photos by Chris La Putt

"Nouvelle Vague show, Webster Hall. French bossanova pop. Wasn't too sure coming in, so far, very impressed. (Hot singers too.)" - Scott Bleicher

Nouvelle Vague @ Webster Hall

Saw Nouvelle Vague at Webster Hall in NYC last night.
It was good, rather than great (they seem to rotate the vocalists - this pair were the least good of the three pairing we've seen . . . at the last gig at Irving Place in NYC last year one of the singers climbed the scaffolding to the balcony, almost got ejected, and then spat a mouthful of warm beer all over me). [Less, But Better]

Though special guests were promised, Chris doesn't recall seeing any at Saturday night's Nouvelle Vague show (1/23) at Webster Hall in NYC. The French group's new album of new wave bossa nova covers does feature help from Martin Gore (Depeche Mode), Ian McCullough (Echo and The Bunnymen), Barry Adamson (Magazine), Terry Hall (The Specials), Samy Birnbach (Minimal Comact) and Chris Bailey (The Saints) though.

Opener Clare & The Reasons, who is currently donating profits from their albums sold to Haiti, will continue on tour with Nouvelle Vague for a few days and then they play West Coast shows with Van Dyke Parks...

The legendary musical genius will be playing some rare (as rare as a good baguette in a small US city) concerts of his very own songs - not anyone else's - his masterpieces. I'm assuming you will want to come to these shows, I know we would - wait, we are!

Some Reasons will be joining Van Dyke on stage. [Frog Stand Records]

All tour dates and more pictures from Webster Hall below....

Continue reading "Clare & the Reasons touring, played NYC w/ Nouvelle Vague - pics & 2010 dates (some w/ Van Dyke Parks)"

by Andrew Frisicano

Nouvelle Vague @ Irving Plaza (more by Toby Tenenbaum)

Now [Nouvelle Vague] (comprised of Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux) has gone for something even more improbable. For "3," they take songs created by everyone from the synthy Soft Cell to the archtypically punky Sex Pistols and make them mosey in a rural American mode. Specifically, Nouvelle uses elements swiped from the southern and western part of the U.S., from country to folk.

It makes for something to either reel or marvel over.

You'll surely have one of those reactions when you hear their decidedly pastoral take on The Go-Go's formerly giddy "Our Lips Are Sealed," or their hick-like rethink on Talking Heads' once peppy "Road To Nowhere." [New York Daily News]

Since their last NYC show & short US tour in June, Nouvelle Vague's third record, titled 3, came out in the US (10/20) through Peacefrog/EMI. It continues the band's "cover song" conceit while expanding its kitch palette to include genres like country and bluegrass. Guest vocalists include "Martin Gore (Depeche Mode), Ian McCulloch (Echo & The Bunnymen), Barry Adamson (Magazine) and Terry Hall (The Specials/Fun Boy Three)." They also have their own iPhone app which includes one exclusive track (a Stranglers cover).

The band is currently at the end of a massive European tour. They'll return to NYC next year to play a show at Webster Hall on Saturday, January 23rd. Tickets are on sale now.

See some of their covers live with tour dates below...

Continue reading "Nouvelle Vague returning to NY, album & iPhone app out now"

photos by Toby Tenenbaum

"Nouvelle Vague went on stage at 10:20 after Electric Black played their second live show (ever). The band made a pledge of solidarity with the protesting Iranian public - with green scarves ties to the mic stands.

NV played a good mix of new and old material the highlight of the show was when Phoebe Killdeer Nadeah decided to climb onto the terrace at the Fillmore. Upon her return to the stage she claimed with incredulity, "can you believe security tried to throw me out!?"" -Toby

Though their new album NV3 doesn't even have a release date in the US yet, the French cover band decided to pay a short visit to the US this week. This weekend there are two shows in California (dates below). This week there was a show in DC, and one on Wednesday night at Irving Plaza in NYC (6/17).

Electric Black play a CD release show at The Delancey on June 25th ("free cd will be given the evening of the show with ticket purchase"). More pictures from Irving Plaza (the Fillmore) below...

