French-language Quebec pop-rock: what do you know about it?

I don't know, did any of her french stuff ever cross over?

Mitsou was alright sometimes. Her early songs like "Bye bye mon cowboy" and "Les chinois" were downright embarrassing tuneless crap and her later stuff, when she decided that covers of obvious oldies sung "Justify My Love"-style were the way to go, is almost as excruciating. But her new wave-ish 2nd-album songs like "Mademoiselle Anne" and "A Funny Place" and "Dis-moi dis-moi" are catchy and fun. Also k-rowr, etc etc.

As for Roch Voisine, you can have him back if you want ("La legende Oochigeas" and "Avant de partir" are nice enough, though - but as far as his later stuff is concerned, I can imagine him staring at his 90s Elton John CDs, thinking "if Celine can go international aping Whitney Houston...")

Jean Leloup is by far my favourite franco artist. Search his entire discography, though I really like "L'Amour Est Sans Pitié".

Quebec pop-rock tends to be super cheesy and prime material for FM lite rock station. I have a fascination for the sub-category of cheesy rugged-sensitive manly man rock ballads (Eric Lapointe, Gerry Boulet, Dan Bigras).

POX? Warning: super cheese ahead...

1990 - Jean Leloup
Chus Tu Seul à Soir - Vilain Pingouin
Toujours Vivant - Gerry Boulet
Pleurs dans la Pluie - Mario Pelchat
Pour Que Tu M'Aimes Encore - Céline Dion (her best song ever)
Sous Les Cheminées - Richard Séguin
Pense à Moi - Francine Raymond
C'est Zéro - Julie Masse
Pour Un Instant - Harmonium
Les Yeux Du Coeur - Marjo & Gerry Boulet

(pour que tu m'maimes encore!! best dollarama background-music ever too)

They were called Funky Armadillo or something really silly.

(both of these bands are real and have devoted followings)

GROOVY AARDVARK

They're a French Ya Ya band (or is it yeah yeah) from Moncton. Total trash and alot of fun. I'm trying to remeber some of the bands from Acadia who sang in French but most were pretty poor or just stuck to folk music/bluegrass.
There is a lot of bands in Moncton that are French but sing in English, just the nature of the beast in a city almost completely bilingual but with mostly English radio stations.

I heard a few Quebecois bands in the 90s that were pretty good. I liked a tune or 2 by Les Colocs.

I think it's les sultans who do all those Zombies covers. I like them.

For actual French pop, check out site for RFI international or the MCM music channel.

There's a singer Kevin Parent who sings in French and English. Though as far as cross-over, I can't see that he's broken into the Anglo market. Maybe in Nouveau-Brunswick. Jorane is kind of an alternative-pop performer (works with Cello) and has released an album in English. Still haven't heard it on any Anglo radio except CBC. It's not bad though.

I based on my taste, I think Jean Leloup and Les Colocs have the most appeal for Anglo markets. Since Les Colocs are no more and Jean Leloup just produced an album called "Exit" I'm not sure what's going on with these folks. Les Cowboys Fringants are definately cool.

My assumption, is that French music tends to be uber-text heavy. Thus making it difficult for non-French speaking people to enjoy.

The Quebecois "cheesy" Blues-rock (i.e. Eric LaPointe) does not seem to be too popular among Anglo groups or even other French speaking nations, however, I know Isabelle Boulay was pretty popular in France for a while.

I don't think this helps Antoinette.
I could go on forever about Quebecois-Francophone music and identity.

Meg
p.s. to the original post -as an Anglo canadian - before I did my MA research - yes Mitsou and possibly Roch Voisine were the only Franco pop people I'd heard of - and I went to French school!

Maybe check out the charts from the biggest/most evil francophone radio station in Montreal.

A very long list of bands playing in Montreal, many with phenomenally bad names (Les Breastfeeders! Old School Punks! Thesis of Statement!).

A friend of mine from Montreal adds that he "recently saw the video for the new single by the rock band Les Dales Hawerchuk, entitled 'Dale Hawerchuk.'"