This fun and kooky scopitone is from the 60s and is called, “Comic Strip” featuring Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot. From what I can tell, Serge is beckoning Brigitte to come into his comic strip for some serious SHEBAM! POW! BLOP! and WHIZZZZ!

Click on the image to see the video at YouTube.

There’s an old comic strip by Gary Larson in “The Far Side” with two pictures. One shows a person receiving a harp with the caption, “Welcome to Heaven. Here’s your harp.” The other has a guy receiving an accordion with the text bubble saying, “Welcome to Hell. Here’s your accordion.” That is EXACTLY how I’ve felt about the merits of the accordion. However, there is a little tiny exception to my loathing of the accordion - accordions playing musette, which is a genre of French music from the 20s, 30s and 40s (being most popular in the 40s) - though it is a type of music I can only take in small doses. VERY small doses. It does have its own charm. Here’s a sample from youtube.

Sure, you can listen to musette walking along the fake cobble stones in the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, if you can stand it over the cacophony of slot machines (don’t forget to buy a croissant for $10) - but I GUESS it’s probably better to be sipping coffee and people watching at an outdoor cafe somewhere in France with musette in the background. Luckily Today, I hardly ever hear musette in France…until just about a week ago in Sarlat (Southwest France in Dordogne).

Surprisingly, the music seemed to all come together and make sense, and it was fun to listen to. Maybe it was the warm and welcoming atmosphere of a jazz club’s “cave” in a medieval village. Maybe it was the company of good friends and a happy public. Maybe it was because we were in France. I dunno. In any case, the evening was filled with “musetty-jazz” fusion. Not strictly musette, it was a small, mostly jazz combo with the centerpiece instrument being an accordion. Of course when we initially entered the club and I saw the accordion, my first thought was Welcome to Hell!!

I’m glad I was wrong.

Is musette making a comeback? Would it have worked outside a stone wall lined cavern in a medieval village in Dordgogne, France?

I wonder.

Related Posts: from Sarlat

Get some music at Amazon: Musette de France (3 CD Set)

The Eurovision (the European annual talent show that has taken on a cult following)’s contestant from France is a guy named Sébastien Tellier. I like him; he’s fun and silly - though I’ve listened to the selected song and I have no idea what it’s about.

So, the big scandal in France is that he’s singing in English NOT in French. OMG!

So frickin’ what. The Belgian band, Ishtar, is singing in a non-existent language.

Anyway, that is sort of old news and I am a bit behind. However, when I watched the youtube video of “Divine,” the song he’s supposed to perform at Eurovision, I noticed something. Is it my imagination or is he not even in that video? Maybe, just MAYBE he’s in a couple of shots at most, but I don’t think that’s him lip syncing him - just other people wearing a wig and fake facial hair. Take a look at “him” at the pool. C’mon, that is totally not Sébastien Tellier. See, I told you he’s fun and silly!

Look.

This is what Sébastien Tellier looks like:

It made me wonder if Thomas Bangalter & Guy Man de Homem-Christo from Daft Punk actually perform in their own vids. It doesn’t really matter, I suppose.

But! Will the REAL Sébastien Tellier show up for Eurovision Belgrade (May 20) 2008? On verra.

From AP:

“SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — At first listen, the grainy high-pitched warble doesn’t sound like much, but scientists say the French recording from 1860 is the oldest known recorded human voice.
The 10-second clip of a woman singing “Au Clair de la Lune,” taken from a so-called phonautogram, was recently discovered by audio historian David Giovannoni. The recording predates Thomas Edison’s “Mary had a little lamb” — previously credited as the oldest recorded voice — by 17 years.

The tune was captured using a phonautograph, a device created by Parisian inventor Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville that created visual recordings of sound waves.

Using a needle that moved in response to sound, the phonautograph etched sound waves into paper coated with soot from an oil lamp.

(more…)

Paris-based musicians, Julien Garnier and Julien Gaulier began as a punk rock band called British Hawaii but moved on to find their own sound as Hey Hey My My. They created their own musical style while taking inspiration from Neil Young and some of their favorite indie bands. They sing in English. Tonight they’re playing at Soundfix in New York but will continue their tour in France at the end of the month (see full schedule below).

Their first album is set to be released on April 23, 2008.

