Niki N. Phaser

               The Cure are known for doing things a bit differently than everyone else and this time they are breaking the -0/-5 anniversary cliché. They are choosing to celebrate the 21st birthday of their 1989 tour de force, Disintegration, by releasing a remastered anniversary edition. It will hit stores in the spring of 2010.

              Of course, the new edition will come with additional gifts, meaning the new Deluxe Disintegration will be a 3 cd affair, even though, truth be told, the bonus material is really just for avid collectors. It includes a cd of rarities from the 88-89 period (intrumental demos, home demos, rough mixes, etc.) and a second cd of a remixed live performance at the Wembley Arena from 1989. Also, 2010 promises more remastered goodies from The Cure, including a Mixed Up 2 album. There is also a hint of a DVD with their In Orange gig, which was released as a VHS by PolyGram in 1988 and begins with a dramatic unveiling of Robert Smith’s trimmed haircut at the time. Classic.

Ok, so the truth is French music gets a bit overlooked around the world. Most non-English-language music does. But even if you might have some difficulties understanding the lyrics, you can still appreciate a well-crafted song. To test the theory give Quand Viendra L’Heure a try. The song is a collaboration between dark rock band, ACWL and Nicola Sirkis, the frontman of not-so-dark rock band Indochine. It’s a two-faced piece of music, half lullaby, half heavy metal lullaby, but all feeling, no surface. It starts gentle with bells and chimes and poetry-reciting-like vocals. Sirkis’ voice is manly and pretty low, but Clin’s adds an unnatural feel to it, as if some Victorian ghost is haunting her husband. The first half is quite soothing, suggesting abstract images dissolving into each other. Then, the drums kick in and bring with them short and heavy guitar hits and you feel the storm coming, but it never does… It all becomes darker, but there is no destructive climax. That reciting of the track’s title is followed by dying voices which stop the song from becoming aggressive. It is weird and lullaby-esque, but still quite a banger, once you get the hang of it. Maybe you woun’t really dance to it, but you woun’t stand still either. You should check out the video, too. Also, even if you are not into Quand Viendra L’Heure, you should “taste” ACWL and Indochine. They are some of France’s best.

THE WONDERFUL VIDEO FOR Quand Viendra L’Heure