The Fat Angel Sings

‘Together we are the trip: celebrate the ride…’ So say Adelaide’s award-winning six-piece, Sons of Zöku. Their orbit, the genre-defying psychedelic rock band debut album, their world music influences and creative confidence, Sons of Zöku’s bassist and sitar player, Jordan Buck and Oscar Ellery, the duo says it feels like divine timing for the six-piece to play this year’s world music festival.

“I think we manifested it in a way,” says Jordan. “Over the years, so many people kept asking when we’d be playing WOMAD. We’ve always applied, but I don’t know if we were really ready before – it was probably a blessing in disguise. Now, we’re probably the best representation of who we are.”

Known for their psychedelic rock sound that draws inspiration from artists across the globe, Sons of Zöku will play an hour-long set on the Sunday of the four-day festival. The band plan to blend their expansive back catalogue with newer tracks, like “Earth Chant“. The just-released song is a taster of what we can expect from their upcoming album set to be released later this year.

“We’ve got long songs, so we need a long set,” Oscar says. “It’ll be pretty dynamic. The first 30 per cent of the show will be several songs, but it’ll just sound like this one big thing.” Tabla player Lovepreet Singh will also join the six-piece on stage. The band have jammed with the Indian-born musician before and says the tabla sound elevates the Sons of Zöku experience.
“The tabla takes us to another level. It really adds to our sound,” Jordan says. Sons of Zöku thrive when playing live, using the audience’s energy to fuel their on-stage experimentation.

The unravelling of Zöku songs and sounds on stage is a result of the six band members feeling confident in the genre-defying space they occupy. “But you don’t want to get too comfortable,” Oscar says. “We back the music and enjoy it. But there’s something to be said for being uncomfortable. We’re always trying to push ourselves – especially when live.”

Led by Portuguese-born musicians Ricardo Da Silva and Ica Quintela, Sons of Zöku haven’t shied away from exploring different genres, sometimes leaning into punk and garage rock instead of psychedelic world music. It’s resulted in a unique, expansive sound derived from a kaleidoscope of global influences. Oscar says they’ll only delve deeper into their sonic exploration now the band’s line-up is solid.

“Zöku is a platform to musically do what we want. There’s nothing to say we won’t go in a different direction in the future. Influences just creep in.” And besides, the six-piece feels like they’re only getting started.

”There’s been a lot of moments lately where it feels like a rebirth. Big moments happen, and it feels like day one again,” Oscar says. “It’s the start of a new chapter.”

Ricardo Da Silva – Vocals, Guitar
Ica Quintela – Vocals, Keys, Percussion
Jordan Buck – Bass
Oscar Ellery – Guitar
Eddie Hannemann – Drums
Hannah Yates – Vocals

Released May 5th, 2023

Presenting ‘All Around Man – Live In London’ available 7th July 2023. Rory Gallagher’s most successful albums are his live ones, such as “Live! In Europe” and “Irish Tour ’74”. He was an artist that came alive when onstage and this album covers a previously undocumented live period.

Rory Gallagher was an Irish musician, songwriter, and producer. He formed the blues rock trio Taste in 1966, which experienced success in the UK and Europe before he pursued a solo career, releasing music throughout the 1970s and 1980s and selling more than 30 million records worldwide. Gallagher is known for his virtuoso guitar playing, which strongly influenced other guitarists

This twenty-three song set, previously unreleased, set is culled from two nights at the Town & Country Club (now the O2 Forum) in London, UK. This new album has been mixed from the recently found multi tracks and mastered at Abbey Road. The album’s cover is a painting by Irish graffiti artist ‘Vincent Zara’ who has stenciled Rory’s image across his home country.

“All Around Man – Live In London” is a live album of unreleased material taken from a previously undocumented period of one of the greatest guitarists of all time. “All Around Man – Live In London” was recorded from the shows that supported Gallagher’s eleventh, and sadly, last studio album “Fresh Evidence” that was released in May 1990. This album features captivating live versions of tracks from that album as well as songs from the 1987 “Defender” album plus other career favourites.

In advance of these shows, in which this album’s recordings were taken, Gallagher had spent an unprecedented six months in the studio making “Fresh Evidence” (usually he was known for recording albums rapidly, sometimes in as little as two weeks!) and as a result Gallagher was at his live best, demonstrating his love and hunger for live performance and that raw energy.

To be released as double-CD and triple-LP sets, this exhilarating album is pulled from two nights at the Town & Country Club (now the The O2 Forum) in London in December 1990.

Manchester band The Lottery Winners release new album “Anxiety Replacement Therapy” on Modern Sky Recordings, which features collaborations with Boy George, Frank Turner, and Shaun Ryder.

