Joe Strummer: 5 Years Gone
Hard to believe it’s already been five years since Joe Strummer passed away at age 50. Until it’s time for me to check out, his music will remain a huge part of my life.
We miss you Joe.
Videos:
The Clash – Safe European Home (US Festival, 1983)
The Clash – Tommy Gun (1978 or 1979)
The Clash – London Calling, Train in Vain (Fridays, 1980)
The Clash – Guns of Brixton, Clampdown (Fridays, 1980)
The Clash – Police & Thieves (Germany, 1977)
The Clash – Interview, 1977, White Riot, London’s Burning (1977)
The Clash – This is Radio Clash (Tom Snyder Show, 1981)
The Clash – Interview (Tom Snyder Show, 1981)
The Clash – White Riot (Victoria Park, London, 1978)Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros – Johnny Appleseed
Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros – Yalla YallaMick Jones & Joe Strummer – White Riot, London’s Burning (November 15, 2002, Acton Town Hall, London)
American Idiots?
Saturday evening this little site popped up touting the new release from a group calling themselves The Foxboro Hot Tubs. By Sunday morning buzz was setting the internet ablaze that this was another one off side-project from Green Day (some of you may well recall the 2003 release by The Network). Brimming with 60’s inspired goodness this is either Billy Joe and the boys or the greatest hoax played on the internet this week. My personal favorite track is just below and you can get the entire EP entirely free at the official site.
The Foxboro Hot Tubs –
Mother Mary(MP3)Links: Official Site | MySpace
Blech! (with accompaniment courtesy of the Pogues)
This Thanksgiving, my family and I received an unwanted guest, in the form of a stomach virus. Evil shit, I tell you. If someone can tell me how it’s anatomically possible to puke motor oil, I’d like to know!
But worry not: inspired, witty, highly entertaining posts will return from my neck of the woods soon. But for now, Blech!
The Pogues – The Sick Bed of Cúchulaínn
Pistols do Leno, Lose Cred?
This is a couple of weeks old, but worth a look for those who haven’t seen it. This is the Sex Pistols on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno singing “Anarchy in the UK” (Ron Paul was the guest that night). It’s a good version, mind you, but isn’t this not supposed to happen?
Could appearing on the most homogenized, lowest common denominator late night show be considered any less punk? Yeah yeah, the Pistols are reunited, they need to sell some tickets – but still – at the very least, shun Leno for Letterman!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTF4cO7gUOg 336 278]Ickmusic Live: The Clash – Buy or Die!
If you’ve been checking in with Ickmusic for a while, you know by now that I can’t go very long without a Clash or Joe Strummer post. So without much setup, here’s a great audience recording of a late 1978 gig at London’s Lyceum Ballroom. Find out a lot more background on the show at Black Market Clash (a fantastic live Clash / Strummer resource – click here for the home page with the frames).
RIP Joe. We miss you.
The Clash – Buy or Die !!!
The Lyceum
London
From the Sort It Out” Tour
December 29th, 19781. Safe European Home
2. I Fought the Law
3. Jail Guitar Doors
4. Drug Stabbing Time
5. Cheapskates
6. The City of the Dead
7. Clash City Rockers
8. Tommy Gun
9. White Man in Hammersmith Palais
10. English Civil War
11. Stay Free
12. Guns on the Roof
13. Police and Thieves
14. Julie’s Been Working for the Drug Squad
15. Capital Radio
16. Janie Jones
17. Garageland
18. Complete Control
19. London’s Burning*
20. White Riot** The last two tracks come from the 12/28/78 show at the Lyceum
The Sandinista! Project
If London Calling was the Clash’s masterpiece, Sandinista! – a three-LP, multi-genre assault on the senses (and the follow-up to London Calling) – was its stoned out red-headed stepchild. Thirty-six songs strong, Sandinista! was their chance to completely let loose and record whatever it is they felt like recording. I like the way The All Music Guide review puts it…The Clash sounded like they could do anything on London Calling. For its triple-album follow-up, Sandinista!, they tried to do everything, adding dub, rap, gospel, and even children’s choruses to the punk, reggae, R&B, and roots rock they already were playing…
As loose and scattered as it is, there are some killer tracks on the album: “The Magnificent Seven”, “The Call Up”, “The Leader”, and Eddy “Electric Avenue” Grant’s “Police On My Back”.
So music journalist Jimmy Guterman had a vision as a Clash fan: a tribute album. What he pulled together with The Sandinista! Project is pretty damn impressive. There are some well-known names involved: The Smithereens, Camper Van Beethoven, Jason Ringenberg (Jason & the Scorchers), Katrina Leskanich (Katrina & the Waves), Matthew Ryan, Wille Nile, and the Mekons’ Jon Langford (who also designed the album cover).
