Pulling from our love of grunge and gothic, “Feast” is named as such because it explores the idea of gluttony, consumption and desire, particularly when it comes to sexuality and romance.
In Ireland a lot of our first conscious experience of storytelling happens to be religious, due in most parts to the interlinking of our Catholic Church and state, particularly in education. The Bible stories and fables of good, bad, morality and sin were always pressed upon us. I thought it was interesting to use this iconography and imagery reimagined in a queer context.
“Feast” is dark, gothic and sensual, encouraging us to unapologetically pursue our wants and desires.
This album showcases Jethro Tull’s incredible appearance at the Newport 69′ Festival, on 21st June 1969, during the “Stand Up” Tour.
An estimated 200,000 fans attended the infamous festival – a three day series of concerts at Devonshire Downs, in Northridge, California, across 20th–22nd June. The largest pop concert up to that time, Newport 69 was the sequel to 1968’s Newport Pop Festival.
Sadly the much-anticipated event descended into violence with several hundred persons injured in rioting outside, securing the event a dubious place in rock history. Among the thirty-three acts featured were Jimi Hendrix, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Johnny Winter and Jethro Tull, who were largely oblivious to the dramatic scenes unfolding outside the gates.
Regardless of the chaos, Jethro Tull put on an unmissable performance at “Newport 69“, which featured their newest band member Martin Barre. The majority of the set promoted their forthcoming album “Stand Up”, interspersed with fan favourites such as “A Song for Jeffrey” and “Dharma for One“.
This album features fully restored and professionally remastered audio of this celebrated performance.
Crafting songs which range from achy-hearted, string-laden confessionals to sleek, chic soundtracks for the small hours, Katy J Pearson is a pop singer-songwriter for the modern catastrophic age and today she announced details of the release of her third album, Someday, Now, which is out on Friday 20th September 2024 on Heavenly Recordings.
Unquestionably her most confident, assured, and honest album to date, the ten tracks on Someday, Now shine with a brilliant lucidity showcasing Katy’s natural knack for a hook.
Recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales and joined by an all-star band made up of Heavenly label-mates Davey Newington (Boy Azooga) and Huw Evans (H Hawkline) alongside Joel Burton, Someday, Now sees Pearson’s signature sound transmuted through the desk of electronic producer Nathan Jenkins, aka Bullion [whose previous credits include Carly Rae Jepsen, Ben Howard, Nilüfer Yanya and Avalon Emerson]. Talking about the band, Katy said:
I knew exactly who I wanted to work with, I knew exactly who my session band were going to be, I knew where I wanted to record. It felt like I was finally calling the shots for myself, and that was so empowering.
Having recently released the first single from the album‘Digging The Hole’, they return with ‘Operating At A Loss’, the latest track to be lifted from the long-player.
Starting with a rumble of drums and menacing bass, before exploding out of the speakers with the kind of punk rock new wave kick that feels like it might be preparing to propel the listener through a brick wall, ‘Operating At A Loss’ gets extra points for managing to both nod to Magazine’s ‘Shot By Both Sides’ and include an extensive rant about coffee in the second verse.
“Force Majeure” is an urgent, joyous noise – a twelve track battering ram of an album that builds hugely on the promise of their debut and acts as a calling card from your new favourite honest rock’n’roll band.
A vital and concise record which thrills with its direct simplicity and excitement, recalling the likes of Parquet Courts or early Modern Lovers, “Force Majeure” (rarely does a title so aptly describe the contents) opens with the controlled explosion of recent single ‘Digging The Hole’ and doesn’t let up apart from occasional journeys into post punk territory on the Television-esque ‘New Alphabet’ and the wonderfully Wire-ish ‘What Else’. Across the whole record four voices sing, walls of guitars bite and scratch, the rhythm section locks behind them in perfect time while the listener grabs on for dear life and just tries to keep hold.
taken from their forthcoming LP ‘Force Majeure’ out on Jan 17 2025 via Heavenly Recordings.
Ian Osborne worked in TV most of his Working Life and was a 21 year old studio sound technician at Thames TV. Buying Elvis Costello’s first album “ My Aim is True” two weeks before and heard that Elvis Costello was to be a guest on the lunchtime show ‘Good Afternoon’ (that particular recording hosted in Thames TV’s Studios 5 at the Euston Road complex by the lovely Mavis Nicholson). I was due to be working in St.6 next door that day but did a ‘swap’ with a colleague so I could see Costello.
He turned up for a sound check and rehearsal and I mic’ed up his Fender Champ 10w amp and set a vocal mic, he arrived with his Fender Jazzmaster guitar, slightly nervous but personable, told me he was doing two songs and we asked him to run through so the Sound Supervisor (talented guy named John Baker who sadly died a few years ago) could get levels. John knew that I was a fan so he recorded the rehearsals on 1/4” tape for me. EC played two songs that hadn’t been released at the time although “Watching the Detectives” had been played live with his new supporting band The Attractions (as he told me later), the other song was “Hoover Factory”. Everyone happy with levels, Mavis was then called to the studio and we recorded the show ‘as live’ in one go. It was a good interview and EC relaxed as it went on. This was the period when Jake Riviera had banned interviews with the Music press and many rumours / false stories were filling the inches of the weekly ‘inkies’.
