[RE-UP] NINO FERRER

NINO FERRER
METRONOMIE (1971) / VERITABLES VARIETES VERDATRES (1977)
320 KBPS

In 1970 Ferrer returned to France, where he started working on what he perceived as his first "real" album. Serving brooding prog rock accompanied by more personal lyrics, Métronomie was co-created with long time friend Bernard Estardy.
Though the album went nowhere commercially, its not-so-representative leadoff track, "La Maison Près de la Fontaine," proved a huge mainstream success in France. This apparently irritated Ferrer, whose growing contempt for show business led him to view it as the umpteenth misconception of his artistic vision.
With time, Métronomie became a cult album whose progressive/psychedelic sweetness is still as fresh as it was when it was first released.
Véritable Variétés Verdâtres is not of the same caliber. Though it's not a bad album it certainly isn't as ambitious as Métronomie. Still, Nino's worst is better than what most other 70s mainstream French artists could produce and since VVV is not Nino's worst it has enough good moments to content the music lover.
May this double set serve as an intriduction to an artist too often seen as "the funny guy" because of his 60s hits "Mirza" and "Le Téléfon". A dire misconception of Nino Ferrer's work.

Métronomie
1. Métronomie
2. Les Enfants De La Patrie
3. Métronomie 2
4. Cannabis
5. La Maison Près De La Fontaine
6. Isabelle
7. Freak
8. Pour Oublier Qu'On S'Est Aimé

Véritables Variétés Verdâtres
1. Ouessant
2. Il Pleut Bergère
3. Joseph Joseph
4. Ah Les Americains
5. On Passe Trop De Temps
6. Mashed Potatoes
7. L'Inexpressible
8. Sud Express
9. Valentin

STARLIGHT MINTS

STARLIGHT MINTS
THE DREAM THAT STUFF WAS MADE OF (2000)
320 KBPS

Even had they never set foot in the Sooner State, the Starlight Mints would still face an endless stream of comparisons to fellow Oklahoma freaks of nature the Flaming Lips; when it comes to hallucinatory pop complete with sweeping string arrangements, poignantly strangled vocals, and lyrical references to giant centipede attacks, the comparisons pretty much come with the territory. Much to the credit of The Dream That Stuff Was Made Of, however, it took the Lips three or four records to get this good; embracing everything from rapturously Bowie-esque melodrama to odd Middle Eastern textures to pure noise cacophony, the Starlight Mints' debut maintains the element of surprise from track to track, as each song's journey from point A to point B proves as interesting for its ultimate destination as for the sonic detours it takes along the way.

1. Submarine #3
2. The Bandit
3. Sir Prize
4. Blinded by You
5. Valerie Flames
6. Sugar Blaster
7. Cracker Jack
8. Matador
9. The Twilight Showdown
10. Margarita
11. Pulling Out My Hair

THE KINGSBURY MANX

THE KINGSBURY MANX
THE KINGSBURY MANX (2000)
320 KBPS

A quartet hailing from Chapel Hill, NC, the Kingsbury Manx make music in the classic English pop tradition. On its self-titled debut, the band seamlessly blends its home country's indie rock trappings with overseas influences. The Kingsbury Manx is the aural equivalent of a cozy winter fire, with English flavors cloaked in warm, humming organs, acoustic guitars, and tender melodies. It's an unassuming, musically whimsical, minor triumph.
Throughout, the band spins quaint melodies that date back to the days when the concept record was the ultimate test of a group's possibilities as well as its limitations. The tunes have a ring of familiarity, although their sources cannot be directly traced. The Manx may have pilfered a book of Christmas carols for the opening "Pageant Square." "Fanfare," on the other hand, sounds like a slice of early Pink Floyd. On The Kingsbury Manx, these songs are of a piece with more modern material like the instrumental "Blue Eurasians." This song is the indie rock equivalent of an aimless "jam" and can be equally indulgent and uncommunicative; however, the Manx keep a hand on the reigns and adhere to structure, ultimately sticking to a more passive ebb and flood of dynamics. The members have the sort of pedestrian voices common amongst the '90s wave of British groups like Ride and Slowdive. This suits the material fine, and only becomes a problem on one song — beginning with an effortless interplay of cascading guitar tones which are kept as the song's backdrop, "Piss Diary" finds the vocalists singing a chorus of Simon & Garfunkle-esque harmonies almost out of their range.
The Kingsbury Manx's debut is a success largely because ambition and capability are rarely out of balance. Mining simple melodies to build textures and develop songs, the group avoids the sort of garish missteps made by more zealous, less accomplished pop acts.

