Francophone Musique...Je t'aime...(aka Lost in Translation)

I've always had a soft spot for francophone music. There is such beauty that is conveyed in the French language; whether it be the hurt and melancholy of Edith Piaf and Charles Aznavour, the jaunty camp of La Bolduc and Jean LeLoup, or the seductive passion of artists like Serge Gainsbourg and Francois Hardy.

Sadly, this love is somewhat unrequited. Despite six awkward years of taking French in school, I often have no idea what is being said by these artists and am often left to my own devices to piece together some kind of narrative. Using tools like mood, phrasing, or instrumentation, I'm able to come up with something I think is pretty close; in other words, I don't need to know what they're saying in order to get what they're saying...dig?

I've just stumbled upon an album released this week by electro-folk singer-songwriter Daniel Belanger, entitled Nous. Here's a video for the lead-off single "Reste" which I'm really liking for some reason. Is it the Beatles-esque feel to the song's rhythm? Is it Belanger's voice? Is it the faint scent of Maudite beer and smoked brie blowing in through the open window?

Je ne sais pas.




Belanger has another older video for the song "Spoutnik" that I am convinced my friend Chip made...you decide.

By the way, this is pretty fun;

Belanger's website has a brief news bulletin regarding the release of Nous, en francais of course. Translated into the Queen's english (by virtue of Google's translator) it says,

"Daniel Bélanger We present, in stores today

Never two discs Daniel Bélanger not have followed so closely, but that's clearly under other skies that we conducted this time the creator. After the very land the failed equipment (2007), photo of our time and its materialistic tendencies, it offers us with a soaring love, ultra groovy stroll to two."

Bien!