Nouvelle Vague

1 February 2010:

The concept behind French pop band Nouvelle Vague is genius in its simplicity.  They take classic punk / rock / cult hits, and reinvent them as new wave (or ‘nouvelle vague’ in French) songs.  Sometimes it’s more of a bossa nova, sometimes it’s completely undefinable.  It’s more than a cover, though, as they almost seem to conjure the song up from the ethereal void that songs materialize from without inducing an eye-roll from even the most cynical music lover.  What I mean to say is, hearing these songs in such a different light leaves one with a refreshing hint of the song they used to know, like a distant memory; like the original songs were a distant memory for these musicians too, and they let it flow through them again in this form.

Started by producer/arrangers Olivier Libaux and Marc Collin (who you’ll see playing guitar and melodica, respectively, in this video), the songs are sung by a revolving cast of unfailingly gorgeous women.  On this tour, they’re lucky enough to enlist the talents of Karina Zeviani (international model and singer for Thievery Corporation), and Helena Noguerra (beloved French singer and actress).  Onstage, these two truly captivate the attention of the entire room.  Actually, it doesn’t matter what room they’re in, you can’t miss them.

Enjoy Nouvelle Vague performing the cult classic “Blister in the Sun” backstage, just moments before walking onstage to a packed room of fans.

Thanks to Marc, Olivier, manager Christophe, drummer Spencer Cohen, the lovely Helena, and the stunning Karina, for performing for Ecce.  Nous adorons les Nouvelles Vagues!

For more info on Nouvelle Vague, including current U.S. tour dates, check out nouvellesvagues.com.

Check out a few concert photos and freeze-frames from that night below.