Carla Bruni: No Promises A delicate, exquisite work in which Bruni creates songs of poems by the likes of Emily Dickenson and W.H. Auden.

Celluloide : Naïve Heart Forged in melodious and nostalgic electro, Naïve Heart marks the promising beginnings of synth-pop group Celluloide from Marseilles, France.

Manu Chao: Radio Bemba Sound System For his first live album release, Manu Chao's mellowness has for the most part been abandoned for an ardent blend of reggae and ska along with salsa and traditional Mexican sounds. On a live disc, these vibrant sounds make for an awesome dance party.

Manu Chao: Próxima Estación: Esperanza Unfortunately the highly anticipated follow up to Chao's brilliant Clandestino falls short. Apparently this musical hobo has abandoned introspective lyrics for the time being in favor of the pleasures of marijuana and radio station samples. Of course, coming up with clever lyrics and singing in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and German (?) is no small feat either.

Manu Chao: Clandestino Mano Chao deserves all the accolades he's received for this album. A hybrid of languages and rhythms, he doesn't sacrifice lyrical substance for musicality. Since Chao is the type of singer whose songs are best heard in a small club, the disc has an intimate feel about it.

Charise: Kingdom of Life All songs by Charise of the French label Halbop pour out emotion, sincerity and beauty.

Femmes de Paris: Femmes de Paris If you're looking for a kitschy soundtrack to make your wine and cheese parties sizzle, Femmes de Paris will undoubtedly bring a fun and breezy French touch sure to make your guests exclaim "Oh mon Dieu".

French Cafe: French Cafe A great CD of French chansons and gypsy jazz that meets the needs of an American generation starved for culture and malnourished on the frothy but empty pseudo coffee culture of Starbucks.

French Girls: French Girls Naming a CD French Girls means you want to bring certain things to mind about these creatures, whether they are based on reality or not. Sophisticated, a little distant, maybe cold, but always charming, here are the French electro girls.

French Sounds: French Sounds A distant cousin of the charming French Girls, French Sounds proposes a new collection of artists who represent the vitality and eclecticism of the French electronic scene.

Charlotte Gainsbourg: IRM For her third album, the fearless French actress and daughter of French music legend Serge Gainsbourg substituted the breezy electronic pop of Air for the artistic wizardry of Mr. Beck Hansen.

Gotan Project: La Revancha del Tango First released as an import in 2000 and now given a domestic treatment with an extra CD, Gotan Project's La Revancha del Tango still sounds fresher than anything released this year.

Françoise Hardy: Clair-Obscur With their melodious light pop and weightlessness of voice, French band Luke offers a very polished first album with La Vie Presque, a work of surprising maturity equal to their English counterparts.

Nouvelle Vague: Nouvelle Vague Ever wondered how new wave classics would sound in bossanova? Against all odds, the answer comes from France.

Stéphane Pompougnac: Hotel Costes 5 On the fifth installment of his Costes series, Stephane Pompougnac experiments with flexibility in dub and ambient influences to its already established great lounge-jazz vibe.

Luke: La Vie Presque With their melodious light pop and weightlessness of voice, French band Luke offers a very polished first album with La Vie Presque, a work of surprising maturity equal to their English counterparts.