I've listened to Piaf, Charles Trenet, CarlElie Couture, Aznavour, Lucienne Boyer, Les Nubians, Alliance Ethnik, Funky Family, Alizée, Akhenaton; Psy 4 de la Rhyme, Pit Baccarat - and I liked them all (esp Alliance Ethnik!) - What else should/could I listen to?

(edited by Copago, sorry, ... just had to check something ... nothing has been removed)

Ooh, I just want to say that I love Les Nubians too. Do you know if they've ever released a second album? (I wouldn't trust the music stores here to carry it if so ...)

Other than that, though, I'm afraid I'm not particularly down with the French music scene. Sorry!

I'm still gathering some answers for you, one suggestion of somebody who is pretty hot right now is Gerard de Palmas. I don't know why I like his voice, but I do. And I also like the fact he uses acoustic guitars as well.
Aballsinshadow will have some suggestions too, from Quebec.
I'm trying to think of some of the groups...we listen to everyone really and my kids are up on the French stars as well as English stuff.

What sort of things do you like there?

Helene Segara is another singer who comes to mind.
I personally don't care for Patricia Kaas' voice but many others do. She's the new Edith Piaf according to many.

hum... "Aballinshadow", Bruyere... thanks!

I know some from Quebec that plays in France like Garou or Natasha St-Pier, but hum... I'm not too much into that kind of music, I don't know very much... Maybe Roch Voisine too...

Well, there seems to be some vintage stuff in mgkbus's list, so I'd add Juliette Gréco: I've been mad about her since I was an undergraduate (and that was a very long time ago!). Georges Brassens is well worth a listen too, though probably more for the content than the voice.

Well he does have Edith Piaf in there.
I personally like street singers, all the popular stuff, I just don't like Kaas as much as some.
I listen to all sorts of music here though.

I have some Julliete Grèco already, I accidently omitted her. I will search for all suggestions...but this weekend it's local music - we have two block parties this weekend.

and i just got the chords for "L'accordioniste" Wooohooo!

I think we forgot to mention Jacques Brel, and "Ne me quitte pas". I really like his voice.

bruyere,
What is the translation for "Ne me quitte pas"? Nina Simone sings a cover of it and I've always wanted to know what she was singing about.

I love AIR. Beck sang on a song for their new album. It's delicious.

Don't leave me...it's the most poignant song imaginable despite the obvious mush potential. You'd think it would evoke images of some guy hanging on to your ankles and begging you not to leave...and yet it doesn't.
Most great French singers have done it or recorded it, but Jacques Brel (Belgian) was the best.

French music news: Gérard de Palmas is recording with Céline Dion now. This guy is the most unassuming stage performer and yet he has quite a following. He looks like a regular guy, no frills, and yet his voice rings true. I love to see a guy like him assume popularity like that, while remaining himself.

By the way, "je te quitte" can just mean, "gotta go..;" but in this instance, it means don't leave me...break up with me etc.
We use it around the office for laughs too.

If you like a folky or Meditarrenean flavour to your music, check out Mano Negra, Les Negresses Vertes, Zebda en Les VRP. It's funny, danceble and it always brings you in a good mood. For some more serious stuff, you can always listen to Arno Hintjes, the former leadsinger of Belgium poplegends TC Matic. C'est tres bon aussi.

Right now I'm listening to Merzhin, a band from Bretagne, if you like french music with a celtic twist they're very good. On another note, try Jean Leloup from Québec. He's got his own style, very funky.

Finally Meshkenet accepts my invitation!
I have a pretty good collection of Celtic stuff.
What do you make of Manau? Seems like they came and went!
I thought they were neat...a rap type thing with a Celtic thing.

I couldn't say no forever, could I!
I've never heard of Manau, but I've been looking for an album by a celtic band called In Tua Nua. Can't get it here in the North Pole.
If you're into funk-rap-celtic mixes, go buy a Black 47 album if you can get your hands on one. If you can't, visit their website, you can download e few songs from there if I remember correctly.
As for french music, Québec has better artists than Garou or Roch Voisine (thank God!). Paul Piché and Richard Desjardins are classics around here. We also have punk bands like Penelope, we used to have an amazing funk band called Me, Mom and Morgentaller, and don't forget Les Colocs.
I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot of others, but those should keep you occupied for a few hours...

