Alexander Billet
@ubupamplemousse.bsky.social
I write about music and arts, cities, and radical memory. Author, "Shake the City" from 1968 Press. Substack: alexanderbillet.com Insta: instagram.com/ubupamplemousse/
Reposted by Alexander Billet
"Krukowski zooms in on everyday life to such a minute degree that we can almost separate the various shapes and sounds that make it up." @ubupamplemousse.bsky.social on Damon Krukowski’s “Why Sound Matters.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/sound-epistemology/
November 2, 2025 at 4:20 PM
"Krukowski zooms in on everyday life to such a minute degree that we can almost separate the various shapes and sounds that make it up." @ubupamplemousse.bsky.social on Damon Krukowski’s “Why Sound Matters.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/sound-epistemology/
My review of Damon Krukowski's excellent book Why Sound Matters is up at @lareviewofbooks.bsky.social.
Sound Epistemology | Los Angeles Review of Books
Alexander Billet listens to Damon Krukowski’s “Why Sound Matters.”
lareviewofbooks.org
November 2, 2025 at 6:15 PM
My review of Damon Krukowski's excellent book Why Sound Matters is up at @lareviewofbooks.bsky.social.
Last night I gave a short presentation at DSA-LA Hollywood Labor's showing of Dawn of the Dead. Some remarks on zombies, late capitalism, early capitalism, and, of course, malls.
Why Do They Come Here?
The political imaginary of the (almost) (un)dead.
alexanderbillet.substack.com
October 30, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Last night I gave a short presentation at DSA-LA Hollywood Labor's showing of Dawn of the Dead. Some remarks on zombies, late capitalism, early capitalism, and, of course, malls.
Two, three, many Kent States...
Revealed: Pentagon orders states’ national guards to form ‘quick reaction forces’ for ‘crowd control’
Pentagon memo details plan to train over 20,000 national guard members across the US to carry out Trump’s order on subduing civil unrest
www.theguardian.com
October 29, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Two, three, many Kent States...
Shameless plug for my presentation at the upcoming @histmat.bsky.social conference in London. Talking art, (post?)modernism, and a useful methodology for radicals.
October 21, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Shameless plug for my presentation at the upcoming @histmat.bsky.social conference in London. Talking art, (post?)modernism, and a useful methodology for radicals.
They’ve arrested a suspect for starting the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history, and I’m not sure it’s anything other than completely futile. (Also includes a bit of a preview for an upcoming piece on the wildfires in Salvage.)
Forces of Nature
No closure in the age of disaster nationalism.
alexanderbillet.substack.com
October 9, 2025 at 10:19 PM
They’ve arrested a suspect for starting the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history, and I’m not sure it’s anything other than completely futile. (Also includes a bit of a preview for an upcoming piece on the wildfires in Salvage.)
My own personal memory of Jane Goodall: she spoke at the commencement for the graduating class ahead of me at university. My class got Billy Joel, who, as he duly reminded us, didn’t graduate high school. If I had an academic inferiority complex well before, this didn’t help. RIP
October 2, 2025 at 2:51 AM
My own personal memory of Jane Goodall: she spoke at the commencement for the graduating class ahead of me at university. My class got Billy Joel, who, as he duly reminded us, didn’t graduate high school. If I had an academic inferiority complex well before, this didn’t help. RIP
This poem by Assata Shakur has been getting shared round a lot since her passing a few days ago. For good reason. It's quite lovely. #RIP
September 29, 2025 at 3:52 PM
This poem by Assata Shakur has been getting shared round a lot since her passing a few days ago. For good reason. It's quite lovely. #RIP
With Eric Adams out of the race, I'm resharing the piece I wrote about Mamdani and the forces that must be organized for “socialist governance” to be successful. Paywall removed, but if you want to subscribe and chuck me a few monthly dollars, I won’t argue.
New Maps
Zohran Mamdani, between “sewer socialism” and the right to the city.
alexanderbillet.substack.com
September 29, 2025 at 3:49 PM
With Eric Adams out of the race, I'm resharing the piece I wrote about Mamdani and the forces that must be organized for “socialist governance” to be successful. Paywall removed, but if you want to subscribe and chuck me a few monthly dollars, I won’t argue.
What I wrote about Kneecap for Locust Review as the charges against Mo Chara -- now dismissed, just this morning -- were brought.
#Kneecap #Tiocfaidhárlá #rap
#Kneecap #Tiocfaidhárlá #rap
Who's Afraid of Kneecap? — Locust Review
Anyone with enough sense can see how stupid the hue and cry over Kneecap is. But then, we live in a particularly myopic age, aggressively forgetful and wantonly incurious. One prone to performative pe...
www.locustreview.com
September 26, 2025 at 4:57 PM
What I wrote about Kneecap for Locust Review as the charges against Mo Chara -- now dismissed, just this morning -- were brought.
#Kneecap #Tiocfaidhárlá #rap
#Kneecap #Tiocfaidhárlá #rap
Fucking yes.
Kneecap's Mo Chara has beaten the UK's trumped up terror charges against him on a technicality.
But how he beat them is not what will be remembered. What will be remembered is that he's stood with the people of Palestine before Britain could muster the will.
But how he beat them is not what will be remembered. What will be remembered is that he's stood with the people of Palestine before Britain could muster the will.
