Radio Vinyle.

The new episode of Radio Vinyle is out ! Featuring The Herbaliser, playing soul and funk. It's a pretty good one.

Elijah Blake.

Could this be the late Christmas gift you were expecting from the music industry ? Possibly. 

This could be as gamebreaking as "Nostalgia,ultra" was once. This R&B project came out of nowhere. But it appeared on various websites and lately on No I.D.'s Soundcloud page, where you can stream it. 

Quoting the bootleg project by Frank Ocean is no mere name-dropping : Frankie and Elijah Blake both earned a small fame by writing for others ; Elijah Blake wrote the break-up anthem "Climax" for Usher, he sung hooks for others (Rick Ross, Game...), he got brought to the Jay-Z's Roc empire and was signed to Def Jam, and is now waiting for his break out opportunity by releasing a free project. 

Just like the Odd Future member. 

Get this "Bijoux 22" EP while you can. For R&B fans only though.   

O-Dub.

Oliver Wang, alias O-Dub, is featured on Dust&Grooves, and tells about his favorite records, his obsessions, his old diggin habits and much more. For those who don't know, O-Dub runs the Soul-Sides blog, casually deejays a few parties once in a while and make compilation records (cover records notably) off his huge collection. 

As usual, nice photographies and interesting Q&A conducted by Eilon.

unpleasant ? really ?

Within the last few days, Mr. Oizo posted tracks on his Soundcloud page, including some under the following category : "unreleased, unfinished, unpleasant".

So far, as I'm listening to his page (yeah, nowadays we can actually listen to pages...), these tracks could have made it to actual physical records without any doubt. But Oizo is kinda used to deliver free stuff over the web, including stuff he would actually sell afterwards. I guess "Flat Beat" earned him enough money for a lifetime.

Oh, and his Handbraekes stuff is pretty decent too. Get ready for your next Parisian parties.

LP storage.

Sick and tired of the milk crates or the Ikea Expedit shelves to store your vinyl records ?

Then you could consider storing and exhibiting your LP's like in your favorite record store with the LP Bin. Pretty neat if you got room for several of them.

Rabih Abou-Khalil.

I had never heard of Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou-Khalil before I watched the latest episode of Radio Vinyle. As an amateur of Arabic music, and far from being a specialist, I was intrigued by the man, his art and influences. The video offered me an opening on Mr. Abou-Khalil's music.

Spinning jazz, rock, classical with equal enthusiasm, it's refreshing to watch and listen to such a smiling musician. French-speaking only.

To extend the pleasure, and to know more about Rabih Abou-Khalil, here's a nice video of a concert he gave in 1990, his discography and his biography. 

Captain Murphy.

The visual in itself is awesome. This is Captain Murphy's album, "Duality". Digital only (for now ?). 

But... who is Captain Murphy ? No other than beat wizard Flying Lotus, rapping under an alias and surrounded by pyschedelic colours and shiny skulls. The album, as FlyLo implied in recent interviews (he said he would release stuff for free on the web after he released "Until The Quiet Comes"), is free (for now ?). It features vocalists, rappers, and dope producers such as, in no order, Madlib, Earl Sweatshirt, Jeremiah Jae, Teebs and others. 

If downloading bothers you, you can stream the whole album as a film on Vimeo. Oh, and I forgot, you can get the instrumentals also... damn, generosity has no bound today. 

By the way, speaking of Flying Lotus, the man has a new video out, for his track "Tiny Torture". The video features music lover, record collector and label owner Elijah Wood. Yeah, that Elijah Wood. 

Spooky as hell. But brilliant.

JD.

The real one now. Jay Dee. James Yancey, J Dilla. Dilla Dawg.

Stones Throw just announced the release of his seminal "Donuts" album as a... 45 box set. Now, I'm wondering : is it strictly business or is it still reasonable ? I mean, why ? Why re-release this gem over and over and over again, on various formats ? Nonsense...

Much more interesting is ?uestlove's DJ set at the Boiler Room, under the patronage of the one and only Red Bull Music Academy. Dilla mood all the way, it's so mellow, so good... it sounds like the perfect music for long winter days spent at home.

