The Fat Angel Sings

Wilco’s latest and their 13th studio album promises a new pivot for a band long regaled for its ability to reshuffle and renew. Produced by Cate Le Bon, the LP sees Wilco’s first outside production since 2007’s “Sky Blue Sky”. “Cousin” shines with instrumental influence from Le Bon’s glimmering, electric vault. The record explores the strained, persistent human connections of a fractured world, the ever-intertwining relations we can’t ignore despite our best efforts. “I’m cousin to the world,” frontman Jeff Tweedy notes cheekily. “I don’t feel like I’m a blood relation, but maybe I’m a cousin by marriage.” Lead single “Evicted” is Tweedy and Wilco at their folksiest and most desperate.

In typical fashion, a warm, thrumming guitar underlies his imploring twang, a summoning song for a love that, for the band, seems always just out of reach. Nels Cline’s ever-impeccable guitar sparkles in hypnotic, swaying loops as Tweedy layers familiarly over him, but synths and 12-strings carry the tune in new musical directions. “Am I ever going to see you again?” he croons, the eternal question which promises to encircle 

Since hitting the scene in 2020 with their stunning debut LP “Introduction, Presence“, Brooklyn-based trio Nation of Language have been consistently churning out delicate, soulful synth-pop swagger ripe with post-punk influences and poetic, thoughtful lyrics. Together, Ian Devaney, Aidan Noell and Alex MacKay are steadfast in their trajectory, quickly ascending into the echelons of the musical zeitgeist. The 2021 album “A Way Forward” cemented Nation of Language’s greatness, and the band capitalized on that with a pair of singles—”Androgynous” and “From the Hill”—in 2022.

Devaney, who hails from Westfield, NJ and is the band’s principal songwriter, nimbly builds nostalgic hooks and loops from such synth-pop and post-punk masters as Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, Human League, Flock of Seagulls and Talking Heads — into brand new songs that are as irresistible as their predecessors.

A third album, “Strange Disciple”, is coming in September, but, for now, we have “Sole Obsession” to gush over. As always, the synths are shimmering, the bass and drums waltz together in perfect harmony and frontman Devaney’s vocals careen like the perfect amalgamation of Bernard Sumner and Andy McCluskey. It’s a perfect dancefloor number about devotion and human compulsions. To accompany the tune, Nation of Language have released a sublime, cinematic music video that aids in the band’s exploration of desire and fixation. 

The band announced their new live record “Slaughter On First Avenue” released in July, and you can check out the track “Dead Eyes Of London” right now. “Slaughter On First Avenue” was recorded live at two shows the band performed in 2019 and 2022 at the First Avenue venue in Minneapolis, MN.

“People have been asking for a live record, and sometimes it’s nice to give people what they want,” said frontman Kevin Starrs. “Especially if you follow it up with something they definitely don’t want! Overall it’s a very raw sounding recording, and that’s just how it was on the night. There was no specific reason for choosing the first show, other than some guy just turned up and offered to record it, so we let him! It’s a proper live record with all the mistakes kept in.

“The second show had a few different songs so it made sense to add those in. The first show was better, though. I remember the crowd was pretty wild that night. The second show was more subdued and a bit looser. That was just as gigs started happening again, so I think people were still a bit cautious. Either that or all the wild ones had died!”

There could also be a new Uncle Acid record, Starrs said it’s coming sooner than you think: “Yes, There will be another record which will hopefully appear at some point without warning or explanation,” Kevin Starrs avows. “It will be completely different to anything else we’ve done. You can think of it as a late night detour. Its appeal will be extremely limited but that’s OK… ‘When you’re slapped, you’ll take it and like it!'”.

It wouldn’t be outrageous to say that Olivia Rodrigo is the most exciting pop star in the world right now, and the hype around her forthcoming sophomore album, “Guts”, couldn’t have been bigger. , the 20-year-old singer has turned in her second blockbuster smash. It’s another heartbreak-fuelled pop record with a similar amount of unabashed emotion. But Rodrigo’s follow up album also incorporates musical elements inspired by her admiration for 90s and 2000s rock heroes like Katheen Hanna and Jack White as well as her background as a theatre kid.

With a debut like SOUR, the expectations were high—but Rodrigo completely shattered all of them. Lead single “Vampire” was daring and theatrical, a grand evolution for the singer who defied all odds with the record-breaking “drivers license” two years ago.

Her second single, “bad idea right?,” was another top-tier entry by Rodrigo, who is fully tapping into 1990s pop-rock with effortless finesse. “Guts” has cemented her sonic trademark as an instructive vessel of relentless catchiness. The “my brain goes, ‘ah’” chorus in “bad idea right?” will stick with you, as will the rest of this collection. The construction throughout is melodical to an unfathomable degree.

