The Fat Angel Sings

Montreal psych-pop band Elephant Stone’s seventh studio album ‘Back Into The Dream’ is out in the world today

Centred on the enigma of dreams—whether they’re subconscious murmurings or portals to parallel universes—’Back Into the Dream’ encapsulates the eternal cycle of waking and dreaming. “We’re perpetually oscillating between two realms, trying to comprehend each,” says Rishi. “If our music can serve as a bridge between these worlds, then we’ve accomplished our mission.”

“Rock’n’roll was my late-night companion, the anthem of my adolescence,” says Elephant Stone’s Rishi Dhir on the subject of their new single (which is not a cover of The Jam song). “I’d drift off to sleep with ‘Live at Leeds’ by The Who playing, tweaking the stereo so it was just the left speaker booming, coloring my dreams with John Entwistle’s bass genius. Those moments weren’t just about listening; it was like living inside the music. That’s the heart of ‘Going Underground.’ It’s an homage to those times, that sensation of being enveloped in a universe conjured by a few chords and a horizon of endless possibilities.”

From Elephant Stone’s new LP “Back Into The Dream”

Elephant Stone have just announced their upcoming EU/UK tour

The Who’s October 13th, 1982 concert at Shea Stadium, the now-demolished, long time home of the New York Mets, was released on DVD and standard-definition Blu-ray back in 2015.  Now, Mercury Studios is returning to that thunderous gig – the band’s second of two shows there – for an audio release on 2 CDs or 3 LPs.

‘Live at Shea Stadium 1982’ captures The Who’s second of two shows at the Flushing, Queens, New York ballpark on a rainy night in October 1982.

The evening of Wednesday, October 13th, 1982 was chilly and rainy in the New York City metro area, certainly not optimum weather for a large-scale outdoor rock concert. That night, The Who performed their second of two sold-out shows at Shea Stadium . The stadium, which at the time was home to MLB’s New York Mets and the NFL’s New York Jets, had very famously hosted concerts by The Beatles in 1965 and 1966. The support acts for The Who at the Shea Stadium concerts were former New York Dolls vocalist David Johansen and The Clash. 

On March 1st, “Live at Shea Stadium 1982” will arrive preserving The Who’s tour stop in support of “It’s Hard”.  In front of an enrapt New York audience in Flushing Meadows, Queens, founding members Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, and John Entwistle joined with drummer Kenney Jones to perform both new songs and old favorites.  The 1982 North American tour was ultimately the last one to feature Jones in the drummer’s seat, and The Who’s final such trek until 1989.  (Jones replaced the late Keith Moon for two studio albums, 1981’s “Face Dances” and 1982’s “It’s Hard“.

The Who, on what was being billed as their “Farewell Tour,” had announced that the band would break up once they had completed the tour for their then-current album “It’s Hard”. Pete Townshend initiated the split and was quoted by music critic Robert Palmer of The New York Times as stating, “It’s time for us to step aside, time for the new people to come in.” The tour was sponsored by the now-defunct American beer company Schlitz under the banner “Schlitz Rocks America.”

The Clash were promoting their “Combat Rock” album on the tour. Drummer Nicky “Topper” Headon had been fired by the band earlier in the year. The band were performing with their original drummer Terry Chimes on the tour. Despite the soggy weather, The Clash performed a storming and quite memorable set. The music videos for “Career Opportunities” and “Should I Stay or Should I Go” were filmed that night. An audio recording of The Clash’s full set from that show was released in 2008 as the album “Live at Shea Stadium”.

The Who’s 1982 tour, which was all in North America apart from two warm-up dates at the Birmingham NEC in England, was their last to feature Kenney Jones on drums and they wouldn’t tour again until 1989. The tour promoted the recent “It’s Hard” album, which had been released in June 1982, and the set list included a number of tracks from that album, some of which the band would only play live on this tour. This release features the show from the second of their two nights at New York’s Shea Stadium and was recorded on October 13th 1982. Although a couple of tracks have appeared on compilations, this is the first official release the full show on 3LP.

