I’m back after a short break with a new episode, this time focusing on September observations in the US, from Labor Day to the anniversary of 9/11 to Constitution Day. Apropos of those events, I talk about the two Clash songs I’ve practiced on guitar over the past couple of weeks: “Clampdown” from London Calling and “Tommy Gun” from Give ’Em Enough Rope. The first of those songs deals with the connections between the oppression of working people and the rise of fascism, while the second shows the Clash’s opposition to terrorism and political violence (while still supporting national liberation movements around the globe). 

But first, I tackle Jann Wenner’s absurd comments about Black artists and women in music and how they, in Wenner’s mind, are not as “articulate” as white male artists. Needless to say, that conflicts not only with reality but with the views of … an awful lot of white male artists such as the Rolling Stones and the Clash, who openly acknowledged the influence of Black musicians from Muddy Waters to the legends of rap.

So, please give this week’s show a listen, share your thoughts in the comments below, and follow the podcast on Twitter at @2Minutes59. And remember, as Joe always said, “Without people, you’re nothing.”