The performance is also available for download. Thank the afroman. And Rappamelo.

JD.

Remember when Pharrell said his favourite producer was "Jay Dee. But not Jermaine Dupri" ? Well, this post is about Jermaine Dupri. Frankly, I tried to watch this latest episode of Crate Diggers with a good spirit. But, what can I do, I find the guy to be much less interesting than the previous collectors featured in the series, babbling about himself and his own stuff. Go for it anyway...

psychedelic culture.

While browsing the internet, I found this incredible gold mine about psychedelic culture. The website, obviously serving first as a shop for the owner's book, hosts many reviews of obscure records and books, as well as interviews of actors of the psych movement. 

As few resources allow to expand one's knowledge about what stands as a not-so-well-known cultural movement, this website is very interesting to dive deep into it, and more notably into the musical part of it. Head to the "Attic" section.  

Gilles Peterson's classic stuff.

Gilles Peterson is entirely dedicated to music and diggin, body and soul : DJ, radio host, restless digger across the world... 

He also seems to be a nice guy. His last treat to date : a few episodes of his radio show on BBC made available for streaming. That includes exclusive mixes, interviews, live performances. All this on Tumblr. 

diggin story.

One of those crazy stories that keep diggin alive. You wish.

DJ Toomp.

The latest addition to the "Crate Diggers" video series by Fuse : vinyl enthusiast and synth-full production specialist DJ Toomp.

DJ Jazzy Jeff.

You could say Jeff never disappoint. True. And he proved it again, by providing the funk and the disco to the people, for free, on a divine "Block Party Vol. 1" mix. So far, it's the best way to share Jeff's musical childhood memories. All infos, including the tracklist, are on DJ Jazzy Jeff's official website. 

And while you're in the mood, drop an ear on Jeff's and Shorkut's Live @ The Do-Over performance. Always a great time. 

diggin in China... if that's possible.

Looks like diggin ain't dead in China after all. 

An article of the China Daily talks about an exhibition that were held in Shanghai, presenting records to the people. Not sure that die-hard diggers would have found interesting stuff, but it's good to read about stories of Chinese people who never stopped diggin despite the Cultural Revolution and the (almost) total absence of vinyl records left in mainland China. 

Another article, by CNN, lists two shops in Shanghai. 

Here, you get other addresses, though Uptown Records seems to be quite a reference out there. I'm not calling this post a "diggin guide" because it's not consistent enough, but I guess that's the best deal you'll get about diggin information in Shanghai. 

And for tips about online diggin in China, head to here... damn, that's so far away from the good old Discogs...

30 year old.

You might hate the format, its size, the ridiculous plastic cases, the metal color of it, the fact that you can't watch it turn while playing... but you surely have memories with it. The CD, as in Compact Disc, is 30 year-old. 

Pitchfork collected memories about this anniversary : first CD bought, outdated mix CDs, artwork nonsense, etc. 

30 year old ? The way down the hill ?

The Man With The Iron Fists.

RZA has been heavy on the promo lately, for his movie "The Man With The Iron Fists" and for the related soundtrack. Bundles of this soundtrack (including movie-inspired music, score and other goodies) are available through Get On Down and Soul Temple. Though die-hard Wu-Tang fans might be disappointed that the production is actually not 100% RZA (considering that the score he did for "Ghost Dog" was magnificent), the overall quality of the music is way better than a lot of recent Wu-Tang labelled-products.

On the rap side of it, it is a good blend of both the 1990's and the 2000's. Soul has not been forgotten, as the record includes a few Stax songs. As for the score, it's a well balanced mix of hip hop, soul and classical music. After all, a remixed version of "Shame On A Nigga" opens the movie. Bold.

But what impressed me the most about this all project (music and film) is the artwork. Simple, modern, diverse, inspired... I want those as posters !

By the way, GQ has a 4-page article about RZA and the movie. Entertainment Weekly lists RZA's influences for this movie.

where did the drums go ?

Fair question asked by the ol' man of Unkut (no, that's not only Booba's textile brand) : where did the drums go ? 

