Before the 90s, when you were a young French band, you had the choice between tormented driven rock like Noir Désir, or French variété under its figurehead Johnny Halliday.
If you liked English (or Scottish or Irish or Welsh) or American pop, it seemed like you just couldn't draw your inspiration from it.

And then the Contresens compilation came out in 1991, backed by the Inrockuptibles, and everything was possible. Since this cornerstone of pop, we know that pop in French can happen. Geoffroy Barthelemy & Alcatraz are its worthy heirs, children of the Objets or the Freluquets.

Geoffroy Barthelemy & Alcatraz are from St Etienne and were created in 2006. With influences from Alain Souchon, Jean-Louis Murat and the Beatles, the band write and perform delicately and skilfully crafted English melodies, in French.

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And because the band's from St Etienne, footballing town par excellence, we're not going to shy away from a bit of footballing imagery: a sweeping game that enjoys wide open spaces (all the songs are magnificently orchestrated); double drag-backs, nutmegs and other trick shots for the lyrics, gently melancholic or more playful; and an incredible goal-scoring talent for writing tunes that'll stay with you.

Geoffroy Barthelemy & Alcatraz is all that, and proof positive along with Holden, Florent Marchet and the late lamented Autour de Lucie that French pop can say goodbye to any hang-ups in comparison to our Breeteesh (and American) cheums.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Download more free MP3 from other Indie Pop Bands here:

http://www.pop-only-knows.com/catalogue.html