The Fat Angel Sings

The loss of Ruts frontman Malcolm Owen to a heroin overdose on July 14th, 1980, was to punk rock what the loss of Kurt Cobain was to grunge, and this The Ruts debut album, released in 1979, is every bit as important as “Nevermind” to the history of rock music. Henry Rollins has given praise in his spoken word show, and did a remarkably great job as The Ruts frontman in July 2007 at a London benefit show for guitarist Paul Fox, who passed away three months later from lung cancer, but, sadly, outside punk circles the band remain virtually unknown – particularly in the US – when, by rights, the likes of “Babylon’s Burning”, “Something That I Said“, and the reggae infused “Jah War” should be household names.

40 years after its initial release by Virgin Records, The Ruts debut album “The Crack”  gets a deserved 3 Disc Expanded Edition which further cements its reputation as one of the greatest Punk Rock albums of all time. Disc 1 is the original 12 track album, the re-master overseen by surviving members Segs Jennings and Dave Ruffy.

The second disc features the band’s first four singles – “In A Rut” , “Babylon’s Burning” , “Something That I Said”  and “Jah War” – plus 11 previously unreleased studio monitor mixes from the original album sessions showing rawer, work in progress versions of the album’s studio tracks.

The final disc is a previously unreleased live show from The Netherlands in January 1980 featuring the original band at their most electric and exciting, vocalist Malcolm Owen in particular on fine form. The detailed booklet contains sleeve notes by Record Collector’s Rich Davenport plus lots of memorabilia from the era.

4CD featuring mono and stereo mixes of the three albums The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band recorded for Reprise Records, marking the first time the mono mixes have been available on CD. Also includes a brace of previously unissued out-takes from “Volume 2”, and a complete alternate version of “Volume 3, A Child’s Guide To Good And Evil”, all lovingly remastered by Alec Palao. Complete with a 40-page booklet, featuring a detailed history of the WCPAEB by Gray Newell profusely illustrated with rare photos and ephemera.

The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, an unlikely musical collaboration between a trio of well-heeled teenage musicians from the Hollywood Hills and a wealthy wannabe- hipster playboy in his mid-30s, are regarded by those in the know as one of the most idiosyncratic groups to emerge during the psychedelic era, attracting a devoted cult following thanks to their unique sound.

The The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, recorded three albums for Reprise between 1966 and 1968, and this collection captures the group at their creative peak. In addition to the mono and stereo mixes of the albums and some edited 45 releases, this set also features an abundance of previously unissued recordings, including out-takes from ‘Volume 2’ and an entire alternate version of ‘A Child’s Guide To Good And Evil’ that offers a fascinating insight into the production of that album, as well as a rare radio promo spot.

The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band: A Door Inside Your Mind (The Complete Reprise Recordings 1966-1968).

Formed by two relative veterans of the musical landscape in London in 1990, Curve blazed a trail with a fresh new sound during the first few years of that decade, fusing heavy electronics with layered guitars and sweetly dark vocals. The British music press was instantly enamoured, and the band went on to score a succession of critically acclaimed underground hits through a series of classic EPs and two futuristic albums.

Released on Dave Stewart’s (Eurythmics) Anxious imprint, these records chart the course of a band who burned brightly but briefly in their original incarnation, taking their cues from the scene around them and creating a new sound which many would mimic (most notably, Butch Vig’s Garbage). But this is the original flavour. The real deal. Original and daring. Homespun yet worldly.

Featuring the classic early EPs and those two seminal long players, “Unreadable Communication” demands a re-examination of a band who set the standards of their own time and place, and who continue to be referenced and appreciated by shoegazers, industrialists and ethereal pop kids across the world.

The set Includes the Classic albums ‘Doppleganger’ AND ‘Cuckoo’ plus singles, B- sides, Remixes and Live recordings

Extensive box set exploring Cranes’ output on the Dedicated label, 1989-1997. Includes albums, b-sides, remixes, rarities and live recordings. Curated in association with cranes founder and vocalist Alison Shaw. Artwork by 4ad graphic design legend Chris Bigg.

Formed in 1986 by siblings Alison and Jim Shaw, Cranes remain one of the most distinctive bands of the late 1980s and 1990s, their ever-mutating sound defying categorisation and existing outside of the zeitgeist. Their recorded output during their initial ten-year incarnation is collected together here for the first time, from the raw 1989 mini album “Self-Non-Self” (originally released on Bite Back!) through to the sophisticated 1997 epic “Population Four”.