Hearing contemporary rap music and that new beat scene that's been rising for quite a few years now, is like going on a quest for those good old drums. It's not about the 808 and 909 trend reintroduced by the Dirty South sound, but about major critically acclaimed producers such as Madlib and Alchemist. Looping sometimes works by itself, and sometimes, it needs additional work, such as pumping up drums in it. 

Well, raving ain't gonna solve this issue, but by reading Robbie's rant, it may pop out of your head "yeah, that's right, where did those drums go ?".  

At the same time, I can't help thinking of new unsigned hype Black Dave, who just dropped the drums-heavy single "On Da Map", which reminisce of Masta Ace's best years... well, Black Dave also did "Black Donald Trump", which feature a kick-only-and-no-snare driven beat... so the question stands !

the best chop...

It's been a while since I last talked about Jay Dee. Well, here I go again with a new video by Bling47, showing House Shoes going over what "might be the greatest chop that Dilla ever came up with" : "Johnny Don't Do It" by 10cc, for "Waves".

Beautiful.

And while you're at it, the guy dropped a lot of these lately.

Radio Vinyle.

I've been sleeping and I missed the two latest episodes of Radio Vinyle, this incredible series that makes you have a glimpse in the Radio France vinyl collection. Figure : 450 000 pieces. 

So, these two episodes featured Brian Molko and Wax Tailor. The one with Wax Tailor really speaks to me, as we kinda share the same broad influences. Sorry for non-French people, it's only in French, but music is universal.

The one with Brian Molko, from Placebo, is also in French, as the guy is perfectly fluent.  

Indispensable.

OF.

Odd Future could be experiencing a little downfall following last year heavy buzz, but it seems they are only recovering from the harsh way from dust to success. 

While Earl Sweatshirt is preparing his album, and is making a track available to stream, MellowHype is considering the mixed reviews over their latest effort "Numbers". 

The main point of this post is to remind you that they started by throwing free stuff at people's face. These internet releases are still available on the collective's website, alongside their dollarable stuff ; anyway, some people (maybe including myself) would say that their most interesting work is their free albums and mixtapes. So, get your fix of Mike G, Domo Genesis, Tyler, Earl, MellowHype and other freaks right there. 

an advice to aspiring label owners.

Wanna set up as a music label mogul ? Well, lower your expectations and keep your day job, as explained in this article from the East Bay Express : "Record labels : cool as a hobby, not a business". 

J-Live.

Ugly cover. Yeah. But rapper, producer and DJ J-Live is kind enough to provide quality stuff so we'll be nice in return.

Here's his latest product, a free mixtape filled with new hip hop tracks, ranging from Kendrick Lamar to Zion I, through Rick Ross, Robert Glasper, Brother Ali, and so much more.

Frankly, J-Live doesn't disappoint. And it's available on Bandcamp.

Breakbot.

Looks like I'm in an electro mood. Maybe so. 

The dude Breakbot infused a little bit of modern disco into the electro-dance universe of Ed Banger. His influences are really broad. But, as demonstrated by his playlist for RMBA, music has to make people dance. Nice to see Daft Punk (kinda obvious), Prince, IAM, MJ and others included. 

A nice listen. 

Diplo don't sleep.

Halloween is mad bullshit, but I must confess I like how artists enhance the "trick or treat" policy on such a date. So, that's a free treat from Diplo, and some serious one. Or two.

The mixing dinosaur did a 2-hour set on BBC, completed by a bonus mix by friend System D 128. This spooky mix is just dangerous and ridiculous at the same time. Legendary.

Not enough for you ? Here's more from the same source : the "Got Stoned And Mixed Really Old Records For Half An Hour" mix.

Pump up the volume and act stupid at home. Dance.

misc. but mainly itws.

I've been away, and now back with a basket of info to share. Music related of course. 

Crate Kings directed to this awesome line of drawings about crate digging. Really creative and so damn true... 

It's Psychedelic Baby did two interesting interviews, one with Yves Rakotomalala, the folk singer from Madagascar, who did "Cagibi" and "Ce Matin Encore", and the other one with a member of now cult Zambian band WITCH Emmanuel Jagari.

