Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Hear Émilie Play


Émilie Simon - Space Oddity [originally by David Bowie]
You know I'm a sucker for Bowie covers and this great one showed up in my inbox last week courtesy of one of them promo people. Émilie Simon is a pop/electronic singer-songwriter from France whose latest album is due in the new year. Her take on the Bowie classic is unexpectedly euphoric as it reaches the chorus, accompanied by a myriad of beautiful sounds weaving their way through the space narrative. Curiously, Simon provided the original soundtrack to the French documentary March of the Penguins, though a new score was composed specifically for the English language version. Even weirder, the original French version featured three voice actors as Mama, Papa, and Baby Penguin narrating the film from their perspective...?! Hmmm, do you think this would've won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature if they had faithfully translated the penguin dialogue instead bringing in narration by Morgan Freeman?

David Bowie - See Emily Play [originally by Pink Floyd]
Ho ho, couldn't resist. Émilie Simon has some upcoming gigs in L.A. and New York. See Émilie play here:
9/9 - Los Angeles, The Roxy
9/24 - NYC, The Cutting Room
10/1 - NYC, The Cutting Room
10/8 - NYC, The Cutting Room
10/15 - NYC, The Cutting Room
10/22 - NYC, The Cutting Room

Speaking of European moonage covers showing up in my inbox...

Gina & Tony - Mr. Sandman [originally by The Chordettes]
A long while ago I received this sample of "electronic moonpop" artists Gina & Tony, a two-piece band from Switzerland. Their first full-length album Moonbow, available on iTunes, also features a cover of Over the Rainbow.

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