Curated and overseen by singer Alison Shaw on behalf of the band, and resplendent in artwork by 4AD legend Chris Bigg (with detailed liner notes and discographic information), “Collected Works Vol 1” serves as timely reminder of Cranes’ magnificence as they evolved from stark, noisy soundscapes to bolder, more elaborate instrumentation and arrangements. With hints of ethereal rock, dream pop, shoegaze, industrial and neo- classical, theirs was a sound truly like no other.

A must for fans and a perfect all-in-one deep dive for the curious, “Collected Works Vol 1” is an emotionally charged time capsule showcasing one of the finest bands of the 1990s.

The group’s entire Atlantic Records output 1965-1971. 152 carefully remastered tracks across seven compact discs. The first four albums presented in both stereo and mono, along with significant single edits and foreign language versions. For the first time on any Rascals re-issue, 14 previously unreleased tracks. 60-page booklet with detailed notes and rare illustrations from The Rascals Archives.

In the mid-1960s, the Rascals fused the best of rock and soul with memorable hits like ‘Good Lovin’’ and ‘I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore”, and they remain the most beloved of acts of that era. The electrifying quartet of Felix Cavaliere, Eddie Brigati, Gene Cornish and Dino Danelli defined the term blue-eyed soul. As the hits mounted up, the group expanded their musical horizons and revealed a powerful songcraft with introspective originals ‘Groovin’ and ‘How Can I Be Sure,’ future standards both. And their 1968 smashes ‘A Beautiful Morning’ and ‘People Got To Be Free’ remain among the greatest celebrations of peace and harmony ever cut to disc.

Although the Rascals are principally remembered for their singles, their albums were also studded with gems, and showcased not just their signature rock and R&B styles but also a progressive exploration of jazz, Eastern modes, psychedelia and other diverse styles.

This set presents the full complement of their cornerstone Atlantic recordings, featuring the band’s seven LPs for the label —the first four in both mono and stereo variations—along with assorted non-LP singles, foreign language versions and, for the very first time on a Rascals reissue, 14 previously unreleased tracks.

‘It’s Wonderful’ is the definitive compendium of the group’s first five years 1965-1970, charting their growth from New York club band to international superstars. Compiled and suitably remastered by Alec Palao, this major refurbishment of their catalogue leaves no stone unturned. A nearly 10,000-word essay by Richie Unterberger provides an in-depth account of their career, and is supplanted by an extensive session history and copious illustrations from the Rascals Archives. All housed in a deluxe, handsomely appointed box art directed and designed by Steve Stanley.

Why Bonnie – the New York-based project of Blair Howerton – have announced their signing to Fire Talk Records with a new song, ‘Dotted Line’. The track arrives with a music video co-directed by Howerton and Grace Pendleton.

Howerton wrote ‘Dotted Line’ during a period when she was “broke as hell” and experiencing “the weight of capitalism,” she explained in a press release. “I was thinking of all the things we’re told are markers of success, and how at this rate, I’ll probably never have any of them.”

‘Dotted Line’ marks the band’s first new music since their 2022 album “90 in November”. 

“Spell Blanket – Collected Demos 2006-2009” is a collection of thirty-six demos and rough material that would have gone on to form Broadcast’s fifth studio album, which of course never came to pass due to the sudden death of singer Trish Keenan in 2011. Sourced from Keenan’s archives of MiniDisc recordings and four-track tapes by bassist James Cargill, it’s an incredible insight into the creative processes of one of England’s most severely underrated bands.

Also due “Distant Call”, In contrast to “Spell Blanket”, is a collection of early demos of songs that would subsequently appear as finished productions on the albums “Haha Sound”, “Tender Buttons” and “The Future Crayon”. 

“Distant Call” is a closing of the door on Broadcast and will be the last release from the band. Available September 28th

“Spell Blanket – Collected Demos 2006-2009”, out now via Warp Records.

Jessica Pratt is releasing a new album, “Here in the Pitch”, on May 3rd via Mexican Summer. Pratt has shared the album’s second single, “World on a String,” via a music video. Fellow musician Kate Bollinger directed the song’s video. A number of previously unexplored influences infiltrate Jessica Pratt’s folk song writing, including wall-of-sound 60s pop, bossa nova, and psychedelia.

On her first full-length since 2019, Pratt takes the reverb-drenched sounds of 1960s recordings and twists and fine-tunes them into new shapes. The minimalist majesty and spaciousness of previous releases remain, but there’s a noirish lens at play in both the songwriting and production, as if the they were decades-old tracks plucked from a cellar in the hills of the U.S. West Coast.

A lush, dreamy collection that we reckon is easily her finest work to date.

“On this track I was influenced by the swaying, naive brilliance of ‘lost’ teenage garage rock bands, as well as enduring loves like The Nazz and Guided By Voices,” Pratt says in a press release. “Record the song moments after you’ve learned it on an instrument you’ve just picked up. Oftentimes, that’s all you need.”