The aptly-titled “love is embarrassing,” a standout track. Rodrigo explains her romantic re-evaluation in the line, “Just watch as I crucify myself/ For some weird second string loser who’s not worth mentioning.” There’s plenty to extract about Rodrigo’s songwriting in just this single line: “Crucify” is her verb of choice (very dramatic), “Weird second string loser” is how she describes her crush (genuinely funny), the chorus it lands in is full of bright guitars and a motorik, New Wave-style beat at its best.

Olivia Rodrigo is on top of the world right now, and there’s no way she falls anytime soon. 

Columbia and Sony’s Legacy Recordings will issue “The Complete Budokan 1978” a new 4CD or 8LP vinyl box that marks the 45th anniversary of Bob Dylan’s 1978 world tour and includes two complete shows from Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan Hall (February 28th and March 1st, 1978). There’s 58 tracks in total, 36 of which are previously unreleased. The audio is newly remixed from the original multi-track tapes.

For his 1978 performances, Dylan (rhythm guitar, harmonica, vocals) led an ensemble featuring Billy Cross (lead guitar), Ian Wallace (drums), Alan Pasqua (keyboards), Rob Stoner (bass, vocals), Steven Soles (acoustic rhythm guitar, vocals), David Mansfield (pedal steel, violin, mandolin, guitar, dobro), Steve Douglas (saxophone, flute, recorder), Bobbye Hall (percussion), Helena Springs (vocals), Jo Ann Harris (vocals), and Debi Dye (vocals). The original Bob Dylan At Budokan album was produced by Don DeVito, who also helmed Dylan’s “Street-Legal“, recorded and released during the 1978 world tour, featuring the same musicians. 

With more than a nod to the Tokyo venue, the 4CD box set is imported from Japan and includes a 60-page photo book of sleeve notes and previously unpublished photos of Dylan on-stage and behind-the-scenes. It also includes facsimile memorabilia such as concert tickets, pamphlets, posters, and flyers etc.

This box set is also available in full as an 8LP vinyl collection but that’s only available in Japan. A 2LP vinyl ‘highlights’ edition, called “Another Budokan”, features 16 previously unreleased tracks from the big box.

‘The Complete Budokan’ sees Bob Dylan’s 1978 live album expanded. It now features both complete concerts, newly mixed. 4CD and 8LP vinyl sets available, plus a 2LP ‘highlights’ edition.

We are excited to announce that in celebration of Tom’s Birthday we will be reissuing the album “Mojo” this fall in partnership with Warner Records. “Mojo”, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ 12th studio album, will be reissued on limited-edition translucent ruby red vinyl on October 20th.

What makes “Mojo” special is that it was recorded live in the band’s legendary rehearsal space, “The Clubhouse” in Los Angeles. There are no over-dubs or studio trickery. What you hear is what Tom and the Heartbreakers created live at that time. In 2010, Tom Petty said, “With this album, I want to show other people what I hear with the band. “Mojo” is where the band lives when it’s playing for itself.” As for the songs, “Mojo” showcases Rock ‘n’ Roll, to Country, to electric and acoustic Blues, to classic moody ballads. This limited edition is being released to coincide with the celebration of Tom’s birthday.

“It’s not news that these guys rock… the Heartbreakers have their “Mojo” working like they never have before—which is a fine thing indeed.” — Billboard

“Mojo” is dynamite—Petty and the Heartbreakers’ matured return to the elementary fury of their first golden-twang era, capped by 1981’s “Hard Promises.”
— Rolling Stone

recently uncovered in the Petty Archives — a small quantity of original, archival stock “Mojo” 2010 Tour Posters. Shop these treasures from the Vault now, while supplies last.

With each of her two albums to date, Australian folk artist Indigo Sparke has built her sound from the ground up. Her 2021 debut “Echo” was gossamer-thin while the 2022 follow-up “Hysteria” was a little sturdier, more assured but no less prone to moments of utter despair. Today Indigo Sparke returns with a new one-off single, “In The Garden,” which introduces programmed drums and airy synths into her ever-evolving musical world.

Surrounded by a holy-sounding choir, Sparke looks to the Bible for some sort of context as to how the world operates today. “On the verge of madness, In the garden,” she sings. “Tempt me with transcendence, with death.” Sparke returns to this polarity throughout, dropping references to war and bodies heavy with love, attempting to capture the vastness of humanity in the process. That may be an impossible task but she undoubtedly adds new layers to her own image in the process.

