The Fat Angel Sings

As it’s Halloween Weekend and Duran Duran are getting in the spooky spirit with their new album “Danse Macabre“, The album centred around the dark arts and was inspired by a Halloween show they did last year in Las Vegas.

“We had decided to seize the moment to create a unique, special event…the temptation of using glorious gothic visuals set to a dark soundtrack of horror and humor was simply irresistible,” says keyboardist Nick Rhodes. “That evening inspired us to explore further and to make an album, using Halloween as the key theme.

The record metamorphosed through a pure, organic process, and not only was it made faster than anything since our debut album, it has also resulted in something none of us could have ever predicted. Emotion, mood, style and attitude have always been at the heart of Duran Duran’s DNA, we search for light in the darkness and darkness in the light, and I feel we have somehow managed to capture the essence of all of that in this project.

“Danse Macabre” is about the madness of that time of year. Anything goes. With the horrors we’re surrounded by, it’s quite difficult to think of escaping life and having a bit of fun, but we need to. The song is meant to be uplifting. It’s a dark mood of chaos that makes you smile.”

“Danse Macabre” features a mix of new songs, reworks of thematically appropriate songs from the Duran catalogue (like the early single “Night Boat”) and some appropriate covers. Those include Siouxsie & The Banshees‘ goth classic “Spellbound,” Talking Heads‘ “Psycho Killer’ (a duet with Victoria De Angelis of Måneskin), The Specials‘ “Ghost Town,” Cerrone‘s “Supernature,” Billie Eilish‘s “Bury a Friend,” and The Rolling Stones‘ “Paint it Black.”

The covers are pretty good and Duran Duran manage to put their spin on them without losing the original in the process, and you can tell they were having fun making this one.

There is a rare rework B-side of fan favourite track “Secret Oktober 31st”. Guest artists include producer, guitarist and composer Nile Rodgers, Victoria De Angelis of Måneskin and former band members Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo. Exquisitely packaged featuring images adapted from a collection of authentic vintage séance photos that band member Nick Rhodes sourced at auction.

Tape Modern under exclusive license to BMG Rights Released on: 27th October 2023

The Velvet Underground began as a collaboration between frustrated songwriter Lou Reed and the classically trained John Cale. Cale had worked with experimental composers John Cage and LaMonte Young, and Reed’s interest in alternative guitar tunings and drone notes provided common ground. The pair recruited guitarist Sterling Morrison and drummer Moe Tucker and The Velvet Underground was formed.

The band were introduced to artist Andy Warhol, who negotiated a recording contract and showcased them in his multimedia road shows, which combined his films with the band’s music. He also introduced the band to German vocalist Nico, who sang three songs on their debut record.

The Velvet Underground became famous for their influence – despite a lack of commercial success during their tenure, they’re now critically revered. Brian Eno is often quoted as saying – “the first Velvet Underground album only sold 10,000 copies, but everyone who heard it formed a band.”

The band gradually lost key members – John Cale left after their second record, forced out of the band by Reed, who wanted to make the band more accessible. When Lou Reed left perhaps the foundational band of underground, artsy, experimental guitar music, he moved back into his parents house on Long Island and took a gig as a typist at his father’s office. In 1970, affter creative power struggles, romantic drama, and four eccentric albums (each now thoroughly canonized), Reed had failed to break his little project into the mainstream. Reed and Morrison both left after 1970’s “Loaded”, leaving replacement bassist Doug Yule in charge for their final record.

The Velvet Underground only made five studio albums, although a couple of 1980s compilations “Another View” and “VU” mopped up outtakes, including a scrapped fourth album.

SQUEEZE 1973

Lou Reed left the Velvet Underground in 1970, followed by Sterling Morrison. This left Doug Yule as the band’s focal point. Yule had contributed heavily to “Loaded”, but Reed wrote all the songs. It’s tough to expect Doug Yule to measure up to creative giants Lou Reed or John Cale – “Squeeze” is a likeable album but it’s clearly lightweight compared to the band’s earlier work. It has pleasant songs like ‘Friends’, later covered by Luna, and inspired the name of Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford’s new wave band.

