A Primer on French Music

French music is often maligned as being all accordions and berets, Maurice Chevalier circa Gigi, or 30 years behind us, but that's a bit unfair. While it's true that alot of French music can be comical in its gallicness (the aforementioned Chevalier) or well behind the times (see Mylene Farmer), there's a lot that is good. Here's just a few I have in heavy rotation.

For old school stuff, nothing beats Serge Gainsbourg's 'Ballad of Melody Nelson', which sounds a lot like an old lusty frenchman doing spoken word while eating moules and drinking wine, if that Frenchman happened to have P-funk as his dinner companions.

Serge Gainsbourg - "Melody".

For slightly more modern faire, try the following three one-man bands, who run the gamut from 80's new wave retro sounds (m83), to rave music (Anoraak) to flat-out cool techno-pop with a hint of gallic humor and real sexuality (Sebastien Tellier).

Anoraak - “The Wizzard”

M83 – Skin of The Night


Sebastian Tellier - La Ritournelle (Mr. Dan magic wand mix)