The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary

I Need A Dodge: Joe Strummer on the Run

Produced and Directed by Nick Hall, this is the story of Joe Strummer's self-imposed exile in Granada in 1985/6. It will be released on DVD by MVD on October 16th and comes packaged with a cassette of a Spanish radio interview with Strummer, a postcard, sticker, and pin.

"This is Joe Strummer at a crossroads in his professional and personal life. Initially his trips to Spain seemed to be little more than an anecdote but this story says so much about Joe coming to terms with life after The Clash," said Hall. 

Johnny Green, The Clash's legendary road manager said of the film, "I glowed - I felt uplifted. Once again, it was as if I had spent a little time with my dear lost friend, Joe Strummer. I was hooked all through - the story is compulsive. More to the point, you have perfectly captured the brooding melancholia, that shy underside, which was a compelling component of Ol' Joe. I Need A Dodge is fabulous." The film also received a special mention at the In-Edit Festival in Barcelona.

Heading to Spain in 1985 to flee the disaster that was the implosion of The Clash version two, the band formed in the wake of Strummer firing Mick Jones and aftre Topper Headon left the band. The new line-up's Cut The Crap album had largely been shunned by both critics and the public alike and Strummer needed space. Telling a Diario De Granada interviewer that he had come "to feel the pain of the wound," upon arrival in Granada, Strummer found himself firmly subsumed into the city's musical and cultural fabric. He was welcomed with open arms by local acts 091 and bigger-fish Radio Fortuna, who all met up at the Silbar.

"When we met Joe it was like a miraculous apparition," said Jose Ignacio Lapido, 091's guitarist. It was Radio Fortuna who facilitated the purchase of a set of wheels for Strummer. Tracking down a Barreiros, essentially a European edition of the Dodge-Dart, became a mission. As Santiago Auseron, the Radio Fortuna singer said, "It looked cool, it just looked a bit mad. Which at that time suited Joe very well." 

Strummer was delighted with the huge car which he thrashed around the streets of Granada and Madrid. However, having parked the car in the capital when he flew back to the UK for the birth of his daughter Lola, he forgot where it was and never saw it again. I Need A Dodge! Joe Strummer On The Run is partly the story of the search for the car, and partly the story of Strummer's own search for meaning and redemption in those wilderness years. 

Strummer launched an unsuccessful attempt to find the car, making an appeal for information on Spain's Radio 3 in 1997. With witnesses disagreeing on the colour and style of the car - agreeing only that it was registered in Oviendo - and some claiming never to have seen it, filmmaker Nick Hall's quest seems unlikely to succeed, yet his investigation does unearth the truth about this period of Strummer's life that has largely been ignored.

Installing himself in the producer's chair for the recording of 091's album, Strummer's micro-management led, rather than to the boost these star-struck musicians were hoping for, to a growing sense of disquiet and wasted studio time. The album eventually surfaced, having finished off to the record label's specification rather than the band's, and was disappointing.

The Dodge is an emblem for Strummer's time in Spain, his ambition, personal style and, in a way, the nature of those troubled days in general. When he is pulled over by the police, it is revealed that he doesn't even have a license to drive. Drawing on the recollections of his friends in London and in Spain, his partner Gaby Holford, and the members of 091 and Radio Fortuna, this a revealing story of a search for much more than just a car.

"It was an escape. He was a man on the run. He was getting away from the tension in London," says Santiago Auseron.

Joe Strummer did, indeed, need a Dodge.

The DVD package can be pre-ordered directly through MVD here, or on Amazon here.

The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary

The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary

The Cult ‎– Love - Sire Vinyl LP - 1985 - NM

The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary

The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary

The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary

THE FALL "Ersatz G.B." to be Released on CD in the US on December 6, 2011 via Cherry Red Records and MVD

Ersatz G.B. is the new studio album from The Fall, the 29^th in their impressive canon. As with any Fall recording, Ersatz G.B. retains many of the group's most distinctive elements, whilst offering a fresh take on Mark E. Smith's familiar style and subject matter.

The line-up on the album remains the same as for the last few Fall releases: Peter Greenway (lead guitar), Keiron Melling (drums), Elena Poulou (keyboards,vocals), Mark E. Smith (vocals) and David Spurr (bass).

Ersatz G.B. is The Fall's first album for Cherry Red Records and it will be released on CD, limited edition vinyl and digital formats, preceded by a double A-side 7" single.

There aren't very many groups that have been together longer than The Fall and it's difficult to think of any who, like The Fall, have released brand new material almost every year. Formed at the height of the punk rock movement in Manchester in 1976, The Fall is essentially built around its founder and only constant member Mark E. Smith. The group's music has gone through several stylistic changes over the years but it is often characterised by an abrasive, guitar-driven sound and frequent use of repetition, and is always underpinned by Smith's distinctive vocals and often cryptic lyrics.

The Fall were long associated with BBC disc jockey John Peel, who championed the group from the very early days and often cited them as his favourite group, famously opining, "they are always different; they are always the same."

