THOMAS PODVIN’S FREELANCE WORK
Freelance writer - translator - Editor

Easy-listening music à la française might be considered a cure for insomnia, but Borel enlivens the mix with her Gallic wit. Featuring acoustic guitar, violin and flute, this release on the Taiwan-based label Hinote Records, just might win over fans in China. And why not? All things French appear to be quite trendy in the PRC these days. Schmaltz included. Indeed, Borel's "Oserai-je t'aimer?" ("Will I dare to love you?") surpasses Hélène's schmaltzy "Je m'appelle Hélène" in the cornball department. But for those of you with no grasp in the language of Molière, Borel's wordy romanticism matters not. A pity, because a close listen reveals more than wistful goo – at times, her lyrics equal those of the late, great Serge Gainsbourg. Indeed, Borel's collaborator, composer Jérémie Lefebvre, who also provides backing vocals on a few tracks sounds remarkably like Gainsbourg. And Borel herself displays the same caustic sense of humor on a number of cuts. Note: this CD contains one English-language track, a sensual cover of Madonna's "Get into the Groove" sung with heavy French accent. Mon Dieu!
Hinote Records

French version/version française
(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
December 2005 issue

Guanzhou Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
December 2005 issue

This Swedish band of four, Caesars, formerly known as Caesars Palace, has been trying to revive 60s rock and retro garage for a decade now, dusting off the sounds of McCartney, Lennon, the Sonics, The Stooges and so forth. In large part, their success depends upon the degree of nostalgia one holds for this period. Listening to the Caesars certainly evokes a sense of déjà vu, though it is difficult to pinpoint the exact source of this queer feeling. The fuzz-box filtered vocals and the retro-psychedelic organ definitively sing of the 60's but there's an element of sound that suggests 'now'. Paper Tigers was mixed by sound engineer Michael Brauer (Coldplay, The Rolling Stones), adding a Brit touch to an already very English sound. Perhaps he's also responsible for the band's modern sound, so modern that Caesars' catchy "Jerk It Out" was sampled for an i-pod TV-commercial. This fourth album, supposedly their most mature, offers a number of potential hit singles, in spite of the fact that each track might have been in the top forty, forty years ago.
EMI

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
December 2005 issue

Guanzhou Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
December 2005 issue