The Fat Angel Sings

An album hugely in demand and sounding absolutely fantastic at thirty years old! We’re delighted to bring you a special archive pressing of The Boo Radleys’ “Giant Steps“. NME’s 1993 Album Of The Year, named in the Top 20 of Pitchfork’s The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time and lauded as one of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, The Boo Radleys’ classic album, “Giant Steps” will be reissued, on special remastered vinyl almost 30 years to the day since its original release.

“Giant Steps” is the third studio album by the Boo Radleys, released in 1993. The title is inspired by John Coltrane’s album of the same name, and the record features an assortment of influences — their previous shoegazing sound backed by pop, reggae, noise pop and orchestral sounds.

The band’s genre-ambiguous and widely-acclaimed masterpiece will become available to fans old and new.

The Boo Radleys’ songwriter/guitarist, Martin Carr, named his band’s 1993 album after John Coltrane’s 1959 LP, but “Giant Steps” also is a winking acknowledgment of another kind: He’s the first to know that the Liverpool quartet has taken a huge leap forward. Although they hardly renounce the thunderous swirl and delicate suspension of 1992’s “Everything’s Alright Forever“, the Boo Radleys treat that candied rush as an absorbed language, with Carr choosing to pursue a grand vision that unifies psychedelia, British guitar-pop, jazz, and dub.

Part of the appeal of “Giant Steps” is that the Boo Radleys’ enthusiasm leads them to attempt fusions that would scare away other bands: Witness “Lazarus,” which begins with an elastic reggae beat before becoming consumed by sheets of guitars, wispy harmonies, and stabs of brass. “Lazarus” is essentially “Giant Steps” in microcosm, but the album gains strength through its own untrammeled ambition. At the dawn of britpop, the Boo Radleys chose expanding consciousness over provincial patriotism, and the results are still majestic.

“Do you know this band…The Sonics?” The answer to this question varies, depending on who you ask. Many folks will give you a shake and a shrug. But if you ask a fan of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Garage, Punk, Psychobilly, Proto-punk, etc., the response will often be a resounding “YES!”.

In BOOM, filmmaker Jordan Albertsen sets out to discover the true story of how an early-1960s Tacoma, Washington-based band became “the most important band you’ve never heard of”, and experienced popularity fifty years after their initial heyday. BOOM reveals how five Tacoma teens – Larry Parypa, Andy Parypa, Rob Lind, Bobby Bennett and Jerry Roslie – formed The Sonics in 1963. Inspired by the sound of popular northwest U.S. bands such as The Wailers and The Kingsmen, and working with local producer/record label owner Buck Ormsby, The Sonics enjoyed regional hits with songs like “The Witch” and “Psycho”.

Making use of archival footage and photos, and band member interviews, Jordan Albertsen creates a strong narrative in this film. Driven in part by wanting to forge a greater connection with his father (who was a fan of The Sonics), and by his intrigue over the band’s unlikely international success, Albertsen takes his audience on a trip that is equal parts history and mystery.

The filmmaker uses the tried-and-true rock documentary method of recounting the history of a band by having members tell their story on camera. While this documentary style is common, the story moves along well, with members of the band weighing in on various aspects and details of The Sonics’ early days. Interviews are interspersed with the requisite early-1960s clips and photos, in addition to commentary from younger artists such as Kurt Bloch of Young Fresh Fellows and Fastbacks, Mike McCready of The Presidents of the United States of America, and Heart’s Nancy Wilson. The history and the testimonials from younger musicians give weight and context to how The Sonics’ efforts and regional success inspired the next generation of northwest bands.

Without giving too much away, Albertsen continues the story of The Sonics in the twenty-first century, investigating their seemingly improbable popularity overseas, as well as their reintroduction to the music scene, in America and beyond.

With BOOM, Jordan Albertsen has created a piece of filmmaking that works on a number of levels, appealing to a variety of audiences. Besides being writer-director-producer-editor, Albertsen also narrates this film in an accessible, everyman style. He engages the viewer immediately, in ways similar to the documentarian Michael Moore. Between The Sonics’ history and their present-day doings, BOOM moves along naturally, bringing the audience along with interest, every step of the way. An interesting film with a bit of a twist on the “rock doc” format, BOOM is a fine addition to the genre.