Opening the set with the 1966 non-album single “Substitute,” The Who had the crowd on their side from the word go. The strong performance of “Substitute” featured powerful lead vocals by Daltrey, great drumming by Jones, solid bass from Entwistle and a rock-steady guitar break by Townshend. That was followed by another oldie but goodie, the 1965 non-album single “I Can’t Explain,” which was The Who’s recording debut under The Who name. The performance of “I Can’t Explain” at the concert started with a terrific guitar intro by Townshend and included strong vocals by Daltrey, tight work by the rhythm section of Entwistle and Jones and effective backing vocals by Townshend and Entwistle.

The Who then segued into a selection of five newer songs. The first of these was Entwistle’s “Dangerous” from that year’s “It’s Hard” album. Gorman provided some nice keyboard work. Entwistle’s bass provided a great foundation for the song augmented by Jones’s tight drumming. Townshend contributed impressive slash-and-burn guitar work. Gorman’s keyboards in the performance of 1978’s “Sister Disco” are not prominent enough in the mix on this recording. And that makes the version of the song on this album weaker than the outstanding recording of it on the 1981 album The Concerts for the People of Kampuchea. That aside, it’s still a decent performance. Daltrey delivered powerful lead vocals and Townshend added a good vocal bit in the song’s midsection. , Townshend played some nice bluesy guitar at the end as he and Daltrey sang together. The heavy version of Entwistle’s song “The Quiet One” from 1981’s “Face Dances” album was one of the standout performances of the show. Entwistle sang lead on the song as well as providing some outstanding bass playing. Townshend added some blistering guitar work. And Jones delivered yet another strong performance on drums. Daltrey sang some bits of the song along with Entwistle. The section of the show concluded with two songs from “It’s Hard”: the title track and “Eminence Front.” On the former, Daltrey played rhythm guitar for the first time in the evening as well as delivering assertive lead vocals. Townshend contributed some nice guitar in the intro as well as good backing vocals. The latter was the highlight of the newer songs performed at the concert. Gorman’s keyboard intro was impressive. Townshend sang lead on the song and also played impressive guitar throughout. Entwistle’s funky basslines provided the song’s foundation.

Four songs from It’s Hard were performed during the Shea setlists, including the album’s title track, “Eminence Front,” “Cry If You Want,” and “Dangerous.”  Those were joined by classics from the ’60s (“Substitute,” “I Can’t Explain,” “Pinball Wizard”) and ’70s (“Behind Blue Eyes,” “Baba O’Riley,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “Who Are You,” “Sister Disco”) as well as “The Quiet One” from “Face Dances“.  Choice covers – “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Twist and Shout,” “Young Man Blues,” and “Summertime Blues” – rounded out the setlist.  (The latter two songs were featured on the original, six-song “Live at Leeds” album in 1970.)

Daltrey introduced “Tattoo” from 1967’s The Who Sell Out album as a song that The Who had not performed live in a while. The tight version of the song featured Daltrey on lead vocals with Townshend contributing some vocals as well. Next up was an extended version of the rocker “Cry If You Want” from the “It’s Hard” album. 

 A pair of songs from 1969’s “Tommy” album were up next. Townshend’s guitar was all over “Pinball Wizard,’ which also featured very strong vocals by Daltrey, That went right into a stellar performance of “See Me, Feel Me” that was highlighted by Daltrey’s commanding lead vocals and Townshend’s outstanding guitar playing. “Love Reign O’er Me” from 1973’s “Quadrophenia” is one of the highlights of the album.

“Long Live Rock,” which first appeared on the 1974 collection “Odds and Sods”, had Daltrey and Townshend trading off on lead vocals, a cool guitar intro by Townshend, and impressive keyboards by Gorman. 

In front of an enrapt New York audience in Flushing Meadows, Queens, founding members Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, and John Entwistle joined with drummer Kenney Jones to perform both new songs and old favourites.  The 1982 North American tour was ultimately the last one to feature Jones in the drummer’s seat, and The Who’s final such trek until 1989.  (Jones had replaced the late Keith Moon for two studio albums, 1981’s “Face Dances” and 1982’s “It’s Hard”.

