The Fat Angel Sings

Guided by San Francisco musician Andy Pastalaniec, Chime School pays homage to the formative jangle of The Byrds by way of early Primal Scream and The Springfelds; the production and pop sensibility of Biff Bang Pow! and The Razorcuts; and the spirit of great singles labels like Creation, Postcard and Sarah – Although it would have ft with any of those labels, Chime School found a natural home with Bay Area indie stalwart Slumberland Records, releasing a self-titled debut in 2021, and a follow-up 7″ single in 2023, to broad acclaim.

The anticipated follow-up LP “The Boy Who Ran The Paisley Hotel” is as stellar as we could have hoped for – deeper, richer and evolved in every way. While still joyfully packed with janglepop gems, “Paisley Hotel” takes a turn toward the winsome melancholy of groups like East Village, The Go-Betweens, and The Loft, and represents a leap forward in production, composition and arrangement. “The first record was a bit manic. I was trying to stuff so many years of influences into thirty brisk minutes. With “Paisley Hotel” I chose a more condensed palette, and I feel I’m getting closer to the sonic vision I had from the beginning.”

Taken from the album “The Boy Who Ran The Paisley Hotel,” out August 23, 2024 on Slumberland Records.

Few classic rock titans have figured out how to reinvent their old songs as effectively as Robert Plant. Together with Alison Krauss, the former Led Zeppelin frontman offers another take on the Memphis Minnie blues tune, reimagining it as an exotic, elemental dirge. Plant’s husky vocals lend an air of desperation to the performance, while Krauss’ evocative violin work nods briefly to Zeppelin’s “Friends” before propelling the song to a climactic rootsy stomp.

A singer-songwriter who wrote for the Judee Sill in her early 1970s heyday was compared to Asylum label contemporaries like Joni Mitchell, Sill was the first artist signed to David Geffen’s label Asylum Records. She released her first album, “Judee Sill“, in 1971, followed by “Heart Food” in 1973. Both albums were critically acclaimed, but were not commercially successful though her music had stronger spiritual overtones. This nearly forgotten performance reveals a true talent that deserved so much more during her short lifetime. Judee Sill grew up in a very troubled home and came through it with some truly great music to tell so many stories that many of the more sentient listeners will appreciate.

The Songs; Jesus Was A Crossmaker, Enchanted Sky Machines, The Kiss, The Phoenix, Lady-O, The Lamb Ran Away With The Crown, Down Where The Valleys Are Low

Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney’s shift as the biggest band in the world is a memory, and those kinds of numbers will not happen again (it’s telling that the arena dates in support of “Ohio Players” were downsized to us-yet-unscheduled ‘intimate’ venues). But with a dip in commercial fortunes often comes artistic freedom, and this twelfth album fizzes with the joy of its creation, which saw the duo travel the world, indulging in what Carney called “fun shit” and roping in wish-list collaborators such as Beck and Noel Gallagher.

The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney long ago dropped the pretense of operating as a duo, and “Beautiful People (Stay High)” sounds like a big-budget alt-rock anthem befitting its seven credited co-writers, most notably Beck. That’s not necessarily a bad thing: The “na na na” backing vocals and auxiliary brass and keyboard contributions elevate the song’s funky blues-rock strut. It may not be a literal arena-sized banger, but it’s the work of a band that proudly busted out of the garage a long time ago.

Inspired by their sideline in riotous DJ parties, the masterstroke was getting rid of any song they deemed “too mid-tempo or sad”, and the resulting album is a floor-filling blast, from the hairy funk of “This Is Nowhere” to the heart-racing soul of “Beautiful People (Stay High)”. Screw the sales, let’s dance. 

Former Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell’s third album with his band the Dirty Knobs is more of the same rootsy rock ‘n’ roll he’s been digging since the mid-’70s. “Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits” doesn’t rewrite any rules; often it pays tribute to its heroes – from the Byrds to ’60s electric blues to, yes, Petty – without getting too complicated. In their simplicity, Campbell and the Knobs achieve nirvana.

After decades of serving as Tom Petty’s right-hand man, former Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell has spent his past three solo albums finding his own voice as a singer and bandleader. He sounds confident in his new role on “Dare to Dream,” a languid, quasi-psychedelic rocker full of droning guitar licks and Campbell’s nasally sneer, which sounds more than a little bit like his late partner’s. A guest vocal from Graham Nash further solidifies the song’s ’60s pop-rock bonafides.

New album ‘Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits’ available now

A predictably fiery epitaph for the incendiary Detroit proto-punk quintet, this significantly belated Bob Ezrin-produced third studio set perfectly captures the revolutionary spirit of the original 5.

Tragically, both guitarist/prime mover Wayne Kramer and drummer Dennis Thompson ultimately predeceased “Heavy Lifting’s” release, but the album (largely co-written by Kramer and vocalist Brad Brooks) is positively livid with vitality, as big-hitter guests (Slash, Tom Morello, Vernon Reid) bring contemporary metal heft. And the jams? Kicked out.

MC5 posthumously released “Heavy Lifting” a whopping 53 years after their sophomore album, 1971’s “High Time”. That massive gap explains why Wayne Kramer’s latest star-studded endeavor often bears little resemblance to the band’s glory days. Nevertheless, the late bandleader sounds invigorated across the project, especially the Tom Morello-assisted title track, a raucous slab of metallic funk that evokes the sound and fury of both collaborators’ heydays. A fitting farewell to one of rock’s undisputed heavyweights.

