The Fat Angel Sings

Dave Benton (formerly of New York band LVL Up ) has announced his third album as Trace Mountains, “House Of Confusion”, set for an October 22nd release on Lame-O Records. The lead single “America” is out now alongside a music video.

“‘America’ is a road song written from a place of disillusionment & desperation,” Benton explains in a statement. “My guitarist Jim Hill created this video inspired in equal parts by Easy Rider, Wayne’s World & The Lord of the Rings to mirror the themes of the song in jest.

“Writing & arranging this song was a real journey for us, with lots of rewrites & changes,” he continues. “I almost cut the song from the album at one point because it was torturing me so much! I wanted it to be real but also light hearted & upbeat. I think Jim captured that energy perfectly in his visual interpretation of the song.”

From a near-cut to the lead single is quite a journey indeed, and for “America,” that’s entirely appropriate. Benton describes a long, lonely night drive over breezy acoustic guitar and propulsive drum machine, with soft chimes punctuating the song’s forward momentum. Despite the cheery instrumentation, it feels like Benton isn’t wandering, but lost, overwhelmed while in search of something so elusive, it may not have ever existed. “They always said that you could make a life of it,” he sings ruefully, like someone all too aware of the difference between making a living and making a life. “AMERICA” screeches to a halt outside the “House Of Confusion”, where Benton’s only reward is a different, deeper rabbit hole.

“House Of Confusion” follows last year’s excellent release “Lost In the Country” and 2018’s A Partner to Lean On. Benton is joined on the record by Trace Mountains mainstays Hill (guitar, keys), Greg Rutkin (drums) and Susannah Cutler (vocals, mellotron), as well as new additions Bernard Casserly (bass), J.R. Bohannon (pedal steel, guitar), David Grimaldi (guitar ) and Ryan Jewell (drums, marimba ).

“America” by Trace Mountains from the album ‘House Of Confusion,’ out October 22nd via Lame-O Records.

Grace Vonderkuhn is the full band project of songwriter Grace Koon. Koon performs a hectic brand of grungy alternative rock with flecks of psych, garage and punk.

Grace Vonderkuhn, who releases their second LP via Sheer Luck Records this Friday. “Pleasure Pain” is the same noisy, punk-rock Grace Vonderkuhn sound we love, but with even more to offer than before. 

Delaware singer / songwriter Grace Koon attributes the growth in her music to her own personal growth, as well as the recording team at Headrooms Studios and the band’s recent signing with Sheer Luck Records, a Philly label focused on “elevating marginalized voices.” With a new team of engineers and management, Grace was ready to share her next evolution with the world. Enter, COVID-19. After over a year of sitting on the completed record, the timing is finally right to release. Fortunately, no relevancy was lost in delaying the release–a sign of a timeless album.

Let it also be known that however much you enjoy Grace Vonderkuhn’s recordings, their live performance will transcend that. I’m really glad to be working with them. We were on Egghunt Records for the first album, and now, working with Sheer Luck, has been amazing. They are just very supportive and I feel like they got my back. And I love that it’s run by women.

Grace Koon – Guitar, Vocals
Dave McGrory – Drums, Vocals
Brian Bartling – Bass

Sheer Luck Records

The 25th anniversary of Oasis‘ historic two-night stand at Knebworth Park where they performed to 280,000 fans in total, and it was estimated that 2% of the UK’s population tried to buy tickets for the shows. To celebrate the anniversary, the trailer for Jake Scott’s documentary about the Knebworth shows has now been released.

Following the release of their recent concert documentary, Oasis have shared a new clip that sees them performing ‘Some Might Say’ on the second night of their iconic headline show at Knebworth. The clip comes from Oasis Knebworth 1996, directed by Jake Scott and produced by Black Dog Films. Noel and Liam Gallagher were also directly involved with the creation of the documentary, both serving as executive producers.

