There’s so much other music that’s great (both old and new) that I sometimes forget to find time to include it on the blog. I’ll try and do a better job of sharing both bands with a Clash connection plus what I listen to from brand new right back to 1978.

New Model Army are a band I’ve enjoyed and kept my ears on for over 20 years now. Sharing a punk ideology and a very political slant to their music NMA have been one of the few survivors from a post punk scene that now seems an age ago. In this interview Justin Sullivan speaks about the band and what (if anything) they share with The Clash. If you’ve never seen them live I highly recommend you do so….it’s a passionate show with some meaning. I’m off to see them on Monday here in Phoenix. For details on tour dates have a look.

If you’re a little older than me (I never get to say that!!) you might have been hugely influenced in the first half of the 70’s by Mott The Hoople. Mott has made a huge (and seemingly magnificent) return to the stage last week and Mick Jones a long time fan was amongst those reliving his youth in the audience at the Hammersmith Odeon (I can’t type the new name). Excellent extended information from Classic Rock Magazine is worth a read.

More from the Clash family tree – don’t forget Viv Albertine of The Slits is playing some very special North American Dates in the coming days:

If you are located in any of these cities it’s time to stop saying ‘I wish I was in London’ and get along to see a bit of history.  The Chicago show is at a great little venue I know well – Schuba’s – so you should try and make it.

Viv Albertine in the States

I also am really keen to know what are your favourite records of the last few years? Hopefully this is something we can expand upon? In the last week or two I’ve been listening to a lot of Hot Club de Paris,  Pigeon Detectives, and Earlimart but I change radically from day to day. If you get a chance to check any of these three please share!!

Cheers for now – Tim