More about them from their label Sober & Gentle:

“Hey Hey My My is a superbly instinctive blend of enthusiasm and melancholy. Above all, it’s an explosion of energy and the deceptive lightness of simple folk, as if to give more space to the words, which go right to the heart… In all cases, their love of catchy ballads always has the same devastating effect. We leave Julien Garnier and Julien Gaulier with a smile on our lips and a tune in our heads. With the hope of savouring this tantalizing, irresistible folk pop once more and heading back to Merryland, the intimate and enchanting world of Hey Hey My My…”

Their Upcoming Schedule
8 March 2008 20:00 Soundfix New York
21 March 2008 20:00 Tandem w/ Calc, Appletop TOULON (83)
22 March 2008 20:00 Akwaba AVIGNON (84)
25 March 2008 20:00 Le Bikini w/Capsula, Sweet Apple Pie, Meltintone TOULOUSE (31)
28 March 2008 20:30 L’Aire libre w/ Calc RENNES (35)
29 March 2008 20:00 File 7 w/ Syd Matters MAGNY LE HONGRE (77)
3 April 2008 12:00 Festival Chorus des Hauts de Seine La Défense (92)
20 April 2008 20:00 Festival Paradis Articifiels LILLE (59)
25 April 2008 20:00 Les Silos CHAUMONT (52)
11 May 2008 20:00 Festival Rue des Sens w/Stuck in the Sound, Uncommonmenfrommars NANTESS (44)
13 June 2008 20:00 Festival Mouen Fort la Zic MOUEN (14)
25 June 2008 20:00 Festival le Grand Souk RIBERAC (24)
23 August 2008 20:00 Les Nuits d’O. MONTPELLIER (34)

Hey Hey My My MySpace (Listen to their music and watch videos there)

Watch the music video

Silly scatological Christmas spirit from South Park. (sung in French)

Watch the video

OMGOMGOMG! N’oubliez pas les paroles, the very entertaining game show has arrived. I love the American version, “Don’t Forget the Lyrics,” hosted by Wayne Brady. They seem to find the most awesome contestants. The show is basically “Who wants to be a millionaire” slyly merged to a Karaoke quiz where the contestant must sing a selected song and complete the missing lyrics in the song. Fun!

Now, the very same show has come here to France, the French version with my favorite host, Nagui. Love him. (He’s also the host for the excellent music showcase, Taratata) It started last Saturday but since we weren’t around, we missed the premiere! That is ok because the second show is tonight at 7pm on France 2. I hope it’s as silly as the American version.

All songs will be in French. Won’t they run out of songs? Just kidding.

N’oubliez pas les paroles

For your listening and viewing pleasure, here’s a music video of M singing with Sean Lennon. Video

A while back I got my mom a collection of oldie chansons, very famous French songs that many people recognize. Stuff from Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Brassens, Charles Aznavour, etc. She’d told me that she used to listen to them growing up as a little girl even though she doesn’t understand any French. My grand dad was a fan, apparently, and she became one too.

So, she was happy to receive my gift and she plays it often. When I’m at her place, I’ll hear her humming along happily with the songs. It’s very cute. I giggle, though, when the Brassens song, “Le Gorille” (the gorilla) comes on. I can’t bring myself to telling her what it actually means. If you don’t understand French, it’s such a happy SOUNDING song (merci, M. Brassens. listen to it here). Now, if you would listen to rapper, Joey Starr’s version of this song (listen to an excerpt), you might guess the song’s about something more serious.

If you do understand French and have heard Le Gorille, you’ll know that the song’s about a gorilla that escapes his cage and rapes a judge.

See?!

Is it my imagination or did Frylock leave Cartoon Network to pursue a singing career in France? Here’s a screenshot of Florent Pagny’s just released music video of
“La Chanson de Jacky” from the new CD, Pagny Chante Brel:

Here’s Frylock from Aqua Teen Hunger Force:

Coming to France and need to know the best places to party? Here’s a website to find the perfect place for you no matter which part of France you are in. Cafesfrance.com

It’s been a while since Florent Pagny has released anything new but his label just announced that on November 19, he is releasing the new Pagny Chante Brel, a compilation of Pagny singing Jacques Brel songs. Yay! I haven’t heard it yet but I love Pagny’s raspy high voice. I love him so much that I’ll forgive him for that recent song he sings with Marc Lavoine, “Un ami” (from Les Duos de Marc) they play over and over and OVER again on the radio - that makes me want to set my hair on fire. For relief.

