The Fat Angel Sings

Frankie and the Witch Fingers return with their seventh studio album ‘Data Doom’, out September 1 via The Reverberation Appreciation Society and Greenway Records. To ring in the announcement, they’ve released a video for album highlight “Mild Davis” with a mind-bending animated music video. Inspired by Miles Davis’ early-70s electric work, the track’s dizzying 7/4 meter winds through chunky riffs, commanding vocals and proggy synths before crash-landing in a minefield of angular guitar harmonies. Plus there will be a massive run of U.S. and European tour dates,

Over the past decade, Frankie and the Witch Fingers have operated as an outright force of nature, offering up a revelatory form of psych-rock that hits on both a primal and ecstatically mind-bending level. In the making of their new album “Data Doom”, the Los Angeles-based four-piece forged a sublimely galvanizing sound informed by their love of Afrobeat and proto-punk—a potent vessel for their frenetic meditations on technological change run rampant, encroaching fascism, and corrosive systems of power. Animated by the explosive energy they’ve brought to the stage in sharing bills with such eclectic acts as Ty Segall and ZZ Top, the result is a major leap forward for one of the most adventurous and forward-thinking bands working today.

Rooted in the cerebral yet viscerally commanding songwriting of co-founders Dylan Sizemore (vocals, guitar) and Josh Menashe (lead guitar, synth), “Data Doom” marks the first Frankie and the Witch Fingers album created with bassist Nikki “Pickle” Smith (formerly of Death Valley Girls) and drummer Nick Aguilar (previously a touring drummer for punk legend Mike Watt). In crafting their most rhythmically complex work to date, the band drew heavily from each new member’s distinct sensibilities: Smith tapped into her extensive background in West African drumming (an art form she first discovered thanks to her music-instructor parents), while Aguilar leaned into formative influences like longtime Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen. Self-produced by the DIY-minded band and recorded direct to tape by Menashe, “Data Doom” ultimately took shape through countless sessions in their Southeast L.A. rehearsal space, with Frankie and the Witch Fingers allowing themselves unlimited time to explore their most magnificently strange impulses.

‘Data Doom’ will be released September 1st, 2023

In honour of last April’s “The Unravelling Of Puptheband” LP, Canadian pop-punk idols PUP kicked off a run of European and UK shows last week. To celebrate these dates, the band has shared two new tracks, “How to Live with Yourself” and “Smoke Screen,” both B-sides that didn’t make the original album’s final cut.

Of the former, vocalist Stefan Babcock said: “This one feels like a classic PUP song to me, and while our goal for the record was to push ourselves out of our comfort zone and try new things, sometimes it feels good to write a catchy, miserable ripper that feels like it captures exactly what this band is about.”

Babcock also reflected on “Smoke Screen,” saying: “This song originated with a Nestor [Chumak] riff… He sent it around, and the thing was so slow that I thought he’d exported it wrong. But his idea was to do a song that was like the ‘sludgey’ version of PUP, something we’d never really done before. The more I listened to it, the more it grew on me. I remember in the height of the pandemic sitting in the backseat of my car at the Home Depot parking lot, anything to try and escape the house, and writing and recording all the lyrics on the spot.”

PUP’s out now

“En Plein Air” is the new single from Queens, New York band Patio available digitally on Fire Talk Records. The trio have “an instinct for scrappy, empathetic song writing” (Pitchfork), continuing along the off-kilter post punk the band has perfected and balancing eloquence and acerbity in equal form. Filled with wry observations and sharp punctuations of melody, the song is a refinement of the sound that Patio were early purveyors of.

released May 30th, 2023

It is with immense pleasure and delight that we can finally say our new album ‘Red Sun Titans’ is OUT NOW!, This week is a special week, we have put something into the world that was created from nothing by a group of beautiful, talented humans that I am fortunate enough to call friends.

It is made almost entirely of creativity, cooperation and love, and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you all.

Thank you so much to all of our fans, family and friends for their continued support and everyone who has parted with their hard-earned cash to buy a copy of the record already. Without these small acts of kindness and charity, we would not be able to make the music. So this is for you.

It’s been one hell of a journey getting to this point and we couldn’t be prouder of the record we’ve made. We would like to thank everyone who has been a part of this epic adventure and all of those who have parted with their hard earned money to support us in buying the album.

“Transcending styles and genre, Mac Rebennack (aka “Dr. John”), is captured here in a collection of appearances at Montreux Jazz Festival 1986-2011 and you won’t be able to tell any sense of progression or regression; you get a New Orleans gumbo and stride that is timeless” – “Jazz Weekly” on “Dr. John: The Montreux Years” double vinyl, CD & streaming album

The Six time Grammy Award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Dr. John performed at Montreux 10 times between 1973 and 2014.

‘Stack-a-Lee’ is his iconic live performance of the American folk song, originally recorded in 1923 by Waring’s Pennsylvanians. It’s been re-recorded numerous times with alternative titles by legendary musicians since then, including Lloyd Price who hit the Billboard number 1 with it in 1959. Dr.John’s lively, energetic performance of the song is a Montreux Festival classic and will be featured on the upcoming album, ‘Dr. John – The Montreux Years’ which will be released on June 2nd on CD and LP

Ty Segall & Freedom Band rip through a discography spanning set filmed at Occidental College’s Remsen Bird Hillside Theater, a Greek amphitheatre in the hills of Los Angeles.
 
