Jevetta Steele

I recently watched Bagdad Café for the first time, although I've had it on doovdé for years I've never got around to watching it, and although it's a tad aburrido in the middle it's a very good film.
The story's nice and the acting's good; however the main attraction is the soundtrack which basically consists of one song that is repeated quite a few times through out the film.
Jevetta Steele, a gospel singer, sings the Oscar-nominated song "Calling You". It's beautiful.

Something In Construction

'Something in Construction' are a label that represent 69CORP, Akira The Don, Christiansilva, Damn Arms, Kid Casanova, Lazarus, Lonely Dear, Other Passengers and The Silent League.
They've released a compilation album called 'Better Pop Music' with 19 new (and at times exclusive) indie/electro/pop songs that are great and what's more is it's completely and utterly FREE!
Here's the NME article with a link to the free download.

The track listing:
Please Don't Leave - Fear Of Tigers
1901 Memory Tapes Remix - Phoenix
Graphics Remodel Edit - Memory Tapes
Molly's Vertigo - Acrylics
Someday - Ceremony
Cannibal Queen - Miniature Tigers
Dying/Trying - New Moods
Feel It All Around - Washed Out
Foreign Thoughts - There Will Be Fireworks
GBG Belongs To Us - Air France
Generator 2nd Floor - Freelance Whales
Journal of Ardency - Class Actress
Surfin' - Memory Cassette
Forest City - Fitness Club Fiasco
To The Forest - The Forest & The Trees
When Stars Attack - The Silent League
Kiss Me Again - Jessica Lea Mayfield
Drinking Again - Rest
Odessa - Caribou

My favourite tracks are 'Forest City', 'Journal Of Ardency' and 'Graphics Remodel Edit'.

Camille, Françoise Hardy, Carla Bruni, Edith Piaf

As I'm sure you've noticed, all the artists in the title are French female singers.
Being a half-French female myself, I love listening to these women pour their hearts out. They sound like they're dying of their crippling emotions whilst simultaneously pouting and maintaining their patronising arrogant air (I can say this as I'm half-French remember).

Camille

Camille is more commonly known as the frontwoman of Nouvelle Vague, the french indie band most famous for their successful cover albums, 'Nouvelle Vague' and 'Bande à Part' (the albums include songs from the Smiths, the Buzzcocks, Echo & the Bunnymen and Joy Division).
Two years before this however she was a solo artist, releasing her debut in 2002. Not my favourite though. 2005 was when my favourite album of hers was released, called 'Le Fil', a concept album that went gold. The reason for this name, which translates as The Thread, is that a quiet drone plays consistently through out - the eccentric Camille says this is 'her note'.
Here is a song from her 2008 release named 'Music Hole' and here is one where she uses her voice in interesting ways (which is also a theme in 'Le Fil').
She's quite unique I think.

The beautiful stylish Françoise Hardy

Hardy rather reminds me of Marianne Faithfull. Two stunning '60s style icons. They're about the same age now, 63 and 66, and still looking amazing.

Embedded is Françoise's short and sweet song 'Mon Amie La Rose':

A younger Carla Bruni

The equally bewitching Carla Bruni, now France's First Lady, is still bloody cool, and attractive. She's had all kinds of relationships, including one with a Prime Minister and a President, and is quoted to have said that she is easily "bored with monogamy". A former model and still a singer-songwriter, she has recently been cast in a Woody Allen film to top it all.
Carla's 'Quelqu'un m'a dit' is her most well-liked husky voiced chanson:

Edith Piaf

This Parisian needs no introduction. I admire her most of all, so much in fact that her song 'Les Mots D'Amour' is one of my Desert Island Discs. It's definitely not one of her most well-known.

M.I.A.

M.I.A.'s new music video 'Born Free' is worth a watch.
It was removed from YouTube because, in NME's words "it features nudity, graphic violence and a plot where ginger adolescents are rounded up into an armour-protected van, driven to the country and either shot or made to run through a minefield".
Controversial stuff.

It has come under a lot of criticism as far as I have read, claiming that the video is too "shocking" (according to Anna Pickard) and "gratuitously violent" (as written in this article). Well in my opinion, and I hate to be so blunt, they are boring farts.

It's beautifully shot and nearly 9 minutes long.
I like M.I.A., the video, her music and her points of view.
At least she's not dull and pretentious (*cough* Lady Gaga).

Here's the video.

If you don't know M.I.A., check out her brilliant 2007 single 'Paper Planes' here that was used in Slumdog Millionaire.