The Fat Angel Sings

Midlake is an American folk rock band from Denton, Texas, formed in 1999. The band consists of Eric Pulido, McKenzie Smith, Eric Nichelson, Jesse Chandler and Joey McClellan. 

Released for Record Store Day 2015 . Actor Jason Lee and director Eric Noren have produced and directed a new live concert film ‘Midlake “Live in Denton, TX’ for long-time Bella Union favourites Midlake. The footage was captured at the iconic concert venue Dan’s Silverleaf in Midlake’s hometown of Denton, TX, where the band had stopped off to play a local show while on tour promoting their fourth album ‘Antiphon’.

Limited edition 4-track 12″ vinyl EP is released with the ‘Midlake: Live in Denton, TX’ DVD for Record Store Day. The 12″ includes the tracks ‘The Old And The Young’, ‘Antiphon’, ‘Roscoe’ and ‘Going Down’. Includes a download code. It was Limited to 1000 copies.

Seventeen years ago today Bella Union Records released this masterpiece. As with all classic records, it still sounds as good today as it did all that time ago. A lot of people didn’t get Midlake at the beginning but Label owner Simon Raymonde did and he did everything I could to stoke the fires around Europe with promoter friends and press colleagues. It’s never easy at the start but you just have to keep the belief and move forward. A band who despite many hardships managed to fight through the pain and remain an important band on our roster all these years later. Live, they’ve never sounded better. Let’s raise a cheer to that strange character Van Occupanther.

Suffused with a romantic yearning for the simpler life, this was a record pitched between 1871, 1971 and somewhere out of time: between Henry David Thoreau and Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush, between 1970s Laurel Canyon thinking and a longing for something more mysterious. Rich reserves of wistful melody, dreamy horns, rolling guitars and plaintive pianos reflect its elusive, idiosyncratic narratives: a couple long to be robbed by bandits so they can start anew, an outcast scientist ponders his pariah status, a woman chases a frisky deer, a river leads who knows where yet leaves you little choice but to follow

Although I do distinctly remembering falling for the bubbling charms of Bamnan and Slivercork (the debut LP from Texan five piece Midlake), nothing had us at all prepped for those first bars of “Roscoe”, the era defining lead track to the band’s utterly seminal “The Trials of Van Occupanther“.

Originally released in late July 2006, it is an album of misty nostalgia, thick analogue rock and roll riffs, layers of ghostly harmonies and generations of swooning folk and lore. It’s just perfect, beautiful and evocative songs that tell a tale and keep you hooked to every inch of the stereo from it’s driving first beats to it’s soothing final hums. An album with very few equals.

Newly remastered and back on vinyl. “The Trials of Van Occupanther” is available now on 180g Opaque Marigold vinyl.

This self released pressing features artwork true to the original 2006 layout. Experience the album Rolling Stone celebrated for one of the greatest songs of the 2000s.

Modern Woman, the London-based art-rock band, began as the solo project of songwriter Sophie Harris and has since grown into a full four-piece blending post-punk, folk, and avant-garde influences. This week they released “Dashboard Mary,” the first single from their debut album, “Johnny’s Dreamworld”, out May 1st via One Little Independent. The track unfolds like a film in miniature, as Harris explains, “This is a song that I wanted to write like a film. I wanted to confront the feeling of the ‘morning after’ and the decisions made during that time of exhilaration the night before.”

“A vital theme I’ve always wanted in Modern Woman is the idea of conflicting things, of the tender/harsh, loud/quiet and scrappy/polished. The style of everybody’s playing, drawing from a melting pot of influences, coming together to form something new,” continues Harris.

This ethos informs “Dashboard Mary” and the wider album, defining a sound that is delicate one moment, raw and untamed the next. Layers of violin and saxophone stretch across a foundation of propulsive drums and bass, creating something methodical yet volatile. Harris’ lyrics remain rooted in the female experience; “I find it interesting to explore the rawer side of femininity that is often hidden; girlhood relationships and the complexities of female fixation and obsession.”