The performances of “Love Reign O’er Me” and “Behind Blue Eyes” are currently streaming on Mercury Studios’ YouTube channel.  Though the original DVD and Blu-ray releases are now out-of-print, they remain available from second hand sellers.  Look for “Live at Shea Stadium 1982” on March 1st

There are rumours that The Who are now closing in on the end of their performing career. Daltrey turns 80 on March 1st, the release date of this album. And Townshend will be 79 in May. Daltrey and Townshend will be performing with The Who backed by an orchestra at two shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Monday, March 18th and Wednesday, March 20th for the benefit of Teenage Cancer Trust, a U.K. charity that raises funds to build dedicated cancer wards for teenagers in hospitals throughout the U.K. Daltrey serves as patron for the charity. 

Celebrate the iconic careers and legacies of the greatest British rock bands of all time, The Rolling Stones with their new live albums. “The Stones’ Live at the Wiltern” was recorded during the band’s Los Angeles stop of the Licks World Tour of 2002 and includes recordings of rarely played classics including “No Expectations.” 

The Rolling Stones embarked on the Licks World Tour in 2002 & 2003 to celebrate their 40th anniversary, featuring the band performing in arenas and stadiums, in addition to the occasional theatre. In November 2002, the Stones arrived in Los Angeles to perform at a packed Wiltern Theatre, treating fans to a set heavy on rarities which feel right at home in such an intimate setting.

While some of the hits are performed, this night at the Wiltern is for the rarely played classics, including “Stray Cat Blues”, “No Expectations” and a cover of “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love” featuring a guest spot by the legendary Solomon Burke, who opened the show that night.

Irish four-piece Some Remain have a new single ‘Dead Sound’, and their fifth to date.  It’s the latest of 3 singles to be recorded with Felipé Loughran-Ponce in Fused Ion Studios, Galway, moving away from their self-recorded early singles.  ‘Dead Sound’ captures a wild abandon, rough and raucous yet somehow tight.  The track canters along at pace, all punky vibes and static fuelled guitars. 

This is a track that makes you feel the band is having the time of their lives.  Some Remain are building a reputation based on the quality high energy of their live shows.  Lyrically ‘Dead Sound’ follows the antics of a dead sound lad on a night out.  The garage-punk energy here is totally infectious.  

There is also a tongue in cheek humour here. Mid-track the whole sound gets completely out of control until the electric riffs of the guitar eventually everything back on track.  The beat and pace is manic to the end – and that final note!  Just class timing.

Portland outfit Sun Atoms debut their new single ‘Ceiling Tiles’ today, released via Little Cloud Records digitally and on 7″ vinyl. The video follows ghosts on a velvety caper through an endless maze, arriving at a house of cards on the verge of metaphysical collapse. The B-side complements chills with thrills with a unique rendition of the Leonard Cohen classic, here dubbed ‘Tower of Song (in the key of JAMC)’.

Anchored by a rumbling baseline of Peter G. Holmström (The Dandy Warhols, Pete International Airport), the rhythmic portents of multi-instrumentalist June Kang, Mars de Ponte (LoveBomb Go-Go) and L.A. drummer Eric Rubalcava and Boise native Derek Spencer Longoria-Gomez (Hi Hazel).

The Swirling keyboards, chiming psych tinged licks and the foreboding attitude dashed vocals of Jsun Atoms (The Upsidedown, Daydream Machine) craft a foreboding and bristling concoction, it has echoes of the likes of the Mission, The Sisters of Mercy, or the propulsive sound of Leonard Cohen‘s ”I’m Your Man’ album. The single was mixed by the iconic Jagz Kooner (Massive Attack, Primal Scream, Oasis, Garbage). This is the first taste of the band’s second album, to be released in late spring.

2021 brought the band’s debut album “Let There Be Light,” also produced by Holmström and mixed by the iconic Stephen Street (Blur, The Smiths, The Cranberries), involving performances by the likes of The Vandelles’ Jasno Swarez, The Black Angels’ Alex Maas and Gregg Williams (Sheryl Crow, Blitzen Trapper).

“When I was a child, I saw a being made of light climb through my bedroom window, they stood at the foot of my bed and reached out to touch my foot,” explains Jsun Atoms. “Mesmerizing and haunting, much like the new Sun Atoms single ‘Ceiling Tiles’, which reveals a story of characters living under a faux sky being manipulated to make it appear that the stars are aligning, when in fact, above this tiled Truman Show, the stars are doing just that. The characters in the song go about their day-to-day dance while the globe they are spinning on becomes an eye.”

