Lene Lovich: Stateless

Detroit-born Anglo-Serbian artist Lene Lovich (b. 3/30/1949, with the name Lili-Mariene Premilovich) still lives, records, and moves about.

She was part of the early New Wave sound and came out with Stateless, a smashingly successful album, on Stiff Records in 1978. More arty than rockin', she reminds me (and others) of Siouxsie Sioux, David Bowie, Nina Hagen, Gwen Stefani, PJ Harvey, Björk, Tom-Tom Club, Laurie Anderson, and Cyndi Lauper, yet retains her own weird style.

I've always liked Stateless for its energy and oddity. Songs that stick to mind include "Home," "Lucky Number" (which is also pretty funny, and danceable), and "Say When." Tracks like these used to make it to mix tapes well before we could burn CDs and download to iPods.

By the way, if someone would like to send me an iPod or equivalent, I'd be happy to promote it.

At 57, Lene Lovich has a new album out. Shadows and Dust (2005) is available online from The Stereo Society, an independent company not yet absorbed, as far as I can tell, by a mega-corporation. Shadows and Dust has a Detroit industrial tinge and was produced by Mike Thorne (think Soft Cell's "Tainted Love"); Lovich's husband, Les Chappell, whom she first met in England during revolutionary year 1968, continues to be her primary co-conspirator on this, as with much of her previous work.

Thanks to my pal Terri Light for giving me the tip on Lene Lovich's latest a couple of months ago.

Today's rune: Separation (Reversed).

Adieu!