Mission Statement: BLANKET THE HOMELESS is a Bay Area charity committed to improving the day-to-day experience of people living on the street.

Their volunteers hand out small parcels containing emergency blankets, socks, first-aid supplies, and other essential items.

They know that homelessness is a complex, nation-wide crisis and one that cannot be easily solved.

At Blanket The Homeless their goal is not to solve the larger problem. Their goal is triage; to address the immediate suffering of men, women and children living on the streets and to offer a small degree of comfort.

It is their belief that this gesture of assistance can give their homeless population more than just help … it can give them hope.

For those not in the know, and after more than a year in planning and production, the Blanket the Homeless double vinyl LP compilation, produced by Scott Mickelson, is now complete and 100% of your purchase price will support Blanket The Homeless.

Featuring tracks from two-time GRAMMY Award Winner Fantastic Negrito along with The Stone Foxes, Tim Bluhm (of The Mother Hips), Con Brio, Goodnight, Texas, The Brothers Comatose, Mickelson, Rainbow Girls, John Craigie, Marty O’Reilly & The Old Soul Orchestra, King Dream, it also showcases other artists such as The Coffis Brothers, Tobias The Owl, Ken Newman and Whiskerman.

1. The Stone Foxes – “Million Dollar Shoes”
2. Tim Bluhm – “Clean Me Up”
3. Fantastic Negrito – “Working Poor”
4. Mickelson – “Odd Man Out”
5. Goodnight, Texas – “Someday, Somehow”
6. John Craigie – “Your Sailor”
7. The Brothers Comatose – “Angeline”
8. King Dream – “Many Moons Ago”
9. Whiskerman – “U.S.M.E.”
10. Tobias The Owl – “Out Of Place”
11. Marty O’Reilly & The Old Soul Orchestra – “Mad Tom of Bedlam”
12. Rainbow Girls – “American Dream”
13. The Coffis Brothers – “I Ain’t Living In Your World”
14. Ken Newman – “We Should Do This Again”
15. Con Brio – “Body Language” (Live in Amsterdam)

This quite stunningly culled, lovingly created, organic and yet endurably heartfelt new double album opens on the San Francisco rockers The Stone Foxes with their alt-rock ’n’ roller “One Million Dollar Shoes” and then we get the low key balladry of “Clean Me Up” from Mother Hips front-man Tim Bluhm, and that is in turn followed by the funky blues and R&B from Fantastic Negrito on “Working Poor”, the lazy, hazy, folksy roots within Mickelson’s “Odd Man Out” and the foot-tapping, twanging folk fuzz rock of “Someday, Somehow” by Goodnight, Texas.

Next up is the Modern-Day Troubadour himself, John Craigie with “Your Sailor” and that is in turn backed by the upbeat bluegrass hipsway from The Brothers Comatose on the melodic “Angeline,” the soulful indie rock of John Lyon (King Dream) on “Many Moons Ago,” the acute lyricism of the Oakland band Whiskerman on their “U.S.M.E.” track, and then comes the free flowing indie acoustic, folktronica vibe found within Tobias The Owl’s “Out Of Place.”

One of my own personal favorites here is up next in the form of Marty O’Reilly & The Old Soul Orchestra’s trance-based blues on “Mad Tom of Bedlam” and then comes the eclectic folk trio Rainbow Girls and their soothing “American Dream,” the rootsy rock ’n’ roll of “I Ain’t Living In Your World” by The Coffis Brothers, the double compilation album rounding out with Ken Newman’s ethereally stoic tale told within “We Should Do This Again,” closing on some soulfully smooth grooves on Con Brio’s “Body Language” (Live in Amsterdam).

Quotes:
“Ken Newman, one of the original founders of the #berobin homeless outreach has put together another amazing project with Blanket The Homeless, in the exact spirit of my vision for honoring Robin Williams by caring for the Bay Area’s most vulnerable residents. This album also rocks! #berobin” – Margaret Cho.

“No human being should be homeless — not while there are more billionaires in the world than ever before. When we turn our backs on human beings that have been displaced for whatever reason, we are turning our backs on the legacy of compassion and activism that has made the Bay Area the place that we all love. There are enough start-ups, non-profits and hipster bars that serve your favorite drinks and coffee. Lets focus on helping each other out a little bit.” – Fantastic Negrito.

“The dire lack of affordable housing and a sharply rising inequity gap are driving San Francisco’s homeless population to numbers not seen for 15 years with more than 8,000 people living on the city streets. Statewide, California has 129,972 homeless people (2018), the largest street population of any state” (source: Kevin Fagan, San Francisco Chronicle, May 16, 2019).

www.BlanketTheHomeless.org

Official Vinyl 2LP Purchase Link

Official Apple Music Purchase Link

www.KenNewmanMusic.com

Ken Newman @ Facebook

Ken Newman @ Twitter

Ken Newman @ Instagram