My overriding memory of the musical performances was the intensity of his performance of ‘Detectives’ – it was mesmerising and so powerful to be feet away from him. I remember looking at the studio crew around and old hacks of the ‘seen it all before’ scene crew (probably my age now!) who were transfixed and staring. After the show recording EC, Mavis and producer, director and team (not us studio crew – we were never invited) went to the Green Room for post show drinks. My Sound Sup John tapped me on the shoulder and said ‘come on’ and took me to the Green Room (proof 1st time there I was surprised it wasn’t green!) and to my embarrassment walked me up to EC and said ‘this is Ian he is a fan and changed his work schedule to meet you” – a few moments of mutual verbal shuffling developed into a 30 odd minutes of conversation. I discovered much of his musical likes and he spoke of The Attractions and the arrangement they had made of “Detectives” and how different it sounded from the forthcoming single. I really enjoyed the chat and thought he was a nice guy…. 18 months or so later I worked on another show with him as a musical guest and he was like a completely different person and a complete arse, couple of years after that a sound recording session with him and back to normal (even if the sound mixer had to give him a fader to control which actually did nothing!) Anyway over he years I have had the recording of the rehearsal of “Detectives” & “Hoover Factory”, aware that apart from the few people I’ve played it to, no-one has heard it since that day (27th Sept 1977) and that now seems a bit selfish. I’ve made a simple video as easy way to share.
“Rome” is the definitive live document of The National. Recorded live (without overdubs) on June 3rd, 2024 at the architecturally stunning venue Parco Della Musica Ennio Morricone, named for the famed Italian film composer, the 21-track LP showcases scintillating versions of beloved songs like “BloodbuzzOhio,” “Don’t Swallow the Cap,” “I Need My Girl,” “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness,” “England” and “Fake Empire”; plus sharpened readings of recent tracks “Eucalyptus,” “New Order T-Shirt,” “Tropic Morning News” and the boundary pushing “Smoke Detector.”
The double album, mixed by long time collaborator Peter Katis, spans the band’s 20-plus years of song writing and reveals how each song has taken on a new life in its live performance. “You have to see this band live” is often said about The National, and now, “Rome” is the next best thing to actually being there.
Reflecting how the band changes setlists significantly from night to night to cast fresh light on hidden gems from the catalogue , “Rome” is marked by rarities such as show opener “Runaway,” “Lemonworld,” “The Geese of Beverly Road,” “Lit Up” and a tour de force pairing of “Humiliation” from the critically acclaimed album “Trouble Will Find Me” into “Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers’ “Murder Me Rachael.”
The Rome encore features the election anthem “Mr. November,” and, from “High Violet”, “Terrible Love” and the show-closing fan singalong, “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks.”
Accompanying today’s announcement, we’ve released a four-song EP titled NTL RM EP I previewing Rome highlights “I Need My Girl”, “Lemonworld”, “The Geese of Beverly Road” and “Lit Up”.
“Rome”, the definitive live document of The National, will be released worldwide December 13th on 4AD.
Consisting of punk legends from bands such as Ramones, The Damned, Rocket From The Crypt and more, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is the punk super-group and cover band extraordinaire of 2024
Together, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are an outfit that has always operated more like a beer-hall pussycat dolls than a regular mortal band.
After 7 studio albums, 2 live records and too many singles to count, they’ve tackled just about every genre under the sun. Be it motown, country, show tunes, japanese pop (sung in japanese!), these seasoned punk rock pros have triumphed on every occasion in a way only the Gimmes could.
In case you missed it, our new song (and final single before the album yikes!) ‘What You Told Me’ came out last week. This song’s about seeing illness affect someone I love. It’s about the heartbreak in that but also the comfort and joy in the moments of respite. It always makes life a bit better when you can share in it with someone else, even if it feels like the odds are against you sometimes. I’ve just started a Substack so I can wang on a little more about this kind of thing.
Will see how I go, but I plan to talk about the songs, our recording process, touring and share snippets of demos and stuff like that!
Taken from the new album ‘The Good Kind’, out 8th November on Bella Union Records.
California-based alt folk artist Wryn makes their debut on Righteous Babe Records with their new single, “Steady.”
Four years ago, Wryn’s world shifted. It rocked, it tumbled and it turned itself inside out as they looked inward, reassessed their trauma and began a new journey of self-discovery. Wryn’s life began to embody a new shape.
Out of this rebirth arose “Steady,” a stirring number penned during the pandemic in 2020. The song serves as a sweeping hymn — a prayer — to navigate that period of their life. “Being alive in this body is / Heavy, heavy/ Fill up my lungs and wish me to breathe / Steady, steady,” they sing with a syrupy lilt before slinking into a stunning crescendo of strings and harmonies. Produced/mixed by Bella Blasko (Aaron Dessner, The National) and featuring performances by drummer JT Bates (Bonny Light Horseman) and bassist/saxophonist Mike Lewis (Bon Iver).
Wryn hopes listeners can find connection, process their own emotions and release them if need be. “My songs were always emotional, that never changed,” they said. “Now I’m confronting the roots of the emotions.”
Wryn – Vocals, Background Vocals, Electric Guitar JT Bates – Drums Mike Lewis – Saxophone, Bass Bella Blasko – Background Vocals
The Fat Angel Sings 