1. Pageant Square
2. Regular Hands
3. Piss Dairy
4. Cross Your Eyes
5. Blue Eurasians
6. Hawaii in Ten Seconds
7. How Cruel
8. Fields
9. New Old Friend Blues
10. Whether or Not It Matters
11. Fanfare
12. Silver Trees

IMANI COPPOLA

IMANI COPPOLA
CHUPACABRA (1997)
320 KBPS

The first two songs on this New York college sophomore's debut album are the best, layering happy funk on the sampled foundations of the Doors' "Soul Kitchen" and Donovan's "Sunshine Superman." Coppola, a chanter, rapper, and singer from Long Island, New York, affixes a cow picture to her album sleeve, poses in kinky hair like Coolio, names the album for a Spanish phrase meaning "goat sucker," and creates catchy melodies to complement all this playfulness. "I'm a Tree" is a summer single worthy of the Jackson 5's "ABC" or Hanson's "MMMBop," and Coppola's DJ complexity occasionally aspires to the level of Beck or M.C. 900 Ft. Jesus.

1. I'm a Tree
2. Legend of a Cowgirl
3. Naked City (Love to See It Shine)
4. It S All About Me, Me, and Me
5. Piece
6. Karma and the Blizzard
7. One of These Days
8. Pigeon Penelope
9. Soon (I Like It)
10. Forget Myself
11. Da Da

BECK

BECK
SEA CHANGE (2002)
320 KBPS

Beck has always been known for his ever-changing moods — particularly since they often arrived one after another on one album, sometimes within one song — yet the shift between the neon glitz of Midnite Vultures and the lush, somber Sea Change is startling, and not just because it finds him in full-on singer/songwriter mode, abandoning all of the postmodern pranksterism of its predecessor. What's startling about Sea Change is how it brings everything that's run beneath the surface of Beck's music to the forefront, as if he's unafraid to not just reveal emotions, but to elliptically examine them in this wonderfully melancholy song cycle. If, on most albums prior to this, Beck's music was a sonic kaleidoscope — each song shifting familiar and forgotten sounds into colorful, unpredictable combinations — this discards genre-hopping in favor of focus, and the concentration pays off gloriously, resulting in not just his best album, but one of the greatest late-night, brokenhearted albums in pop. This, as many reviews and promotional interviews have noted, is indeed a breakup album, but it's not a bitter listen; it has a wearily beautiful sound, a comforting, consoling sadness. His words are often evocative, but not nearly as evocative as the music itself, which is rooted equally in country-rock (not alt-country), early-'70s singer/songwriterism, and baroque British psychedelia. With producer Nigel Godrich, Beck has created a warm, enveloping sound, with his acoustic guitar supported by grand string arrangements straight out of Paul Buckmaster, eerie harmonies, and gentle keyboards among other subtler touches that give this record a richness that unveils more with each listen. Surely, some may bemoan the absence of the careening, free-form experimentalism of Odelay, but Beck's gifts as a songwriter, singer, and musician have never been as brilliant as they are here. As Sea Change is playing, it feels as if Beck singing to you alone, revealing painful, intimate secrets that mirror your own. It's a genuine masterpiece in an era with too damn few of them.

1. The Golden Age
2. Paper Tiger
3. Guess I'm Doin' Fine
4. Lonesome Tears
5. Lost Cause
6. End Of The Day
7. It's All In Your Mind
8. Round The Bend
9. Already Dead
10. Sunday Sun
11. Little One
12. Side of the Road