Filmed by Brady Tuazon, this video follows several characters, who come to life from of a deck of tarot cards. An amalgamation of new colours in psychedelic, dark wave, and post-modern pop, ‘Ceiling Tiles’ explores a dreamy netherworld peeling away under the heartbeat like a synthesized glove. A cautionary tale of a dystopian future, some of which is already materializing before our eyes now, we follow the characters into a mirror, where they live outside of the lines under a faux sky, only to find that the planet itself is an eye, crying rain. Do they make it through the maze of plastic plants and security guards and get the message out in order to light up the world?

Working within the boundaries of black and white let us emphasize the theme of two worlds in a psychedelic noir manner. Portraying each member as their normal selves and as a ghost version adds another layer to the duality. It makes us ask the questions, “If our own ghosts saw us today, would they be kind and encouraging to us? Or would they be spirits signaling their existence as a cautionary tale?  Filming the video was a true testament of the grit and creative solidarity at the core of Portland creatives. We had limited time and resources to pull this off”.

As Sun Atoms kicked off 2024 by playing three sold-out shows at Portland’s historic Revolution Hall, opening for Dinosaur Jr., this presented the perfect chance to shoot this video. With its long stairways and iconic brick facade as the ideal backdrop for this monochromatic video, here unfolds a mysterious tale of characters living between worlds and connected by Jean Cocteau’s famously mirrored portal.

As of February 23rd, the ‘Ceiling Tiles’ is available on 7″ vinyl and from fine digital platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp. Sun Atoms will be releasing a album in late spring.

Portishead’s “Roseland NYC Live concert “– recorded and filmed at New York’s Roseland Ballroom with a 28-piece orchestra back in 1997 – is being reissued on CD and coloured vinyl.

The album, which was issued originally in 1998, has been “newly remastered” and also expanded; the track listing now includes ‘Undenied’ and ‘Numb’ from the concert film, and the full length performance of ‘Western Eyes’, which was played in part over the credits of the film.

Also, ‘Sour Times’ and ‘Roads’ are also now the actual Roseland versions, since previously these were substituted on the album release with recordings from other performances.

All five of these tracks will be on CD and vinyl for the first time.

The 2LP edition is pressed on red vinyl, comes in a gatefold sleeve and includes a recreation of the sticky backstage pass used for the concert. The CD edition also comes with this pass and has a 12-page booklet.

These two physical 25th anniversary editions of “Roseland NYC Live” are released on 26th April 2024, via UMR/Island.

Paul Weller will release a new studio album in May called, simply, “66“. In the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary music, few artists possess the enduring influence and innovative spirit of Paul Weller. A recording career that began in 1977, now takes in the release of his 17th solo album. As the title and artwork by Sir Peter Blake (his first for Weller since 1995’s Stanley Road) indicates, the album marks the completion of his 66th journey around the sun. ’66’ is quite a reflective and inward thinking album that pulls back the camera lens and shines a light on the way Weller’s creativity interacts with his wider world. Continually finding new ways to alchemise the miracle of living and the meaning of it all, he draws on fragments of real life, ruminations on spirituality and even childhood memories. There are songs touching on faith, changing circumstances and the fractured realities of life in this turbulent age. But ’66’ is positive at heart, bursting with the wisdom and perspective accrued by the business of someone who has really lived and loved.

The 12 songs on 66 were worked up in Weller’s Black Barn studio over the course of three years with various guest musicians, including Dr Robert, Richard Hawley, Steve Brooks and Max Beesley

There are lyrical contributions from Suggs, Noel Gallagher and Bobby Gillespie (‘Ship Of Fools’, ‘Jumble Queen’ and ‘Soul Wondering’ respectively) and Weller shares production duties on a few tracks with Christophe Vaillant, White Label and Charles Rees. String arrangements are by Hannah Peel.

‘Soul Wandering’, although apparently “the first proper single” will be ‘Rise Up Singing’ which will be made available on 5th April.

As well as vinyl and CD there’s a 2CD set packaged in deluxe hardcover book format, with four extra tracks on the second disc. As you’d expect there’s various coloured vinyl editions which all come with a 12-page booklet and foldout poster.