Continue reading "Nouvelle Vague & Electric Black @ Irving Plaza, NYC - pics"

Nouvelle Vague in Dublin 2008 (voss)

French cover band Nouvelle Vague will be playing a show at NYC's Irving Plaza on Wednesday, June 17th. It's the group's only US date on its list of upcoming shows so far. Tickets are on sale.

The band's last LP was 2006's Bande à Part, which, "like their eponymous first album, is a collection of Bossa Nova cover versions of 1980s New Wave tracks." [Wikipedia]

Though there's no 100% official word on a new record from the band, info is scattered about regarding a new album called NV3 which may be coming out on June 3rd which is not long before the Irving Plaza show. Apparently...

Nouvelle Vague reaches the point where a song, although already perfectly rendered in its original version, can still become a completely different one, to the extent that sometimes the public doubts whether it is a "cover" or not.

Nouvelle Vague's approach is so unusual that some of the original authors accepted to participate in the recording of the "NV3" cover of their own songs.

This is the statement of this 3rd album.

We never hear of any artists singing on covers which dissemble so much from the song their originally wrote nearly 30 years ago, or even covering their own song.

There are a variety of musical tones proposed by Nouvelle Vague on this third album such as Bluegrass, Country, Folk, Americana, Pop...

And the loop is looped when we hear on a "Nouvelle Vague" cover the voice of Martin Gore (Depeche Mode), Ian McCullough (Echo and The Bunnymen), Barry Adamson (Magazine), Terry Hall (The Specials), Samy Birnbach (Minimal Comact) or Chris Bailey (The Saints)...

More about Nouvelle Vague and all tour dates below...

Continue reading "Nouvelle Vague playing NYC, releasing NV3 (more covers, but with original singers too?) "

DOWNLOAD: Hope Sandoval - Wild Roses (MP3)

1- THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - Asleep from day
2- ALPHA - Elvis
3- *NOUVELLE VAGUE - Confusion
4- FINK - Trouble's what you are in
5- *HOPE SANDOVAL - Wild Roses
6- TUNNG - Bullets
7- TWO FOR THE ROAD - Road Trip
8- APPARAT - Hailin' from the edge
9- *TELEPOPMUSIK - Ghost Girl
10- FOUR TET - Everything is alright
11- *THE SHOES feat. KELLY DE MARTINO - 7 am
12- JOSÉ GONZALEZ - Down the line
13- KELLY DE MARTINO - Long, long, long
14- BOARDS OF CANADA - Dayvan Cowboy
15- ASWEFALL - Between the miles

"Air France's first ever album features symbolic tracks already used on board the aircraft, plus three exclusive pieces composed especially for the occasion (Hope Sandoval, Telepopmusik and The Shoes featuring Kelly De Martino). For this next musical step, it was logical that the compilation take its name from the on board Air France music channel itself - 'In The Air'."

Six of the songs are streaming at MySpace including all three news ones. Most importantly...NEW HOPE SANDOVAL (also available for download above)

Hope is also supposedly (hopefully) going to appear on the new Massive Attack album ("The Weather Underground") coming out some time in 2009.

In related news, Mazzy Star keyboardist Suki Ewers is still making music and playing shows.

Check out the classic Jesus & Mary Chain video for "Sometimes Always" (starring Hope) below...

Continue reading "HOPE SANDOVAL pens a NEW song for Air France (MP3), Chemical Brothers, Boards of Canada & others on CD too"

French new wave cover stars Nouvelle Vague are @ The Guggenheim

Nouvelle Vague take to the stage at this month's First Fridays. Band producer and DJ Marc Collin spins tunes while you spin your way around our stunning Shapes of Space exhibition and take in masterpieces by the Italian Divisionists. Enjoy a short live set too as the French band perform their post punk classics, remastering the likes of Joy Division, Depeche Mode, and the Cure, in a sophisticated combination of bossa nova, jazz and sixties pop. [Guggenheim[

Above photo of Nouvelle Vague @ Castle Fun Park via HERE. And here's some from Joe's Pub.

Also this weekend, NYC...
* The Boggs, High Places & Cheeseburger for free in Brooklyn
* Nada Surf, Vic Thrill & Cheeseburger for free in Brooklyn
* Roky Erickson & Alejandro Escovedo for free in Mahnattan
* Calvin Johnston @ Don Pedro's
* Animal Collective at the Seaport