The Fat Angel Sings

“Early on in the pandemic we got asked to cover a 1980s punk rock song for a special edition release of the comic What’s the Furthest Place From Here. Mike immediately said “We should do a ska song” to which Jarrett replied “Cool. It should be The Selecter” followed quickly with Marissa stating “Great. “Let’s do On My Radio” It happened over the course of about 30 seconds. I don’t know if we have ever made such a quick decision as a band. Many people are familiar with The Specials but The Selecter should be just as renowned. Their first string of singles and first LP are legendary and Pauline Black’s live performances, as captured in Dance Craze, are absolutely transcendent.”

Screaming Females have released a cover of the two-tone classic “On My Radio” by The Selecter! It’s streaming everywhere now.

The band heads out on a spring tour starting next week.

“Father John Misty returns with “Chloë And The Next 20th Century”, his fifth album and first new material since the release of “God’s Favorite Customer” in 2018. “Chloë And the Next 20th Century” was written and recorded August through December 2020 and features arrangements by Drew Erickson. The album sees Sean Tillman and producer/multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Wilson resume their long time collaboration, as well as Dave Cerminara, returning as engineer and mixer.

Basic tracks were recorded at Wilson’s Five Star Studios with strings, brass, and woodwinds recorded at United Recordings in a session featuring Dan Higgins and Wayne Bergeron, among others. “Chloë And The Next 20th Century” features the singles “Funny Girl”, “Q4”, “Goodbye Mr. Blue”, and “Kiss Me (I Loved You).”

Father John Misty’s new single, “Goodbye Mr. Blue,” from the upcoming album, ‘Chloë and The Next 20th Century,’ out April 8th, 2022 on Sub Pop and Bella Union Records.

“The end of 2019 was dangling off the coattails of private jets, arena tours, champagne, blonde bobs and a crumbling marriage. Normally front women, we found ourselves taking a break from the band to be part of someone else’s machine, to gain some perspective and inspiration; We toured the world with Roger Waters’ for 3 years, and our vocals were sought out by artists ranging from Harry Styles, John Legend, and Ozzy Osbourne to War on Drugs and Brandi Carlile (who would become a huge part of our lives, onstage and off). Coming home from these experiences was never going to be easy, but a lockdown during a pandemic at the precipice of divorce gave new meaning to facing the music. “Second Nature” is a journey through the stages of grief, and the moments of joy that push their way through.

It’s a record that begs you not to sit in the difficult moments, but to dance through them. Produced by Dave Cobb and Brandi Carlile, the album was recorded in Nashville at RCA’s Studio A, the same room songs like “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” were brought to life. The grounds for a dramatic, vulnerable record making experience were there, but there was also an acceptance and peace in the band, who would be coming together for the first time in over a year, to create something positive.

“Second Nature” is a portrait of singer and songwriters Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe’s shared reflection, chronicling each other’s seismic life shifts—motherhood, divorce, unplanned career pauses—and setting it to music.

“It is a record that begs you not to sit in the difficult moments, but to dance through them,” says Wolfe. “It touches upon all these stages of grief—and some of that is breakthrough, by the way. Being able to have the full spectrum of the experience that we have had, or that I’ve had in my divorce, or that we had in lockdown, having our careers come to a halt, so to speak. I think you can really hear and feel the spectrum of emotion and hopefully find the joy in the darkness. It does exist. That’s why we made “Second Nature” and why we wanted it to sound the way it did: our focus was on dancing our way through the darkness.”

Cobb knew just how to steer a ship with a lot of creative cooks, and Brandi was the vocal producer we had always dreamed of. One who could be trusted when she said “you got the take”, and one who understood vocal dynamics and when to push further. The room, the circumstances, and the energy of everyone involved brought magic. Dressed in long golden hair, sparkling platform heels, irresistible basslines and a little bit of heartbreak, it’s Lucius, back in the spotlight.” – Lucius

11 years after their acrimonious split, Pixies returned for an acclaimed sold-out reunion tour. ‘Live in Brixton’ brings together the complete recordings of all four shows from Pixies’ legendary run at the iconic London venue. Available on vinyl for the very first time, each show is pressed on two heavyweight 180g vinyl and housed in a wide spine sleeve with printed inner bags: 2nd June (translucent red vinyl), 3rd June (translucent orange vinyl), 4th June (translucent green vinyl), 5th June (translucent blue vinyl).