VAMPIRE WEEKEND

VAMPIRE WEEKEND
CONTRA (2010)
320 KBPS

The scholarly Upper West Side Soweto of Vampire Weekend’s debut sounded self-assured, but on Contra, they step out of their ivory tower with just as much confidence. In all senses of the term, this is a sophomore album. The band still flaunts the collegiate sense of discovery that made Vampire Weekend charming — and sometimes too precious — but with more maturity and creativity. Another Discovery is just as much of a force on Contra as any of the band’s much-noted influences (Afro-pop, Paul Simon’s Graceland): Rostam Batmanglij’s electro-hip-hop-pop project with Ra Ra Riot’s Wes Miles, which released its album LP after the pair found acclaim with their day jobs. While Vampire Weekend aren’t as shiny and sugary as Discovery, some of that adventurousness rubbed off on Batmanglij’s Contra production, which plays to the band’s biggest strength: inspired juxtaposition. The album’s artwork, which pairs a blonde WASP princess in a popped-collar polo shirt with the term given to Nicaraguan rebels, hints at the flair with which Vampire Weekend play mix-and-match on Contra. They throw listeners into the deep end with “Horchata,” which features a four-on-the-floor beat, thumb piano, rubbery synth bass, and massed harmonies — almost everything except the spry guitars that helped define their first album. “California English” goes farther, tweaking Ezra Koenig’s yelp with Auto-Tune, the bête noire of those who value “realness” in their music; for Vampire Weekend, it’s just another instrument for them to play with. On paper, Contra’s hybrids seem more contrived than they actually sound: “Giving Up the Gun” fuses baile funk, house and stadium rock into a sweet melody propelled by choppy rhythms. “Diplomat’s Son” is even more far-fetched and fantastic, adding samples of M.I.A. and Toots & the Maytals — exactly the kind of things you’d expect to hear on a young globetrotter’s iPod — to nostalgic chamber pop. The album bustles with so many sounds and ideas that it challenges listeners to decide where to put their ears first, particularly on the single “Cousins,” a blur of guitars and jump-cut drums that sounds like abstract punk. Despite this busyness, Vampire Weekend are looser and less cryptic than on their debut, allowing them to tell stories like “Holiday,” an Iraqi war protest set to skanking guitars (ever the font snob, Koenig can’t resist mentioning a headline in “96-point Futura”). Even the few quiet moments are complex: “I Think UR a Contra” closes the album by wanting, and hating, the kind of privilege that brings “good schools and friends with pools.” And though the band is committed to change, the same joy that soared through Vampire Weekend pops up on “White Sky,” which boasts a melody so irrepressible that Paul Simon just might want to borrow it. With Contra, Vampire Weekend make Auto-Tune and real live guitars, Mexican drinks, Jamaican riffs and Upper West Side strings belong together, and this exciting lack of boundaries offers more possibilities than anyone could have expected.

1. Horchata
2. White Sky
3. Holiday
4. California English
5. Taxi Cab
6. Run
7. Cousins
8. Giving Up The Gun
9. Diplomat's Son
10. I Think Ur A Contra

MORCHEEBA

MORCHEEBA
THE ANTIDOTE (2005)
320 KBPS

Caressing the listener's cheek with a pleasant, somewhat psychedelic smile, Morcheeba's The Antidote finds the band reborn as a cross between Burt Bacharach and the Jefferson Airplane. There's still that Morcheeba slyness, but the overall sweetness and comfort-giving attitude in these new songs — plus the band's fresh attitude toward bold, acoustic orchestration — bring them closer to the world of Swing Out Sister. In other words, the formerly trip-hoppy group is going to lose as many fans as they gain with this one. "Electronica" doesn't apply much anymore and departed vocalist Skye Edwards is replaced by former Noonday Underground member Daisey Martey, a powerfully voiced singer who can still emphasize the subtle playfulness in the hip lyrics (best of the lot: "Vacations in Europe, sensational scents/We made the most of your inheritance" from the excellent "Ten Men"). Funk is forgotten but there's still some soul in Morcheeba's sound, along with that adventurous attitude they've always had. Just when the album threatens to become an Austin Powers soundtrack, "Like a Military Coup" dissolves into "Living Hell," Dark Side of the Moon-style. Despite their ominous titles, both tracks are breezy but brainy "feel-good" pop. This balancing of hippie psychedelia and brassy pop would be a disaster in less crafty hands, but the group pulls it off with sparkle and wit. Conjuring the spirits of Bill Withers, Shirley Bassey, and Grace Slick while retaining that Morcheeba cleverness, The Antidote is both a total curveball and pleasant surprise.

1. Wonders Never Cease
2. Ten Men
3. Everybody Loves A Loser
4. A Military Coup
5. Living Hell
6. People Carrier
7. Lighten Up
8. Daylight Robbery
9. Antidote
10. God Bless And Goodbye

