The Fat Angel Sings

There’s a time and a season for everything, they tell us – and now we find ourselves at the end of the “Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You” season. No, the new album won’t go away – and the Bonnie ‘Prince’ will continue to tour – but the cycle of release, the unboxing as it were, is drawing to a close. Fittingly, it goes out with a mighty soar: an epic reading of the title song to the album – a song, by-the-by that, for royal reasons, and no concern of ours, wasn’t included in the album. It isn’t still. It stands marvelously on its own. When heard in concert, it provokes questions like, where is that song and how can I have it? You don’t have to consult the almanac or pretend to understand time and seasons – mostly, you just have to live them.

The video, directed by Adam Laity, transports us to breathtaking and stunning natural landscapes, allowing us to experience the beauty of the world in a few short minutes. 

The “Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You” album was recorded hermetically, so to speak – in a Louisville house, with local musicians, as a necessity of what we hope will be a season that never returns. Here at other end of that tunnel, is “Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You” – a song that Bonny travelled to record, and made with a larger, non-local ensemble. Almost as if it was made in a different timeline and brought back here, to release us to future days. Songs have many lives, just like you and me too. “Keeping Secrets will Destroy You” was played by Bonny, Shahzad Ismaily, Emmett Kelly, Jim Keltner and Blake Mills, and features the singing of Lacey Guthrie, Katie Peabody and Heather Summers.

“Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You” is available for digital download and on all streaming services from Drag City on November 20th, 2023.

This is one of the rarest, most sought-after, and most expensive posters of the entire Bill Graham series. The central image of this poster is comprised of two photographs by Herb Greene—one of Jefferson Airplane, and the other of the Grateful Dead. James H. Gardner, the artist who created this poster, expertly crafted the Roller alphabet for the lettering. It is unknown exactly what happened to the posters for this show. One theory is that they were seized by Canadian Customs pursuant to a requirement that advertising material such as this had to be printed in Canada. A similar problem occurred when Russ Gibb tried to bring posters for a Toronto concert into Canada from Michigan. 

“Delaware” is the debut album by American band Drop Nineteens from Boston, which they released in 1992. The band consisted of Greg Ackell (vocals, guitar) and Chris Roof (drums), Paula Kelley (vocals, guitar), Motohiro Yasue (guitar) and Steve Zimmerman (bass).

The band was active for only five years and released a total of two albums and a couple EPs in total, before reuniting in 2023.

The album spawned two singles, “Winona” and “My Aquarium”, of which the first gained airplay on the MTV music channel. UK magazine NME branded the band in the growing shoegaze scene and the band played in London consistently, even opening for Radiohead and The Cranberries. 

“Delaware” is one of the classic shoegaze records. Formed in Boston in 1991, Drop Nineteens instantly attracted much attention from the UK media and record companies, eventually signing to Hut records. Their debut “Delaware” is a beautiful record, noisy and melodic in equal measures, a record that is full of youth and innocence. The mix of the predominately english shoegaze style with a more american style akin to the Pixies and Sonic Youth gave Drop Nineteens a distinctive sound.

The album has instant pop thrills rambling lsd influenced lo-fi epics such as ‘Kick the Tragedy’, indie pop gems such as ‘Your Aquarium’, with a cheeky and full blooded cover of madonna’s ‘Angel’ thrown in for good measure – yet it still hangs together as a coherent album.

As well as the represses of “Milk and Kisses” and “Four-Calendar Cafe” which in the USA we will release via through 4ad records there will in future be more pressings of titles that previously haven’t been available in a long while. News will be posted here as it happens. Simon Raymonde’s memoir will be out in the second half of next year too and I’ll be out and about talking about my time in the band,

This re-issue of the Cocteau Twins 1996 album faithfully replicates the original 1996 Fontana Records UK release and is pressed onto high quality 140g vinyl.

Cocteau Twins consisting of vocalist Elizabeth Fraser, guitarist Robin Guthrie, and bassist Simon Raymonde – formed in Grangemouth, Scotland in the late 70s. The brainchild of Guthrie and original bassist Will Heggie, by 1981 they had added Fraser and the following year signed to 4AD, one of the most illustrious of the indie labels. With Raymonde replacing Heggie in 1983, the trio went on to create some of the most unique and otherworldly music of the 80s, built around Guthrie’s chiming guitar and Fraser’s unmistakable soprano.

