The last time Emilie Simon composed a soundtrack she had an icy continent in mind. It was the score for The March of the Penguins and her lilting electronic score accompanied Antarctica’s Emperor Penguins on their journey through a breeding season: battling fierce storms, starvation and attacks from predatory birds. A tale of extraordinary devotion and beauty, it went on to win a host of accolades, and Simon’s score was nominated for a prestigious Cesar award.  Now her second soundtrack, Franky Knight, arrives in the shape of something far more personal. The haunting voice is still there, so too the melancholy and solitude between the plinking of strings, xylophones and piano keys. But the gravity of the album stems from a personal experience of love and loss; what began as a private musical diary to mourn the loss of a loved one has since grown into an album that celebrates the fever, madness, passion and joy of being in love. Sadness is itself an icy continent, but like the penguins, Simon finds warmth in the most inhospitable of places.  More

Emilie Simon’s music can be heard on Delicacy released nationally May 3rd. Based on David Foenkinos’ international best selling novel of the same name, Audrey Tautou is enchanting in this film that shows us we can’t choose who we fall in love with.  More

LE FIGARO: ‘Catchy orchestrated pop, folk, sometimes extravagant and psychedelic’

LE MONDE: ‘Her song sparkles…’

Tour dates:

Monday 11th June: Toff in Town, Melbourne. Tickets

Wed 13 to Fri 15 June : Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Tickets

Saturday 16 June : Fly by Night, Perth. Tickets

March is world music month in our neck of the woods. Music lovers flock in droves to Adelaide for WOMAD, to relish four days of music from every corner of the globe, and those who don’t wait for its celebrated acts to tour locally. If you’ve never got your head around “world music”, no matter, the genre is largely redundant now anyway – and not the realm of tie-dyed hippies dancing to African tribal drums you might have imagined. In fact, you’d be stretched to find any tune that doesn’t draw on samples, rhythms or instruments from unlikely cultures or countries these days; snippets of “world” spice everything from contemporary pop and rock’n'roll to jazz, dance and beyond. There are also unexpected aficionados of global beats in the least likely places: take the Cat Empire’s Jumps for example. Aside from playing WOMAD, he’s also released Music Makes The World Go Round, his personal foray into the worldly – and otherworldly – sounds that tantalise his musical sensibilities. Why not be tantalised yourself? It is March, after all…

To begin with, a big ‘‘merci’’ to everyone who made it to So Frenchy So Chic in the Park at Werribee Mansion in Melbourne on January 15. As one review so kindly put it, God is Francophile: the weather was glorious, the setting of sprawling gardens, lake and historic mansion picturesque, the Provence-meets-Melbourne atmosphere enchanting and the music in tune with its surrounds.  For those of you who caught Nouvelle Vague, Asa, Moriarty and Fefe around the country, we’re glad you had such a great time: every show (Sydney Festival, Adelaide, Brisbane) sold out and there was no shortage of dancing and merrymaking. You should know the artists were just as seduced by you and the charms of Down Under, and were reluctant to head back to Paris’ winter chill. Poor petals, we’d have been happy to entertain them for longer. As for the rest of summer, we’re hoping you have enough So Frenchy, So Chic joie de vivre in your step to see you through. As always, it’s all about finding the right notes…

Check out our photo albums on our facebook pages. here and here

REVIEWS

Voila some reviews published in the press post event. Please visit our facebook page to view our photo albums here and here

BROADSHEET – “French champagne, wine and picnic hampers stuffed with all manner of Parisian delights were consumed as barefooted patrons weaved between picnic rugs towards the stage, played croquet on the lawn and explored the property in large sun hats and summer frocks” More

THE AGE: “Its not a sound its a lifestyle.” More

FASTER LOUDER – Hip-hop artist Fefe presents an explosive live show fusing elements of funk, soul, blues, rock and the odd ballad More

BEAT: “So Frenchy 2012 was a perfect day of music in the sunshine” More

LIFEMUSIC MEDIA – “Moriarty proved that they are truly a musical ensemble, with each musician showcasing breathtaking talent on their instruments”

FASTER LOUDER – “They (nouvelle Vague) beguile the audience with their rhythms and voices.”

SBS French program podcast – More

Adelaide show review

We  know the world has plenty of rock stars, pop stars and wanna be stars – they’re everywhere! But the world doesn’t have enough troubadours; those unique artists who make music because its in their DNA and embrace variety like intrepid travellers

Welcome to the musically quirky and eclectic world that is Babylon Circus. True troubadours in every sense of the word and the world, this nine-piece French band from Lyon have taken the road as their home and to date have played more than 900 concerts in 30 countries.

