Cass McCombs, once described by John Peel as ‘unobtrusively brilliant’ (Peel Session 2003), released ‘Humour Risk’ back in November last year on Domino Records to great critical acclaim (read our review here). He is currently on a UK tour and plays Glasgow’s Stereo tonight. This week will also see him perform in Liverpool and at London’s Union Chapel on Friday. Dates with ticket links are as follows
6th March: Glasgow: Stereo
7th March: Liverpool: Leaf
9th March: London: Union Chapel
New Video: Robin Egg Blue
Watch the new video for the abum track ‘Robin Egg Blue’ taken from Humour Risk :
Cass McCombs – Robin Egg Blue
Track: Bradley Manning
The track Bradley Manning, written about the wiki leaks whistleblower, will be available on 7″, backed with an exclusive song entitled Empty Promises. Hear the 7″ version of Bradley Manning below:
LYRICS: Bradley Manning
When Bradley moved back from western Wales
His Okie accent still wouldn’t fail
Sleeping in his pickup truck, his Soul wouldn’t calm
He wrote to his mother, “I’m nobody now, Mom”It’s hard to imaging why bullies dig
But Bradley understood it came with the gig
He wanted an education with all his will
So he walked in and signed up to get that GI bill“I want…”
Today, those who got up in Bradley’s face
Wish to remain anonymous, in their disgrace
They spread rumors around he wet himself scared
Even if that’s true, I don’t really care“Recycled” from Iraq and stationed at Fort Drum
His boyfriend introduced him to Triskelion
He met the hacktivists at MIT
“Randomly hung out with some pikans”; “At last, people like me”“I want…”
Deployed to Base Hammer, near Iran
Built from freight containers and sheer boredom
The bullies on the base went in for the kill
They said, “We have a saying here: Shit rolls downhill”On leave in Boston, but his boyfriend had flown
Bradley wrote him on Facebook: “I have no real home”
And before the Builds launch party, he went on to vent:
“Bradley Manning is not a piece of equipment”“I want…”
While passwords are written on sticky notes
And stuck to laptop screens, Bradley explodes
Found in a storeroom stabbing a chair
Bradley carved, “I want…” with a passion that’s all-too rareNow he’s due to be court-martialed this December
To prove bullying is better than a wild temper
Now, when we say “I want”, we invoke his chair
Bradley, know you have friends, though you’re locked in there“I want…”
To coincide with the tour, Domino is releasing the single, Love Thine Enemy, taken from Cass’ Humor Risk LP. A nicely priced tour edition double pack of Cass’ two 2011 albums, WIT’S END and Humor Risk (DOMDBL08CD), is also available to purchase from today. Buy it HERE.
