French chamber-prog, sometimes referred to as the "French Zappa", but is actually a lot less smug and annoying, not to mention featuring no guitar solos. I think he's closer to Aksak Maboul crossed w/Serge Gainsbourg -- think really precise+pretty, classically-influenced arrangements for rock band (w/clarinet), spoken-sung vox, and lots of loopy, childlike humor. I'm describing something cutesy, but it actually isn't.
new album is gorgeous, featuring minimalist patterns, string quartets, and plenty Marcoeur's talk-song. Site has sound samples: http://www.marcoeur.com/news/index.html
― Dominique, Tuesday, 19 August 2008 21:55 (seventeen years ago)
new album!!!! fdkmnlshnsihbj!~
those first 4 albums are total classics, I definitely think of them in the same league as Etron Fou. the split tape with This Heat is also superb.
― sleeve, Wednesday, 20 August 2008 00:28 (seventeen years ago)
What I heard of the last track on the new album sounds really cool.
― Turangalila, Wednesday, 20 August 2008 00:41 (seventeen years ago)
for a while his first album was my favorite, then his second album became my favorite, then his third album became my favorite, then his side of the split with This Heat was my favorite, so I have no idea why I haven't kept going. I'm saving up for that Henry Cow box so maybe I'll just splurge at ReRUSA.
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 20 August 2008 01:03 (seventeen years ago)
Hooray!!!
― Owen Pallett, Wednesday, 20 August 2008 02:41 (seventeen years ago)
on one hand I'm always really happy when I hear someone new to go crazy about and it gives me faith that there's always more shit out there to keep me going, but like another part of me is always really angry when I hear shit like this dude's shit because I'm always like "how the fuck have I never heard of this dude, he's amazing"
― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 03:49 (thirteen years ago)
I hear you, there is no important reason why this guy's music should be obscure
― Milton Parker, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 04:08 (thirteen years ago)
I think he reissued most of his stuff through his own label didn't he?Haven't known where to start though. Do you just start at the beginning and give up somewhere?
― Stevolende, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 07:40 (thirteen years ago)
God, I haven't heard "Simone" in decades. Have just rectified.
― mike t-diva, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 09:27 (thirteen years ago)
this heat split tape kind of afternoon
― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Sunday, 9 June 2013 18:01 (twelve years ago)
grabbed his first one (the one with wired-up instrumentman on the cover) and it's amazing...are all his albums this crazy??
― frogbs, Thursday, 13 February 2014 14:50 (eleven years ago)
ha, see Milton's comment upthread, they are all good
― sleeve, Thursday, 13 February 2014 15:55 (eleven years ago)
As to why he isn't more known -- wonder if it has something to do with being too song-oriented for avant-prog guys, and obv too weird for pop guys. His earlier stuff is more popular among RIO/avant prog fans, and is also a lot more focused on the instruments and general strangeness. However, on his new albums (which are *all* good btw), his knack for writing pretty songs with pretty melodies comes out, though his arrangements are of a classical/minimalist style. It's definitely art music, but perhaps "art song" as opposed to "art pop". And "art song" hasn't really been popular since...the 1800s?
― Dominique, Thursday, 13 February 2014 16:28 (eleven years ago)