Now THIS Is How You Do Americana

The best French bands seem to have a hook that sets them apart from the rest. For La Maision Tellier, the hook is that they make bilingual “Americana” music.

If you like Folk Rock and Alt Country bands like Mumford and Sons, Wilco, and The Avett Brothers, then you’ll enjoy La Maison Tellier.

The band is named after a brothel in Guy de Maupassant’s famous short story of the same name. They hail from Normandy — the location of their fictional / namesake brothel — and each member of the group has adopted an alias with the surname “Tellier.”

The founding duo of Sébastien Miel, aka Raoul Tellier, and Yannick Marais, aka Helmut Tellier, got together in 2004, and the band released its first album in 2006. They’re inspired by Folk and Folk Rock greats: The Beatles, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Neil Young, and Nick Drake. They also incorporate the American genres of Blues, Gospel, Folk, Bluegrass and Alt-Country into their sound.

L’Art de la Fugue

It was the buzz around their third album, 2010’s L’art de la Fugue (a nod to the famous Bach composition, of course), and the standout track “Suite Royale” that first put them on my radar. I’d never heard anything like it. It’s whiskey-tinged French music for fans of Wilco and Drive-by Truckers — but the catchy chorus is in English. They’ve taken “Americana” and truly put their own spin on it. Check out this Johnny Cash-inspired gambler’s anthem to see what I mean:

“Five Year Blues” is just what it sounds like — a straight-up Blues number. “Mount Forever” mimics the dulcet harmonies of Crosby, Stills and Nash, the vocals on “Goldmine” channel early Bob Dylan, and “Please Do” has echoes of the Bee Gees. The title track “L’Art de la Fugue” transports you to a saloon in the Old West.

Download: “Babouin,” “Suite Royale,” “Le Peste,” “Mount Forever,” “L’Art de la Fugue,” “Goldmine,” “Il n’est point de Sot Métier,” “No Name #3,” “Please Do”

Beauté pour tous

La Maison Tellier released their fourth album Beauté pour tous in 2013. It offers more music on the Americana theme, but this time, mostly in French. It’s not quite as magical as L’Art de la Fugue, but it’s a satisfying French Folk fix for those on the lookout for one. I still hear lots of Dylan, Cash, and other American Folk Rock influences, and I like that the French words are easy to make out.

Download: “Sur un volcan,” “À rebours,” “Les beaux quartiers”

If you liked “Suite Royale,” you’ll like the leadoff single “Sur un Volcan.” It’s got a similar sound.

What do you think about this band? Leave a comment below.