Bollinger had this to say about the video: “Making this video with Jessica was a dream art project. We emailed for days, eventually landing on a mondo style march-of-the-pagan village meets field of freaks. We brought in many friends from Los Angeles: two DPs, 20 cast members, and a production designer. It was a big group effort and a day I’ll always remember.”

Previously Pratt shared the album’s first single, “Life Is,” .

“Here in the Pitch” is the follow-up to 2019’s “Quiet Signs”. The Los Angeles-based musician once again recorded at Gary’s Electric Studio in Brooklyn. She worked with previous collaborators, multi-instrumentalist/engineer Al Carlson and keyboardist Matt McDermott. Bassist Spencer Zahn and percussionist Mauro Refosco (David Byrne, Atoms for Peace) also took part in the sessions. Ryley Walker, Peter Mudge (Mac Miller, J.I.D.), and Alex Goldberg all also contributed to the album.

“I became obsessed with figures emblematic of the dark side of the Californian dream while making this record,” Pratt said of “Here in the Pitch” in a previous press release.

Pratt recorded the album over a three-year period, from 2020 to 2023. Of the five-year gap between albums, she said: “I never wanted it to take this long. I’m just a real perfectionist. I was just trying to get the right feeling, and it takes a long time to do that.”

The previous press release compared the album’s first single, and opening track, “Life Is,” to The Walker Brothers’ 1960s orchestral pop classic “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore,” but Pratt warned it’s not exactly representative of the album as a whole, which is starker.

“In a way, it’s kind of a false flag,” Pratt admitted. “But I also feel like it’s a statement of intention.”

the album “Here in the Pitch”, out May 3rd, 2024 on Mexican Summer/City Slang

New York pop savants Charly Bliss want their new album “Forever” to crush you under the weight of pure feeling. They want to sweep you up in a hurricane of heartbreak. They want you to pour your soul out singing along at their shows and alone in your bedroom. In short, says singer Eva Hendricks, they want to destroy you…but in a fun way. 

Produced by Jake Luppen (Hippo Campus) and Caleb Wright (Samia) along with the band’s Sam Hendricks, “Forever”  follows five years after their critically acclaimed 2019 album “Young Enough“.

When we began writing “Forever”, Sam had just discovered he was going to be a father and Eva didn’t know she was about to relocate her entire life to Australia. Since then, all of our lives have been rearranged a thousand times over. We’ve fallen in and out of love, moved apartments, swapped coasts and continents, planned weddings, welcomed babies, applied for visas, and filled many antidepressant prescriptions.

Full of the band’s biggest, brightest batch of power pop yet “Forever” crams a lifetime of feeling, decades of friendship, and years of craft into a batch of sonically tight but emotionally vast songs that activate the pleasure centres in your brain whether you’re listening alone in your headphones or in a packed room at a live show. The songs shimmer and burst, the way fireworks look like they should sound.

Charly Bliss is back with their signature power-pop panache, albeit with a slight twist on their new single, “I Need A New Boyfriend.” Conjuring the zeitgeisty, sugarcoated delivery of groups like 100 Gecs and the How I’m Feeling Now milieu of the other Charli, “I Need A New Boyfriend” is an enthralling new step for the consistently great Brooklynites.

All this nonstop change has made it profoundly clear what is permanent; and for all four of us, the through line is Charly Bliss. This album is head over heels, overflowing with romantic love and friend love and crushes and hurricanes of big feeling.

Damn our Album is out. It’s our fifth record and it’s called “Hovvdy”. we’ve been a band for a bit and this one feels different. Thanks if you’ve been around for a long time and thanks if this is post #1. It’s never too late. The sounds and looks wouldn’t exist without Sarlo, Ben and Adam. Special thanks to Aubrey. There’s lots more to say but for now let’s just have some fun out there.

Hovvdy’s self-titled double album, co-produced with Andrew Sarlo (Big Thief, Bon Iver) and long time collaborator Ben Littlejohn, is their most cohesive and ambitious record to date: The definitive Hovvdy album. Across the 19 track sequence ranging from expansive celebratory anthems to quiet acoustic meditations, Hovvdy displays deft and catchy pop songcraft with touches of indie folk and southern Americana.

 A delight from end to end, the particular hazy, melded sound Hovvdy bring is smooth, moving and rich.

released April 26th, 2024

Co-produced by Andrew Sarlo, Charlie Martin, Will Taylor, Bennett Littlejohn
Performed by Charlie Martin, Will Taylor, Bennett Littlejohn, Andrew Sarlo