A mammoth step forward, “Anxiety Replacement Therapy” is on one level a set of 10 absolute anthems (and three interludes from a mystery narrator). These are mass singalongs in waiting from a band who’ve specialised in bringing people together over their previous two albums.

Scratch the surface, however, and there’s a world of empowerment and defiance, tackling subjects such as austerity, as well as of course, anxiety, mental health and its medications, and ADHD. It helps that these messages come wrapped with some of the best choruses you’re likely to hear all year.

“Each of the albums in my collection are a self-help tape for me,” explains singer Thom Rylance. “If I listen to Paul Simon’s Graceland, it’s because I know it’ll put me in a good mood. If I play The Queen Is Dead by The Smiths, it’s because I want to embrace feeling sad. We wanted to present ‘Anxiety Replacement Therapy’ as a self-help tape for anyone playing it.”

The album features guest spots with their friend and previous collaborator Frank Turner on the moving and stirring ‘Letter To Myself’ , as well as Boy George who puts in a bravura performance on the summery ‘Let Me Down’ which recalls the emotional intensity of his work with Culture Club, and Shaun Ryder who brings his freewheeling brilliance on the already incisive austerity anthem ‘Money’, reprising his iconic “Call the cops!” refrain from Happy Mondays’ 1990 classic ‘Step On’.

Miya Folick has unveiled her new forthcoming second album ‘Roach’, which is set to be released on 26th May via Nettwerk.

Speaking about the song, Folick has said: “‘So Clear’ is about pulling yourself out of the wreckage you’ve made of your own life again and again, for the thousands of days we live on this earth and realizing life is so much more expansive than the petty concerns we waste precious time on.”

The song was co-written by Folick and Max Hershenow, and the song’s video has been directed by Noah Kentis.

“An epiphany that I have over and over again is that I am very small, but my actions are very meaningful. So I have to choose to live truthfully every day. It’s not easy! The song is very dramatic, and I imagined it as a good karaoke song when we were making it.”

“Mommy” is maybe the most intimate song on my record,” Miya says. “It’s about heritage, memory and family. I think there’s an ache in the song that exposes the gap between my limited understanding of my parents and the full richness of their lives. The first time I played this song live was at The Echo in Los Angeles, and my mom showed up—not joking with a jar of honey for me, to soothe my throat (you’ll understand this anecdote when you listen to the song).”

I wrote this song in the middle of the night, building a demo that I carried around for years. Playing it for myself and friends. It seemed like there was a special and haunted quality about the demo that I was scared to try to reproduce in the studio, but I met with Gabe Wax and had a coffee with him along the LA river. There was something about the way he immediately stretched out and lay down on the concrete that made me feel comfortable. I would grow to know this Gabe stretch very well.

This song came together with a mix of original demo stems and some new recording. Sam Gendel sent in some sax recorded remotely and Sam Wilkes came in to play bass and wrote the tasty reharm on the third chorus.

It’s an album about trying to get to the core of what life really is. I think over the course of writing this record, I actually did the work and got closer to the person that I really want to be, even if that path isn’t linear and I still have moments where I disappoint myself, where I’m angry with myself.

Set for release on 26th May via Nettwerk Records,

Explore the Duster universe on the far superior 45RPM format. This deluxe triple 7” box contains Duster’s first single—1997’s “Transmission Flux” (including “Stars Will Fall” & “Orbitron”), 1998’s Apex, Trance-Like (featuring “Four Hours”), plus Stratosphere’s painfully absent “Echo, Bravo” and the lost 2002 outtake “What You’re Doing To Me.” Housed in replica sleeves and placed in a sturdy two-piece box, “Moods, Modes” also contains a Duster-branded hanky for those who like to accessorize.

3×7″ box set that includes transmission, flux (7″), apex, trance-like (7″), and the first ever 7″ pressing of echo, bravo b/w what you’re doing to me.

released March 24th, 2023

With a career spanning over 40 years, musician, artist and activist John Mellencamp is releasing his 25th full-length studio album “Orpheus Descending” via Republic Records. It was recorded at his own Belmont Mall Studio and produced by Mellencamp. The album is one of the most personal to date for the outspoken artist as he continues to show that he’s one of the best songwriters of his generation, focusing on social issues with standout songs “Hey God” and “The Eyes of Portland.”

John is in his Bob Dylan, cherished-American-treasure moment now, and could coast on that if he wanted. But he doesn’t want to do that. This latest record is a masterpiece, of songwriting, performances, and searing, poetic, and blunt messages. It’s raw and powerful, and musically a return to the Appalachian sound of records like “The Lonesome Jubilee” and “Big Daddy”. His voice is deeper and thinner than it was for those records, but the gravelly sound of his singing gives the songs, especially “The Eyes of Portland” and “Hey God,” a perfect weight. 