“66” :: The new album by Paul Weller Released May 24th — a day before his 66th birthday

Jessica Pratt’s first song in five years is an upbeat forward march into the unknown, a musical representation of undirected ambition whose tone belies an undercurrent of skepticism in the lyrics. Pratt’s delivery is as cheerful as the triumphant drums, bass, and strings that undergird it — production that’s likened in a press release to the orchestral excess of ’60s pop hits like The Walker Brothers’ “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore” — but her words are ever-so-slightly out of sync: “Time is time and time and time again / And what would you say if you can’t get out of here?” she sings. “Time is time and time and time again / To make your escape you’ve captured the captor’s fear.”

From the album ‘Here in the Pitch,’ out May 3rd, 2024 on Mexican Summer/City Slang

After the original line-up of Young Jesus dissolved in 2021, leaving bandleader John Rossiter as the sole remaining member, the project’s music began to conspicuously lean into the plusher edges of its experimental indie rock. 2022’s “Shepard Head” did away with the angular sounds in favour of alt-R&B, jazz, and house, and yet Rossiter’s voice was still capable of a potent energy: that of a tortured siren bellowing from the heart of a forgotten chapter in Americana pop. “Brenda & Diane,” is the new single from Young Jesus’ upcoming album “The Fool”, relies on the power of Rossiter’s vocals to help craft a charging pop ballad with a few ‘80s signifiers and a totally timeless spirit.

Rossiter tells the tale of two people on the lamb — the stakes are heavy, but the highway spans to infinity, as they drive “in a car full of cash, / credit cards, and / that reckless abandon.” Rossiter sings with a conviction that’s so passionate and despairing, it could be his own story.

“Brenda & Diane”: This song is sung from the perspective of a narrator who shares the story of two runaways, Brenda and Diane. The main character initially thinks he’s better than them but eventually sits down to talk to them, realizing they have a whole, complex life. It’s a humbling experience for the main character and challenges his sense of superiority and judgment

John Rossiter: Lead Vocals, Guitar, Electric Guitar, Piano Alex Lappin: Bass Guitar, Drums, FX

from “The Fool” out May 24th

Neil Young brings “Dume” to vinyl for the first time.  The 16-track double album with Crazy Horse was assembled for Young’s second volume of Archives from material recorded during the sessions for 1975’s “Zuma” and features both outtakes and songs from that album – in essence, creating a new, more expansive version of “Zuma” minus one song (“Through My Sails”) and plus seven others.

When Neil Young assembles a special edition of his songs, the delight is in the details. “Dume” is a new limited-edition all analogue vinyl pressing of 16 songs that were originally collected for Neil Young’s Archives Vol. II, released in autumn 2020.

These sixteen tracks from the “Zuma”-recording period on this limited-edition vinyl pressing turn into a somewhat kaleidoscopic view of the era, and really present an album that becomes its own being. The freshness of never-heard-before versions of well-known songs, along with the original songs themselves on newly pressed high-quality vinyl from the original analogue tape masters, is like an audio reset for everything gathered. In the always-evolving efforts of Young, the past and the future meld into one never-ending presentation of his musical life in the highest audio sound quality available, and in new collections that allow an original light of what he’s accomplished so far.

The album features recordings, some of which were part of the historic Zuma album sessions by Neil Young and Crazy Horse, and others previously unreleased, are a detailed look at one of the most exciting periods in Neil’s rock and roll life. “Dume” captures the live-wire spark of Young’s music during those years, and this full-bore attack is somewhat of a turning point for Young and his band.

Neil Young, Crazy Horse, and producer David Briggs were living in the Point Dume area of Malibu and recording at their own direction. The songs Young was writing on the “Dume” collection came at a steady stream, and after the twisty turns of ‘Tonight’s The Night’, the group felt open and free. “Zuma”, named after the beach they lived near, came together in wide-open sessions that had the air of freedom itself. In assembling “Dume“ – initially released as Disc 8 of the ‘Archives Vol. II’ box set – Young’s unfolding plan was to weave songs from the album with unreleased tracks and mixes from that period. ‘Dume’ is somewhat of a Mad Hatter’s take, using the “Zuma” album as a starting point and expanding that scope into a brand-new entity. Now it is available with the superior sound it was recorded in, via analogue master tapes and vinyl.

“Dume”, A HISTORIC COLLECTION OF Neil Young classics and hidden gems, Released for the first time on vinyl February 23rd Via Reprise Records