The Fat Angel Sings

Phoebe Bridgers is known for a restrained vocal style and lyrics that move between close-up confession and broader reflection. Alongside solo albums “Stranger in the Alps” and “Punisher”, she has collaborated widely, including as part of boygenius. Her songs favour carefully observed detail, dry wit and an unforced sense of intimacy.

Beloved in equal measure for her deceptively subtle voice and her meticulous, incisive lyrics, Phoebe Bridgers’s solo records have been accompanied by a number of collaborations, including the supergroup boygenius, with whom Bridgers won three Grammys for 2023’s the record. Her songs are hallmarked by a kind of intimacy that’s hard-found in contemporary music, and scale between the macro and the micro with an ease that’s matched only by her towering, prodigious way with words.

Already with a sold-out arena tour on deck for late 2026 in the United States and the U.K., singer/songwriter Phoebe Bridgers has now announced a new studio album, “Lost Weekend“.

Bridgers’ third full-length will be released August. 14th via Dead Oceans. The album’s first song will be “Lost Boys,” which features Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, Alex G, Jack Antonoff, Christian Lee Hutson, Blake Mills, and others.

It is accompanied by an epic music video featuring Bridgers at a Renaissance faire taking part in Live Action Role Playing..

Here’s how a news release summarizes “Lost Weekend”:

… anyone queuing up “Lost Weekend” can expect to discover something more remarkable still – Bridgers is at the height of her powers, a master, taking nothing more seriously than this craft, refining here many of the motifs that distinguished her work previously on this new album that’s otherwise, everywhere, full of surprises.

The album announcement follows a series of concerts where the singer debuted her first new material in three years, culminating in a phone-free show at New York’s Madison Square Garden and the unveiling of a fall tour (dates below).

The album cover appears below; no further details were announced, although reports say she has been working with Taylor Swift/ Lana Del Rey collaborator Jack Antonoff and singer-guitarist Alex G (who opens dates on her tour).

vinyl 2LP on Dead Oceans

The Jayhawks announce their new album, “Sanctuary Park“, out August 28th via Thirty Tigers, along with the lead single, “Keeping Our Heads Above Water,” and a fall North American tour. Produced by Bob Ezrin, “Sanctuary Park” shows why The Jayhawks remain such an important band after more than four decades. They’ve created music that embodies the enduring spirit and soul of classic American songwriting. Song after song the needle-perfect pop melodies, lush three-part harmonies and thoughtful lyrics reflect their genre-defying, category-busting style that dates back to the band’s pioneering days in post-punk Minneapolis when they foretold today’s Americana movement. Defying the winds of fashion, the band has always stuck to what it does best: write and perform great songs, whether on stage or in the studio.

For “Sanctuary Park”, The Jayhawks are reuniting with the legendary Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Alice Cooper, Lou Reed), who produced our 2000 album Smile, a “classic,” according to The New York Times.

When he heard Gary Louris was seeking a producer Ezrin immediately signed on, and invited the band to his hometown of Toronto to record. “I love their music,” says Ezrin. “There is gentleness and a sweetness to their sound, and I found myself craving a little bit more of that.“

A conscious decision was made to highlight the strengths of the band – Louris’s songwriting, the band’s trademarked three-part harmonies, and the intuitive interplay between Louris, keyboard player Karen Grotberg, drummer Tim O’Reagan and bassist Marc Perlman – on display on today’s “Keeping Our Heads Above Water.” This interplay only comes with years of playing together, creating their own musical vocabulary. “Get us in a room together and there’s no one better; we have a certain musical magic that happens without even a word or a discussion.” Playing live in the studio made this record what it is… a time, a place, music of the moment. 

While the album title references an actual location in Dundas, Ontario, “Sanctuary Park” is also a fictional place where distant memories re-emerge, childhood friends from years prior start speaking again, and teenage lovers start lives that their older selves are determined to renew. In these songs the hands of time tick past regrets and move toward greater possibilities.

The album has a definite sense of place. Not only was it recorded in Canada with a Canadian producer and Canadian engineers in a Canadian studio, but lyrically there are numerous references specific to Canada. After marrying his wife Stephanie, a born and bred proud Canadian, Louris became a permanent resident, giving him a somewhat unique view and perspective that has contributed to the content of these songs. Ironically, although the band has always had the tag of a true “American” band, in truth there has always been something truly Canadian about their sound.

Sanctuary Park arrives at a momentous time for the band as they celebrate their 40th year – the Jayhawks self-titled first record (known to fans as The Bunkhouse Album) was released in 1986. The Jayhawks have  played most every major music festival, from Farm Aid to Primavera Sound, Pinkpop to Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky. In the tradition of The Band and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Jayhawks have toured with and served as backup band for many of music’s most acclaimed visionaries, including Ray Davies, Roger McGuinn, and Johnny Cash.

