Do you ever find yourself singing a song in your head, but being unable to remember what the heck it is? It happened to me while I was out and about just last week. The tune went round and round until it finally clicked. It was 'Boeing 737' by Rhode Island band The Low Anthem - what a relief, I could relax. Then I started to wonder what on Earth ever happened to Low Anthem and resolved to Google them when I got home. Needless to say, remembering to Google The Low Anthem became just one of the many things to fall out of my brain when it gets too full. So imagine my surprise this morning when, while idly clicking around, I came across an advert for 'Eyeland', a brand new LP by The Low Anthem - coincidence or what? It's their first release in 5 years and appears to be a psych-folk concept album, which sounds intriguing. 'The Pepsi Moon' is the first taster.
'Refugee' is a new compilation LP, due for release on Glasgow's Brainfog Records in the first week of July. As the title suggests, the aim of the album is to raise funds for the Migrant Offshore Aid Station Foundation (MOAS), an organisation that provides help to migrants escaping war-torn countries. MOAS has saved more than 13,000 lives in the Mediterranean Sea since 2013 . I'm delighted to note that several favourites of this parish (Alasdair Roberts, Richard Dawson, Bonnie Prince Billy) are among the artists who have donated an unreleased original song to this worthy endeavour, though the quality really doesn't dip throughout the entire album. Here are Kathryn Joseph and Linda Thompson with their sublime respective contributions to 'Refugee'.
The late Michael Campbell, a.k.a Mikey Dread, was born 62 years ago today. Broadcaster, producer and performer, Mikey brought a good deal of fun along with his own brand of roots rock reggae, just listen to the wonderful 'African Anthem' LP if you don't believe me. It's an album crammed full of crucial Dread at the Controls dub-plates, interspersed with a selection of brilliantly individual jingles, created for his late 1970's Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation radio show. If you've never heard 'African Anthem', do yourself a favour and take a listen here.
For all his many achievements, it's Mikey Dread's work with The Clash for which he's possibly best remembered. Spinning dubwise selections before a show, performing support slots (sometimes with Joe and Mick skanking in the shadows) and often joining the band onstage for a couple of songs during their headlining set. Plus of course Mikey got involved in the studio, producing the 'Bankrobber' single and sections of the 1980 triple LP, 'Sandinista!'
In the mid-noughties, Mikey Dread (fronting American band The Blizzard of 78) recorded 'Silicone on Sapphire', his contribution to 'The Sandinista! Project', an ambitious tribute to the Clash's epic LP, which was eventually released in May 2007.
In October of 2007 it was announced that Mikey was receiving treatment for a brain tumour. Mikey Dread passed away on March 15th 2008.
A tip of the hat to Monkey (he of the esteemed Monkey Picks blog), who pointed me in the direction of Fusion On Air, an online radio station whose tagline is; Life's Too Short to Listen to Bland Crap - now that's an emotion I'm more than happy to second. Sunday evening's Kitchen Boogie show, hosted by Mick Collins, was absolutely outstanding from start to finish and the hour just flew by. I did have to pause the show for a couple of moments though, to research Men of North Country. Mick played their cover of Lou Pride's 'I'm Com'un Home In The Morn'un' and it just about stopped me in my tracks. It turns out Men of North Country hail from Tel Aviv and have recently released their second LP, 'This City', on the Acid Jazz label. So I paused the show for a little longer, clicked around and purchased said album. And it's a belter.
How remiss of me not to mention it. Fortunately Animal Collective didn't allow the big day to slip by unmarked. Josh Dibb and Brian Weitz (aka Deakin and Geologist) posted a remix of 'Don't Think Twice, It's Alright' to the band's Soundcloud page last Tuesday, with the following simple message attached; 'Happy 75th Birthday Bob Dylan!' And so say all of us.
The weather was miserable, the M1-M6-M60 drive interminable (Google Maps predicted 4½ hours, it actually took closer to 7) and the traffic in the Manchester area virtually gridlocked, but finally, finally, we drew into out long pre-booked hotel with barely an hour to spare until Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band were due on stage. Throwing our overnight bags to the floor at check-in, we were informed that due to unforeseen circumstances, there were no rooms for us at the inn. At this point there could well have been tears, tantrums or both, so knackered and stressed were we from the journey. Fortunately, customer service is still a valued commodity at this particular branch of Travelodge and, seeing our distress, the guy behind the counter went far above and beyond the call of duty to find us rooms elsewhere in the city, with free post-concert beers, taxi across Manchester and breakfasts the following morning, thrown in for good measure. The drive back on Thursday was an absolute joy by comparison, East on the A628 out of Manchester through the beautiful and dramatic High Peaks, before swooping down across the flatlands of The Fens towards home, all in less than 4½ hours. And Springsteen? Worth every stress-filled second.
1. Atlantic City
2. Murder Incorporated
3. Badlands
4. The Ties That Bind
5. Sherry Darling
6. Two Hearts
7. No Surrender
8. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (Audience Request)
9. Hungry Heart
10. Out in the Street
11. Darkness on the Edge of Town (Audience Request)
As you read these words, I'll be heading northwards to the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, to catch the first of two shows on Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band's current River Tour. I say current, because for some of us of a certain vintage, this is our second River Tour, the first followed the album's original release in 1981. Ticket prices have gone up a bit in the past 35 years.
My original twin-tub damaged ticket from 1981.
This is only the second time in my life that I've been to Manchester, the first was for just a few hours one evening in the Winter of 1978, when a band who I was chums with at the time, played at the Russell Club in Hulme, otherwise known as the original Factory Club. I travelled from their home town of Leeds in the back of the hired van, rattling around among the drums, amps, guitars and mic-stands, all the while being slowly poisoned by exhaust fumes - happy days. The weather was bitterly cold, the audience sparse and the support act was Gordon the Moron, he of Jilted John fame. I took photos, but unfortunately mislaid them a long time.
Here's Wire, who I reckon have been on a bit of a roll since 'Red Barked Tree' in 2011. They're not from Manchester, but this appropriately titled tune, from last year's self-titled album, is ace.
