The Fat Angel Sings

“It’s very depressing to me that we are still dealing with the same issues we were dealing with 40 years ago,” says singer Matt Johnson says, noting that many of the themes on classic THE THE songs – alienation, feeling powerless in the face of corporate greed & governments who don’t have the good of the people in mind, the search for connection in an increasingly distanced world – are as relevant today as they were in the 1980s. With the turmoil of the last decade, it’s good to have Matt & The The back.

‘Ensoulment’ is the first The The album in a quarter century & comes 8 years after Johnson reactivated the band following 17 years of hibernation. Those recent years have been both tumultuous & prolific…

Matt’s brother, Andrew (Andy Dog), whose artwork has graced many The The albums, died in 2016 and inspired 2017 single “We Can’t Stop What’s Coming.” More activity followed: “The Inertia Variations” documentary, Radio Cineola broadcasts, and then the 2018 The Comeback Special world tour. With a stable line-up of The The, including long time collaborators James Eller (bass), DC Collard (keyboards), Earl Harvin (drums), and Barrie Cadogan (lead guitar),

Johnson began work on the new album only to be sidelined by 2020, which, in addition to the COVID pandemic, found him in the hospital with an acute throat infection that gave him a “close shave with the grim reaper” that could’ve also taken his voice.

All this, plus Brexit and many UK and US elections, added to the flavor of “Ensoulment.” Working again with producer Warne Livesay, with whom he made “Infected” and “Mind Bomb”, it has all the hope, humour, and paranoia, the scope and intimacy, and the way with melody you expect from a The The album. “Left is right / black is white / inside out / hope is doubt,” he sings on the album’s opening song “Cognitive Dissident,” and it’s like nothing has changed.

Matt Johnson said via Zoom this summer about about “Ensoulment”, The The’s upcoming tour, his relationship with New York, climbing out onto one of The Chrysler Building’s iconic eagles for the “I Saw the Light” video in 1995, and how the more things change the more they stay the same. It should also be noted that, while specifics of the upcoming US election were not mentioned,

The lyrics for this song were written from Matt Johnson’s hospital bed under the influence of morphine, whilst recovering from a life-saving operation. As fate would have it, Johnson’s weeks in hospital had nothing to do with Covid, but occurred at precisely the time Covid reached crisis proportions, making for an even more surreal ordeal. The discordant interplay between horns and fiddle is redolent of Johnson’s hallucinogenic, surreal experience, which he tried to emulate by asking the musicians to improvise over the track, without hearing the other’s contribution, as he manipulated the sounds in real time. ‘Linoleum Smooth To The Stockinged Foot’ is unique in that it does not feature any of the core band members apart from Johnson on vocals, guitar and bass, plus guest musicians Sonya Cullingford on fiddle, Terry Edwards on horns, Gillian Glover providing backing vocals, and hand claps from percussionist Danny Cummings. Co-produced by Matt Johnson and Warne Livesey.

‘Some Days I Drink My Coffee By The Grave Of William Blake’ is the 3rd single from “Ensoulment”, The The’s first studio album in a quarter century. It is a song Matt Johnson had been trying to write for many years but never managed to finish – until last year. It belongs to the family of songs he has written about London, including ‘Perfect’, ‘Flesh & Bones’, ‘Heartland’, ‘The Beat(en) Generation’, ‘Helpline Operator’, ‘Pillar Box Red’ and others. The song is co-produced by Matt Johnson and Warne Livesey and features Matt Johnson on vocals and acoustic guitar; Barrie Cadogan on electric guitar and backing vocals; DC Collard on keyboards; James Eller on bass; Earl Harvin on drums; Sonya Cullingford on fiddle; Gillian Glover on backing vocals. “I have often drunk my coffee by the grave of William Blake “– though these days there are actually two gravestones dedicated to him in the small dissenters’ cemetery that he was thrown into when he died. On and off over the last 40 years I have lived close by and have always found it an inspiring place to sit and meditate upon life. Nostalgia is part of the human condition and change is inevitable in our lives and in the world around us. Large capital cities such as London often amplify the sense of change, although one thing that never seems to change is the cynicism of those in power”– Matt Johnson

