soleil rare 16 - ain't nuthin new.

Donnie - Classifieds. 

Born in Kentucky in 1976, Donnie did not choose the most recognizable name for a Google search. But the few facts one can grab about him can explain a lot. 

As a child, Donnie moved to Atlanta, and grew up between the Pentecostal church and the remembrance of his cousin, the great Marvin Gaye. With such an inspiration, Donnie devoted his life to music very early. Now, his style reminds of Donny Hathaway. 

After a remarkable first album "The Colored Section", Donnie released a sophomore of equal quality "The Daily News". That was in 2007. Now, it calls for a sequel... Let's be clear, Donnie's music isn't your usual R&B. It's plain soul, just like old times. Live instruments and powerful choruses, Donnie took the whole recipe and makes dope music out of it. That's the kind of stuff you will hear on "Classifieds". This man could save black music.

Prince - Cinnamon Girl. 

For now, black music stands of this little man's shoulders. Prince is probably today's best live act in the world, and blessed us with classic albums. But in the net of his unstoppable creativity, he also released tons of average (or less understandable) music. That must be the fate of geniuses. Another paradox with the man is that, despite his obvious abilities to play all the instruments that can possibly be used, he often used machines to create music. 

Two of his "recent" albums, "The Rainbow Children" and "Musicology" signed Prince's return to acoustic music. And wow, what a result. "Musicology" might be in the best Prince's albums ever. "Cinnamon Girl" showcases loud drums, crazy guitar riffs, and overall a perfect songwriting. The perfect mix of rock, soul and funk. Well, Prince all the way. 

Miguel - Ooh Ahh !

"Ooh Ahh !" was available on the "Mischief -The Mixtape" project that Miguel released for free in 2008. Although being one of today's most promising R&B talents, Miguel remains pretty discreet. He released his first album in 2010, but seems to count of featurings to keep his name alive. He collaborated with underground acts Blu, Wale, Asher Roth... 

The truth is Miguel seems to be worth a lot more than a few sung choruses, considering the ton of shitty music that pollutes the FM waves all day long. So, please Miguel, get your shit together. 

Platinum Pied Pipers feat. Neco Redd - American Pimp. 

There's more in Waajeed than a simple Dilla's protégé. Somehow, it seems that he was feeling comfortable sitting in the shadow of the MPC monster, until he expressed his creativity with his own band, Platinum Pied Pipers, alongside Saadiq (not Raphael though).  

With its heady and stomping drum pattern, its dark piano and Neco Redd's Truth Hurts-styled voice, "American Pimp" will make your head nod. Maybe even make you dance a little bit. Let your ass get funked. 

Michael Jackson - Dirty Diana. 

You just can't front. MJ rules and "Dirty Diana" (for Diana Ross, not Lady Di) is one of his best songs, featured on the "Bad" album. Michael is responsible for both the music and the lyrics of this song, making it obvious that the legend was talented enough to exist outside the shadow of Quincy Jones (although Mr. Jones is credited as producer of the song). 

"Dirty Diana" is branded a pop song, but touches rock like never in MJ's repertoire. 

The main help was provided by guitarist Steve Stevens, who gave this hard rock feel to the track. Folks, this song hit the top of the charts in 1988, and could still rock any crowd. MJ forever. 

Peven Everett - Do It Again For The Last Time. 

Another underrated singer, Peven Everett is a bridge between R&B and deeper soul. But who knows him outside a few black music lovers ? that's a pity, because he deserves a better career. Who knows he released an album, "Medicine Man" in August this year ? Even Discogs doesn't. 

On "Do It Again For The Last Time", Peven barely sings whole verses, rather short sentences, making it clear he's talking to someone. The feeling also is clear, it's a love song, y'all. Peven Everett is that kind of guy, a young R.Kelly, singing love all day long.    

Mary J. Blige - Sweet Thing. 

Do you remember that time, when Mary J. Blige was called the "Queen of hip-hop soul" ? I think it came from Puff Daddy, now Diddy. Well, it's true Mary shook a lot of lines with her debut album "What's The 411 ?", executive produced by the Bad Boy nabab in 1992. 