The band will be touring throughout the world in the fall of 2026 and spring of 2027 to promote the new album and build upon their already impressive legacy.

“Sanctuary Park”, the 12th Jayhawks studio album, is set for release on August 28th, 2026 via 30 Tigers.

Their first album in 12 years by Inspiral Carpets ‘Burn Like The Sun’ is out on 29th January 2027 via Scruff of the Neck Records.

Recorded at Blueprint Studios in Manchester, “Burn Like The Sun” arrives 43 years into the band’s story, not as a nostalgia exercise, but as the sound of a group still evolving, still ambitious and still creatively driven. The album marks a major new chapter for Inspiral Carpets, rooted in endurance, connection and forward motion.

At the centre of that story is the return of original frontman Stephen Holt, whose rejoining of the band reconnected Inspiral Carpets with their earliest creative identity while opening the door to an entirely new era. Rather than revisiting the past, the band approached “Burn Like The Sun” determined to create something fresh, relevant and emotionally honest – a record that acknowledges their history without being defined by it.

“In the vast expanse of the universe, there are billions of suns. Some flicker briefly…and fade.

But others, rare, extraordinary; burn long and bright. Defying time. Enduring. Evolving.

For decades, Inspiral Carpets have been one of those stars. A constant force…radiating energy across generations.

Now, that journey continues. “Burn Like The Sun”. A new album. A new chapter. The same unrelenting fire.”

An extended hiatus left the future of the band uncertain, and the return to writing and recording became something deeper than simply making another record. What emerged is an album rooted in endurance, connection, and forward motion. Announcement video shot authentically in Manchester beneath Helios by Luke Jerram at Victoria Baths, narrated by Professor Brian Cox.

The Cramps’ Lost Album Gravest Gravy featuring unreleased recordings from the 1977 sessions that spawned “Surfin’ Bird” and “Human Fly”

The Cramps formally ended in 2009 following the sudden death of their co-founder Lux Interior. Ever since, there’s been no new music, reissues, or archival releases from the band, not even after Jenna Ortega’s viral dance to “Goo Goo Muck” in Wednesday caused a surge of interest. That changes today with “Gravest Gravy”, a lost collection of songs the Cramps recorded with Big Star frontman Alex Chilton in 1977. It’s out August 21st via Vengeance.

Listen to the previously unreleased track “TV Set” below.

In October 1977, the Cramps recorded their first two 7″ singles—“Surfin’ Bird” with “The Way I Walk,” and “Human Fly” with “Domino”—with Chilton producing, which they released the following year on their own label.

Come 1979, they bundled the four songs with a cover of Ricky Nelson’s “Lonesome Town” and called it the “Gravest Hits” EP. During those storied sessions, the Cramps also tracked a number of additional songs, many of which never saw the light of day.

“In 2026, Larry Hardy, owner of In The Red, surfaced with what he’d returned to topside with: six ¼” reels of tracks, mixed by Lux [Interior] and [Poison] Ivy…

“Gravest Gravy” is one of the purest collections of unrestrained, wild music you’ll ever hear. The Cramps were one of the greatest bands in the history of recorded music, and anyone who heard or saw them, knows and abides by this groovin’ truth. The Cramps made this music for the love of Rock ’n’ Roll. Lux and Ivy made this record for you.” – Henry Rollins

Nearly a decade later, Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy returned to those sessions hoping to release the recordings. Yet, for “reasons lost to time,” per a press release, they were shelved. Fast forward to present day, where Brian Kehew transferred the music from the old reels, which were in “pristine condition.” From there, Henry Rollins and Ian MacKaye, both longtime friends of the Cramps, listened to the multiple mixes available for each song and agreed on the final versions. MacKaye then volunteered to handle EQ and level adjustment on two tracks with Don Zientara at Virginia’s Inner Ear Studios, while Pete Lyman mastered the final versions at Nashville’s Infrasonic Sound and Poison Ivy gave them the final stamp of approval for public listening.

“This new chapter for the band is a combined effort of people whose lives were changed by the music of the Cramps,” Rollings wrote in a statement. “the opportunity to bring this music to fellow Cramps fans is beyond a thrill. It is an absolute honour that we feel so fortunate to be a part of.”