The Detroit News suggests this recipe: “mix Django Reinhardt with Jacques Brel, add a little Gogol Bordello and you’ll come close to what Babylon Circus sounds like”. For the rest of us, imagine a punky anti-establishment take on ska, pop, chanson, gypsy and dancehall all shoved into a magical suitcase.

Don’t take our word for it, find out for yourself with ‘La Belle Etoile’. Sung in French and sometimes English, this musical menagerie is a wild and unique CD: choose from the hints of chanson in Marions Nous Au Soleil to the odd chugging of La Cigarette, jaunty hip-hop meets toasting of L’Envol and the odd off-kilter rock of Perdu.

Even wilder are the band’s off-stage antics, which include escapades like police chases, beatings and imprisonment in Irish jails, a bathtub of ‘Absolut’, double concussions and hospitalisation in Russia and joining Muslim carnival processions in Syria.

Known for their insanely fun and unpredictable shows, Babylon Circus are back in Australia in for the Falls Festival. You’ll be in for a big treat when you join the chaos!

Moriarty – I will do

Cascadeur – Walker

Egg Unlimited has prepared three specially created hampers  for So Frenchy So Chic in the Park. Book now as they are freshly made to order

Decadent French Fare for Two (pic above): Four soft brioche rolls filled with rare roasted Angus beef, house made onion marmalade and horseradish cream Share tub of salad nicoise French cheese plate of sharp cheddar and blue cheeses, muscatels, quince paste accompanied with rye, currant and walnut croutes Two rich cakes made with pear, polenta and lemon topped with ginger glazed pear slices Seasonal fresh fruit to share Napkins Bamboo cutlery – $74.90 (inc BF)

Pre order from Cartell   Pre order from Ticketmaster

Vegetarian Sharebox: Four French rectangle tarts of caramelised onion, double brie and fresh thyme Two tubs of salad nicoise – fresh green beans, chat potatoes, cherry tomatoes, free range egg and black olives served with a walnut dressing Fresh fruit selection Napkins Bamboo cutlery – $39.90 (inc BF)

Pre order from Cartell  Pre order from Ticketmaster

French Fare for two : Two crunchy white baguettes of smoked leg ham, double brie, crisp cos lettuce and peach chutney Two tubs of salad nicoise – fresh green beans, chat potatoes, cherry tomatoes, free range egg and black olives served with a walnut dressing Two Frangipane rectangle tarts made from fresh blueberries and zesty lemon Napkins Bamboo cutlery – $49.90 (inc BF)

Pre order from Cartell  Pre order from Ticketmaster

The Dø – Both Ways Open Jaws. “They’re the brains behind some of the most insanely catchy pop on the market” Sunday Times (UK)

When Moriarty released their first album, Gee Whiz But This is a Lonesome Town, critics scratched their collective heads over what, aside from its creators, defined it as French.

More Paris, Texas, than Paris, France, it melded harmonica, kazoo, harp and Wild West twang in a manner that evoked visions of tumbleweed, hillbillies and bison — a long way from the glamorous arrondisements of the City Of Lights. The band’s name borrows from a Jack Kerouac tale; Dean Moriarty was the hero of On The Road, a “holy goof” who’s got “the secret that we’re all busting to find out”. But is also means “man of the sea” in Gaelic (not Gallic), which ties neatly to the group’s penchant for folk melodies – and the oceans spanning its member’s collective roots: France, America, Switzerland and Vietnam. As for their new album, The Missing Room, penned after a long stint of touring (maybe all those hotel rooms blended into one), it has plenty of French twists if you’re looking for them. Consider the song titles: Where is the Light, How Many Tides, The Dark Line in the Middle of Hope; if Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir weren’t debating such existential quandaries in Paris’ Cafe de Flore back in the day, what were they doing? If you get the groove, Moriarty will be back Down Under in January for So Frenchy So Chic in the Park. It’ll be a perfect chance to stop and smell the roses.

A new recipe for overnight success entered the music industry a few years back and its main ingredient involved having your catchy tune picked up by a major corporation and turned into a soundtrack for all things cool and cutting edge in the process. For Feist, this meant recording a Sally Seltman song (1234) and having her career launched into a different hemisphere through an Ipod Nano advertisement. For Paris-born, Israeli-raised Yael Naim, it meant writing a song called New Soul and having it picked up by Apple to launch that nifty new gadget known as the MacBook Air. Three years later, Naim brings us her third album, the curiously titled “She was a Boy”, which delivers a posy of songs that reference both her heritage (born to Tunisian parents) and very universal conundrums: finding your way through everyday life. Its soulful lyrics travel on songs that emboider jazz/folk compositions with whimsical and exotic instrumentation: flute, cello, mangolin, charango, ukulele. It mightn’t feature a smash hit for the advertising industry, but you’ll find it good company regardless. And, like a new friend, it reveals itself in playful flourishes.

Sample the album