Order Pagny Chante Brel now from Amazon.com

Order Pagny Chante Brel from Amazon.fr

Plantes, Fruits et Légumes d’hier et d’aujourd’hui / Past and Present Vegetables
Nov 9, 10, 11, 2007, 10am-6pm - Domaine de Saint-Jean de Beauregard
Domaine de Saint-Jean de Beauregard is well known for its 17th-century château as well as its gardens à la Française. November’s event celebrates plants, vegetables and fruit from past to present.

Entrance Fee: €11 (regular admission); €8 (reduced for large groups, members and students of horticulture groups/schools, large families); free for under 10 y.o.
Website: Domaine de Saint-Jean de Beauregard

Le Parc Australien / Australia Park
Until November 11, 2007, Carcassonne
A five-hectare area just outside of Carcassonne’s Medieval village will make you forget that you’re in France. At Le Parc Australien, you’ll step inside another world that will get you playing a didgeridoo like a pro, and speaking like they do Down Under.
Website: Le parc Australien

Boulogne-sur-Mer’s Herring Festival
November 17, 18, 2007, Boulogne-sur-Mer
Get your herring before they no longer exist! Boulogne-sur-Mer takes advantage of the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau then mixes it with fish.

Ubuntu Release Party in Bordeaux
November 17, 2007, 10am - Bordeaux
Fun Geeks of France are getting together to celebrate the new releases of Ubuntu, Gutsy and Gibbon, Free Software. They’re be a demo of their free version of Guitar Hero called, “Frets on Fire.” Bring food to join in on the Potluck.
Website: Gutsy Party

[thanks for the tip, Angry B!]

Lyon Christmas Market
November 24, 2007, Place Carnot, Lyon
One of my newly favorite cities in France, Lyon, starts its holiday spirit early, so head on down for your dose of gastronomy, live music, arts and crafts.

Chicken Festival
November 24, 25, 2007, Clôtres Jacobins, Saint-Sever, free admission
Grab a most delicious roasted chicken in he medieval town of Saint-Sever. The town celebrates its huge population of chickens every year by eating them!
Website: Saint-Sever

Festival des 38e Rugissants / 38th Festival of the Roars
November 20 to December 1, 2007, Grenoble
Grenoble invites talented musicians and groups from all over the world, and features their fascinating nomadic music at venues all over the city.
Website: 38e Rugissants

Paris Banlieues Tango / Tango in the Suburbs
Until November 27, 2007, Le Satellit Café, Paris
It’s time for Tango, which mean Paris Banlieues Tango, a festival celebrated in the suburbs of Paris.

Their tagline: “Make your own mix.”

This idea is not new but I like it anyway. See 2nd Hand Record’s Campaign called, “Complete Your Collection” or Christian Marclay’s “Body Mix” or remotely like some of David Hockney’s photo montages (photo collages).

Advertising Agency: Agence V., Paris, France, Creative Director: Christian Vince, Art Director: Romain Guillon, Copywriter: Pierre Riess, Art Director Assistant: Nicolas Martinie, Photographer: Adolfo Fiori

Although I didn’t see it in the news, apparently Paris-based AOL France just laid off more than half of their employees. That obviously made these newly unemployed people very, very, VERY happy - so much so that they made a video dedicated it to “any lost love.” AWWWWW. And it’s happy and it’s cute and it’s just all around feel good.

I’m not surprised about their enthusiasm for unemployment. In France, unemployment benefits are excellent. Plus they are required to receive severance pay, and well, it’s nice to have time off during the upcoming holidays and chill for several months (or years for that matter) before looking for a new job (or not). In any case, getting laid off in France is a happy event - as is expressed here on this adorable swan song video called, “L’amour à la française,” which by the way was this year’s French entry for cult event, The Eurovision Song Contest performed by kooky fun band, Les Fatals Picards (They’re from Picardie).

A password-protected, high-resolution version is here: on Vimeo. The password is “aollover.”

