Kieron Tyler: Worlds of Music: REVIEW - FRANCOFOLIES LA ROCHELLE 2010

The definitive event for French music in France. It really delivered:
http://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2010/08/francofolies_la_rochelle_2010.html

Photos from the festival below.

The idea of seeing Jacques Dutronc was very exciting, but he really was not good. A huge disappointment.

Of the things I’d never heard before, Cascadeur and L were way ahead – way ahead – of anything else.

Space, as usual, meant some things weren’t mentioned, so here’s a random few:

CATHERINE MAJOR: From Canada. Her 2008 Rose Sang album is superb. Live, just her at a grand piano was really effective. Powerful too.

JEANNE CHERHAL: I’d gotten the wrong idea here and had thought of Jeanne Cherhal as a sort of modern chansonish singer-songwriter, but live she is a lady of rock. Could do with a bit less bludgeoning guitar though. Sloppy drummer too. But once the surprise passed, it worked. And really well.

JILL IS LUCKY: The OKish acoustic-driven toe tapper Wanderer has been picking up big time in France. Live, however, the set ends with a rock-out white-noise blast that washes that out of your head.

WAX TAILOR: Tiresome textbook trip hop.

ARIANNE MOFFAT: From Canada. On album, the R&B elements are occasionally an uncomfortable fit (e.g. Je Veux Tout on 2008’s Tous Les Sens), but live it made perfect sense, the set starting reflective and getting gradually more dancey. Great.

DIAM’S: Make show = irritating.

EMILIE SIMON: Hadn’t seen her with the band before: bassist and drummer, both pin-sharp and precise. Hugely memorable version of Chinatown.

ARNAUD FLEURENT-DIDIER: Wondered if this would work in a massive outdoor setting. It did and was super.