“Ensoulment” will be released on 6th September (Cinéola / earMUSIC)

Prolific singer songwriter Glenn Donaldson is back with a new album as The Reds, Pinks & Purples. It’s titled “The World Doesn’t Need Another Band” and it’s out now as a name-your-price download on Bandcamp. Donaldson notes it’s made up of “mostly brand new songs and a few remixes of previous singles that felt like they fit with this set.”

The previously released singles include “My Toxic Friend” and “New Market Space,” and other charmingly glum songs include “Unloveable Losers,” “Don’t Dream Alone” and the title track. Glenn’s been allowing a little more noise, not to mention real drums, into his strummy sound earworms, and on first listen it’s sounding quite good. “Statues in the park,” Glenn sings on the opening track, “They always look sad to me.”

Some brand new songs and a few remixes of previous singles that felt like they fit with this set.

released September 5th, 2024

This month the cover stars are Genesis– the prog legends as they were circa summer 1974, captured at Headley Grange, the rundown manor house in Hampshire where they convened to write much of their sixth album, “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway“, their final LP with Peter Gabriel. We speak to band members and associates about this crucial period in their evolution.

Elsewhere this month we continue with RC’s ongoing celebration of our 45th anniversary with Chime A Dozen, in which RC’s staffers each pick their favourite 12 singles since the magazine was founded in 1979. Alison Moyet is in the RC Interview hot-seat, discussing her solo career and brief tenure with successful synth duo, Yazoo. There are further close encounters with Vegas veteran Engelbert Humperdinck and 60s soul-psych outfit The Rascals as well as features on The Byrds’ Gene Clark and Talk Talk and their creative mainstay Mark Hollis.

In our authoritative Album Reviews section, our writers examine the latest releases (both From The Vaults and New) from Bob Dylan & The Band, Paul Williams, Mercury Rev, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Ezra Collective. In Books there are new tomes on Suicide’s Alan Vega, Wishbone Ash and Robyn Hitchcock among others, while JR Moores assesses the best new Singles including ones from Lone Justice and The Clientele and in Lives there are reports on gigs by Foo Fighters, Love and Idles (plus attendant Gig Guide).

Our numerous sections are having a busy month. In News we focus on The White Label Auction, and we find out where Fairground Attraction’s Mark Nevin has been these past 37 years. The Vinylist has all the release dates you need. RC Investigates takes readers on music-themed holidays. The Collector is Harlem Apollo archivist Brad San Martin. Value Added Facts is a special on harpist Dorothy Ashby. Diggin’ For Gold finds out what happened to 80s synth duo 50/50 (and makes a connection between the latter and the Genesis of The Lamb Lies Down…). The 10 Of The Best this month is on New Zealand punk. Marco Pirroni of Adam & The Ants picks his life-changing records. We spend 33 1/3 minutes in the company of Ian Hunter. David Quantick waxes lyrical about farewell songs. Alan Parsons, among others, is in Talking Heads. We go Under The Radar with French rock band Indochine and into The Engine Room with Francis Monkman. In Competitions & Crossword you can win Tony Iommi/Glenn Hughes and Fanny vinyl/CDs. Finally, we pay tribute to godfather of British blues, John Mayall, who recently died.

The sun is shining for what appears to be a bit of an Indian Summer but already we’re working on our November issue aka RC 563 with articles on our usual wide range of artists from Bryan Ferry and Laurie Anderson to Magazine and Focus, as well as a new regular feature on British cities’ best-ever single releases, starting with Liverpool 45s.

Don’t forget the RECORD COLLECTOR Presents, special editions: Hawkwind and King Crimson are out now with Siouxsie & The Banshees following soon.

