The Fat Angel Sings

Hey Hey! It’s the MOJO! This month celebrating Michael Nesmith and The Monkees with help from Micky Dolenz, many key collaborators, and a magisterial piece from David Fricke. Also this issue: Eddie Vedder on life in and out of Pearl Jam; a suitably long exploration of Pink Floyd’s Echoes, with strong help from Nick Mason; Al Green; a Mick Rock portfolio. And! Anais Mitchell, Van Der Graaf Generator, Soft Cell, Mal Evans, Hurray For The Riff Raff, Broadcast, Dusty Springfield, Steeleye Span, Robbie Shakespeare, Interpol, Janis Ian, Boris 2-Tone for Ethiopia, and plenty more. 

Grace Cummings is an actor and musician from Melbourne, Australia. Grace learned piano as a child and took up the guitar as a young adult, but only began to write and perform music in 2018. She went from a debut gig at Melbourne’s Old Bar to a breakthrough performance at Boogie Festival in the space of six months, picking up support slots with J Mascis and Evan Dando along the way. With buzz building around her powerhouse live show, Grace grabbed the attention of Flightless Records (King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard), who released her debut album, “Refuge Cove”, in late 2019. “Refuge Cove” won praise from publications around the world, including Pitchfork and All Music, and Grace was tapped for support slots with Weyes Blood, Cash Savage, Teskey Brothers and Allah-Lahs. In 2020, Grace recorded the single “Sweet Matilda” for Mexican Summer’s Through the Looking Glass series before landing a worldwide deal with indie powerhouse ATO Records (Alabama Shakes, My Morning Jacket, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard) and a distribution deal with Caroline Australia.

Now comes her sophomore album, “Storm Queen“. A graduate of the drama program at the Victorian College of the Arts, Grace appeared in Elbow Room’s award-winning production “Prehistoric”, which played to packed houses and widespread critical acclaim at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe. In 2021, she made her debut with the Melbourne Theatre Company in 2021, in Joanna Murray-Smith’s “Berlin”.

Released January 14th, 2022

The 10th full length album from the wonderful Kevin Devine!

From Kevin: “Nothing’s Real, So Nothing’s Wrong” is a grown-up break-up record, for strugglers by a struggler. It’s a record about fatherhood written during a pandemic. It’s a kitchen-sink 10th album pivot, painstakingly brought to life by two career-long collaborators and their shared and split obsessions. Lyrically evocative, excavating and unflinching without irresponsibly printing your journals.

‘Nothing’s Real, So Nothing’s Wrong,’ the new record by Kevin Devine, is out 3/25 on Triple Crown Records.

Lucius have announced the release of a new album, “Second Nature“, which will be out on April 8th via Mom + Pop Records. They have shared a video for the album’s lead single “Next to Normal.” 

In a press release, band member Jess Wolfe states: “It is a record that begs you not to sit in the difficult moments, but to dance through them. 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.

Brandi Carlile, produced the album alongside Dave Cobb, adds: “Lucius has been one of my favourite bands since their first studio album. I kept running into them at festivals and finding myself mystified by their power. This album feels like home to me and anyone growing up surrounded by ’80s and ’90s pop, but somehow “Second Nature” is the beginning of a new era—not just for Lucius, but for all of us.

We need to get back up on our feet and that’s what this album is insisting we do. This is my first co-production with my dear pal Dave Cobb and I don’t know if I’ve ever been prouder even to witness something let alone get my hands on it. It was an absolute blast.”

Second Nature is the band’s third studio album and their follow-up to 2016’s Good Grief. Last year, they were featured on the song “I Don’t Live Here Anymore” by The War on Drugs. 

Lucius’ new single “Next to Normal” from the upcoming album ‘Second Nature’ out April 8th.

Spiritualized (aka Jason Pierce and backing band) shared a video for their new single “Crazy.” The song features backing vocals from country singer Nikki Lane and is the latest release from their forthcoming album “Everything Was Beautiful”, which will be out on February 25th via Fat Possum.

During lockdown last year, J Spaceman would walk through an empty “Roman London” where the world was “full of birdsong and strangeness”, trying to make sense of all the music playing in his head at the time. The mixers and mixes of his new record weren’t working out yet. Spaceman plays 16 different instruments on “Everything Was Beautiful” which was put down at 11 different studios, as well as at his home.

He also employed more than 30 musicians and singers including his daughter Poppy, long-time collaborator and friend John Coxon, string and brass sections, choirs and finger bells and chimes from the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. Eventually the mixes got there and “Everything Was Beautiful” was achieved.

