Parisian poet, painter, actor, and prolific self-taught musician, Lizzy Mercier Descloux was a influential character in the late 70s New York underground. Mercier Descloux, with partner Michel Esteban, established the magazine Rock News and ran in the same circles as Patti Smith and Richard Hell. She became a genre defying artist and pioneer of worldbeat and avant garde rock, and supreme minimalist of the no wave genre in her own right.
In 1978, legendary label ZE Records released a mini-album by Mercier Descloux’s performance art duo, Rosa Yemen, and went on to release several of Lizzy’s solo albums. Her debut solo album, Press Color, consists of eight songs owing more to disco, funk, and film scores than punk rock, all recorded within a two week span. Lizzy’s second solo release, Mambo Nassau, evokes Talking Heads’ “I Zimbra” and “Born Under Punches,” riddled with off-kilter-time-keeping, flailing guitars, and lush basslines. Heavily influenced by African music, art rock, funk, and soul, Mercier Descloux’s music gained extreme popularity in her native France, the height of which came with her 1984 album, Zulu Rock. The album seems a more vivacious and enthralling harbinger for Paul Simon’s Graceland. ZE Records’ Michel Esteban recalls, “This South African music reminded us, as incredible as it may sound, of The Velvet Underground.”
Lizzy spent the next two decades living somewhat nomadically in Africa, France, New York, South America, and the West Indies, never ceasing her pursuit of the arts as she transitioned from music to painting and writing. Mercier Descloux was diagnosed with cancer in 2003 and passed away the following year.
via Light In The Attic Records
Listen below to a tour of Lizzy’s discography as presented by The Hellcat. You can hear more of The Hellcat selections every Wednesday night 9:00PM CST on Purple.
1. Herpes Simplex
2. Rosa Vertov
3. Marathon Runner (Aural Exciters)
4. Fire
5. Jim on the Move
6. Mission Impossible 2.0
7. Morning High (with Patti Smith)
8. Room Mate
9. Mais où sont passées les gazelles ?
10. Queen Of Overdub Kisses
11. Salome