The clip comes after Oasis released a similar clip of themselves performing ‘Champagne Supernova’ at Knebworth. This rendition of ‘Some Might Say’ sees the band deliver one of their best-loved singles. 

Oasis Knebworth 1996 will be in cinemas worldwide on September 23rd 

Additionally, there’s a full live album and DVD/Blu-ray, also titled Oasis Knebworth 1996, that will be out November 19th via Big Brother Recordings Ltd that features performances from both nights. Formats include 2CD, and triple vinyl LP, with the digital version of the album featuring HD audio. The DVD will be released as a triple disc set including the ‘Oasis Knebworth 1996’ cinematic documentary plus both nights of the live concert in full, with the Blu-ray in single disc format.

The live album formats include 2CD, and triple LP on heavyweight vinyl with the digital version of the album featuring HD audio. The DVD will be released as a triple disc set including the ‘Oasis Knebworth 1996’ cinematic documentary plus both nights of the live concert in full, with the Blu-ray in single disc format. Limited edition formats include the 2CD with DVD of the cinematic documentary, plus a Super Deluxe Box Set including the triple LP, 2CD and triple DVD plus replicas of the original gig memorabilia, available exclusively from the band’s online store.

The soaring new single from Beach Riot is all about watching hopelessly as life fades away through a shit relationship. But we’re kinda feeling it as a much-needed mid-summer wake-up call to shake off the sweaty season doldrums and snap back into reality. As this shitbag summer continues to slowly trudge along through sandy halls of confusion and calm chaos, we need this kind of jolt to our senses.

Luckily, the English fuzz-pop quartet straight out of Brighton are happy to oblige, as today’s (August 10) “Wraith” is a searing track that takes hold within seconds. The guitar-rock ripper will be featured on Beach Riot’s forthcoming debut album, “Subatomic Party Cool”, due out via Alcopop Records September 17th. 

“Jonny [Ross] hits the hi-hats so fast on this one that his hands are actually playing five seconds in the future compared to the rest of his body,” the band says. “Also it’s a song about your life force being slowly drained away in a fading relationship and there’s nothing you can do about it but watch and brace yourself.”

From the Debut album ‘Subatomic Party Cool’ out September 17th on Alcopop! Records

DIY kitchen pop project of Glenn Donaldson (Skygreen Leopards, Art Museums etc). “Anxiety Art” LP is out now via Slumberland (US) & Tough Love (UK). Tough Love Records will be reissuing the long out of print debut album by The Reds, Pinks and Purples. The new version of “Anxiety Art” is pressed to blue vinyl in an edition of 1000 and comes with revised artwork by Matthew Walkerdine.

Two hundred copies of Anxiety Art were originally pressed on Spanish label Pretty Olivia in 2019 and disappeared in a flash. This is the debut where The Reds, Pinks & Purples solidified the cathartic kitchen pop of later more widely distributed titles on both Tough Love and Slumberland. As The Reds, Pinks & Purples Glenn Donaldson – the man with the lengthy (perhaps The Most Lengthy?) Discogs page – decided to find his way out of the wilderness following some big and small personal tragedies and the demise of his former bands.

He landed on a way to weave his influences from Athens, Georgia to Bristol, England into something unique to his life in the Inner Richmond district of San Francisco. As mentioned above, the repress features an alternate cover with more of Donaldson’s neighbourhood photographs, tying it to both to the place of its conception and visually to the other releases in the ever-growing RP&Ps catalogue.

VINYL REISSUE COMING FROM TOUGH LOVE.

Recorded 2018-2019 in my kitchen in SF

dedicated to the Inner Richmond neighbourhood and all the good people who rock there.

