Valerie June @ Album de la Semaine for Canal+, Paris April 17 2013

Valerie June @ Album de la Semaine for Canal+, Paris April 17 2013

It's been a while since we've been to this tv show, good to be back in this tiny 100 capacity studio.

We're here to see VALERIE JUNE promoting her 5th album Pushin’ Against a Stone, she's now the protégée of Dan Auerbach from The Black Keys.

She's sexy and has a beautiful orange dress and a nice "gorgone" haircut,  lloking a bit shy.

She's playing traditionnal music: rural Folk-Blues. Nice songs, half of them performed on her own on acoustic guitar or banjo and the rest with her band, that sounded much better.

I'm not really convince by her laid-back high-pitched voice that is making her sound like a Memphis version of Duffy.

Short 7 songs -30 min set.

She will be playing @ Fleche d'Or club for the [Pias] night in Paris on April 26.

We'll be back @ L'Album de la Semaine as soon as next monday for MILES KANE who's promoting his second solo album. Really looking forward for this one.

Hanni El Khatib @ L'Album de la Semaine Canal+ , Paris Feb 25 2013

Hanni El Khatib @ L'Album de la Semaine Canal+ , Paris Feb 25 2013

Hanni El Khatib is promoting his 3rd album " Head in the dirt" and is playing famous Canal+ tv show

Heavy rock blues with Hanni El Khatib, a bit like The Black Keys, heavy greasy sound specially on Hanni's guitar. I would have preferred a wilder drummer. Good though.

9 songs, 30 min set and the band came back to re-do 5 songs.

He will play a private show @ Boule Noire on Feb 26th

Palma Violets @ L'Album de la Semaine, Canal+, Paris Jan 15 2013

setlist

Palma Violets @ L'Album de la Semaine, Canal+, Paris Jan 15 2013

 Another new sensation for 2013, after Jake Bugg this is Palma Violets. We were less than impressed by Jake Bugg, who's overrated. Palma Violets don't have rave reviews everywhere like Jake but these English guys know how to Rock, they have some short psyche-garage rock songs and are giving it all on stage specially the drummer and bass player.

Can't say that they have some great catchy songs but they are rocking like mad and are having a good time on stage and that's what we like.

Can't wait to see them perform in front of a "real audience" with everyone jumping up and down, slamming and  stage diving.

Their first album "180" should be out next month.

Asaf Avidam @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris Jan 14 2013

Asaf Avidam @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris Jan 14 2013

setlist

Israeli singer-songwriter Asaf Avidan is promoting his new solo record "Different Pulses" by playing famous canal+ TV show after a long day giving interviews for the press.
The guy is smartly dressed and is a great poser, he's playing with 3 girls (keys, cello , Backing Vocals-Percussion) and a male on drums.
As  the computer couldn't start properly for the first song , we had his hit " reckoning song" on acoustic guitar as the first song then he played the planned setlist.
Most of the songs are mid-tempo but all are very atmospheric and more mainstream than when he's playing with the Mojos.
He introduced "Jetplane" (from the Mojos) with a long speech about his influences ( Journalists are always asking him about his influences) that are from the late 30's starting with Robert Johnson to the 50's with Elvis, the 60's with the beatles, the 70's with Led Zep, thanks to his parents and the 90's with Soundgarden & Pearl Jam thanks to his brother but NOT the 80's. Originally the song is very rock but we had an 80's sounding version with Keyboards.
At first his high pinched voice can seem strange or annoying  but you get used to it very easily as he has good songs (or maybe was I seduced by the sexy girl on the Backing Vocals).
Nice stuff.

Villagers @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris Jan 09 2013

Villagers @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris Jan 09 2013

 

Irish Folk-Chamber pop band will be performing @ Canal+ tv show to promote new album "Awayland".
Can't say that this kind of music is our favorite , not really folk but more as they called it "Chamber pop" , not sure of what it means, sometimes it sounds a bit like jeff buckley specially with the singer's high voice on some songs .
We had quite a long set for this tv show as the band played 11 songs (usually it's 7) for a good 40 min+ set.
Good set but not our drug of choice.
setlist shortly