The whole album, and of course "Sweet Thing", breathe the air of 1990's R&B, inspired by veterans like Whithney Houston and Chaka Khan. That was the time of "hip-hop soul" and "new jack swing" (who uses these genre names now ?). "Sweet Thing" is a cover of a Chaka Khan's song, but Mary J. owned it without a doubt.  

Raphael Saadiq - Oh Girl. 

Raphael Saadiq enjoys a wonderful career. But, like many music geniuses, his incredible abilities kept him in the back for a long time. With a career starting in 1984 (yeah, the guy is now 45 years) as a backing bass player on Prince's world "Parade Tour", you would expect more than 4 solo albums under his belt. 

Along the way, Raphael was part of Tony!Toni!Toné!, Lucy Pearl, The Ummah, so you can't say he remains inactive. But still, his own name remained unknown. He collaborated with the cream of rap, R&B, and pop, including songwriting credits for another neo soul star, D'Angelo. 

Released in 2008, "The Way I See It" marked Raphael Saadiq's return to an old school flavor, almost impersonating Motown style. As a matter of fact, "Oh Girl" sounds like a Marvin Gaye's song. Fans knew for a long time that Raphael could deliver such an album, and there's no denying Saadiq vocal abilities are on point. Critics were all positive and I joined this trend. Since then, ex-rappers Aloe Blacc, Mayer Hawthorne and Pigeon John followed Saadiq on the singing road. Inspiring then. 

Frank Ocean - Acura Integurl. 

I've already been a follower of Odd Future when this free mixtape by Frank Ocean surfaced, in February 2011. Considering Tyler and Earl's violent first tracks, I was surprised they sponsored an R&B singer.  but curiosity won and soon enough I kinda fell under the charm. Inside OFWKTA, Frank Ocean is the mature guy standing in the back or on the side. 

When I copped this project, I predicted that the whole pop world would be all about Frank Ocean six months later. Even though I was a little bit too confident (for my defense, his album has been postponed without any releasing date), since then Ocean was featured on Jay-Z and Kanye West duo album, wrote for Beyoncé, and was even covered by new rap-star Justin Bieber. All this without a proper album on the shelves, only this mixtape. I won't tell everything about Ocean's story, but it's interesting enough to deserve a link. 

Well, bla bla bla, i'm talking, but "Acura Integurl" isn't even on the mixtape ! It was released shortly after as a video. R&B with harsh words. Love it. Enjoy the future. 

openin subscriptions.

Like they say at the UFC, "here we go !". Yes, record labels are opening their 2012 subscriptions. What is this exactly ? 

Back in the days, when DJ'ing implied buying lots of records, some labels were trying to promote their records through the record pools. It started in 1975 and the process was quite simple : if you were a DJ, you could subscribe to a pool, and then periodically receive records to play in your sets. There was no diggin', you just received random stuff. Like in a box of chocolate, you never know what you're gonna get. 

Record pools are less popular nowadays, as everyone's DJ'ing with Serato or on CDJ, using mp3 files as the main ressource. Digital days... but pools still exist nonetheless.

Long story short, vinyl-based labels recycled the formula and offer subscriptions, just like you would subscribe to a magazine. Usually, they function on a 10 (or around)-record deal, for an average price of $150, plus benefits, in terms of exclusive mp3 and such. It does not seem like a bad deal, if you live in the area of the label, because shipping cost can dramatically increase the rate. Like for record pools, buyers can have a rough idea of what they will get in their mailbox, most of the time the closest future releases, but they don't know the whole catalog of the offer. So, to subscribe, you obviously to have an open mind, to like surprises, and to trust a particular record label. 

Anyway, this was just to inform you that labels like Numero Group and Light In The Attic launched their 2012 campaign. Get your credit card ready.  

Knxwledge.

Who the hell is Knxwledge ? The guy keeps dropping consistent beat music week after week. Ok, 4-track EPs are not albums but still... his shit is plain beats, made of chopped samples and synths. 

Getting info about this talented beatmaker wasn't an easy task. He's that kind of guy who has a day job, makes beats at work on his computer, and deliver the heat over the web when the night comes. 

Among the pile (so to speak, it's only .mp3 files) of mini projects, Knxwledge also released an album, "Klouds", through the fast growing Irish label All City Records, home of French beatsmith Onra. Though, once again, the album is only available in digital format. Well, as a matter of fact, the Philly boy is the product of his time, enjoying a wide exposure on the internet (let's say... Facebook, Tumblr, Soundcloud, Bandcamp and I forgot about MySpace, because it's no more relevant) while making few appearances that would allow us to know more about him and his creative process.  