“Johnny’s Dreamworld” gathers these ideas into a full-bodied debut, exploring the strange poetry of the everyday while navigating the contradictions of womanhood. From tender introspection to explosive release, the album cements Modern Woman as one of the UK’s most distinctive new voices. 

Singer songwriter Mitski has announced a new album, “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me“, and shared its lead single, “Where’s My Phone?,” via a music video. 

Regular Mitski collaborator Patrick Hyland produced and engineered “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me”, which was mastered by Bob Weston. Mitski wrote all the songs and performed all the vocals on the album and was backed by her touring band. She also recorded with an orchestra, at Sunset Sound and TTG Studios, arranged and conducted by Drew Erickson and engineered by Michael Harris.

Noel Paul directed the “Where’s My Phone?” video, which was based on Shirley Jackson’s 1962 novel, We Have Always Lived in the Castle. New Yorker cartoonist Emily Flake has done a special cartoon for the song .

“Nothing’s About to Happen to Me” is Mitski’s eighth album and follows 2023’s “The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We “ 2022’s “Laurel Hell”  and “Be the Cowboy”,

“Nothing’s About to Happen to Me” is due out February 27th via Dead Oceans.

Tori Amos’s seventeenth album, “In Times Of Dragons” considers modern times, wherein “the pursuit of freedom meets forces that seek to control and silence.” She also tours Europe in April and May. “In Times Of Dragons” is a metaphorical story about the fight for democracy over tyranny, reflecting the current abhorrent non-accidental burning down of democracy in real time by the ‘Dictator believing Lizard Demons’ in their usurpation of America,” reports Amos.

Tori Amos aims her biting lyricism and razor-sharp perspective at America’s political landscape.

The songwriter describes “In Times of Dragons“, her 18th album, as “a metaphorical story about the fight for Democracy over Tyranny.” She adds that it reflects “the current abhorrent non accidental burning down of democracy in real time by the ‘Dictator believing Lizard Demons’ in their usurpation of America.”

Amos has never taken half-measures in her music, and this project appears to continue that tradition. The album’s spring 2026 release window remains the only confirmed detail so far. That said, the political themes are clear from her description

War Child Announce Stacked “HELP(2)” Charity Album, the album Also Features Pulp, Olivia Rodrigo, Depeche Mode, Big Thief, Wet Leg, Young Fathers, Cameron Winter, Damon Albarn, Anna Calvi, Ellie Rowsell, Nilüfer Yanya, Fontaines D.C., Beth Gibbons, The Last Dinner Party, Beck, Bat For Lashes, and More

The British charity War Child UK have announced a massive charity album, “HELP(2)”, and shared its first single, a brand new song from Arctic Monkeys, “Opening Night.” “HELP(2)” has a stacked line-up also featuring new tracks by Pulp, Olivia Rodrigo, Depeche Mode, Big Thief, Wet Leg, Young Fathers, Cameron Winter, Damon Albarn, Anna Calvi, Ellie Rowsell, Nilüfer Yanya, Fontaines D.C., Beth Gibbons, The Last Dinner Party, Beck, Bat For Lashes, English Teacher, and more.

“HELP(2)” is the spiritual sequel to War Child’s 1995 album “HELP”, which is regarded as one of the greatest charity albums of all time and featured Radiohead, Portishead, Oasis, Blur, Massive Attack, Suede, Manic Street Preachers, Sinéad O’Connor, Paul McCartney, Paul Weller, and many other notable British artists of the era. Some of those artists return for “HELP(2)”, including Portishead’s Beth Gibbons and Adrian Utley and Blur’s Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon. There have been various other War Child charity albums since “HELP”, but this one feels closest in scale to the original album.

In demand producer James Ford produced the album, recording it mainly over the course of one week last November at Abbey Road Studios. The original “HELP” album was famously all recorded in one day at different studios across the globe and released only a week later.

