The Fat Angel Sings

Danny Lee Blackwell, the L.A.-based artist who carries with him a deep love for psychedelic music in all its various forms, is back this year with “Rajan”, a new album he recorded under the name Night Beats that’s set to be co-released on July 14th by Suicide Squeeze and Fuzz Club Records. Exciting news on its own, but the multi-talented musician continues to amp up our anticipation this morning with a fresh single from this record “Thank You,” complete with a brilliantly trippy video.

The clip, directed by Austin filmmaker Vanessa Pla, feels like equal parts Alejandro Jodorowsky, Black Orpheus and The Mighty Boosh as Blackwell finds himself in the company of — and is slowly swallowed up by a group of masked figures that, at one point, leave him completely naked on the floor while the camera spins overhead.

Read into these eye-popping visuals what you will, but here’s what Blackwell had to say about this new video:

Collaborating with Vanessa Pla, the director of the “Thank You” music video, has been an exceptional experience. Vanessa has a profound understanding of the creative process, and has helped me to transform my concept into a meaningful work of art. In the video, the 12 masked figures symbolize the limitations of our innermost desires and struggles, as the story follows an alchemical journey of transformation. Vanessa’s vision for the video was to highlight the power of transformation as an alchemical process, which reinforces the significance of the simple gesture of saying “Thank You.” This concept challenged me as an artist to explore deeper meanings and to convey them through simple ideas. Through our collaboration, we were able to create a compelling visual story that captures the essence of transformation and gratitude.

The Durutti Column’s 1998 album, “Time Was Gigantic… When We Were Kids”, will be reissued on CD and issued on vinyl for the very first time, in June.

The band were among the first acts signed to Factory Records by Tony Wilson and were led by guitarist, pianist and occasional vocalist Vini Reilly, along with drummer, percussionist and co-manager Bruce Mitchell.

“Time was Gigantic…” has been remastered and expanded for this 25th anniversary reissue with both CD and 2LP vinyl editions featuring five bonus tracks. It also boasts revised and expanded artwork by Hamish Muir and Mark Holt of graphic design studio 8VO along with extensive sleeve notes by Factory Records and band expert James Nice.

The album was The Durutti Column’s last on Factory Records (albeit on the London Records ‘Factory Too’ imprint) and was produced by Bruce Weir, who also played on the record. In fact, it would be the last ever album to be released by Factory, with funding for the label being withdrawn before the end of the decade. The album brought about the end of a 20 year partnership between Reilly and his mentor Wilson.

Lovely album this, definitely worth a go if you only know the early Factory stuff. Cool sleeve too. Quite a few vocal tracks with Eley Rudge on lead- almost reminscent of The Sundays. I can’t believe this is 25 years ago.

“Time Was Gigantic… When We Were Kids” will be reissued on 30th June 2023 via London Records.

Living in LA, there are a lot of people looking for that one trick that will help the new them emerge fully realized, successful and happy. It’s a worthwhile, but doomed pursuit, and the best we can hope for is to be present in a moment.  Local Natives album comes at a moment of personal metamorphosis. Former selves melting away, some becoming fathers, some enduring periods of isolation, loss, and identity crisis. “Time Will Wait For No One” is a mantra of reassurance in response to relentless changes.

New album “Time Will Wait For No One” out July 7th.

Stone Gossard and Loosegroove Records are set to release two limited and exclusive ’30th anniversary’ vinyl variants of the debut Brad album ‘Shame,’ and more. There is also an official announcement for a new Brad studio LP.

Thirty years ago, the group Brad (with a young Stone Gossard) released their debut album “Shame“. Fast forward to the present. Gossard (now famous for his guitar work in Pearl Jam) is releasing new material from his old band and reissuing the debut disc.

The title track from the upcoming new LP “In The Moment That You’re Born” has also been released, showing off the vocal prowess of the late Shawn Smith and the musicianship of guitarist and Loosegroove Records founders Gossard and drummer Regan Hagar (Brad, Satchel, Malfunkshun), along with bassist Keith Lowe.

The death of singer Shawn Smith in 2019 was a huge loss to the band. The single “In The Moment That You’re Born“ and the subsequent release of the new LP stands as a celebration of the talent that Smith brought to Brad.

