it's oh so quiet
MARIE LAFORET - LA VOIX DU SILENCE
one of my many marvy christmas pressies was this e.p. featuring this gorgeous cover of 'the sound of silence'.
update - thanks to erin for sharing a higher quality version!
Labels: french 60s, marie laforet
my essential music of 2012
below
you will find my list of albums of the year, including some clips to
give you to hopefully enjoy!
happy new year everyone and thanks for all your support, comments, encouragement and for for sharing your music too this year.
blowupdoll has been going for over 8 years now!!!! and there's still more to come in 2013
so here's the list (in no particular order!)
CLOETTA PARIS - SECRET EYES
ok, so i'm a few years behind with this one - released in 2008 (i think) - this homage to 80s italo disco ranks alongside the best of sally shapiro. gorgeous songs, perfect doll voice and a genuine love of the italo sound make this album hugely enjoyable. i cant find much information about her - no facebook, no twitter - just an old myspace page. come back cloetta - we need you!
Labels: cloetta paris
ICONA POP - ICONA POP
more swedes please! this duo began by releasing the most perfect e.p. ever called 'nights like this' last year - it was dark and electronic but with a cool, pop sensibility. this year they released their first album which includes the 4 songs from the e.p. - the new songs range from the iconic party anthem 'i love it' to 'good for you' which sounds like it's been produced by the knife. for me they are at their best when there's a darker edge as if channelling the knife and i love their voices shouty-singing together!
Labels: icona pop
BERRY LES PASSAGERS
what felt like the longest wait in french music history - berry finally got round to releasing her second album. it was worth the wait - laidback cool, a soft and sexy voice and a nice mix of varied song styles resulted in this album being stuck on repeat for months on end.
Labels: berry
AGNES - VERITAS
super swede agnes has been on my radar for a while by occasionally releasing a decent pop tune but 2012 saw her take her sound to a new level - i was obsessed with this album this year. with the input of robyns producer patrick berger she moved from pop to fantastic scandi-electopop. to fully create the perfect agnes playlist - replace track 4 with the remix, get the i-tunes and spotify bonus tracks then add the uk edit of 'on on' and then you'll get pop perfection
Labels: agnes
LOU DOILLON - PLACES
being jane brikins daughter and charlotte gainsbourgs sister meant there was a lot of anticipation with her first release - and i was not let down. all sung in english- she has a great voice, oodles of coolness and some excellent tunes.
Labels: lou doillon
MYLENE FARMER - MONKEY ME
lets get the obvious out of the way first - what awful cover art - it's like a fan has made it at home on windows paint! and the title's not that appealing either! but i love the album. so much better than 'blue noir' - she's back working with laurent boutonnat so it's a familiar sound - dark, moody but with an electronic edge.
i don't want to repeat the video i posted a week or so ago - so here's a fan made video to 'elle a dit'
Labels: mylene farmer
PARRALOX - STATE OF DECAY
imagine claudia brucken mixed with madonna, with the pop of kylie produced by depeche mode - all overseen by the human league and you might be starting to get a flavour of this austrailian band who are popular in europe. the album (from 2010) took a few repeated listens for it to really begin to grab me but them i couldn't get it out of my head and now i'm obsessed by it!
and check out the more recent - and totally marvy - sharper than a knife
Labels: parralox
...honourable mentions go to
liza manili - liza manili - not outstanding - but had many listens this summer
loreen - heal - a great eurovision win and her 2 early singles could not a great album make
francoise hardy - l'amour fou - i know i gave this a scathing review- but there are some really good songs to be found here
madonna - mdna - this 14 track album would have made an excellent 6 track ep. a bit lazy in places
various - ellesonparis - just for bringing marie-amelie back into my life again.
mademoiselle nineteen - mademoiselle nineteen - a nice nod to a vintage french sound
my christmas gift to you
i can't believe this is on you tube- the infamous 'the lonely lady' featuring pia zadora. a film that is so trashy, so badly written, directed and edited its shocking! director john waters often refers to this in his books - he enjoys a bit of camp trash. this film has everything you never wanted: being raped by a hose, a hallucinogenic typewriter, mental breakdowns, wooden acting - enjoy...errr...sort of!
happy christmas!
of course i could have posted the more obvious blowupdoll christmas songs - france gall, claudine longet, margo guryan etc but then i was in a shop the other day and heard this - and i'd fogotten all about it. still a great christmas song!
hope you all have a marvy christmas - i'll be back on the 26th with my albums of the year list.
love mordi xxx
no problemes
KARINE - UNE AUTRE AUTOROUTE
karine has always remained on the fringes of my 60s doll interest - always meaning to check out her music and find out more about her - but somehow i never got round to it - until this! i'm familiar with the pamela and antoine versions of this great song - this is also really good! can anyone recommend any other top karine tracks?
Labels: french 60s, karin
she's back!
and with a brilliantly disturbing video too!
2nd attempt : more delphine!
DELPHINE - NE T'EN VA JAMAIS
it's really nice to hear a slower paced delphine song - her voice is great and the tune is not bad either. (the link should be working again now)
Labels: delphine, french 60s
school daze
have you seen this great clip of christine lebail singing 'les livres d'ecole'? it's very cute!
Labels: christine lebail, french 60s, video
saviour of the universe
this is all you need to know about everything.
Labels: 80s, stephanie, video
you and me by the stereo
ROSE - MEMORIES
oh my god i love this too! (i have have a feeling this may become one of my all time faves!) what always especially hooks me into songs like this is the electro instrumental tune - here heard at 0.43mins onwards. another italian great from 88.
Labels: 80s, italo disco, rose
my guilty pleasure
ROSE - FAIRY-TALE
if you know me by now, then you'll know i also love 80s europop - especially frenchpop and italo disco. i've just discovered this italian gem from 1985 this weekend and i can't stop playing it. it's up there with katy grey, vivien vee and valerie dore. go italy!
Labels: 80s, italo disco, rose