Pretty life comes in many forms.  One of them comes in the form of music.  Sometimes we just want the luxury of music that is wonderfully fun, makes us laugh, makes us smile, makes us feel beautiful. 

Many will agree that a French flair to music is second to none when it comes to that something delightful and light, that which makes you feel care-free, puts a spring in your step.  French Cafe music is quite a favorite of mine for this reason.  Ah to sip a glass of wine in an open outdoor French Cafe in Paris, treating oneself to a bit of stylish luxury. 

A few years ago, music from around the world was fairly popular.  It came in many styles.  If you wanted Parisian cafe music, you could finally get it at just about any place that sold music, including Target.  This was around the time when stores would promote CD’s via press button boards, each button and photo representing featured CD's, offering a clip of the music one would find.  some with headphones, some without.  There was music perfect for Italian dining, peaceful meditation, traipsing the Scottish hills… Wherever in the world you wanted to be, you could; music which promoted mind travel. Now, of course, it is much easier to find music that isn’t quite so mainstream or local.  And of course this is especially true via video (thank you YouTube!).  Not to mention the plethora of music channels now available via satellite and cable.  By far and above all, my favorite would have to be the Parisian Cafe CD.  We would put it in the CD player and let it play while we were out just so we could be greeted by it when we came back home.  I really can’t say what ended up happening to our Parisian romance, but I will definitely have to search for it.

I am one who loves to travel.  By plane, by boat, by car, by moped, by horse, it doesn’t matter how, as long as it’s travel.  The French countryside would be a top favorite and something I have on my list of romantic places to visit.  Part of travel is the sounds that each place has to offer.  Sounds that you just can’t or don’t hear anywhere else, at least not in quite the same way.  It might be the dialect. It might be something as simple as the wind through the indigenous trees.  More often than not, music indigenous to each area will incorporate the sounds and life in each area.  This is what brings such wonderful and enjoyable variety to our ears.

One of my most favorite shows is a favorite because of the music.  It is music that makes me laugh to pieces.  (And I do love to laugh, every chance I get.)  One song especially makes me smile from ear to ear, makes me want to ridea beautiful vintage bicycle around refreshing water fountains, play under a canopy of flowering trees, eat a croissant, play a baguette.  Yes, I’m speaking about Flight of the Conchords (play on words). 

Flight of the Conchords - Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie - Foux du fa fa

What makes Flight of the Conchords so innately funny is the stereotyping (we’ll call it “generalizing” in their songs.  Each piece a new and different flavor of generalizing, mixed with naiveté and playfulness.  They are certainly not for everyone.  And they are certainly not to be taken seriously; they are slapstick and do it well. 

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Flight of the Conchords photo by Wendy Lynch Redfern. Clicking photo will open a new window to the source page.Generalizing is not necessarily a bad thing.  Not only is it human nature to stereotype, but often what comes from it is our favourite things about a type of thing or a place, a culture or a time. 

That said, here’s a brioche, raised to one of my favourite Flight of the Conchords’ songs. Bright colors representing the richness and love of life in France.  Late 60’s, early 70’s, French groove.  Pretty girls.  Silly men in stripes.  Stylish dress.  Flipped out bobs.  The pretty life.  Enjoy.