New Song On Sunday

 

Rostam Batmanglij is an American producer of Iranian descent. Some may still know him as a co-founder of Vampire Weekend, which he left after their third album in order to focus more on producing. He recently released a new album, American Stories, in which he blends Americana with Persian instruments. On his latest single, Hardy, he has replaced the pedal steel guitar with strings. 

Sampled strings feature prominently throughout, appearing regularly in the song and lending it a cheerful feel. Alongside violins, the cello and piano can also be heard, giving the song an organic sound. The song is named after the French icon Françoise Hardy – only the artist knows why. A beautifully arranged pop song that really sticks in your head.

More Yeah Yeah

 

In the comments section of my post from yesterday, Ernie mentioned another band with a similar name that he likes better. Yeah Yeah Noh was an indie band formed in Leicester in 1983. They were jangly and lo-fi, with a singer sporting a distinctive bald spot who spoke rather than sang. They sound like a mellow Midlands version of The Fall. Their lyrics were ironic, sardonic, and silly, and they had the audacity to embrace psychedelia, which wasn’t particularly in vogue (with all due respect to  Televison Personalities). A good but sadly forgotten band.

Yeah Yeah Noh - Another Side To Mrs. Quill

As I was typing these lines, I was reminded of the Yé-Yé music of the early 1960s in France. This genre is said to be named after the “yeah” often heard in British pop music. I wouldn’t go that far, but would rather call them chansons interspersed with pop references. The best example is Michel Polnareff, who combined these elements in his songs.

Yé-Yé is, however, primarily associated with female singers, as the French in continental Europe were more willing to accept pop music in their native language. This allowed artists such as Françoise Hardy, France Gall, Sylvie Vartan establish themselves in the charts during those times. Much like Rita Pavone did in Italy at the same time.