Who? Already a well-established performer oversees, 28-year old French singer/songwriter Emilie Simon now has her sights set on the U.S. After collecting a bevy of prestigious awards and composing the soundtrack for La Marche De L’Empereur (for those of you without French-English dictionaries handy, that’s The March of The Penguins) Simon is set to debut Stateside with The Flower Book. The album is a collection of her work from two previous releases and includes several of her soundtrack compositions.

What’s the Deal? Upon first listen, Simon will inevitably conjure up comparisons to another foreign songstress — Bjork. Both share an infinity for glitched-out drum programming and lush instrumental accompaniments. Synthesizers and highly processed electro effects abound on the album, on which Simon sings in both French and English. On songs such as “Rose Hybride De The,” Simon’s employs wispy French vocals to contrast a heavy techno thump, and one of the albums many highlights comes when she offers a haunting rendition of the Stooges classic, “I Wanna Be Your Dog.”

Fun Fact: Simon is a true ice queen. For her song entitled “Song of the Storm,” she created chilling sonic textures by rubbing pieces of ice together. The sounds were eventually spliced together to produce the beats for the song, which played as part of the La Marche De L’Empereur soundtrack. When the film was released in the States, however, Simon’s songs did not make the final cut. Her soundtrack was substituted for her Milan Records label-mate, Alex Wurman. ELI SCHWIMMER

Now Hear This: Emily Simon – “I Wanna Be Your Dog” DOWNLOAD MP3

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On the Web: emiliesimon.com

>> Listen to Emilie Simon on Napster

SPIN Staff