French Letter

Serge Gainsbourg film: Irish release

frenchletter@cluas.com — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 23:00:00 GMT

The disappointing biopic of France's greatest ever pop star opens in Irish cinemas next week.

Video: Villagers busking in Montmartre

frenchletter@cluas.com — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 23:00:00 GMT

Becoming a Jacques-al: Conor O'Brien, garlanded with Gallic rave reviews and performing free-range on the cobbled streets of Paris, as filmed by French website Le Hiboo. Watch the solo Villager playing 'Home' and 'Set The Tigers Free'.

Onra: soup-erstar DJ!

frenchletter@cluas.com — Wed, 19 May 2010 23:00:00 GMT

Old-school Detroit and New York hip-hop revisited by France's coolest DJ/electronica dude - brought to you by a Dublin record label! (We'll explain the title pun too.)

Gush: diamond geysers!

frenchletter@cluas.com — Sat, 15 May 2010 23:00:00 GMT

Brothers/cousins with shaggy hair and leather jackets - but that's where the Kings Of Leon similarities end. These four Paris lads make late-'60s retro rock with the occasional detour into '70s MOR pop... no, wait! Come back! They're quite good! Check out 'No Way' and 'Let's Burn Again'.

Eurockeennes 2010

frenchletter@cluas.com — Thu, 13 May 2010 23:00:00 GMT

For the price of an Irish festival ticket, get yourself an all-in trip to eastern France for a sunny weekend of Jay-Z, LCD Soundsystem, The Specials, The XX, Massive Attack, The Hives, Broken Social Scene, Foals, Missy Elliot... and Charlotte Gainsbourg!

Tender Forever: un chanson de Valera

frenchletter@cluas.com — Sat, 08 May 2010 23:00:00 GMT

Forever and ever, Eamon: a new album from Melanie Valera, near-namesake of our nation's founding father. Would he have dug her intimate, folksy electro-pop? Of course - how could he have resisted a song as great as 'Like The Snare That's Gone'?

Francoise Hardy

frenchletter@cluas.com — Sun, 02 May 2010 23:00:00 GMT

Hello goodbye: The coolest French female pop star ever, with her greatest song - 'Comment Te Dire Adieu'. It being brilliant '60s French pop, Serge Gainsbourg is involved.

Boogers: play that funky mucus!

frenchletter@cluas.com — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 23:00:00 GMT

Pick of the pops: an idiosyncratic and charming tune from a Tours singer who'll be playing promotional shows on the high-speed trains of France.

Quantum physics and electro-pop

frenchletter@cluas.com — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 23:00:00 GMT

The appliance of science: Pink Noise Party, two Paris-based physicists who build cracking pop music and home-made keyboards, which they take to places like Balaclava and underwater. Just another ordinary day in the world of French electronica.

Rock en Seine 2010: looking good!

frenchletter@cluas.com — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 23:00:00 GMT

For only €99, an August weekend in Paris with Arcade Fire, Massive Attack, Roxy Music, LCD Soundsystem, Queens of The Stone Age, Jonsi, Underworld, Foals, Eels, Two Door Cinema Club, Kele Okereke and plenty more.