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Artist Wed Sep 13 2006
The Nouvelle Vague Are Copycats
The French band Nouvelle Vague has found a nice niche with the indie rockers by playing lounged-up bossa nova covers of classic alternative songs, like "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and "Guns of Brixton." But I can't help but think that Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux must have come up with the idea after hearing a copy of Prozak for Lovers.
Chicago studio musician Bruce Lash recorded "Prozak" in 1998, covering popular songs from the '70s and '80s, including, yes, "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (a cleaner, more soothing version than Nouvelle Vague's), "Don't Fear the Reaper," and "London Calling." The self-released album disappeared for a few years before becoming available through CD Baby in 2001. Lash released a follow-up in 2004, covering alt-rock hits from the '80s and '90s, such as "Black Hole Sun," "Lithium" and "Psycho Killer."
I find the first album more satisfying than the sequel -- the latter is a bit more formulaic, while the former shows more of the creativity of experimentation. Both are worthwhile if you're into covers, even moreso if you're looking for something to surprise your friends with at parties. (You might also want to explore Lash's site -- he's got lots of mp3s of his other work, which ranges from folk to psychedelia.)