Ready, tame, fire: By taking no significant risk with their sound, the Versailles band's 'Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix' is a slight disappointment.

A high-profile headline slot at the Maroquinerie tonight, a prominent billing at Benicassim - the Kildare lads are slowly conquering France and the rest of mainland Europe.

Version 2009 of the annual Paris music/AIDS-awareness festival is definitely on in late June and certainly has a cracking programme: Manu Chao, Amadou and Mariam, Friendly Fires, Metronomy, The Virgins, Alela Diane, Cocoon and more. From the days of Mano Negra, here's Chao rocking round the clock with 'Out Of Time Man'.

The pan-continental pop, rock n'folk fest in Clermont Ferrand, featuring Bloc Party, Maximo Park, I'm From Barcelona, Loney Dear, Emily Loizeau, Vitalic, Declan de Barra... and Herman Dune.

My Lovely Horse: Coming up the rails on the far side, it’s the terrible name but gorgeous dancefloor-pop of Pony Pony Run Run and ‘Hey You’ - well worth a flutter.

Tunnel of love: another fine set of tunes from the UK-based French trio. Their 'Pick The Ghost' E.P. gives us more dark indie that's illuminated by the melodic flashes of Marion Andrau's voice.

A reprieve of sorts for the famous Paris rock venue - new owners and remedial works will see La Flèche d'Or re-open in August. But will the new broom sweep out the old alt-rock spirit?

George Gershwin's other epic work, by way of Paris car salesmen, Gene Kelly and Kim Jong-Il. Here's the New York Philharmonic playing it at their historic 2008 Pyongyang performance. Watch out for those car horns!

Our annual round-up of festivals where you don't need rain gear or a bank loan begins with the trip to Belfort for France's most internationally-popular summer show. This year's line-up includes Kanye West, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Prodigy, Tricky, Birdy Nam Nam and French heroes Phoenix - from them, another new track and another classical composer namecheck.

French revolutions per minute: For World Record Store Day, here are some of the independent music shops we know and love in Paris and the rest of France.

Top cat: France's second city is home to great food and a deadly music festival featuring the fine electro-clashing of Miss Kittin. And for our French readers, is Naas 'nazz'?

The Nam Machine: meet 'Manual For Successful Rioting', the smashing second studio album from the French DJ foursome, full of dancefloor-friendly beats heavily influenced by a certain legendary German electronic quartet.

Beneath the extravagant Pont Alexandre III in Paris you'll find the ultra-hip nightclub celebrated in song by Friendly Fires.

Flèche wound: the French capital's most popular rock venue has been forced to close by its neighbours, due to excessive noise levels.

Arch de triomphe: You think his name is odd? Check out what he called his brilliant first album. Here's an acoustic set from a young Parisian singer-songer heavily influenced by American folk and post-rock.

A leisurely stroll down one of the world's most famous streets, finishing with its unofficial anthem: a cult/cheese classic sung by the son of a famous French film director.

From the Champagne region of France, here's the new star of le French touch with his dancefloor hit 'Tonight'. He'll be in Dublin in May.

Whatever about inheriting the earth, this Beatles-obsessed Frenchman deserves ample reward for his Fab-flavoured acoustic pop. From his fourth album, here's 'Six Feet Under'.

I Could Definitely Take The Place Of Your Man: Some swaggering electro-pop that aspires to knock the little purple fella off his throne. But can he back it up? From ‘Sweat Symphony’, here’s Flairs with ‘Better Than Prince’.

The best band in France return with a cracking new song off their forthcoming new album. From 'Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix', here's Phoenix with '1901'.

Piano forte: Thanks to her dark, dramatic piano-pop, Maud Lübeck has become a cult favourite on the Paris scene - and she’s going to become massively popular in 2009. Check out some new songs on her MySpace page and watch a video for one of her oldies. 

Springtime in Paris: meet the evocatively-named Californian who’s obsessed with hipswinging ‘60s French pop. Thanks to some Tarantino patronage, you probably know one of her songs – so we’ll show you another one. Plus: her brilliantly-named former bands!

…but enough about our sordid private life. Here’s a classic French single from 1981 that we’ve just heard for the first time: Patrick Coutin’s twitchy, sinewy ‘J’aime Regarder Les Filles’.

Initials BB: The idiosyncratic French electro-popper and producer bids farewell to live performing... in a small community centre outside Paris. Your correspondent treks out to the sticks to investigate. (Contains reference to Michel Houellebecq.)

No recession in the activity or popularity of the Déise troubadour, who returns to France for a series of Paris shows before jaunting off round Sweden and the Netherlands. From a previous visit Seine-side, watch him singing ‘Leaves In The Sun’