Vaguely pointing to bands like The Beatles (as heard extremely clearly on the McCartney-esque ”Crash” or The Beach Boys (the inspiration behind “Caroline” isn’t exactly subtle), and pushing absolutely no sonic or formal boundaries, the record is offensively forgettable. Not a single hook stands out among this collection of uninspired blues and folk instrumentals. Had “Squeeze” not plastered the name “The Velvet Underground” on its album art (the lesser of the Velvet’s two phallic covers by a mile), it’d almost assuredly be lost to time. We wouldn’t have lost out on much.

Closer “Louise” is the most sonically engaging of the set, even if it does fall short of its Beatles aspirations,.

“Squeeze” is essentially a Velvet Underground album in name alone. Reed and Sterling had officially left the band, leaving Yule — who replaced Cale following his unceremonious firing two albums prior — as the new band leader. He wrote and recorded the entirety of the project nearly alone; not even Tucker, who continued to tour with Yule, makes an appearance. Functionally, the album is a Yule solo project that utilizes his old band’s name because Steve Sesnick, the band’s manager at the time, thought he might be able to squeeze (ha!) a few more dollars out of The Velvet Underground brand.

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LOADED (1970)

If “Squeeze” sounded like a copy of a copy of a copy of rock ‘n’ roll, “Loaded” sounds like a masterful reinterpretation of the genre’s original blueprint. Ten songs and 40 minutes in length, the collection is perhaps Reed and company’s most immediate, easily enjoyable set of tunes. Unlike the avant garde nature of albums like “White Light/White Heat”, all-time classic songs like “Sweet Jane” or “Rock & Roll” are perfect Velvet Underground tracks not because of their progressive experimentation, but because of their flawless construction. It’s a record that proves that, if they had wanted to, The Velvet Underground could have been doing straight rock music all along.

Every Velvet Underground (or Spacemen 3 fans, for that matter) should listen to “I Found a Reason” in all of its slow, dreamy glory.

Atlantic Records demanded an album loaded with hits – an odd request for an avant harde band. But “Loaded” is a valiant attempt at a more accessible and radio-friendly Velvet Underground record. “Loaded” starts with three of Lou Reed’s most accessible and memorable songs; the sunshine pop of ‘Who Loves the Sun’, the indelibly simple riff of ‘Sweet Jane’ , and ‘Rock & Roll’. The rest of the album is surprisingly bland – it lacks the experimentation of The Velvet Underground’s previous releases. With Mo Tucker on maternity leave, Doug Yule is highly involved – as well as playing bass, he sings lead vocals on four tracks and plays drums, keyboards, and guitar.

“Loaded” just might be The Velvet Underground’s best rock record, and had any other band released it, it would undoubtedly be in competition for the top spot. “Who Loves the Sun” is a heartbroken pop-rock tune in a uniquely classical sense, “Lonesome Cowboy Bill” is a ballroom bop, and the immaculate “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” is the ideal of an epic, rockin’ closer.

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WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT (1968)

“White Light/White Heat” is often characterized as a sonic battle, and it’s not hard to hear why. The product of two warring creative forces (Cale with his unrestrained lust for musical revolution and Reed with his aspiration for pop perfection), it’s The Velvet Underground at their noisiest, most abrasive, and least conventional. This fruitful conflict comes through most obviously on the cacophonous beast that is “Sister Ray,” but even the album’s most tuneful ditties have an edge sharp enough to scratch a diamond, like on the eponymous opener, which sounds like if a bluesy, pub-ready rocker was blasted with enough saturation to warrant a warning label.

“The Gift,” with its extremely literary spoken word and stereo trickery, was never going to be a radio hit — but gosh darn it if it isn’t one of the most enthralling eight minutes the original Velvets ever put together.

The Velvet Underground’s second album is their noisiest and most extreme. John Cale stated that “White Light/White Heat” was “consciously anti-beauty”. It’s a six track record with punchy garage-rockers like ‘I Heard Her Call My Name’ and the title track, and two longer experimental pieces. John Cale takes the lead vocal on ‘The Gift’, reciting a Lou Reed short story over feedback – it’s distinctive but doesn’t hold up to repeated listens well. The focal point is ‘Sister Ray’, which dominates the second side – a 17 minute tale of debauchery. “White Light/White Heat” is the band’s most out there album, but it’s not always enjoyable listening.