Another interview, absurd and funny, but this one in French, with Sébastien Tellier, by French website Mowno. The guy wants you to call him "mom"...

Once again, an interview, this one with rap legend Prince Paul, and conducted by the one and only Unkut. be ready for a history lesson.  

Alright, it's interview galore. Here's Flying Lotus on Pitchfork, talking about his latest album to date "Until The Quiet Comes". Expect free beats soon enough. Hopefully. 

Not exactly an interview, but almost, here's the new episode of "Crate Diggers", featuring a dandy-like Just Blaze with his weed carrier, going over a couple of shelves. Though Blaze knows his stuff, it sometimes hurts to see him treat records like meaningless items. 

A good read about vinyl in New Hampshire. As the youngsters are getting into it, this thing ain't about to stop. 

And oh, a pretty useful read if you're new to eBay. This thing is hilarious at times, but so damn true. 

reissue galore.

Reissues are all over the place nowadays. Usually, it's old albums which are repressed to fulfill the demand. But lately, relatively recent albums have been announced. The latest two ones : "Illmatic" by Get On Down and "Voodoo" by Light In The Attic.

While Get On Down teased fans with a simple announcement and no further info, you can expect a limited extended edition with goodies, if the good guys at Get On Down keep on providing the rap fans with those crazy boxes. 

Even more recent, the cult album by D'Angelo, "Voodoo" (even though I'll forever prefer "Brown Sugar"), will be reissued by Light In The Attic. This is surprising. Good news anyway. 

But the even better news would be the official announcement of D'Angelo's new album...

DJ Jazzy Jay.

This is some real Zulu Nation flavor Fuse infused right there... DJ Jazzy Jay, ladies and gentlemen. A figure ? "Four to six hundred thousands". Yeah. Crazy. A question : do all crate diggers store vinyl at their mom's house ?

Mr. Wilson.

Who's the author of the msot expensive record ? Elvis ? Wrong. Lennon ? Wrong. MJ ? Wrong again. Led Zepellin ? Prince ? Miles Davis ? The Doors ? Wrong, wrong, wrong, all wrong !

The guy's name is Frank Wilson. Well, was. He died. RIP.

A songwriter for Motown, Mr. Wilson recorded a rare northern soul tune, "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)", which is believed to exist in only two physical copies, one of which having sold for £25,000. Yeah, that much. 

To have an idea of his (more famous and less expensive) work, Frank Wilson wrote "Stone Love" by The Supremes, or "Chained" by Marvin Gaye. 

RBMA.

The Red Bull Music Academy is an initiative by... Red Bull. The idea ? Gathering some of the most innovative young minds of music, whatever their nationality, their gender, their style... Of course, as a sign of the time, lots of electro and hip hop heads made the cut, but anyone can apply. If you think your music's worth a listen, go for it and win a stay in a cool city surrounded by cool guys and the best equipment, listening to lectures by the most seminal artists alive... 

Alright, I guess I sold it pretty well, and now RBMA made the yearly  compilations available for download. Beware of the too-long file names though. 

last seen...

Here's what surfaced lately on the web...

The Beatles' discography (meaning the official albums by The Beatles) is about to experience the vinyl reissue treatment. Expect 180g vinyl, with full album art and remastering heard on the 2009 CD reissues. 

I talked about it earlier on this blog, but DJ Prestige at Flea Market Funk did better : he tested the Spin Clean device. After reading this, I'm one step closer to purchasing it. 

The Spanish label Guerssen, responsible for a bunch of nice reissue (can't be thankful enough for reissuing all that Turkish psych) has a new website up. The registering process is not convenient yet, but it should be fixed soon enough. Keep an eye on this dedicated underrated label. 

The cool blog Funk It has been freakingly awesome, as it gave access to some unreleased material, bootlegger style. Enjoy a video of a 2011 Rotterdam show by Prince with Maceo on sax, then get your fix of D'Angelo and Chris Dave videos (you can even download some if your hard drive still allows it) still in Rotterdam (damn, does the Rotterdam North Sea Jazz festival always bring so much heat ?)... did anybody sing the words "shit", "damn" and "motherfucker" in a sexier way than the D ? Well, maybe Prince. But in the same sentence ?