1ST ANNUAL POWER POP-A-LICIOUS! MUSIC FEST KICKS-OFF IN ASBURY PARK 4/30 & 5/01

The first Power Pop-A-Licious Music Festival will take place on Saturday April 30th & Sunday May 1st at the legendary rock club Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, NJ. Conceived and curated by power pop legend Paul Collins (cofounder of THE NERVES, THE BREAKAWAYS and THE BEAT) the fest will bring together some of the finest young guitar-driven power pop, garage rock and punk-pop bands from across the U.S. and Canada. Power Pop-A-Licious is a unifying rally cry for this thriving rock-n-roll subculture, and is a means for power pop fans of all ages to discover a wealth of talented new music acts in one power-packed weekend.

Collins explains the concept behind the festival, "I was touring all over the country with my Beat Army Tours, when it hit me, I gotta bring all these great bands I'm playing with together for one crazy weekend!"

This all-ages event is ground zero for a burgeoning DIY power pop scene that's been fueled by the immediacy of the Internet, the devotion of its fans, and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.  Each day will feature bands from different regions of the country, with local DJs spinning sets to create an all-day dance party atmosphere.  Similar in approach to “happenings” in 1960's London, Power Pop-A-Licious is no mere rock n’ roll concert, it’s an event.  DJs, performance artist’s video projections, and, of course, the spirited, high-energy live rock-n-roll performances from all these great new bands will provide the entertainment. The world-famous Asbury Lanes, where the two day fest will take place, is a vintage bowling alley, bar and live music venue with a capacity of 300, and is located in the heart of beautiful Asbury Park.

 

 PAUL COLLINS may just be Power Pop's greatest champion and spokesperson. Through extensive worldwide touring, and connecting to like-minded bands, artists and fans through social networking sites, Paul has created THE BEAT ARMY, a DIY network of people connected by their love of power pop, punk, new wave and rock-n-roll to help ensure its success at the club level - where rock-n-roll lives and breathes. While THE BEAT ARMY only began last March, Collins has already amassed over 2,700 members. In addition, he's been touring heavily in support of both THE BEAT ARMY and his new album KING OF POWER POP! (on Alive Records). "Since forming THE BEAT ARMY we've done 50-plus shows throughout the South, Canada, East Coast, Midwest and the West Coast involving over 60 bands from around the country," Collins states. "The shows all have low ticket prices (averaging from $8 to $10) and we book them ourselves. 'By the people, for the people'... that's our motto."

"History Lesson Part 1: Punk Rock in Los Angeles in 1984" Coming to DVD on March 22

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It has been said that Los Angeles and San Francisco were the last major metropolitan cities in which punk music scenes developed and once it hit California, punk changed shapes numerous times, spread to every corner of the United States and became a permanent fixture in popular culture.

In 1984, a teenage Dave Travis decided to capture punk rock in Los Angeles on video tape, a fascination and hobby that he would continue until 1997, logging in hundreds of hours of Los Angeles area shows and interviews. In "A History Lesson Part 1, Travis presents live footage filmed in the spring of 1984 featuring the Meat Puppets, Minutemen, Twisted Roots and Redd Kross interspersed with interviews of members from each group which examines and puts a perspective on the early years of "psychedelic" punk rock in Los Angeles and Phoenix, AZ. Each song by each group is presented from start to finish.

THE MEAT PUPPETS

The Meat Puppets started playing punk rock in their hometown of Phoenix, Arizona out of a feeling of alienation. After sharing a bill in Phoenix, Black Flag invited The Meat Puppets to play a show with them The Cuckoos Nest in Costa Mesa, CA. The group played their chaotic shamanistic psychedelic punk which messed with the minds of the hardcore punks in the audience who started a riot during their set. This prompted Greg Ginn of Black Flag to invite The Meat Puppets to record an album for SST. The group recorded "Meat Puppets 1" over a non-stop three day session while tripping on acid at Unicorn Studios in West Hollywood. A year later, the group returned to the studio and with a more structured and coherent approach for "Meat Puppets 2." Three songs from that album were captured live on May 5, 1984 at Perkins Palace in Pasadena, CA. Melons Rising and Saturday Morning capture the bewitching feeling of "Meat Puppets 1," while Lake of Fire captures the new direction they were moving towards with "Meat Puppets 2."

MINUTEMEN

The Minutemen were the original punk band from San Pedro, California. Bassist Mike Watt, a childhood friend of guitarist D Boon says that Boon's mother taught him how to play bass. When the two first started playing together, they tried to cover rock songs, like American Woman and Black Dog. Then they saw a punk rock showone night in Hollywood and had the revelation that they could play their own music. Boon would write phrases on scraps of paper and Watt would put these to music. Watt would write songs with beginnings, middles, and ends. D. Boon would write songs with just verse and chorus. The songs were short, often less than a minute long. They would write solos into the songs so the other players could rest. Boon had a thing about ideas and principles; he and Watt would talk and argue about everything, even having to pull over at a library while driving between towns on tour to resolve a debate they were having about European History. They philosophized that their world was divided into two parts; Gigs and Flyers. Gigs were the shows. Flyers were everything else which would get people to the shows. Records, radio, videos; these were all flyers to the Minutemen. Six Minutemen songs are featured: A History Lesson Part 2 and Jesus and Tequila from Hollywood's legendary Cathay De Grande and No 1. Hit Song, Martin's Story, The Big Foist, and Bob Dylan Wrote Propaganda Songs were captured at The Olympic Auditorium.