Jake Bugg @ L'Album de la Semaine Canal+ , Paris Jan 07 2013

Jake Bugg @ L'Album de la Semaine Canal+ , Paris Jan 07 2013

New English sensation playing the first Album de la Semaine, Canal+ TV show of the year 2013.
We heard the record for the first time this afternoon, just before going to the show, nice little country folk rock songs.
The stage is where people are revealing themselves, with just a bass player and a drummer , Jake Bugg is center stage, dressed like his big brother or godfather Noel Gallagher in Fred Perry clothes and maybe the same attitude , looking at his shoes on the way in and out, as if the poor fellow was going to do his shift at the local factory.
( I've been told later that he had LOTS of promo and that he had the flu)
Musically lots of late 50's early 60's country rock influences ( Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly) with a tiny bit of brit-pop from the 90's ( Oasis, Richard Ashcroft).

He's been dubbed the new sensation, I guess journalists have nothing better to do these last few months: great influences,  a good musicianship and good songs don't make you the new Hendrix.
He's good but overrated.
The press should give him time to get better like old wine for now he's just a nice and fresh Beaujolais, nothing more.
We wish him the best.

FIDLAR @ Album de la Semaine, Paris Dec 10 2012

FIDLAR @ Album de la Semaine,Canal+  Paris Dec 10 2012

Harcore/Punk band from california FIDLAR  is about to release it's first album and is playing famous canal+ Tv show L'Album de la semaine to promote it.
Never really heard of them before but it's a nice discovery  in the style of D.R.I or Gang Green with a bit of surf music in it.
Lots of short and heavy songs with nice riff and probably stupid lyrics as they called a song "Cocaine" as they love it ! 
Even though they're drinking between songs , acting like idiots and  trying to sound a bit "noisy", you can hear that the playing is neat and the band very professional when it comes to rock.
Very nice , fresh and heavy set.
That's the kind of shit we dig @ Rockerparis.

Bettye Lavette @ Album de la Semaine, Paris Dec 03 2012

Bettye Lavette @ Album de la Semaine, Paris Dec 03 2012

Bettye Lavette is celebrating 50 years in the music business with a new album " Thankful N’ Thoughtful" and a new Tour, she will be playing @ Alhambra in Paris on Dec 05.
Before that she's playing famous canal+ tv show L'Album de la Semaine.
She may be well-known for singing soul orientated music but with the new album she's more into something else but still with that soul touch.
First song is much more Rock than expected with Savoy Brown's "I'm Tired", next is a very quiet and soulfull version of Gnarls Barclay's "Crazy" which I didn't recognized at all.
Neil Young's version of "Everybody knows..." was folky, we even had a Bob Dylan and a Tom Waits song that could be more Cabaret.
I guess it was a bit of a surprise for us to have all these covers that are far from the soul we know her for, but as it's the kind of stuff that we like we were more than satisfied.
Too bad she only played a short 6 song-set for no more than 30 min.

Cody Chesnutt @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris Oct 08 2012

setlist

Cody Chesnutt @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris Oct 08 2012

see ya there tonight for this TV rexcording @ Canal+

Great 8 songs set from the new album including an unreleased one at the end, playing with an all English band, 8 musicians in all including 2 backing vocalists,  that is with him for only 3 days (That's what he told us) even if it's hard to believe as the band is very tight.
Lot's of great up-tempo soul songs in a Marvin Gaye style, funny how Cody looks, acts and sings like Marvin Gaye.
Great entertainer that is leaving the stage to come and sing closer to the audience, have the people sing several times the chorus in an extended version of a couple of his songs and as a preacher comes to shake hands and gives his blessing, well sort of...
After seeing so many black singers impersonating Mr James Brown (Charles Bradley for example) it is nice to see that Marvin Gaye is not forgotten.

Bobby Womack @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris, Sept 27 2012

SETLIST

Bobby Womack @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris, Sept 27 2012

Legendary Bobby Womack is promoting his new album "Bravest man" in France by playing famous Canal+ Tv Show L'Album de la Semaine.

First on stage are the 5 musicians , while they are playing an instrumental that will give the tone of the whole set: a very soft song with a drum machine, some laid back piano and very little bass, percussion & keyboards, Bobby Womack is sitting down next to the audience watching his own band performing.

Then a minder is escorting him very carefully to his stool on the stage, Bobby is looking very frail and wearing big sunglasses as a blind man.

The first song he's singing is an old one from his youth "deep River" he's on acoustic guitar for this one.We're getting new songs tonight arranged by Damon Albarn who's clearly the MC for the set.

