CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG

Well, let's see now.... My favorite band is RADIOHEAD. PULP and THE DIVINE COMEDY aren't far behind. And I've posted at least twice on SERGE GAINSBOURG on this blog. So it seems pretty much preordained that I would take notice of Serge's daughter, CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG, and her well-pedigreed record 5:55.

5:55, you see, was produced by NIGEL GODRICH -- Radiohead's designated studio savant. 5:55's lyrics were written by JARVIS COCKER (of Pulp) and NEIL HANNON (of the Divine Comedy). Oh, and... AIR composed 5:55's music (SOPHIA COPPOLA -- who knows what it is to follow in a famous father's footsteps -- no doubt has taken note).

5:55 is actually Ms. Gainsbourg's second album. Her first -- CHARLOTTE FOR EVER -- was released some 20 years ago, when she was just 15 years old. It was around that same time that Papa Serge made some waves with the song "Lemon Incest" -- which came complete with a video featuring him, shirtless, in bed with his scantily-clad teenaged daughter. Even the French took offense.

Since then, Charlotte has made a name for herself as an actress (primarily in French films). 5:55, then, comes a bit out of the blue. Happily, it's a surprise of the decidedly "pleasant" variety. For proof, give the songs below a listen. "Everything I Cannot See" sounds like a VELVET UNDERGROUND/TORI AMOS mash-up, while "The Operation" evokes BLACK BOX RECORDER (with lyrics courtesy of a THIS IS HARDCORE-besotted Jarvis Cocker). You can also check out Charlotte's father and mother (JANE BIRKIN) and their semi-infamous, orgasmic duet. Also: that semi-infamous video. Jailbait by way of a proud papa. Yikes.

CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG on MySPACE.

[MP3] "Everything I Cannot See"

[MP3] [VID] "The Operation"

BONUS AUDIO/VIDEO >>>

[MP3] "Je T'Aime... Moi Non Plus" [SERGE GAINSBOURG & JANE BIRKIN]

[VID] "Lemon Incest"