NOUVELLE VAGUE PRODUCER OLIVIER LIBAUX’S
UNCOVERED QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
OUT NOW ON MUSIC FOR MUSIC LOVERS
UNCOVERED QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
OUT NOW ON MUSIC FOR MUSIC LOVERS
“Olivier Libaux is a prolific songwriter, performer, and producer.”—Entertainment Weekly
“Olivier Libaux’s new music is nothing if not timely.”—SPIN
“Olivier Libaux’s Uncovered Queens of the Stone Age came out of nowhere with its subtle, seductive and heart-rending covers of tunes by Queens of the Stone Age.”—“Echoes”
“Standouts include Guatemala’s Gaby Moreno,
Ambrosia Parsley of Shivaree, Iceland’s Emiliana Torrini (sounding less
Bjork-like than she often does on her own albums), and especially Inara
George (TheBird and the Bee). George is the only vocalist who performs
on two tracks, and her studied detachment on “No One Knows” and
“Hangin’ Tree” might induce chills.—Mother Jones
“Producer Olivier Libaux is obviously in it for
more than just a laugh...The arrangements are more richly detailed and
cinematic in scope, the singers free to wail as much as whisper.”—Pitchfork
Nouvelle Vague producer Olivier Libaux’s Uncovered Queens Of The Stone Age is out now on Music For Music Lovers. Entertainment Weekly recently premiered the video for “No One Knows” featuring vocals from Inara George which can be viewed [HERE] and praised Libaux for his “awesomely lounge-lizardy grooves” while The Wall Street Journal heralded Uncovered Queens of the Stone Age “flips that manly air on its head with a dozen versions of the band’s songs sung by women.”
Uncovered Queens Of The Stone Age is a compilation
of covers from across QOTSA’s discography, performed by a cast of
female singers in a mélange of styles from folk to bossa nova. Libaux
is a founding member of the French band Nouvelle Vague, known
for their bossa nova-style covers of post punk and new wave hits—thus,
he is no stranger to cover songs. For this album, Libaux hoped to “take
things to another level.” A longtime QOTSA fan, Libaux reached out to
the band’s leader Josh Homme to ask for his permission before
starting the project. Homme sanctioned the album enthusiastically,
calling it a “fantastic idea.”
Uncovered QOTSA features 12 tracks intricately arranged and
produced by Libaux at his home in Paris. Libaux recorded the backing
arrangements, then sent them to his performers, who would send him back
their vocals. The songs were mixed by Frédéric Carayol at Mercredi 9
Studio and Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound in New York.
A different singer performs each song on Uncovered QOTSA, except Inara George, who performs two.
For “No One Knows,” Libaux selected George, one half of the band The
Bird and the Bee. George recorded test vocals for Libaux on her laptop
while traveling, and Libaux found her interpretation so perfect that he
chose not to re-record the track in a proper studio, stating “I can’t
even understand how Inara managed to deliver such mixed feelings
(emotion, loneliness, beauty, hope and concern) in one take.” Other
performers include award winning Korean jazz singer Youn Sun Nah,
acclaimed American singer-songwriter Alela Diane, and many more.
Olivier Libaux founded French pop group Les Objets and co-founded
Nouvelle Vague with Marc Collin in 2004. Les Objets released two albums
and was a critical success in France with two music videos directed by
Michel Gondry. Of Nouvelle Vague’s self-titled first album, NPR said
“In its own quiet way, the juxtaposition of sunny music and aching
lyrics makes [the covers] work as well as the originals.” The
commercial success of the album allowed the band to tour extensively.
Numerous Nouvelle Vague covers have been featured in film and
television. Their cover of Modern English’s “I Melt with You” was
including the 2005 film Mr. and Mrs. Smith and television shows
including “The Hills,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “Don’t Trust the B---- in
Apartment 23” as well as advertisements for GMC, Vicks and T-Mobile.
Libaux has also released two critically successful solo albums and has
collaborated with artists such as Carla Bruni, Alex Gopher, Emilie
Simon and Helena Noguerra.
Olivier Libaux, Uncovered Queens of the Stone Age Tracklisting
River In The Road performed by Rosemary Standley
Medication performed by Katharine Whalen
Burn The Witch performed by Clare Manchon
No One Knows performed by Inara George
In My Head performed by Susan Dillane
3’s and 7’s performed by Skye
Tangled Up In Plaid performed by Gaby Moreno
The Blood Is Love performed by Ambrosia Parsley
Running Joke performed by Youn Sun Nah
Hangin’ Tree performed by Inara George
Go With The Flow performed by Emiliana Torrini
I Never Came performed by Alela Diane
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