The result is some of the most “live” sounding recordings that Spiritualized have released since the “Live At The Albert Hall” record of 1998, around the time of Ladies & Gentlemen, “We Are Floating In Space“

Upon announcement of the new album in November, Spiritualized shared the song “Always Together With You,” .

Spiritualized’s last album, “And Nothing Hurt“, came out in 2018 via Fat Possum (and Bella Union in the U.K.). ‘Crazy’ is taken from the forthcoming Spiritualized album “Everything Was Beautiful’

Methyl Ethel have given their fans plenty to be excited about. First up is the news that their highly anticipated fourth album, “Are You Haunted?“, is due out on Friday, February 18th via their new label home, Future Classic. The nine-track album will contain popular previously released singles “Neon Cheap” and “Matters“, as well as the new single, “Proof” featuring singer songwriter Stella Donnelly.

Methyl Ethel have also announced a national tour hitting Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland from February through to July this year. Perth fans will get the first opportunity to catch some of the new tunes live, as Methyl Ethel as part of Perth Festival 2022.

“Proof “is the first Methyl Ethel song to feature an additional singer: in this case, fellow local art-pop creator and one-time Methyl Ethel guitarist, Stella Donnelly. It’s “a song about truth and movies,” said Jake Webb, the artist behind Methyl Ethel, a meditation on what constitutes reality in the post-Trump, post-climate-crisis, post-COVID era, in which science and fiercely-guarded fantasy go head to head in the realm of public discourse. But where other Methyl Ethel songs might lean into the blurriness of life and belief, “Proof “struts along as a glittery, funk-infused polemic against nonsense. Webb and Donnelly, tongues-in-cheek, daring the listener to “take a chance on proof (if you want to).”

The collaboration feels natural, almost inevitable. “Stella is one of the most truth-telling artists I’ve ever heard,” said Webb. “It made for a perfect match.” Donnelly continues, “Working on “Proof” with Jake felt like being invited to the set of your favourite movie, such an insightful and wonderful experience.”

The video, also directed by Webb, is a playful, monochromatic affair that takes cues from German Expressionist film and explores the symbolism of black-and-white thinking and the fluidity of “truth” as a concept.

“Are You Haunted?” asks the title of Methyl Ethel’s fourth album. But it’s more of a rhetorical question. Webb, who adopted the fibreglass-referencing moniker for a bedroom recording project in 2014 and has carried it through the band’s many iterations, already knows the answer. Yes, you’re haunted. We all are, and the real question is: what do we do with our hauntings?

“There are these spirits, memories of our old selves, our younger selves, parents,” he notes, “generations past whose deeds, actions, successes and failures shape us. We all have these ghosts that linger in our present predicaments.” Methyl Ethel has never shied away from themes of memories that overstay their welcome, nightmares or preoccupations that linger in the psyche. But with Webb’s latest long player, a more direct and poignant interpretation of haunting takes centre stage: themes of mortality, irretrievable time and heavy presences suffuse the album’s nine tracks. Themes that might make for a sombre listen if it wasn’t for Webb’s knack for exhilarating arrangements, addicting hooks, curious textures and propulsive, syncopated rhythms; elements that add up to a joyous, giddy listen, even if there’s threads of melancholy and anxiety woven through.

To create “Are You Haunted?”, Webb returned to the studio where he recorded and wrote the first songs for Methyl Ethel. He explains, “A dear friend of mine recently passed away, the studio is his. I spent many years of experimentation with him, learning so much looking over his shoulder. It feels special to continue to share the space with his ghost, I’m still learning from him.”

Methyl Ethel will tour the album in the coming months, are set to feature the new expanded live line-up, which includes two drummers.

Across three albums (2015’s “Oh Inhuman Spectacle“, 2017’s “Everything Is Forgotten” and 2019’s “Triage“) and three EPs (2014’s Teeth and Guts, 2020’s Hurts To Laugh), Webb has proven to be a prolific and masterful purveyor of eccentric alt-pop. Methyl Ethel has attracted two Australian Music Prize nominations, a top five Hottest 100 placement with the ARIA Platinum single “Ubu“, an ARIA Gold single in “Twilight Driving” and an AIR Best Independent Album award for “Everything Is Forgotten”.

Methyl Ethel have announced their fourth album “Are You Haunted?” is out Friday, February 18th. 

The archiving of this box set material and compiling of ‘Joe Strummer 001’ was overseen by Joe’s widow Luce and Robert Gordon McHarg III.   All tracks were restored and mastered by Grammy Award winner Peter J. Moore at the E. Room in Toronto Canada. On-going through cassettes and recording tapes it was discovered that Joe was rather frugal and keen on hiding tracks.