MICHELLE BRANCH

MICHELLE BRANCH
HOTEL PAPER (2003)
320 KBPS

Part of the appeal of Michelle Branch on her 2001 debut, The Spirit Room, was that she came across as a spirited normal girl with an enthusiasm for music. She wasn't teasingly sexy like Britney Spears, nor was she a brat like the then-unknown Avril Lavigne; she felt like a real teenager, something that was enhanced by her direct songs and earnest vocals, which were the furthest thing from flashy. Sure, The Spirit Room could be a little too polished at times, but it was tempered by her eagerness to make a record, so it turned out quite endearing. But like many second albums, her sophomore affair, Hotel Paper, finds Branch two years older and a whole lot more "mature," in the sense that any remnants of that adolescent passion have been removed as she positions herself as a serious singer/songwriter in the adult alternative vein. Branch remains appealing — her blend of pop and mild roots rock sounds good and she has a nice, plainspoken charm and straight-ahead voice — but she's buried beneath the slick veneer of Hotel Paper's production (largely by John Shanks) and does not help herself with her compositions, which are vaguely ingratiating, but rarely rise above the generic level. All of it is too self-consciously serious, too preoccupied with turning Branch into a younger but more somber Sheryl Crow (who duets with Branch on the record's best track, "Love Me Like That"). Taken on the surface, Hotel Paper is fine — it's big and shiny and it glides as easy as tunes on an adult alternative radio station on a summer's day — but without that infectious spirit she displayed on The Spirit Room or songs as catchy as "Everywhere," the album doesn't have the detail of character that made Michelle Branch so appealing the first time out. In its place is a professional, polished album that's nice to listen to, but doesn't resonate for much longer than its playing time.

1. Intro
2. Are You Happy Now?
3. Find My Way Back
4. Empty Handed
5. Tuesday Morning
6. One Of These Days
7. Love Me Like That
8. Desperatly
9. Breathe
10. Where are You Now?
11. Hotel Paper
12. Til I Get Over You
13. Everywhere*
14. The Game of Love*
15. It's You
* bonus tracks

TAXI GIRL

TAXI GIRL
84-86 (1990)
320 KBPS

Taxi Girl was formed in Paris in the late '70s around Daniel Darc (vocals), Mirwais (guitar), Laurent Sinclair (keyboards), Stéphane Erard (bass), and Pierre Wolfsohn (drums). The band played directly alongside such legendary acts as Marquis de Sade in the French '80s cult bands club. Mainly influenced by literature and American pop music, the band came up with a Mishima meets the Stooges meets Kraftwerk meets Jim Morrison formula, becoming famous thanks to a couple of handful of singles ("Mannequin," "Cherchez le Garçon," "Paris," "Aussi Belle Qu'une Balle") and shocking live sets. Their manager, Alexis, built a whole legend around Darc and his crew, especially after Darc cut his own wrists on-stage when opening for Talking Heads. Their first album, Seppuku, produced by the Stranglers' Jean-Jacques Burnel and recorded with the help of drummer Jet Black (also of the Stranglers) showcased a fully grown romantic new wave band at the height of their powers. But drummer Pierre Wolfsohn's death by drug overdose precipitated the band's end, though the Darc-Mirwais core kept on recording a handful of singles and mini-LPs before both going solo. Darc had a slowly but amazingly growing career, and Mirwais when on successfully in the production field to the point where he got to produce Madonna albums in the 2000s. His newfound popularity, coupled to his Production album and Darc's acclaimed Crève Coeur, contributed to the increasing amount of bands claiming their influence in the mid-2000s new wave/post-punk revival scene.

1. Paris
2. Les Jours Sont Bien Trop Longs
3. Dites-Le Fort
4. Je Reve Encore De Toi (Stephanie Says)
5. Aussi Belle Qu'Une Balle
6. Je Suis Deja Parti
7. Paris Remix

JP. NATAF

JP. NATAF
PLUS DE SUCRE (2004)
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Four years after his band - Les Innocents - called it quits, JP Nataf finally released his debut solo album. With guests such as Kim Fahy of the Mabuses, Bertrand Bonello (director of "Tiresia" and "Le Pornographe"), Albin de la Simone (and a few others) it was meant to be a major pop event in France. Sadly, if the music on "Plus de Sucre" (More Sugar) is indeed a pop feast not unlike what JP's previous band used to deliver, the success didn't come. Maybe his music is too subtle and melancholic to seduce the masses, maybe is it just bad luck... Anyway, this album never got the success he deserved. So, if you like French pop that has something between the ears, don't look any further, "Plus de Sucre" is for you.