Each show has been newly mastered for this release by Phil Kinrade at Alchemy Mastering at AIR. Includes a 24-page booklet featuring photographs and new artwork, plus memories and paraphernalia from fans who attended the Brixton gigs. Also includes a 68cm x 48cm fold-out poster featuring the new ‘Live in Brixton’ boxset artwork. All housed within a deluxe slipcase box featuring silver foil detailing.

Over the course of the four sold-out shows the band played almost all of the big hitters and fan favourites from the “Doolittle” and “Surfer Rosa”; key songs and obscurities from the rest of their catalogue; and covers in the shape of Neil Young’s Winterlong, Peter Ivers’ ‘In Heaven’ (from the David Lynch film Eraserhead) and The Jesus and Mary Chain’s ‘Head On’. Each of the four set lists was pretty different. 

There is also a second version of the vinyl box set for independent retailers. The only difference here is that the records are clear vinyl with colour ‘splattered’ on them.

Naturally, not everything went perfectly: Joey Santiago accidentally broke his Les Paul during a typically unconventional performance of the ‘Vamos’ solo, while drummer Dave Lovering’s opening performance with his electrical engineering / experimental magic show The Scientific Phenomenalist featured a big trick that completely failed. But it’s the highs that they remember the most. “It was an amazing reception, I guess they had missed us over all those years,” says Joey. “I particularly remember getting word that the balcony was swaying, and seeing that the crowd didn’t want to leave long after we had finished the show.” Dave adds, “Having played there in the past, the Brixton Academy was a familiar venue and the shows were a fantastic experience. When I opened with my Scientific Phenomenalist show, I was a Pixie opening for Pixies. I could do no wrong. But, I did! It was an absolute thrill, though, to present it there.

All in all music or magic, the audiences were very kind and receptive and made it a joy to play. Nothing of my experience I would change. Long live the Academy.” They played a set of superlative rock songs with unwavering conviction, and they did it brilliantly.” ***** – The Times “The Pixies still sound utterly unique.” ***** – The Guardian

Tomberlin is Sarah Beth Tomberlin, a pastor’s kid born in Florida, raised in rural Illinois. She wrote the majority of her debut, “At Weddings” (2018), while living at home. For a while after leaving home and church, she lived in Louisville, Kentucky. She worked a day job and kept writing songs. She posted some of these songs to Bandcamp, which led to her signing a record deal with Saddle Creek Records. It all happened fast: Less than a year after her first live show, she performed on Jimmy Kimmel and she ended up moving to L.A. which is where she wrote “Projections” (2020), her EP follow up to “At Weddings“.

“The theme of the record,” Sarah Beth Tomberlin explained in a statement of her sophomore record “i don’t know who needs to hear this…, “is to examine, hold space, make an altar for the feelings.” It’s a fitting description; there’s something reverential to the way Tomberlin observes the world around her and jars her reactions to them as if they’re holy. The three singles we have from the record already, “idkwntht,” “happy accident” and “tap,” are all unique from one another, yet each contain a distinct sincerity and eclectic sonic palette that let you know exactly who’s at the helm.

By allowing sounds to ebb and flow where those feelings lead her along, there is literal space left in the arrangements, as if they’re making room to catch the extra instrumental flourishes, like the saxophone on “idkwntht” or foreboding cello on “tap” (or whatever collateral emotions fall by the wayside).

More than anything, there’s a sense of wonder to whatever Tomberlin creates. When she sings about kids “singing like larks” and trees that “swing and scream and talk and breathe,” all we can do is sink into the world she creates, content to bask in that shared sense of wonder for however long she’ll have us. 

