10s ongs to explore

Here are 10 songs discovered on ICI Musique’s L’effet Pogonat and Vi@Fehmiu:

L’EFFET POGONAT:

1 Éléphant: Touché coulé

The French know how to do cool, clubby pop like nobody’s business. This tune is utterly goofy and totally irresistible. Just try not to shimmy as you listen, and not to keep saying “touché-coulé, touché-coulé” all day afterwards.

2 La femme: Où va le monde? Jean Leloup fans will be drawn to French retro-rockers La femme’s breezy, yéyé-tinged dance tune about heartbreak and hard times.

3 Fishbach: Un autre que moi There’s a lilting ’80s vibe to this synth-pop gem from hot French chanteuse Laura Fishbach’s recently released debut album, À ta merci. The former punk singer’s raspy voice has a seductive authenticity that says she’s here to stay.

4 Feu! Chatterton: Boeing Arthur Teboul’s theatrical vocals and poetic/humorous lyrics may scream French chanson of old, but Feu! Chatterton is a resolutely contemporary rock band, as evidenced by this high-flying tribute to air travel and nature’s grandeur.

5 Nino Ferrer: Le telefon

I had never heard this hilariously funky classic of la chanson français by late Italian-French singer Ferrer, which stayed on the charts for 19 weeks in 1967. It’s all about those horns.

VI@FEHMIU: 6 La Yegros: Frágil

Buenos dias, Buenos Aires! Mariana Yegros calls herself the first lady of digital cumbia. The Brazilian-Argentinian singer-rapper brings sass, rolling Rs and determined electro bounce to a song that posits her as anything but “frágil.”

8 Alpha Blondy: J’ai tué le commissaire

If anyone’s got a right to remake I Shot the Sheriff in French, it’s the man they call the African Bob Marley. Ivory Coast veteran Blondy brings deep roots reggae heft to this inspired cover.

9 Fatoumata Diawara: Nterini The Malian-French singer’s ode to migrant peoples sways with a mesmerizing blend of African guitars, smooth background vocals, understated electronic beats and handclaps, providing a swaying backdrop to Diawara’s stirring, earthy vocals.

10 Random Recipe:

Fight the Feeling

Even if you’re familiar with Montreal’s female-fronted folk-pop-rap act Random Recipe, it’s great to hear the sing-songy, Caribbean-tinged single off their new album Distractions getting steady radio play.

“I seek intensity,” Fehmiu says. “From noon to three, most people are working behind a desk or driving. They need something uplifting; that’s the character of my show.”