TWISTED ROOTS

Paul Roessler formed Twisted Roots in 1981 after the demise of the Screamers. The original lineup featured Paul's sister Kira on bass and Pat Smear of the Germs on guitar. The band enjoyed instant success as a punk rock super-group followed by a period of chaos emerging with a new lineup featuring Dez Cadena of Redd Kross, Black Flag and The Misfits on guitar. This lineup would soon metamorphosize into DC3. Roessler was heavily influenced by Public Image Limited and took to heart Johnny Rotten's philosophy that it was about musical anarchy not political anarchy. The songs Never Was, Mommy's Always Busy in the Kitchen, and Love Your Friends were captured in May of 1984 at the Music Machine in West Los Angeles

REDD KROSS

Redd Kross were teenagers from Hawthorne, CA who started playing shows with Black Flag while some of the members were still in Junior High School. Though they gigged with punk bands from the South Bay, they felt that they were outsiders because they were obsessed with pop culture and felt more of a connection with rock star persona than their punk rock peers. Three songs were filmed at the Pomona Valley Auditorium in June 1984: Janus, Jeanie, and George Harrison, Linda Blair, and Annette's got the Hits. The band at the time consisted of two pairs of siblings: Jeff and Steve McDonald and Dave and Vicki Peterson of The Bangles temporarily replacing the freshly departed Dez Cadena before guitarist Robert Hecker joined the group. This was Peterson's only show with the group. Steve McDonald currently plays bass in OFF! with Keith Morris.

DAVE TRAVIS

Videographer Dave Travis grew up in Los Angeles where his dad worked as a cameraman for NBC and CBS news as well as TV shows such as "Chips" and "Fantasy Island." When he was 15 his dad handed down to him an old video camera and he began shooting punk rock shows in Los Angeles. He eventually became a freelance video editor, working on projects such as Black Flag's "Slip It In" video as director and editor, "1991 the Year Punk Broke" featuring Sonic Youth and Nirvana as editor, the Kurt Cobain memorial for the 94 MTV Music Awards as editor, and many more. Travis also ran a recording studio with his sister, bassist Abby Travis, called Tarantula Ranch and in the mid '80s helped pioneer the desert Generator Shows.

Travis captured punk bands on video in L.A. for 14 years until 1997 when he decided to put down his camera. In 2000 he became a teacher with stints at John Adams Middle School teaching World and U.S. History and Santee Education Complex, a High School in South Central, L.A. teaching History and Economics. After spending nearly a decade as a teacher, Travis re-united with his passion for video and began digitizing and restoring his old footage. "A History Lesson Part One" is the first fruit harvested from his archive.

Travis also plays cello in the long-time Los Angeles punk / psychedelic / jazz band Carnage Asada.

Available from See of Sound 

The Cult - Rain

Sid! - By Those Who Really Knew Him

An intimate, full-length, 80 minute documentary on Sid's life to mark 30 years since his death. Plus 10 track audio CD, booklet and more!

Odeon Entertainment and MVD Visual are proud to announce the release of Sid! - By Those Who Really Knew Him on November 17th in North America.

This package, the first intimate full-length 80 minute documentary on Sid's life, marks 30 years since his death from a heroin overdose (he was just 21 years old). Many of those closest to Sid speak for the very first time about this true punk icon who burned out, but never sold out.

This brand new documentary, in association with ITN Archive, charts the fall and rise of Sid Vicious from punk's hero to society's cultural icon of the twentieth century.

Sid's short and controversial life is profiled with interviews from Jah Wobble (childhood friend, founder PIL), Steve Severin (Siouxsie and the Banshees), David Vanian (The Damned), Malcolm McLaren (Sex Pistols Manager), Viv Albertine (Flatmate, The Slits), Ron Watts (100 Club), Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols), Rat Scabies (The Damned), Caroline Coon (Writer and Artist), Vivienne Westwood (Sex Designer), Marco Pirroni (Adam & The Ants), John Tiberi (Sex Pistols Tour Manager), and many more of Sid's close friends.

Featuring previously unseen archive footage and filmed in HD, this new documentary provides the most definitive and intimate life story of the punk hero who truly lived his life with chaos and anarchy. Fuelled with a soundtrack of Sid's own music, this is the faithful telling of Sid's life story by those who really knew him.

In addition to the DVD documentary, this special collector's edition includes a 10 track CD of Sid live in New York's, and a biography booklet profile by best-selling music author Mark Paytress.