RIP Jane Birkin: [www.theguardian.com].

Although she was English, her music carried the ironic distance from American pop/rock that came with many '60s and '70s French stabs at the genre. For too long, her music career has been seen as an accessory to Gainsbourg's, although she never ran away from the connection, releasing cover albums long after his death. "Ex Fan Des Sixties," an elegy for rock music's casualties of the '60s and '70s, is a favorite: [www.youtube.com]

Saw her perform a set of SG standards here in Sydney a few years back. She had a very young all-Japanese back group (violin, percussion, piano) and she was treating them like they were her kids. The whole night, she came across as pretty kooky but very charming. The venue has a rep (personally anyway) for lacking atmosphere but there was an great vibe that night.