September 26, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Fucking yes.
“It is only for those without hope that hope is given.”
― Walter Benjamin, who committed suicide 85 years ago today.
#WalterBenjamin #criticaltheory
― Walter Benjamin, who committed suicide 85 years ago today.
#WalterBenjamin #criticaltheory
September 26, 2025 at 4:12 PM
“It is only for those without hope that hope is given.”
― Walter Benjamin, who committed suicide 85 years ago today.
#WalterBenjamin #criticaltheory
― Walter Benjamin, who committed suicide 85 years ago today.
#WalterBenjamin #criticaltheory
It's been a year since Fredric Jameson died. This is what I wrote after hearing the news. I'd say it's held up well.
#CriticalTheory #literaturesky
#CriticalTheory #literaturesky
History is What Hurts
Fredric Jameson is dead. From now on, all vibes are bad.
alexanderbillet.substack.com
September 25, 2025 at 3:35 PM
It's been a year since Fredric Jameson died. This is what I wrote after hearing the news. I'd say it's held up well.
#CriticalTheory #literaturesky
#CriticalTheory #literaturesky
No matter how bad things get in my life, at least I won't be traveling to the UK until well AFTER the Oasis reunion.
'What worked for the Gallaghers and the music press in the 90s has since been deployed by every other poundshop contrarian from Julie Burchill to Piers Morgan: rage-baiting as a highly monetisable media product'
Why #Oasis’ Reunion is the Soundtrack to Britain in 2025
buff.ly/JyOWrW8
Why #Oasis’ Reunion is the Soundtrack to Britain in 2025
buff.ly/JyOWrW8
September 24, 2025 at 3:32 PM
No matter how bad things get in my life, at least I won't be traveling to the UK until well AFTER the Oasis reunion.
Dropped today. Fantastic album.
Wednesday - Bitter Everyday (Official Video)
YouTube video by WednesdayVEVO
youtu.be
September 20, 2025 at 3:19 AM
Dropped today. Fantastic album.
Most days, the mud that rests between Ross Douthat's ears would be the subject of gleeful derision. Not today, given the circumstances. Much as he may "disagree with the vice president's framing," he's clearly giving credence to it.
Opinion | Why the Kirk Assassination Is a Warning to the Left
www.nytimes.com
September 17, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Most days, the mud that rests between Ross Douthat's ears would be the subject of gleeful derision. Not today, given the circumstances. Much as he may "disagree with the vice president's framing," he's clearly giving credence to it.
Scene from a weekend.
September 15, 2025 at 1:25 AM
Scene from a weekend.
September 13, 2025 at 3:18 AM
It won't stop Trump or the right from attacking the left, but the more we find out about the suspect arrested for shooting Kirk, the harder it gets to mark him as leftist. At best it seems he has the same kind of contradictory mishmash in his head we saw with Luigi. Writing on bullets and all.
On Pain and Privilege
I am familiar with Luigi Mangione's world.
alexanderbillet.substack.com
September 12, 2025 at 7:49 PM
It won't stop Trump or the right from attacking the left, but the more we find out about the suspect arrested for shooting Kirk, the harder it gets to mark him as leftist. At best it seems he has the same kind of contradictory mishmash in his head we saw with Luigi. Writing on bullets and all.
Because there was no way I was going to be able to get on with things unless I wrote about it. Because it’s likely they’ll use Kirk’s death to declare a war on anything faintly ringing of a life lived with dignity.
#writing #AmericanViolence
#writing #AmericanViolence
Violent Meaning, and/or, Meaning Violence
The death of Charlie Kirk in the American spectacle.
alexanderbillet.substack.com
September 11, 2025 at 11:21 PM
Because there was no way I was going to be able to get on with things unless I wrote about it. Because it’s likely they’ll use Kirk’s death to declare a war on anything faintly ringing of a life lived with dignity.
#writing #AmericanViolence
#writing #AmericanViolence
Reposted by Alexander Billet
Many condemn political violence as an attack on the foundations of a democratic society. But we also have to ask why we have political violence in the first place. Surely it is an expression of our social alienation, weak social bonds, and lack of democracy itself. It is as much a symptom as cause.
September 11, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Many condemn political violence as an attack on the foundations of a democratic society. But we also have to ask why we have political violence in the first place. Surely it is an expression of our social alienation, weak social bonds, and lack of democracy itself. It is as much a symptom as cause.
The industry has found a lucrative niche in overplaying Lennon and Yoko's far-left phase for a while now. This piece does a really good job showing how deeply conservative this image is, despite appearances. Though honestly, it's pretty hard to say anything that costs this much can be "radical."
'The ‘Free Angela’ sticker within this prohibitively expensive set, nestled amongst trading-card style Lennon collectables, epitomises something peculiar about the 21st C: the packaging up, sanitising, and selling of the past.'
#JohnLennon & the Gutting of 60s #Counterculture
buff.ly/4bHhp7I
#JohnLennon & the Gutting of 60s #Counterculture
buff.ly/4bHhp7I
September 11, 2025 at 5:57 PM
The industry has found a lucrative niche in overplaying Lennon and Yoko's far-left phase for a while now. This piece does a really good job showing how deeply conservative this image is, despite appearances. Though honestly, it's pretty hard to say anything that costs this much can be "radical."