It's only right to say his style reminds, among the beat scene, of the Brainfeeder stable. Well, the connection already exists, as Teebs is responsible for the artwork on "Klouds", and is likely to be in charge of the artwork of the sequel. It wouldn't be surprising that, after his recent collabo with genius MC Blu, Knxwledge would sign with Flying Lotus' label. Now, that would be a combo. 

For now, his last EP : "Konsistensi", for streaming here. 

Sa-Ra Creative Partners : a retrospective.

Sa-Ra Creative Partners, better known as simply Sa-Ra, are well-known musicians in the microcosm of the music industry. But outside of it, they are relatively unknown. Why is that ? Maybe because they mainly act as producers, in the shadow of stars like Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu. Their efforts as Sa-Ra Creative Partners are quite confidential and most of the time sounds awesomely weird. 

It's been some time now since they last released something meaningful, preferring solo efforts by frontman Shafiq Husayn. 

Through their collaborations and their own discography, The Smoking Section was able to make 3 mixes that are available for download. So, here are I (Voyage To Venus), II (Mission To Mars) and III (Exodus To Earth).

soleil rare 15 - amour et violence.

I already wrote about Sébastien Tellier. His song "L'Amour Et La Violence", from his album "Sexuality", has been stuck in my head for quite some years now. For the story, it's the sequel of Sébastien's previous hit "La Ritournelle". 

So, here I present to you a few remixes of the track that has been done since its release. Some of them are official, others were found randomly over the web. All in all, they all tried to keep the magic that surrounds the original song. 

Love and violence indeed, with the following tracklisting : 

- L'Amour Et La Violence (original) ...chilling...
- L'Amour Et La Violence (Floating Points Mix) ...acid-jazz feeling...
- L'Amour Et La Violence (Allure Remix) ...funk-oriented...
- L'Amour Et La Violence (Boyz Noize Remix) ...techno-influenced...
- L'Amour Et La Violence (K6000 Remix) ...Kavinsky-styled...
- L'Amour Et La Violence (Nico Pusch Bootleg Remix) ...minimal electro...
- L'Amour Et La Violence (Boyz Noize Euro Mix) ...just dope...
- L'Amour Et La Violence (Le Défi Remix) ...make it house...
- L'Amour Et La Violence (Acid Washed Land Of Daktari Remix) ...dubstep-like...

And just for more love and violence, here are a few videos of Sébastien Tellier playing the song live :

- at the Maison de la Radio.
- at L'Olympia.
- on a TV set.

some more Serge, by Alain.

These two giants are dead. But their music still is the reference of the French avant-garde. At the height of their anti-conformism, they even decided to collaborate ; it was for Bashung's "Play Blessures", in 1982. An old but hardly mature Gainsbourg helped a young but successful Bashung to craft the words of his ground-breaking effort. 

Alain Bashung then wanted to break his image of pop singer, supported by hits like "Gaby, Oh ! Gaby", which was too much reminescent of "yé-yé" vedette Jacques Dutronc. "Play Blessures" flopped, just like Gainsbourg solo albums, including "L'Homme A Tête De Chou", which sold a miserable amount of 25 000 copies at a time when people were actually buying records. 

So, when in 2005, two men, Jean-Marc Ghanassia and Jean-Ckaude Gallotta, decided to set up a dance performance based on Gainsbourg's seminal concept album, they contacted the then pope of French music, Alain Bashung. The next year, Bashung took two days to record the whole 12 songs of the original album. In 2009, a few journalists had the opportunity to listen to the whole album, which was set to be performed live a few months later ; this project could not be fulfilled, as Bashung died of lung cancer in March 2009. The best song of the album, "Variations Sur Marilou", leaked nonetheless, and even got a video a few weeks ago.

Now, the whole album, re-sung by Bashung, is done, and available to anyone. Bashung may not be as perverted and mischevious as Gainsbourg, but his voice gives a dark yet warm feeling to the project. It's freaking moving to hear the voice of a dead, just like if this project was being played live.  

