Here in the OnMilwaukee.com editorial office we love good-time, retro drum-machine-driven dance pop -- we wore out our copy of the first MIA record, for example. So, it's no surprise that we now adore France's Yelle (say it, "Yell-uh") and her debut disc, "Pop-Up," out now on Astralwerks/Caroline.
Some have called her Kylie Minogue + Serge Gainsbourg + MIA and we can't think of a better mathematical description, but we suspect a really accurate one would need some algebra in it.
We just know the music is funky, fun and funny and Yelle -- aka Julie Budet from Saint-Brieuc, Bretagne -- has got personality in gobs.
So, as she prepares to land in Milwaukee to check out the town and play a gig at Turner Hall Ballroom on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 8 p.m., we talked to Yelle via e-mail...
OMC: People have called you the Gallic MIA, but that's not really correct is it?
Yelle: I love MIA, we spent time together during an Australian tour, I like her music and her style, but the only thing we have in common is that we love colours!
OMC: What do you say to the people who would try to pigeonhole you that way?
Yelle: I say "Hello, my name is Yelle!"
OMC: Who inspired you to start making music and who inspires you still?
Yelle: My father, and now, Grand Marnier.
OMC: What is the key to making such infectious music; the kind of music that makes most everyone smile?
Yelle: Hee hee, Grand Marnier has a really catchy way to enjoy music, and me too, there is no real key, just being sincere and writing smileys in the interviews :-) !
OMC: Does singing in French create challenges for you to connect with non-francophone audiences?
Yelle: First, it's so weird for us to tour all over the world, singing in French. It's not common, people in France usually tour in France, or Switzerland, and at least in Canada, Québec ! We are really really happy of that.
My challenge is to speak in their language between the songs! It's so funny to see people singing with "kind of" French words, like when I try to sing in English!
OMC: Do you know anything about Milwaukee? Do you have any expectations for the city and your gig here?
Yelle: I only know Milwaukee Bucks, actually! And I love how that name sounds, "Milwaukee." I am going to learn about your city with the help of Wikipedia and I will try to get time to visit!
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