Some of the collaborations run deeper than what’s represented on the tracklist. For example, Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten, and Kae Tempest’s song “Flags” also featured a super-group that included Johnny Marr, The Invisible’s Dave Okumu, and Portishead’s Adrian Utley all on guitar; Gorillaz’s Seye Adelekan on bass; Femi Koleoso from Ezra Collective on drums; as well as an all-star choir including Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker, Marr, Carl Barat, Declan McKenna, English Teacher, Black Country, New Road, Marika Hackman, Rosa Walton, and Nadia Kadek. Olivia Rodrigo’s closing cover of The Magnetic Fields’ “The Book of Love” features Graham Coxon on guitar. Coxon also collaborates with English Teacher on “Parasite.” And the new song “Sunday Light” features Wolf Alice’s Ellie Rowsell, Anna Calvi, Nilüfer Yanya, and Dove Ellis.

War Child UK works to benefit children in war-torn areas and “HELP(2)” is accompanied by a film put together by Jonathan Glazer, for which children shot behind the scenes footage of the making of the album. It also includes footage shot in Ukraine, Gaza, Yemen, and Sudan.

Arctic Monkeys had this to say in a press release: “When James Ford called and asked if we’d contribute to the “HELP(2)” album we set to work on a song idea and assembled in Abbey Road to record it. We are proud to support the invaluable work War Child do and hope the record will make a positive difference to the lives of children affected by war.”

James Ford says: “I felt incredibly honoured when War Child asked me to work on “HELP(2)“. The original “HELP” meant a lot to me and to have the opportunity, given the current news cycle, to help galvanize our music community into doing something as unarguably positive as helping children in war zones seemed like a no brainer. The experience of making the album itself has been very powerful, and dare I say life affirming for me personally, against the backdrop of a very difficult year. I’m extremely proud of the results and of the efforts made by all involved. I can’t wait for people to hear this very special record. ”

Jonathan Glazer says: “It has been such a privilege to be part of bringing a team together to film this incredible collective effort.”

Rich Clarke, Head of Music at War Child UK, says: “HELP(2)” is more than an album. It’s a powerful example of what can happen when the music industry comes together around a shared purpose. It has united a diverse group of artists and creatives in support of War Child’s vital work with children affected by the devastating impacts of war. We are immensely grateful to all the artists and teams who have donated their voices, talent and time to support our mission to ensure that no child is caught up in conflict zones. We hope this record not only raises vital funds, but also awareness of the urgent need to turn compassion into action and do more to protect children living through war.”

It is due out March 6th via War Child Records.

“HELP(2)” Tracklist:

01. Arctic Monkeys – “Opening Night”
02. Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten & Kae Tempest – “Flags”
03. Black Country, New Road – “Strangers”
04. The Last Dinner Party – “Let’s do it again!”
05. Beth Gibbons – “Sunday Morning”
06. Arooj Aftab & Beck – “Lilac Wine”
07. King Krule – “The 343 Loop”
08. Depeche Mode – “Universal Soldier”
09. Ezra Collective & Greentea Peng – “Helicopters”
10. Arlo Parks – “Nothing I Could Hide”
11. English Teacher & Graham Coxon – “Parasite”
12. Beabadoobee – “Say Yes”
13. Big Thief – “Relive, Redie”
14. Fontaines D.C. – “Black Boys on Mopeds”
15. Cameron Winter – “Warning”
16. Young Fathers – “Don’t Fight the Young”
17. Pulp – “Begging for Change”
18. Sampha – “Naboo”
19. Wet Leg – “Obvious”
20. Foals – “When the War is Finally Done”
21. Bat For Lashes – “Carried my girl”
22. Anna Calvi, Ellie Rowsell, Nilüfer Yanya & Dove Ellis – “Sunday Light”
23. Olivia Rodrigo – “The Book of Love”

January 20th marked the 20th anniversary of Cat Power’s masterpiece “The Greatest”. The occasion delivers us the “Redux” EP, featuring three stellar tracks recorded with her touring band The Dirty Delta Blues, featuring the vast experience of Judah Baeur (The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion), Gregg Foreman (The Delta 72, Jesse Malin), Erik Paparozzi (Lizard Music), and Jim White (Dirty Three, The Hard Quartet).

