Banned in the USA: La Femme

I recently stumbled on a review of a forthcoming EP by a French surf music band called La Femme. The cover for Le Podium #1 (below) features a nude woman with a large black square covering her exposed genitals. Text on the square reads, "This is not La Femme actaul cover because it got censured."

I assumed that this was a clever publicity stunt. Then, I did a little online research and found the uncensored cover for the EP. It was located on the band's Bandcamp page as the cover art for one of the four tracks available for download. I assume that the cover was not replaced with the censored version in error.

I have written about nudity being censored on album covers several times. This is the first time that I actually agree that a cover needed to be censored. Who would use a graphic close up photograph of a vagina as cover art for an EP of retro surf music? I could imagine it being appropriate for an album of protest songs or something a bit more serious.

I think many people will like the band's sound. I have posted the first track, Sur La Planche, below. It reminds me of some of the early New Wave bands from the late 1970s. The EP is scheduled to be released on December 13, 2010 and can be purchased now from Bandcamp.