Additionally, Poison Ivy has formed the Cramps, Inc. with In the Red Records owner Larry Hardy and the Cramps’ former producer-turned-film catalog owner Jimmy Maslon. Under the title, they’re restarting the Vengeance imprint, planning to reissue the band’s past records, and finally listing official merch for the Cramps. (The latter is a bigger deal than it sounds considering the majority of the Cramps’ current merch in circulation is bootlegged.) As the press release notes, Poison Ivy is the major beneficiary, while Larry and Jimmy handle all the logistics.

Dead Pioneers should be the soundtrack to your discontent this summer as the country celebrates its milestone birthday with nary a mention of the genocides that occurred to “Make America Great Again”. The band, led by artist Gregg Deal, are on the rise with their brand of acerbic, rage-filled punk

Gregg Deal worries about life in America right now. As a man with Native American roots, he understands division and oppression. On Dead Pioneers’ new album “Wagon Burner”, he says there’s great responsibility in saying what needs to be said about where things are at. “There’s a lot to be fixed on its best day. But we’re going backwards…”

Dead Pioneers blaze a path through modern punk-rock with a sound that harks back to the days of 90’s west-coast American punk, but with a strong lyrical focus on Gregg Deal’s indigenous heritage, and cultural issues in the USA as a whole. A brilliantly hefty, scathing blast of noisy punk rock. Just what we need.

Sonically, you can hear greats like Dead Kennedys (not the inspiration for the band name, though, by the way), Suicidal Tendencies, and Minutemen, with the rebellious heart of Public Enemy. The lead single from their newest, “Wagon Burner”, is “Nazi Teeth”, a rager with guest vocals from Stephanie Byrne of Cheap Perfume. “Nazis, fascists, and incel scum, go back to where you came from,” snarls Deal.

It’s a powerful opening salvo, and the rest of the tracks build on the promise of their previous releases. Sleaford Mods show up for “The Worst Among Us”, and “Never Alone” is an upbeat ode to punk rock’s ability to save lives that features the Interrupters. In the late 1980s, hip-hop was the real world’s CNN. In 2026, it’s easy to hear Dead Pioneers carrying the torch with these songs. 

‘The Worst Among Us’ by Dead Pioneers, featuring Jason Williamson.
Taken from the album ‘Wagon Burner’

It still feels ridiculous to say this, but Sugar, the extremely sick alt-rock power trio that Bob Mould led in the ’90s, are back together. They’re playing shows, and they’re putting out new music. Since reassembling last year, Sugar have released two singles, “House Of Dead Memories” and “Long Live Love.” The band will sell a limited 7″ with both songs on the dates of their upcoming North American tour. Today, they drop a third song, and it’s about phone addiction and AI thievery, two problems that didn’t exist during Sugar’s first run.

Sugar’s new song “Keep Looping” is a piece of incensed, charged-up power–pop that’s over in less than two and a half minutes. I love the scrambling, desperate, melodic guitar solo and the judicious use of tambourine. In a press release, Mould says, “Living in SF, I have a love/hate relationship with AI. It’s bringing my city back to life, but at what cost to society and the environment? And do we trust the current regime to do the right thing with this new tech?

The new song has more snarl, and the lyrics say it all: A touch of dopamine. The steady beat of the drum. Get used to the constant hum of the Lie.”

Bassist David Barbe says, “‘Keep Looping’ might be my favourite of the new Sugar songs. Just like so many other things that quite literally keep looping in my head, this song gets stuck in my brain quite a bit. The combination of the intensity of the main riff and the elevation of the bridge checks a lot of boxes for me. As was the case with ‘House Of Dead Memories’ and ‘Long Live Love,‘ I am stoked for it to finally be unleashed for public consumption.”

“Keep Looping” is out now on Granary Music/BMG. “Keep Looping” is the third new song from the iconic alternative rock trio SUGAR, following on from “House of Dead Memories” and “Long Live Love” after the bands triumphant return after three decades.

Following their recent return to the UK and Europe in May/June 2026, the US tour starts in Denver CO August 11th 2026.

A new Joy Division box set, described as the band’s “first-ever official collection of live concert recordings,” has been announced.

Joy Division was active from 1976 to 1980 and released just two albums during their brief but incredibly influential run. Beyond their significant musical impact, the cover artwork for their 1979 album, “Unknown Pleasures“, has become an iconic image in alternative music. 

Given the band’s short lifespan, the Joy Division nostalgia machine has churned out no shortage of live material. Never before, though, has so much of it been compiled in one place. Now, as the surviving band members prepare for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, Rhino has assembled just that in “Eternal (Live)” a box set of 16 complete live albums, spread across 14 CDs, with a couple of DVDs thrown in for good measure. Among the concert recordings are three full concerts being released for the very first time and several more full recordings of shows that have been excerpted, to varying extents, for past releases.

