The Dears - No Cities Left && Serge Gainsbourg - I ♥ Serge

One can pick up the Smiths resemblance from 'Don't Lose Faith", and then it does appear that people on Wikipedia pointed out them as a strange mix of The Smiths, Serge Gainsbourg and Joy Division? Although I've yet to pick up the latter two. I would say that there's a bit of "Air-from-Virgin-Suicides" feel, although you can qualify that as sort of remixed-70s-sound.

(So yeah, they're an 'indie' band from Montreal, and this morning is the first time I hear their music. I don't know how notorious they are, but people have been pointing out that they're fairly not indie per their notoriety, whether they play on mainstream radio. Go figure. Arcade Fire are pretty notorious and still labelled 'indie'. Like "independent" films that all the people I know have already seen... end the naive post.)

The Dears - Lost In The Plot
The Dears - Don't Lose The Faith
The Dears - Pinned Together, Falling Apart

It came across that it was the 15th anniversary of Gainsbourg's death this year (ah woaw, 1991 was fifteen years ago!). Were saying that couple of activities would be organized in French-from-France media, but all I can find online is from Quebec? Some five years ago (pour les 10 ans, il va sans dire), I bought an album of techno remixes of Gainsbourg tunes... Intends to be a pingback post at helvetius' Gainsbourg post (until LJ uses pingbacks).

(Besides being known for not-his-music, he brought reggae to French music. Not particularly familiar with the 70s period, but if it's as boring as what my parents listened to, then I'm sure Gainsbourg contributed to diversify. Not that Aznavour et les autres weren't good, but only when you're mentally impaired. Have yet to try. I think that Gainsbourg has some sort of chic appeal to non-French-speakers, so it could pass.)

Serge Gainsbourg - Ballade de Melody Nelson (Howie B.)
Serge Gainsbourg - Là-bas C'est Naturel (Faze Action)
Serge Gainsbourg - No Comment (Dax Riders)