“Sister Ray” is damn near a literal translation of Reed and Cale battling it out through competitive jamming. But what a swan song it was for the band’s most celebrated lineup, and it stands today as their most unapologetic and aggressive statement.

“White Light/White Heat” is likely The Velvet Underground at their peak. It certainly is the band at their most unbound and distorted. Cale’s had successfully upped his sonic fuckery and Reed was penning some of the most transgressive tales of his career. Tracks like “Lady Godiva’s Operation” — hummable yet dirty and touching on taboo subject matter — showcase the magic that spawned from the two artist fighting for creative control. By all accounts, it was a hellish and dramatic recording process, but the results speak for themself.

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THE VELVET UNDERGROUND (1969)

If the band’s most abrasive material featured on “White Light/White Heat”, The Velvet Underground’s third album features their mellowest work. With John Cale forced out of the band, “The Velvet Underground” is more conventional than before – Doug Yule’s sweeter voice is used on the opening ‘Candy Says’.

With Cale out of the band and his resistance to anything remotely commercial-friendly, Reed quickly took the band in the opposite direction. The juxtaposition of the final song from “White Light/White Heat” (“Sister Ray”) and the opener of The Velvet Underground (“Candy Says”) is akin to that between a car crash and a cup of hot cocoa. The rest of the album follows suit, keeping the volume lower and the timbres cleaner. It’s the band’s most successful (creatively, at least, if not financially) attempt at crafting artful pop.

There are some vestiges of experimentation on ‘The Murder Mystery’, the most ambitious track on “The Velvet Underground“, helps add nuance to the prevailing narrative of Reed as the populist and Cale as the sonic terrorist. The track reads like the younger, sweeter sister of “The Gift,” complete with overlapping vocals and an extended runtime with a raga rhythm and all four band members contributing vocals, but the heart of the record are Reed’s mellow and confessional ballads like ‘Pale Blue Eyes’ and ‘Jesus’.

The set contains some of Reed’s most moving, plainly beautiful songs — it truly is a wonder none of them managed to introduce the band to the masses. Stripped of Cale’s abrasion, the album’s 10 tracks are able to showcase Reed’s songwriting prowess clearly and without the pesky obscuration of unappealing sounds. They’re intimate and softly presented, and yet retain Reed’s subversive lyricism. If “White Light/White Heat” is The Velvet Underground record for the Cale-loyal, “The Velvet Underground” is the pick for the Reed-heads.

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THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO (1967)

The Velvet Underground’s debut, “The Velvet Underground & Nico”, was largely recorded in the spring of 1966 – it’s amazing, given how groundbreaking and influential it was when it was finally released in 1967. The band tackled taboo subjects like drug dealing and S&M, and brought ideas from the avant-garde onto a rock album. It still sounds fresh and daring, especially key tracks like ‘Venus In Furs’ and ‘Heroin’. Despite the band’s avant-garde credentials, they still have great melodies like the gentle opener ‘Sunday Morning’ and the gentle folk-rock of ‘Femme Fatale’. The final tracks, ‘The Black Angel’s Death Song’ and ‘European Son’, are more impenetrable, only recommended for adventurous listeners. Andy Warhol provided the famous cover – early editions of the LP offered a peelable banana.

Bank-rolled and managed by Andy Warhol, The Velvet Underground’s debut is the sound of something new. Rough around the edges with a solid-gold center, “The Velvet Underground & Nico” tops “best albums of all time” lists for a reason the songs are simply incredible. Tabling talk of influence and innovation, Reed, Cale, Tucker, Morrison, and Nico put together a set of timeless rock songs that sound just as engaging today as they did to the few that heard them in ’67. From the understated majesty of “Sunday Morning” or “Femme Fatal” to the unbridled creativity of “Venus in Furs” or “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” the genius of “The Velvet Underground & Nico“ is so vast it almost seems accidental and inimitable.

