists are participating in this effort from regions as diverse as Palestine, Algeria, Burundi and Iceland. What's cool about this compilation is that it's not one of those no-cred comps that features absolutely unknowns. [...]

On his new album, Lucien Nicolet aka Luciano , samples Keren Ann's Liberty (from her latest, untitled album) for his track Celestial. To quote the press-bio: 'Luciano concots a heady, heavenly song that builds and builds so gently, you never notice your feet leaving the ground.' Luciano is a Swiss-Chilean dance-producer who's new cd Tribute to the Sun also sports collabs with Martina Topley-Bird and Ali Boulo Santo. Filles like Keren have been remixed and sampled before. Usually the outcome is so-so ('cept for the Henrik Schwarz remix of Camille Ta Douleur) - my feet stayed firmly on the [...]

El dúo de Djs Buffetlibre presenta su iniciativa, coproducida con Amnistia Internacional, en la que músicos de más de 50 países ceden una canción con motivos benéficos. El disco se publica de manera excusiva para recaudar fondos destinados a proyectos a favor de la defensa de los derechos humanos en el mundo. El recopilatorio resultante saldrá al mercado internacional en enero de 2010 en formato digital, a un precio voluntario a partir de 2 euros. Para ir haciendo [...]

BUFFETLIBRE, PATRICK WOLF, 4 HERO, AND MORE SUPPORT AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL FOR PEACE PROJECT Hi Alec, how are you? It's Marc from Buffetlibre, Barcelona. I attach you a press release about our forthcoming project PEACE, in which we collaborate with Amnesty International. It's our most important project to date. Artists from over 50 countries have joined the project. I hope you like it. Also, I attach you 4 tracks from PEACE that can be posted as free download if you want. [...]

I heard from Marc of Buffetlibre, Barcelona. Their forthcoming project PEACE, in which they collaborate with Amnesty International, is getting some hype. And here is a gorgeous track from it named Shadow Pool by Boat Beam from Madrid. Artists from over 50 countries have joined in and as the press release states: "the resulting compilation will be digitally available worldwide in January 2010, letting listeners pick their own price for the album, with a minimum of €2. All proceeds will go to Amnesty International's humanitarian aid projects in areas of conflict." Yes, I'm [...]

Since the humble beginnings of this site, there has been a constant source of all things rad, charitable and most epic, just throw a few descriptors at you. And who/what is this generous output of briliance, you ask? Why, it's Buffetlibre DJs ! In collaboration with Amnesty International, Buffetlibre DJs present: PEACE , an initiative that will include exclusive songs by musicians from over 50 countries. The goal is to merge a stylistic variety that represent the music scenes from all over, whether they [...]

Lady & Bird - Forward & Reverse Storslagen pop uppbackad av en symfoniorkester. Lady & Bird är Keren Ann och Barði Jóhannsson från isländska Bang Gang. Låten är från duons andra album La Ballade of Lady & Bird .

Keren Ann - Lay Your Head Down

It's been nine years since Lucien Nicolet's first record, and in that time he has earned his place among electronic dance music's most celebrated names. Throughout his career, the Swiss-Chilean musician has experimented liberally with longer formats, including a live album for Thomas Brinkmann's max.Ernst label and 2004's 'No Model No Tool', a recombinant set of groove components. But in all this time he has released only one proper studio album, 2004's Blind Behaviour, which veered away from the dancefloor in search of more esoteric pleasures. At long last, with 'Tribute to the Sun', Luciano delivers one of the definitive [...]
As if suspended in air by threads of shimmering gossamer, the self-titled 2003 debut album from Parisian chanteuse Keren Ann and Iceland's Bardi Johannsson (of the band Bang Gang) floated by with just the slightest hint of a gentle, Euro-pop and hippie/folk breeze. An interesting side project for the talented Ms. Zeidel, Lady and Bird was less about the French-infused, jazzy retro pop of her solo material and more about cool and brooding tracks that sounded like the soundtrack to some dark, arthouse mystery. Dreamy and ethereal, Lady and Bird was a subdued but subtly [...]

Got another one for ya. For those who don't know, this is iTunes Mixery part seis. Here's how it goes: I play iTunes on shuffle -> tell you which song comes up -> provide the mp3 and a tidbit -> continue until five songs and embarrassment are complete. See my previous "mixeries" at the bottom of the post. Again, nothing's off-limits – I don't "fix the mix". Have a look into my life… [image via ] Sigur Rós - "Untitled 3 (Samskeyti)" [MP3] (from ( ) ). [...]