The Freedom Band’s first stream was recorded by their 6th member, live sound engineer and sonic guru, Matthew Littlejohn and fellow head, Mike Kriebel.  They teamed up with director Joshua Erkman to film the band in the round.  The film was co-produced by LA’s Sid The Cat, with audio mixed by Mike Kriebel.
 
The film and album features artwork by Robbie Simon, available on screen printed posters signed by the band, limited edition cassettes and t-shirts, and tie dye tees.

Ben Boye (Keyboards)
Charles Moothart (Drums)
Emmett Kelly (Guitar)
Mikal Cronin (Bass)
Ty Segall (Vocals/Guitar)

Film Produced at Occidental College by Sid the Cat Presents.

* What is overrun? We ordered an exact amount of vinyl to be produced for the Splatter & Black Stream Editions. When an order is made the pressing plant tells us there can be + or – 10% made for our order, in the case of overrun we list them for sale after all shipments have been made for a release. These are the last copies available.

While Nicholas Allbrook can seem larger than life when fronting kaleidoscopic psych-pop band Pond, his fourth album trades aplomb for honesty. Slow burners like Carla Geneve-assisted closer ‘The Night Before You Flew’ are starkly intimate, beautiful while feeling like they may break at any moment.

‘Commodore’ and the devastating, elegiac ‘Jackie’ take sonic cues from Oz rock’s dalliance with new wave in the ’80s, Allbrook pairing meditations on love and grief above retro synths and sparse drum machines. As with the classics of that era, those songs have a painful desperation in them, reaching a hand out for connection.

it’s interesting to hear a record from Allbrook as unhurried and focused on raw emotion as his fourth solo album, ‘Manganese’. The songs here, most of which move slowly, feel big and lush though they’re made up of relatively few distinct parts at any given time. Anchored by prominent basslines, the textures on ‘Manganese’ have a patchwork quality, as gently strummed chords, bubbling keys and flute unfurl around each other, each in their own time.

‘Commodore’ taken from the new album ‘Manganese’ out now on Spinning Top Records.

Canberra based grunge band Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers have announced their debut album, ‘I Love You’.  the band took to social media to announce the album, confirming that it is scheduled for release on September 8th via Domestic La La. “We have put blood, sweat and literal tearz into this album and we are so fkn excited for you all to hear it,” the band wrote on Instagram.

Apart from announcing the album, Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers have also released a vulnerable new single, ‘Never Saw It Coming’, which comes with its own music video.

An acoustic cut, ‘Never Saw It Coming’ was written and performed by drummer Neve van Boxsel. The emotional track sees Boxsel sing about getting through tough times with her best friends by her side.

“‘Never Saw It Coming’ took me over a year to finish writing. It’s about a very difficult topic that unfortunately is not just my story but many others. It’s one of the first songs I brought to the band and the first song I’ve ever sung lead on so having Anna, Jaida and Scarlett support me so much with such a personal song made something that was really difficult, a lot easier,” Boxsel said via a press statement.

Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers have also shared the cover art and track list for ‘I Love You’, confirming that previously released singles ‘AHHHH!’ and ‘Lights Out’ will be included on their debut album.

Earlier this week, the band also announced that they are set to provide support for Foo Fighters’ Naarm/Melbourne concert 

On their 2020 debut album, ‘God I’m Such A Mess’, Cry Club proved themselves worthy of their self-affixed “bubblegum punk” tag, glazing hooky pop songs with a snarky bite. But as its bold title and eye-catching artwork tease, ‘Spite Will Save Me’ flips the script, flicking glittery pop sensibilities over sharp and snarling punk tunes (think a whole album of cuts like ‘Robert Smith’).

The paradigm shift proves crucial with the album’s loose narrative – it’s a concept album of sorts, diving deep into themes of “queer wrath” and trans liberation in the face of mounting oppression. It’s brash, dramatic and camp, but also beautiful and empowering – it’s the album 2023 needs.

Cry Club is: Heather Riley (they/them) Jonathon Tooke (he/him)

Cable Ties just keep getting better. ‘All Her Plans’ finds the post-punk trio’s musical chemistry at both its tightest and most adventurous. The urgent, incendiary ‘Perfect Client’ and ‘Silos’ are classic Cable Ties, searing condemnations of the way capitalist, neoliberal structures keep people from getting the help they deserve. But raw fury isn’t everything. “All Her Plans”, the third album from Melbourne, Australia’s Cable Ties, finds the trio of Jenny McKechnie, Shauna Boyle, and Nick Brown at their punchiest and most assured. The ferocious, kraut-influenced blend of post-punk and garage rock of Merge debut “Far Enough” remains, but McKechnie’s lyrics invite the listener closer than ever before.

‘Time For You’ sees guitarist and vocalist Jenny McKechnie reflect on finding a safe home in one’s partner, while ‘Mum’s Caravan’ is a deeply personal song about her mother making personal sacrifices to care for others. This is a record about calling out injustice, trying to find some joy despite it, and knowing that at the end of the day, all we have is each other. Cable Ties have also just announced a run of EU/ UK supports in August w/ Amyl & The Sniffers

The urgency and fury that have marked Cable Ties’ output thus far is more nuanced on “All Her Plans”. The unfettered rage of their calls to action endures tackling subjects like broken mental healthcare systems and the burden of familial care that is largely placed on women while holding space for gratitude, love, and acceptance.

“All Her Plans“ is a breakthrough moment for Cable Ties. It is the sound of a group that is exhilarated to be making music together again, both a celebration of their resilience and a massive step forward into a future they can finally claim as their own. 

“All Her Plans” is out June 23rd on Merge Records