1. Tout Doux
2. Mon Ami D'en Haut
3. Ovale Lune
4. Jean-Philippe
5. La Grande Ourse
6. Jeune Homme
7. Plus De Sucre
8. Rengaine
9. Je Mange Mal
10. Mon Vaudou
11. Enveloppe
12. Le Consentement

THE HOLLIES

THE HOLLIES
BUTTERFLY (1967)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

This is final full LP by the Graham Nash lineup. Although it has its flaws, it is fair to call this album a masterpiece. The title track is probably Graham Nash's greatest; certainly nothing he did with the Americans ever bettered it. This is a big production psychedelic album, as can be seen with the likes of "Charlie & Fred," the ersatz Eastern "Maker" and giant Joe Meek-esque balladry of "Would You Believe?" However, there is also great Hollies pop rock with "Dear Eloise," "Step Inside" (which should have been a single)and "Postcard." Gripes? I wish there was a bit more electric guitar. The two silly tracks are "Try It" and "Elevated Observations," where they blather about "the astral plane" and promise that "you'll find your head." It is amusing how Bernie Calvert imitates the bass guitar style of the Byrds' Chris Hillman on "Observations." If you like "King Midas in Reverse," get this album.

Mono
1. Dear Eloise
2. Away Away Away
3. Maker
4. Pegasus
5. Would You Believe
6. Wishyouawish
7. Postcard
8. Charlie and Fred
9. Try It
10. Elevated Observations?
11. Step Inside
12. Butterfly
Stereo
13. Dear Eloise
14. Away Away Away
15. Maker
16. Pegasus
17. Would You Believe
18. Wishyouawish
19. Postcard
20. Charlie and Fred
21. Try It
22. Elevated Observations?
23. Step Inside
24. Butterfly

CRASH TEST DUMMIES

CRASH TEST DUMMIES
GOD SHUFFLED HIS FEET (1993)
320 KBPS

While half of the songs are kind of boring on the CTD's second album, the other half make up for it by being surprisingly good! I, like many people, was introduced to the Crash Test Dummies when "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" became a huge radio hit. I really liked that song but was very wary of getting an entire album by them. I was not disappointed in the lyrics department; the songs are all a little strange. However, I was surprised that so many of these songs were not only catchy, but the lyrics were actually clever and/or hilarious. "Afternoons & Coffeespoons" is my hands-down favorite song on here. The melody is very catchy and upbeat and the lyrics are apparently about someone who is very ill! Some of the fun lyrics include "I've had my lungs checked out with X-rays, I've smelled the hospital hallways" and the chorus "Someday I'll have a disappearing hairline, Someday I'll wear pajamas in the daytime". Two other songs that are almost as catchy and have great lyrics are "How Does a Duck Know" and "I Think I'll Disappear Now". I won't spoil the lyrics on these two songs for you, but you can tell from listening to the latter of the two I mentioned that someone who wrote this song had a bad experience with tequila! I recommend this as an album of fun songs that can't be taken too seriously!

1. God Shuffled His Feet
2. Afternoons and Coffeespoons
3. Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm
4. In the Days of the Caveman
5. Swimming in Your Ocean
6. Here I Stand Before Me
7. I Think I'll Disappear Now
8. How Does a Duck Know?
9. When I Go Out With Artists
10. Psychic
11. Two Knights and Maidens
12. Untitled

SQUEEZE

SQUEEZE
EAST SIDE STORY (1981)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

Roundly regarded as Squeeze's grand masterpiece, in its planned incarnation East Side Story was going to be much grander: it was designed as a double-album with each side produced by a different musician, all a forefather of a different aspect of Squeeze. Dave Edmunds and his Rockpile cohort Nick Lowe were both contracted, as was Lowe's main producing success story Elvis Costello, and then Paul McCartney was slated for a side, but as the sessions started all but Elvis and Edmunds pulled out, with Dave only contributing one track. Costello was enough to make a big, big difference, helping to highlight a band in flux. Jools Holland left the group after Argybargy, taking with him a penchant for boogie-woogie novelty tunes. His replacement was Paul Carrack, veteran of pub rockers Ace who gave Squeeze another lead singer with true commercial potential — something that Costello exploited by having Carrack sing lead for the brilliant piece of blue-eyed soul, "Tempted" (Costello and Glen Tilbrook sneak in for the second verse). "Tempted" was a misleading hit — at least it was a hit in America, where it turned into a '80s standard — in that it suggested Carrack was a larger presence in the band than he really was, yet it also suggested the richness of East Side Story, and in how the band's music deepened and found a sympathetic producer in Costello. Far from reprising his skeletal, nervy production for The Specials, Costello smoothes out the lingering rough edges in the band, giving them a hint of gloss that has more to do with its new wave era than commercial considerations. One thing that is missing is the frenzied beat that had been Squeeze's signature throughout their first three albums: despite the echoey rockabilly of "Messed Around" — if you didn't check the credits, you'd be sure this is Edmunds' production, but he was responsible for tightening up the almost ideal opener "In Quintessence," which strangely enough sounds like Costello's 1981 album, Trust (it really was an incestuous scene) — this isn't a rock & roll album, it's a pop album through and through, from its sounds to its songs. It's bright, colorful, immediate even when things get ambitious, as they do on the dense, grandly psychedelic "F-Hole," which is cleverly deflated — musically and lyrically — by its juxtaposition with "Labelled with Love," a lazy country-rock stroll that doesn't seem out of place among the rest of the clever, immaculately constructed pop songs. Instead, it acts as further proof that Difford and Tilbrook could write and play almost anything at this point: they perfected their barbed, bouncy pop — best heard on the single "Is That Love," but also "Someone Else's Heart" and terrific, percolating "Piccadilly" — but they also slowed down to a hazy crawl on "There's No Tomorrow," turned intimate and sensitive on the jangly "Woman's World," and crafted the remarkably fragile, Baroque "Vanity Fair." All this variety gave East Side Story the feel of the double-album it was originally intended to be and it stands as Squeeze's tour de force, the best pop band of their time stretching every one of its muscles.

