It was Slavoj Žižek’s birthday last week, and I figured – seeing as I am a bit of a fan – that would dedicate a couple of posts to his short but oh so fabulous introduction to the work of Jaques Lacan. What I’m going to do here is pretty much paraphrase Žižek’s work. I think there is […]
Author Archives: lisathatcher
FFF: Beloved – Les Bien-Aimes, songs, mothers and daughters.
posted by lisathatcher
I had a most peculiar relationship to this film. I really disliked it when I saw it in the cinema. I have never seen a Christophe Honoré film before, and this was a problem. If you intend to see this film, I strongly recommend finding out about the sorts of films he makes, as this will […]
Wire’s 100 Records that set the world on fire while no one was listening.51-55
posted by lisathatcher
I chose the above album cover (HOW cool is Johnny Watson?) to give you a very subtle impression of what today’s collection of music does to me. Yes – even the Glen Glould solitude trilogies. The artists on today’s list of five all play with sound in a unique way, and all are the very […]
FFF: The last Metro – Truffaut and the mightiest of tensions
posted by lisathatcher
I was so lucky last night! Closing night of the French Film festival , and I was handed a very nice glass of wine, told to sit back and enjoy one of Francois Truffaut’s greatest films. This is pure heaven for little Lisa. Here’s the thing. As far as French New Wave goes (and for me […]
Karen Cooper Complex – ShinJukub Boardwalk
posted by lisathatcher
What a DAMN fine and ultra cool album this is! For readers of my blog who are new to the music I add here, you are in for a real treat here. For readers who are familiar with the NWWL and with the classics – enjoy this stroll into memory lane. This is a snazzy […]
American Weekend : Waxahatchee – the dark night of the soul in song.
posted by lisathatcher
There is something awkward about women singing tales of failed love. When a man does it we immediately imagine him swamped by strings of adoring female groupies now, because his album is a huge hit. We giggle behind our hand at that stupid woman who let him go – just before he hit the big […]
Henry Cow – In Praise of Learning: Art is not a mirror, it’s a hammer.
posted by lisathatcher
In Praise of Learning was Henry Cow’s most overtly political album. Printed on the back of the album cover is filmmaker John Grierson’s quote “Art is not a mirror – it is a hammer”, and the Tim Hodgkinson 16-minute composition, “Living in the Heart of the Beast” made explicit Henry Cow’s left-wing political leanings, with Dagmar Krause’s powerful voice adding […]
The Joe Harriott Quintet: Abstract – Free Jazz was never so free
posted by lisathatcher
This album is famous for having received the first ever five-star review for a jazz album from Harvey Pekar in Down Beat. Harriott was always keen to communicate his ideas, be it on stage, in interviews or album liner notes. In 1962, he wrote in the liner notes for his Abstract album, “of the various components comprising jazz today […]
FFF:Le Skylab – Julie Delpy does family
posted by lisathatcher
I’ve just spent a delightful couple of hours romping through Julie Delpy’s childhood – or at least one particular part of her childhood. Julie Delpy is a woman of roughly the same age as me, and even though we lived and grew up in different countries it turns out there are many similarities in our upbringing. The […]
Heins Hoffman-Richter – Music to Freak Your Friends and Break your Lease.
posted by lisathatcher
Another rare one for your listening pleasure today. Heins(z) Hoffman-Richter – real name Rodney Marvin McKuen but also travelling under the alias of Rod McKuen – is an American singer/songwriter, composer, musician and poet. he was born in Oakland California. he is one of the pioneers of futuristic music, and pops up occasionally here and there, getting some […]
Lisa Thatcher 