“This song was born out of a mystical connection to Mary Magdalene,” Sparke says in a statement. “To her grace and myth in a time when there were only unanswered questions and chaos. To all the different faces of her through time. The mother, the whore, the healer, the maiden, the crone, the priestess. I was astounded by how she manifests through women now in the 21st century and how more and more women are rebelling to be trapped by the limiting boxes of just playing one role. What is the myth of sinning? How did we separate from nature after the story of Eve and the apple? What knowledge did the seed contain? It seems that women were often the bringers of consciousness and that the patriarchy monopolized off this connection to the void and all creation. I wanted to explore this in the song and create a sphere and portal for all archetypes to be explored without prescriptive commentary. Something to move to and feel free in.”

my new song “Lapwings” comes out next Friday 8th September! The first new Hilang Child music in a couple of years and I can’t wait to finally share this with you. It’s now available for pre-save on your preferred streaming service. It means you get it the moment it drops and I get a bit of a helping hand with the algorithms after having had some time away, so I’d love it if you could!! Here’s the artwork by the talented Studio Adfail xx

It’s felt like a long time coming for me but I’m so happy to finally share new music with you, after a couple of years away! Many people who know me know that I’m a dweeby birdwatcher and “Lapwings” celebrates the tranquility of being alone in remote places watching the birds, and more broadly it’s about just having a “thing” which brings you peace when you need to feel grounded, whatever that “thing” is for you (let me know!).

released September 8th, 2023
Performed by Hilang Child
Written and produced by Hilang Child and Will Bloomfield

Undisputed icons of rock and roll The Hives are back, channelling the electrifying energy of the group’s greatest hits with their first new album in over 10 years. Following a period of semi-hiatus and the departure of original bassist Dr. Matt Destruction, the Swedish punk outfit has returned with their first album since 2012’s Lex Hives. The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons is the first studio record to feature The Johan And Only on bass and, most excitedly, is among their greatest album yet, making their return a triumphant affair.

Their colossal new album, “The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons“, reignites the band’s lore in arresting fashion, exploring the disappearance of the band’s mysterious sixth member Randy Fitzsimmons. Having gone missing some time ago, the band are without their best man, and things are not well in the manor. Maybe, just maybe, the release of new music will get Randy’s attention and bring him back from the void…

Opening with the lead single, “Bogus Operandi”, a riff heavy rocker driven by a relentless pulse and accented by a repeated backing vocal that sounds like it could have been sampled from an early Queen record. Very few things actually change between verse, chorus, and bridge in “Bogus Operandi”, making the shifts, as slight and subtle as they are, all the more noticeable. There is a raw power and an overall catchiness in the riff and the lead vocals that carry the song despite the minimalism behind it all. The following track, “Trapdoor Solution”, lasting just three seconds over a minute, feels like a complete throwback to the likes of Veni Vidi Vicious, a rare moment for The Hives in 2023, but refreshing none the less, no matter how fleeting it may seem.

Without a weak moment on the album, The Hives channel a collection of classic punk bands 

The Lilac Time features brothers Stephen and Nick Duffy, and Stephen’s wife, Claire. Dance “Till All The Stars Come Down” is their 12th album, and first since 2019’s “Return To Us“. Over the years the band has experimented with folk, country, pop, and even dance. But, here on “Dance Till All The Stars Come Down” they do what they do best: sparse, folky songs, written by Stephen Duffy. This is a melancholy affair, and yet it is astoundingly beautiful throughout.

Stephen Duffy’s voice has matured, but it is still trademark Duffy. In some songs, such as “On The Last Days Of Summer”, his voice is full of emotion and it sounds like he catches himself. His harmonies with Claire are almost otherworldly. Each song has a strong melody and is beautifully arranged and produced. The songs burrow into the listener’s brain and stay there.

The lyrics are stellar and linger after the song has ended. “Your Vermillion Cliffs” features the strong lyric “It’s not what happens to you it’s how you react / It’s not what they say to you t’is what you say back.” Very gentle and yet powerful words. Sometimes funny, sometimes witty, a bit nostalgic and kind of sad. At times, the lyrics are absolutely heartbreaking.

“Dance Till All The Stars Come Down” is an album that is personal yet inviting. One can easily identify with many of the songs, and Stephen Duffy also opens doors for the listener to see things in a different way.

“Dance Till All The Stars Come Down” is a very accessible album, full of strong songs that all come together. It demands to be heard from beginning to end. The Lilac Time are promising a great deal of old and new material next year. I hope it is true, because even on year is too long to wait for new songs from this talented band.