Johnny Hallyday‘s latest album Jamais Seul is the kind of album awaited by the whole country in France. Indeed after serious health problems and multiple rumors of ending his careers, the iconic 68-year-old singer whose music has resonated in the ears of the French for more than 50 years, has become a matter of national interest.

Jamais Seul is a 13-track album proclaiming the return of the Rock legend to his work, with participation of many younger French artists including -M- (Matthieu Chedid). It is now available in the UK. To celebrate his 50th album, Johnny Hallyday will be playing at the Royal Albert Hall in October 2012.

Johnny Hallyday’s official website

At some point in 2009 Soko announced her “death” on Myspace and disappeared for a bit. Turns out she ain’t “dead”, but… just went home, (to paraphrase Men in Black’s Elvis quote there) and has thankfully now returned with ‘I Thought I Was An Alien’ from the album of the same name.

The Bohemian French folkser had charmed the world, and is doing so once more with this release, a sparse, sweet affair with raspy, yet soft, Björk-esque vocals. It is of course embedded in a cotton-wool bag of twee, yet is still utterly charming and earnest in delivery. Be sure to check out the equally as twee video that contains a helping hand from Spike Jonze.

Buy I Thought I Was An Alien

The indie/electro crossover is a well-travelled kind of road these days; fortunately, We Have Band travel down this neon-lit party road with a healthy, deft-swagger, that they subsequently succeed in standing out from the chasing, glowstick-hurling pack for the most. ‘Where Are Your People?’ is taken from their 2nd album Ternion, and provides the upbeat antics of which the trio are well known for, whilst gently smearing themselves in a disco-dip.

It’s the subtle touches that raise the interest above simple synth-pop New Order-clone types – as evident in an intro that teutonically nods to Kraftwerk. Arguably it would be nice to have seen more of these bolder moves in the single, though it still remains a tight, well-produced piece of dancefloor bombast.

Buy Ternion

Django Django: the band so good, they named themselves twice. This is somewhat apt, given that you will be hearing a lot about them at two opposing points in 2012; one being when their debut eponymous album was released in January – the other will be when album of the year lists bare fruition this December. ‘Cos Django Django will be up there.

The Dalston via Edinburgh four-piece have chosen the delightful, saccharine ‘Waveforms’ as the lead single – and its sun-kissed Beach Boys harmonies encapsulate their warm sound and pop sensibilities perfectly. Tightly layered 60′s vocals melt into amorphous 80′s electronics underneath, with the result a glorious psych-pop dream synergy of old and new. Gorgeous.

Buy Django Django here.

‘Anna’ is the latest single to appear from the hands of the thoroughly talented Gainsbourg Jr, Charlotte. Taken from the album Stage Whisper, ‘Anna’ is a laid-back, sultry pop tune – a brand of song that Charlotte’s become ever so good at creating over the past few years, and the kind of song which allows her wispy, delicate vocals to wrap around the listener, leaving them feeling captivated and touched. A superb example of one of Charlotte’s many talents.

Buy Stage Whispers here

Air have been keeping themselves very busy of late, creating this intense and extremely interesting soundtrack to Georges Méliès’s recently restored iconic film, Le Voyage Dans La Lune. Featuring the gorgeous vocals of Beach House’s Victoria Legrand, Air have not only managed to capture the spirit and atmosphere of the original film with this track, but have also stamped the soundtrack with their signature sound. This song is a delightful journey, whether accompanied by the film or not.

Buy Seven Stars here

‘Charming’ is a word you’ll often hear used about Singtank, a Parisian group who are making themselves heard and known ahead of releasing their debut album. This particular track presents  the more boisterous side of Singtank’s repertoire, where boy/girl vocal harmonies are skilfully projected alongside youthful vigour and energy. ‘The Party’ lives up to its name – it’s lively and vibrant, and harnesses all of the fun that Singtank like to inject into every area of their performance. They’ll be appearing in London on the 8th February, and should certainly not be missed.

Buy The Party EP here