It’s new music day, it’s a beautiful day, Because my new album is out today!! soak it all in! Although my feelings are like the tides, always ebbing and flowing and never the same, in this moment I just feel calm and v, v happy. Often I’d be full of dread & anxiety on release days but not today. “Year of the Black Water Rabbit” is the culmination of the last two years in my little corner of the world. In that time there’s been lowest lows,

I said goodbye to my Dad and told him I loved him for the last time (he replied ‘thank you’ as always but I know he did love me back) and there’s also been such elation.. I married Johnny and the sun shone down on us all day long. Anyway, all those thoughts and feelings plus loads more themes like moving out to the wilds of Wiltshire, the gruelling winter, blissful summer, getting older (only a teeny bit, I’ve frozen at 28), family, friends, vegetables, birds bickering right now outside the window.

I want to send a massive thank you to my biggest supporters, the gorgeous Dan Bell who has patiently listened, aided and built up these songs with me from start to finish. Such a talented man! I missed working with a larger pool of musicians at times but it was amazing to focus this way also, perfect for this album as it’s such a personal one, and to ease into my new home studio gently. Everything you hear on this record is played by me and Dan.

Listen out for the voice of our bestie Nicky Francis on ‘Branded’ and hone in on ‘Our Love’, a beautiful ditty written by Alex Mattinson as a gift to us when we had to postpone out first wedding date due to lockdown. It’s a beautiful song that I just had to record and share with you!

It’s bandcamp Friday so it’s a brilliant excuse to buy the album on 12″, CD or digitally right here
https://lylafoy.bandcamp.com/…/year-of-the-black-water…

Westerman — the London-born, Athens-based pop maverick — returns with his new album, “An Inbuilt Fault”.

The album’s nine songs took shape throughout the depths of the pandemic, and soundtrack Westerman’s reckoning with two years of intense isolation, loneliness, heartbreak, and dread. Through it all, the album is visceral and live-sounding, full of the sound of breath and the idiosyncratic gestures of acoustic instruments. It creates a spatial feeling, sounding like musicians assembled in a room, passing evolving ideas back and forth. Co-produced with producer and percussionist James Krivchenia (Big Thief), “An Inbuilt Fault” musically references everything from Talk Talk’s delightfully strange and ethereal brand of pop, David Byrne’s bag of rhythmic tricks, Cat Stevens’ fireside warmth and much more.

“An Inbuilt Fault” follows Westerman’s acclaimed 2020 debut “Your Hero Is Not Dead”, a graceful and self-reflective project which earned him a spot as one of the most talked about new artists of the year thanks to profiles from Pitchfork (‘Rising’), Stereogum (‘Artist To Watch’), and Rolling Stone (‘Artist You Need To Know’). 

“Take” taken from the new album, “An Inbuilt Fault”, out May 5th as a joint venture between Partisan Records and Play It Again Sam.

“Crispy Crunchy Nothing” puts to rest any notion Madeline had about finding the end. Burnout, dead-end jobs, bike theft, stress dreams, heartbreak — Packs move forward through them all one line, one lick, one beat at a time, equal parts Alex G’s whimsy and Helvetia’s thunderous dynamics. Sticking together songs written in Toronto, Ottawa and Mexico City (while Madeline completed a papier-mâché residency), “Crispy Crunchy Nothing” revisits the fuzzy alt-rock of 2021 debut “Take the Cake” and adds some folksy twang to the mix for an album that explores the tension between independence and isolation, between living life to the fullest and feeling like you’re wasting your time.

Madeline reunited with bandmates Dexter Nash (lead guitar), Noah O’Neil (bass) and Shane Hooper (drums, backup vocals) for a weeklong recording retreat at a cabin on Lac Sarrazin in rural Quebec that they dubbed the Trout House, where the quartet bashed out all of the album’s 14 tracks and where the sauna doubled as nightly ritual and recording booth.

After spending 18 months fleshing out demos over a Google Drive folder, uncertain of the band’s IRL future, the week was propelled by the kinetic energy of old friends reuniting in person, making sense of the smorgasbord of gear they crammed into the cabin.

And while the specter of death looms over “Crispy Crunchy Nothing” and its brisk, folk-rock vignettes of loneliness, yearning and confusion, so too does Madeline’s sense of humour. It’s bone-dry, tucked within her drawling vocals, and buried beneath guitars that alternately sneer and twang. But it’s there, the album’s beating heart — a sense of purpose and unflinching resolve evident even in its title, taken from Madeline’s description of biting into a moldy apple. 

released March 31st, 2023

Manchester, England’s Mandy, Indiana have shared a new song called “Peach Fuzz” from their forthcoming debut LP, “I’ve Seen a Way”.