One other thing : there's a limited edition of the album in CD that looks like a multi 7" edition. I got cheated, so be warned, it's a CD. The only vinyl edition available is a LP. Silly me... Still, the quality of the album remains, only I got a CD instead.

Babu's top 10.

Babu's selection fits on this blog, because it's very eclectic and, despite the fact that the guy has a solid hip-hop background, he's able to appreciate other genres, with very wide tastes and interests. And more than that, he relates everything to his first love, hip-hop. Damn, Babu should post on this blog... 

Well, he made a top ten record list for the Wax Poetics website, and it includes Herbie Hancock, The Bar-Kays (with a killer cover art), Franck Pourcel, James Brown, Earth & Fire (not to be confused for Earth, Wind & Fire), and other acts from Japan, Germany and more. 

You should definitely have a glimpse of Babu's selection. 

some more blazin' reissues.

At first, I was not attracted to reissues. I usually find remastering a useless effort and kind of a treason to the original artistic views of the artist. Moreover, sometimes the cover art on reissues looks like a cheap Xerox-copy. And, well, reissues obviously don't have the value, neither sentimental nor financial, of original issues. 

But when I dug deeper into rare (in terms of available copies) records, I found interesting records to be out of my league, financially speaking. And when it comes to music from far away countries, I get frustrated by doubling (if not more) the price with the shipping fees (when I purchased through eBay) or with the cost of travelling (when I treat myself with some vacation).

So, all in all, purchasing re-editions makes great music available to the common listener I am. Most of the time I still have to pay a little extra for shipping, but more and more small labels makes it worth it. Their products are usually very similar to the original issues, in terms of sound and artwork. [I take advantage of this post to beg labels : please stop stamping your logo on the cover of the record, people care less about the back. I'm talking to you, 4 Men With Beard and Finders Keepers, despite the fact that I like what you guys do...]. 

Ok, so, all that to say that some reissues of dope records are now available or about to be : Votary just re-released "Solar Flares" by Sven Libaek. This record, issued by Peer in 1974, had already been reissued, but on CD by Vadim Music. This record is a must-have, so any reissue is very welcome.

Speaking of Vadim Music, they are about to reissue a magnificient album from the godfather of library music, Janko Nilovic, titled "Psyc Impressions". This one should be available in December. 

December will also be the month of the release of Kim Jung Mi's "Now", a Korean masterpiece recorded in 1973 under the guidance of Shin Joong Hyun. Lion Productions, responsible for the Cambodian "Groove Club" series, has opened the pre-orders.
And I almost forgot, Now-Again released "Hell Below" by East of Underground, a band made of American soldiers stationed in Germany during the Vietnam War. Well, actually, the box set is comprised of three LPs by four different bands (East of Underground, The SOAP, The Black Seeds, The Sound Trek) and this must be good.

DJ Jazzy Jeff.

In case you doubted it, DJ Jazzy Jeff is not a greedy man. The unstoppable touring DJ makes a lot of music available for free on the web. 

Besides his "Summertime" mixtape he made with buddy mixtape king Mick Boogie, check Jeff's talent as a performing DJ in his "Do-Over" mixes, as a producer on his collaboration with Ayah, as a remixer in "My Faves" etc etc. A legend for real. 

40th anniversary.

It went quite unnoticed, but Serge Gainsbourg's "Histoire de Melody Nelson" just celebrated its 40th anniversary. Issued in 1971, the album is now cult. I will not blab too much about it, as everything has already been said. 

Just like for other great albums of the music history, a deluxe reissue is now available in the crates. Die-hard fans might look into it, as it includes the original album and alternate takes on both CD and LP, and also a DVD of vintage videos and documentaries. 

Let's hope it will also be released either on CD or LP, as the whole package costs around 80 euros right now...

And just now, the French TV is broadcasting a documentary about Gainsbourg, explaining how successful he was as a songwriter, but how unfortunate he was as a singer... Yeah, believe it, his solo albums sold poorly back then. Our parents had a bad taste...

And by the way, if the current crisis left more than a few dollars in your pocket, maybe you could consider bidding on Tony Frank's original photographies from the Melody Nelson sessions.

France's biggest record collection (probably).

Radio France is an institution. It's the counterpart of the British Broadcoasting Corporation, only maybe less influential worldwide. 