But that's no enough huh ? Because that internet era got us all greedy and never satisfied. Well, feed on this funky food, provided by Prince via Funk It : the Chicago House of Blues concert on Sept. 26th. 

Because a lot of stories start like that : the pressing plant, narrated by iCrates. 

The crazy guys at Get On Down Records manufactured a "Purple Tape" boxset. What is that ? The "Purple Tape" refers to the first issue of the iconic rap album "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..." by Raekwon The Chef (featuring Tony Starks aka Ghostface Killah), as the cassette tape edition was... purple. Since then, it has been called so, and the limited pressing made it a collectible item. Until Get On Down released a boxset, filled with cool stuff and, again, stricly limited to 1000 units worldwide. So, if you didn't get yours yet, well guess what ? Too late. Out of stock. Collectible sold out. 

Danny Brown is slowly prepping an album, and is hyping up the release with a little remix contest over his breathless 93bpm-hit "Grown Up". For more info, head to the Fool's Gold blog.

180 Proof is a new label, funded by Amir of the duo Kon & Amir. Its aim is to reissue good music (needless to say but whatever), notably underrated forgotten artists, in order to save a large part of Black American culture. The first task of the label will be to restore the Strata Inc catalogue. Can't wait to see and hear the result. 

EgoTripLand got their hands on this cool video of the Beastie Boys and DJ Hurricane digging for records at San Francisco's own Groove Merchant in the 90's. Strange thing is the video is from the French National Video Archives. Some cool stuff airing. 

And last but not least, SPIN made a story about the reissue label Numero Group. This is really a cool swim in the process of picking a specific record in order to reissue it and make a long-time forgotten item available again. This is true digging, this is the dream. The dream ? Maybe not, as the story also goes into the label owner's blues...

WITCH.

FYI, this original "Lazy Bones !!" by WITCH just hit the rooftop on eBay, selling for $6000. For smaller wallets, you can look for the reissue by Shadoks, or the WITCH boxset by Now Again. 

This diggin' thing knows no boundaries. 

fine beatmakin' : Melo-X, Guts & Colonna.

I got introduced to Melo-X by reading the latest issue of Wax Poetics. And, guys, this is some fine beatmaking. Experimental sometimes, bumping also, smooth... kinda reminds me of a earlier Flying Lotus or Kankick. 

Early this year, Melo-X released an album, called "Fewture". Sadly, it's a digital release. Luckily, it's streamable on Bandcamp, just like other releases by Melo-X. 

And, as you can see by yourself, his website is pretty nice looking, thanks to Mustafa's talent as a photographer. 

Speaking of beatmaking, here's the French side of it : Guts. This guy used to be the producer for rap group Alliance Ethnik back in the early 90's. Then I guess he did his thing out of the radar just to reappear when the beatmaking scene grew bigger. But, thinking about it, he had worked on others' projects, as an engineer, remixer or such. Well, listen to his latest album, called "Paradise For All". And by the way, I'm looking for the vinyl version. 

And for another taste of French beatmaking, head to Colonna's Bandcamp page, for his nice latest effort, "Ode To The Sun". And this one is a free download. 

stuff from Yugoslavia.

Before suffering from a war, Yugoslavia was a country with a strong background in terms of music. And thanks to the blogosphere, it's possible to acknowledge it today.

Rock was big in the 80's. But before that there was jazz, local folk of course. So, for modern music, head to Experimental Etc. For older (I mean much much older) stuff, Sa Starog Gramofona is the place to go to. 

Japanese raids.

A very interesting article by the Wall Street Journal about the relationship between US and Japanese vinyl markets. During the last decades, Japanese retailers have been sucking out a lot of records from all parts of the world, and especially the USA. So, although Japan, and especially Tokyo, might be heaven for a record digger, it would also empty his wallet quite fast, as records there are not discounted items. 

