Great Grateful Dead LP. Side 1 = 3 Nov 1965 Autumn Records demo at Golden State Recorders when they were the Emergency Crew; Side 2 = part of the Scorpio Records June 1966 session. What if they were signed in 1965? The not-drug-related Can't Come Down: youtube.com/watch?v=nJ_jE-…

Resistance is futile. Protector is the alluring second album from Aoife Nessa Frances (Aoife Nessa Frances). Out on Partisan Records through In House Press. I’ve looked at it today for theartsdesk.com: theartsdesk.com/new-music/albu…

Melody Maker, 6 Dec 1975. Ad leading Chris Millar – Rat Scabies – to the London SS & Brian James, & next year their co-founding The Damned. Bernard Rhodes’ phone no. More on this in my Omnibus Press book Smashing It Up: A Decade Of Chaos With The Damned: omnibuspress.com/products/smash…

55 years late, the 1967 LP by UK pop-psych band Living Daylights (with future Blockhead Norman Watt-Roy: TheBlockheads) surfaces. It’s great. Let’s Live For Today - The Complete Recordings is on Cherry Red Records. I’ve looked at it today for theartsdesk.com: theartsdesk.com/new-music/musi…

55 years ago this week – on 27 Oct 1967, The Creation’s 4th UK single was issued: the monumental Life Is Just Beginning / Through My Eyes. Through My Eyes was covered by Sex Pistols Official in 1976. The original: youtube.com/watch?v=QSc8SP…

Melody Maker, 9 Aug 1975. Small ad leading Brian Robertson – Brian James – to what became the London SS and, ultimately, co-founding The Damned. Michael=Mick Jones. More on this in my Omnibus Press book Smashing It Up: A Decade Of Chaos With The Damned: omnibuspress.com/products/smash…

Leicester’s Yeah Yeah Noh (Yeah Yeah Noh ) were on their own path – and underlined that in August 1985 with the psych winner Another Side To Mrs Quill: youtube.com/watch?v=VzbXbT…

New MOJO Magazine out: me on HedvigMollestad & Trondheim Jazz Orch’s Maternity Beat (@MusicNorwayNO/Norwegian Arts in the UK/Norsk jazzforum), Helen Ganya’s Polish The Machine(@bellaunion), Mark Peters’ Red Sunset Dreams (@soniccathedral), Ásgeir’s Time On My Hands (@olirecords).

Egyptian singer Maha’s only album Orkos was originally issued only on cassette in 1979. It’s resurfaced. And it’s terrific. Reissued by Habibi Funk through In House Press. I’ve looked at it today for theartsdesk.com: theartsdesk.com/new-music/musi…

1969. “Pop Free.” “Autour d’une voix exceptionnelle” Catherine Ribeiro puts her 3 Marianne Faithfull-ish EPs behind her and moves into unknown territory with her 1st LP – the extraordinary + 2 Bis. Crucial album for France. Opening cut: youtube.com/watch?v=GVcKzo…

October 1979. Smash It Up is just out, and a happy The Damned pose for promo shots for their label Chiswick Records (now Ace Records). Unused in my Omnibus Press book Smashing It Up: A Decade Of Chaos With The Damned: omnibuspress.com/products/smash…

March 1978. On Dangerhouse, thrilling 2nd single from LA’s Weirdos - We Got The Neutron Bomb/Solitary Confinement. “Foreign aid from the land of the free, but don’t blame me.” Neutron Bomb: youtube.com/watch?v=p--ofe…

A nice surprise. My coverage of the great Sons of Adam collection Saturday's Sons: The Complete Recordings 1964-1966 is the most-read piece on theartsdesk.com today (out on High Moon Records, produced and much else by Tall Poppy Syndrome’s Alec Palao). Here: theartsdesk.com/new-music/musi…

A-Grade harmony pop from the strata beneath The Association, Harper’s Bizarre, Spanky And Our Gang et al. Trip On Me - Soft Psych & Sunshine is compiled by @tallpoppysyndrome’s Alec Palao & out on Ace Records. I’ve looked at it today for theartsdesk.com: theartsdesk.com/new-music/musi…

Issued January 1967. Winter-Harvest, the 2nd LP by the Netherlands’ Golden Earrings. One of the greatest mod-pop albums from anywhere – their own thing, seamless absorption of Small Faces and Zombies too. Single from the album, Another Man In Town: youtube.com/watch?v=8Sn1A-…

13 April 1977. US showbiz trade paper Variety sees The Damned at New York’s CBGB’s. 'The Damned hardly seem capable of reaching a wide audience.” More on the New York adventure in my Omnibus Press book Smashing It Up: A Decade Of Chaos With The Damned: omnibuspress.com/products/smash…

April 1978. “Indescribably awful sub-Pistols punk, presumably intended as a joke (I hope),”said Sounds. Brilliant 1st EP from Ed Ball’s O Level – with Dan Treacy input, so Television Personalities crossover. East Sheen: youtube.com/watch?v=NkIxnC…

Two double CDs stressing Jamaica’s impact on the music of punk and post-punk Britain. Catch-A-Fire - Treasure Isle Ska (1963-1965) & Top Ranking DJ Session Volumes 1 & 2 are out on Cherry Red Records. I’ve looked at them today for theartsdesk.com: theartsdesk.com/new-music/musi…