'Et ce n'est pas Chantal Goya'

I went to a very good concert last wednesday. The first part was featuring Katel. I didn't knew her at all before going, so it was a complete -and wonderful- surprise to discover such a talented artist. I can now say I love Katel ! She was there to present her first album. Her voice is very particular, quite strong. Her texts are like finely carved sculptures that she wrote patiently. She did a cover of Human Behaviour, one of my favourite Björk’s songs. I’m telling you : I love her !
I regret now I didn't purchased her album that evening. Maybe I'll catch her at Le Printemps de Bourges, she's gonna be there too !

The main part of the concert was concerning Jeanne Balibar. She's an actress / singer (tick what you want). I didn't knew her before going neither, so I listened to one of her album during the past week to see what it looks like and I wasn't convinced. To be honest, she's not really my cup of tea. But I had a great time anyway during her concert. She's great on stage, and the people in the public were (older than me) quite enthusiastic. They knew the lyrics by heart, were dancing or sitting in front of the scene, it was cool. I took lots of pictures, therefore I was happy (even if most of them are quite blurry). Good music + possibility to take picture = makes me smile :)

+ To go further : Katel's website // Jeanne Balibar’s myspace

Simply boring

I've just seen Lady Chatterley, the movie by Pascale Ferrand. Gosh, you can't imagine how boring was that film !!!

The scenario is adapted from a version of D.H. Lawrence's book. The story takes place in the UK, in the early 20's. To sum up the scenario : Lady Chatterley has an handicaped husband, they live together in a little castle in the countryside, she's bored and dispressed, and she somehow fall in love with the gamekeeper Parkin. And then for 2 hours the realisator films the two of them flirting, having sex, going on walks, having sex, being angry against each other, having sex, and so on. Oh, I forgot, there is a close shot on each little leave, each flower, each drop of water all along the film, I don't know why, I just think it's just really annoying. This is art, some might say. This is boring, I'll respond.

The most amazing thing about this film is that it gets five Césars (the French Oscars, kind of). Five Césars ! How come ? Apparently I was the only one to be bored, uh ? Among others were the best film's César (?!?) and the best actress' César. Okay, so you should know that to my mind this gal's not able to act, everything seems so "artificial", she's not natural at all, it looks awkward. She's really bad at it. But this is only my opinion, and it looks like I'm the only one to think that way… Gosh, what's wrong with me ???

So, let's say I didn't understand anything AT ALL about this film. Some may judge it as a chef d'œuvre, I think it's a dreadful adaptation of the book, then it's up you to watch it and make your choice ! OR you can avoid the boredom torture and watch Little Miss Sunshine or American Beauty instead and have a good time… It's up to you...

Music is my favourite drug

The most wonderful thing about the internet, when you're as obsessed as me with music, is that you can easily have access to hundreds of GigaOctets of music and discover to a bunch of new artists. I made a list of the websites I use to visit to get my daily fix :

● Pandora : everybody's talking about that website, but I'm not a big fan. I have very ecclectic tastes, and if I listen to something, it doesn't mean I'm going to like every single song similar to it.

● Musicovery : The same concept as Pandora, but cooler. The main difference with Pandora is that you're not obliged to listen to songs from the same genre. You can also choose to listen to songs according to your mood, for instance. Very clever.

● RadioBlog : Who doesn't know RadioBlog ? Enter the name of a song/artist and listen to it immediately ! Millions of songs are available. You can also create your own radio to add to your blog. I've mine, but it really needs an update, and I'm a bit too lazy…

● Myspace : everyone knows this one as well. Myspace is really useful cos everybody has a profile there, it makes it easier to look for an artist, either it is a worldwide famous rock star or a local little group. I have a Myspace profile too, I use it as a catalogue of my favourites groups and artists, such as Mogwai, Beirut or The Fratellis.

● Music mags : NME, Les Inrocks, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone are great to read reviews and stay in the know with the latest news and gossips. I also subscribe to those RSS feeds : PopMatters, Fluctuat, dMute.
And, of course, I read a bunch of music blogs : Open Your Eyes (my fave, he has great taste in music), mp3 hugger (that I will love forever, cos thanks to him I discovered The Rye), One small sound, I guess I'm floating, Je dis ça je dis rien, Music is art (truly beautiful), Reloda (one of the few entirely legal music blogs), Debaser.

● Last.Fm : THE perfect musical website to me. Last.Fm combines the concepts of Myspace (you can create your own page, invite friends and take part in communities and forums), Pandora (you can discover to new artists), Wikipedia (the members edit the information about the artists by themselves) and RadioBlog (you can listen to songs and even download some of them for free). Last.Fm is really an wonderful website. What I prefer about this website is the community spirit. Members can get involve. So, if you're a last.fm user, check out my profile and get in touch !

And if anyone has any other great website in mind, feel free to share !

Coup de ♥

Three charming girls who play keyboards, a sweet indie pop sound and nice tunes : this is Au Revoir Simone. I love it ! That's all I need on this rainy monday to cheer me up. This group has a lightness that is so cool and refreshing. The girls come from Brooklyn, New York and have already released two albums.

+ To go further : website // myspace // interview

Enticing

My brand-new music obsession : Costello Music, The Fratellis' debut album. The fact that they're Glaswegians is not the only reason why I like this group. Actually, their disc somehow reminds me of Definitely Maybe, the first album of Oasis (and that is definitely a compliment to me). Because this is the kind of album one can listen to again and again. Because their rock'n'roll is stained with a lighter pop sound. Because of their catchy melodies. Because John Lawler is cute. Because each and every song of the album could be a hit. Because those guys have a sense of humour. Because of the three pin-ups who are portrayed on the disc sleeve. Because even if they're not brothers, like Liam and Noel are, they choose a confusing pseudonym for their group. Is it enough reasons to convince you to listen to The Fratellis ?

+ To go further : The Fratellis' website (where you can download acoustic and live songs for free, once you've registered as a member) // the iTunes ad, starring Flathead