Spears For Souvenirs

It has been thirty years since Michael Franti wound up Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy and launched his new direction which he once described using this vegetable analogy: "The big problem with Disposable Heroes was that it was a record people listened to because it was good for them - kind of like broccoli. I want Spearhead to be more like sweet potatoes".

The first batch of sweet potatoes came piping hot out of Mr Franti's creative ovens in September 1994 in the form of Spearhead's debut album "Home". I bought it at the time but that copy has long since gone the way of all flesh. So when I saw one going for £1 in a charity shop recently I snapped it up. I'm very glad that I did, it is even better than I remember.

 "Hole In The Bucket" - Spearhead

"Dream Team" - Spearhead

Way back in much earlier times many spearheads were made of stones or flint. Here are some examples from the 1970s.

And here is the biggest piece of broccoli you'll ever see.

No Resting On Laurels

Last week Mister F and I went up to the Shacklewell Arms in London's trendy Dalston to see the young American noise-a-teers Laurel Canyon.

According to the blurb for their self-titled debut album "the guitars are drenched in an Asheton worshipping haze, melded alongside a Velvets chug and mid-to-late 80s Pacific Northwest guttural/ primal howl... this is American primitive music at its most powerful". 

Now I don't know about any of that but they make a splendid racket and deserved a more responsive crowd than they got. Go and cheer them on if they pass through your town.

I have teamed them up with an earlier Laurel to pad things out a bit (not that anything Mr Aitken did could ever be dismissed as padding),

"Tangiers" - Laurel Canyon

"Boogie In My Bones" - Laurel Aitken

From Younng American Noise-a-teers to Young New Mexican Puppeteers - not Tom's original but a German Version for George and Mister F. They know what they did.