1. In Quintessence
2. Someone Else's Heart
3. Tempted
4. Piccadilly
5. There's No Tomorrow
6. Heaven
7. Woman's World
8. Is That Love?
9. F-Hole
10. Labelled with Love
11. Someone Else's Bell
12. Mumbo Jumbo
13. Vanity Fair
14. Messed Around

M

M
LE BAPTEME (1997)
320 KBPS

M is the alias of French pop enigma Mathieu Chédid, an uncommonly idiosyncratic and far-ranging talent best known on North American shores for his contributions to the animated cult favorite Les Triplettes de Belleville. Born December 21, 1971, in Boulogne-Billancourt, Chédid was the son of French pop icon Louis Chédid (on whose 1978 hit "T'a Beau Pas Être Beau" the six-year-old made his recorded debut) and the grandson of renowned poet and novelist Andrée Chédid. As a teen Chédid collaborated with fellow pop scions Pierre Souchon and Julien Voulzy (children of the legendary songwriting duo Alain Souchon and Laurent Voulzy) in a series of short-lived groups like Les Bébés Fous and Les Poissons Rouges. A gifted multi-instrumentalist, he also emerged as an in-demand session player, contributing to recordings headlined by Philippe Chatel, NTM, and Billy Ze Kick. Upon completing his debut solo LP, 1997's Le Baptême, Chédid adopted the alias "M," abbreviating his first name while also playing on the pronunciation of "aime," the French word for "love." Developing a vividly theatrical stage show complementing his playful melodies and operatic vocals, M completed his transformation with both a guitar and a coiffure in the shape of his one-letter persona (to picture the latter, imagine a younger, space-age Grandpa Munster). This debut album is a classy and entertaining display of groovy pop mixed with humorous chanson and a good starting point to discover the artist.

1. La Fleur
2. Le Baptême
3. L'amour Ma Thématique
4. Nostalgic Du Cool
5. Manque De Q
6. Je Suis Une Cigarette
7. La Mort De L'âme
8. Pickpocket
9. Les Acariens
10. Le Rose Pourpre Du Coeur
11. Coup De Vent
12. Le Temps Mue
13. Machistador
14. Souviens Toi
15. Souvenir Du Futur
16. Machistador Extended
17. Céline Attendue

FRANCOISE HARDY

FRANCOISE HARDY
LA PLUIE SANS PARAPLUIE (2010)
320 KBPS

Four years after her duets album (Parenthèles, 2006) and 6 after "Tant de Belles Choses", Françoise Hardy, THE French pop icon, returns with an album that could easily be summed up as a back to the basics outfit. Indeed, on "La Pluie Sans Parapluie" (Rain Without an Umbrella), Françoise recalls the ghosts of her past fame and produces a genuine pop album. Of course, the arrangements have been updated since the late 60s/early 70s but, still, it's the closest she ever sounded like she used to. To achieve that, she surrounded herself with a team of younger songwriters such as Alain Lubrano (with whom she's been collaborating for about 10 years), La Grande Sophie, Arthur H, Thierry Stremler, The Ben Christophers, Jean-Louis Murat and a few more. The result may not be up to the best she produced but falls pretty close which is more than I've been expecting in 2010. A nice album, really.