COVER STORY – GENESIS – It’s 1974 and the prog pioneers reconvene at a country house in Oxfordshire to start work on their most ambitious project yet: a double concept album. However, personal problems and musical differences are threatening to spell the end of an era for the band
CHIME A DOZEN – We’re still celebrating our 45th birthday, so here’s the RC staff’s favourite 12 singles from the last 45 years
ALISONMOYET – The formidably voiced Essex chanteuse takes us through the many personal and professional challenges that have brought her to her current career renaissance
ENGELBERTHUMPERDINCK – Still touring at 88, the Leicester crooner born Arnold Dorsey also still takes pride from keeping The Beatles off the No 1 spot
GENECLARK – Why the man who played a key role in birthing The Byrds’ inimitable sound is belatedly being recognised for his often outstanding solo work
TALKTALK – Five years since his passing, we present new glimpses of the band’s enigmatic leader Mark Hollis via a series of revealing photos from an acclaimed biography
RASCALS – These New Yorkers found chart success with colourful beat pop but their heart was in more adventurous, progressive material – and that’s where the trouble began…
FROMTHEVAULTS – Reissues and box sets from Dylan & The Band, Paul Williams and Johnny Marr dissected and assessed
NEWALBUMS – Mercury Rev, Ezra Collective and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have new LPs to bend an ear to
BOOKS – Volumes by and about Alan Vega, Wishbone Ash, Robyn Hitchcock and others
SINGLES – including Lone Justice
LIVES – Performances by Foo Fighters, Love and Idles are among those witnessed

The War On Drugs have announced a new live album, ‘Live Drugs Again’ the band took to social media to announce the live record, which is due for release on September 13th. The album will be available on streaming platforms, as well as on 2x LP.  the live album was recorded throughout their tours of the United States, the UK, Europe and Australia between February 2022 and December 2023.

The album consists of 11 live tracks including ‘Harmonia’s Dream’, ‘Burning’, ‘I Don’t Wanna Wait’, ‘In Chains’ and ‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’.

Recorded on tour between February 2022 to December 2023 in America, UK, Europe and Australia. Blissful, Uhinged and Hugely Rocking performances of songs from the last 4 studio albums pulled from over 30 shows. “Live Drugs Again” chronicles the evolution of these songs from the studio to stages all over the world; documenting our continued growth as a live band. This series ensures that these versions, and some of our favourite moments on stage, will live on. The limited edition 2xLP vinyl with poster

 The fourth in a series of limited edition Definitive boxsets celebrating their classic albums, A deluxe box set reissue of their 1986 studio album ‘Brotherhood’. Originally released via Factory Records, New Order’s fourth album saw them further delve into both post-punk and electronic, dividing each side of the record with two distinctively different sonic atmospheres. The reissue includes a vinyl LP of the original album, as well as two CDs one featuring a re-mastered version of the original album and one containing nine unreleased tracks and demos from a 1985 recording session in Japan. New Order’s “Definitive Edition” of their fourth album, “Brotherhood“, is out in a couple weeks and one of the many bonus-tracks is this previously unreleased demo of non-LP single “State of the Nation.”

Fans will also have access to two DVDs with TV appearances, including a 1987 performance on Top Of The Pops, and live sets from Brixton Academy in 1987, G-Mex in Manchester in 1986 and Glastonbury in 1987, among others.

The band have also included 12″ singles of hits ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’ ‘State of the Nation’ and ‘Touched by the Hand of God’.

The limited-edition box set — called ‘Brotherhood (Definitive Edition)” will celebrate the seminal album, and is set to be released via Warner Music on November 22nd.

This marks the fourth limited edition box set the band has released to date. Last year, they celebrated the 40th anniversary of their seminal track ‘Blue Monday’, and announced reissued editions of their classic compilation ‘Substance 1987’ to mark the milestone the band’s biggest-selling album to date.

