Update: We're solidly at 2/3 of our goal tonight. We're getting really close. I am so knocked out and humbled by all the support that's come in the last 24 hours, I can't tell you how great it is to know the Archive stands a good chance of being saved and Newstalgia stands a good chance of being here for you. But please don't stop just yet - we're still a ways off. Even with 1/3 left to go it can still not happen. If we can keep this going a little long, and if you can donate whatever you can, whatever amount you feel comfortable with. I'm not asking for millions, I'm just asking to take the lien off and keep the site on. We can do this - we're doing this - you're doing this. I am beyond grateful.

Diving into the 70's tonight for a concert featuring 70's icons Mott The Hoople, recorded at The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on April 12, 1973.

I remember this concert really well. I was sitting somewhere near the front. Ian Hunter had a cold and his voice was a little shot. But Mott The Hoople were one amazing band and this was at a time they were just hitting mass popularity. With such classics as All The Way To Memphis and All The Young Dudes (which are included here) just recently released, they were riding the crest of a very big wave.

This is the whole set - all 90 minutes worth. Crank it up and enjoy.

Pretend it's 1974.

Another one of those bands I first discovered early on in their career via the old My Space (when it was relevant), when they hadn't been signed to a label yet, still gigging around and were just getting their act together.

And now, some four years later, they have become huge. It thrills me no end when good people make it, and I have always had this gut-level feeling Mumford & Sons were destined for big stuff. Clearly, they are in that direction.

I love hunches, especially when they pay off - which I can't say all the time.

This weekend it's Mumford Sons, live at the Haldern Pop Festival in Germany, recorded on August 13, 2010 and featuring an enthusiastic crowd going along for the ride.

Enjoy the weekend - it's just getting started.

Say what you want to about our brand of highly marketed politics, it has been a virtual stranger in other parts of the world. Television as a tool for "getting the message across" was something avoided in Britain up until the advent of Margaret Thatcher. Prior to that it was the occasional odd televised Press conference and holiday message. But mostly it was ignored and viewed much the same way as one would view bacteria.

In retrospect, it was really only during the time of the 1960 election that TV became a medium of great potential in U.S. politics, and people like JFK who saw that potential ran with it. It has never been the same since.

Here is a radio documentary first aired by the BBC World Service on December 31, 2000 which traces the evolution of TV and Politics in Britain from the post-World War 2 period all the way up to Tony Blair - at the time of this broadcast there still were no televised debates as those didn't happen until 2010.

It's a fascinating comparison in just how the message is put across and how image has shaped our politics in a much more all-encompassing way than in other countries.

It could probably explain why there's been a recent trend in Britain to have all politicians looking somewhat the same, just as we do.

Heaven help the world from the invasion of the clueless and ruthless Pretty People. But alas, I'm afraid it may be too late . . . .

Something a bit more recent in vintage. Wire recorded this past May 9th live in Paris by Radio France.

It's really good to hear this band still together and still performing. They were such a pivotal force in the initial Punk movement in the mid-70's and their growth into Experimental and Alternative just proves how versatile and far-reaching Wire actually are. That they haven't achieved massive commercial success is really a good thing since their music doesn't adhere to flights of fancy and gimmicks - that it is, indeed timeless.

For that reason they have been one of my favorite bands of the last forty years. Always a pleasure to visit and always an experience worth having.

No matter when.

It was a week of spin, shock and spy charges with not a dull moment in sight. The week began with England's loss to Germany at the World Cup and continued with the G20 Summit and resulting protests. The Congo celebrated 50 years of independence. The BP catastrophe continued with new accusations, spin and political ramifications all doing nothing to stop the oil gushing but keeping the MSM busy. And shades of the "good old days" of the Cold War with allegations of sleeper spies unearthed in court and more than casual embarrassment from the State Department and The Kremlin. A fun week all around.

(Meanwhile . . . )

It was Al Jazeera's turn this week to comment on the political ramifications of the BP/Gulf Of Mexico debacle, laying their own set of accusations down and their speculations of how this is all going to pan out.

(Nothing says G-20 quite like a nice riot)

From the CBC Program The Current, reports on the 28th of the outcome of the G-20 summit and the resulting protests which dealt a goodly amount of mayhem throughout downtown Toronto. Since the rest of the world is teetering on the edge of continued disaster, the frustration has been multiplied over recent months. How this particular stinking bag of circumstances is going to pan out is anybody's guess at this point.