By the early 90s, the group had just released their most successful album, the commercial “Heaven Or Las Vegas”, after which they moved to Mercury imprint Fontana, joining the likes of The Fall and the House Of Love.

Although not intended so at the time, “Milk & Kisses” released in March 1996 – became the final album issued the group. The trio worked separately but effectively – Raymonde would work in the daytime, Guthrie at night, leaving Fraser to add her vocals.

Because of the aftershocks of her split with Guthrie, lyrics came easy to her. Led by the beautiful, hushed Top 30 single “Tishbite” and containing fan favourites “Violane” and “Eperdu”, Milk & Kisses has tended to be overlooked within the group’s canon, and therefore is ripe for investigation. Although work had begun on a follow up album to “Milk & Kisses”, the Cocteau Twins split up in 1997.

Singer/songwriter Katy Kirby introduced her warm, articulate vocals, perceptive lyrics, and playful adult-alternative style on her debut album as she toured tirelessly supporting bands like Waxahatchee, Andy Shauf, Julia Jacklin and Alex G. “Blue Raspberry” is Katy Kirby’s follow up to her renowned debut album “Cool Dry Place”, which came out in February 2021.

That record was a tried-and-true folk collection, perfectly displaying the chops of a young songwriter and emanating the warm feel of a band in a room; “Blue Raspberry”, made with the same band and producers (Logan Chung and Alberto Sewald), hits the gas and enters completely new territory as we see Katy truly step into her own as a songwriting force. She fearlessly leans far into baroque piano pop on tracks like ‘Redemption Arc’ and the title track ‘Blue Raspberry’, and lyrically she explores themes of loss and queer love. Very few are able to capture the same emotional, theatrical magic of artists like Fiona Apple, Tom Waits and Joanna Newsom but Katy pulls it off on this record; standout ‘Drop Dead’.

the upcoming album “Blue Raspberry”, out on January 26th, 2024

Now more confident and comfortable in the language of songwriting, the new album takes the foundations Hibberd started laying on ‘Garageband Superstar’ and builds them up several accomplished storeys. The tongue-in-cheek humour that won her praise is still present, but it’s joined by new layers of nuance and candidness – think songs that can make you laugh, cry and feel less alone, all within under four minutes. Sonically, too, she’s entering new ground, bringing together forever influences like Avril Lavigne, Weezer and Green Day with the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Liz Phair and Taylor Swift. 

After documenting her life to date on “Garageband Superstar”, more than anything “Girlfriend Material” captures who Hibberd is in this moment – changed from the artist we met on album one and likely different from the artist we’ll meet in the future. It is, she says, a record that captures everything she is right now. “I’m figuring out who the hell I am,” she smiles. “I’m lighting candles and trying to manifest, I’m reading books, and I’m trying to run – all of these things will fade off in the next two months, and I’ll never do them again, but it’s part of that process.” ‘Girlfriend Material’ courses with that exploratory, sometimes confused, questioning feeling.

The widescreen, glittering duet ‘Pretty Good For A Bad Day’ was co-written with and features Alex Gaskarth, frontman of All Time Low, one of her biggest influences. The bravest moment of the album comes in ‘I Suck At Grieving’, a song that manages to both jangle and pummel as it finds Hibberd lamenting herself for “avoiding” mourning her dad and projecting her feelings onto other incidents and annoyances instead.

After a decade-long hiatus, Bristol-based shoegaze ensemble, The Fauns, have re-emerged from their secret bunker with their eagerly anticipated third album. This latest album bridges The Fauns’ transformation from their earlier incarnation to their current evolution. The tracks traverse a spectrum of styles, ranging from intricate, guitar-driven sci-fi fantasies to industrial-tinged new wave compositions. The hallmark shoegaze elements are now stretched over gritty pulsating electro beats.

