An archival discovery of enormous geopolitical significance.
NOUS NON PLUS “99 LUFTBALLONS”
RELEASE DATE NOVEMBER 10
The global observance on November 10 is World Science Day for Peace and Development, proclaimed by UNESCO to highlight the role of science in society and foster international peace.
REPRESENTATION: AERONAUT RECORDS
PARIS, FRANCE — In 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy ascended to the French presidency, the iPhone began its systematic destruction of human intimacy, and six Americans masquerading as French musicians took the stage at La Flèche d’Or, a former railway station in Paris’s 20th arrondissement. The group was Nous Non Plus. The evening was historic, although history has thus far refused to acknowledge it.
Among the songs played that night was Nena’s 1983 Cold War anthem, “99 Luftballons”—a cautionary tale of balloons mistaken for enemy aircraft, triggering military aggression and the destruction of civilization. It was, in the opinion of guitarist and noted amateur European Cal D’hommage, “a profoundly unerotic allegory about the tragic consequences of premature escalation.”
The performance was recorded, then disappeared.
For nearly two decades, the recording presumed lost—likely misfiled by the band’s bassist, archivist, and alcoholic onanist, Jean-Luc Retard.
Earlier this year, while searching for a compromising photograph of himself, Retard found a hard drive in a box labeled “IMPÔTS 2007 / NE PAS OUVRIR.”
Inside was the recording: sweat, distortion, surprisingly competent German pronunciation, and a band playing as though tomorrow might never come.
Why release it now?
Because in 2026, the world has caught up with the song. The skies are filled with drones, Donald Trump continues his quest to convince the world that his missile is bigger than everyone else’s, and artificial intelligence has eliminated the need for actual intelligence in the conduct of international affairs. What sounded absurd in 1983 now resembles a reasonably restrained forecast from Le Monde.
In an era when machines manufacture music, Nous Non Plus offers something infinitely more authentic: six Americans pretending to be French, performing a German song to intoxicated Parisians.
It is perhaps the greatest achievement in European cooperation since the Treaty of Maastricht, and considerably more danceable.
As Voltaire might have said, “Il faut cultiver nos ballons.”
Nineteen years later, Nous Non Plus releases “99 Luftballons (Live at La Flèche d’Or, Paris, 2007)”—a musical time capsule from a more innocent era, when George W. Bush was considered the outer limit of American presidential ineptitude, and the only suspicious object flying overhead was an Air France flight operating inexplicably close to schedule.
Liberté, Égalité, Luftballons.
Listen now, before it is too late.
About Nous Non Plus
Slate.com
October 24, 2005
Jean-Luc’s rendition of the events that led to the formation of …Nous Non Plus
Weekend America on American Public Radio
January 7, 2006
They’re obsessed with French pop music, but the band Nous Non Plus hails from New York. Weekend America host Bill Radke talks to Mark Wheat, of the Minneapolis radio station The Current, about their new CD which crosses classic French romantic sounds with American rock and roll. Écoutez.
Eugene Weekly
January 19, 2006
Bonjour. We here at EW know how many of our fellow Eugeneans are loyal members of the Bill O’Reilly army and have taken his slandering of the “cowardly” French to heart. But we believe in equal-opportunity media exposure, so we felt it necessary to spend a few moments telling you about the hottest French band presently touring within our borders … even if they’re just barely French.
…Nous Non Plus …Nous Non Plus’ chanteuse (female vocalist) Céline Dijon (ah!) hails from Paris, but the other six members of NNP come from foreign places like Pittsburgh, Denver and San Francisco. The septet actually met at the Rhode Island School of Design in the early 1990s and transplanted to New York City in 1998. Their music is a tongue-in-cheek American interpretation of French pop, but the songs are catchy with a dancehall-friendly sound.
Portland Mercury
January 24, 2006
Made up of a Frenchy and a buncha Yanks, Nous Non Plus play spunky (what a gross word) French-sung glam punk. It’s a little like Stereo Total or the scene in National Lampoon’s European Vacation where Chevy Chase and the family are in the art museum on fast-motion. And it’s a total gimmick, a joke: hoaky, kitchy, but it’s good. And that’s my problem with it; I don’t wanna traffic in flimsy hipster “art projects” like this, but their new record (self-titled) is catchy, exciting, and never dull or hackneyed or too obvious. It’s like ABBA if ABBA were Frogs, punk, and not dating each other. Like Stereo Total, it loses its effect when they sing in English, but the dude who does the English-sung lyrics is so fucking sleazy I wanna hang out with him and hit the town in search of greasy kicks. I dunno… why am I apologizing and second-guessing and disclaimering—why front, why fight the urge to gush—I LOVE this shit. Ever see the 1970 Richard Strick film version of Tropic of Cancer, the one with Rip Torn as Henry Miller? This’s kinda the music version. Greasy. Greeeasy. AG
Slipcue.com
November, 2005
An outstanding album by this spinoff of New York’s faux-French frogpop band, Les Sans Culottes. Unlike the various Sans Culottes albums, this disc seems like less of a one-note joke, displaying instead greater musical depth and variety, ranging from breathy, Francoise Hardy-esque ballads to nervy ’77-style punk, jittery technobleepery ala StereoTotal, steamy Roxy Music-ish synthpop and New Wave, dreamy modern indie stuff… all done with great aplomb. The French-language lyrics remain blithe, silly and self-mocking, but the musical chameleon act is quite impressive. This is a darn good record; definitely worth checking out!