On cassettes he would leave 20 minutes between songs. On the 1″ 8 track recordings it was discovered there were hidden tracks superimposed onto each other. For example tracks 1-4 were taken by one song and tracks 5-8 by two other songs which were thought when played back to be caused by tape denigration until the tapes went to Peter J Moore who was able to separate one song from another.  

The box set has the same content as the CD set and is pressed on audiophile quality 180g vinyl. The box set’s accompanying book also included in the Deluxe CD features rarely seen and previously unpublished memorabilia from Joe’s personal collection as well as historical press reviews and technical notes about the albums.

The cover on all formats is taken from Joe’s 1990 Californian driving license.   The artwork was curated by Robert Gordon McHarg III who previously worked on the Clash ‘SoundSystem’ box set with Paul Simonon, the John Cooper Clarke compilation ‘Anthologia’ and curated the Black Market Clash Exhibition.   Gordon says, “The idea behind the book is that it’s an A4 notebook done as if Joe had designed it himself, telling his story.

Hopefully it is an insight into his workings and includes hand written lyrics with personal notes and scribbles.”   Limited edition Deluxe Box set: Quadruple heavyweight Vinyl, 7″ vinyl single, cassette, A4 Book, enamel badge, envelope containing a screen print, a high quality image of Joe, two original art prints, and a sticker sheet.   Limited edition Deluxe Double CD in A4 Book. Double CD in slipcase. Quadruple heavyweight Vinyl in slipcase.

Jack White shared a new live video of his latest single, “Taking Me Back“, to his YouTube page on Friday. This latest video confirms White’s new band configuration for the upcoming “Supply Chain Issues” world tour.

Filmed from The Blue Room at White’s own Third Man Records in Nashville, TN, this live take on “Taking Me Back” sees the bandleader joined by three long time collaborators, drummer Daru Jones, bassist Dominic John Davis, and keyboardist Quincy McCrary. Notably, White tracked every instrument on the studio version of “Taking Me Back”, which will appear on the first of two albums set for release in 2022, “Fear of the Dawn”. This live rendition shared on Friday stays true to the original while each member of the band adds their own flavour and technique. Jones’ unique drumming compliments distorted basslines from Davis, all while McCreary’s fingers flutter along and add high-frequency melodies on the synthesizers.

“People keep asking who’s going to be in the band, what’s the band going to be like for the tour dates … We thought it would be good to let people see who it is,” said White in an interview with Alt 98.7. “We can do really hard-hitting stuff, and then also really gentle acoustic numbers … They’re such improvisational musicians. They really perform differently each time.”

As has been the case with all previous solo tours, the group will be ready to perform nearly any song from White’s catalog, everything from The White Stripes and The Raconteurs to The Dead Weather and, of course, his solo songbook.

“I’m doing songs from everything I’ve ever done in my life. Not much is off-limit. Everything that I was the main songwriter or main singer, then that’s kind of in our bag of tricks,” he explained. “I think we ended up having over 80 the last time I went on the road.”

Jack White will kick off his “Supply Chain Issue” world tour on April 8th with two consecutive shows at Detroit, MI’s Masonic Temple Theatre, the very same day he releases “Fear of the Dawn”. Head to his official website for additional information on tour dates, tickets, and album releases, and check out “Taking Me Back (Live)” .

“Taking Me Back” Live from Jack White’s private tour rehearsals. Introducing the “Supply Chain Issues” Tour” quartet with Dominic Davis, Quincy McCrary, & Daru Jones in The Blue Room at Third Man Records. “FEAR OF THE DAWN” out April 8th, 2022 & “ENTERING HEAVEN ALIVE” out July 22nd, 2022.

American musician Valley Maker released his album last year in perhaps the busiest music week of 2021, so the beautiful “When The Day Leaves” didn’t get the attention it deserved. Somewhat impressed by Valley Maker’s previous albums I looked forward to this release. It’s an album that deserved a better fate. Valley Maker draws on “When The Day Leaves” for appealing folk songs, which are performed with a lot of feeling. The album is then lifted by the beautiful contributions of the voice of Amy Godwin and by the countless beautiful accents in the instrumentation on the album. It transforms the timeless songs of Valley Maker into beautiful songs that really only become more beautiful and impressive.

Valley Maker is the alter ego of American singer-songwriter Austin Crane. The musician from Columbia, South Carolina, delivered his third or fourth album last year with “When The Day Leaves“. Valley Maker makes music with mainly influences from folk and folk rock, but the American musician manages to create a special sound of his own.

