The Fat Angel Sings

Hand-break off, Sports Team are back. With musical pedals to the metal and saxophones at full throttle, the Mercury-nominated six-piece bring us their third studio album, “Boys These Days”. After their first two, Top 3 records – the Mercury Prize-nominated “Deep Down Happy” (2020) and “Gulp!”(2022).

Sports Team singer Alex Rice calls “Condensation” a “big, sweat-slicked, saucer-eyed song,” while bandmate Rob Knaggs says, “If Adam Sandler remade ‘Nymphomaniac,’ this song would play over the credits.

We recorded versions with brass bands, and Jools Holland, but it never quite felt right. All came together very quickly in Bergen. It’s the song on the album we’re most excited to play live.” New album “Boys These Days is out in February 2025.

Think Prefab Sprout meets Roxy Music the band ally a seer-like lyrical insight with their most dynamic musical performances to date, Sports Team are piercing the content abyss. A “carousel of 21st-century sins”, this witty and insightful examination of modern life is both a critique and a celebration of its times. Yes, ‘Boys These Days’ takes aim at everything from advertising hype to relationship dysfunction, stationed at the point where the digital tide crashes onto IRL shores, but their perspective is fuelled by immersion in that landscape as Sports Team are scrolling along with the rest of us.

Though recorded in Bergen, the birthplace of black metal, the sessions at the start of 2024 saw Sports Team create their brightest and most beguiling record yet.

new album “Boys These Days” out Feb 28th

Naima Bock, whose second solo album is out this month, Most of the writing of Naima Bock’s second album, “Below A Massive Dark Land” (out 27th September via Sub Pop), was a solitary affair. It may not sound it – it’s made up of strong, purposeful arrangements with a huge host of musicians; filled with cradling space and warm light. This will also come as a surprise to anyone who has seen Naima perform in the time since the release of her 2022 debut “Giant Palm”, as it’s undoubtedly a communal experience.

With a band of ten, three, or even just solo, when Naima plays there’s a rare bond between the musicians on stage and the audience. In their interview with her, The Quietus declared “after every song the applause and cheering is immense, so immense in fact that it seems to be coming from a different place than the usual formalities of a live show, a link between performer and artist forged somewhere deeper and more personal.”

This results in a record that may occasionally appear to contradict itself; communal but solitary, rooted in place but free, intimate but spacious. This, however, is what makes Below… comforting and familiar. Who doesn’t contain within them these contradictions, who doesn’t want things that are directly at odds with each other. Like the safe spaces Naima has found the world over, “Below…” doesn’t require all the answers, not yet, but provides a safe place to look. 

Naima’s list of “foundation” albums includes records by Elliott Smith, Palace Music, Baden Powell & Vinicius de Moraes, Alabaster de Plume, and more.

“Below a Massive Dark Land” is out Friday, September 27th via Sub Pop Records 

A favorite single of 1967 is The Box Tops‘ “The Letter.” We’ll try to tell its story in about the length of time that the song lasts: a super short 1:58. The song was written by a 23-year-old named Wayne Carson Thompson more on him below – whose country music-singing father had spoon fed him a lyric which would ultimately become the first line of the song: “Give me a ticket for an aer-o-plane.” The younger Thompson got the completed song to the Memphis-based “Chips” Moman, who though just 29 was already a veteran producer, songwriter, label exec and studio owner.

Moman gave the song to a staff production assistant, Dan Penn, who corralled a local quintet into the studio to record the tune.  The lead singer, Alex Chilton, was just 16 years old he was born December 28th, 1950 – when the song was recorded. Penn is quoted as saying: I hadn’t even paid any attention to how good he sang because I was busy trying to put the band together… I had a bunch of greenhorns who’d never cut a record, including me… I borrowed everything from Wayne Thompson’s original demo – drums, bass, guitar.”

The band’s other original members included lead guitarist Gary Talley, bassist Bill Cunningham, John Evans on keyboards and drummer Danny Smythe, who died (at 67) on July 6th, 2016. No cause of death was announced. Alex Chilton died March 17th, 2010.

That sound you hear at the 1:34 mark? An aer-o-plane taking off via a special effects recording that Penn edited in, against Moman’s wishes. Penn, steadfast, won the argument. The single was released in the summer of 1967 and on September 23 it was No1 in the U.S., where it would stay for four weeks, selling over one million copies. It ranked as the No2 song on Billboard‘s 1967 singles chart. (Joe Cocker would famously record a version of it in 1970.