Well, just read it. As well as this report by Egon about digging in Japan. It's getting harder.  

Fan-tas-tic.

This baby here is like the Holy Grail for Jay Dee fans. This is "Fan-tas-tic" demo by Slum Village, the original version, dubbed by the members of the crew themselves. Production by the one and only Jay Dee, of course. 

So, this piece of history just flew off the shelves on eBay, and the winner of the auction is someone you know if you're into beatmaking : it's Onra, the Parisian beatmaker, author of "Chinoiseries" (part 1 & 2), "Long Distance", among other projects.

The price : $265. The price of fanship. 

Cut Chemist.

Cut Chemist did a name for himself in the Californian underground rap scene, notably as the DJ/producer for Jurassic 5 (or should I say Unified Revelution ?). Then he evolved as a complete producer/beatmaker, much praised on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. And, oh, he's in "Crate diggers". Not the messy kind of guy. I kinda like how's everything is in order. 

no words.

Diggers, get ready to experience a stroke. 

Cody in Paris.

Sporting his red cardigan and Belgian helmet, Cody ChesnuTT was starring at the We Love Green Festival in Paris. He sang material from his new album "Landing On A Hundred", out in October. So, if you're a fan or if you contributed via Kickstarter to the funding of his album, head to the Arte website to watch the video of Cody's performance. Good vibes, but kinda dead crowd.

legends on the mix.

Yeah, you read it right : Pete Rock. He did a mix for Stussy, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Delicious Vinyl. And it's free. And the tracklist is also available. Guess who ?... Masta Ace, Tone-Loc, The Pharcyde and more. 

Anything more ? Yeah. The Alchemist is on the one and two as well. Free also. 

What a day.

lotta stuff.

For y'all music lovers, global grooves freaks and most of all eclectic souls, Ghost-Capital should be your home. Albums posted there range from the most obscure Nigerian Delta funk to the rarest Japanese traditional folk songs. 

Lately, Ghost-Capital has been busy re-uploading lost of files, for you and you and you. 

Get crazy. 

press review.

The question has been all over the web for the last few weeks : did the music industry tried to kill vinyl on purpose ? Well, probably. But it proved to be a very bad calculation as, by preferring the CD format for obivous reasons of profitability, they set foot in the digital world and the dark side of it : unlimited copy. While the music consuming model is shifting from digital purchases to online streaming, vinyl is confirming that it's here to stay. Soon enough, "consumers [will be] split into two distinct groups - those that own vinyl, and those that stream". It's the battle of the unmaterial content against the physical world. Just think about what you prefer and what provides you with the bigger control...

As long as there will be record collectors, there will be great stories to tell. Die-hard collectors are usually fascinating people, and that's why journalists and bloggers track them, in searching for the unique story behind their "disease". One, at least, even paints on records. Unplayable or not-valued ones, be reassured. 

Despite the current love for vinyl, record stores are still closing everyday in the world. 

soleil rare 28 - pains au chocolat.

French all the way. I know y'all like that.

Téléphone - La Bombe Humaine. 

Téléphone is THE French rock band. Ever since they broke up in 1986, their possible come-back makes the buzz among the nostalgic ones. But up to now, nothing happened, except their solo careers, especially Jean-Louis Aubert (singer) and Louis Bertignac (guitar). 

So, this track "La Bombe Humaine", is a radio classic, and is from the "Crache Ton Venin" album, Téléphone's second album. It starts gently, then takes off around 1'30mn. 

The "naked" cover was shot by Jean-Baptiste Mondino. 

Catherine Ribeiro+Alpes - Jusqu'à Ce Que La Force Me Manque. 

You wanted weird, you've just been served. This is French psych music. This was waaaaay ahead of its time. The singing style sounds like a cliché, with Catherine's powerful voice ; it is mixed with spacey instruments and effects... damn, what a mood that's exhilarated from that track...

This summit of weirdness is from Ribeiro & Alpes' album "Paix". A must have for psych music lovers. 

Marguerite (Patrick Lemaître) - On Est Un Fleuve. 