When Valley Maker’s music is dominated by the acoustic guitar and Austin Crane’s voice, we hear a timeless folkie who seems to have run away from the 60s. However, “When The Day Leaves” is an album that rarely opts for the relatively sober combination of an acoustic guitar and a voice.
Austin Crane is on the third album as Valley Maker emphatically assisted by singer Amy Godwin and that works out great. Austin Crane’s somewhat nasal voice is fine in itself, but it’s also a voice that, as far as I’m concerned, starts to sound a bit flat over time. However, Amy Godwin continuously strengthens the vocals on the album with her beautiful clear voice, which adds subtle and atmospheric accents to the vocals on the album.

The instrumentation on the album is also beautifully enriched. Acoustic and electric guitars are central to “When The Day Leaves”, but they are surrounded by a smoothly playing rhythm section, by a large assortment of horns (clarinet, trombone, trumpet and flute), by a violin and by the necessary keyboard instruments (piano, organ, keyboards). It delivers a rich sound that is not only extremely atmospheric, but can also be called cinematic.
It’s amazing how Valley Maker’s music is lifted by so many tasteful touches. “When The Day Leaves” could have been a relatively sober and timeless folk album, as they were often made in the 60s, but it has become a colourful and multicolored album that shifts here and there towards folk rock.
All accents are used with great taste and precision. Amy Godwin sings just enough notes to enrich Austin Crane’s vocal and the accents in the instrumentation are also for a large part subtle but very accurate.

“When The Day Leaves” sounds like a nice road trip here and there and in fact it is, because on the album Austin Crane frequently reflects on his return to the Appalachians in South Carolina, after a years stay in Seattle, Washington.

Released February 19th, 2021

On Allegra Krieger’s “Precious Thing”, the singer-songwriter tries to capture fleeting moments in a world that is sick from itself. With a voice that rings like a windchime signalling a storm coming, Allegra masterfully weaves together ephemeral moments as life barrels by her unforgivingly. From singing about sharing a gaze with a man on the train to Coney Island as the clock strikes 12 on New Years, to taking a loved one off life support, to processing the religious trauma of wine, Krieger portrays the particular pang of being a woman alive in a modern world.

In October 2020, Allegra drove across the country to record “Precious Thing” in Marin, CA with producer Luke Temple(Here We Go Magic, Art Feynman) and musicians Jeremy Harris, Kalia Vandever, Rob Taylor and Jacob Matheus who contributed organs, synths, bass and lap steel. Delightfully mellow but never bleak, “Precious Thing” is a soundtrack for the daily motions of our lives.

“Precious Thing,” the album’s title track, reminds us how gorgeous it is that we can get up everyday and do the same thing. “It’s watching something leave you,” Allegra says about this song, “wanting to fast forward to the end of the leaving, to move on, become lighter somehow.” In the song “The Circumstance,” Krieger sings about trying to revel in the consistency that two people have built together, knowing that it can and probably will end. But for now, here is the light from the morning on her lover’s face, a book on a sofa in the apartment they share together, the milk in a coffee “rising like a plume.” The song brings to mind questions of fate and coincidence: loving somebody is a beautiful circumstance, an almost-perfect thing brought together by the chaos of surviving under the capitalist sun. But what if it had been different? What if being alone is better than the loneliness of trying to make something to work?.

Something else that’s central to this album is routine: Allegra’s lyrics celebrate the ebbs and flows of our daily lives, the people who come in and out of them, the hope that one of these days, somebody will stick around. In “Let Go” she sings, “When you woke up did you think of it?/ Your body/leaving behind the routine?” This comes up again in the phenomenal closing track, “Walking,” when she sings, “I don’t expect wonder or magic or rain/Maybe a smile at a stranger passing/ and maybe one day/ I’ll see that stranger again.” There is a specific fertile sadness to this song, as she describes days of serving eggs and pouring beers and “the faces and bodies” of lovers fleeting, that is guaranteed to make listeners burst into tears because it will make them think about being alive in one body and wanting something so badly, even if they can’t name what it is.

At the heart of this album is a young, working woman asking “Do you see this right now? I can’t be the only one.” This is an album about looking, and Krieger fills up each lonely space she enters with her gaze. Krieger asks you to look, to really, really look, so that you can remember something, however small it is, when it’s all gone.

The new single from Brooklyn’s Allegra Krieger. The track is lifted from her upcoming album, “Precious Thing”, out March 4th via Northern Spy Records. 

‘Precious Thing’ out 03.04.22