Monday, August 3, 2009

OohLaLA FESTIVAL BRIDGES LOS ANGELES TO FRANCE; THREE-DAY FRENCH MUSIC SHOWCASE BEGINS SEPTEMBER 23 AT THE HENRY FONDA THEATER

The OohLaLA Festival is bringing a bit of la France to L.A. this fall and no passport is required. The first edition of the three-day French music showcase will take over the Henry Fonda Theatre, September 23-25. This cultural import is the brainchild of French music industry veterans and will be presented/executive produced by Goldenvoice, the creators of the Coachella Music and Arts Festival and All Points West. Tickets will be available via Ticketmaster and go on sale Saturday, August 1st at 10 am.

Spanning three nights, the festival will bridge two continents, highlighting the current French music scene in the U.S. with a series of performances running the gamut from hard-hitting electro to more traditional fare. September 23 and 24 will be devoted exclusively to emerging talent from the indie pop/rock and folk scenes, including performances from dance-pop provocateur Sébastien Tellier, whose latest album, Sexuality, was produced by Daft Punk's Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo; piano aficionado Gonzales, the multi-faceted virtuoso, who is equal parts powerful crooner and hip-hop singer, as well as Grammy-nominated arranger/producer for Feist; and Cocoon, a male/female folk duet from the Auvergne mountains, whose music echoes American folk greats such as Elliott Smith and Sufjan Stevens.

Night number two will belong to the radical, loungey reinterpretations of Nouvelle Vague, as the collective led by producer Marc Collin presents "Hollywood, Mon Amour," a tribute to 1980s film soundtracks. The band will put their spin on such classics as "Eye of the Tiger," "Flashdance... What A Feeling" and James Bond's "A View To A Kill." The Dø, a Finnish girl/French boy duo with panoramic cultures and 2008 sensation in France, will kick off the evening alongside electro-pop chanteuse Emilie Simon, a multi-French Music Award winner and composer of the "March of the Penguins" soundtrack, now based in New York.

The fest will close out Friday, September 25, with a serious collection of intercontinental, premiere party-starters manning the decks. This celebration of the French Touch electronic scene, fittingly dubbed "Electronic French Party," will showcase the hugely expanding French electro movement made popular recently by the likes of Daft Punk and Justice. The night will feature 'Champagne connexion' Yuksek fellows Brodinski and The Shoes who will show why their city of Reims is on the verge of becoming the new capital of French electro. Brodinski will bring his bass-heavy house and glitchy techno while The Shoes, known for their remixes around the globe (Late of The Pier, Santigold, Ladyhawke), will deliver a live set of electro computer rock. The Parisian duet Jamaica (formerly known as Poney Poney), produced by Xavier de Rosnay from Justice, will deliver a rousing set of electro power-pop with a health dose of heavy '80s guitars.

This event is sponsored by the Consulate General of France in Los Angeles and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the US. The other main sponsors are CulturesFrance, whose aim is to develop French cultural exchanges internationally, and France Los Angeles Exchange (FLAX), a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) foundation dedicated to fostering a better understanding of France through public and cultural art events that promote cross-cultural learning. Additional international partners include La Sacem, the French equivalent of ASCAP; the French Music Export Office, Le Bureau Export; and Trendsetting KCRW (89.9. FM and KCRW.com) will be a presenting partner of the festival while TV5 Monde (US) and French opinion-leading cultural weekly Les Inrockuptibles will also be heavily involved.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sébastien Tellier
Gonzales
Cocoon

Thursday, September 24, 2009
Nouvelle Vague presents "Hollywood, Mon Amour"
Emilie Simon
The Dø

Friday September 25, 2009
Electronic 'French Party'
Brodinski
The Shoes
Jamaica aka Poney Poney

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