If any song on a record as heralded as “The Velvet Underground & Nico” could be underrated, it’d be the wonderfully weird, string-scratching “Black Angel’s Death Song.”

Though the band (and Warhol, for that matter) were assuredly doing everything they could to become the next great artistic phenomenon, “The Velvet Underground & Nico” was too revolutionary to be embraced by general audiences. Be it the proto-punk energy of “I’m Waiting for the Man” or the stark vulnerability of “Heroin,” even at their most restrained, the band was too innovative, too disruptive to break into Top 40. 

The Velvet Underound only lasted a handful of years, only releasing five albums in total, but they left a mark on rock music matched only by fellow behemoths like The Beatles. Despite their brief existence, the band’s sound twisted and morphed with each subsequent release, resulting in a wildly varied, incredibly impressive discography. With such variety in style and consistency in quality, only a fool would attempt to draft a ‘definitive ranking of every Velvet Underground record.’

History has been kind to The Velvet Underground, and for good reason: the music of Reed, John Cale, Maureen Tucker, Sterling Morrison, Doug Yule, and sometimes Nico oozes with enough sheer creativity and artistry to fuel artists for countless more half-centuries.

On December 8th, Sony Music (US) will release a special edition of “Atom Heart Mother”, the 1970 album from the English rock legends Pink Floyd.

This collection was originally only released in Japan in 2021.

Per a news release, the set contains some unique memorabilia – a special photo book containing many rare, never-seen-before photos, reproductions of the pamphlet, the poster, the concert ticket, and the flier distributed at the event.

The only Pink Floyd footage at Hakone Aphrodite that exists is that of the 16-minute-long suite “Atom Heart Mother.” The details including whereabouts of the master film and how it was shot had been a mystery for a long time. However, after fifty years, the original 16mm film of this video was discovered in a fan’s garage. The meticulous processes of digitizing, restoring and remastering was undertaken and finally this enhanced video will be released outside of Japan.

The set contains not only the original live footage (with audio taken from the gig at Hakone Aphrodite), but also behind-the-scenes footage of the band, travelling between the airport, the hotel, the press conference, the bullet train, the show set-up, and, of course, beautiful Japanese scenery.

At the time of the historic concert, Pink Floyd had just released “Atom Heart Mother” (in October 1970), and were yet to release “Meddle,” (released in November 1971). Pink Floyd appeared as the final act of the festival, and alongside ‘Atom Heart Mother’, they performed another five songs including “Careful With That Axe, Eugene”, “A Saucerful Of Secrets” and “Echoes” from then-unreleased album “Meddle.” Sadly, official footage of these songs has not resurfaced. The band’s mystical and fantastic show, enhanced by nature’s unwitting stage effects of fog emerging from the lake when they played, was talked about for years to come. For the show, Pink Floyd used huge PA systems not yet commonly used in Japan back then, and it is widely believed that this show greatly influenced Japanese audio and stage production after that.

Chelsea Wolfe’s latest album, “She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She“, is a rebirth in process. It’s about how such a moment connects to our past, our present, and our future. It’s a powerfully cathartic statement about cutting ties, as well as an important reminder that healing is cyclical and circular, and not a simple linear process. As Wolfe explains, “It’s a record about the past self reaching out to the present self reaching out to the future self to summon change, growth, and guidance. It’s a story of setting yourself free from situations and patterns that are holding you back, in order to become self-empowered. It’s an invitation to step into your authenticity.”

Supreme goth Chelsea Wolfe is known for her darker-than-dark mixture of goth-rock, doom and folk. Her latest album the confusingly-titled “She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She” appears to be a cathartic work for the singer exploring finding change in your life and cutting off earlier ties.  A re-birth then, it seems. 

Released 9/02/2024

Author and Island Records former head of press Neil Storey has promised his new book tracing the illustrious history of Island Records is as “definitive as can be”.

Hitting shelves this month, the first volume of the Island Book Of Records documents every album released on the label between 1959 and the end of 1968, with insight coming from a host of names including the legendary Chris Blackwell. 

