review of the year

below you will find my list of albums of the year, including some videoclips to give you a feel for the artist. after compiling my list, 4 themes stood out; french, folk, electro and girls with guitars.
what are your thoughts? what were your albums of year?

i have also included my retro doll discovery and guilty pleasure of 2010.

enjoy!

happy new year everyone and thanks for all your support this year.

more to come in 2011...

MARIE AMELIE - DANS UN VERTIGE

if i was pushed to choose one album of 2010, this would be it. i just totally fell in love it. read my review of it here). even after hundreds of plays, hearing the opening bars of on se regardait, i still get goosebumps. she deserves huge success in 2011

MARIE ESPINOSA - LA DEMARRANTE

to say this was one of my albums of the year is an understatement- i fucking love it! its eclectic mix of styles allow marie to showcase her wonderful voice and personality.

ELLIE GOULDING - LIGHTS/BRIGHT LIGHTS

with her nu-folk electro edge, ellie brought some great tunes into 2010. i saw her live at the beginning of year and she was amazing. 'lights' was reissued last month with 6 extra tracks on so go and buy it! watch her acoustic version of the midlake song 'roscoe':

ALIZEE - UN ENFANT DU SIECLE

i am pretty sure i am the only person who liked this album! it's not an album full of individual songs, it's more of a concept album - thematically it's edie sedgwick lost in space and it needs to be listened to all in one go -very loudly so it envelopes you with it's electro spacedust grooves.

ROBYN - BODY TALK (parts 1,2 & 3)

nothing for ages then 3 albums all one year, robyns brand of brashy electro pop got me out of my seat, dancing like a robot boy.

HURTS - HAPPINESS

their moody synth pop brought new levels of melancholy to pop. i love it
here is their cover of the kylie classic 'confide in me'

LAURA MARLING - I SPEAK BECAUSE I CAN

mercury prize nominee laura made folk fresh again - although only 20, she sounds like she's been around since joan baez and joni mitchell. amazing.

honourable mentions go to...

MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS - THE FAMILY JEWELS
she made being 'kooky' cool for the first time since cyndi lauper. her mental lyrics teamed with pop sensibilities made for an album of great tunes.

KYLIE - APHRODITE
almost back on form this year with some outstanding classic kylie pop. marred only by her insistence on including inferior scissor sisters penned songs.



KELIS - FLESH TONE
or confessions on a dancefloor part 2 or the album madonna should have recorded instead of hard candy. kelis goes clubbing with house beats, electronic synths and dances us into oblivion.

my retro doll discovery of 2010

LEONIE - LILITH

oh leonie! with your breathy babylike vocals, your birkinesque style and j c vannier songs, i found you lurking around ebay and just knew when i saw you grasping that doll that your music would not disappoint. from then on it was my mission to find all your recordings - only one e.p. to go until it is complete.

mordis guilty pleasure of 2010

what would have happened if amanda lear met the pet shop boys? surely it could only have sounded like fancy!

i have to confess that this year i fell under the spell of euro pop king (queen?) fancy. hailing from germany in the mid to late 80's, he is euro disco cheese mixed with italo disco.

sally shapiro really needs to hear this!

FANCY - FLAMES OF LOVE

when a star is born

get in the festive mood with claudine longet singing morning star

qui est jany ?

JANY L. - LE RESTAURANT CHINOIS
well that's it from jany. all we have learnt is that she was marvy and looked a bit like pamela anderson. well, that's good enough for me!

qui est jany ?

JANY L. - HERALD TRIBUNE
she funks it up a bit more here plus she sounds like she's trying to sell newspapers on the street corner!

qui est jany ?

JANY L. - LES MADELEINES
wow wow wow, what a great song this is.

qui est jany ?

JANY L. - MOI JOLI VAMPIRE
firstly, let me say that the next few days wouldn't have been made possible had it not been for the long lost but wonderful blog spiked candy.

so nice

just listen to the first few words that she sings- fragile, soft and whispery - what a marvellous sound. enjoy isabelle channelling her inner astrud gilberto samba vibe

into the groove

LAURA ULMER - TOUS LES GARCONS NE PENSENT QU'AUX FILLES
although she released a few e.p.s i think yesterdays and todays songs are by far the best songs on them.

let it swing

LAURA ULMER - AMOUREUX D'UNE AFFICHE
don't know much about laura but i do know you'll all like this song

turn it up

DANI - PETIT TAUREAU
i'm posting this just because i LOVE it so much!

doll age tendre

ELSA LEROY - MIEUX VAUT TARD QUE JAMAIS
as a mademoiselle âge tendre winner it was inevitable she would record at least one record. the result is amazing. stomping beats that fit easily alongside the best of 60's ye-ye pop

little drummer girl

if like me you are a big fan of annie, then you are bound to fall in love with florrie too. and you can can get all her music for free on her website. one to watch out for in 2011

monkee girl 2

SAMANTHA JUSTE - IF TREES COULD TALK
it's a shame she didn't make a few more records, but she married mickey dolenz from the monkees instead!

monkee girl

SAMANTHA JUSTE - NO ONE NEEDS MY LOVE TODAY
tv presenter samantha recorded a couple of nice tunes in the 60's. her voice has a cute breathy flatness like margo guryan. you'll like!

izzy whizzy let's get busy

ISABELLE DE FUNES - LA JOURNEE DE ISABELLE
70's model and actress isabelle recorded a few records but this is the only song of hers that i have. does anyone have any others to share? if this song is anything to go by then she is worth investigating

winter is blue

OLOF ARNALDS - MADRID
i first posted an olof song in july and called her the 'icelandic vashti'. Q magazine then did a review of her and stole my line- and quoted "icelandic vashti"!
if you trust my past posts- then trust me on this - think vashti, the wicker man and a haunting, eerie folk vibe and then you should really appreciate olof.
what do you think?

double request

DANI - POUR QUE CA DURE


CHRISTINE DELAROCHE - L'ASCENSEUR

as you may have gathered by the last weeks posts, i have been overwhelmed by requests recently- i hope this satisfies everyone!

b.b.

as requested, here are both sides of the last record she ever made. recorded in 1982, all the money raised went to the french society for the protection of animals and for greenpeace.