“How Lost” via Invada. The Fauns’ journey began in 2007, self-releasing their eponymous debut album in 2009, followed by the 2013 release of “Lights”. These two works garnered warm acclaim from both critics and fervent shoegaze-loving fanbase alike – arriving into an atmosphere rekindled by the return of My Bloody Valentine. This latest album bridges The Fauns’ transformation from their earlier incarnation to their current evolution. The tracks traverse a spectrum of styles, ranging from intricate, guitar-driven sci-fi fantasies to industrial-tinged new wave compositions. The hallmark shoegaze elements are now stretched over gritty pulsating electro beats. Moreover, the album marks a shift in lyrical themes and attitude. Poignant tracks coexist with narratives of vodka-infused nights in dimly lit clubs, reflecting a departure from introspection. “This album is less about the melancholy associated with the genre and more about getting our audience dancing.”

Invada Records UK

Sleaford Mods are pleased to announce the release of their cover of the Pet Shop Boys’ iconic single “West End Girls”, with all profits from the track going to the homeless charity Shelter. The Nottingham duo created a version of the 1986 classic between tours for their latest album UK GRIM, and then sought the blessing of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe to put out the track. Not only did Sleaford Mods’ “West End Girls” meet with the pair’s approval, but the Pet Shops Boys were inspired to remix the cover which will feature as one of the tracks on the limited edition single.

Sleaford Mods are pleased to announce the release of their cover of the Pet Shop Boys’ iconic single “West End Girls”, with all profits from the track going to the homeless charity Shelter. The Nottingham duo created a version of the 1986 classic between tours for their latest album UK GRIM, and then sought the blessing of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe to put out the track. Not only did Sleaford Mods’ “West End Girls” meet with the pair’s approval, but the Pet Shops Boys were inspired to remix the cover which will feature as one of the tracks on the limited edition single. 

Hifi Sean has also contributed an Acid House meets Hi-NRG remix for the release, while Sleaford Mods’ own Andrew Fearn has added a heady vocoder led mix under his solo guise of Extnddntwrk

Our new Pet Shop Boys cover for Shelter ‘West End Girls’ is out now via Rough Trade Records.

Love is everyday magic. That’s the impression you get listening to “Water”, the new album by Chicago trio Dehd. Veterans of Chicago’s increasingly fruitful DIY scene Jason Balla ( Ne-Hi and Earring) Emily Kempf (Vail and formerly with Lala Lala) and drummer Eric McGrady share a strange and inexplicable chemistry. The music is hazy and reverb-drenched, a scuzzy and hyped-up take on surf rock that could only come from the Third Coast. It’s all animated by the red-lining feel-good spirit of the Velvet Underground’s Loaded and the breezy melodicism of C86-era indie rock, with a dash of the Cramps’ spooky-hop bop courtesy of McGrady’s locomotive drumming.It’s a clear-eyed look at the wild nature of everyday life that’s been spun up in sugary sweet melodies and scratched-crystal sounds.

More than anything, it’s the embodiment of Dehd’s m.o. from the start: As Kempf puts it, “Work with what you have and make it magical.”

released May 10, 2019

A fascinating document of a band finding its groove. It’s got a drier sound and is rougher around the edges than “FOD”, and some of these tracks feel more like experimental studies in rhythm/texture than proper songs. “Sunbeat” is especially weird, and I love them for it.

Perth’s very own South Summit – not only the nicest and chillest band in Western Australia, but the one to keep an eye on. Band mates Nathan, Josh, Fynn, and Nemo, sans lead vocalsit Zaya – who may or may not have been at the pub – delved into the creative process, and gave us a sneak peek into their forthcoming album.

‘Tales of the Yeti’ isn’t your run-of-the-mill EP; it’s a solid 6-track playlist, like a musical diary of the real South Summit experience. Fueled predominantly by road trips, they cooked up a collection that’s as good as it gets.

You’ll find your go-to tracks like ‘Just Like You,’ ‘I Feel It,’ ‘Tuned In,’ and ‘Sidelines’ on the EP, serving up that classic South Summit mood.  ‘Dreaming’ and ‘Fallen Friend’ also made their debut, rounding out the whole musical journey.

Crafted in their hometown of Perth, this EP came to life in the Blackbird Sound Studio, thanks to the magic touch of producer Dave Parkin. They went all out, playing with different sounds and vibes, really evolving their style.

Clearly South Summit arent ones for resting on ther laurels, and they aren’t about to hit pause any time soon. Fresh off ‘Tales of the Yeti,’ they’re already knee-deep in a full-length album.