Mandy, Indiana recorded “I’ve Seen a Way” in “caves, crypts, and shopping malls,” seeking off-beat locations with novel acoustics to achiever their sound. “These locations offered something acoustically, but would traditionally be thought of as having the ‘wrong’ characteristics for producing a ‘good’ recording,” said guitarist/producer Scott Fair. “These spaces imprint on the sound: It’s not about a lack of access to more traditional recording spaces — it’s about us capturing things happening in a specific place at that moment.”

“Peach Fuzz” is the third offering from “I’ve Seen a Way”, following the tracks “Injury Detail” and “Pinking Shears.” The album— out May 19th via Fire Talk—follows Mandy, Indiana’s 2021 … EP.

Great Van Fleet release beautifully cinematic promo for “Meeting The Master” – taken from upcoming third album “Starcatcher”

The song is taken from the band’s upcoming album “Starcatcher”, which will be released on July 21st via Lava/Republic Records and is the follow-up to 2021’s “The Battle At Garden’s Gate”.

“Meeting The Master’s” cinematic promo video was directed by the band along with famed musician and director Gus Black, who says: “The final shot of the video is as close to magic as anything I’ve ever been a part of creating. It was an absolute pleasure collaborating with these fine humans.”

Greta Van Fleet singer Josh Kizska says: “Beauty cloaked in darkness is still beauty. I love you, Gus Black.”

The band previously said of the track: “Meeting The Master” peers into an esoteric world heeded by the word of a wise teacher. Sung in the voice of a devout believer, and eventual group exclamation, the song details the love these fervent followers have for their teacher and their firm belief in his vision. It’s an exotic spiritual journey. A dark comedy that inevitably ends in chaos.”

“Starcatcher” is available for pre-order and the band begin a world tour in July.

Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten has shared his debut solo single – listen to “The Score” The stripped-back intimate track sees the Irish singer “shift his creative process from a collaborative endeavour to a solely introspective one”, per a press release. It was produced by Chatten and Dan Carey, the latter of whom helmed all three Fontaines albums to date.

“You know the score/ It ain’t limited to your knowing looks and touches anymore,” Chatten sings over acoustic guitar before a minimal electronic beat kicks in. “Cuz when you make his love you turn alone/ You see your heart’s been tethered to a sinking stone.”

Speaking about the single in a statement, the vocalist explained: “‘The Score’ is a heavyweight bated breath of lust. I wrote it in Madrid between an electric fan and a dying plant and I intend to keep it there. It was inspired by sugar and sunset.”

The song arrives with a trippy accompanying video, which was directed and produced by Georgie Jesson. It is not yet known whether “The Score” will feature on an album, EP or wider solo project from Chatten.

Last month saw Chatten appear on an edition of Sleaford Mods’ online talk show Late Night With Jason. The Fontaines D.C. singer phoned in from Australia where the band were touring earlier this year.

Fontaines D.C’s third and most recent studio record, “Skinty Fia“, came out in April 2022. It gave the band their first Number One on both the official UK and Irish album charts.

“The Score” out now on Partisan Records

Bethany Cosentino here (duh). I’m thrilled to share some news with you – I made a solo album. It’s called “Natural Disaster” and it comes out July 28th. The first song, “It’s Fine” is streaming everywhere now. Produced by the legend, Butch Walker.

The decision to put Best Coast on indefinite pause was honestly not an easy one. I have heavily identified with Best Coast for over a decade, and therefore being anyone but “Bethany from Best Coast” has felt very uncomfortable for me. The last few years have brought about many changes for myself and the entire world – and I decided to push myself through the discomfort of it all and go try out being someone else. This record is a product of that.

This band (and Bobb) mean everything to me, always will – but for now – I need to go explore being just … Bethany Cosentino. Me, myself and I!

Thank you for always accepting me for who I am, even when I wasn’t sure who that was. Best Coast fans are the absolute best (no pun intended) and I hope that you will follow along with me while I embark on this new journey. For all things Bethany – please follow along at Bethany Cosentino.

New chapter starts now, and I hope you’ll join me

The official video for Bethany Cosentino’s “It’s Fine”, from her upcoming solo debut album ‘Natural Disaster’, out July 28th