(Anna Chapman - no longer your dad's idea of a spy)

When news broke of an alleged sleeper spy ring uncovered by the FBI with the most unlikely group of defendants appearing in Federal Court, shades of the "good old days" of the Cold War began springing up in newsrooms and editorial departments around the world. Particularly when photos of one of the defendants, Anna Chapman began to circulate. The embarrassment portion of the program came since the U.S. and Russia were enjoying warmer relations than they had in years. As this installment of the BBC World Service's Newshour program from June 29th brought to light.

(the Russians were perplexed)

The Voice of Russia, in their newscast of June 29th offered little in the way of detailed explanation over the spy ring charges. That was something for the Kremlin to deal with. The newsreader was suitably non-plussed and quickly went on to other news items.

(President Joseph Kabila during the Congo's 50th birthday - Even the Belgians showed up)

Fifty years ago this week, The Congo declared independence from their colonial influence from Belgium. Not fifty of the most tranquil years, The Congo (or Republic of Congo as they are now known) weathered through civil wars, political upheavals, name changes (it was Zaire for a while), insurgencies and overthrows to achieve at least tenuous stability under President Joseph Kabila. How long their stability will stay is uncertain. But at least they've come this far. This report came from the BBC Africa Service program Africa Today from June 30.

(Raymond Domenech -portrait of a man in deep merde)

Not satisfied with public scorn and ridicule over the French team's dismal show at the World Cup, lawmakers took up the cause and took time out to grill coach Raymond Domenech over why the football team did so poorly during the games in South Africa. Despite the closed door inquiry, the French Press went into warpdrive, looking for leaks, rumors and speculations as to how their team did so badly. Radio France International's Focus On France program offered some insights.

(with disturbing regularity)

Suicide bombings have become a regular, almost daily occurrence of late in Pakistan. The latest bombing in Lahore casts doubt on just how strong the current government is and where this is all heading and just how stable the government is. This episode of Global News from July 2nd via the BBC covers the bombings as well as UK views on the current Immigration Reform issues in the U.S.

(The "oh shit" moment seen 'round the world)

And finally, with the stunning upset of England by Germany in this week's round of World Cup finals, BBC 5 Live offered on June 28th an in-depth look at what happened, how it happened, why it happened and what's next.

The mind can only wonder what next week will bring. But it will bring it soon enough.

(The Damned in 1976 - Officially released the first Punk 45 ever)

A documentary from BBC Radio 2 first aired in 2006, "Is She Really Going With Him?: The Story Of The Damned" traces the beginnings of what became known as the seminal punk band releasing the first known Punk single. New Rose was first issued in the UK on October 22, 1976 and the movement was christened. Quickly followed by The Sex Pistols and the fracas surrounding "Anarchy In The UK" and The Clash, The Damned didn't achieve the notoriety the other two bands did, but they were a pioneering band responsible for changing the face of music for a number of years.

And you get to hear how it all happened from the people who made it happen.

And Music was never the same.

(People who normally would not mix)

With the elections in Britain less than a week away, and the latest gaff on Gordon Brown's part, BBC Radio 4 produced a documentary which aired last week about the Class System in Britain.

We may find that odd (although ours is probably more subtle) that the subject of ones class is such an important issue with many people in the UK. The extent of the cultural/class divide is quite large and in this documentary it's addressed and explored and brought to light.

Like I said, we might find it odd that being born into one economic/social family or another has great implications on what you are going to achieve in your later life - it would probably not occur to most people here that being included or excluded because of your social standing, or what your parents did for a living is a relevant issue and colors what you are slated to achieve in this life.

If you aren't familiar with the subject, or have heard about the Class System by all means check out the above documentary and think about the upcoming election and realize we're not talking about 40 or 50 years ago but this past week.

Thanks to the overwhelming response to last weeks feature, it's going to be a weekly post. I've had some requests to do this daily, but sadly there's not enough of me to do it. But I will try and add things on a daily basis when time permits. So here we go with the past week as the world saw it:

(Bibi Netanyahu - sensitive. Who knew?)

Starting off with breaking news (as of Friday morning), Kol Israel reported that Isreali PM Benyamin Netanyahu has abruptly canceled a U.S. visit for the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit to be held next week. News also includes an Israeli Real Estate scandal and security leaks to an investigative journalist.

(Cardinal Angelo Sodono - Cast in the role of Bad Cop)

Back to the beginning of this last week - from the CBC Program The World This Weekend from April 4th. Reports from Rome and the Pope's avoidance of the sex scandal during Easter services - the job left up to Cardinal Angelo Sodono to perform hatchet work. Other reports cover the unrest in Krygyzstan.

