Isabelle Antena is a Parisian songbird whose bossa- and samba-inflected electro-Francopop is as glamorous as it is playful. And she’s been making hip jingles for almost three decades. Antena released Camino del Sol 25 years ago on Benelux, the continental stepchild of Factory Records. So while New Order et. al. were taking over clubs worldwide, Antena were mostly, and criminally, overlooked. Yet, you listen to the coy cover of “The Boy From Ipanema” and, beyond sounding like it could have been recorded this year in a Williamsburg loft, you realize where bands like Stereolab got their groove. Antena is back with Tujours de Soleil, ostensibly a follow-up to Camino. “Spinner” is perfect for urban adventures, but unfortunately the only version I can find for download is only two-thirds the length of the original. Fortunately, Isabelle has a career-spanning catalog of MP3s on her site, so make a sampler and plan that trip to Paris sooner than you thought.
Sharing the sharing.