“i don’t know who needs to hear this…” out April 29th, 2022 on Saddle Creek Records

The second album from Hatchie, ‘Giving The World Away’ is the truest introduction to the songwriter at the helm of the project, Harriette Pilbeam.

Although her sound arrived fully-formed, a dazzling dream-pop and shoegaze tangle, it’s here that she distills the core of herself into a record. “There’s more to me than just writing songs about being in love or being heartbroken — There’s a bigger picture than that,” Pilbeam explains. “This album really just feels like the beginning to me, and scratching the surface – and even though it’s my third release as Hatchie, I feel like i’m rebooting from scratch.” for Pilbeam, that bigger picture explored here includes confronting her anxieties after decades of compartmentalisation; Realising her own self-confidence and self-esteem; taking control of her own narrative, and her place in both her professional and personal life.

On ‘Giving The World Away’ she held herself to higher standards, especially with personal lyrical precision. At the time she started working on it, she was caught in a strange headspace. when 2018 EP “Sugar & Spice” and subsequent debut album “Keepsake” both arrived to critical acclaim and catapulted Hatchie into an international spotlight, She felt both unsure of herself and an intense, self-imposed pressure to keep going forward. trapped in constant motion, Pilbeam was unable to be present or appreciative of herself, both professionally and personally. she tackles that struggle directly in the moody single “Quicksand,” written with Grammy-nominated Olivia Rodrigo collaborator Dan Nigro. “Quicksand” is about dealing with the realisation that you’ll never be satisfied” Pilbeam comments. “I started writing it when i was home between tours in 2019 before finishing it with Joe Agius and Dan Nigro the next year.

I was feeling guilty and ungrateful for not being happy about a few different things in my life that were technically going well. I had to work through some tough learned thought processes and emotions that had been working away for years to try to understand how to be happy with my present, and stop fixating on my past and future. the video digs deeper into showing this juxtaposition of such sadness and anger despite being surrounded by glamour and grandeur.” “Quicksand” sets up the rest of the record; an album about self-confidence, about reclamation, about the strange time in young adulthood where you begin to finally be able to see yourself clearly.

Produced by Jorge Elbrecht, also recently grammy-nominated and known for his work with Sky Ferreira, Japanese Breakfast, and Wild Nothing, ‘Giving The World Away’ is Hatchie’s most thunderous, sprawling work yet. featuring extensive input from long-time Hatchie collaborator Joe Agius, it takes the celestial, shimmering shoegaze and pop sensibilities of her earlier releases, but with the volume knob cranked up tenfold. Built out with percussion from Beach House drummer James Barone, Between covid and the lockdowns in Australia, Pilbeam retreated more into herself, and that introspection and self-discovery served as the true inspiration for the record. again and again across ‘Giving The World Away’ she returns to that same theme – dismantling internalized shame and finding gratitude and steadiness, and finally being able to trust herself. Pilbeam grew up the youngest in her family, a self-described “big baby,” but says the last year and a half gave her the space to understand herself better. after years of emotional avoidance, here she excavates her fears fully.

David Bowie‘s second and final album with his late 80s group Tin Machine is reissued on limited edition 180g crystal clear & turquoise vinyl. Originally released by Victory Music in 1991, Tin Machine II is the second and final studio album by Tin Machine. After this album and the supporting tour, frontman David Bowie resumed his solo career. Tin Machine II’s reputation has only increased over the years. Uncut magazine placed the album on their list of 50 Great Lost Albums (their list of great albums not currently available for purchase), calling the album “extraordinary”.

The band features Tony and Hunt Sales on bass and drums and Reeves Gabrels on guitar. 

As with all Bowie albums, there are plenty of strong tracks here to make this a must-have. Opening track “Baby Universal” is pure Bowie. He re-recorded this track in 1996 for his 1997 album “Earthling“, but the track was not released on the album. It was eventually released in 2020 on the Bowie EP “Is It Any Wonder?“. Both the first and second singles, “You Belong In Rock ‘n Roll” and “Baby Universal” both charted well, but it was “One Shot” that became the hit single of the album and peaked at #3 on the US charts.

