Musique heads to states

Parlez-vous Français? You might have to if you want to fully enjoy the recent wave of French-language pop that's working it's way into the American scene. Don't let the language barrier dissuade you! February has seen the release of two highly anticipated albums en Français and the hype is for good reason. Even without understanding the words, you'll find the quality of songs throughout to be tres bien! I highly recommend that you sample both. And, conveniently enough, you can tune into KSUB all month to hear them in rotation.

Nous Non Plus just released their second full-length album, "Ménagerie," last week. This 'faux-French' release (they're from New York) makes for a refreshing addition to your playlist-hushed drums and soft vocals to maintain your indie rock buzz, but a healthy smattering of pop beats keeps Menagerie from fading into obscurity. It's fun. And yet, there remains that 'je ne sais quois' that makes cool Frenchy things French. "Loli," for instance, is a straightforward pop track that would easily fit into next week's episode of that disgusting 90210 remake but there's something mysterious (maybe beignets or maybe excellent writing) that prevents me from feeling like frivolous trash. Anyway, the absolute best part of the whole album is "Fantôme Dur"-a French cover of the Unicorn's "Tuff Ghost!" Music lovers will enjoy revisiting this modern classic.

This week, French-Canadian quintet Malajube released their third album "Labyrinthe." It's markedly moodier than their previous release, "Trompe L'oeil," which was an energy packed experiment in layers and layers of pop and harmonies. However, "Labyrinthe" doesn't suffer from the dialed down energy. It feels more focused while still retaining the persistent energy of their previous work. Where "Trompe L'oeil" was an explosion of color, "Labyrinthe" is a real show.

Maybe this laid back pop duality is a French thing. Or maybe it's the start of a general pull away from the gentle strains of indie rock that we're so used to. Either way, I like it and I want to hear more of it. (But I secretly hope it's both and it comes with éclairs.)

Lily Allen, "It's Not Me, It's You"

Lily Allen is a modern woman! In this week's release of "It's Not Me, It's You," breakout British songstress Lily Allen has all but abandoned the sweet and easy sound that she brought to the States in 2006. "It's Not Me, It's You" mixes Allen's soft voice with drum machines and keyboards in a gentle re-branding of her pop sound. In past interviews, Allen has mentioned that she tired of her first album "Alright, Still" and was excited to do something new with "It's Not Me, It's You." But on the album, you can hear the struggle between new styles and the fear of losing fans - the result is something that too carefully walks the line between old and new. An enjoyable album that's destined to get lost in the shuffle this year.

Mi Ami, "Watersports"

"Watersports" is my favorite album of the year so far. True, it's not for everyone - you won't find anything like their wild, ethereal sound on Top 200 radio. I feel the only way to describe Mi Ami is as the jungle cousins of Wild Orchid Children that are still fighting to rock after being given a sedative. Their seven long tracks are more like some kind of ambient experiment than any song, with healthy doses of expertly crafted swells of energy. These San Francisco natives are doing something so right with quiet, driving beats straight out of the jungle and disjointed vocal melodies. This is one of those albums that compels you to seek out the band live because you know it will be an adventure/party. And lucky us! Mi Ami is coming to the Vera Project on February 24th.