Pierpoljak.
Je fais c'que j'veux...
©2000,
Barclay Universal Music
"Je fais c'que j'veux" is highly
recommended! The roots-reggae beat is strong and familiar. A comfortable
musical backdrop for poignant lyrics that speak to the alienated
and excluded -- which at times might be any of us.
Pierpoljak, who came to reggae via the
punk movement of the late 1970s-early 1980s, delivers an almost
"cool" nihilisme. Some honest talk about the ups and downs
of the bad boy life over that irresistable heavy bass-dub reggae
beat works on every level.
Don't miss "Né Dans Les Rues
de Paris" where Pierpoljak tells his story over an accordion
blended into the reggae backbeat.
"Dépareillé," the
opening track, is perhaps the best cut, but "Levez-Vous"
and "Né Dans Les Rues de Paris" are also standouts
on this excellent album recorded in Jamacia for "authenticity".
Check out the website
to preview the music, and see some cool video...
Electro
Cypher compilation.
©
2000 La Cosca/Labels/Virgin France
A compilation of electronic beats that
samples the sounds of some of France's top producers in a futuristically
consistent style. Electro Cypher takes the original sounds of hip-hop
across the atlantic and back, creating an hommage to the Electro-Funk
of the 1980s.
This album was conceived by Akhenaton,
one of the founders of Marseille's premier rap group IAM. He wanted
to bring the french hip-hop sound back to its roots -- the club
dancefloors. For inspiration, Akhenaton dug into his old vinyl library
of discs by the likes of Sugar Hill Gang, Sequence, Afrika Bambaataa,
and Kurtis Blow.
The result, "Electro Cypher,"
is soldily electro-dance, flavored with techno, ragga, old-school,
hip-hop and rap. The compilation features the talents of Akos, Freeman,
DJ Ralph, DJ Sya Style, K Rhyme Le Roi, Nuttea, and Zenn & Baron.
A refreshingly elegant cocktail of dance-music,
if that's your thing... This album will please most all tastes (just
don't expect any of those cool rhymes, because the words are few
and far between on this one).
It's all good, but ParisTempo picks "Une
Autre Dimension" as best radio play...
Give a listen to a few cuts here
Motivés:
les chansons de luttes.
©2000
LCR/Tactikollectif
A CD co-produced by the "Ligue Communiste
Revolutionaire" and the Tactikollectif from Toulouse might
sound like something a little too heavy, and not at all a musical
venture. But this outstanding album merits a listen!!!
It's true that music is the link that brings
people together whether just to party or to participate in a political
struggle. And it's in this spirit that "Motivés"
was produced.
At core, a compilation of international
revolutionary songs, this collection is so musically exciting because
it is actually a reworking of these classics by the musicians of
"Tactikollectif," an association created by the ever-popular
Zebda and friends from Toulouse.
This album makes as good a soundtrack for house parties as it does
for political demonstrations!
For more info...
Femmouzes
T. 2.
© 2000
Créon Music/Virgin France
The Femmouzes T are inventing tomorrow's
folklore as they take the standard french "street music"
couple of accordion and vocals and give it a wonderfully international
eclectic twist..
This duo brings together two women with
roots on oppostie sides of the atlantic (Brasil and France) who
have created a unique sound that blends the traditional minstrel
spirit of the french countryside with the electro-techno sounds
of today.
Les Femmouzes T. are part of the south
French troubadour-rap revival. Rita Macedo, from Brasil's Bahia
region, and Françoise Chapuis, from Toulouse, sing in French,
Portugese and Occitan (an indigenous language of southwestern France
-- see also Massilia Sound System who mix Occitan with French in
their music).
Borrowing equally from the popular music
of Brasil and chanson francais, they have put together an album
full of vibrant colors, creative energy and good humor. Their lyrical
rhymes descirbe a brighter vision of the world over afro-musette
accordion rythyms.
With songs like "Bleu," Femmouzes
T open the doors of regionalism to an "internationalism"
that celebrates each culture -- in polar opposition to the dreaded
"globalisation" that would eliminate cultures in the name
of mass markets.
Spicy sounds expressing sentiments of tolerance
and liberty! Yeah!!!
Check out this blend of brésilien-techno-rap
with méditerranéen street music here
Massilia
Sound System. Chourmo.
© 1993
This golden oldie was the second album
by Massilia Sound System, another perennially hot band hailing from
Marsielle.
Massilia Sound System has been on the scene
for some years, producing music full of the pride of the south.
Of course, their raggamuffin dub sound pays tribute to chanson francaise
in its own way.
One of the first of the new generation
of groups celebrating the troubadour tradition so dear to méditerranéen
culture, Massilia uses the age-old Occitan language of the region
to tell the modern stories of life in the cités (projects).
The music speaks about football, parties, nighlife, and the vie
de quartier (neighborhood life).
Massilia founded their own musical movement
-- occitan raggamuffin and used their influence to open the
way for other artists from their region to produce their music without
relying on music-biz suits from Paris.
Sample their musical movement for a multi-cultural
society here
Les Hurlements
d'Léo. La belle affaire.
©2000
PIAS France
Les Hurlements d'Léo come straight
from the french alternative scene, with a kind of chanson-rock that
brings to mind early Negresses Vertes or Les Portugaises Ensablées.
They classify their music as "Java-Punk-Chanson-Caravaning."
"Java" refers to the accordion. "Punk" is for
the hard edges on some of the songs. "Chanson" signifies
their lyrics are key. And "Caravaning" means they are
often in a truck! Simply put, they see their music as an expression
of their way of life.
Whatever you call it, it's the perfect
sound for the smoke-filled café-concerts that used to be
such a regular part of Parisian life, but have now become all too
rare.
Dynamic soundplay between contrebasse,
saxophone, accordion, trumpet, violon, percussion and guitar lays
down a complex musical backdrop for the insolite lyrics about the
daily life in cafés where all the habituees have hidden angsts.
Their hyper-realist "tchatche"
comes from the things they see, hear and feel. And hanging out in
cafés certainly gives them a point of view -- their songs
have been refered to as "la poésie de comptoir"
(the poetry of the bar). And thankfully, the music is given equal
footing -- allowing for a musical coherence across the whole album.
Best tracks: "Ici D'ailleurs"
and "La Malle En Mai".
Visit their site here
or here...
Tryo.
Faut qu'ils s'activent.
© 2000
Yelen/Sony
The second album by this accoustic reggae
group is a sweet musical cocktail disguising weighty words rooted
in reality.
Faced with the surprise success of their debut self-produced live
album (sales of 450,000), these alternative rockers have adopted
a refreshing attitude of "no concessions" to corporate
music.
The studio hasn't constrainted these guys,
who found themselves composing, and improvising during the recording
process (and they've also included 4 live recordings among the 14
tracks).
"Faut qu'ils s'activent" is rejuvenating
with its mixture of reggae, chanson francais and even a bit of jazz.
And Tryo's lyrics are still on target with a mocking commentary
on the state of the world.
Tryo retains
their sarcasm and their sound...
Visit their site for an introduction...
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