Very much an essential for vinyl lovers – not least because the hardback book is vinyl-sized – each Island release is fully illustrated to include labels, booklets, die-cut covers and foreign editions as well as “scheduled but ultimately unreleased LPs”. This is on top of a 20-plus page illustrated discography of 45s and EPs, subsidiary label LP releases, gig adverts, record release flyers, magazine covers, concert tickets, Island’s LP adverts and much more. 

The book marks the first volume in a project that will seek to “represent the entire analogue compendium of Island’s records from 1959 to when Chris Blackwell sold the label in 1989”, with Volume 2 (1969–1970) planned for publication in 2024.

The Island Book of Records brings the early years of this iconic record label to life. A fifteen-year labour of love, the volumes will fully document the analogue era of Island. Offering a comprehensive archive of album cover design and photography, together with the voices of the musicians, designers, photographers, producers, studio engineers and record company personnel that worked on each project, the volumes show in unique depth the workings of the label, covering every LP.

Featuring material from recent interviews and from media interviews of the time, and each including a comprehensive discography of 45s, the books are lavishly illustrated with gig adverts (very many at venues which no longer exist), concert tickets, flyers, international LP variants, labels, LP and 45 adverts and other ephemera.

These LP-sized editions are a collector’s dream, offering a truly unparalleled resource for those interested in music history and a perfect gift for any music lover.

‘It’s like entering the record shop of your dreams.’ – David Hepworth, author, podcaster and Radio Times columnist

‘Eyewitness accounts underpin a vault-load of memorabilia across 390 elegant pages where the footnotes are as fascinating as major events in what is an exemplary piece of musical archaeology.’ – Phil Alexander, MOJO

Last Thursday the Stones launched their new album “Hackney Diamonds” in a packed out New York club… The full performance of “Sweet Sounds Of Heaven” from that iconic show is up now on You tube, featuring Lady Gaga, With rumblings of a secret Rolling Stones gig breezed through New York City. For a band long associated with seemingly impromptu club performances intended for an intimate audience–they had strategically assigned timing to reflect a preconceived agenda: A release party in celebration of their latest studio endeavour, the 12-track set, “Hackney Diamonds”. Included was a special appearance by Lady Gaga, who sings on the track “Sweet Sounds of Heaven.”

Before the veteran musicians appeared on stage at Racket in New York City, the night started off with a DJ set courtesy of Quest Love, and Samantha Urbani, who ignited the 650-capacity space, which soon filled with the likes of VIP guests: Elvis Costello, Daniel Craig, Chris Rock, and more, anticipating the prospect of an exceptional musical performance from one of the genres most auspicious groups.

Just after 10 p.m., the room dimmed, and with six decades worth of gained swagger, a la Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood appearing on stage. Joining the core members were bassist Darryl Jones, drummer Steve Jordan, keyboardist Matt Clifford, and background vocalist Chanel Haynes, who assisted throughout the event on choice numbers, ranging from beloved fan favourites to new material from their latest LP. 

Before the music began, Jagger directed his attention at the audience, asking: “How are you doing?” And, preluding what was to come, adding, “You having a good time? We’re going to play old! We’re going to play new!” Staying true to his word, the band ripped into the 1978 released “Shattered” before following up with a live debut of “Angry,” which represented Rolling Stone’s initial pull off “Hackney Diamonds”. 

From one new tune to the next, the band ran through “Whole Wide World” before stepping back to 1972 on “Tumbling Dice,” a song that returned to the band’s live archive after a two-year hiatus in 2021. After a tight run-through of the “Exile on Main St”. tune, Jagger directed his focus at the audience again: “This is the first club gig we’ve played in a long time in New York. I used to come to this club when it was called the Highline. Then it was called Blow and then Powder. Anyway, it’s great to be here making a racket. We’re going to make a racket with this next one. It’s called ‘Bite My Head Off.’” 

Following the aforementioned debut, the band closed the main frame after a lively rendition of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” . For the final musical moment of the event, The Rolling Stones strode off stage in fitting end-of-set fashion, only to return moments later and welcome one of their “Hackney Diamonds” collaborator to the stage. Gaga appeared assisting on “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” adding her pristine vocals to the gospel-leaning ballad. 