The EP bursts into life with “Try Me,” a wonderful re-recording of James Brown’s solid-gold anthem. Cat Power (aka Chan Marshall) has a long standing reputation for delivering excellent interpretations of existing tracks and she hits the mark again here. It should stand deservedly tall as a perfect embodying of the love and passion that goes into the music of Cat Power. Incidentally, it’s also a fantastic indication of how she would later go onto embody Bob Dylan for her monumental live album, “Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert”.

However excellent the cover versions may be, the EP also features a reworked version of Marshall’s own “Could We,” a true testament to how well her own material continues to sound 20 years down the line. It’s the stomping sound of the blues given a new lick of paint.

The Redux EP concludes with a very special tribute, a magnificent rendition of Prince’s iconic “Nothing Compares 2 U” (made famous by the late Sinéad O’Connor). You would be hard pressed to argue against this version more than matching the pure genius of the original. Marshall’s genius breathing new life into everything she touches (covers).

This inclusion is bittersweet as it was recorded in tribute to the late, great guitarist Teenie Hodges, a legendary member of The Memphis Rhythm Band that backed Cat Power on “The Greatest” and with whom she formed a close bond before his passing in 2014.

This year will see Cat Power perform “The Greatest” in its entirety with a series of 20th anniversary live shows beginning in North America in February and reaching the UK in November.

Here’s a new release not on Sonic Cathedral that I’ve been listening to a lot. It’s the new one by The Orielles, which would have been a double A-side single in old money. Conveniently, both tracks feature on the video below. It’s understated and experimental and equal parts beautiful and unnerving. You could even call it Lynchian. Through this process of creative renewal, the Manchester-based trio – completed by drummer Sidonie Hand-Halford – have managed to weather a pandemic, defy the fickleness of a trend-led music industry, and emerge, phoenix-like, with something familiarly Orielles, yet altogether different.

Recorded in two locations – Hydra and Hamburg – over the summer of 2024, the 11 tracks of “Only You Left” sees the band consolidate the bold experimentation of their previous LP, “Tableau” (2022), with a return to the more stripped-back, song-led approach of their early origins.

“There’s nothing more trad than a three-piece,” quips Henry, in reference to the band’s decision to return to their roots as a trio. Originally from Halifax, the Orielles first came to recognition in 2018 with their debut album, the indie-rock “Silver Dollar Moment“, which is approaching its eighth birthday in February 2026. “These things come in like seven year cycles. So we’ve come in like a full circle back to a familiar place, just as different people.”

By exploring binaries and contrasts, the Orielles are finding shapes in the chaos and confusion of the world around us – it’s an undertaking that benefits from more than 15 years of close collaboration, driven by friendship and the artistic compulsion to find meaning in music

Henry Carlyle Wade – Guitar, Synth Esme Dee Hand-Halford – Bass, Vocals, Guitar, Organ Sidonie B Hand-Halford – Drums, Percussion, Guitar, Organ Joel Anthony Patchett – Piano

Written by Henry Carlyle Wade, Esmé Dee Hand-Halford, and Sidonie B Hand-Halford.

Talking Heads continue their 50th anniversary celebrations with ‘Tentative Decisions: Demos & Live’, a 3CD deluxe set packed with unreleased early demos and live recordings. offers an unprecedented look at Talking Heads’ earliest years. the 3CD collection charts the rapid evolution of the original trio—David Byrne, Chris Frantz, and Tina Weymouth—through a trove of newly unearthed demos and live recordings. The set also includes 10 early demos and a live track recorded at the Ocean Club in 1976.