The previous year they announced an expanded edition of their 1985 album ‘Low-Life’, and in 2020, they released a special boxset for their seminal second album ‘Power Corruption & Lies’. Released in 1983 via Factory Records, the LP features the tracks ‘Blue Monday’, ‘Age Of Consent’ and ‘Your Silent Face’, and was hailed as New Order’s best album back in 2018.

Peter Hook said: “They were really heady days. You felt like you were changing the world. Looking back on it, I think that Joy Division and New Order did change the world – culturally and musically.

“‘Power, Corruption & Lies’ was our honeymoon period. It’s quite heartwarming to realise what you’ve achieved together. It makes the shit worthwhile.”

So it’s been a little over a week since this song was released. The response has been warm and loving and I can’t tell you just how much that means to me. Before releasing it I had played it a bunch of times in the acoustic segment of Dawes shows and it was always well received. It was important to me to have a full band on the tune. I thought a groove and guitar riff could help it feel like a proper Dawes song rather than something quieter and more traditional, and that appears to have worked out. But that didn’t mean I knew how fans would react. I was expecting a fair amount of demoitis; of people complaining that they liked it more in its embryonic state. I’m proud to say I haven’t come across any of that pushback. It wouldn’t have changed my mind if I did, but it’s nice to see nonetheless.

“House Parties” was the first song I wrote for “Oh Brother”. In fact, I remember playing it for Griffin at the studio during the Misadventure sessions. I was confident it would be a good tune for the band, but it felt obvious that it wasn’t appropriate for the record we were cutting at that particular moment. So I sat on it and played it live for a few years .

I can’t count the amount of cities I’ve visited, found myself in the middle of the most touristy zones, with the same shops that are in any big city, with all the landmarks that I wish I cared a little more about, with all the fellow travellers looking for some kind of local flare, while all the true ambassadors of the city’s culture are on the other side of town, far from these mechanisms of consumerism and tourism that have drawn us in, without us knowing even knowing how. We all want our experiences to be singular and authentic, but unless you spend a long time in a place, know some people who live in the area, or are particularly adept at this kind of thing, it’s hard to get even a fleeting glimpse of the true heart of a city.

I have so many fond memories of finishing shows and having friends or fans or promoters drag us along to a house party, a diner, a beloved dive bar, or an even later show somewhere nearby. Getting insights along the way into communities, budding music scenes, slang, the backs of strangers’ cars, what beers are popular where, even nuanced histories of families and friendships. Looking back on these experiences, that kind of access frankly feels sacred.

“House Parties” is also the first track we recorded for “Oh Brother”. The workflow of every album is different and it always takes a few songs to see how that presents itself. The first songs you cut are always a bit of a crapshoot. So we started with this one because we felt confident enough in the tune to revisit if we needed to. But it turns out we didn’t need to! Mike fired up his tape machine, I showed him the bass part I had in mind for the choruses, Trevor had written a perfect slide guitar hook, and Griff had a million amazing ideas for percussion layering. It came together fast and easy.

The 1st single off our upcoming album ‘Oh Brother’, dropping October 11th, 2024.

MJ Lenderman is an acclaimed artist hailing from Asheville, North Carolina. With a passion for music that knows no bounds, MJ has captivated audiences with their unique blend of soulful melodies and thought-provoking lyrics. With years of experience in the industry, MJ has honed their craft and developed a signature sound that sets them apart from the crowd. Their music effortlessly combines elements of folk, rock, and blues to create a sound that is both familiar and refreshingly original.

Whether performing on stage or recording in the studio, MJ’s talent shines through in every note. Their powerful vocals and heartfelt performances have earned them a dedicated fan base and critical acclaim.

MJ Lenderman’s voice is clear. His music is built on honest lyrics fixed in his own reality and a quick wit buoyed by fervent guitars and pedal steel. On last year’s “You Are Every Girl to Me” from his breakthrough solo album “Boat Songs“, the Wednesday guitarist’s token of love came in the form of airport merch and heartfelt words.

