The wind calls me by my first name

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On Friday 28 August 2009 J. Di Gioia wrote in "Quick Before it Melts":

On my recent vacation I stopped in Montréal for a few days and had a chance to do some shopping for new francophone music, partly inspired by my recent crush on Coeur de Pirate.  There was a very kind young lady working in one of the record shops on Rue St. Catherine who steered me towards another amazing chanteuse, Marie Pierre Arthur.  I was instantly hooked with the opening bars of “Déposer les armes”, the first track of her self-titled 2009 release.

Imagine an amalgamation of Feist, Amy Millan, and Emily Haines that sang in french and you’d come close to Arthur’s indelible style.  Arthur used to play bass for many of Quebec’s most popular artists before stepping into the spotlight on her own with this solo debut album.  It effortlessly blends folk, country, indie pop and rock and marinates the whole affair in an Eno-esque bath of ambient and gothic textures.  I’ve been able to dig up a link to her show at Montréal’s La Tulipe over at CBC Radio 2 for your viewing pleasure, and highly suggest you check out the whole album.  There isn’t a bum note on this LP, and it’s destined to be high on my end of year list in December. 

MP3: Marie Pierre Arthur “Déposer les armes” 
MP3: Marie Pierre Arthur “Entre nous” 
Myspace: Marie Pierre Arthur 
Buy: Marie Pierre Arthur Marie Pierre Arthur