Roch Voisine, he's kinda cute though...Garou yells so loud, like the Italian tradition.
I'll tell you that the Quebecois are doing well on French TV, as the French language market is relatively small.

Has De Palmas got much attention there?

We've got another Quebecoise here, she'll be in soon.
She's not into Garou either!
I've got Alain Stivell and Dan Arh Brazh on my desk here as I write, interesting Celtic stuff.

Personnaly, over French bands, I like Louise Attaque. Their music is energic but not too much, just enough. I always liked their big hit "Je t'amène au vent".

I have a CD of Brigitte Bardot singing these cute, little, swinging French bubble-gum pop tunes from the mid-sixties. It's a kick. But for my money, no one tops Charles Trenet for sheer force musical genius. Ne plus ultra.

La mer qu'on voit danser...

Used to ride bikes by one of his houses here in France. Beautiful voice, I agree.
BB? She had a voice? That's news.
Just kidding...she had a breathy voice, the French love to make the stars do a talky record for publicity purposes.

As a matter of fact, my Bardot CD is a French import and one of a series of CD's entitled " Actrices." The series includes CD's of songs by Isabelle Adjani, Jane Birkin, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Mireille Darc, Catherine Deneuve, and Jeanne Moreau. Interesting, no? You're right about Ms. Bardot's dubious credentials as a "singer." As for Trenet, the thing that I most admire is his songwriting genius. His unique voice and infectious story-telling style is, of course, unequaled. But his creative gifts as a composer/lyricist are down right other-worldly.

Hmm, if we made a chart we could see a trend with women who've had a child with Delon, Gainsbourg, Mastroianni, or Vadim.
Now, Jane Birken is an institution here, and she was incredibly sexy when she was younger, "Sea Sex and Sun" was a major hit...and her cries and whispers with Serge were a scandal but still are unsettling when they play it at 8 am on the way to work...
She has a thick English accent in French, a very posh one in English, and her French is perfect when she's not on stage.
Brigitte Bardot also did a song with Serge...pretty sexy stuff.
Catherine Deneuve, my lord, couldn't sing her way out of a paper bag...but she tries...
They always require the artists to give it a go.
Emmanuelle Beart (Manon des sources) has a pleasant voice and she grew up in the music world as her father is a famous singer, Guy Béart.
Jeanne Moreau by the way, has had that unfortunate occurence of the voice deepening to the point of no return and she sounds like an advertisement against tobacco consumption. No it's not like Lauren Bacall but worse.

Adjani, well, I'm not being catty, but she's done a few things that weren't too too bad...but it's the breathy little girl voice that one can't really call a full fledged voice. They use it heavily ad nausea in publicity here.
Marie La Foret had a pleasant voice..she was probably on that CD.

Patricia Kaas had to become quite a vamp to keep up her popularity...I appreciate her voice but I don't find it on my favorite list.
So being gorgeous is part of the game for singers here.

Oh yes, there's an artist from Belgium who has a lovely voice...Mauranne.
Check her out...deep but not too deep.

I just saw Alysée on there...I won't tell my kids you said that Mgkbus.
She's one of the kids they drafted on the star search program here, she's ok, but they've made her into a Lolita type kid...
My children watch these things closely and know them all the time. They're planning on their attack soon...to go up the star ladder.
They are probably just jealous...
They would have an advantage as if you don't know their momma is American, they could pronounce the lyrics with the greatest of ease, do both languages instead of botching it up...
So a few of the teens were selected from the STar program on tv.

I love listening to french music, but most of my favourites are Quebecois.

Ones that jump to mind are Garou, Gérard de Palmas, Kevin Parent and my favourite, Daniel Bélanger. His lyrics are beautiful.

Garou, he's a great artist, but he does get a little loud for my tastes. I guess it's because of the Notre Dame de Paris musical thing..he has a great voice for musicals.

I'm quite embarrassed - I lived in Paris for 2 years, and I can only remember Etienne Daho and Jean Leloup (and I think the latter's Canadian).