An album of fragile beauty and buried darkness – in a space that's somewhere between the work of Nico and Brigitte Fontaine, but a fair bit sweeter overall! Emmanuelle Parrenin sings here in a timeless style that might almost be called folksy – especially in the return to tradition styles of the UK 70s scene – but it's also got a slightly headier feel overall, almost trippy at times, with a sense of crumbling innocence that's further underscored by spare instrumentation that includes hurdy-gurdy, spinet, and dulcimer. Most tunes just feature vocals and some combination of these instruments – and a few numbers feature slightly larger backing, but never a full group mode. Titles include "Ritournelle", "Leiturgie", "Copraze", "Lecharpe De Soie", "Ce Matin A Fremontel", and "Belle Virginie". Amazing vinyl reissue – very heavy cover and vinyl, and beautifully done overall! (Rock, French) LP, Vinyl record album

Sexy stuff from one of the most famous French stars of the 60s – a record that has Brigitte Bardot working in the same sort of slinky territory as Serge Gainsbourg, but with a slightly different feel overall! The album's a bit jazzier than some of Bardot's later work – with great backings from Claude Bolling and Francois Rauber – served up with some occasional Latin touches, of the type you might find in some of Gainsbourg's music of the time. Backings are somewhat large, but never sleepy – and titles include originals by Bolling and Serge Gainsbourg – titles that include "C'est Rigolo", "Pas D'Advantage", "Noir Et Blanc", "Rose D'Eau", "Invitango", "El Cuchipe", and "Les Amis De La Musique". LP, Vinyl record album

A baroque instrumental masterpiece from Jean Claude Vannier – Serge Gainsbourg's right hand man at the start of the 70s, and a key figure in the legendary Histoire De Melody Nelson album! The feel here is very much along the lines of work that Serge was doing at the time – larger orchestrations mixed with smaller instrumentation – in a level that's often funky, always baroque, and very much in the best Sexopolis styles of the French pop scene of the time! There's a marked similarity here to some of the work of Michel Colombier – but unlike Colombier, and Gainsbourg, there's no vocals at all on these tracks – and the main genius is carried by Vannier's incredibly arranged strings, rolling rhythms, fuzzy guitars, and dark little soundtrack-styled groove! Some tracks are wonderfully funky, others are moody and tripped-out – and the whole thing's a masterpiece that we'd file right up there with our favorite French work of the time! Titles include "L'Enfanta La Mouche Et Les Allumettes", "Danse Des Mouches Noires Gardes Du Roi", "Mort Du Roi Des Mouches", "Le Papier Tue-Enfant", "Les Garde Volent Au Secours Du Roi", and "Petite Agonie De L'Enfant Assassin". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unusual Christmas albums you'll ever buy – at least if you're an American like us – as all the work here is from a variety of different French singers, which makes for a very different spin on the season! Yet even if you can't understand the lyrics, there's plenty here to love – as the tunes have all the warmth and sentiment of work from the Anglo world of Christmas recordings of the postwar years – served up here by a diverse array of artists who include George Brassens, Dalida, Edith Piaf, Line Renaud, Tino Rossi, Charles Aznavour, Marcel Amont, Jean Ferrat, Charles Trenet, Henri Salvador, and Les Chaussettes Noires! (Holiday Music, French) LP, Vinyl record album