‘Heavy Lifting’ is the new studio album by Detroit’s punk rock pioneers, MC5. Led by MC5 founding member Wayne Kramer and produced by the iconic Bob Ezrin, ‘Heavy Lifting’ signifies a momentous occasion – the release of new MC5 music, a staggering 53 years since their last album in 1971. ‘Heavy Lifting’ features an all-star lineup of guest musicians including Slash, Tom Morello, William DuVall (Alice in Chains), Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Tim McIlrath (Rise Against), and many more. Bonus CD & LP: Disc 2 / LP 2 contains previously unreleased live recordings from the MC50 tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of ‘Kick Out The Jams’.

Little Feat’s swampy rendition of Muddy Waters’ blues staple is a combination of the familiar and the novel. The band extends its decades-long history of collaborations with Bonnie Raitt, who duets evocatively with classic-era percussionist Sam Clayton in his first-ever vocal turn. You’d never know it from his confident, gravelly, talk-sung performance — which, when combined with Scott Sharrard’s sizzling slide guitar, makes for a modern blues masterclass.

The veteran band’s first album in a dozen years is a record of blues covers made at Sam Phillips Recording in Memphis. As such, “Sam’s Place” takes comfort in the past, with Bonnie Raitt assisting and the songbooks of Willie Dixon, Little Walter and Muddy Waters tapped for maximum impact. Little Feat draws more inspiration from classic blues than their self-made musical stew, but the rewards here are plentiful.

Little Feat have composed an album that’s their love letter to the blues entitled, ‘Sam’s Place.’ “Long Distance Call” plus many other blues classics are on this album.

“Long Distance Call” was written by blues legend, Muddy Waters. It has Sam Clayton and Bonnie Raitt on vocals, Scott Sharrard on Dobro, Fred Tackett on acoustic guitar, Tony Leone on drums, and Michael “The Bull” LoBue on harmonica. The album also features Bill Payne on piano and Kenny Gradney on bass.

The ‘Sam’s Place’ album has Sam on lead vocals for the entire record. The album was recorded in Memphis, TN at Sam Phillip’s Studio. It’s got classic blues songs by legends such as Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon, plus a new original song called “Milkman” that was written by Sam, Fred and Scott.

“I’ve always loved Little Feat and this new incarnation of the band is bringing some serious heat, cred and new blood to their enduring legacy. Every Feat fan loves us some Sam. I’m so glad he’s now gotten a chance to step out front and center and put his spin on these wonderful blues songs. I loved singing “Long Distance Call” with him, always one of my favourites, and Scott slayed on slide. Know you’ll enjoy hanging out with us at Sam’s Place!” — Bonnie Raitt

Punchlove centers itself around an electrifying and buzzy sound that is always in motion: flexing, contorting, sauntering and sprinting throughout the tracklist of their debut album, “Channels“. They sing of the tumultuous journey into coming of age with a slow-burning agency; the journey of Punchlove as a band mirrors that of the genre itself, starting from a small and condensed bedroom project featuring only Olesen and Williams to an immense, sweeping sonic force. The transitions between songs on the album flicker and crackle like watching someone flip through TV channels at lightning speed, creating an enthralling and transitory kaleidoscope of varied sound that evokes the eclectic nature of early Sonic Youth. The throbbing ending measures of “Birdsong” mutates into a scattered and frantic beat that shifts into “Guilt” without hesitation.

Despite the sonic contrasts between these sections, the transition is breathtaking. The seamlessness helps to create an incredibly cohesive and uniform album with a pervading fluidity and tightness in its quick pacing. Tracks like “Apartment,” “Dead Lands” and “Elapse” continue to showcase Punchlove’s penchant for playing with texture and space. “Apartment” is adorned with twinkling guitar riffs laced with floating, feathery vocals that expand into a ragged yet grandiose cacophony of blooming, contorted instrumentation.

The massive and looming intensity of the percussion pushes and shoves the track to its ending. “Dead Lands” alternates between sparse and dense passages enriched by delicate vocal harmonies and a ringing guitar solo, while “Elapse” is a bit heavier in its warped, grungy sequence that curves and snakes its way through tight, condensed phrases.

What’s so funny about peace, love, and understanding? Laughing are a Montreal-based rock n’ rollers who take cues from some of the greatest pop songwriters of the past five decades. Four unique voices from across the Canadian expanse. Cross-stitched material and temporary ego sublimation serve them well in their pursuit of the holy grail: a perfect song. Their debut album “Because It’s True” is an honest attempt at inviting you in on the cosmic joke. Packing their debut album with power-pop harmonies, country-rock twang and rambling riffs, Laughing’s 11 songs are as sonically tasty as a slice of André Charles Thériault’s pie. However, while “Because It’s True” ,the band’s lyrics continually circle back to emotional topics such as heartbreak, loss of self-esteem, and longing for friendship. Josh Salter’s “Bruised” is one of the catchiest woe-is-me anthems to hit the underground charts in ages, with a charming VHS video to match its head-sticking hooks. The twangy “Don’t Care” with Laura Jeffery on lead vocals, should appeal to fans of contemporary indie-country acts like Dougie Poole or the Courtneys side-project Big Rig, while “Pebble” might be the best song Big Star never wrote.

For fans of slacker-rock with guitar solos, Laughing should appeal to fans of Pavement, Dinosaur Jr, and Built to Spill. They might even remind your parents of their favourite Neil Young and Crazy Horse records. 

Released June 28th, 2024

Laura Jeffery: Drums and Vocals
Josh Salter: Guitar, Bass and Vocals
André Charles Thériault: Guitar, Bass and Vocals
Cole Woods: Guitar, Bass and Vocals