Originally released September 7th, 2019

music by Glenn Donaldson

When two great songwriters have the opportunity to build off each other’s strengths and habits in just the right environment, sublime work has the chance to flourish. Such has been the case thus far with Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine, who last month delivered the divine singles “Reach Out” and “Olympus,” from their new collaborative LP “A Bbeginner’s Mind” due out September 24th on Asthmatic Kitty. Today (Aug. 10), they’ve shared a further two new songs, “Back to Oz” and “Fictional California,” both expressive and emotional tracks that keep in line with the album’s theme of taking inspiration from various films, coming from 1985’s Return to Oz and 2004’s Bring It On Again, respectively.

“Fictional California’’ is soulful and intimate, recalling some of the best works of each songwriter. Instrumentally sparse and following a gentle rhythm, the song’s vocals seem to envelope you in the gorgeous refrain, which features lyrics “open your light to the darkness / open your heart, let it all hang out.” “Back to Oz,” on the other hand, is much more substantial and instrumentally full, featuring a catchy refrain, gorgeous layered drums, noisy drums and a groovy bass. While both artists thrive in minimalism, it’s thrilling to hear their efforts being translated into a grander sound so successfully.

De Augustine says of “Back to Oz,” “The words reference an erosion of a central character’s internal reality. A loss of innocence is the impetus for a journey to find inner truth. In the film, Dorothy returns to the world of Oz to find its landscape in ruins and its citizens frozen in stone. Only she can find the ruby slippers and return peace to Oz. Only we can save ourselves, but we first have to remember who we truly are.” The track arrives with a music video directed by Alex Horan and animated by Clara Murray.

A Beginner’s Mind, was conceived when the artists embarked on a song writing retreat at a friend’s cabin in upstate New York, the project developed after the pair noticed their music reflecting the movies they’d watch daily to unwind. The result is an album inspired by classic films, leading to “less a “cinematic exegesis,” per a press release, and more a “rambling philosophical inquiry” that allows the songs to free-associate at will.”

The album itself is named after the Zen Buddhist concept of “shoshin,” which refers to the state of seeing and accepting the world around you openly, like a child. Stevens and De Augustine employed that mindset to write music without preconceived notions restricting the creative flow.

The pair have released “Reach Out” and “Olympus,” ahead of the album, both undeniably gorgeous and personal acoustic-based tracks from two songwriters renowned for their specialty in that field. Featuring lyrics that drift from the confessional to the divine, the artists sound centered, vulnerable and alive. “Reach Out” arrives with a video shot by the two artists, featuring their beloved dogs and edited by Jess Calleiro.

“A Beginner’s Mind” by Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augustine available on CD, LP, Cassette, & Digital September 24th, 2021

Since arriving with their sizzling, power-pop-infused brand of rock music in the mid-2010s, New Zealander group The Beths have been harnessing the raw energy of their music for compelling and electric live performances. On the three-year anniversary of the release of their debut album “Future Me Hates Me” and following their second album 2020’s “Jump Rope Gazers”, the band have announced a new live album and an accompanying film titled “Auckland, New Zealand, 2020”, out September 17th on Carpark Records.

The anticipation is there in Elizabeth Stokes’ solo guitar riff under the opening lines of “I’m Not Getting Excited”: a frenetic, driving force daring a packed Auckland Town Hall to do exactly the opposite of what the track title suggests.

As the opener of The Beths’ “Auckland, New Zealand, 2020” expands to include the full band, the crowd screeches and bellows. It’s a collective exhalation, in one of the few countries where live music is still possible.

The album title, and film of the same name, deliberately include the date and location, lead guitarist Jonathan Pearce says. “That’s the sensational part of what we actually did.” In a mid-pandemic world, playing to a heaving, enraptured home crowd feels miraculous.

In March 2020, everything seemed on track for another huge year for The Beths. Home after an 18-month northern hemisphere tour, they had just finished recording sophomore album Jump Rope Gazers and were primed for more extensive touring. But within days, New Zealand’s lockdown split the band between three separate houses. All touring was cancelled.

