ENGLEBERT HUMPERDINCK, EARTH, WIND & FIRE, REALLY? + I AM KLOOT AND AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT'S UNION VISITS

ENGLEBERT Humperdinck. Earth, Wind & Fire. What are these words? Who are these people and why are they even on this page? 

As much as I’ve looked out for the next big thing in San Francisco, I haven’t been near a radio, I’m staying in a flat without a TV and with people who don’t like guitars/electro, or any music I like. 

So this is all I’ve got so far. Apparently 74-year-old lego haired Humperdinck – once famous for his version of Release Me (your parents/grandparents may know it) is still alive and singing in the wine country of Sonoma, California, early next month – I know, I saw his name in shiny lights as we drove past. 

Also, I’ve been talked into seeing veteran disco kings Earth, Wind & Fire in a vineyard somewhere – think I might slip away and check for young blood among the grapes.

• They’ve been nominated for this year’s Mercury Prize and now they’re off trying to seal the deal by playing fave venue, Islington’s Union Chapel (Sept 29). Then again, I Am Kloot may not even want the
ill-fated award, which has been known to dampen an act’s career (see Speech Debelle).
• Last year the Camden Crawl won best digital campaign at BT’s Digital Music Awards. The awards are looming again (Camden Roundhouse, Sept 30) and we’re hoping the crawl will continue its winning streak. As I’m yet to get hold of an iPhone, I can’t nominate for new category Best Music App so instead I’m trying to guess who will top Camden rapper Akala’s 2009 performance this year.
• Former Record of the Week contenders Airborne Toxic Event play an acoustic show at the Union Chapel (Oct 3). Their single Sometime Around Midnight is timeless. One not to miss.

SAN FRANCISCO LIFE, CARNIVAL WITH MAN LIKE ME, WIN TICKETS FOR BRANDON FLOWERS & TRICKY HITS KOKO

“IF YOU’RE going to San Francisco...,” you must be me! Sorry I can’t bring you any deeply thought-out Alistair Cooke type Letter From America – I’m more like Sesame Street’s Alistair Cookie.
So far all I’ve discovered musically in SF is, there are a lot of open-air jazz bands around and I hear Snoop Dogg played somewhere near on Sunday. Smoking is violently disapproved of here, the smell of cannabis is everywhere but so far the hippies have evaded me.

• One of the finest live bands around, Camden’s smile-inspiring Man Like Me, join an all-day cast of live music at The Old Queen’s Head, Essex Road, on Sunday (3pm-3am). King Charles, Josh Weller and
SixNationState complete the bill and it’s free before 8pm.
• Fans of The Killers might like to know frontman Brandon Flowers plays a special gig at Relentless Garage (Sept 8). The only catch is there are only 200 tickets and you have to pre-order his album from HMV through the venue’s website by Wednesday (Sept 1). Good luck.
• Ready for Carnival? What about the vital after-party? Reggae Roast is promising to throw the biggest Roots Reggae party in the capital at the Big Chill House (Aug 29) with BBQ and Carnival vibes through the night with Manasseh feat Charjan, Moodie & Exel, Ramon Judah, Louis Slipperz and Dub Hunter. Course that’s just till 3am, you’ve still got the rest of the night to play with.
• Tricky – responsible for one of my all time favourite albums, Maxinquaye – plays Koko (Sept 22) to promote album Mixed Race. Ever evolving, I don’t expect a return to the suffocating headiness of
Maxinquaye but it’s sure to be an unpredictable evening.