Aurgasm

pop français // singer-songwriter

French pianist and composer Albin de la Simone is best known for his collaborations with Jeanne Cherhal, Vanessa Paradis and Keren Ann. Although Un Homme (2013) is his fourth solo album, de la Simone is still relatively anonymous among contemporary French chansonniers. His lyrics are clever and his melodies engaging, but what makes de la Simone stand out is his voice and remarkable subtle string and piano arrangements. “Moi Moi”, featured below, is a delightful duet with the lovely Emiliana Torrini.

Elegant songwriting with a dose of whimsy.
Albin de la Simone & Emiliana Torrini – Moi Moi
Albin de la Simone – Le Fuite
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French soul // German funk

Sensual but tough, French chanteuse Caroline Lacaze’s sings from the heart on her debut ‘En Route’. After moving to Hamburg to write and sing her own music, she hooked up with Germany’s finest in Funk; The Mighty Mocambo’s aka The Mocambo Electric Sound Orchestra. She unifies a French style with mod revival; singing from the coeur about love, passion, anger and sadness. A full pocket of stories with lo-fi production that comes off as an honest homage to the seventies. Brash and bright, play this out loud to boost your day.

Gritty romance in Nouvelle Chanson
Caroline Lacaze – L’Etrange
Caroline Lacaze – Toujours Lui
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french vocal // soft soul

From the very first track of her debut album Jusqu’aux Oreilles (2008), Quebec native Amylie enchants the listener with her soft-toned and subtle sound. The soulful vibes of “Espace” evoke similarities with critically acclaimed Les Nubiennes’ Princesses Nubiennes, while its lush instrumentation and clean hypnotic production reminds the sound of Zero 7. Catchy, uptempo and playful “Mes Oreilles” brings to mind the debut album of French chanteuse Camille.

Fresh, sweet-sounding and vibrant.
Amylie – Espace
Amylie – Mes Oreilles
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french acoustic // soul

Zaz’s (Isabelle Geoffroy) music reminds me of Caro Emerald’s. Her voice however, is completely different and quite unlike the mellow sultry voice of Caro – and the songs demand that. Her music evokes vintage nostalgia, with passion and zest. “Je Veux” and “Ni Oui Ni Non” express this perfectly.

Post contributed by Divya Manian. Thx to Pixlux for a simultaneous recc. :)
Passionate, romantic, peppy.
Zaz – Je Veux
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folk // soul // french vocal

French-Senegalese chanteuse Madjo first captured my attention with “Le Monstre” back in 2009 making her debut album Trapdoor (2010) among my most anticipated albums of the year. While there is very little information about Madjo available to English speakers, she’s the new chanteuse on the rise among French music lovers. Madjo’s repertoire varies from vintage pop influences to Southern folk-blues and tender ballads, somewhat recalling Feist, Yael Naim and Okou with the subtle avant-garde touch of Camille. Une chanteuse extraordinnaire!

From acoustic simplicity to multi-layered beauty.
Madjo – Le Monstre
Madjo – Cracheur De Feu
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indie pop // french eclectic

The Dø is one of those musical gems I’ve been meaning to write about for a long time. Now, with their debut album A Mouthful (2010) finally released in the US and the recent North American tour, is the time to introduce this French-Finnish indie pop act. The Dø first captured attention of European music lovers with their song “The Bridge is Broken”, written for a contemporary dance performance Scène d’amour back in 2005. A Mouthful, a rather eclectic collection of songs, evokes similarities to the sweet quirkiness of Nina Perrson, the Knife’s electro touch and the sharp playfulness of Lykke Li. “At Last” carries rich guitar riffs, piano and bluesy harmonica arrangements woven with Olivia’s yearning, seductive vocals. Ukulele driven “Stay (Just A Little Bit More)” is simply a little delightful track.

Somewhat eccentric, playful melodies.
The Dø – At Last
The Dø – Stay (Just A Little Bit More)
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soul // french // motown

The sounds of Ben l’Oncle Soul are spreading through Europe, with a major hit this summer in the form of an uptempo soul cover of “Seven Nation Army”. Signed to Motown, Ben has all elements covered. Some say his style is not original enough, but when the styles are blended and performed this well, and the songs are this catchy, who really cares. This is good music. Period. So if you like soul & funk and appreciate a singer that knows how to manipulate his sound to range from John Legend to Jamie Lidell and back to all the soul greats from the ol’ days, this should be on blast.

French retro soul with a modern edge.
Ben l’oncle Soul – Seven Nation Army
Ben l’oncle Soul – Soulman

[Editor’s Note: Please join me in welcoming Sjoerd Kranendonk to Aurgasm. Also known as zephirnl on soundcloud and @mffonline on twitter, he has a mean habit of unearthing the good ‘n raw funky stuff. We’re thrilled to have him share his best finds here.]

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chanson // beatbox

Scotch & Sofa is comprised of a Miss Chloé Monin and Sir Romain Preuss. Chloe went to the jazz school of Montpellier; and then sought a bandmate. On the walls of the school, she passed an ad: “seeks guitar”. As a self-taught musician, Romain developed the “finger picking” technique while listening to Joe Tex, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding or Thelonious Monk. He saw Chloe’s post. Months and months later and we can now enjoy this video. (thx Christophe!)

French’s sublime sound, 11 years after Les Nubians’ “Makeda”
Scotch & Sofa – Visite des recoins (video)
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french hip-hop // urban

When it comes to Hip-Hop, at Aurgasm we enjoy the abstract, the instrumental and the funkier side of the genre. Paris based Namasté provides me with that kind of melodic, funky tune I enjoy playing any time of the day. A mixture of urban style beat, soulful saxophone and bass, some neat sampling and an Indie approach would best describe the vibe of Namasté. “L’absurde”, taken from the band’s first EP of the same name, carries mid tempo stylish grooves and catchy French lyrics.

Positive vibes and contagious rhythms.
Namasté – L’absurde

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soul // blues // french acoustic

The story of Okou begins in a Parisian bar. Tatiana Heintz, originally from the Ivory Coast, and Gilbert Trefzger, a Swiss guitarist with Egyptian roots, are truly world artists. Their debut album Serpentine (2010) blends sounds from around the globe. Serpentine captures the spirit of soul, blues and roots music, evoking the best American folk traditions and New Orleans’ sound with a delicate European touch. The acoustic guitars and banjo arrangements with the somewhat old-fashioned groove make “To The Bone” a perfect road trip soundtrack. Seductively mellow, French sung “A L’aurore” is a real West Africa meets New Orleans musical gem. The outstanding song carries rich instrumentation that includes strings, banjo and tuba.

Soulful southern yet cosmopolitan vibe.
Okou – To The Bone
Okou – A L’aurore
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