On one of the few solo singles he released this year we hear more about that affection: “Her love for me is real / She gives me what she has to give,” he sings on his rendering of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”—not Bob Dylan’s timeless classic, but American flag apparel enthusiast and professional golfer John Daly’s.

For Lenderman, it isn’t a shootout or a bad game of golf that has him rapping on those big, pearly gates. It isn’t even the DUI he alludes to in the first verse (“They took my driver’s license / But you still have yours”)—instead it’s his lover’s devotion. It’s the kind of love that makes a no-alternative demotion to the passenger seat feel like flying with newfound wings. 

“Manning Fireworks” is a remarkable development in MJ Lenderman’s story as an incredibly incisive singer-songwriter, whose propensity for humour always points to some uneasy, disorienting darkness. The punchlines are still here, as are the rusted-wire guitar solos that have made Lenderman a favourite for indie rock fans looking for an emerging guitar hero. There’s a new sincerity, too, as Lenderman lets listeners clearly see the world through his warped lens.

The were a big tip for 2024 from Rough Trade Shops. Words are not to be taken for granted. Especially when they’re being bellowed, full blast, by a broad-shouldered poet with the brimstone fire of a preacher and the honesty and wisdom of a layman, over ground-shaking live beats and between anthemic blasts of melody and rousing riffage. Words matter. History matters. People matter. And Big Special matter.

For Big Special – Joe Hicklin (vocals) and Callum Moloney (drums) – their sound is one that comes from vital, frustrated young working-class voices that don’t always get heard on the scale they should do. It’s a frustration that comes to the fore through a voice that is at times coarse and raw, but sensitive, desperate and soulful at others. Hicklin’s brimstone-fired voice marches from guttural punk barks and serrated spoken word to soaring soul and back again, arriving siphoned from their forebears, crushed under the weight of history, and retooled for a new generation. It’s wrought, raw and angry at a world lacking options, the thinning of the common understanding between the social classes of England, exasperation at repeating cycles, and the feeling that you’re watching your own life unfold from the outside.

These are songs that channel that voice you hear when you look in the mirror and see your true self – fight songs for a world gone wrong.

With drummer Callum Moloney from Birmingham and Hicklin from the neighbouring town of Walsall, the pair first met as what they affectionately describe as “childhood sweethearts” in college back when they were 17. Having performed together under various guises, their chemistry and love of writing together kept them creatively bound – returning to form Big Special a decade later to beat the boredom and frustration of lockdown.

Available on So Recordings

Brown Horse are a Norwich-based country rock band. Rooted in a collaborative approach to songwriting, the six-piece mix guitar-driven 90s alternative rock with the folk and country sounds of the 70s. “Reservoir” is the debut album from Brown Horse. Although recorded over just four days in a quiet corner of Norfolk, the album is a collaborative effort years in the making.

Starting life in 2018 as a folk quartet, Emma Tovell, Nyle Holihan, Patrick Turner and Rowan Braham spent their early days playing old time standards, Michael Hurley covers and original songs in pubs across England. Coming back together in 2022 post-pandemic, the group moved towards a heavier, guitar-driven sound. Introducing Ben Auld to the band on drums, Brown Horse began to make a name for themselves in the resurgent scene of their adopted hometown, Norwich. With the addition of Phoebe Troup in the summer of 2023 completing the line-up, Brown Horse made the short drive north to Sickroom Studios, where they spent four days recording with Owen Turner.

The songs of “Reservoir” are rooted in a country-rock tradition. While the band acknowledges an indebtedness to the turn-of-the-millennium alt-country sounds of Uncle Tupelo, Silver Jews, Lucinda Williams, and Jason Molina, the songs on the album also resonate with the preceding “Last Waltz’” generation of seventies folk-rock artists, as well as more recent works.

Brown Horse (Emma, Nyle, Rowan, Patrick, Ben, and Phoebe) recorded this album over four days at Sickroom Studios in Norfolk, England in the spring of 2023.

released January 19th, 2024

All songs written by Brown Horse