Announced on Friday, the record was previewed with “Hey God,” a thoughtful and reflective bit of social commentary from Mellencamp, a musical and cultural icon whose long established a willingness to take a stand on the things that matter — in this case, the gun debate:

On June 2nd, John Mellencamp will release a new album titled “Orpheus Descending”. under exclusive license to Republic Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc. “Orpheus Descending” comes on the heels of Mellencamp’s November. 2022 reissue of his classic 1985 album, “Scarecrow”, 

“Four Kinds of Horses” is the fifth song to be released from the Peter Gabriel’s forthcoming album “i/o”. This is the Bright-Side Mix by Mark ‘Spike’ Stent. Released on the full moon, 5th May 2023. Written by Peter Gabriel and produced by Peter and Richard Russell,

“Four Kinds of Horses” was recorded at Real World Studios in Wiltshire, The Beehive and Copper House in London. “Four Kinds of Horses” actually began on Richard Russell’s project ‘Everything Is Recorded’.

He’s a friend (and founder of XL Records) and he asked me to pop in to his studio. I came up with some chords, melodies and words on top of a groove he was working on. We tried a few things that didn’t altogether work and so it laid dormant for quite a while. Then I started playing around with it again and changed the mood and the groove and something else began to emerge with a better chorus.” There were a number of things that triggered ideas for the song as it developed, including the Buddhist parable of the Four Kinds of Horses, which describes different ways a student can approach their spiritual practice. There is also a focus on “the interesting overlap of religion and peace on the one hand and violence and terrorism on the other. There was also a wonderful film by Hany Abu-Assad called ‘Paradise Now’ which shows two young men who end up being trained to become terrorists and it’s a real insight into where the head goes.” As well as Russell, who set things in motion, “Four Kinds of Horses” also features Brian Eno on synths which “sounded like electric worms to me,” says Gabriel. “As soon as I heard one I thought they would make a great three dimensional wall paper of sound and asked Brian to create eleven more.” John Metcalfe again provides string arrangements, “beautiful work and as the song progresses, the strings play a key role” and backing vocals from Peter’s daughter Melanie, “another lovely moment for a dad.” Continuing the theme of working with a different artist for each song release, this month’s track is accompanied by a cover image featuring the work of Cornelia Parker.

This month we have a fascinating artist, Cornelia Parker, who does some extraordinary work. When we were originally looking at the Art from Us project, I’d seen some of her stuff with exploding rooms and had been fascinated by that, so I’m really happy that she agreed to work with us on this. The photogravure technique of William Henry Fox Talbot was an inspiration for her in this piece, and some of the other glass-based images in the series. I fell in love with this particular work – it’s called ‘Snap.’ Just like the previous full moon releases, “Four Kinds of Horses” will come with differing mix approaches from Mark ‘Spike’ Stent (Bright-Side Mix), here, plus Tchad Blake (Dark-Side Mix) and Hans-Martin Buff’s Atmos mix (In-Side Mix). As well as new music, Peter Gabriel is about to embark on a tour with dates in the UK, Europe and North America

“The Black Album/Come On Feel The Dandy Warhols” is a 2004 double album released by American alternative band, The Dandy Warhols. The two-disc set was released on their own Beat the World Records label. Initially, the album was only available to purchase through the band’s website. It is now available to own via other sources.

Late January in Portland, 1996. The Dandy Warhols are hammering out the most deranged psych pop of their career in hopes of blowing the lids off their newfound suitors from Capitol Records, completely unaware that one of Oregon’s biggest natural disasters was raging outside their studio walls. The notorious Willamette Valley flood of ’96 chalked up over $500 million in property damage in the Pacific Northwest, but fell short of The Dandys’ studio space by 2 blocks. Courtney, Peter, Zia and Eric escaped the carnage without a scratch, the perfect metaphor for the band’s 3-decade-spanning journey.

They survived the major label buzz, an international hit single, “the documentary”, the rise and fall of brit pop, and a post-Napster music industry. What’s a little water gonna do? Riding off the debut hype of 1995’s Dandys Rule Ok, this new batch of songs saw a band spinning into an unknown. Bigger budgets meant bigger expectations

Disc one marks the first, official release of the band’s 1996 demo album (The Black Album) which was described as “lost”. The album, recorded before ...”The Dandy Warhols Come Down“, was rejected by Capitol Records and dismissed by the band themselves. Three songs that were included on the original recording of the album are not included on this release, namely: “Traci Lords”, “Alien” and “You Get High”.

The second disc “Come On Feel The Dandy Warhols” is the first compilation album released by the band. It contains B-sides, covers, and previously unreleased material. The cover of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s “Ohio” used “droning synthesizers” to produce an “alt/psychedelia sound.