[via]

A fun music find: The Lovers is a French band (Marion Benoist and Fred de Fred) based in Sheffield, England. Their style is a melange of perky pop, kitsch, quirk, and sex with sense of humor. They’re hard to describe but have often been compared to Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg. Though it’s been said that some songs are so seedy that they’d make even Serge blush (if he were alive today). Besides, doesn’t a French guy named Fred de Fred fire up any curiosity? Take a listen.

TheirSpace (Sample their music here)
Website: The Lovers
Article: The Lovers

[via]

^{from Electroma}

As they say in France, “yehsssss!” (That YES! with a French accent.)

“Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo — have announced the release of Daft Punk Alive 2007, a two-disc set documenting the electro-house outfit’s first hometown show in ten years, set to drop stateside Nov. 20. The live release, filmed at Paris’ Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy June 14, 2007, will also arrive with a 50-page digi-book showcasing photographs shot while on tour. In addition, the record’s first single, a live version of “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,” will be supplemented with a music video directed by Olivier Gondry (brother of Michel Gondry) that includes live footage shot by fans.

CD 1 tracklisting:

1. “Robot Rock”
2. “Oh Yeah”
3. “Touch It”
4. “Technologic”
5. “Television Rules the Nation”
6. “Crescendolls”
7. “Too Long”
8. “Steam Machine”
9. “Around the World”
10. “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”
11. “Burnin’”
12. “Too Long”
13. “Face to Face”
14. “Short Circuit”
15. “One More Time”
16. “Aerodynamic”
17. “Aerodynamic Beats”
18. “Forget About the World”
19. “Prime Time of Your Life”
20. “Brainwasher”
21. “Rollin’ and Scratchin’”
22. “Alive”
23. “Da Funk”
24. “Daftendirekt”
25. “Superheroes”
26. “Human After All”
27. “Rock’N'Roll”

CD 2 tracklisting:

1. “Human”
2. “Together”
3. “One More Time” (Reprise)
4. “Music Sounds Better With You”
5. “Stardust” (Instrumental)”

[from Spin]

Related: Daft Punk will be in Las Vegas on October 27 for Vegoose Fest! Daft Punk’s movie “Electroma” plays every Saturday at midnight at Le Cinema du Pantheon in Paris. TheirSpace, Official Website

A quick reminder that Rock en Seine in Paris, the big music festival that celebrates the end of the summer, starts today and runs through the weekend. And, surprisingly fortunately, the weather is expected to be good! Whoo! Location: Domaine National de Saint-Cloud. Prices: 42 euros for each day, 98 euros for all three days. Notes: 1) Check the website for updates and changes. 2) There’s a festival campsite if you’d like to camp out, but you have to book your place on the Rock en Seine website.

The Lineup

Friday August 24, 2007
Dizzee Rascal, Mogwai, The Shins, The Hives, Arcade Fire, Rock & Roll, Dinosaur Jr., M.I.A., Emilie Simon, 2 Many DJs, Rodeo Massacre, Hey Hey My My, Biffy Clyro, Noisettes, Unkle

Saturday, August 25, 2007
The Fratellis, Cold War Kids, Jarvis Cocker, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Tool, Puppetmastaz, Hellogoodbye, Erik Truffaz, CSS, Les Rita Mitsouko, I Love UFO, Calvin Harris, Terry Poison, Alpha

Sunday, August 26, 2007
The Horrors, Mark Ronson, Kings of Leon, Faithless, Bjork, Bat for Lashes, Devotchka, Kelis, Just Jack, Craig Armstrong, Housse de Racket, Nelson, Albert Hammond Jr, Bromheads Jacket, Enter Shikari

Probably one of the largest street art festivals in France, the Chalon dans la Rue (Chalon in the street) festival starts today and is a smorgasbord of activities specifically dedicated to street art and artists but it really goes beyond that. Over the course of four days, you will run into percussive pyrotechnics, street operas, parades with gigantic papier mache figures and other demonstrations in the street, experimental performance art along the sidewalks, live music, storytelling, marionette shows, dance, theater performances, circuses, movies, images and art installations projected against buildings and more.

There’s also lots of entertainment for kids: jugglers, clowns, acrobats, magic shows, and a special studio for kids’ activities.

