Since launching this blog almost six years ago, Django Django has been the artist that I've received a takedown notice for.
In fairness, it was them, it was their bots, and it was the blog post specifically, it was the file sharing site that hosted the Dubhed selection that I'd created.
Even so, on a subconscious level, it may have meant that I've written about Django Django less that I could or should have.
I'm going to take a punt on this one, though, as it wormed it's way through my ears and into my brain and cheered me up considerably on an otherwise miserable day.
The single Feel Alright is a collaboration between Django Django and Max Pope and is three and a half minutes of joyful chug-a-long pop rock, with a video that mines that familiar theme of "Country singer performing in gritty British social club" (Walthamstow Trades Hall, if you're asking), which is harmless fun and doesn't detract from the song
I've never heard of Max before now, but he's packed a lot into his 31 years on this mudball: ping ponged between various homes and schools as a kid; picked up a guitar aged 10; as a young adult, signed with managers who wanted to force his music and career in a different direction; quit the industry and spent a year working as a gardener; started writing music again and returned on his own terms.
Plenty to Feel Alright about then, based on Max's road to here.
It's also the closing song on Django Django's new album Doveland. According to the promo blurb, Doveland was written "in the Scottish Highlands and Mexico [and] recorded in the German countryside [and London]", initially with the idea that there would be an accompanying film.
The latter hasn't materialised (yet) but the album is out on 6th November. I'll be checking it out. Just don't expect a new Dubhed selection to celebrate it's release.
[Post Script]
The post published successfully, but when I re-visited the blog to get a link for my BlueSky post, I got this instead:
Hopefully, normal service will resume shortly and you will have been able to actually read this post....
