Souvenir (Spanish band)

Souvenir are an indie pop/electropop band formed in 1999 in Pamplona, Spain, who have released six studio albums.

Souvenir
OriginPamplona, Spain
GenresIndie pop, yé-yé, Europop, electropop
Years active1999 - present
LabelsJabalina, Shelflife, Tone Vendor
Websitehttp://www.souvenirpop.com
MembersPatricia de la Fuente
J'aime Cristóbal
Pablo Errea

History

Souvenir perform their songs in French, sung by Patricia de la Fuente, and mainly written by multi-instrumentalist J'aime Cristóbal.[1] They debuted with a 6-track self-titled EP in 2000, which was reissued in America by Shelflife Records, displaying Europop and bossanova influences.[2] Their popularity spread to the Asian independent market, and in 2001, their first full-length album, Points de Suspension was released. Special editions of the record were released in Japan (on Tone Vendor records) and the United States (on Shelflife).

Their second album, Recto/Verso, was released in 2003, and the band were featured on several international compilations including a tribute album to Serge Gainsbourg.

Cristóbal was commissioned by French chanteuse Françoiz Breut to write songs for her Une Saison Volée album, which included his song Ciudad del Mar. Souvenir's third album was released in 2005 - Des équilibres featured pop songs with pianos, mellow guitars and lap steel guitars. In 2006, they collaborated on the Brian Wilson tribute album Caroline Now!, which also featured Belle And Sebastian, Teenage Fanclub, Saint Etienne, The High Llamas, and The Pastels. The album Des équilibres 82006) followed, with songs in the vein of the Nouvelle Chanson genre.

For their fourth studio album, 64, issued in 2007, the band took a radical turn in their sound into electropop. The record was followed by an album of remixes by Johan Agebjörn and other artists. In a Stylus Magazine review, Dom Passantino opined "Souvenir give us an austerity, poise, and hautiness of tone that would convince anyone they were born the wrong side of the Pyrenees".[3] In 2009, Souvenir released their fifth album, Drums, Sex and Dance, which includes their first song in English (The Sun Goes Out).

On February 21, 2011, the new Souvenir album Travelogues was released.[4]

Discography

Albums
  • Points de Suspension (2001) Jabalina/Shelflife
  • Recto/verso (2003) Jabalina
  • Des Equilibres (2005) Jabalina
  • 64 (2007) Jabalina
  • Drums, Sex and Dance (2009) Jabalina
  • Travelogues (2011) Jabalina

Singles, EPs
  • Souvenir EP (2000) Jabalina/Shelflife
  • Premier essai (2001) Jabalina
  • Présage de l’hiver (2005) Jabalina
  • Extras 64 (2007) Jabalina
  • Aime-moi (vinyl) (2010) Jabalina

References
  1. Cramer, Steven "Points de Suspension Review", allmusic, Macrovision Corporation
  2. Fink, Matt "Souvenir" (review), allmusic, Macrovision Corporation
  3. Passantino, Dom (2007) "Stylus Magazine review of 64" (archived version), Stylus Magazine, 2 May 2007
  4. "" ()
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