The earliest recordings on “Tentative Decisions” reach back to The Artistics, the band Frantz and Byrne formed while they were students at the Rhode Island School of Design. Recorded in 1974 at Frantz’s apartment on Benefit Street in Providence, the demo represents the bands earliest known recordings

In the liner notes, Frantz says The Artistics’ aspiration to become the RISD house band—entertaining friends with covers of The Kinks, Motown, and Al Green—changed when they began writing their own songs. “One day, David knocked on the door of the painting studio Tina and I shared,” Frantz recalls. “He played us the first verse and chorus of ‘Psycho Killer,’ which sounded promising.” Byrne asked Weymouth, who spoke French, to write lyrics for the bridge while Frantz added some verses—and so it began. 

Talking Heads helped shape modern new wave music and expand the creative possibilities of the music video—most recently with the premiere of a new “Psycho Killer” video directed by Mike Mills and starring Saoirse Ronan.

This release follows the last year’s Black Friday RSD vinyl release of “Tentative Decisions” which effectively offered CD 1 of the new deluxe on clear vinyl. That same vinyl edition is now available to full retail on black vinyl, accompanied with the same seven-inch single (with A and B-sides of ‘Psycho Killer’ and ‘Warning Sign’). The set builds on last year’s 11-song collection adding 15 unreleased demos made for CBS in September 1975, and more than a dozen unreleased live recordings from the band’s first two years in New York. 

CD 2 offers more demos, this time 15 Columbia/CBS demos from September 1975, all of which are previously unreleased.

The disc offers 17 live cuts from 1976 and 1977, from three different gigs. The October 1976 performance at Max’s Kansas City took place just a few weeks before the group met with Seymour Stein and signed to Sire Records. The January 1977 show at The Jabberwocky Club in Syracuse was shortly before Jerry Harrison joined.

“Tentative Decisions: Demos & Live” will be released in March 2026, via Rhino/Sire Records

Rush continue their comprehensive reissue programme with a super deluxe edition of their 10th album, 1984’s “Grace Under Pressure”.

This album represented a bold new phase for the Canadian prog heroes. The band had recently parted ways with producer Terry Brown – who’d worked on every Rush album since 1975’s Fly By Night – and opted to produce themselves, with assistance from Peter Henderson, the man behind the desk for Supertramp’s gargantuan hit Breakfast In America. The result was a set that expanded upon the synth soundscapes of previous album Signals (1982), while its angular guitar sound complemented the dystopian visions of drummer Neal Peart’s lyrics. 

Available as either a 4CD+blu-ray or 5LP+blu-ray box set, it’s the album’s first time on CD since a limited-edition Japanese release in 2009. Disc one features the original 1984 stereo mix, newly remastered from the original analogue stereo master tapes by Sean Magee at Abbey Road.

Disc two gives fans the chance to hear how Grace Under Pressure may have sounded had Terry Brown been on board, thanks to a new stereo mix by the producer from the original multi-tracks. CD3 and CD4 (or LP3, LP4 and LP5) are devoted to the first-ever release of the complete 21st September 1984 show at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, originally released in part as the Grace Under Pressure Tour VHS and later released (again, in incomplete form) as a bonus CD with 2006’s Rush Replay X 3 and as a standalone live album in 2009. The 20-track show has been newly mixed from the original multi-track masters. 

The blu-ray features the album newly mixed by Richard Chycki in Dolby Atmos & 5.1 surround plus Terry Brown’s new album mix in hi-res stereo. And in terms of visuals, the blu-ray also includes the Toronto concert newly remastered in HD with the audio with Atmos, 5.1 and Stereo options, all newly mixed by Terry Brown. Lastly, the album’s four music videos are remastered in HD and presented in 5.1 surround and stereo. This appears to be a great disc, although Rush’s frustrating habit of ‘locking’ these in with enormously expensive box sets, continues.

The super deluxe edition also includes a hardcover book including sleeve notes written by Geddy Lee and brand-new illustrations for each song by Hugh Symes (who has also ‘re-imagined’ the album cover). And there’s memorabilia galore, including an LED light-up display, replicas of the GUP tour book, Toronto concert ticket and poster, GUP Tour backstage pass, six-page press release and three band photo lithographs.

“Grace Under Pressure” Super Deluxe Edition is out 13th March via Capitol/UMe.