In France, we like archiving. Well, we love it. For instance, for each book or magazine printed in France or imported into the country, two copies must be archived at the National Library ; that's what we call the "dépôt légal" (or legal deposit, in a tentative translation). Although such an obligation also exists for recordings, I'm not sure it's really implemented, except maybe by major companies and big labels, which face 75000 € fines if they don't comply. It seems to only apply to physical recordings, leaving a huge part of musical creation out of the radar, without even mentioning that the internet makes notions like "national territory" and "importation" totally irrelevant. 

However, though the BNF (National Library) record collection must be the biggest in France and one of the biggest in the world with over a million references, it must be really difficult to access. At least they don't advertise about it. 

Radio France does. They recently let the media know about the 450 000 vinyls sitting in a Parisian warehouse. The collection grew so big that it could no more be housed inside the Maison de la Radio and had to move to a new location. 

Overall, what makes this collection unique is that these records are scrupulously documented ; what's not said in the liner notes is known anyway : session musicians, uncredited producers or designers, etc., every actor of the making of a record is searched. This must be a monumental workload, but how interesting ! I let you imagine the value of such a collection, considering most of these recordings are original issues. 

In addition to that, 700 CD's (a sign of the time) are acquired every month. 

In order to make this huge collection live (most of the records are sitting still, almost dying there), Radio France recently started inviting an artist, on a monthly basis, to review his own career and pick records to broadcast. Here's an example with jazz legend (and fluent French speaker) Archie Shepp. Don't miss the video of the show, in which you can see this giant literally walking inside the Radio France record collection.  

For now, this collection is not open to the public (even though it's supposed to be a public service), for obvious reasons, but the director says he's thinking of something to make it accessible. Still, it's good to keep dreams alive... 

re-startin' somethin'.

People, here is a video of Camille covering "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" in the TV show "Taratata". 

This first sentence calls for some explanation : Camille is a French singer, using all kinds of forgotten singing techniques, such as humming, oversampling, even beatboxing and others that I can't name. She's often referred as the "Frenck Björk".
"Taratata" is a French TV show, broadcasting live music. It was first aired in 1993.
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is... well, it's the first track of "Thriller". 

Camille's interpretation is very minimalist, using a fist and the palm of the hand to make a beat, and receiving a little help from an upright bass, a violin and a piano. Enjoy, it's kinda cool. 

CAMILLE : Wanna be startin' somethin'
TARATATA N°401 (Diff. France 2 le 14/10/11)

Asian records are a must.

Using the excellent "LP Cover Lover" as a starting point, I stumbled upon this awesome web page titled "60's & 70's Asian Pop Record Covers". 

To make it plain and simple, it's like wandering in a museum of record covers from Singapore and other South-East Asian countries. It's like a huge wall and it's beautiful. The owner of the website even states that he owns the vinyls shown there, which makes me jealous. 

See, it's almost impossible to cop records like these ones over the web... it's really frustrating. All you can do to only have a chance to get some is travelling to these places and be lucky enough to be in the right spot at the right time. 

Call me weird, but I love these covers. The style is just timeless, childish, but at the same time the design seems very important and entirely part of the creation. 

In the same vein, Madrotter is the work of a Dutch guy living in Indonesia ; this way, he's able to stack countless original local records (and cassette tapes !). And he's kind enough to share them with us, poor people stuck in less funky parts of the world.

While I'm waiting to go to *somewhere else* and do some serious diggin, I'll just keep contemplating and enjoying the contributions these guys have posted on the web.   

Vinylmania.

As I'm writing, French-German TV channel Arte is broadcasting a documentary titled "Vinylmania", by Paolo Campana. The director travelled many countries, and met a lof ot interesting actors of the vinyl renaissance. He interviewed crazy collectors, musicians, producers, designers, music addicts...

It's impressive to acknowledge the various profiles of vinyl lovers : some are not so careful with their records, preferring collecting to selecting, others are pure ayatollah of the order.

I don't think one should be envious of so many crates and boxes... the essence of it should be to collect and to select at the same time. Just like you can't really listen to the 100 000 mp3 files you store on your hard drive, you can't really listen to 100 000 vinyls.
Nonetheless, this kind of initiative (the movie) is very welcome, and I enjoyed the tone of the film, never arrogant or pretentious, but rather educational. 