Stone says, “Shawn’s lyric from years ago about it never fails. ‘You always return to the scene of the crime.’ Well, Brad has always been good at looking back and returning as well. Cherishing those times in the past, where we allowed ourselves to experience the magic of creation together, with all the sense of adventure, fear and fearlessness, insecurity and bravado.”

Regan Hagar, who is the drummer in the band as well as a founder and creative director for Loosegroove adds, “I’m moved by Shawn Smith once again. And Stone’s guitar work on this track kills me every time I listen.”

The album “In The Moment That You’re Born” features 10 new self-produced recordings with vocals recorded by Shawn Smith in sessions prior to his 2019 passing. The tracks include a new version of “Stars N’ You”; written by the late Seattle musician Andrew Wood (Mother Love Bone, Malfunkshun). The song was originally recorded for the 1986 Deep Six compilation by Malfunkshun, It also featured Brad drummer Hagar. 

Stone Gossard – guitars
Regan Hagar – drums, cover and package design
Shawn Smith – vocals, piano, organ, guitar on “Down”
Jeremy Toback – bass guitar, lead vocals and organ on “Down”

The album “In The Moment That You’re Born” will be officially released July 28th, 2023. Our exclusive reissue of Brad’s debut album will be released at the same time.

Bandcamp Friday rolls around again tomorrow, and it seems as good a time as any to get this third, ‘first time on vinyl’ Acid Mothers Temple Official double vinyl. Here we have the bands classic 2007 double album ‘Acid Motherly Love’ pressed on vinyl for the first time. This 2LP set is pressed on transparent orange vinyl, and comes housed in a fully redesigned gatefold sleeve complete with obligatory nudity.

This one, ‘Acid Motherly Love’ has taken way longer to get released than planned. The approved the test pressings were a year ago. There are two variants of the album, there’s a label exclusive 300 only transparent magneta coloured one, this also comes with a numbered OBI (wrap around spine style, provided cut and folded) as talked about many times over the past year, there is also a label exclusive two piece custom box set, made to house this release and the previous two ‘Pink Lady Lemonade You’re From Outer Space’ & ‘Myth Of The Love Electrique’ inside … however, they are not included of course!

‘Acid Motherly Love’ is another ride through Acid Mothers weird and psychedelic world. Guitars howl, riffs grow Bigger with each minute and brains get fried along the way. Recorded under falling ash and burning roof tiles, ‘Acid Motherly Love’ features every dimension of their legendary underground sound – from wild riff heavy jams, to quieter acoustic passages and spoken monologues, all capped by the trance inducing 15 minute-plus epic ‘Santa Sanrodriguez’.

releases May 26th, 2023

Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. – at the time of this recording were :

Tsuyama Atsushi : monster bass, voice, acoustic guitar, piano, bamboo flute, cosmic joker
Higashi Hiroshi : synthesizer, dancin’king
Shimura Koji : drums, latino cool
Kawabata Makoto : electric guitar, hurdy-gurdy, bouzouki, electric sitar, sarangi, tambura, organ, harmonium, violin, electric tambura, glockenspiel, synthesizer, ring modulator, reyong, RDS900, voice, speed guru

The box set is only available with the label exclusive magenta edition of the album, and is only available to pre order for a limited period.

It’ll also be available via the label Bandcamp site. This long delayed ‘Acid Motherly Love’ 2xLP (label exclusive transparent magenta double vinyl housed in a gatefold sleeve) The Box & 2xLP will only be available via the label webshop until noon next Tuesday.

The actual Acid Motherly Love 2xLP on its own will stay available until it runs out of course

Curated By King Crimson. It’s King Crimson’s life in music – as told in a series of exclusive new interviews…Not forgetting the greatest gigs they ever saw, and their 50 favourite albums. Plus: their introductions to their pick of archive interviews with Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush and John McLaughlin.

This item will be published on the 28th April 2023

Rising artist Thala is finding strength in her vulnerability on new EP ‘In Theory Depression’. After forging a path in hazy, lo-fi indie, this forthcoming release is home to her sharpest, boldest songwriting yet, rendering these deeply personal explorations of self in vivid, ‘90s influenced indie-rock, and looming, psych-inspired walls-of-sound. The new EP sees Thala dredging up the feelings she’d tried hard to bury before. As the usual bustle of her hectic everyday life was silenced, she filled that space with song writing, delving deep into the complicated feelings she had previously left to somewhere deep within herself.