Recorded at the Auckland Town Hall, the show is notable for being one of the few any major rock band was able to perform mid-pandemic, due to the anti-COVID measures New Zealand adopted early on. As such, the group’s performance teems with life and the excitement to be gathered in a space with fans during such a dark period. Deliberately choosing the name of the album/film in reference to that fact, Jonathan Pearce comments, “That’s the sensational part of what we did,” and says playing to the sold-out hometown crowd “felt miraculous.” The idea for Auckland, New Zealand, 2020 came from the desire to share the good fortune they had playing shows with the rest of the music-less world.

THE BETHS
Elizabeth Stokes
Jonathan Pearce
Benjamin Sinclair
Tristan Deck

Releases September 17th, 2021

Although the last album we got from from Cherry Glazerr, “Stuffed & Ready“, came out in 2019, ans since Clementine Creevy has been keeping busy over the years. Recently, she’s released a couple singles, “Big Bang” and “Rabbit Hole,” that have emphasized the sonic evolution her music is taking. She was also featured on the new Willow album with a spot on the track “Breakout”. Now Creevy has returned with another new Cherry Glazerr single titled “Soft Drink.”

The song, which at times recalls The Strokes in both their rock and experimental electronic phases, finds Creevy reflecting on intimacy and the nerves of revealing oneself to another for the first time. Creevy’s vocals inhabit a lightness like never before. “People just want to shake me / Shake me upside down like a soft drink,” she sings on the first verse. By the chorus, she lets the other person in, lost in movement, “not so lonely anymore.”

“I started with that synth line. It just popped into my head while I was driving and I like frantically recorded it into my voice memos while driving to the beach kind of down by Hermosa and Manhattan beach. I was randomly obsessed with the song ‘Naive’ by The Kooks and kind of listening to it a lot, and I think that sound crept in a little. The song is about yearning for some validation. Sometimes all you need is company and you’re not looking for anything specific, just someone to dance with. It was a lonely year obviously,” Creevy said of the track.

“Soft Drink” the new song by Cherry Glazerr, out now on Secretly Canadian.

It feels like Big Thief give us just the right amount of music each time to tide us over until we’re aching for more. In 2019, they released two albums, “U.F.O.F.” and “Two Hands”, and since then individual members of the group have been releasing their own music while the band itself was laying low: last year Adrianne Lenker released two albums “Songs and Instrumentals”, drummer James Krivchenia revealed an experimental solo record A Newfound Relaxation and earlier this year Buck Meek shared his latest album “Two Saviors”. But today we get new music from the band in the form of the singles “Little Things” and “Sparrow.”

Together, the two tracks illustrate familiar and fresh sounds for Big Thief. On the lingering track “Sparrow,” Lenker sings about an eagle’s scream, snakes, apples, and potent fluids like blood, juice, and poison. Tack piano, unhurried percussion, and warm guitar strums push her metaphorical words to the forefront. It’s a retelling of the Biblical creation tale, Lenker singing, “Adam said, ‘She has the poison inside her / She talks to snakes and they guide her.’”

“We all just scattered about the room without headphones, focused and in the music—you could feel that something special was happening,” explained drummer James Krivchenia, who produced both “Sparrow” and “Little Things.” “It was a funny instrumentation that had a really cool natural arrangement chemistry—Max [Oleartchik] on piano, Buck providing this dark ambience, me on floor tom and snare, and Adrianne in the middle of it with the acoustic and singing.”

The second single “Little Things” is a refreshing sound for Big Thief. Lenker’s vocals are positioned further back as robust instrumentation swims around her. At times, her vocals are fragmented into prismatic shards. Even when she’s not singing, cool wisps of her voice break through. Sometimes there’s a screech or a whimper or cry of relief. “It’s in this sort of evolving free time signature where the beat is always changing,” said Krivchenia, “so Max and I were just flowing with it and guessing where the downbeats were—which gives the groove a really cool light feeling.”

Big Thief tracks “Sparrow” and “Little Things” .