The album’s cover (which was censored for its original USA release) was created by Edward Bell, who had previously worked with Bowie on creating the artwork for Scary Monsters.

The second album features the hit single “You Belong In Rock ‘n’ Roll” as well as “One Shot” and “Baby Universal”.

This is released on 8th April 2022 via Music on Vinyl

180g crystal clear/turquoise vinyl • Numbered  • Limited to 5000 copies worldwide, with 1500 for the UK

Since its release in 2009 The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart’s self-titled debut has attained the status of a modern indie-pop classic – and even more crucially a record that continues to have an impact well beyond the indiepop scene.

As one of the key bands in Brooklyn’s late 00s guitar music revival (alongside bands like Crystal Stilts, Grizzly Bear, Vivian Girls, Frankie Rose and others) The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart paid tribute to everything from c86 to early Slumberland, Sarah and Creation Record’s label type pop, but with a distinct American favour drawn from groups like Smashing Pumpkins and the Pixies.

Their debut album exploded immediately, going places that indie-pop records and bands rarely do (like TV appearances on Carson Daly’s and David Letterman’s shows) and leading to several years of constant touring and the further release of two more well-received latter albums.

Ghum, who unleash a raw, swirling slice of melancholic grunge rock, pinned together by pounding drums and heartfelt vocals, the quartet have also unveiled new track ‘Some People’, an astoundingly raw, blistering three minutes of grunge perfection which is accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek visual directed by Lydia Garnett. 
Vocalist Laura Guerrero Lora has to say on the track – “this song is about getting to know someone and having the fear of hurting them, because love has turned a bit hopeless and unexciting. Not trusting oneself to be able to love someone after not falling in love for a long time.”

“Bitter” is the sound of a band fully in control, the record has been a long time coming. Ghum – Laura (vocalist), Jojo Khor (guitar), Vicki Ann (drums) and Marina MJ (bass) – met online in 2016. Each of them hails from different parts of the world (London, Malaysia, Spain and Brazil) and bonded over bands like Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Warpaint, The Cure and Soft Kill. Being in a band of all women was also important, from inception. “I’d never been in an all-female band before,” Jojo remembers. “I’d played in an all-female band in the past which was much more fun” adds Marina. everything snowballed swiftly after meeting.

Pieced together from old, half-written songs and new sonic sketches, “Bitter” is in many ways a portrait of everything they’ve done so far. “you make it so easy to hate you, my love,” spits Laura over sparse, rhythmic bass on “Deceiver.” on the title track, the “You” becomes someone else. “You are the only reason I put myself through this,” Laura’s voice rises over intricate, distorted guitar melodies. the band are excited to let these songs free, at last. “the style of the songs all taste like Ghum,” says Laura. “we recognise it when we’re jamming. we know what we’re doing now. It’s strong and a bit aggressive, a bit melancholic. it’s like us.”

Releases June 17th, 2022

GHUM are: Marina MJ // Laura Guerrero // Jojo Khor // Vicki Ann
All songs by: GHUM

ffo: Savages, Joy Division, the Cure, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Warpaint. 

Before Tropical Fuck Storm came The Drones. Garreth and Fiona of Tropical Fuck Storm were the core members of The Drones. 

The album “Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By” was the second album released by the Drones. The album draws influence from the likes of Neil Young and The Birthday Party, though it has been described by lead singer / guitarist Gareth Liddiard himself as a punk rock album. The lyrics, penned by Liddiard, deal with issues such as death, depression and alcoholism in its depiction of Australian working-class life. The album received critical acclaim upon release, regarded later on as the band’s “break-out” and one of their most popular releases.

The track “Shark Fin Blues”, in particular, went on to become a concert staple and was voted by contemporary Australian songwriters as the greatest Australian song of all time in October 2009. The album itself was performed live in its entirety many times, even as a part of the acclaimed Don’t Look Back concert series. In 2008, The Age ranked it the best Australian album of the 21st century.

Three years later, the band’s contemporaries and “industry experts” would vote it the 24th best Australian album of all time.