The Fat Angel Sings

Ty Segall is back in the saddle and riding towards new horizons with his 16th studio album, “Possession”, out May 30th and now presents its title track. For the journey, Ty’s struck up the orchestra in his head to map out an abiding view of the American frontier, with lyrical fables co-written by his long time collaborator, filmmaker Matt Yoka. Ty lassos in strings, horns, and his own piano playing to round up his delirious guitar hooks and vocal melodies, resulting in some of his most inventive songs yet.

As the only song on “Possession” with lyrics written exclusively by Matt, it’s a compulsive roller whose first line — “A bible placed beside the butter by a farmer of misfortune in the winter” — suggests an unusual Ty Segall vignette. A rich, cinematic rock-fable unpacks the golden age of the witch hunt, a pagan concept brought to America by foreign devils (on the Mayflower, that is). Ty leaves the finger-pointing to the villagers, finding a romping chorus in their madness while asking: if it ain’t unbroken, why not fix it? That’s the power of Possession!

“Possession” is the title track from Ty Segall’s album “Possession“, out on LP/CD/CS from Drag City on May 30th, 2025.

Mal Blum returns with new LP, “The Villain“, out July 11th, 2025 via Get Better Records —a striking resurgence that combines the artist’s trademark blend of searing and wry lyricism with novel boldness and slight camp.

Though the title might seem to suggest a torchy breakup record  (admittedly, those elements are present as on lead-single “I’m so Bored,”) ultimately “The Villain” is a work about human complexity.  Each song reflects aspects and archetypes of villainy in ourselves, in others, and in the world around us.

Throughout 11 tracks, Blum explores shifting perspectives, internal truths, subtle deceptions and moral dualities. This makes up the main album: a mix of textured indie rock, alt-rock and pop influences shaped heavily by a new collaboration with breakout producer Jessica Boudreaux, and featuring several contributions by longtime bandmates Audrey Zee Whitesides (Speedy Ortiz) and Ricardo Lagomasino (Lucy Dacus).

In the world of the album, there is no one villain. Sometimes the villain is an unreliable narrator, a misunderstood character, or a heel-turn performance of villainy. Often, perhaps notably, given the historical and rapidly mounting demonization of trans people as villainous bogeymen (explored on tracks like “Killer” and “A Small Request”) the villain appears to be a purposeful external construct.

If half “The Villain” focuses on relationship to others, the other half prioritizes relationship to self.  The songs explore not only the destruction of partnership but the rebuilding of identity, with a lingering question of what is truly “bad” or “right.” It is not an album about being trans (to call it such would be reductive and inaccurate), but the album themes are firmly rooted in, and contextually informed by Blum’s trans-masculine and non-binary perspective.

“I’m So Bored” by Mal Blum off their upcoming new album ‘The Villain’ out July 11th, 2025 via Get Better Records

Thurston Moore born 25th July 1958 Florida USA, his teenage years Bethel Connecticut then later New York City 1977, He joined his first band The Coachmen plays at renowned venues CBGB, Max’s + other downtown art-rock dwellings, Forming Sonic Youth 1980-2014, then Chelsea Light Moving. the Sonic Youth co-leader is back with a sprawling, broody new tune called “The Serpentine.”

“The Serpentine” has ominous guitars surrounding Moore’s vocals as he whispers vague incantations: “Dandelion dreamlike goldmine/ Improvise silver lines in the sky/ Moonshine excite clouds tonight.”

released May 3rd, 2025
Lyrics: Radieux Radio, Music: Thurston Moore

This week, Indigo De Souza announced a new album, “Precipice”, and has shared its first single, “Heartthrob,” via a music video. “Precipice” is due out July 25th via Loma Vista.

“Precipice” follows 2023 her earlier album “All of This Will End”, which was released on her previous label Saddle Creek. De Souza worked with Elliott Kozel on this album.

“Life feels like always being on the edge of something without knowing what that something is,” De Souza says in a press release. “Music gives me ways to harness that feeling. Ways to push forward in new directions.”

