Salut Les Copains

Angry songs.
We all have them, don't we?
Actually, I'm not really sure if anyone else does or not, but for this post I'm pretending they do. I know a great deal of people have those songs they listen to when happy/sad/in-the-mood-for-dancing**, but songs you crank up when your mood is riled don't seem to get as much mention.

My angry song is 'Salut Les Copains' by Eux Autres.


Eux Autres was originally brother and sister, Nicholas and Heather Larimer. Now they've added Yoshi Nakamoto on drums, and "Ethan" as bassist. (Presumably, he has a last name, I just can't find mention of it anywhere!)
The thing I love about Eux Autres is that they sing in French just because they can. Their band name is even French! (Translated without idiom, it means "them others".) Also, they describe their music as "the unrequited love song Doug Martsch would have penned for Françoise Hardy, had the time/space continuum conveniently collapsed."
I dig that.

While most of the time Eux Autres is a rollicking indie-pop band with French influence, they sometimes really let 'er rip. Such as in 'Salut Les Copains', which is from their 2003 debut album, Hell is Eux Autres. Mainly being a folkie, a lot of my favourite songs don't even have drums let alone loud guitars and raucous vocals. But I think most everyone has at least a couple of songs that are out of place in their usual and preferred musical fare. Keeps life interesting, non?

So, this, my friends, is the song I turn up and listen to with furrowed brow and stormy eyes when I'm especially irritated with life and/or people. Enjoy!






**No, I will not tell you my happy/dancing mood songs because... I don't have any. Sad songs, on the other hand, I have a plethora of!


(And I realize it's rather incongruous to tag this under "la langue française est belle", but oh well.)

Amy Kuney

I gave myself the option of trying to squeeze another post into September, or doing the artist of the month post in a timely fashion. I chose the latter, because it sounded more attractive to my procrastinating self.
...And at the last minute, I decided to change the artist I'd chosen, even though I'd already started writing the post. What can I say? I've been listening to a bounty of great music lately. Everyone one will get a turn eventually, but I decided I wanted to give October's honour to Amy Kuney.

Amy Kuney is my favourite singer-songwriter at the moment. I've been a fan of hers for a while, but didn't buy her album, Bird's Eye View, until recently. She's released three new singles this year, but it is her aforementioned 2008 debut album, that is currently making me happy.

Traumatic experiences (culture shock of being a missionary's kid, being kidnapped while on a trip to Guatemala, &c...) helped Amy Kuney hone her songwriting skills. On her site's bio she makes the admirable statement, "I also knew that I was being presented with a choice: I could let these memories, and the experiences that they represent, cuff me, paralyze me, and make me bitter... or I could turn them into something beautiful... something that other people could relate to and, hopefully, find comfort in. This is my gift."
Though I believe in that particular quote she was referring to her album, ONYX, which is still in the works, I think it applies to all her music, which is indeed beautiful and a gift I'm delighted to receive.
But also, her music is a lot of fun. She has the fun beats without the typical inane words. Her sense of humour shows through in her smart lyrics and also in the parodies of popular songs she's done videos for. (Though, admittedly, I know none of the originals. :P)

Random note to further prove her amazingness: I just found out today that she made appearances in two episodes of one of my favourite shows, Gilmore Girls; both times she appeared as a singer, guitar in hand. I had to google the scenes to jog my memory, but now that I remember I am totally chuffed!

Anyhow, my favourite song off Bird's Eye View is thought-provoking 'Angel Tangled in the Telephone Lines'. I would say a few words about it, but really, it speaks for itself. (And my brain is starting to feel frazzled as I am currently writing in a noise-littered enviroment. *trying not to explode* o_O)

Listen: