French Letter Music Blog
French Letter
Apr8

Written by:aidan
Tuesday, April 08, 2008 

Another CLUAS-approved album by the Riviera shoegazer, who's be in Dublin later this month. At the Andrew's Lane Theatre! Next thing, they'll be blowing up the Pillar.

Our favourite French radio presenter is Bernard Lenoir, who hosts an hour of cracking indie (with regular live sessions and world music specials) at 10pm Paris time on France Inter. You can listen to archived shows and check out his playlists on the C'est Lenoir website.

We have one sizeable quibble, though - he doesn't play enough French acts. Decent French pop bands, we mean. The only homegrown acts he features are godawfully-boring ageing wannabe poets like Alain Bashung or Murat who speak their lyrics over stale rock riffs. We're not even going to link to them.

Anthony Gonzales of M83But maybe that policy is changing. Last night Lenoir played 'Kim And Jessie' by M83, a lovely slice of '80s-sounding indie synthness from new album 'Saturdays = Youth'.

M83 is the project of Anthony Gonzalez (right) from Antibes on the swanky French Riviera.  Regular CLUAS readers may recall Daragh Murray's glowing review for his 2005 album 'Before The Dawn Heals Us'. (M83's album, not Daragh's.) The motorway-sounding name actually comes from an obscure constellation, and also a popular brand of machine-gun. (Again, M83 and not Daragh.)

'Saturdays = Youth' is the fifth M83 album. Action-packed with MBV-style chaussure-gazing and house-y beats and swishy Air/Jarre synths, it's all very nice stuff indeed.

You can see M83 in Dublin on 25 April, when he plays at (of all places) the Andrew's Lane Theatre. (Music at Andrew's Lane? Since when? Your ex-pat blogger now feels completely out of touch with his ex-home of Dubbalin and is pining for Tayto crisps.)

There are plenty of fine tracks on M83's MySpace page. From that new album, here's 'Graveyard Girl':

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4 comment(s) so far...

Re: M83: new album, Dublin show

yep andrew's lane is reopening as a live music venue, first gig on tuesday with crystal castles...
i'll be one of the lampies in there... i think i'm doing the M83 gig :-)

By Edith on   Saturday, April 19, 2008

Re: M83: new album, Dublin show

So, no more plays there? It was a really nice theatre space, although the acoustics weren't great. I can't remember what the lighting was like... Good luck with your work there, Edith, and enjoy M83 - he's really good!

By aidan on   Saturday, April 19, 2008

Re: M83: new album, Dublin show

not doing M83 but i'm going to see the gig anyway. i went to A.L.T. (andrews lane theatre as they call it now) yesterday and it is a really nice venue, proper rock n roll venue, a square, with the bar at the back, graffitis on the walls, and just a few lights for the moment. we are gonna put projectors in so we can have visuals as well. i really like the place!

By Edith on   Friday, April 25, 2008

Re: M83: new album, Dublin show

I left that gig after the 4th song. Not impressed at all!
Nice venue though.

byebye
Lauren

By Lauren G on   Friday, May 02, 2008

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