French Music Blog
ABOUTThe French Music Blog is the place to find the latest hits and music reviews of contemporary French singers.
Featured French Singers
Retro French Rock from Mustang  The French band Mustang keeps it old school. A band obsessed with the origins of Rock 'n' Roll, they incorporate Tennessee Honky Tonk and Rockabilly, Punk, Surf Rock, and New Wave into their retro sound and add a uniquely French twist.
The French have done Rock before, of course, and it's often an awkward pairing. But like their peers BB Brunes, Mustang has managed to make it seem like a natural fit.
. . . → Continue Reading: Retro French Rock…Rachid Taha: The Conscious Singer Behind the SNL Skit  Algerian-born Arabic / French singer Rachid Taha is known for his highly energetic and innovative blend of both music influences.
His East-meets-West style (dubbed "Rock & Raï") often incorporates Punk, electronic music, Arabic percussion and North African string instruments behind Arab and French lyrics.
Saturday Night Live used his serious music to humorous effect in their wacky "Les Jeunes de Paris" skit featuring guest host Miley Cyrus.
. . . → Continue Reading: Rachid Taha: The Conscious Singer…Emilie Simon: Pop Goes the Electronic Chanteuse  Emilie Simon is a French singer, songwriter and composer who draws unavoidable comparisons to Bjork and Kate Bush for her enigmatic music videos and avant-garde musical style.
Simon boasts an impressive resume of music study, with 7 years at a Montpelier conservatory, university-level music education, and even a post-graduate degree in music. The 3-time Victoire de la Musique (French Grammy) winner laces dense electronic soundscapes with orchestral sounds and Pop songwriting, delivered in her dreamy, childlike voice.
Her music seems to become more accessible with each…French Bands Who Sing in English, Pt. 2  Here are a few more French bands who sing in English. If you like your Rock with Frenchified, or just want to hear a different interpretation of music, then check out these bands. This time, I'm bringing you some chamber pop, an all-girl band, and some synth-pop, served different ways.
For whatever reasons (a wider audience, they think it sounds better to the ear, etc.), they've chosen to sing in English instead of their native tongue. You'll hear the influences of The Beatles and The Go-Go's,…Keren Ann Shows Hushed Sophistication  Keren Ann has a voice that seems like it was made for soft French music. It floats tenderly over her superbly crafted compositions in a way that even Norah Jones would envy. A polyglot who's fluent in 4 languages, she imbues her music with a smart, cosmopolitan vibe..
Over the course of 6 albums, she's become a sought-after songwriter, and she remains the underground artist to name check when you wanted to impress your friends.
. . . → Continue Reading: Marie-Pierre Arthur: French Folk Rocker  Fall in love with the charming Folk Rock of Indie darling Marie-Pierre Arthur. In the footsteps of Coeur de Pirate comes another French singer out of Quebec worthy of international crossover success. Your music collection will be better for having this singer / songwriter in it.
She's the kind of uber-talented, not yet mainstream (outside of Canada) artist that Paste magazine would fawn over. You could put her on a playlist with Neko Case, Sharon Van Etten, and a much more famous Canuck, Feist.
Carmen Maria Vega Serves Up Nouveau Gypsy Jazz  Carmen Maria Vegais both the name of this band and its animated lead singer, who imbues their songs and videos with humor and charisma. The band helped fuel the recent resurgence of Jazz Manouche in France.
Carmen is the vocalist and the heart of the band, with her expressive visual and vocal performances on stage and on video. With its Rock edge, the group helped introduce Gypsy Jazz to a whole new generation.
. . . → Continue Reading: Carmen…Suarez: An Ethnic Fusion French Band  The band Suarez is an unlikely combination of members and global music influences. The lead singer was born to an Italian mother and a Spanish father and raised in Belgium, while three of the other musicians are former members of a renowned World Music band from Madagascar.
The group takes its name from the 16th century Portuguese explorer, Diego Suarez. What they play is a distinctive melange of American and British-inspired Pop and Rock, traditional Malagasy (Madagascar) music, Cape Verdean folk, and Soul -- all sung in French. It's…Melissa Nkonda Grabs the Spotlight  Melissa NKonda is out to prove that she's much more than a reality show castoff. Though most people remember her from Nouvelle Star (French American Idol), she's since made a splash with a much different sound and image. Now a confident songwriter, she shines with acoustic Pop / Soul and a bilingual appeal.
Her earworm hit "Nouveaux Horizons" was among the contenders for song of the summer in 2011.
Hailing from Maubege in north France, Mélissa Nkonda (a.k.a. Mélissa Reffas) dabbled in cosmetology and hospitality before…Yelle: Sassy French Electro Pop  Yelle has captured fans around the world with a winning formula of danceable music, sassy French lyrics (for the exotic factor), and a swagger reminiscent of M.I.A.
Both the name of the band and the stage name of its lead singer (née Julie Budet), Yelle is rounded out by drummer GrandMarnier and keyboardist Tepr. The trio got its start under the name YEL, when it posted a brutal diss song about a misogynistic French rapper on MySpace.
The NSFW song was renamed and became the hit song…This ‘Little’ Singer Is Big on Charm  The French singer Little (Aurelie Nguyen) is one of my favorite music discoveries. She's so cute -- I just want to put her in my pocket. Her stage name is an obvious comment on her diminutive stature. (She's all of 5'2".)
Little began playing the guitar at 16, inspired by young female singer/songwriters like Michelle Branch and Avril Lavigne. She toes the line between Acoustic Pop and Indie / Electropop. I personally think her childlike voice shines brighter on the charming acoustic songs, but I like her danceable…French Bands Who Sing in English  I get a lot of queries on the French Music Blog about French bands who sing in English. I haven’t posted about it before now because I don’t really consider it French music if it’s not in French. But I'll oblige since some of my faithful readers are interested.
. . . → Continue Reading: French Bands Who Sing in EnglishCamelia Jordana: Grown-Up Sound from the Girl Next Door  The talented young singer Camelia Jordana has a certain je ne sais quoi, and I think she's just adorable. Her songs are catchy, yet her sound is timeless -- almost deliberately so. Her girl-next-door vibe makes her all the more endearing.
Born in the south of France, Camélia Jordana Riad-Aliouane was introduced to the world as a contestant on Season 7 of Nouvelle Star (the French American Idol), when she was just 16 years old and still in high school. In her debut performance, she breathed new…French Songs about Mothers  The French Music Blog celebrate Mother's Day with a few French R&B songs about mothers. Check out these three tunes, and don't forget to wish your Mom a Happy Mother's Day.
. . . → Continue Reading: French Songs about MothersKarimouche Channels Pop & Poetry  Karimouche is a whimsical, multitalented artist. Part chanteuse, part rapper, and part slam poet, her songs incorporate her wide-ranging of influences of Pop, traditional French chanson, Hip Hop, and Reggae (particularly Ragga). The artist does not consider herself a singer, but rather a performer who sometimes sings, raps, or slams to bring variety to her performances. I'd compare her to Ani DiFranco in terms of the way she mixes it up within a verse.
Karimouche is a portmanteau of vocalist Carima Amarouche's first and last name, and also the…
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