Babysue.com
January, 2006
Really great upbeat escapist dance pop. …Nous Non Plus was formed from fragments of Les Sans Culottes. As such, they are continuing with the same basic mission…writing and recording what sounds like French pop…but really isn’t. This band seems more groove oriented than Les Sans Culottes. The rhythms are more dance friendly and direct. Simultaneously hilarious and catchy, the tunes on this debut album are incredibly effective…each sticking with the listener like mental super glue. The band consists of Celine Dijon, Jean-Luc Retard, Bonnie Day, Cal d’Hommage, Professeur Harry Covert, Morris “Mars” Chevrolet, and Francois Hardonne. Far from being a mere joke band, the folks in …Nous Non Plus are providing high quality music that is unique and hypnotic. Ultra creative tracks include “L’Amant,” “Lawnmower Boy,” “Monokini,” and “La Ballade de Tourette.” Highly recommended. (Rating: 5+++)
Miami New Times
December 1, 2005
Bi-continental septet Nous Non Plus scares up sumptuous, blasé cool on its self-titled debut, whipping elements borrowed from the Strokes, Stereolab, and the B-52s into delectable French pastries. And so we get delights like “Lawnmower Boy,” where the band makes like Guitar Wolf on a New Wave kick; the disco hip-shake quake of “Tant Pis Pour Toi,” as mirrorball-infectious as anything in Franz Ferdinand’s arsenal; and “Monikini,” a swank, horn-chart fiesta whose chorus consists of unisex baaaaaas. But the luxurious bubblebath lullaby “Premier Balser” makes for the record’s tastiest dish: harplike guitar blush, fluffy trumpets, and Mellotron-like keyboards swishing languidly about as lead vocalists Celine Dijon and Jean-Luch Retard stage-whisper sweet nothings back and forth to one another through the scented steam.
Splendid.com
December 12, 2005
Nous Non Plus is one undeniable pop gem after another, from “Tant Pis Pour Toi” continental disco to “L’Amant”‘s folksy strum and rich strings, to “Fille Atomique”‘s sunny, garage-friendly pop, to “Premier Basier”‘s sophisticated, jazzy groove. These filles et garcons get their points across regardless of your French-language skills. If there’s anyone who can resist “Lawnmower Boy”‘s pure, unadulterated bliss, you don’t want to have anything to do with him. He’s probably a Bill O’Reilly fan.
The Orlando Weekly
December 15, 2005
The members of NNP have funny French pseudonyms and they met at the Rhode Island School of Design. (Although I’m just assuming that they’re pseudonyms, the odds are pretty good that the singer was not born with the name Céline Dijon, nor do the bassist’s parents call him Jean-Luc Retard.) While the in-joke of the band’s goofily Gallic concept is easy to ascribe to collegiate shenanigans, you’d be doing yourself a grave disservice to dismiss Nous Non Plus as being too smart for their own good. In fact, the best thing about this self-titled debut is how much stupid fun it is. Having yet to determine exactly what they want to sound like, François Hardonne (stop me now) and the rest of the band throw a little bit of Plastic Bertrand, a soupçon of Laetitia Sadier and a whole lot of Jane Birkin into the mix. Thus, it swings some (“Monokini”), gets raunchily funky (“One Night in Paris”), loses itself in atmospheric groove (“Après-Soleil”) and never allows its knowing wink to turn into a condescending leer. Which makes it not very French at all.
LoveHasNoLogic.com
“Is that Freedom Rock? Then turn it up!!!”
November 25, 2005
What do you get when you cross a slew of non-native french(wo)men, over the top sexual energy, fuzzed out guitars, up and down bounce-a-second rhythms, a background in design and an ex-members tag that admittedly means absolutely nothing to me? An album that would be impossible for me to hate, that’s what. Nous Non Plus – Lawnmower Boy from the Self-Titled CD which was released on Aeronaut Records. Much in a similar fashion that I imagine Japanese music lovers obsessing to no end over their favorite American sounds based off of stories I’ve heard and bands I’ve talked to, I obsess over all things European and pop. Throw in an accent, foreign language, some keyboards and some ultra tight melodies and I’m hooked like a three-eyed fish. Nous Non Plus‘ debut album is nothing short of perfect with it’s rough around the edges guitars, simply too good to be true multi-dueling (how do you refer to three? tripletted, trilling, trinourmous, voiceriferous tri-force?) vocals, unassuming rhythm section and super smooth keys. Me = swoon. Love it. Record comes out Tuesday. Record release show at Mercury Lounge in NYC on Dec. 1st. Oh, and how cute as shit is that cough halfway through the song at the beat break? Yeah, try not to love this one.
San Diego City Beat
December 14, 2005
Goes Well With: Serge Gainsbourg, Nouvelle Vauge, Camus Conundrum White
In a world filled with sour shoegazing and psuedo-political pop-punk, it’s easy to lose sight of life’s simple pleasures: a sip of wine, the taste of fine brie and the gentle sounds of a feminine voice talking about threesomes. Sounds lovely, oui?
The debut of the New York band formerly known as Les Sans Culottes (minus a member or two) is a tongue-in-cheek romp through overblown sexual and euro-trash themes, flavored liberally with electronica à la Casio, disco and Yé Yé pop.
Neumu
Nous Non Plus are an offshoot of the great Franco-Brooklyn-esque Les Sans Culottes, and, if you speak French, I believe you can get the full story of their battle for the heart and soul (and brand name) of this synth and drum-machine-enhanced Euro-pop predecessor in “Tante Pis Pour Toi” (“Too Bad for You”). The song mentions the former and current names of the band, and it has a wah-wah laced, disco-rhythmed “fuck you” vibe that’s instantly recognizable, if not translatable. Even at its bitterest and most biting, however, this is a band that manages to keep the dance beat going, and its self-titled debut is as sexy, as fun, as party-ready as you could ask for. That the band is not actually, literally French (with the exception of Celine Dijon) adds an intriguing layer of irony to the whole enterprise. As those characters in French 101 foreign language films are always saying, “Formidable!”
