Having already released two albums of bossa nova-styled New Wave and postpunk covers, French collective Nouvelle Vague has given its upcoming third record a decidedly country flair — and has invited members of Depeche Mode, Echo and the Bunnymen and The Specials to sing along.
Due June 29 in the UK and July 3 in Germany and Austria — U.S. release date remains TBA — the 13-track Nouvelle Vague 3 finds the airy French combo (whose name literally means “New Wave” in French) dabbling in twangy roots and country sounds as it reinterprets songs by the likes of the Sex Pistols, Talking Heads, The Police and Violent Femmes (see full tracklist below).
The real treat, though, are the duets, with DM’s Martin Gore pitching in on “Master & Servant,” the Bunnymen’s Ian McCulloch singing on “All My Colours,” Terry Hall of the Specials and Fun Boy Three appearing on “Our Lips Are Sealed” (a song he co-wrote with Go-Go’s guitarist Jane Wiedlin) and Magazine’s Barry Adamson helping out with “Parade.”
While the album isn’t yet out on CD, it can be streamed in its entirety on the band’s MySpace page. Also, the group, sans guest singers, will play a very brief American tour — four whole shows — in support of the record later this month (see dates below).
Tracklist: Nouvelle Vague 3 (stream)
1. “Master & Servant,” f/ Martin Gore (originally by Depeche Mode)
2. “Blister In The Sun” (originally by Violent Femmes)
3. “Road To Nowhere” (originally by Talking Heads)
4. “All My Colours,” f/ Ian McCulloch (originally by Echo and the Bunnymen)
5. “The American” (originally by Simple Minds)
6. “Heaven” (originally by Psychedelic Furs)
7. “Parade,” f/ Barry Adamson (originally by Magazine)
8. “Metal” (originally by Eloisia)
9. “Ca Plane Pour Moi” (originally by Plastic Bertrand)
10. “Our Lips Are Sealed,” f/ Terry Hall (originally by The Go-Go’s)
11. “God Save The Queen” (originally by Sex Pistols)
12. “Say Hello Wave Goodbye” (originally by Soft Cell)
13. “So Lonely” (originally by The Police)
Nouvelle Vague U.S. tour dates:
June 17: The Fillmore New York at Iriving Plaza, New York, NY
June 18: La Maison Française, Embassy of France, Washington D.C.
June 19: Grand Ballroom, The Regency Center, San Francisco, CA
June 20: The Music Box Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