Festival: Chalon dans la Rue (in Burgundy, France)
July 19 - 22, 2007
Chalon dans la Rue / L’Abattoir
52, quai St-Cosme
71100 Chalon-sur-Saône
Tél. +33 (0)3 85 90 94 70
Website: Chalon dans la Rue
Schedule of Events: Program

Festivals in France start to heat up in May then continue throughout the summer, but I’ve been on vacation (in Rome, which is no less than fabulissima, if that is a word. I don’t think it is but you get what I mean.) so I’m a bit behind in my search for food for the soul divertissements in France.

When I hear the words, “France” and “Country Music” in the same sentence, I’m convinced that this combination of words is a mistake. But just because country music is surely not food for MY soul, I do (I really do!) appreciate that millions of others find rapture and bliss in it.

And so (yes, this is going somewhere I swear.) I found something quite unusual, thanks to a conversation.

Recently, I asked my dad-in-law if he wanted me to get him something while I’m in New York next month. After a minute of thinking, he asked me to get him a hat from Dallas.

Me: “But. I’m going to New York. You’d like a hat from Dallas that I can buy in New York? Should I simply order online from a hat store in Texas and have it delivered?”

Dad-in-law: “Not the city of Dallas, la serie!”

Me: “OH! That show from the 90s?” (I’m not really sure when that aired but it had to air in France later after some dubbing time.)

Him: “I want a hat like JR.”

Long silence.

Me: “oooooOOOOoooo K…..”

I’d actually never watched that show but it was apparently La Serie (capital L capital S!) en France - so I had to do a little searchy to see what kind of hat ole JR wore - which brings me to this weird festival in France.

The Festival de Country Music in Mirande, France is a 5-day long celebration of all things country, including but not limited to special appearances by the cast of Dallas (Patrick Duffy, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Steve Kanaly and Charlene Tilton), lots and lots and LOTS of country music (16 hours per day, 73 concerts), dancing, hot air ballooning and more. Yeeeehawww! It’s the biggest country music festival in Europe and last year alone, 160,000 people attended. That’s really big for Mirande, which is a tiny village in southwest France (in Gascony between Pau and Toulouse) of 4,000 inhabitants.

Ready for the event? Then, saddle up and saunter over to southwest France. Don’t forget your cowboy boots, spurs, hat, (of course) and fuzzy chaps!

Festival de Country Music
Mirande, France (Gascogne)
July 11 - 15, 2007
Website: Mirande Country Music Festival

It’s La Nuit des Musées (Museum Night) tonight, which means many museums and events all over France and Europe will be free of charge. The events also include theater and dance performances, concerts, workshops, expositions, food tasting, lectures and special screenings. There are over 1500 events tonight in France alone! Check your local listings to find out who is participating in this event.

Find some events now

Francis Cabrel‘ (one of my faves) is consolidating 30 years of his music career into 37 songs, 2 of which are newly recorded and have never been heard before. The new CD plus bonus DVD (limited edition) will be available next month (June 4) at Fnac, Virgin Megastore, and for those not afraid of DRM, you can purchase and download it online at iTunes.

Related links:
French Music for Francophiles
Les Beaux Dessins
Francis Cabrel, The “Bob Dylan of France”

Today is Earth Day et ça tombe bien (and it’s good timing) because stuck in my head is a song about humans and the environment called, “Respire” (Breathe) by the excellent French band, Mickey 3D. I’ve been editing a clip and used the song as the sound track. I know it now backward, forward sideways and upsidedown. It’s worth a listen if you haven’t already heard it. It’s not a new song (about 5 years old) but it’s more timely now than ever. In the Mickey 3D music video, it is a completely animated piece that takes place in the future. I won’t give too much away just in case you’ll be seeing it for the first time. If it doesn’t make you (at least) think, you most likely have a serious problem.

Click here or on the picture above to see the video.

FYI: I’ve done a rough translation of it in English below.

Oops! After doing that translation I saw this video version with English subtitles.

Last year a French rapper named, “Kamini” hit his 15 minutes of fame with his hilarious song, “Marly-Gomont,” about his life as the only  black person growing up in a teeny, tiny village in France. Here’s the video.

But more recently, some people from WoW did their own Virtual World, WoW-ish rendition (acted by characters inside World of Warcraft) of Marly-Gomont, which is pretty fun too. Here’s that video.

[via neatorama]