This year finds (at least) two distinct anniversaries relating to the Happy Mondays. In October, Madchester dance hit “Kinky Afro” celebrates its 25th anniversary, and the following month, vital LP Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches raises a glass to the same tune.
To celebrate all that, as well as the all-British-indie DJ set this writer is throwing down tomorrow night (June 13) at the Lawn On D, New York dance crew Sunrise HWY — led by Boston vocalist Amy Douglas, of Feints and SPF 5000 — have unleashed a cover of “Kinky Afro” that both trusts the original’s timeless flair while modernizing bits around the edges. It’s a bit of Manchester done up Northeast, American style.
The track is available for free download, complete with instrumental version, via Bandcamp link and the embed below.
“We’ve been tinkering with this since we played it live,” Douglas tells Vanyaland. “I still can’t believe it’s been 25 years since that album.”
Neither can we. But timeless shit remains timeless, because it’s timeless. Jump start the weekend.
And if you’re keeping track on the original Mondays, here are their live dates for the 25th anniversary of Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches…
