With the media’s gaze fixed on the soccer World Cup, Chomsky Allstars’ new single throws a harsh spotlight on South Africa’s ‘beautification’ of the country in the run-up to the tournament.
Blending punk, blues, dub and Afrobeat, ‘The Beautiful Gain’, with its infectious melody and sublime rhythms, is set to become the ‘Free Nelson Mandela’ of the 21st century.
Fresh from their storming performance at this year’s Strummercamp festival, Chomsky Allstars also feature on the internationally-acclaimed charity CD ‘Shatter The Hotel’, while lead singer Chomsky provides guest vocals on Cut La Roc’s latest album ‘Larger Than Life’, alongside Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody.
For the full story behind ‘The Beautiful Gain’, see:
http://abahlali.org/node/6252
The promo video for short version can be viewed at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuqOJJw4mD4
For the latest band news go to:
www.myspace.com/chomskyallstars
or:
www.facebook.com/pages/Chomsky-Allstars/70660749768?ref=ts
The full version of the track can be purchased from www.chomskyallstars.bandcamp.com or the usual digital outlets, with a proportion of the song’s proceeds being donated to South Africa’s anti-eviction campaigners.
Thanks to everybody who contributed to this project and great night at Inn On The Green on Friday 5th to mark the release of the Shatter The Hotel Album.
Special thanks to Prince Blanco without whom none of this would have happened … we salute and thank you sir.
Tune in to a great live podcast recorded on the night from Pete Colgle’s Podcast Factory. Listen to interviews with Prince Blanco, Mighty Howard, Dubmatix and Citizen Sound and tracks taken from the Shatter The Hotel album and our Strummerville Winter Sessions album (this podcast is also available for free download).
Shatter The Hotel 14 track album/CD is available to buy from our online shop or download now from iTunes.
Pictures from the night - courtesy of Edward Bishop
To celebrate the UK release a launch event will take place on 5th February 2010 in the heart of Clash-land at Inn on the Green, tucked under the Westway between Portobello Road and Ladbroke Grove. Scheduled to appear on the night are: Dubmatix, DubCats, Wrongtom, Citizen Sound, Chomsky Allstars and Don Letts along with special guests.
In the spirit of Joe Strummer’s connection with Reggae and Dub, Shatter The Hotel explores what he once described as the “rasta - punk interface”. The energy of punk fused with the rebellious sound of dub and reggae.
This collection of songs brings together some of (his) Joe’s friends, and collaborators as well as artists and producers that have been touched and inspired by his music and message. Tracks selected from the Joe Strummer and Mick Jones catalogue have been re-interpreted by artists that come from the UK, Jamaica, Canada and the USA.
Don Letts is credited as the DJ that single-handedly turned a whole generation of punks onto reggae. A friend of Joe’s, he is pictured on the cover sleeve of the 1980 release, ‘Black Market Clash’. He opens and closes this compilation alongside Dubmatix and former Big Audio Dynamite band-mate Dan Donovan with their take on London Calling, the track that propelled The Clash’s influence across the pond to the USA. Dubmatix (aka Jesse King) has toured North America and Europe extensively, collaborating with legendary reggae heavyweights such as Sugar Minott, Michael Rose, and Alton Ellis. Shatter The Hotel’s associate producer names London Calling as one of his favourite albums of all-time so reinterpreting the title track with Dan and Don( )was in his words ‘a labour of love’.
Dubmatix - London Calling (Album Version) [feat. Don Letts & Dan Donovan]
The compilation ranges from straight-up roots dub to contemporary reggae sounds to dubbed out punk and dub-house styles including Lost In the Supermarket by South London producer, Wrongtom (Hard-Fi’s tour DJ and remixer), Creation Rockers’ interpretation of Four Horseman and Rock the Casbah by Nate Wize from Toronto who has DJ’d or performed alongside the likes of MIA, Blondie and Roots Manuva. His version features Jamaican vocalist Ammoye.
Joe Strummer’s friend and biographer Chris Salewicz has provided the sleeve-notes for Shatter the Hotel along with renowned photographer, Adrian Boot who has provided the images of Joe.
Proceeds from the sale of this release will benefit Strummerville: The Joe Strummer Foundation for New Music, a registered charity set up by the friends and family of Joe Strummer the year after his death that seeks to reflect Joe’s unique contribution to the music world by offering support, resources and performance opportunities to artists who would not normally have access to them.
For more information please contact:
Mark Matthews (aka Prince Blanco)
Email: shatterthehotel@gmail.com
Web: www.shatterthehotel.com
