Nouvelle Vague's Depeche Mode cover, I Just Can't Get Enough, playing now. Hit the  button to hear Modern English's I Melt with You. |
The French band Nouvelle Vague uses a clever play on words as their novelty — and what a great novelty it is. "Nouvelle Vague" is the term for the kitschy French films of the '50s and '60s. It translates to English as "new wave," which is a term for '80s synth pop. The French movie genre for which the band named itself generally uses bossa nova for its scores. "Bossa nova" is Portuguese for...you guessed it, new wave. Nouvelle Vague plays '80s new wave standards in the bossa nova style. Now that, with all due respect to Alanis Morissette, is ironic.
Band members Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux found that they liked the fundamental chords of new wave music, but were interested in stripping out the synthesizers and drum machines. For an additional dose of purity, they employ young female singers who have never heard the original versions. Nouvelle Vague's two albums include eight different lead singers.Bands that Nouvelle Vague covered in their 2004 self-titled debut include Joy Division, XTC, Modern English and my all-time favorite new wave band, Depeche Mode, among others. Fans of 2005 hit movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith may recall Nouvelle Vague's version of Modern English's I Melt with You in the score. If I'm not mistaken, that song is currently being used to sell Taco Bell’s Cheesy Pita. Personally, I just can't get enough of Depeche Mode’s Just Can’t Get Enough.
Bande a Part, released in 2006, refers to a 1964 French nouvelle vague film of the same name. These guys really know how to stick to a theme. Bande a Part features songs from Echo & the Bunnymen, Yaz, Heaven 17, The Smiths and Bauhaus. It's a who's who of new wave music. My personal favorite in this collection is Bauhaus' Bella Lugosi's Dead. There is definitely nothing complicated here. I have found through personal experience that most people, in general, really like a bossa nova beat. It's eternally cool and evokes the memory of the martini-swilling jet-set of 40 years ago. To set new wave standards to it makes a somewhat dated genre seem hip and trendy. It's just a good match.
Pick up some Nouvelle Vague for your next party — it’s available on iTunes. I guarantee you that some of your guests will ask about it. When they do, you'll have this great back-story to impress them with!
