Louise Bourgeois, the French – American artist who died in 2010 at the age of 98, was pure punk. She was best known for her casts of clothes, bodies and meat, but also her incredible large-scale sculptures, like the 30 foot tall spider called ‘Maman’. The reason for its title was that she adored herContinue reading “In Praise of Louise Bourgeois”
Tag Archives: Profile
Anatomy of A Classic: Siouxsie and The Banshees- Peepshow
The apotheosis of everything they’d done up to that point, Siouxsie and The Banshees’ ninth album ‘Peepshow’ released in 1988, was arguably the best of their work, next to ‘JuJu’. Influenced by the flickering expressionist shadows of early German cinema, the Weimar Republic and torch songs, the album saw Siouxsie take off her signature CleopatraContinue reading “Anatomy of A Classic: Siouxsie and The Banshees- Peepshow”
Mary Wigman- Hexentanz
Mary Wigman may not be as well known as other dancers of the twentieth century- partially because there is of course little surviving footage of her, and her reputation was somewhat tarnished by creating work to help propagate Nazi ideology . But we know even the greats can be problematic (for every good man likeContinue reading “Mary Wigman- Hexentanz”
Five Of The Best: Tirzah
There aren’t many artists around right now like the mighty Essex -born artist Tirzah. Her music is beautiful, with her soulful vocals wrapped around murky bedroom pop. She’s engaged yet laconic, accessible but enigmatic, hot and also chilled. These paradoxes are what make her so fascinating. Her collaborators speak to her exquisite taste too. She’sContinue reading “Five Of The Best: Tirzah”
Iona
1973-2026 Iona Kewney was a dancing paradox: feral sprite; anarchist angel, punk diva, badass elfin. She often shocked as well as delighted audiences who were used to less. She slipped through genre and discipline like few before her. She was a unique, beautiful performer in an industry that expects you to stay in your lane.Continue reading “Iona”
30 Years Of Baz Luhrmann’s “Star Cross’d Lovers”
As Valentine’s Day doth approacheth, I take a look at the enduring classic, as reimagined by Australian director Baz Luhrmann. I bloody HATED Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet when I first saw it at the cinema in 1996. I felt that transposing the Shakespeare classic to Venice Beach and bringing in nineties slackers in HawaiianContinue reading “30 Years Of Baz Luhrmann’s “Star Cross’d Lovers””
Lost In Music: Before Lana Del Rey … Mazzy Star
She Hangs Brightly was the debut album from Mazzy Star, aka guitarist Dave Roback and vocalist Hope Sandoval. Previously, with singer Kendra Smith, they were Opal, but she was replaced, and the (ugh, I hate this word) jailbait prettiness and sleepy drawl of Sandoval proved more marketable, it seems. Released in 1990, essentially the duoContinue reading “Lost In Music: Before Lana Del Rey … Mazzy Star”
Lost In Music: Alt Blk Era
Nottingham sisters Nyrobi and Cheya Becket-Messam are kicking a hole through musical genres and expectations. The dynamic pair make music that straddles EDM, indie and metal, and their sparky debut album ‘Rave Immortal ‘,which was released last year, earned much critical and fan acclaim. Their outspoken attitude on issues like Black culture and disability, cheekyContinue reading “Lost In Music: Alt Blk Era”
Lost In Music: Adam and the Ants- Kings Of the Wild Frontier
Two decades before Meg and Jack, there was only one white stripe that mattered: the warpaint over the nose of Britain’s biggest pop star: Adam Ant. His look was so iconic that kids copied him everywhere: indeed, me and my cousin Audrey, inspired by his style, attempted to emulate said stripe one summer, using tennisContinue reading “Lost In Music: Adam and the Ants- Kings Of the Wild Frontier”
Favourite Cover Versions: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds – Kicking Against the Pricks
Photo: Alamy This 1986 album, entirely comprising cover versions, shows Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds playing with the duality of their sound. There’s the bombast of their take on The Velvet Underground’s ‘All Tomorrow ‘s Parties’ running counter to Jimmy Webb’s legendary ‘By The Time I Get To Phoenix’ with a softer, but noContinue reading “Favourite Cover Versions: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds – Kicking Against the Pricks”