Of the new single, De Souza says: “I wrote ‘Heartthrob’ as a way to help process something that is often hard to talk about—the harmful ways I’ve been taken advantage of in my physical memory. ‘Heartthrob’ is about harnessing anger, and turning it into something powerful and embodied. It’s about taking back my body and my experience. It’s a big fuck you to the abusers of the world. A sarcastic, angry cry for all bodies that have ever been touched in harmful ways.” 

“Heartthrob”, out April 30th

Los Angeles-based power-folk duo, Thee Holy Brothers, has persevered through a series of life challenges and are readying the release of their eagerly anticipated second album, “High In My Balloon“. The critically acclaimed duo features two stalwarts of the L.A. musical community, Marvin Etzioni and Willie Aron. Etzioni is a singer, Grammy-nominated songwriter and record producer, and founding member of country-punk innovators Lone Justice. As a producer, he has worked with acts such as Counting Crows, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Stephen Stills with Judy Collins, and many more. Etzioni recently produced Viva Lone Justice, released on Fire Records. Aron is a respected singer, award-winning film/TV composer, and multi-instrumentalist. He serves as the keyboard player with psychedelic supergroup The Third Mind and has appeared with such artists as The Dream Syndicate, LOVE featuring Johnny Echols, and many others.

Aron is also a founding member of indie-folk combo The Balancing Act. He recently served as producer of singer-songwriter Milo Binder’s latest album, “The Unspeakable Milo Binder”, which has received rave reviews. Thee Holy Brothers’ debut album, “My Name Is Sparkle”, was the inaugural release on Etzioni’s Regional Records label. The song cycle revolves around an androgynous character named Sparkle, who endures a series of hardships on an existential search for the divine. Etzioni wrote all the songs on the album.

As a thanks to all of you Amazing people who have been with us since day one, we created a video for “Crockpot” (Piano Version) 

Welcome to a piano version of a Slothrust classic “Crockpot”. This video is comprised of footage and film photos taken from the band’s time on the road back around 2014. Written and performed by Leah Wellbaum Piano by Willy Beaman

Hooveriii is back with a brand new single ahead of their album release on May 16th! Check out their latest video for ‘Tarantula Eye’ below. After four albums of extra-dimensional exploration, Hooveriii delivered “Manhunter” with the controls set directly for the heart of the cosmic groove. Expertly synthesizing their influences and still managing to bring even more to the party, from spiky post punk to beautiful new age excursions and mammoth 70’s arena rock hooks, “Manhunter” delivers not only their best album yet but an instant classic for all the psych-heads, stoners and dimensionauts.

“Manhunter” is out May 16th via The Reverberation Appreciation Society

Produced by Kaz Mirblouk, Bert Hoover III & Eric Bauer
All tracks engineered by Eric Bauer at Discount Mirrors (RIP) in May 2023 except (In the Rain, Cul-De-Sac & Night Walks in Monteaux) engineered by Mark Rains at Station House April 2024. Mastered by Nick Townsend

On this record Hooveriii is:
Bert Hoover – Vocals, Guitar
Kaz Mirblouk – Bass, Vocals, Synth
Jon Modaff – Drums, Bongos, Percussion
Paco Casanova – Synth, Organ, Clav, Piano
Matthew Zuk – Guitars
Gabriel “Baby Gabe” Salomon – Sax
Anna Wallace – Vocals
with Kyle Seely – Guitar solo on Heaven at the Gates

Four decades after igniting college-radio airwaves and launching R.E.M.’s remarkable career, their 1981 debut single “Radio Free Europe” is broadcasting a new signal. R.E.M. unveils “Radio Free Europe 2025″, a five-track benefit EP led by a never-before-released 2025 remix by Jacknife Lee. The release celebrates the 75^th anniversary of the “OG” “Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty”, which currently broadcasts news and information in 27 languages to 23 countries where a free press is either banned by the government or under threat. 