My new single ‘Curtain Call’ is out now!! And with that being said you can now pre-order my EP ‘In Theory Depression’ everywhere in the whole wide world – I’ve poured all my heart and soul into this & can’t wait to share all of these 6 beautiful songs with you! They are so close to my heart. Don’t think I’ve ever written anything more personal iml. I’m so freaking excited for this next chapter!! There’s much more to say but for now this is all you need to know. Special thanks to everyone involved in making this. Ty for believing in me when I struggle to do so.

Recalling the tangled indie-rock of Holly Humberstone, Soccer Mommy and Phoebe Bridgers, and underpinned by spiky, surging guitars, her music unearths tenderness, even as it rages. On the raw-edged new single ‘Curtain Call’ sees the narrator stare blankly at the wall, setting out her greatest fear in plain, and totally unadorned terms. “I’m scared I’ll die unhappy without someone to love”.

The Beaches have released a new single and music video, “Blame Brett” showcasing their wild and vulnerable sides. The song warns potential partners about lead singer Jordan Miller’s tendency to cause relationship chaos due to past heartbreak. The Canadian alt-rock band has also announced that their much-awaited second album, “Blame My Ex”, will be available on September 15th.

This breakup song presents Miller’s strong and vulnerable persona with a unique twist on the classic theme. The song “Blame Brett” immediately grabs listeners’ attention with its lively beat and powerful vocals by Miller. The energetic guitar riffs, compelling bass line, and fast-paced percussion create an intense and emotional listening experience.

The music video complements the track’s hedonistic vibe, featuring The Beaches rocking out in colourful leather, cheerleader skirts, slinky lingerie, feather boas, and 90’s sunnies. Miller explains that “Blame Brett” is a song “about feeling vulnerable and afraid to open your heart to someone new,” making it an anthem for all the hot messes.

The Beaches is a band from the neighbourhood with the same name. Its members include Jordan Miller as the lead vocalist and bassist, Kylie Miller as the guitarist, Leandra Earl as the keyboardist and guitarist, and Eliza Enman-McDaniel as the drummer. The band has succeeded, with over 60 million streams and six number-one singles on Canadian Alternative Radio, The Beaches, previously opened for legendary bands like The Rolling Stones and Foo Fighters, are steadily gaining recognition in the music industry. Their last album was highly acclaimed by Elton John and won two Juno Awards.

At its core, Lifeguard is a punk band. Their music is loud and energetic. It’s also, at its core, visceral and hypnotic. For the Chicago-based trio that can include repetition and blasts of speaker cone-shredding feedback.

Their songs adeptly balance melody and chaos, rhythm and drone. Hooks and noise are held to the same standard. Both have to stick. They’re a young band, but they’ve already found a place at the forefront of an important emerging music community in their hometown. They are quite prolific. In just three years, Lifeguard has put out a full-length, two EPs, and two 7” singles.

This week, Chicago-based post-punk trio Lifeguard announced a new EP collection, “Crowd Can Talk / Dressed in Trenches”, and shared a new song from it, “17-18 Lovesong,” via a music video. “Crowd Can Talk / Dressed in Trenches” collects two EPs, one previously released and one unreleased, and is due out July 7th via Matador Records.

The band features Asher Case (bass, vocals), Isaac Lowenstein (drums, percussion), and Kai Slater (guitar, vocals). The “Crowd Can Talk” EP was originally released in 2022 by the Chicago label Born Yesterday, whereas the five songs on the “Dressed in Trenches” EP are new.

Both were recorded at the same studio (Electrical Audio) and with the same engineer (Mike Lust), but not at the same time.

“More than old records—before that, before anything—we’re influenced by live shows and people around us,” says Slater in a press release.

“The inspiration comes from playing shows with people and having that mind-blown moment of seeing some friend play at Schubas or Book Club,” adds Lowenstein. “It’s happening on these tiny little scales of seeing kids play live and [knowing] this is something new and interesting.”