It's not Bobby's usual soul stuff.
Songs are very soft with a touch of Drum machine à la "drum & bass" some piano and of course Bobby's voice that is neat.

It looks like Damon's NOT satisfied with something so he's asking to play the songs once again to our delight and Bobby's singing them this time with more conviction.

We have mixed feelings as the new album is more "electro" than soul so it's not really what we were expecting.

Nevertheless we know that we attended something special as it's not everyday that you can see a show by such a legend in such intimate conditions.

John Spencer Blues Explosion @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris Sept 24 2012

The John Spencer Blues Explosion @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris Sept 24 2012

After playing many shows with Heavy Trash, John Spencer is promoting a new Blues Explosion album "Meat + Bone". As usual at the Album de la Semaine conditions are perfect for the 120 people  to attend the gig.

Stage is simple Russell Simins on his small drum kit dead center with Judah Bauer on the left & John Spencer on the right and a few amps behind them.

You can see who's the "star" in the band as John Spencer is wearing some leather pants , make-up and had his hair done.

The music hasn't changed it's a mix of bluesy-garage -rock , the new songs are less deconstructed than before but if you're not familiar with the band it's hard to get into it straight away.

The end of the 50 min+ set is epic with John Spencer inviting everyone on the stage for the finale after going a couple of times himself in the stalls to shake a few hands with the audience.

Bobby Womack will play the very same place on Sept 27 and next will be French band Mass Hysteria.

The Hives @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris, Sept 18 2012

The Hives @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris, Sept 18 2012

setlist

The Hives are back in Paris, for a private show @ canal+, just a few months after playing a kick ass gig @ Gaité Lyrique in May 2012

All dressed in Tuxedos and playing new songs only (except for one ), The Hives are still kicking ass, even though the singer is acting as usual you can see that he's trying to make sure the vocals are the best possible even when he's jumping up and down and swinging the mike as it's a TV recording.
It's not an usual gig so you cannot feel the power of the audience pushing the band or it it because the new songs are bit less good than the old ones.
Good set but it could have been a bit better.

The Jim Jones Revue @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris Sept 17 2012

The Jim Jones Revue @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris Sept 17 2012

Photo of rehearsals (left) (c) Canal+
projected setlist, they've changed a couple of things
TBC tomorrow

The Jim Jones Revue are back with a new album and they're playing a few songs from it @ canal+ TV show, from what we've heard tonight most of the songs are more quiet if I can say so...more "classic rock" 70's era à la Alice Cooper.

They came back for a second set and played some of the old stuff that is much more heavy, a cover and they replayed a couple of the heavier new songs from the first set.
It was as if the concert really started for the second set with some of the vintage boogie-rock the band has always played.
I guess some people might be disappointed by some of the new songs, the band is aging I mean... you can't scream and jump like a maniac all the time, but they're aging well.

The XX @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris Sept 05 2012

The XX @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris Sept 05 2012

setlist

Before their sold out concert @ Cirque d'Hiver on Sept 06 , The XX are playing Canal+ famous tv show, see ya there !
It's sold-out tonight for our first session after the holidays, Eugene McGuinness played last week but we were back to the west-coast for an extra week on the seaside, enjoying the sun & sand.

The XX are getting more and more popular over here, the music is very soft, very ambient and atmospheric with a just some bass , dome very soft guitar and percussion or electro beats.
Most of the songs are very quiet with just a couple of more up-tempo songs.
Not really the kind of things we're used to listen to but it's quite interesting.

We already saw them @ Fnac Forum in 2010

Garbage @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris May 15 2012

contact: irockinparis((@))yahoo((dot))fr

Garbage @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris May 15 2012

Garbage just played their first show in Paris in 7 years and we were lucky to attend this event for L'Album de la Semaine, Canal+ TV show in front of a selected audience of less than 200 people.
They've already played this tv show in 2005 and Rockerparis was alreday there to attend.
Same line-up with Eric Avery on bass from the original Jane's Addiction.