1. Noir sur blanc
2. Mieux le connaître
3. Champ d'honneur
4. La Pluie sans parapluie
5. Les Pas
6. Le Temps de l'innocence
7. Je ne vous aime pas
8. Esquives
9. Mister
10. Memory Divine
11. Un cœur éclaté
12. L'Autre côté du ciel
13. Les mots s'envolent

SUZANNE VEGA

SUZANNE VEGA
NINE OBJECTS OF DESIRE (1996)
320 KBPS

Under the guidance of producer Mitchell Froom, who produced 99.9 F° and married her shortly after that album was completed, Suzanne Vega continues to explore more textured and vaguely experimental musical territory on Nine Objects of Desire. While it is less bold on the surface than its predecessor — most notably, there are no pseudo-industrial rhythms — Nine Objects of Desire still bears all the trademarks of a Mitchell Froom production. There is cheap, garage-yard percussion scattered throughout the record, layered keyboards, and overly mannered, arty arrangements. It's not as extreme as Froom's work for Los Lobos, for instance, but it is still more self-consciously pretentious than any of Vega's albums, besides 99.9 F°. Vega's songs manage to cut through the murky production more often than not, and while the album doesn't boast her most consistent set of songs, they are on the whole stronger than the ones on her previous record. The songs on Nine Objects of Desire are more classically structured and inviting than the ones on its predecessor — it is only the production that keeps the listener at a distance. And that's ironic, since half of these songs rank among Vega's most personal work.

1. Birth-Day (Love Made Real)
2. Headshots
3. Caramel
4. Stockings
5. Casual Match
6. Thin Man
7. No Cheap Thrill
8. World Before Columbus
9. Lolita
10. Honeymoon Suite
11. Tombstone
12. My Favorite Plum

I'M FROM BARCELONA

I'M FROM BARCELONA
WHO KILLED HARRY HOUDINI? (2008)
320 KBPS

I'm from Barcelona's first album was called Let Me Introduce My Friends; the follow-up could be titled Let Me Introduce My Melancholy Friends. If the debut was giddy, innocent, and lighter than air, Who Killed Harry Houdini? is glum, confused, and troubled. Instead of songs about stamp collecting and the joys of making music, you get "Music Almost Killed Me" and "Ophelia," which has the telling lyric "He didn't believe in anything/He didn't believe in joy." Instead of cheerful songs about oversleeping and chicken pox, heavy stuff like death and ghosts and tears dominate the lyrics. The band's leader, Emanuel Lundgren, has either had some rough times since the first album or is a very good actor, as the songs reflect a tortured soul. All throughout the record there's an overcast and moody feel that even the poppiest, peppiest song, "Paper Planes," can't break through (and it doesn't help that the song is about the dehumanizing effects of city living). Just knowing that the album isn't the pure blast of sunshine that the debut was might be enough to turn off the group's fans in dispirited droves. Hopefully that won't happen, because it turns out that the band does melancholy quite well, using dynamics and pacing to keep things from getting too gloomy and giving the most depressed songs the liveliest backing — the rocked-out "Houdini" or the hooky-as-anything-on-the-first-album "Mingus," for example. And there is some hope among the teardrops and sighs, like "Mingus"' rallying cry "In my heart still a kid" or a song about the power of music to free you from your troubles for a while ("Headphones"). It helps too that Lundgren's producing and arranging skills have grown; the production is clearer and the arrangements show a lighter touch. He doesn't call in the vocal choruses on every song, and instead picks their spots carefully. The instrumentation is also more restrained; there are large stretches of sparseness within the songs, fitting the somber mood of the lyrics perfectly. It's still a unique sound when the whole band gets together and makes a lovely racket (as on "Rufus" or the very Phil Spector-ish "Andy"), but the gimmick of the huge band can't hide the fact that there is some real stuff going on behind the scenes. All the emotion and soulful melancholy on display is a shock, and it may take a few spins to get past the feeling that the band is just too different from the happy-go-lucky souls who made Let Me Introduce My Friends, that they are now too gloomy to be enjoyed any longer. But if you give Who Killed Harry Houdini? a serious listen and can get past the initial surprise and mild disappointment, the quiet beauty of the songs, the tender performances, and the beaten down but not broken soul of Emanuel Lundgren are enough to break your heart.

