The Fat Angel Sings

The original riders on the psychedelic storm get their own minds blown by the leaders of the new psych rock movement on this stellar tribute to The Doors!
Features performances by The Black Angels, The Raveonettes, Clinic, Psychic Ills, Sons Of Hippies, Elephant Stone, Dead Skeletons and more!
Incredibly innovative and unique versions of The Doors’ classic tracks including “L.A. Woman,” “Riders On The Storm,” “Light My Fire,” “Love Me Two Times” and others

Cleopatra Records

While it may not quite be even better than the real thing, “V-U2 An Immersive Concert Film at Sphere Las Vegas” is a dazzling presentation of the Irish bands recent run at the state-of-the-art facility. V-U2 is the first film ever to be shot entirely with Big Sky, the ground breaking ultra-high-resolution camera system developed by Sphere Entertainment. V-U2 does not just capture U2’s epic run at Sphere, it allows audiences to feel like they are at the live shows.

Currently part of Sphere’s programming, this “immersive concert film” is precisely that: A roughly 70-minute pre-recorded performance by Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and drummer Bram van den Berg (who filled in at the Sphere shows for Larry Mullen Jr. as he battled his health issues). The concert footage itself was presented masterfully, a rendered visualization of the band’s turntable stage setup for the V-U2 residency more or less making it look like the musicians were actually in the building. The recorded footage incorporated crowd noise, the frame of the projected stage also capturing the fans up close, which added to the realism of what was essentially a live concert video.

Given the technical capabilities of Sphere venue though, this felt like so much more than a mere concert film. While not every song on the set list — which touched on key U2 classics including “Where the Streets Have No Name,” “One,” “With Or Without You,” “Vertigo” and some of the “Achtung Baby” songs that were the basis of the residency gigs utilized the awe-inspiring visual capabilities that Sphere has become known for, those that did elicited gasps from the crowd.

Sometimes we just want to be told that it’ll be alright. Sharon Van Etten understands this, and the past decade has been one of collaborative and electrified in-studio tinkering for her after years of indie rock songs steeped in solo-songwriter introspection. Van Etten is going all-in on jam sessions with her redressed band, the Attachment Theory, in 2025. During recent tour rehearsals, the musician found herself initiating extended jams with her long time band for the first time. The resulting 10-track album’s promo cycle kicked off with lead single and dark synth odyssey “Afterlife.” “Will you see me in the afterlife? / Will you tell me what you think it’s like?” Van Etten asks over the ’80s synth-rock squall.

Van Etten is trying on a new guise here and it’s refreshing to hear her revelry. “Afterlife” owns its longing through its drum pad beat, synth growls, and soaring melody that only the goth-rock and synth-pop genre favorites truly crystallized, all while Van Etten’s yearning for a lost loved one takes center stage. For so many of us, 2024 was full of scrambled signals and media distractions. “Afterlife” looks to human connection to unshackle our grief so we can wake up from the dream of modern life. A jam band can be a ridiculous endeavor without self-editing, but Van Etten and the Attachment Theory let their hair down and step out of the dream world with confidence.

The Waterboys have announced their new album, “Life, Death And Dennis Hopper”, which will be out April 4th via Sun Records. The 25-song double LP is entirely about the counterculture icon and acclaimed actor and director, and features contributions from Bruce Springsteen, Fiona Apple, Steve Earle, and more.

“The arc of his life was the story of our times,” says Waterboys bandleader Mike Scott, “He was at the big bang of youth culture in “Rebel Without A Cause” with James Dean; and the beginnings of Pop Art with the young Andy Warhol. He was part of the counter-culture, hippie, civil rights and psychedelic scenes of the ’60s. In the ’70s and ’80s he went on a wild 10-year rip, almost died, came back, got straight and became a five-movies-a-year character actor without losing the sparkle in his eye or the sense of danger or unpredictability that always gathered around him.”

You may remember that one of the singles from The Waterboys’ 2020 album “Good Luck, Seeker” was “Dennis Hopper” so this is a subject that has been rumbling around Mike Scott’s head for a while. The first single from this new album is “Hopper’s On Top (Genius)” and will be released this Friday, January 10th.

“Life, Death And Dennis Hopper” is the first Waterboys album for the legendary Sun Records – ”Hey, we’re labelmates with Howlin’ Woif and young Elvis!” says Scott , the record also features contributions from Anana Kaye, Barny Fletcher, Sugarfoot, Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, Kathy Valentine of The Go-Go’s, and Patti Palladin.

Some may know the story of Jesse Malin. The longtime cornerstone of New York’s East Village music scene suffered a traumatic spinal stroke in 2023, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. The singer-songwriter, who has long preached “positive mental attitude”, persevered through months of medical treatments and physical therapy with the hope of returning to the stage. That goal was realized earlier this month at New York’s famed Beacon Theatre.