There will be various reruns of the show, but it's already possible to watch it on the Arte website.

the return of the cassette tape.

It's like a ground swell. And it's getting bigger and bigger. Worldwide. The vinyl is no more the only old format that's gaining popularity among the younger generations. Now, it's the turn of the cassette tape, also/known/as the compact cassette. 

It started with die-hard fans of the tape. Then a Facebook group appeared. Then small labels and bands declared their love for the cassette. Today, beatmakers, among other music lovers, are praising their love for it. 

Those who grew up with these little plastic cases already know why the cassette is back on the market : more than the nostalgic and melancholic factor (but, let's be frank, it plays a big role), the tape is (was ?) cheap, convenient, quite small and solid, it allows easy copying (though analogic, that means not exact) and various lenghts according to your need. Remember the time when you were making mixtapes after mixtapes, compiling your favorite tracks for yourself, for your friends, or for your girlfriends. Well, this time could be on-going and not over. 

To the music industry, it was like a pocket book to the book industry, back when the most popular formats of music were the vinyl and the cassette tape (the 8-track tape and other cartridge-based formats never reached a high level of success worldwide). These two formats were sided, which doesn't seem convenient for some people but which favours thorough listeners.  

It's needless to say I'm very happy with this come-back, even though it forces me to search for a new player, or to simply go into the attic and undust a old one. Or I could just buy these new devices such as the Ion tape converter. Anyway, fortunately, I kept all my old tapes and inherited my parents', which comprise treasures of world music. 

But of course, one must be aware that the cassette tape is not a "perfect" format, in term of sound quality, the main drawback (some say it's a quality) being its classic hiss. It doesn't stand all the tribulations, as it can be affected by moisture, humidity, water, fire (of course), or simply time. 

But it provides a different feeling, reminding what analog was, when pushing the "play" button really meant something.

Edit : make your own cassette tapes stickers ! Kinda dope, there's a .pdf file to download. And a nice initiative, street art-oriented, the Mixtape sticker. 

records convention review : Bordeaux (France).

The Bordeaux records convention took place last weekend near the site of Bordeaux Lac. It lasted two days, and hosted a bunch of stands in a small hangar furnished with inadequate chandeliers.

On the scale of records conventions, I guess it was a small one, judging by the pictures I saw on the website of the upcoming Utrecht convention, which looks like a collector's dream (lots of records) and nightmare (too many records) at the same time. 

Sellers came from various places in France (Plexus Records from Poitiers, Octopus Music from Nantes etc.), and even Great Britain. Some guys were new to the process of selling records, others were well organized. There were the usual stands of fanclubs, the type of stands you can avoid to save some time. I didn't check the CD stands either. It already took me two days to go through the most interesting vinyl crates, so I had to select. With more time, I would have checked the CD's, as CD crates are generally simpler to look through than vinyl boxes.
The 45s' fanatics must have found their happiness in there, as there were plenty of stands full of EP's and singles. Then again, 45s crates are even messier than LPs' ; even though I'm aware they hold highly potential treasures in terms of grooves, breaks and more generally good vibes, going through those 45s crates requires both time and listening possibilities. Both things I lacked.

However, there were a lot of interesting records especially in the world music sections, and not especially expensive. That was the nice surprise. The last reissues were there, as well as original issues.

After spending two days in the records, getting stressed by time and frustrated by the lack of listening spots, I took a resolution : I gotta buy a portable turntable. So... Vestax, Numark, Ion, or Crosley ?

A few of the records I purchased, mostly from nice guys and in vintage editions :

- Onra - 1.0.8.
- Gal Costa - Gal Costa
- Serge Gainsbourg - Anna
- Paul Mauriat - Rhythm & Blues
- Michel Polnareff - Polnareff's
- Gilberto Gil - Gilberto Gil
- Quincy Jones - I Heard That !!
- Paul Piot - Dance And Mood Music Vol. 16
- Baris Manço - Dünden Bugüne
- Johnny Dean - Further Repercussions
- Alain Goraguer - J'Irai Cracher Sur Vos Tombes EP
- ...

Overall, it was a nice human-sized event, that allowed everyone to make precious additions to their collections. The Bordeaux convention is a bi-annual event, taking place in March and October, so mark your calendars. 

soul food.

