Cool Hunting

There's nothing like a late night radio discovery. On the brink of sleep Monday, I was jolted wide awake by the witty, sexy, upbeat chansons of The Lovers' lovemaking session on the Rob Da Bank show on Radio 1.

A little bit saucy, a little bit kitsch, a little bit tongue-in-cheek and oh so very very French, they make Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin seem chaste! An on-air cover of The Cure's "Lovecats" was suitably smooth with a Bossa Nova beat and puuuuurrrrring lyrics from Marion Benoist, whose previous incarnation was as a bunny girl. Her partner in crime is Fred de Fred, who has been described as a rock n' roll gypsy.

Based in Sheffield, U.K., their overt Frenchness has an interesting twist. In fact, several of their songs were co-written by none other than Sheffield native Jarvis Cocker, who, by the way, now lives in Paris. Quelle Franglais!

The Lovers by The Lovers is released on Gut Records in the U.K. You can listen to their songs on their MySpace page.