BRIGITTE BARDOT - TOUTES LES BETES SONT A AIMER

BRIGITTE BARDOT - LA CHASSE

fg request

FRANCE GALL - SHAKESPEARE ET PIRE ENCORE
another slightly obscure fg song as requested.

fg request

FRANCE GALL - LE LACHE
i'm sure nobody will mind a 70's fg re-post!

go mod!

FRANCOISE HARDY - WHO'LL BE THE NEXT IN LINE
a great cover version of the kinks song. i can't remember who sent me this song some time ago - but a big thank you!

vs request

VICTOIRE SCOTT - LA LICORNE D'OR
love this one

alien sex fiend

Mylene Farmer - Degeneration
this must be one of the best pop videos ever- puts kylies 'all the lovers' to shame!

these old broads

two ye-ye goddesses sylvie and francoise duet on this track 'sur un fil' which is only available on the limited edition of sylvies new album (which also has contributions from keren ann, benjamin biolay, etienne daho and la grande sophie - sounds promising!)

vs request

VICTOIRE SCOTT - UNE FLEUR DANS LA COEUR

vs request

VICTOIRE SCOTT - UN GARCON UNE FILLE
does anyone have any information about victoire they'd like to share?

vs request

VICTOIRE SCOTT - SOPHIE
over the next 4 days i'll re-posting some hard to find victoire scott songs as requested.

allo allo

FRANCE GALL - ALLO MONSIEUR LA HAUT
what i love most about this gentle song is her wonderful backing singing - all the bababadedas and weewees etc. gorgeous!

mordi can write

read my review of marie amelies new album over at the always marvy filles sourires

a smashing doll

LYNN REDGRAVE (right) - WHILE I'M STILL YOUNG
this stomping good track is taken from the AMAZING film 'smashing time' which i saw again for the first time in years last week - and it is still totally MARVY! Great lyrics, groovy beats and wonderful ba-ba-ba-ba backing singers. enjoy!

on the left of the picture is rita tushingham just before she falls into a puddle and then exclaims that her 'knickers are all nasty and clammy!'

little voice

ELSA - QUELQUE CHOSE DANS MON COEUR
i love this gentle song from 1987 - very cute.

zous that girl

ZOUZOU - PUISQUE TU ES REVENU (ALTERNATIVE MIX)
it's great to hear this raw, unpolished version - complete with in-studio talking!

super steph - wednesday

STEPHANIE - IRRESISTIBLE
this is the english version of her mega hit 'ouragan'

super steph - tuesday

STEPHANIE - YOUNG ONES EVERYWHERE
making music they can share! enjoy some more insightful lyrics.

super steph - monday

STEPHANIE - FLASH
those of you who know a bit about me will already know i have a slight obsession with princess stephanie with her broad shoulders in her swimsuits and her 80's euro pop! this song is just another reason to love her!

nice ass

PATRICIA CARLI - LE LION
i love this picture but it doesn't make her look very groovy! maybe that's because she wasn't! but this song is!

wow

wow wow and wow!
chantal kelly takes off her coat! chantal looks awkward! chantal sings!
chantal is amazing!

chantal goya sings

forward to 0.55, then again to 3.46 to see 2 rare clips of chantal goya singing.

ready steady co

COSETTE - LES CHEVEUX DANS LES YEUX
one e.p. with all songs written by cosette - i'd love to hear le grand chaperon noir and ballade pour un pourquoi. (everyone has idealisation, yes?)

michele, ma belle

MICHELE TORR - DANS MES BRAS OUBLIES TA PEINE
from 64, this great little tune is reminiscent of sylvie or sheila. nice!

german doll

RIA BARTOK - TU AS PERDU LA TETE
i'm not normally a big fan of ria, she normally just misses the mark but this song is right on target.

rare france gall

after posting the marianne cover of 'a bientot nous deux', i then realised france gall had also covered it! view it here. amazing.
am i right in thinking this song isn't on vinyl or cd? so has anyone got an mp3 version? or can anyone make a good copy from youtube?
UPDATE - look in the comments for an mp3 from Gee!

delphine days - friday

DELPHINE - A BIENTOT SANS DOUTE
does anyone have any information about the mysterious delphine? and if anyone has any other delphine songs, please get in touch.

delphine days - thursday

DELPHINE - LA FERMETURE ECLAIR
this is a yé-yé essential. did anyone else buy this? i did!

delphine days - wednesday

DELPHINE - LES PRISONS DE SA MAJESTE
just a few songs this week from groovy girl delphine

for darby

marianne faithfull - he'll come back to me
as requested, mariannes english version of hugues aufrays 'a bientot nous deux'