Members of R.E.M. say this mission of promoting free expression has always resonated with the band: “Whether it’s music or a free press – censorship anywhere is a threat to the truth everywhere. On World Press Freedom Day, I’m sending a shout-out to the brave journalists at Radio Free Europe,” says Michael Stipe, lead singer and founding member of R.E.M. “Radio Free Europe’s journalists have been pissing off dictators for 75 years. You know you’re doing your job when you make the right enemies. Happy World Press Freedom Day to the ‘OG’ Radio Free Europe,” says Mike Mills, bassist and founding member of R.E.M.

The EP is available a limited-edition 10-inch orange-vinyl pressing is available for pre-order now exclusively via the official R.E.M. store and independent record stores. Proceeds from all vinyl sales will go to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, an editorially independent nonpartisan and nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation. 

Van Morrison has debuted another song from his upcoming studio album, “Remembering Now”. The 47th studio album from the legendary Northern Irish singer/songwriter, it’s due out June 13th.  joining Morrison on this album is a backing band featuring Richard Dunn (Hammond organ), Stuart McIlroy (piano), Pete Hurley (bass) and Colin Griffin (drums and percussion) – the same group that has worked alongside him since “Three Chords and the Truth” in 2019.

“Remembering Now” features an array of accomplished collaborators. Its strings were arranged and directed by Fiachra Trench (Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello), whose association with Van Morrison goes back to the album “Avalon Sunset” in 1989. Those strings were performed by the Fews Ensemble led by Joanne Quigley.

Other contributions come from Michael Beckwith, the founder of the Agape International Spiritual Center, the renowned lyricist Don Black (Ennio Morricone, John Barry, Quincy Jones); and the acclaimed folk artist Seth Lakeman.

‘Remembering Now’ Out June 13th

“LIBERTY: Life, Billy, and the Pursuit of Happiness” is Liberty Devitto’s story: a tale of an Italian-American kid who followed his dream and attained unimaginable success, only to see it crumble before his eyes, and ultimately experience a rebirth after passing through the fire of broken relationships, divorce, substance abuse, the death of a brother and a bandmate, and the pain of losing the persona the world knew as “Billy Joel’s drummer.” In this compelling memoir, Liberty takes you back to his immigrant roots and ultimate settling on Long Island, a place he recounts in warm detail. The book traces the musician’s journey from early childhood bands, a rise through the local club scene, wedding bands, building a career, his first tours, and then a juggernaut of success, excess, through his stardom with Billy Joel. Devitto recounts the making of each of Billy’s albums in detail, with specific memories from the recording sessions of every song on each album — from “Turnstiles” through “Storm Front”. Liberty shares stories from the production and tour for “River of Dreams” and the end of his tenure with Billy. LIBERTY is a tale of following and fulfilling your dream, a love story of a drummer and his drums, and an inside look at the music and career of Billy Joel from the man who viewed it from the best seat in the house: the drum throne.

Liberatori “Liberty” DeVitto (born August 8, 1950) is an American rock musician best known for his work as a drummer for New York singer-songwriter Billy Joel’s recording and touring band. He’s been a session drummer on recordings of other artists and also performed with Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, Mick Jagger, Roger Daltrey, Ronnie Spector, Karen Carpenter, Phoebe Snow, Elton John, Meatloaf, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Morello, Elvis Costello, Mitch Ryder, and many more. For thirty years, Liberty DeVitto was the driving force behind one of the biggest pop artists of all time…Billy Joel. With his intense drive, endless creativity, and New York swagger, Liberty created the grooves for 13 platinum Billy Joel albums that have sold over 150 million copies worldwide. He also wrote and performed the drum parts on 22 of Billy’s 23 top-40 hits and all of his six GRAMMY@ Award-winning recordings. Liberty toured the world multiple times as one of the most well-known drummers of his era, but the amazing success did not come without a price. In 2013, he was inducted into The Classic Drummer’s Hall of Fame.