The Fat Angel Sings

XTC’s 1986 album “Skylarking” is to be reissued on CD and Blu-ray and, for the first time, on 200g heavyweight vinyl through Ape House/Panegyric Records on September 27th.

The album is the second of the band’s reissues to feature a new Dolby Atmos remix from Steven Wilson (1984’s “The Big Express” was reissued last year) from the original multi-track studio master tapes.

The CD/Blu-ray also features the 2016 album mix as well as bonus album track mixes, also by Wilson and is presented in replica mini-vinyl style packaging with booklet including photos and album lyrics. The vinyl version comes presented in a gatefold sleeve with lyrics inside and features the 2016 Steven Wilson mix.

“Skylarking” was recorded by Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding and Dave Gregory with Tubes member Prairie Prince filling in on drums, and was a concept album of sorts, about a nonspecific cycle, such as a day, a year, the seasons, or a life.the album was produced by Todd Rundgren. Rumours of tension between Partridge and Rundgren were rife.

The album’s major hit, “Dear God“, was originally left off the album, forcing Geffen Records to pull the original and reissue the album with the track included. The 2010 reissue featured Partidge’s original idea for the album sleeve.

With the release of Cigarettes After Sex’s third album, “X’s“, the band finally takes center stage as not just one of today’s preeminent indie bands, but as one of the most globally accomplished acts across any genre. Filled with raw, imagistic, sometimes smutty vignettes set to entrancing, slow burn pop songs, bandleader Greg Gonzalez captures every emotion a romantic arc inspires.

The Modern indie pioneers Cigarettes After Sex return with their third album, pivoting from their former 50’s and 60’s influences to pop touchstones 70’s and 80’s. Over these burgeoning, dark melodies lead vocalist and bandleader Greg Gonzalez focuses on one relationship, purging his feelings with brutal intensity. 

Soaring slo-mo balladry and shimmering ambient washes beneath the echoic guitar melodies and Gonzalez’ always haunting vocal syrup. It’s as enchanting and ethereal as ever, and will no doubt be a big hit like everything else they’ve done. A beautifully rich, decadent return for Cigarettes After Sex.

The Dream Machine return with a focused version of their kaleidoscopic, \’60s organ-infused aural ecstasy. Produced by The Coral‘s James Skelly, the album’s heightened musicianship and tighter track lengths are matched by Zak McDonnell‘s matured lyricism, spanning adolescent life in modern Britain, unrequited love, and escaping small-town ennui.

Bold, inventive psychedelic indie that clearly draws influence from the North West’s rich musical heritage, and displays that influence without ever sounding like a pastiche. Crisp, full of warmly familiar melodies and brilliantly conceived harmonies.

“Beachwood Sparks pioneered the indie-country genre, pushing Americana into experimental territories with their fusion of twangy country vibes and psychedelic sounds. Their unique niche in the indie music landscape is marked by ethereal melodies and introspective lyrics, influencing countless artists and shaping the “weirder” side of Americana music.

Their albums “Beachwood Sparks”, “Once We Were Trees” and “The Tarnished Gold“, released under Sub Pop Records, have earned widespread critical acclaim. In 2024, Beachwood Sparks make a triumphant return with “Across The River Of Stars“, produced by Chris Robinson (Black Crowes). After a hiatus, they not only deliver new tunes but also grace the live stage once again.”

Their first official album in twelve years, and fourth overall, “Across The River Of Stars” finds the revived alt-country band Beachwood Sparks in sublime form. Produced by The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson, it’s a nine-track journey of cosmic reflection and psychedelic pop, driven by soft and intricate performances throughout reminiscent of some of The Byrds’ or Wilco’s finest works.

It’s midway through ‘Land: Horses/Land of A Thousand Dances’ that it becomes crystal clear: Patti Smith is one of the world’s greatest living rock star’s. Furiously flailing across the storied stage in her trademark monochrome Ann Demeulemeester outfit and imploring us to do the watusi, her mighty howl fills the room; hard and heroic, tough and tender and impossible not to be moved by, physically as well as emotionally.

For half a century Patti Smith has been a byword for a deeply American kind of cool. The mere mention of her name conjures up images of grubby Manhattan sidewalks, of beatniks and blues, of poetry and punk. And yet, to see her in such a deeply small sizes venue doesn’t jar at all – in fact she’s an ideal fit for such an illustrious rooms. Opening with the unaccompanied spoken word of ‘Piss Factory’ to pin-drop silence, the audience – many of whom have had tickets for this rescheduled show for the past two years – are in the palm of her hand from the word go.