Many of the artists I had not heard of: Sex Clark Five (great name!), The Hyphens, Haale, the Coal Porters, and many more. So I thought I would share a couple from the tribute album, paired with the Clash originals.
Two of my favorites from the album are “The Call Up” and “The Leader”. On the tribute, theremin – yes theremin – ensemble The Lothars take on “The Call Up”. This would fall under the category of totally and completely devoid of resembling the original. But there’s something very strange and alien about it that pulls me in. You want originality? Here you go…
The Lothars – The Call Up
On Sandinista!, The Clash pack a whole lot of rock, urgency, and great lyrics into the minute and forty-one seconds of “The Leader”. Amy Rigby offers up a respectable version true to the original. Though there’s something about her “on a Sundayyy…” lyric that I’d like to tweak, but nice overall…
Amy Rigby – The Leader
I can’t really say that someone not familiar with Sandinista! and the Clash would really “get” or appreciate this tribute. But if you’re a Clash-ophile who worships at the altar of Strummer, as I am, you should hear this album. And if you’re new to both, why not pick up both?
I recommend getting the CD itself just for the DIY punk packaging. It’s very well done, and includes a booklet put together by Guterman called “2007 – The Armagideon Times Update.”
Buy The Sandinista! Project on Amazon.
Check out Jimmy Guterman’s blog / site devoted to the project. Included on the sidebar are PDF’s of the CD booklet and the packaging.
Buy The Clash’s Sandinista!
Ford Pier goes Organ Farming
If you’re north of the border in Toronto or Vancouver, you may be familiar with Ford Pier. Ford plays a variety of instruments, and has played with a load of different bands up in Canada…the Hard Rubber Orchestra, the Buttless Chaps (yes!), the Sadies, the Rheostatics, and many others. He was actually a member of Vancouver punk legends D.O.A. in one of their incarnations in the 90’s.
I got a hold of Ford’s new EP, Organ Farming. While he plays most everything you hear by himself, also playing on the EP are members of Fembots, the Weakerthans, and the Ron Sexsmith Band.
This EP was released electronically on June 5th. Later this year, he’ll release a full length album entitled Adventurism.
Take a listen to Ford’s punk-indie blend.
Ford Pier –
Maybe It Came At the Wrong Time(mp3) – from Organ Farming (Six Shooter Records)Ford Pier’s MySpace
UK Punk: Wire
On to another UK punk band formed in 1976, a band I had quite frankly never heard of until yesterday (thanks melchman for bringing in their debut CD). Wire was right there though, putting out a brand of art punk / post-punk that influenced later artists like Henry Rollins, REM, and the Minutemen, to name a few.
Pink Flag was their debut, released in December 1977. It’s 21 songs of thrashing punk rock, several of the songs clocking in at under a minute. This one’s just over a minute long.
Wire – Surgeon’s Girl – from Pink Flag
Wire’s Official Site.
UK Punk: The Damned
Well, while we’re at it, let’s continue the UK punk theme with the Damned. They’re punk legends in their own right, being contemporaries of the Clash and the Sex Pistols in the class of ’76. They’re still together too, though only two original members remain (singer Dave Vanian and guitarist Captain Sensible). Former drummer Rat Scabies hung around for a long time, but is no longer with them. Rat Scabies – hands down one of the best punk names ever.
If anyone wants to help keep the UK punk theme going, I’m happy to oblige. Leave some comments below with your recommendations. How obscure can we get? (I may need some help tracking down the tunes).
The Damned – Smash It Up
From Machine Gun Etiquette.
Check out the Damned on their Official Site | the video for “Smash it Up”
Update: And you all have to check out this live version of “Neat Neat Neat” from what it says is 1979. The video starts off with what appears to be ol’ Cap’n Sensible relieving himself into the crowd. Man, I’d heard about the British gobbing (spitting) craze at the early punk shows, but pissing?
UK Punk: 999
Here’s one recently heard on Sirius Satellite’s Punk channel. As much as I’ve enjoyed the Clash and the Sex Pistols, I haven’t had too much exposure in my life to other UK punk bands of the era (the late 70’s punk “revolution”); bands like the Damned, the Buzzcocks, and this group: 999.
Formed in London in December 1976, the band was originally made up of singer / guitarist Nick Cash, guitarist Guy Days, bassist Jon Watson, and drummer Pablo LaBrittain. All but Watson are still going strong to this day, and should have a new albm of material out later this year.
This song is from their fourth album, 1980’s The Biggest Prize in Sport. It has a punk / pop anthem type feel to it. Good stuff…
999 – Found Out Too Late
999’s Official Site.
Buy Biggest Prize in Sport (Amazon)
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