A paper tiger is something that appears threatening but is in fact quite harmless and inoffensive.

This has no connection to French alt-rockers Papier Tigre (right), whose name actually means 'tiger paper'. As in, you pop into Eason's for some stationery and spot some black-and-orange-striped envelopes and writing pads. (Perfect for the mammy's present this Christmas.)

Papier Tigre, from Nantes on the west coast of France, make shouty '90s-sounding alt-hard-rock. If your Mastermind specialised subject is "The Works of Steve Albini 1989-95", this band will appeal to you. They've also picked up a bit of Rage Against The Machine, lest they be accused of being limited. 

The threesome are currently in Ireland. (There's a paper tiger/Celtic Tiger witticism waiting to be minted there by some enterprising young social commentator.) Tonight (Saturday 29 November), they're playing at Cyprus Avenue in Cork. Then tomorrow night they're in Dublin, at Twisted Pepper (formerly Traffic) on Middle Abbey Street. 

The band's new album, 'The Beginning And End Of Now' came out earlier this month and it does the hard rock thing quite well. Even your indie-pop blogger likes it. Check out some tracks from it on Papier Tigre's MySpace page.

From what we believe is a Brazilian TV show, here's 'Restless Empire':

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Meet John & Jehn (right), a French couple living in London. Not only do they share romantic moments over tea and scones, but they also make pop music together.

What kind of pop music? Well, let's follow the logic of most reviews we've seen of them in the French press: they're a couple who play guitars and wear shades, often at the same time, and so they are The French Kills or The French Ting Tings.

In fact, John & Jehn jumble up acoustica and indietronica to make an agreeably home-made patchwork of alt-pop which sounds not-much like their perceived English peers. You who don't like them might find it all self-consciously shambolic in the style of Noah And The Whale, with whom they're touring. Yes, John's voice often veers towards the laboured artlessness of NATW singer Charlie Fink. 

But they're never as irritating as their English tourmates. In fact, we find them quite charming. Someone told us about them AGES ago, but it's only this week that we simultaneously found their first release and the scrap of paper on which we had scribbled their name.

John & Jehn have just whipped out their first album, self-titled, and it's very nice indeed. With every listen, it elbows its way a notch further up our 2008 Best French Music poll. You can hear bits and pieces from the record on their MySpace page.

A recent single, here's the video for the rather excellent '20LO7' by John & Jehn:

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The 2008 Prix Constantin has been won by Asa (pronounced 'Asha') for her eponymous debut album. The folk-pop singer (right), real name Bukola Elemide, received her prize at a ceremony in Paris last night.

Born in France but raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Asa has found success with her brand of acoustic pop, mixing gentle afro-folk rhythm with soulful melody. You may recognise her from the MOBO Awards, where she was nominated for Best African Act.

(You may recall that your Paris correspondent feared Asa would be a rank outsider for this prize. So much for our tipster ability.)

Here's the video for the best-known song from the album, 'Fire On The Mountain':

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Key Notes Top Ten Irish Albums: 9

Microdisney - The Clock Comes Down The Stairs

While Microdisney's We Hate You South African Bastards! is probably the greatest title of any Irish album, there is no denying that The Clock Comes Down The Stairs is the greatest section of Cathal Coughlan and Sean O'Hagan's combined discography.  Released in 1985 the album went on to be voted the best album of the decade by The Sunday Tribune newspaper in 1989.

Now, given the fact that Key Notes was 3 when the record was recorded it's fair to say this blog didn't purchase it upon its release.  Indeed, don't tell anyone but Key Notes' first version of this LP was a tape of a tape (in the days when taping music was going to kill the industry; sound familiar?).  This blog has since got his hands on a vinyl version by chance.  Key Notes was actually 'googling' something completely different (a piece of art if you must know) and was asked 'Did you mean The Clock Comes Down The Stairs?'  He didn't as it happens, but the name evoked images of evenings spent recording and listening to mix-tapes.  A copy of the LP would soon be winging its way to Key Note Towers.

What this blog loves about this LP is its sense of humour.  Tracks such as Genius and Horse Overboard drip with sarcasm.  Other stand-out tracks include Goodbye - It's 1987, Birthday Girl and A Friend With A Big Mouth.  It's hard to pick a favourite track from this album but, if a gun was placed to Key Notes' head, he'd have to pick Genius:  'You're a genius, you're a giant, you're a prince, you are the Pope, the things you feel are just a joke, so burn, burn, burn.'  Listen to it just once and then try get it out of your head for the rest of the day.  It's, well, genius.

The Clock Comes Down The Stairs was perfect Celtic Tiger music even though it was written well before this countires boom years.  This was music for disaffected outsiders in a land full of pretention.  Fair enough, it was written in 1980's London but the sentiments expressed on the LP applied just as much to Ireland in the 90's and the Naughties.

Microdisney - Birthday Girl

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Until quite recently, all we seemed to hear from the French alternative music scene was shy, poetic acoustica. Now that seems like years ago: today it's wall-to-wall indie-disco-pop.

We mentioned Paris pair Housse de Racket a while back, and New Yorkers The Virgins are having huge success here with 'Rich Girls'.

The best of the home-made groups strutting the alt-pop dancefloor is Tahiti 80 (right). From Rouen, where Joan of Arc was made toast, this foursome have just released their fourth album. And they've called it 'Activity Centre' after the Fisher Price toy from back in the day! (What with Minitel Rose, there's a definite '80s nostalgia vibe about French indie these days.)

Anyway, 'Activity Centre' is a smashing album, full of soulful pop, sweeping string arrangements and jangly chords. Lead singer Xavier Boyer has a pleasant voice and bass player Pedro Resende keeps it funky from start to finish. All in all, great stuff. If you can't find your Curtis Mayfield or Orange Juice records, they probably ended up in here.

Tahiti 80 also embody one of pop's greatest clichés. Yes, they're Big In Japan. It's all thanks to the cult figure of Cornelius (maker of the wondrous 'Fantasma' all those years ago), who put the lads on a compilation album a few years ago. Their track, 'Heartbeat', duly became a hit. Now they can't go down the street in Tokyo without being beseiged (probably). 

From an album packed with potential singles, which you can hear on their MySpace page, Tahiti 80 are currently enjoying huge airplay with 'All Around'. As if the song itself wasn't already likeable, the video is quite charming too - unless you're a hamster:

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