Psych again. I don't know much about the author, Patrick Lemaître. This track is from the "Mr. Ford" album, released in 1973. 

"On Est Un Fleuve" displays some nice guitar game. A few effects are spread here and there, switching from a choir to a one-sided solo to reverb. Not a really mastered technique, but I guess you have to think about it as being avant-garde. 

Ophiucus - Dans Toute La France. 

"Salade Chinoise", by French band Ophiucus, is a nice short album, with entertaining guitar solos and riffs. The short-lived band delivered some worthy pop/folk/progressive rock, as well as strange lyrics like on this track : "All over France, if it goes on, we'll dance polka with the Chinese". Rhyming sometimes is too much an obsession for French lyrical artists...

Serge Gainsbourg - Ma Lou Marilou. 

Statement #1 : it's hard to make a French compilation without including a Gainsbourg's song. 

Statement #2 : "L'Homme A Tête De Chou" is an awesome slept-on album by the best French artist of the second half of the 20th century. 

But true heads instantly knew. After his death in 1991, the album was adapted as a dance show. And just before passing away, Alain Bashung covered the whole album ; the result just made everybody regretting that these two guys couldn't live long enough to collaborate more than what they did... 

Statement #3 : I love this song. Period. 

Alain Bashung - Vertige De L'Amour (Remix 1992). 

Maybe it's just coincidental. Maybe not. Anyway, Alain Bashung is another legend of the French rock scene, so it's normal that he'd featured in this home-made compilation. 

Bashung was a lot about vocal technique. His voice was unique in itself, but on top of that, he added a real expertise in delivering the right tone at the right time. A true artist. 

This one is from the "Pizza" album. 

Brigitte Bardot - Le Diable Est Anglais. 

B.B. is the opposite of what I just wrote about Bashung. Vocally, she's wack. Really. But entertaining somehow. Charming. And with her status of French Marilyn, it's still a nice feature in here. Especially with a song titled "The Devil Is British". No offense. 

Eddy Mitchell - La Longue Marche. 

Classic rock by Eddy Mitchell, who competed with Dick Rivers and Johnny Halliday back then for the unofficial title of Godfather of Frenck Rock. 

The influence of Elvis Presley is obvious, but like Uma says, what did you expect ? "Voici Eddy... C'Etait Le Soldat Eddy" was Eddy's first album, released in 1963. "La Longue Marche" is the closing track, and showcases a nice mood despite almost stupid lyrics. Hey, once again, influences...

France Gall - Le Coeur Qui Jazze. 

Probably my co-favorite track on this compilation. The song was recorded in 1965 when France Gall exploded with "Poupée de Cire, Poupée de Son". At the time, she was Gainsbourg's doll, his experiment to keep in touch with the growing wave of the "yéyé". The lyrics were written by Robert Gall, France's father, and the music was composed by legendary arranger Alain Goraguer. You can feel the similarities with some of Gainsbourg's jazz tracks.

Me like. 

Claudine Longet - How Insensitive. 

Alright, she sings in English. Alright, this may be my co-co-fav song off this "Soleil Rare" comp, but whatever. Good music is good music, and Claudine sports a French passport. 

So, yes, Claudine Longet probably had a bigger career in the USA than in France. Indeed, this bossa-nova-inspired song, "How Insensitive", was featured on the "The Look Of Love" album. Brazilian masters Tom Jobim and Vinicius wrote the song, that explains the authentic feel. So emotional. 

By the way, this cover... Al Green ?

Alright, now you can go to bed. 

one year.

Maybe you thought I got over it. But no. To this day, I'm still shocked by Mehdi's death, because I can't stop imagining what more he could have delivered.

RIP Mehdi. 

the story behind John Peel's box.

John Peel, the legen... wait for it... dary DJ of the BBC, who passed away a few years ago, owned records. A lot of records. And he owned a box. It was his special stack of 45s. One would say his favorites. Through a YouTube documentary, you can now get acquainted with this nice little story and the content of Peel's special box. 

Spoiler alert : lots of White Stripes in it. Yeah, believe it. Whaddup.

And about John Peel, here's another really cool story. This guy was a hero.