WHERE THE HOKEY POKEY "IS" WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT

Nouvelle Vague

Nouvelle Vague

  • AMG Review of Nouvelle Vague

    Amg
    Heather Phares
    All Music Guide

    The best compliment that can be paid to Nouvelle Vague's self-titled debut album: it isn't as arch and smirking as a collection of ossa nova versions of /p>

    ew wave classics by fetching French and Brazilian chanteuses would suggest. Based on the concept alone, Nouvelle Vague seems similar to the work of jokesters like the Mike Flowers Pops or Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine, but though the album is definitely playful, it works on a sincere level enough of the time to be more than just a goof. In fact, Nouvelle Vague's best moments are a tribute to how well written the words and melodies of these songs are; that they can withstand, and even thrive in, such different arrangements is no small feat. Smooth, smoky allads, such as the opening track, "Love Will Tear Us Apart," provide many of the album's highlights. The Cure's "A Forest" gets a tropical twist, complete with jungle sound effects, while the Sisters of Mercy's "Marian" remains as dark as ever but is now much more delicate -- call it gotha nova. On the other hand, the cover of the Dead Kennedys' "Too Drunk to Fuck" is a giggly, sassy, mischievous standout that bears virtually no resemblance to the original. Likewise, the serpentine version of Killing Joke's "Psyche" is radically different from the original, nor does it quite fit in with the rest of Nouvelle Vague's bright, breezy feeling, but its spooky vibe makes it one of the album's most interesting tracks. Two of the best covers come from a couple of the least well-known bands on the collection: Tuxedomoon's "In a Manner of Speaking" is transformed into a gorgeous, completely convincing orch song, and Josef K's "Sorry for Laughing" closes the album on a sweetly languid note. Not all of Nouvelle Vague is this inspired -- the version of Depeche Mode's "Just Can't Get Enough" is overly fussy, and while the covers of songs like "I Melt With You" and "Making Plans for Nigel" are nice enough, they don't have the spark of the album's best moments. But even at its worst, Nouvelle Vague is still pleasantly witty background music. This unlikely, but mostly happy, marriage of /p>

    ew wave and ossa nova will probably disappoint or displease purists who believe that every version of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" should have the brooding intensity of the original, but everyone else can enjoy the album's playful elegance.

Xplct Lyrics of Friday: Too Drunk To Funk
over 2 years ago
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To paraphrase Max Load's post, first the homage."Non, mais il dégueule pas vraiment?""Si, si..."Went to a partyI danced all nightI drank 16 beersAnd I started up a fight.But now I am jadedYou're out of luckI'm rolling down the stairsToo drunk to fuck.Too drunk to fuckToo drunk to fuckToo drunk, to fuckI'm too drunk, too drunk, too drunkTo fuck.I like your storiesI like your gunShooting out truc..

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Covers Corner: A Cure-ious Redo
over 2 years ago

I was wondering of a way I could share my love of cover tunes with the MOG masses and since my recent posts featuring covers by Björk and The Cardigans garnered more comments than others, I felt I'd found my niche... so here goes!The first cover I will share with you is from French band Nouvelle Vague. This is a really cool group that covers 80s new wave and punk tunes in a 60s bossa nova style..

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Nouvelle Vague
about 1 year ago

I had to get hold of some of these lot cos they had the front to cover a Killing Joke track!

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Nouvelle Vague - In A Manner Of Speaking
about 1 year ago

"In A Manner Of Speaking" is a song by Tuxedomoon on their fifth album, Holy Wars, released in 1985 and covered by Nouvelle vague on their debut album, Nouvelle Vague.

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Girl from Ipanema Meets Dead Kennedys
over 3 years ago
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Oh how I love mash-up stuff. Who would of thought to take some sweet sounding French and Brazilian female vocalists and have them sing oldies hits from bands like the Clash, Dead Kennedy's, Public Image, Cure and Joy Division? Evidently French producers Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux would. (http://www.alwaysontherun.net/nouvellevague.htm) This is a brilliant, refreshing, fun and "old fart s...

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Nouvelle Vague - Guns Of Brixton
about 1 year ago

"The Guns of Brixton" is a song by The Clash on their third album, London Calling, released in 1979. It was written and sung by bassist Paul Simonon, who grew up in Brixton, south London. The song has been covered by numerous bands over the years, including Arcade Fire, Unwritten Law, Dropkick Murphys, Jeff Klein, The Bandits, Nouvelle Vague, Calexico, Optimus Rhyme, My Red Hot Nightmare, Germ...

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Ditto
about 1 year ago

~umorismodaflashback Today has been exhausting and exhilarating. Tomorrow is ditto. Lets get this over with, there's something here for everyone. Enjoy. Love will Tear Us Apart - Nouvelle Vague I Am (feat. Ben Folds, Talib Kwela and Spree Wilson) - Novel Waiting (Josh Harris Remix) - Taxi Doll Another Sunny Day - Belle and Sebastian Best Thing - Jihae Standing in the Way of Control ...

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