Upon completing the musical performance, Gaga added, “Ladies and gentlemen, The Rolling Stones” before urging them to “Take a bow.” On the New York show & playing the album live for the first time Keith remarked – “A great feeling, you know, the band feels really good about it. A band exists.. on what it does!”

Jimmy also brought up the time Keith decided to have a cigarette backstage & set off every fire alarm…

The band’s Racket gig marked one of their smallest venue locations to date–particularly in the Tri-State area. The intimate environment assisted with the close feeling of friends experiencing new music for the first time. 

1. Shattered
2. Angry(live debut)
3. Whole Wide World(live debut)
4. Tumbling Dice
5. Bite My Head Off(live debut)
6. Jumpin’ Jack Flash
7. Encore: Sweet Sounds of Heaven(with Lady Gaga)

Mott The Hoople, a UK band that not only provided a big hit with “All The Young Dudes” from their fifth album, then gave us two more gems before calling it a day, gave Glam a chapter, But Mick Ralphs left after the “Mott” album to form Bad Company and frontman Ian Hunter began a successful solo career that is still vibrant decades later. But overall, Mott The Hoople left behind an influential legacy.

On December 8th, the great minds at Madfish Music will assist Mott The Hoople in celebrating their 50th Anniversary of their most iconic album, “All The Young Dudes“.

Originally released in 1972, this album was the springboard for a band ready to call it quits until David Bowie stepped in to help them remain grounded. 

A 140g-weight 2LP, 2CD, 7″ single slip-cased Box will supply the original album remastered as well as providing a handful of bonus tracks that include remixes, outtakes, edits, and single edits. A richly designed 72-page hardbound book will join the box, as will 3 art prints, 2 posters, a “Sea Diver” membership card replica, and a numbered certificate to authenticate the box. The 7″ vinyl single included in the box will be of the ” ‘Unlocked Car’ version of “All The Young Dudes”, backed with the UK B-side single of “One Of The Boys”.

Mott The Hoople’s David Bowie produced gem from 1972 given a remastered 50th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set treatment (with bonus tracks).  
A limited edition, the box includes 2 LPs in gatefold covers, 2 CDs, a 12” vinyl single, a 72-Page Hardback Book, 3 Art Prints, 2 Posters, a ‘Sea Divers’ membership card, and an individually numbered certificate.
 
“All the Young Dudes“, Mott’s 5th studio album, remains a special and vital record. The title track (penned by Bowie) became the band’s highest-charting hit single, with the album being referred to as, “The ultimate document of an era.” The 5-CD limited edition deluxe boxed set features newly remastered audio, rare tracks and previously unreleased takes. Also included are two vinyl LPs and a 12-inch single.
 
December 8th release. The 50th Anniversary of “All The Young Dudes” will also reissue 2LP vinyl set. 

“Need Nothing” is a song about appreciating what you have instead of dwelling on what you don’t. Gratitude is reinforced by frequent reminders and practice– upon slowing down and zooming in to a brief moment of contentedness, the ordinary can reveal itself as extraordinary.

Just like the last single, one new song with the other newer singles tacked onto the end. “Need Nothing” is probably the best of the lot so far. 

Vocals, piano, guitar, bass and synthesizers by Peter Silberman
Drums by Michael Lerner

released October 26th, 2023
Written between 2022 – 2023 by Peter Silberman and Michael Lerne

This is going to be the indie pop album of 2024. A sheer delight from start to finish. For fans of Orange Juice, Sarah Records, early Creation, Mary Chain, C86, Lush. The Umbrellas are four renegade romantics crafting irresistible indie pop hymns. The band’s self-titled 2021 debut album became a breakout moment, winning critical praise and sparking an international tour. Follow-up LP “Fairweather Friend” goes a step further – absorbing the sonic attack of their live shows, it balances this with studio finesse, allowing the San Francisco four-piece to become the band they’ve always aspired to be.