Just a few highlights from Malin’s two-night stand at the Beacon. We kick things off with one of the show’s more emotional moments – a seated Malin pulling himself up to stand in front of a mic and belting out his R&B gem “She Don’t Love Me Now”. From there we get Steve Van Zandt serving up an electrifying guitar solo on Malin’s “Turn Up the Mains”, Elvis Costello and Lucinda Williams covering the Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses”, Butch Walker rocking out Malin’s “In the Modern World”, Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis letting his guitar wail on Malin’s “Brooklyn” and, at Jesse’s request, Adam Duritz and David Immerglück from Counting Crows performing their own “A Long December”. And how about the rousing close from night one – Malin leading all of the above, save Van Zandt, on a cover of the Clash’s “Rudy Can’t Fail”.

To support Malin’s recovery, many friends and fans – including Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joe Armstrong, to name just a few – banded together to record a tribute album Silver Patron Saints. You can also support Malin’s recovery via the Sweet Relief Foundation.

The album is a celebration of the band’s success and the moments that have defined it. The band’s lead singer, Brandon Coleman, says the album is about overcoming life’s challenges, such as loneliness, depression, and hopelessness. They certainly deliver these songs with an almost religious fervor that smashes the obstacles they have overcome.

The album was produced by Dave Cobb, and as he always seems to do, the production captures the band’s live magic. (This is especially evident since they also released a live album this year.) You will hear elements of Country, Soul and Gospel. However, they are first and foremost a Rock & Roll Band.

Their debut album has become a massive word-of-mouth success Stateside, driven by the breakout hit single ‘Wondering Why’. With their incendiary chemistry on stage and eclectic rock-n-roll sound they’re being hailed across the US as one of the most exciting bands to break through in 2024. Led by the hugely charismatic lead vocalist and guitarist Brandon Coleman, blessed with film-star good looks and the soulful vocals of a gospel confessional, he becomes possessed on stage with the power of a Southern fire-and-brimstone preacher.

After a stunning appearance on Jools’ Annual Hootenanny to usher in the new year, folk-bluegrass musical ensemble The Dead South will be heading out on tour in March 2025.

The Dead South have never been about constant reinvention, but about full commitment to their own singular way. With confidence in their sound and style and trust in each other, The Dead South arrive at the cusp of explosive global success in an enviable, and well-earned, position: total autonomy. It doesn’t really matter what you call their music – progressive bluegrass, alternative Americana, country, folk and western, what matters is that this is theirs, and people from all different backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, languages and ages love it.

The Dead South perform “A Little Devil / 20 Mile Jump” at Jools’ Annual Hootenanny 2024.

With her spellbinding voice and time-bending sensibilities, Sierra Ferrell makes music that’s as fantastically vagabond as the artist herself. Growing up in small-town West Virginia, the singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist left home in her early 20s to journey across the country with a troupe of nomadic musicians, playing everywhere from truck stops to alleyways to freight-train boxcars speeding down the railroad tracks. After years of living in her van and busking on the streets of New Orleans and Seattle, she moved to Nashville and soon landed a deal with Rounder Records on the strength of her magnetic live show. Now, on her highly anticipated label debut “Long Time Coming”, Ferrell shares a dozen songs beautifully unbound by genre or era, instantly transporting her audience to an infinitely more enchanted world.

released January 3rd, 2025 Rounder Records.

Wishy’s latest single ‘Planet Popstar’ serves as an exciting bonus for fans still digesting their critically-acclaimed debut album, “Triple Seven”.

Building on the dreamy yet electrifying foundation that earned “Triple Seven” rave reviews, Wishy’s latest offering ‘Planet Popstar’ adds a fresh, introspective layer to the band’s growing catalogue of music. This track might not have made it onto the album, which was released earlier this year, but it still feels like an essential part of Wishy’s soundscape, rich with the signature soaring, earnest, and open-hearted melodies which have been praised within their music as of late. Here, Wishy seamlessly blends the genres of dream-pop and shoegaze with pop-punk influences, creating an alluring sonic experience that makes ‘Planet Popstar’ an instant standout of their discography thus far.

The single has been described by Kevin Krauter, Wishy’s frontman, as a reflection on longing and the feeling of yearning for something seemingly out of reach. Thematically, the song taps into universal emotions of distance and desire, which, paired with the lush, immersive instrumental, makes for an especially resonant experience for the listener. ‘Planet Popstar’ holds all of the emotive energy that defines the band’s music, with Krauter’s lyrics and vocals painting an evocative picture against a backdrop of fuzzed-out guitars and a catchy, hypnotic rhythm.

Wishy’s sound has previously been categorised as a blend of shoegaze, pop-punk, and ‘90s indie, but “Triple Seven” proved that the band’s music is more than an homage to the past; it’s a fresh reinvention of these influences, transforming them into something exciting and new. Their sound is adventurous yet grounded; a place where distortion and melody find a perfect balance, and ‘Planet Popstar’ continues this trajectory, with an energy that feels unrestrained yet deeply sincere.

released October 29th, 2024