Joy Division disbanded in 1980 following the death of frontman Ian Curtis, who was 23. The rest of the band — guitarist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris — then founded New Order alongside keyboardist Gillian Gilbert. 

The compilation, titled “Eternal“, is due out September. It consists of 192 tracks sourced from 16 live performances, including the final Joy Division concert in 1980, spread over 14 CDs. The package also includes two DVDs featuring two-and-a-half hours of live footage.

The audio is a fairly even mix of sound desk recordings and fan bootlegs, with some spliced together to get the best audio quality. There are also two radio broadcast recordings, both previously released: one from Paris nightclub Les Bains Douches and the other from Amsterdam’s Paradiso. The pair of DVDs comprise two and a half hours of concert footage, much of it unreleased, and a new edit of Joy Division – A Malcolm Whitehead Film. The full set was mastered at Abbey Road Studios and comes with a 16-page book of notes from Simon Armitage and photography by Anton Corbijn and Kevin Cummins.

The live shows included is Hope And Anchor, London **Previously unreleased** 1st March, 1979 Bowdon Vale Youth Club, Altrincham :“Exercise One” from a sound desk recording, the rest of the show is a matrix of the sound desk recording and an audience recording by Malcolm Whitehead  14th March, 1979. the next set is from Acklam Hall, London **Previously unreleased** recording  17th May, 1979.  The Factory, Manchester **Previously unheard recording** 13th July, 1979  YMCA, London 2nd August, 1979, Futurama One Festival, Leeds  8th September, 1979, Les Bains Douches, Paris  18th December, 1979, Paradiso, Amsterdam 11th January, 1980
Audio source: Radio broadcast recording, VARA.

Effenaar, Eindhoven 18th January, 1980, The Warehouse, Preston  28th February, 1980  The Lyceum, London  29th February, 1980, : The Moonlight Club, London 2nd April, 1980  Winter Gardens, Malvern 5th April, 1980 Ajanta Theatre, Derby 19th April, 1980 High Hall, Birmingham  2nd May, 1980

You can listen to a rendition of the song “Transmission,” recorded in Paris in December 1979, out now.

With 16 performances across 14 CDs, sourced from audience-recorded cassettes, soundboard tapes and broadcast recordings. The music was mastered at Abbey Road Studios.

The set will also include two DVDs featuring video recordings of the band onstage. The set features two previously unreleased shows and three previously unheard recordings. It also includes their final live performance at Birmingham’s High Hall in 1980. Singer Curtis died by suicide in May 1980, shortly before the band was to start its first U.S. tour.

Joy Division will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November along with New Order, the band they became. Bassist Peter Hook said he would never play with his old bandmates again, shutting down any speculation that the group would reunite at the Rock Hall induction ceremony on November in Los Angeles.

“I haven’t spoken to Bernard [Sumner, singer and guitarist] for … I didn’t even speak to him,” Hook has said, when 2026’s class was announced. “He spoke at me. That’ll be 15 years. Steve [Morris, drummer] and I spoke about four or five years ago, but that wasn’t a friendly moment. And I haven’t spoken to Gillian [Gilbert, keyboardist] in 15 years. So, it doesn’t look good.

“They’d have to reach out and try and form some kind of relationship. You can’t just go ‘truce for the night’ after what we’ve been through. If you knew what we’ve been through, you wouldn’t even suggest it. That’s the thing. Nobody knows what you went through.”

“Eternal (Live)” is being touted as Joy Division’s “first official collection of live concert recordings.”

Dani Miller has learned to cope with a world gone mad. On “Reality Star”, her third album with Surfbort, the singer shares her earned wisdom, nutty obsessions, and weird tangents to the crushing riffs of her blissfully eccentric punk rock band. Most of the songs are barely two minutes and rock hard, starting with “Lucky,” as Miller offers some dazed philosophy: “I love it when you call me on the phone / And tell me that you saw a UFO … Life is beautiful if you just let go.”

This is hand-made punk rock that keeps the hardcore cliches at arm’s length, but the record still delivers speedy blasts of noisy melody on “Hot Chicks Cold Beer” and “FUGOMF” (a handy acronym for “Fuck You Get Out of My Face”).

The L.A. band’s line-up remains a revolving door of comrades built upon the foundation of Surfbort founders Miller and drummer Sean Powell, with new guitarist Adam Laidlaw thrashing the irresistible riffs.

There’s a bit of Pixies guitar and vocal textures on “Notorious Brat,” as Miller sings, “Delusionally in love with living / My heart is empty but I keep giving.” Words of wisdom from the DIY underground.