1. Andy
2. Paper Planes
3. Headphones
4. Music Killed Me
5. Gunhild (Featuring SoKo)
6. Mingus
7. Ophelia
8. Houdini
9. Little Ghost
10. Rufus

TORI AMOS

TORI AMOS
LIVE AT MONTREUX 1991 & 1992 (2008)
320 KBPS

These two concerts from Montreux in 1991 and 1992 catch Tori Amos right at the start of her solo career. The first, from July 1991, was filmed a few months before the release of her "Little Earthquakes" album and the second from July 1992 followed a few months after. There is a fascinating progression from one year to the next as she grows in confidence and skill as a live performer, buoyed by the critical and commercial success of the album. Naturally most of the songs are taken from "Little Earthquakes" but there are also rare songs from her various EPs released across the two years which didn't make it onto the album including her distinctive takes on Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" and "Thank You" and Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

Disc 1
1. Silent All These Years
2. Precious Things
3. China
4. Crucify
5. Leather (A Cappella)
6. Song for Eric
7. Upside Down
8. Happy Phantom
9. Winter
10. Thank You

Disc 2
1. Little Earthquakes
2. Crucify
3. Silent All These Years
4. Precious Things
5. Happy Phantom
6. Led Zep Medley: Whole Lotta Love & Thank You
7. Me And A Gun
8. Winter
9. Smells Like Teen Spirit

DUFFY

DUFFY
ROCKFERRY (2008)
DELUXE EDITION
320 KBPS

Those tempted to dismiss Duffy as only the latest pair of false eyelashes to straggle through the British neo-soul parade owe it to themselves to listen to Rockferry. More authentic than Joss Stone if not as honest as Amy Winehouse (both of these are good things), Duffy may be the best choice of all, whether it's because of or despite the fact that she lacks the force of personality that Winehouse has built her career on, from "F**k Me Pumps" to "Rehab." Duffy's voice can go from angelic to devilish within a few bars, and what she lacks in power and richness (her voice is a little pinched in the higher registers), she easily makes up for in the subtleties and sweetness of her vocal craft, and her ability to carry a ballad with the right combination of drama and flair. The first two tracks, "Rockferry" and "Warwick Avenue," are mirror images of each other — grand, sweeping ballads with string-laden productions by Bernard Butler and Jimmy Hogarth that become a significant contribution to Duffy's power. Contrary to expectations, her songwriting is more strident than Winehouse's, but it's never delivered with the same type of ballsy swagger. Occasionally, she struggles to live up to the force of her lyrical convictions; her voice sounds younger than Winehouse's, and her best vocal performances come when she's wounded ("Hanging on Too Long"). Butler's production makes her solid voice and intriguing songwriting into an excellent album; although he stays in the background, the occasional guitar flourishes or sweetened strings make Rockferry a better debut than Joss Stone's or Amy Winehouse's.

Disc 1
1. Rockferry
2. Warwick Avenue
3. Serious
4. Stepping Stone
5. Syrup & Honey
6. Hanging On Too Long
7. Mercy
8. Delayed Devotion
9. I'm Scared
10. Distant Dreamer

Disc 2
1. Rain On Your Parade
2. Fool For You
3. Stop
4. Oh Boy
5. Please Stay
6. Breaking My Own Heart
7. Enough Love

COUSTEAU

COUSTEAU
COUSTEAU (2000)
320 KBPS

Cousteau is not the first or last bunch of young men to have lit upon Scott Walker's epically lachrymose solo albums as a design for living. However, very few other bands have trudged in Walker's weary footsteps with quite this much poise. Cousteau is possessed of a confidence rare in debut albums, and the really good news is that Cousteau is often nearly as great as Cousteau clearly think it is. Their stock-in-trade is the grand pop ballad, a form that has been sadly neglected as too many new groups have drifted towards irony to justify a fondness for strings, sweeping tunes, and heartfelt lyrical sentiment (The Divine Comedy, for example). The songs on this album are, without exception, lovely--"The Last Good Day of the Year," indeed, is worthy of being sung by Glen Campbell--and Cousteau plays it resolutely straight, falling in behind the alternately soaring and swooping vocals of Liam McKahey with a versatility that would do either the Bad Seeds or Tindersticks proud.

1. Your Day Will Come
2. Last Good Day Of The Year
3. Mesmer
4. Jump In The River
5. How Will I Know
6. (Shades Of) Ruinous Blue
7. You My Lunar Queen
8. She Don't Hear Your Prayer
9. One Good Reason
10. Wish You Were Her
11. Of This Goodbye