The band La Femme brings us New Wave Surf Rock, French style. Their hazy vocals, pulsating synths, Yé-yé vibes, and lo-fi aesthetic combine for an eclectic signature sound.
The haze also extends to the band members themselves, who are deliberately shrouded in mystery through costumes and camouflage.
Even the band’s name is an enigma. We know it translates as “woman” or “wife,” but what woman? Not to mention, we only seem to get passing glances at their faces in their head-scratching videos.
They say all this is to keep the focus on the music rather than the performers, but it’s a pretty savvy marketing gimmick, too.
Much of the excitement they generate is due to the group not following the herd. While many of their peers are enamored of Brit Pop, La Femme eschews it in favor of 70’s French New Wave and 60’s Surf Rock.
The surf culture influence comes from the band’s founders, Sacha and Marlon, who were born and raised in the French coastal town of Biarritz and played together there in a 60’s-themed Rock band.
The New Wave effect comes from the pioneering artists who inspire them, like Jacno (of the band Stinky Toys), Marie et les Garçons, and Velvet Underground.
The band’s original lineup is rounded out by Sam and Noé, whom they met in Paris, and lead vocalist Clémence, whom they found on MySpace.
They’ve since added the drummer Nuñez to the core group, and more recently began utilizing a rotation of female vocalists, a la Nouvelle Vague.
In late 2010, they used their network of surfer friends to put together their own 3-month tour of the U.S., where audiences and music bloggers embraced their exotic, yet familiar sound.
As their self-produced EPs, Le podium #1 (part of an EP series featuring up-and-coming French bands) and La Femme (2011) started circulating, their lo-fi, retro sound generated lots of buzz both in the states and in France.
Here’s the song that put La Femme on the map. “Sur la planche” (on the surfboard), definitely evokes the seaside vibe the band’s founders grew up with. Look out for some campy horror flick antics near the end:
Debut Album
A record label bidding war ensued soon after their early success, and much to the initial chagrin of their indie fan base, the group signed with Barclay (a French imprint of Universal Records) in Fall 2012.
However, it turned it to be just a licensing deal. The group still maintained creative control and handled the production of their aptly titled debut album, Psycho Tropical Berlin, in 2013. I assure you that La Femme’s purity remains intact — rough edges and all.
Psycho Tropical Berlin
“Psycho Tropical Berlin” is the band’s own description of their sound: “Psycho,” for the weirdo / Gothic Rock / horror overtones, “Tropical” for the Surf Rock influence, and “Berlin” for the Kraftwerk-inspired New Wave synth.
At long last, fans can feast on their trippy eccentricity, on full display over 14 tracks. Their first hit, “Sur la Planche,” appears on the album as well. Clémence is still the main voice of the group, but five female vocalists share the singing duties.
I like the mellow feel of “It’s Time to Wake Up 2023.” Other than the chants of the song title throughout, the song is in French. I also like the energetic “Si un jour” and the eerie, slightly off-kilter “Packshot”:
Paris 2012 is included as a bonus track on the album:
The band also released a joint video for two songs, “La Femme” and “Hypsoline.” The nearly 11-minute clip plays out like a scary short film, which perfectly suits the freaky, mysterious vibe of both songs.
Download: “Sur la Planche, “Paris 2012,” “Hypsoline,” “La Femme,” “Packshot,” “It’s Time to Wake Up 2023,” “Si un jour”
What do you think of this French band? Leave a comment below.
POSTED UNDER: 
Leave a Reply