I’m a Franti fan. Michael is a San Francisco musician who started with The Beatnigs, an industrial duo with Rono Tse. The two then moved closer to hip hop with the edgy Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy, which was when I got into him. From there, he went to Spearhead in the 1990s, and he still plays with them today. The band is sort of light reggae, almost pop, but with jamband sensibilities. They put on a great live show, and do lots of nice covers. Spearhead have a new album out right now, and it’s pretty good, but the real way to experience them is live. And thus, this post of live songs. So download a few of these tunes, sit back on the porch, and lively up yourself.
All songs below are Spearhead, unless otherwise noted.
A is for an acoustic version of Anybody Seen My Mind?
B is for Basketball! Dream Team.
C is for Crazy Crazy Crazy
D is for some Disposable Heroes tunes.
Water Pistol Man (Disposable Heroes song played by Spearhead).
Hiphoprisy is the Greatest Luxury (live)-Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy
E is for Everyone Deserves Music -> Abibi -> Everyone Deserves Music (with Darren Shearer of the New Deal. One of my favorite original Franti tunes. This really should be the anti-RIAA bloggers’ slogan.
F is for Family Affair, a good Sly Stone song but a great duet between Perry Farrel and Ice-T. Anybody see that, at the 1991 Lollapalooza? No? Well, this version’s good too. Stay Human/Family Affair (Sly and the Family Stone)
G is for rapper Gift of Gab of Blackalicious (a terribly underrated underground rap band), who appears on this version of We Don’t Stop.
H is for Here Comes the Sun (the Beatles). My personal favorite Spearhead cover tune.
I is for I Want to Be So High with Jack Johnson on guitar
J is for Joker! Yes I Will/The Joker (Steve Miller band)
J is also for Jazzy Beats-Beatnigs (live)
K is for Keller Williams. I’m a Bee w/Keller Williams
L is for Love Invincible. And 11 minute(!) jam version.
M is for Marley! I Shot the Sheriff (Marley)
N is for Nirvana. Sometimes/Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)
O is for Oh My God.
R is for rainbows. What I Got > Sesame Street Theme > Rainbow Connection > C Is For Cookie > What I Got
S is for Star Search winner and folky rocker Beth Hart. Yes I Will (with Beth Hart)
T is for the only Clash tune sung by Topper! People in the Middle/Guns of Brixton (Clash)
U is for the most Underrated Allman Brother. What I Got (Sublime cover)-Spearhead and Warren Haynes
V is for his Vegetarian anthem! Red Beans and Rice
W is for War (Bob Marley cover).
Y is for Yes I Will/Tainted Love.
Z is for Ziggy’s band. Sling Ting, with Ian “Beezy” Coleman (guitar) and Angel(Percussion) from Ziggy Marley’s Band.
