Tag Archives: London Calling

Episode 13: The Clash on Broadway

I lied to you, dear listener, when I said I would not delve into the issues surrounding the indictment of a former president, because, you see, I couldn’t help myself. The lawyer in me got the better of me, so I took some time to share my thoughts on Ford pardoning Nixon, holding presidents accountable for their crimes (of course, the song I meant to refer to here is “Clampdown,” not “London Calling”), and the many, many examples from my home state of governors, legislators, and, yes, even a sitting supreme court justice, having cuffs slapped on them and being led off to jail. 

But, as David Letterman would say, that’s not why you called. So I also talk about Bruce Springsteen, the Clash, and the previously unknown assertion (unknown to me, that is) that The River was a response to London Calling and that Sandinista! was a response to The River. Who knew. And then, because I cannot let a certain congressperson’s defamation of New York go unchallenged, I delve into the Clash’s love affair with Gotham and my own fondness for it, too, before turning to a great, seriously underrated New York artist: Garland Jeffreys.

Garland Jeffreys is the definition of “great artist, good people.” He’s been Coney Island’s number one troubadour — to me, any way — since “Wild in the Streets” in the ’70s and Escape Artist in the early ’80s. I was fortunate enough to connect with him through social media when he made his comeback in 2011 with the fantastic album, The King of In Between, and that’s been one of the most rewarding experiences of the past decade. My wife and I have seen him play in Chicago many times, and we traveled to New York for his 2019 farewell concert that featured an all-star cast including Vernon Reid, Chuck Prophet, Laurie Anderson, and Ivan Julian, among others. 

Even better, we’ve had the opportunity to chat with and get to know Garland and his lovely wife, Claire, and they’re just great people. All I can tell you is this: If you don’t know his music, get to know it. You will not be disappointed.

And while we’re on the subject, Garland and Claire are producing a documentary on his life and music called, Garland Jeffreys: The King of In Between, which should be out soon. Please check out the film’s website and donate to the cause, because this is a story that must be told!

Anyway, please give this week’s show a listen and share your thoughts in the comments below. And remember, as Joe always said, “Without people, you’re nothing.” 

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Episode 8: Back to the Music

Circling back briefly to last week’s discussion on Joe Strummer’s support for trans rights, I mention Joyce Carol Oates’ recent tweets on the subject, including her observations that (a) privacy concerns about spaces like restrooms and locker rooms have nothing whatsoever to do with the presence or absence of trans or nonbinary people, and (b) those who vilify trans and nonbinary people engage in the same sleight-of-hand that prejudiced people have always engaged in — they take a small number of random acts or (alleged) crimes and use them to slander an entire marginalized group. Well done, Joyce Carol Oates.

But then, because this is supposed to be a Clash-inspired podcast, it’s back to the music. I talk about a couple of other podcasts on the subject, including a 2021 episode of Tom Morello’s Maximum Firepower in which he and Antonino D’Ambrosio discuss the commonality between Johnny Cash and Joe Strummer and the Cash-Strummer cover of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.” From there, I talk about a 2019 episode of Consequence’s The Opus podcast titled “London Calling: Radio Clash’s Timeless Transmissions,” which provides an in-depth look at the album and the Clash’s greatness as a rock band, not just as activists who use the music as a vehicle for the message.

Finally, on the Great Artist, Good People segment, I take a listen to Ivan Julian’s new album, Swing Your Lanterns. Julian, a fixture in New York’s punk and post-punk scene, was a founding member of Richard Hell and the Voidoids and played with a number of great artists over the years, including one of my favorites, Garland Jeffreys (but Garland is a subject for an entirely separate episode). If you’re not familiar with Ivan Julian’s music, get the new album (it’s great!) and take a listen to the Voidoids’ Blank Generation LP.

So please give this week’s show a listen and share your thoughts in the comments. And as Joe always said, “Without people, you’re nothing.”

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Clash “London Calling” Scrapbook

An awesome belated Christmas gift arrived today, all the way from the UK. I will definitely be diving into this soon. 

Meanwhile, I’m busy working on Episode 2, which should be posted by the end of the week. Cheers!