In order to celebrate the World Pasta Day, here's a beat-tape by akabrownsugar, called "Noodles" (.zip file). Each song title refers to a kind of pasta, from various countries, like India, Italy (of course), Japan, China, Korea, and even Austria. 

It's not new at all, as it was made available on the web late in 2008. 12 tracks, 23 minutes long. 

soleil rare 14 - champs-élysées.

This is for those who don't know much about French music. Let's dive in with past and present giants.

Serge Gainsbourg - Valse De Melody.

The godfather of French pop music, here with his best album. This is truly a masterpiece, composed by Serge and arranged by Jean-Claude Vannier. A pregnant Jane Birkin is on the cover, playing Melody.

This song starts with the classic words "le soleil est rare, et le bonheur aussi", which clearly inspired the name of this blog.

Georges Brassens - Le Gorille.

Georges Brassens hailed from Sète, Southern France. He is famous for critisizing the politicians, using deep metaphors. This song, "Le Gorille" is supposed to be aimed at French former president, Charles de Gaulle.

He's also known for his unique use of the acoustic guitar, which was generally the only instrument backing him while singing, with his raw southern accent. Classic French. 

Francis Cabrel - La Dame De Haute-Savoie.

Another guy from the southern part of France, another icon of French music. With a mix of folk and rock, and complex lyrics, Francis Cabrel emerged in the 1970's. This song, "La Dame De Haute-Savoie", opens his third album "Fragile", released in 1980. It became one of his most famous hits and settled Cabrel's seat in the musical landscape.

Most of Cabrel's songs are supported by guitars. He started his career with a rather heavy sound, but adapted his style around the turn of the 2000's, prefering a light, simple acoustic sound.  

Alain Bashung - Dehors.

Alain Bashung died a few years ago, and it really devastated the whole French music industry. Since Gainsbourg died, the seat of French music godfather had been vacant, but Bashung recently took it, after guys like Polnareff failed to express interest in it. Unlike many other French icons, Bahsung enjoyed apotheosis while living, setting a record in award-winning. 

At the end of his career (and his life), he was suffering from cancer, but recorded his best album, "Bleu Pétrole", and toured across France. 

"Dehors" is featured on "Fantaisie Militaire", released in 1998, in which Bashung experimented new directions, such as drum&bass. A nice introduction to his universe. 

Jane Birkin - Les Capotes Anglaises.

Gainsbourg's touch is everywhere in this track, in this album, and overall in Jane Birkin's career. Let's be clear, Birkin lacks almost everything a singer should have. Except charm. Her voice is so weak that she can't even diversify the feelings in her songs. So, instead of making her voice relevant, Serge gave her unique lyrics. About condoms. Typical.

Mylène Farmer - California.

Mylène Farmer is a ghost, a sort of French Lady Gaga, only 20 years earlier. Her fans are nerds, and they are plenty. But Mylène remains a mystery. She runs away from the press, from the paparazzi, and even moved to the U.S. in order to stop being bothered.

Like Birkin, she can only whisper, as her voice isn't her main asset.

Sébastien Tellier - L'Amour Et La Violence.

My favourite weirdo. Be aware, this track will come back soon on "le soleil est rare". Just enjoy this piano. And... well, the lyrics are weird. Getting back soon. 

Françoise Hardy - Oh Oh Chéri.

As an icon in the "yé-yé" years during the 1960's, Françoise Hardy could export her talents. Now she's a star in Japan for example, and she's a well-known astrologist. Yeah... She's also a longtime soulmate of fellow "yé-yé" wonderkid Jacques Dutronc.

This song is pretty simple, childish, and perfectly sums up the spirit of the "yé-yé". If you find it pretty stupid, just consider it a little taste of Françoise Hardy. Her career proved that she is a talented musician.

Michel Polnareff - Lettre A France.

Caution : the sound is loud at first, kind of in a Spector's wall of sound way. Then it's nothing but sweet. Before Farmer, Polnareff has been a revolution in the French music industry, surrounding himself with mystery, chosing to live abroad, and making rare appearances. Though, he remained a well esteemed musician, delivering cult albums and soundtracks.  

This track was released in 1977, as Polnareff started living in California ; he expressed his feelings towards his home country. The song is among the famous ones of Polnareff's.