Originaly released April 20th, 2004

Produced by Courtney Taylor-Taylor

VOCALS/GUITARS/KEYS: Courtney Taylor-Taylor
KEYBOARDS/BASS: Zia McCabe
GUITARS: Peter Holmstrom
DRUMS: Eric Hedford

All songs written by Courtney Taylor-Taylor
except 7 by Courtney Taylor-Taylor and Zia McCabe

An album hugely in demand and sounding absolutely fantastic at thirty years old! We’re delighted to bring you a special archive pressing of The Boo Radleys’ “Giant Steps“. NME’s 1993 Album Of The Year, named in the Top 20 of Pitchfork’s The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time and lauded as one of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, The Boo Radleys’ classic album, “Giant Steps” will be reissued, on special remastered vinyl almost 30 years to the day since its original release.

“Giant Steps” is the third studio album by the Boo Radleys, released in 1993. The title is inspired by John Coltrane’s album of the same name, and the record features an assortment of influences — their previous shoegazing sound backed by pop, reggae, noise pop and orchestral sounds.

The band’s genre-ambiguous and widely-acclaimed masterpiece will become available to fans old and new.

The Boo Radleys’ songwriter/guitarist, Martin Carr, named his band’s 1993 album after John Coltrane’s 1959 LP, but “Giant Steps” also is a winking acknowledgment of another kind: He’s the first to know that the Liverpool quartet has taken a huge leap forward. Although they hardly renounce the thunderous swirl and delicate suspension of 1992’s “Everything’s Alright Forever“, the Boo Radleys treat that candied rush as an absorbed language, with Carr choosing to pursue a grand vision that unifies psychedelia, British guitar-pop, jazz, and dub.

Part of the appeal of “Giant Steps” is that the Boo Radleys’ enthusiasm leads them to attempt fusions that would scare away other bands: Witness “Lazarus,” which begins with an elastic reggae beat before becoming consumed by sheets of guitars, wispy harmonies, and stabs of brass. “Lazarus” is essentially “Giant Steps” in microcosm, but the album gains strength through its own untrammeled ambition. At the dawn of britpop, the Boo Radleys chose expanding consciousness over provincial patriotism, and the results are still majestic.

“Do you know this band…The Sonics?” The answer to this question varies, depending on who you ask. Many folks will give you a shake and a shrug. But if you ask a fan of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Garage, Punk, Psychobilly, Proto-punk, etc., the response will often be a resounding “YES!”.

In BOOM, filmmaker Jordan Albertsen sets out to discover the true story of how an early-1960s Tacoma, Washington-based band became “the most important band you’ve never heard of”, and experienced popularity fifty years after their initial heyday. BOOM reveals how five Tacoma teens – Larry Parypa, Andy Parypa, Rob Lind, Bobby Bennett and Jerry Roslie – formed The Sonics in 1963. Inspired by the sound of popular northwest U.S. bands such as The Wailers and The Kingsmen, and working with local producer/record label owner Buck Ormsby, The Sonics enjoyed regional hits with songs like “The Witch” and “Psycho”.

Making use of archival footage and photos, and band member interviews, Jordan Albertsen creates a strong narrative in this film. Driven in part by wanting to forge a greater connection with his father (who was a fan of The Sonics), and by his intrigue over the band’s unlikely international success, Albertsen takes his audience on a trip that is equal parts history and mystery.

The filmmaker uses the tried-and-true rock documentary method of recounting the history of a band by having members tell their story on camera. While this documentary style is common, the story moves along well, with members of the band weighing in on various aspects and details of The Sonics’ early days. Interviews are interspersed with the requisite early-1960s clips and photos, in addition to commentary from younger artists such as Kurt Bloch of Young Fresh Fellows and Fastbacks, Mike McCready of The Presidents of the United States of America, and Heart’s Nancy Wilson. The history and the testimonials from younger musicians give weight and context to how The Sonics’ efforts and regional success inspired the next generation of northwest bands.

Without giving too much away, Albertsen continues the story of The Sonics in the twenty-first century, investigating their seemingly improbable popularity overseas, as well as their reintroduction to the music scene, in America and beyond.

With BOOM, Jordan Albertsen has created a piece of filmmaking that works on a number of levels, appealing to a variety of audiences. Besides being writer-director-producer-editor, Albertsen also narrates this film in an accessible, everyman style. He engages the viewer immediately, in ways similar to the documentarian Michael Moore. Between The Sonics’ history and their present-day doings, BOOM moves along naturally, bringing the audience along with interest, every step of the way. An interesting film with a bit of a twist on the “rock doc” format, BOOM is a fine addition to the genre.