With their ‘Psycho Tropical Berlin’ album – reviewed just here – French rockers La Femme have issued one of late-2013’s more striking long-players. “Like Kraftwerk robotically waxing The Beach Boys’ surf boards,” commented Clash’s reviewer, Mat Smith.
So, obviously, Clash was always going to say yes to a playlist of the band’s favourite French punk songs. Check the 10-track selection after the official video for La Femme’s own ‘Sur La Planche’.
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Les Olivenstein – ‘Négatif’
These guys were serious agent provocateurs. They were one of the first big French punk rock bands, symbolising NO FUTURE, and this song is big on the anti-positive vibes. They adhered to the rules of live fast, die young, and weren’t afraid of being controversial, they named themselves after drug addiction treatment Tsar, psychoanalyst Claude Olievenstein! Now that’s punk.
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Marie Et Les Garçons – ‘Rien à Dire’
Marie Et Les Garcons were a French new wave band, inspired by the Velvet Underground, Roxy Music, The Seeds and others. They recorded their first album in New York and supported Patti Smith and Talking Heads. I’d say these guys might be your thing if you’re into New York post-punk bands like Parquet Courts. We play this song a lot as an encore song. We even had Patrick Vidal – former frontman of Marie Et Les Garçons – singing it with us in Paris a few weeks ago. Patrick is a very sweet man and one of our favourite French artists ever, we felt extremely honoured he came to sing it with us.
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Metal Urbain – ‘Crève Salope’
We love to put this song at parties to create a big mess, and dance like assholes. It makes all the pretty girls run away...
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Lucrat Milk – ‘Darling Husband’
Lucrat Milk is the weirdest band of the ‘80s – they made music without rules for mad people. Their music has given a lot to the French DIY scene. The band was formed in 1979 by two ex-milkmen, Lombrick Laul and Masto Lowcost, and Lombrick went on to form the cult band Bérurier Noir.
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La Souris Déglinguée – ‘Haine Haine Haine’
We made a cover of this song with our former band, SOS MADEMOISELLE. This is a French punk classic, like an anthem for La Femme!
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Mano Negra – ‘Mala Vida’
One of the biggest alternative French bands of the ‘80s, coming straight out of the French punk scene of the late-‘70s. Their sound combined punk rock, flamenco, ska, raï, salsa, reggae and African rhythms. Manu Chao, their frontman, is now a fat pop star! But still, their first album of punk pop was fresh.
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Manu Chao – ‘Bongo Bong’
Not exactly punk, but we’ve gotta include the big man Chao ‘cos he started off busking on the streets of Paris.
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Wunderbach – ‘Paris Londres’
If you know this song, it means you are an extremely cool guy with eclectic taste, because it’s a rare early ‘80s punk rock gem.
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Bérurier Noir – ‘Macadam Massacre’
This is the first song written in improvised Hungarian gibberish. Very funny.
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Warrum Joe – ‘Datcha’
At every party and gig, our mate Nunez used to say: “Play Warrum Joe! Play Warrum Joe!” So, Warrum Joe has become a staple for our party playlists. If you like synth-punk bands like Holograms, Warrum Joe might be your thing.
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La Femme are on this Internet thing, here. ‘Psycho Tropical Berlin’ is out now.
Clash magazine is like Clash online but prettier and it smells really good.