The Box Tops would have another huge hit in 1968 with “Cry Like a Baby.” The group disbanded a few years later. Chilton went on to form the influential power pop group Big Star. He died at 59 of a heart attack in 2010. And what of songwriter Wayne Carson Thompson? Five years later, in 1972, he wrote “Always on My Mind.”

Following the original, digital only, release of Goat’s score for ‘The Gallows Pole’ TV series, we are now thrilled to announce an expanded, ltd edition vinyl version, which will be released as part of Record Store Day 2024.

‘The Gallows Pole’ is a three-part Element Pictures production, written and directed by Shane Meadows which was aired in the UK on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

This new vinyl version of the ‘The Gallows Pole: Original Score’ differs from the previous digital release as it now only features the music which was specifically written for the series itself – it doesn’t include the three, previously released back catalogue tracks. Instead, this vinyl edition contains three ‘unused/unreleased’ tracks: ‘Goat Witch’, ‘Timeless Awareness’ and ‘Kampsång (Instrumental)’. These tracks have not, up-to-now, been heard by anyone apart from Shane Meadows himself.

The themes and imagery of Benjamin Myers’ source novel are the perfect fit for Goat’s mystical, pagan aesthetic. The story, based in rural 18th century Yorkshire, tells a fictionalised, psychedelic tale based on the true story of David Hartley and the Cragg Vale Coiners, which became the biggest fraud in British history.

Rather than ‘writing to picture’ in the traditional way, Goat approached the creative process differently, explaining: “In the beginning, we would get inspiration just through reading the book, trying to get a sense of its vibration and then translate that into music, with passages from the book as a springboard for the initial jams.”

Goat were already fans of Meadows’ work, in particular ‘Dead Man’s Shoes’ and the various iterations of ‘This Is England’, and understood the importance of music to him, noting that: “Music is a central part to everything Shane has created” and describing the opportunity as a “blessing” when they were approached about the project.

Working on the score for ‘The Gallows Pole’ also provided an ongoing inspiration for Goat, resulting in the germs of music that formed the bands most recent album, the critically acclaimed ‘Medicine’. “Although it may seem an abstract or unorthodox way to work with film, a lot of interesting new ideas and music came out of those sessions that went beyond just the score.” said the band.

Sometimes, the results of musical exploration are best heard (and seen). As Goat themselves conclude, “music is never easily explained with words”.

‘The Gallows Pole: Original Score’ is ltd to only 3,000 copies worldwide – the package comes as a colour vinyl LP + 7” and is housed in a special gatefold sleeve. 

Originally released April 20th, 2024

Pulling from our love of grunge and gothic, “Feast” is named as such because it explores the idea of gluttony, consumption and desire, particularly when it comes to sexuality and romance.

In Ireland a lot of our first conscious experience of storytelling happens to be religious, due in most parts to the interlinking of our Catholic Church and state, particularly in education. The Bible stories and fables of good, bad, morality and sin were always pressed upon us. I thought it was interesting to use this iconography and imagery reimagined in a queer context.

“Feast” is dark, gothic and sensual, encouraging us to unapologetically pursue our wants and desires.

released September 24th, 2024

This album showcases Jethro Tull’s incredible appearance at the Newport 69′ Festival, on 21st June 1969, during the “Stand Up” Tour.

An estimated 200,000 fans attended the infamous festival – a three day series of concerts at Devonshire Downs, in Northridge, California, across 20th–22nd June. The largest pop concert up to that time, Newport 69 was the sequel to 1968’s Newport Pop Festival.

Sadly the much-anticipated event descended into violence with several hundred persons injured in rioting outside, securing the event a dubious place in rock history. Among the thirty-three acts featured were Jimi Hendrix, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Johnny Winter and Jethro Tull, who were largely oblivious to the dramatic scenes unfolding outside the gates.

Regardless of the chaos, Jethro Tull put on an unmissable performance at “Newport 69“, which featured their newest band member Martin Barre. The majority of the set promoted their forthcoming album “Stand Up”, interspersed with fan favourites such as “A Song for Jeffrey” and “Dharma for One“.

This album features fully restored and professionally remastered audio of this celebrated performance.

Crafting songs which range from achy-hearted, string-laden confessionals to sleek, chic soundtracks for the small hours, Katy J Pearson is a pop singer-songwriter for the modern catastrophic age and today she announced details of the release of her third album, Someday, Now, which is out on Friday 20th September 2024 on Heavenly Recordings.

Unquestionably her most confident, assured, and honest album to date, the ten tracks on Someday, Now shine with a brilliant lucidity showcasing Katy’s natural knack for a hook.

Recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales and joined by an all-star band made up of Heavenly label-mates Davey Newington (Boy Azooga) and Huw Evans (H Hawkline) alongside Joel Burton, Someday, Now sees Pearson’s signature sound transmuted through the desk of electronic producer Nathan Jenkins, aka Bullion [whose previous credits include Carly Rae Jepsen, Ben Howard, Nilüfer Yanya and Avalon Emerson]. Talking about the band, Katy said:

I knew exactly who I wanted to work with, I knew exactly who my session band were going to be, I knew where I wanted to record. It felt like I was finally calling the shots for myself, and that was so empowering.

released September 20th, 2024

Having recently released the first single from the album ‘Digging The Hole’, they return with ‘Operating At A Loss’, the latest track to be lifted from the long-player. 

Starting with a rumble of drums and menacing bass, before exploding out of the speakers with the kind of punk rock new wave kick that feels like it might be preparing to propel the listener through a brick wall, ‘Operating At A Loss’ gets extra points for managing to both nod to Magazine’s ‘Shot By Both Sides’ and include an extensive rant about coffee in the second verse. 

“Force Majeure” is an urgent, joyous noise – a twelve track battering ram of an album that builds hugely on the promise of their debut and acts as a calling card from your new favourite honest rock’n’roll band.

A vital and concise record which thrills with its direct simplicity and excitement, recalling the likes of Parquet Courts or early Modern Lovers, “Force Majeure” (rarely does a title so aptly describe the contents) opens with the controlled explosion of recent single ‘Digging The Hole’ and doesn’t let up apart from occasional journeys into post punk territory on the Television-esque ‘New Alphabet’ and the wonderfully Wire-ish ‘What Else’. Across the whole record four voices sing, walls of guitars bite and scratch, the rhythm section locks behind them in perfect time while the listener grabs on for dear life and just tries to keep hold.

taken from their forthcoming LP ‘Force Majeure’ out on Jan 17 2025 via Heavenly Recordings.

Ian Osborne worked in TV most of his Working Life and was a 21 year old studio sound technician at Thames TV. Buying Elvis Costello’s first album “ My Aim is True” two weeks before and heard that Elvis Costello was to be a guest on the lunchtime show ‘Good Afternoon’ (that particular recording hosted in Thames TV’s Studios 5 at the Euston Road complex by the lovely Mavis Nicholson). I was due to be working in St.6 next door that day but did a ‘swap’ with a colleague so I could see Costello.

He turned up for a sound check and rehearsal and I mic’ed up his Fender Champ 10w amp and set a vocal mic, he arrived with his Fender Jazzmaster guitar, slightly nervous but personable, told me he was doing two songs and we asked him to run through so the Sound Supervisor (talented guy named John Baker who sadly died a few years ago) could get levels. John knew that I was a fan so he recorded the rehearsals on 1/4” tape for me. EC played two songs that hadn’t been released at the time although “Watching the Detectives” had been played live with his new supporting band The Attractions (as he told me later), the other song was “Hoover Factory”. Everyone happy with levels, Mavis was then called to the studio and we recorded the show ‘as live’ in one go. It was a good interview and EC relaxed as it went on. This was the period when Jake Riviera had banned interviews with the Music press and many rumours / false stories were filling the inches of the weekly ‘inkies’.

My overriding memory of the musical performances was the intensity of his performance of ‘Detectives’ – it was mesmerising and so powerful to be feet away from him. I remember looking at the studio crew around and old hacks of the ‘seen it all before’ scene crew (probably my age now!) who were transfixed and staring. After the show recording EC, Mavis and producer, director and team (not us studio crew – we were never invited) went to the Green Room for post show drinks. My Sound Sup John tapped me on the shoulder and said ‘come on’ and took me to the Green Room (proof 1st time there I was surprised it wasn’t green!) and to my embarrassment walked me up to EC and said ‘this is Ian he is a fan and changed his work schedule to meet you” – a few moments of mutual verbal shuffling developed into a 30 odd minutes of conversation. I discovered much of his musical likes and he spoke of The Attractions and the arrangement they had made of “Detectives” and how different it sounded from the forthcoming single. I really enjoyed the chat and thought he was a nice guy…. 18 months or so later I worked on another show with him as a musical guest and he was like a completely different person and a complete arse, couple of years after that a sound recording session with him and back to normal (even if the sound mixer had to give him a fader to control which actually did nothing!) Anyway over he years I have had the recording of the rehearsal of “Detectives” & “Hoover Factory”, aware that apart from the few people I’ve played it to, no-one has heard it since that day (27th Sept 1977) and that now seems a bit selfish. I’ve made a simple video as easy way to share.