It’s a record overflowing with highlights. The candyfloss melodies of introductory track ‘Three Cheers!’ are matched to an impactful percussive punch; ‘Say What You Mean’ finds The Umbrellas working with total confidence, letting the song ride out to its chiming conclusion, four voices working in precision. ‘When You Find Out’ offers rotating notes of guitar punctuated by a vocal that pushes past angst to accept a world full of hope. A lean 10 track affair, it grasps towards beatific pop while fuelled by a sense of risk, and the precision that comes from long months on the road.

The Umbrellas coalesced around a group of musicians who would frequent legendary San Francisco record emporium Amoeba Music. Singer and guitarist Matt Ferrera links with bassist Nick Oka, while Keith Frerichs is the powerhouse drummer. A chance encounter with Morgan Stanley singing karaoke at a Fourth of July party cemented the line-up around an avowed thirst for melody. “All of us love really earnest pop songs,” Nick points out. “I guess we got to a point in our lives where we wanted to be genuine.”

Playing shows at San Francisco’s vital DIY redoubt Hit Gallery, The Umbrellas would share line-ups with local heroes such as April Magazine and Cindy. Recording their debut album across a two-day spell at Matt’s parents’ house, the results won a devoted cult following. Yet the experience of touring bonded them tightly and allowed the volume to tick up a little higher, and higher, and higher. “I think we got tired of people saying, oh you’re so much louder than I thought you’d be!” laughs Matt. “Our early recordings are sweet and earnest… and we wanted it to be louder.”

Kicking off sessions in November 2022, the band used an ad hoc space Matt created in his basement, working across a four-month period. Sessions were a little more relaxed in terms of timescale than their debut, but The Umbrellas were incredibly focussed on the project. “We gave ourselves more space for this album,” says Keith. “We wanted time to sit on the songs, and really work on them.”

Allowing their live dynamic to bleed out on tape, The Umbrellas are at once more physical and yet also more controlled on their new album. Take opening track ‘Three Cheers!’ – the peppy, sun-soaked rush masks a barbed lyric, courtesy of Nick Oka. “It’s a pseudo-political song about power struggles that occur in a job situation, or a friend group. It’s an observational song.”

‘Toe The Line’ has an unkempt, rollicking sense of energy, the playful relationship analogy of the lyric pushed to the speed of light by Keith’s ultra-fast punk drumming. ‘When You Find Out’ meanwhile epitomises their unified, egalitarian way of making music – with The Umbrellas, each voice counts. “It sounds different from any song we’ve ever written together,” says Morgan. “It shows how much we’ve grown. Trust helps us to build the songs. It’s definitely a team effort.”

It’s also a record of ambition. ‘Say What You Mean’ stretches past the four-minute mark, the viola performance informed by Estonian minimalist composer Arvo Pärt. ‘Gone’ was the first song attempted for the new album, and the last they actually finished, endless re-writes transforming it into a manifesto of control and release. Taken as a whole ‘Fairweather Friend’ is a bold indie pop triumph, crafted with purpose and attention. Taking their time over each note, the four-piece have strengthened their song writing, adding depth and assurance while unlocking their potential. Some bonds last a lifetime – The Umbrellas are ready to capture your heart.

“Fairweather Friend,” out January 26th 2024 on Slumberland Records & Tough Love Records.

The Leeds outfit Yard Act return sounding as lively as ever. Showing no signs of slowing down Yard Act announce a new co-produced record with Gorillaz’ Remi Kabaka Jr. Taking notes from Fela Kuti to Ennio Morricone, the band dig into a broader sonic world with Smith’s lyrics front and centre that reach to new heights.

In the wake of this year’s riff-tastic, parklife-esque epic, ‘Trenchcoat Museum’, our ears are salivating at the prospect of a whole new album of creatively virile new material, as Yard Act unveil their sophomore opus, ‘Where’s My Utopia?’

for us, this release has some pretty big shoes to fill, as it’s following in the footsteps of a debut that blasted its way into our top 10 favourite records of 2022! but all signs point towards a group that’s honed its sardonic, groovy post-punk sound whilst expanding into more vibrant & explorative avenues, & we can’t wait to reap the whirlwind.

can they catch lightning in a bottle twice? our money’s on “absolutely they can!”