French Letter Music Blog
French Letter
Author:aidanCreated:Monday, November 27, 2006
La vie en rock - the best French music, how Irish acts are getting on in France, and other Parisian pop/rock reports from CLUAS.com's lad in Seine.

Manu Chao: Dublin gig

By aidan onFriday, September 28, 2007
The globetrotting world music maverick will be in the tent in the park on Sunday 4 November.
Comments (0)More...

Les Ritas Mitsouko: Dublin gig

By aidan onThursday, September 27, 2007
The legendary '80s French pop pair are visiting Dublin: 17 October at Whelan's. The venue will probably be too small for all the French and Francophiles in Ireland, but when did that ever stop gigs in Eire? Watch the colourful duo's video for 'Andy'.
Comments (0)More...

Video: Beirut busking in Paris

By aidan onWednesday, September 26, 2007
More Take Away Show goodness, this time featuring the splendid indie-folk-pop of Beirut. Watch the band perform two tracks from their new album, live on the streets of Paris.
Comments (4)More...

Divine Comedy in Marseille

By aidan onTuesday, September 25, 2007
The worst of times: Honorary Parisian Neil Hannon ventures bravely to Marseille for this weekend's Marsatac festival. Meanwhile, back in Paris, the Irish are under the repressive gloating of French rugby fans. Time to stand up and fight, then: here's the video for 'The Frog Princess'.
Comments (0)More...

Video: Arcade Fire (and others) busk in Paris

By aidan onMonday, September 24, 2007
Song-set boulevard: French music blog La Blogotheque features the Take Away Shows, where the hippest alternative acts play in unusual Paris locations. For instance, watch Arcade Fire playing in a freight elevator.
Comments (0)More...

Justice: December Dublin show

By aidan onFriday, September 21, 2007
This year's best French dance duo will be in the famous tent in the Phoenix Park on 1 December.
Comments (2)More...

'French Friday': rugby special

By aidan onWednesday, September 19, 2007
Turn on, tune in, 22 drop-out: Dublin's regular French club night this Friday coincides with the France-Ireland match in the Rugby World Cup. By 10pm on Friday, Thomas House will probably be the only singing pub in Ireland.
Comments (0)More...

French radio in Dublin

By aidan onTuesday, September 18, 2007
Every morning, Dubliners can tune into a community station, NEAR FM, to listen to the news in French. Croissants are optional. Meanwhile, on Thursday evenings you can hear the best new local indie acts on The NEAR FM Sessions.
Comments (0)More...

France's pop Lolita

By aidan onMonday, September 17, 2007
Sells like teen spirit: The awful ironic cover version topping the French charts at the moment reminds us of the original song, 'Moi Lolita' by Alizée - a glittering jewel of sophisticated disco-pop. Even seedy lyrics and a pretentious video can't ruin it.
Comments (6)More...

Music on the metro

By aidan onSunday, September 16, 2007
Going underground: The Paris metro has a vibrant community of buskers and musicians.
Comments (7)More...

French gods: Dionysos and Cantona

By aidan onSaturday, September 15, 2007
The King and I: A classic French indie album from a band currently making a record with a certain iconic French footballer...
Comments (2)More...

Dublin's French community on RTE tonight

By aidan onThursday, September 13, 2007
Tonight (Thursday 13 September) at 7:00, RTE 1's 'Capital D' features the French people who've made Dublin their home.
Comments (0)More...

Jailed French singer soon free?

By aidan onSaturday, September 08, 2007
The next release by France's biggest rock band may be of its lead singer, currently serving an eight-year jail sentence for killing his film-star girlfriend in 2003. The case still generates strong emotions in France.
Comments (8)More...

Rory Gallagher Street, France

By aidan onWednesday, September 05, 2007
Well how do you do, young Rory Gallagher: Why a French town named a street after Ireland’s guitar hero. Plus, directions on how to get there more easily than we did.
Comments (0)More...

La rentrée 2007

By aidan onWednesday, September 05, 2007
Quoi de neuf? France bursts back into life after a month of holidays - in music, that means new releases by Vanessa Paradis, Manu Chao, Deportivo and Rhesus.
Comments (0)More...

French Festival: Fête de l’Humanité

By aidan onWednesday, August 22, 2007
Oh, the humanity: The curtain-closer of the Paris summer season, on the weekend of 14-16 September, is a music and arts festival organised by France’s left-wing community and headlined by Razorlight and Iggy and the Stooges. No news of any surprise comeback appearance by The Communards, though. Watch a video from French headliner Olivia Ruiz.
Comments (2)More...

Rachid Taha rocks le casbah

By aidan onMonday, August 20, 2007
Rai of the rovers: The Algerian trad-punk star appearing at the Festival of World Cultures in Dún Laoghaire, and the famous 1981 Paris encounter when he and The Clash inspired each other. Watch the legacy of that meeting – Rachid Taha and Mick Jones performing ‘Rock The Casbah’.
Comments (0)More...

Duke Special and Emily Loizeau

By aidan onSunday, August 19, 2007
I’m like a bird: Tonight in Belfast, Ireland’s best pop songwriter performs with France’s - it’s an excellent opportunity for Irish music lovers to discover the wonderful Emily Loizeau, Anglo-French piano-playing cabaret-pop chanteuse.
Comments (0)More...

La vie en Rose

By aidan onFriday, August 17, 2007
In Dublin and other Irish towns you can find a vibrant French community alongside our other new neighbours. Meanwhile, your blogger’s home town starts its annual festival today – without live bands, but with le French touch.
Comments (1)More...

France's superstar DJs

By aidan onThursday, August 16, 2007
Down on the French Riviera this summer, big name Paris DJs like Laurent Garnier, David Guetta, Martin Solveig and Bob Sinclar are entertaining the wealthy clubbers.
Comments (3)More...

Eurocultured Festival at Smithfield

By aidan onWednesday, August 15, 2007
Go continental this Saturday with Dublin's free music and street performance festival, featuring Fight Like Apes, Hybrasil and Lauren Guillery.
Comments (1)More...

Daft Punk's Electroma

By aidan onTuesday, August 14, 2007
The impressive new film by the original of the French-electronica-duo species - no dialogue or Daft Punk music, but still 75 minutes of stunning visuals and a coherent, emotionally-involving storyline. Go see.
Comments (0)More...

'French Friday', Thomas House, 17 August

By aidan onMonday, August 13, 2007
No summer vacation for Dublin's regular French club night, back for the third Friday of the month as usual.
Comments (1)More...

France's '80s cult act

By aidan onSaturday, August 11, 2007
Lovely Rita: In the 1980s, Les Rita Mitsouko made music the way that Jean Paul Gaultier makes clothes – flamboyantly kitsch and playfully eclectic. They also had a famous TV run-in with Serge Gainsbourg – and they’re still starring on the French summer festival circuit. Watch their biggest hit, ‘Marcia Baila’.
Comments (2)More...

Paris's floating venues

By aidan onFriday, August 10, 2007
Rock the boat: the French capital's most distinctive and unusual gigspots are converted barges bobbing up and down on the Seine. Could this be a solution to Dublin's current venue shortage?
Comments (0)More...