(The subject was Tulips)

From BBC World Service, the Global News Podcast of April 8th is juggling two major stories - the Nuclear Arms Reduction treaty signed by President Obama and Russian President Medvedev and the rapidly unfolding story in Kyrgyzstan, as well as elections in Sri Lanka.

(Eugene Terreblanche - old mummies Leaping out of closets)

The other big news story this week, covered by most of the world's press was the story of the murder of South African White supremacist Eugene Terreblance whose alleged murder by two of his employees sparked protests, counter-protests and the feeling that the ugly specter of racism had never been far from the surface in South Africa. Here two reports - one via the BBC World Service's Africa Today program and the other, from South African Talk Radio 702 in Capetown.

Talkradio 702: The tiny farming town of Ventersdorp is preparing itself for tomorrow’s funeral of murdered AWB leader, Eugene Terrre’Blanche, who was allegedly killed by two farm workers, security is tight in the town.

The BBC Africa Today program also reports on the elections in Sudan and allegations of "side deals" between SPLM leader Salva Kiir and the President of Sudan.

(Politics - it's the same all over)

Earlier this week (April 6), British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced elections to be held in May 6th, kicking off what promises to be an insane election, highlighted by the first-ever Political Debates to be televised live in Britain (send them good thoughts, they'll need them). As reports on BBC5 Live, the prospects of another lively election are pretty much a done-deal as the campaign officially kicks off.

(It could have been worse - but it's far from over)

From ABC Radio National in Australia, the PM program of April 8 gave a lengthy report on the tanker Shen Neng 1 running aground on the Great Barrier Reef and the efforts to prevent a 950,000 ton oil spill from turning an accident into a major ecological catastrophe. Also featured are news reports on the ongoing health care debate in Australia (yes, they're having one too) and the mortgage crisis in Australian Real Estate (yes, they're having one of those too) as well as reports on the first parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka since the end of the Tamil Tigers opposition a year ago.

( . . .and lest we all forget)

And finally, from Friday morning - BBC World Service reports on the situation as it stood earlier in the morning in Kzrgyzstan, a rare interview with a Mexican drug lord, the Eugene Terreblanche funeral in South Africa and a remembrance of the Godfather of Punk, Malcolm McClaren who passed away this week from Cancer at the age of 64.

And as they used to say; that was the week that was.

Something a bit different tonight, and maybe a marked contrast to the 90's and PJ Harvey. Sandy Denny was probably the most influential singer/singer-songwriter to bring the concept of Folk-Rock to the UK. From her memorable association with the ground-breaking Fairport Convention in the 1960's, Denny moved away into a more broad-based sound with her next band Fotheringay in 1970 and continued a string of successes and milestone albums all the way until her untimely death in 1978.

Here are the first and second sessions the newly formed Fotheringay recorded for the BBC and the Top Of The Pops program, hosted by Brian Matthew.

Here is what's on the player:

BBC Radio Top Of The Pops, host Brian Matthew recorded April 13, 1970:

The Way I Feel (4:36)
Interview (1:31)
The Sea (4:52)

Top Of The Pops with Brian Matthew - recorded November 12, 1970, broadcast November 21, 1970:

Eppy Moray (3:55)
The Lowlands of Holland (2:40)
Interview / Gypsy Davey (4:13)

Seldom heard tracks from a memorable band and an unforgettable singer.

News for this day in 1982 was preoccupied with military action.

From Lebanon came reports that the Israeli Army was making huge advances against the PLO. While PLO leader Yassar Arafat made an appeal to the Soviet Union and other Arab nations for aid in the wake of swift action by the Israeli's. As of this report, 25 Israeli soldiers were dead, and some 7 were missing.

From Capitol Hill came word there would be no sanctions placed on Israel. The U.S. Navy was re-deploying to other parts of the Mediterranean as a precaution against direct involvement.

Meanwhile, the Falkland Islands crisis was continuing with British and Argentine troops waiting to see who blinks first,

President Reagan was visiting the UK and called for Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, but no such call for withdrawal for The Falkands.

On Capitol Hill - the fight was continuing over the 1983 Fiscal Spending Plan with some calling the same old problem with the same old answers. Others called it the continuing Economic Mess.

And Kermit the Frog made the Commencement Address to the graduating class of Harvard.

All that and a lot more for this day in June, 1982 as reported on The CBS World News Roundup, the 8:00 network news and the 9:00 network news.