Strangely enough there are no monitors on stage and we can hear bits of pre-recorded tapes before they took the stage.
They're starting the gig with a new song, it's an up-tempo song but it sounds like Katty Perry, there are too many electro on it specially on drums and at one moment lots of auto-tune on the voice. It's not looking good.
They may be only 5 on stage but they do sound like there are 10 people on stage , courtesy of many effects and pre-recorded tapes.
Out of the 11 songs on tonight's setlist only 4 new songs, they do sound better Live than on the album but you can hear the difference between the new ones and the quality of the old stuff.
Garbage have some great songs and we're glad that they're playing many old ones but I have to say I was expecting more new ones tonight as it's a promotional tv show.
Nevertheless the old stuff brings back fond memories and the band is rocking, too bad we don't have tickets for tomorrow's gig @ Olympia (sold-out).
They had to re-play the first two songs as Shirley had some lipstick on her teeth, she messed up the lyrics on "Queer" so we had a third one.
Very good performance.

setlist

Before the band left the premises they stayed and signed stuff for fans and took pics with them, Patrice took a few snapshots with his digital camera.

Gossip @ Grand Rex, Paris May 03 2012

Gossip @ Grand Rex , Paris May 03 2012
for Nuit de l'Album de la Semaine.

Lots of people tonight @ Grand Rex, all invited by Canal+ , to celebrate famous tv show L'Album de la Semaine that started around 2005.

Tonight was played on a huge screen 40 songs from the best artist who came to play at Canal+: The White Stripes, The Black Keys, Lana Del Rey, The Stooges, Arctic Monkeys , Peter Doherty, Foo Fighters, The Kills, REM, Them Crooked Vultures, Green Day, Franz Ferdinand, Miles Kane, Adele, Bjork,Lenny Kravitz, Amy Whinehouse and many others...
300 different bands in all, so they only picked up 40 for tonight:
One song for each of these artists divided over 6 sets, 3 before Gossip and 3 after, if i can remember well.
We've probably been to 80% of all these sessions with some great memories..."singing" with Iggy & Stooges being one of the best.

Short 9 songs set by Gossip with many new songs which are very disco, Hughhh !
cool set but we preferred when they were more rock

We were at the balcony with the VIPs, nice goodie bag with sandwiches & macarons by La Durée, perfect for a severe indigestion. These macarons are too good, specially the lemons & the raspberries.
The night ended at midnight (after starting @ 8:00pm), so very cool 4 hours of mostly Rock.
Could not be better... well maybe with a New York Dolls' song that was one of my favorites

setlist

Norah Jones @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris April 25 2012

Norah Jones @ L'Album de la Semaine, Paris April 25 2012

setlist

After seeing the Ting Tings @ Palais Royal for a 30 min set we went to an exclusive show by none other than Norah Jones.
She already played a 90 min set a few days ago @ France Inter that was broadcasted live to promote her brand new album "Little broken hearts".
This time it's in front of a selected audience of 200 people for canal+ tv show L'Album de la Semaine. Usually bands are only playing up to 7 songs , we're lucky she's playing a much longer set.
We don't have any of her records but we already saw her a couple of times: @ Espace Pierre Cardin for a private radio (RTL) show in Feb 2010 & @ France Inter for another private radio show in Dec 2009.
She's sexy, well dressed, has a beautiful and soft voice, even though she's not playing jazz anymore and has a "rock" band the music is still as soft as her jazz album.
Most of the time she's standing up and playing keyboards or on "electric" guitar, only to play one song on the piano.
She's trying to make it look as if she was in a rock band but Christopher Cross, who's well-known for playing American soft pop-rock ( we saw him @ Trianon last month) is playing Heavy Metal compare to Norah Jones.
Her songs are perfect lullabies to put your kids to sleep, there's only the single "Happy Pills" that is more up-tempo and "Black", produced by Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi, that is sounding like a Serge Gainsbourg song from Melody Nelson, that are standing out.
The rest is soooo soft that it was like I took a whole tablet of downers before going to the show or maybe she did.
Coll 80 min set but too soft for us @ Rockerparis

Busy day:
The Ting Tings @ Palais Royal ( free show, it's outdoor & the weather's awful, not sure if we'll go , 6:00pm)
Lisa Hannigan @ Fnac Forum ( free show) 6:30pm & @ Fleche d'Or tonight
Nadéah @ studio SFR (Free show, Invit' only) 8:00pm

April 26:
Great Lake Swimmers @ Fargo 6:00pm, free show
Lemonheads @ Maroquinerie
Charles Bradley @ Cigale
Fred Wesley @ New Morning
Syd Matters @ Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (free show, invit' only)