Joined by her son Jackson on guitar and her daughter Jesse on keyboards, The shows are a family affair and we get a sweet peek at their cosy interaction when Patti announces Jesse’s arrival onstage. “My daughter,” says Patti with a giggle as Jesse whispers something in her ear. “She’s telling me my hair looks nice.” The band then blast into a glorious version of ‘Redondo Beach’, which Patti dedicates to the late Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry. “Goodbye Mr Lee,” she calls out over the 1975 track’s punky reggae bounce.

It’s not the only tribute of the night, as guitarist Lenny Kaye leads a pleasantly scrappy version of The Rolling Stones’ ‘I’m Free’ in memory of Charlie Watts. An impeccable interpreter of other people’s work, Patti also coos her way through a stripped-back take on Bob Dylan’s ‘One Too Many Mornings’, introducing the song by telling the rapt crowd about how she fell in love with it 60-odd years ago.

You can see the years whizzing past her eyes as she does so, coming to terms with just how long ago that was in real time. “Nevermind,’ she sighs with a shrug and a smirk. Buddy Holly’s ‘Not Fade Away’ and of course her rule-book ripping version of Van Morrison’s ‘Gloria’ also get a look-in, but it’s the elegiac ‘Pissing In A River’ from her 1976 album ‘Radio Ethiopia’ that is the night’s stand out. Almost heavy metal in its intensity, her hardcore growl nearly takes the roof off the room, passionate, poetic and perfectly Patti Smith.

Patti Smith played:

‘Piss Factory’, ‘Free Money’, ‘Grateful’ ‘Redondo Beach’ ‘My Blakean Year’ ‘Dancing Barefoot’ ‘Blame It on the Sun’ (Stevie Wonder cover) ‘Beneath the Southern Cross’ ‘I’m Free’ (The Rolling Stones cover) ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ (Lou Reed cover) ‘Ain’t it Strange’ ‘One Too Many Mornings’ (Bob Dylan cover) ‘Pissing in a River’ ‘Land’ ‘Gloria’ (Them cover) ‘People Have The Power’ ‘Not Fade Away’ (The Crickets cover)

Over the past 8 years, Little Image (Jackson Simmons, vocals/guitar, Brandon Walters, bass/synth and Troy Bruner, drums) morphed from a group of perpetually online suburban teens who were obsessed with underground indie rock into the tight-knit outfit you see today. While many young artists had their careers derailed in 2020 due to COVID, it actually managed to save little image, who were gearing up to announce themselves to the world without realizing they needed more time for reflection and creativity.  That extra time allowed the band to fully expand on the promise of their early singles “Worth It” and “EGgo” exploring different ways to create a pop-rock song beyond the basic guitar/bass/drums template.

This new burst of creativity led to not just a collection of songs but an actual album, deliberately sequenced to tell a story of self-doubt, self-reflection and eventually, self-love that little image hopes will connect with people across the globe.  Kicking off their new music is the M83-esque indie-dance number “Lungs Burn,” a diamond in a sea of gems.

little image – STRANGE FRIENDS

Like so many of the most essential rock bands, The Gaslight Anthem have a rare gift for finding glory in the inescapable pain of being alive. On their new album “History Books” – their first new music in over nine years – the New Jersey-bred four-piece bring their soulful breed of punk to ten thrilling songs exploring everything from mortality to mental illness to the more precarious dimensions of human connection.

on ‘History Books’— their first new music in over nine years — the New Jersey-bred four-piece bring their soulful breed of punk to ten thrilling songs, exploring everything from mortality, to mental illness, to the more precarious dimensions of human connection.

In the tradition of their seminal sophomore album the ’59 Sound’, The Gaslight Anthem’s sixth full-length ultimately achieves the tremendous feat of hitting every raw nerve while endlessly inspiring wildly triumphant singing-along. featuring a guest appearance from longtime Gaslight Anthem champion Bruce Springsteen, ‘History Books’ matches its unfussy yet gracefully crafted sound with the force-of-nature energy that’s defined the band since getting their start playing basement shows back in the mid-aughts.

”The first release from their own Rich Mahogany Recordings (a label distributed via Thirty Tigers), “History Books” finds The Gaslight Anthem working with acclaimed producer / engineer Peter Katis (The National, Interpol, Death Cab for Cutie) and recording at his Bridgeport, CT-based Tarquin Studios. Featuring a guest appearance from longtime Gaslight Anthem champion Bruce Springsteen, “History Books” matches its unfussy yet gracefully crafted sound with the force-of-nature energy that’s defined the band since getting their start playing basement shows back in the mid-aughts.

“Making this album clarified that we want to keep doing what we’ve always done – because no one else can do it in quite the same way, and that’s something I’ve started to become very proud of,” says Fallon. “At the end of the day it’s just rock-and-roll music, but I really do believe it can have a positive impact on people’s lives. I think there’s so much beauty and magic in that.”

We decided to remix “History Books” in its entirety, the Expanded Edition is out now

released July 12th, 2024

Katherine Parlour and Ella Risi met in Manchester as students and formed Picture Parlour as a duo, before relocating to London in 2021. The band recruited Sian Lynch and Michael Nash through a local Facebook musicians group. as their debut EP arrives, no one can argue that their path to greatness, one marched by bands throughout musical history, is still just as golden.

It’s incredibly refreshing and exciting to see that “Face In The Picture” isn’t just a lazy clump of their previous singles with one extra thrown in. Instead, this is an entirely new collection. 

Their syrupy rock’n’roll is sticky and seductive. It sounds raw, yet anthemic; these are songs destined for stadiums. “We’ve always been ambitious in terms of making it sound huge,” says Risi. “It just gives you serotonin, doesn’t it?” Luxurious guitar solos are matched by Parlour’s growling vocals, which elongate painful lyrics with courage and charisma. “Kate reminds me of a circus ringleader on stage,” says Risi. “You’ve got that kind of commanding theatrical energy.”

Picture Parlour performing “Face In the Picture” 2024 Island Records,

Acclaimed Manchester-based pop-rock outfit Pale Waves burst onto the scene back in 2018 with the runaway success of their debut album “My Mind Makes Noises”. Two top five albums later and an outpouring of support from the likes of BBC Radio 1, Apple Music, Spotify, NME, and more, the band are back with a newfound maturity to accompany their fourth studio album “Smitten”.

While Pale Waves’ first three albums focussed on the band’s immediate present, “Smitten” is a lot more preoccupied with past lives – some more recent than others. Written two years after “Unwanted”, and after the tour that followed, Heather found herself in a headspace where she could finally breathe, and reflect, like peeling through the pages of a long-forgotten teenage diary and being surprised by what she found. “I found myself writing about not just a certain time period, but my whole life, from years ago,” she says. “When I fall in love, I fall deep, and it’s interesting to me that you can feel so fascinated and smitten with someone and then they can become a total stranger. So I feel like “Smitten” really summarised perfectly what I felt for others at a certain point.”

our new album ‘Smitten’ out 20th September

Glasgow septet The Joy Hotel release their debut album “Ceremony”. Lead single is the surging and rapturous ‘Jeremiah’. It’s a song that grapples with the idea of approaching unknowns, and how conflicting attitudes illicit different responses to the same situation. More directly, it’s about staring death in the face and choosing how to come to terms with it.

Newly signed to SO Recordings and with a debut album proper in hand, The Joy Hotel have become a word-of-mouth success story in the Scottish DIY scene.

The band spent eleven days at Rockfield, the legendary studio in Monmouth, Wales, recording live-to-tape. When they left, they had a sound. It is often contradictory, in that it combines the song writing sensibilities of pop and country with arrangements reminiscent of the psychedelic scene of the 60s, six-part vocal harmonies with elements of noise rock, beautiful balladry with a sense of humour, and a cinematic quality. The result of those eleven days is debut album “Ceremony”, a record that searches for the profound in the seemingly routine, and reaches out with arms wide open to wring celebration out of each moment.

“Ceremony”, the debut album from this Glaswegian ensemble The Joy Hotel, is a grand musical vision that embodies their growth into a septet, their admiration for vocal groups, and their diverse styles. Across 13 tracks, each with a seamless segue, the band use uplifting vocal harmonies, noise rock and ’60s leaning psych, and whimsical ballads to bring the extraordinary out of the mundane.