The Fat Angel Sings

Public Image Ltd have announced their first new album in eight years and an accompanying UK tour for later in the year.

The band decided to continue plans to announce their 11th studio album and first album in 8 years, “End of World”, following the sad passing of John’s wife of more than 4 decades, Nora Forster, on 5th April. “End of World” will be released on 11th August 2023 on PiL Official via Cargo UK Distribution, followed by a 38-date UK and European Tour.

Earlier this year, PiL released “Hawaii”, the most personal piece of song writing and accompanying artwork that John Lydon has ever shared. The song is a love letter to John’s wife Nora, who passed away from Alzheimer’s. A pensive, personal yet universal love song that has resonated with many since its release in January, the song sees John reflecting on their lifetime well spent and in particular one of their happiest moments together in Hawaii. John said, “Nora loved the album, she wouldn’t have wanted us to postpone it or change any of our plans.”

Previously he has said of “Hawaii”, “It is dedicated to everyone going through tough times on the journey of life, with the person they care for the most.

PiL is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential bands of all time. PiL’s music and vision has earned them 5 UK Top 20 singles and 5 UK Top 20 albums. With a shifting line-up and unique sound – fusing rock, dance, folk, pop and dub – Lydon guided the band from their debut album “First Issue” in 1978 through to 1992’s “That What Is Not”, before a 17 year hiatus. Lydon reactivated PiL in 2009, touring extensively worldwide and releasing two critically acclaimed albums “This is PiL” in 2012 followed by their 10th studio album “What The World Needs Now”… in 2015, and picked up fantastic acclaim from both press and public. “What The World Needs Now”… was self-funded by PiL and released on their own label ‘PiL Official’ via Cargo UK Distribution. In 2018 PiL celebrated their 40th anniversary with a career-spanning box set and documentary, both called ‘The Public Image Is Rotten’, and a 32-date UK/Europe tour, plus dates in Japan. John Lydon, Lu Edmonds, Scott Firth and Bruce Smith continue as PiL. They are the longest stable line-up in the band’s history and continue to challenge and thrive. 

The new album, titled ‘End Of World’, is set for release on August 11th and is dedicated to frontman John Lydon‘s late wife Nora Forster, who died last week at the age of 80. She had been living with Alzheimer’s disease for five years and Lydon had been her full-time carer.‘End Of World’ features the song ‘Hawaii’ as its closing track, The band had used the song in their bid to represent Ireland at this year’s  Eurovision Song Contest, but they lost out to Dublin quarter Wild Youth.

To coincide with the announcement, Public Image Ltd. released the album’s opening track, ‘Penge’, which John has described as “something of a mediaeval Viking epic.”

This Hastings-via-Brighton trio’s electric debut EP encapsulates their journey from early, DIY gigs to supporting The Strokes, A vision of smudged eyeliner, shag haircuts and ripped fishnets, HotWax looking already exactly like a trio of rock stars. Bassist Lola Sam is wearing a red t-shirt with ‘Fuck Off’ emblazoned in block capitals; guitarist and vocalist Tallulah Sim-Savage’s pointy, chunky rings could double as a weapon. Joined by drummer Alfie Sayers, this gang may have the swagger, but they play the part, too: their music moves with such a vigorous physicality that they are, undoubtedly, the most exciting – and wickedly confident – new young band in the UK.

When they take to the stage at this north London venue a few hours after our interview, the technical proficiency with which the teenage trio play is blinding. Blitzing through tracks from their debut EP ‘A Thousand Times’ , Sim-Savage sings of infatuation and existential woes with both a stark lucidity, and a sneer that gives her words urgency. With his teeth clenched, and adrenaline pushing him to lean over his kit, Sayers commands a wall of melody like it’s his lifeblood. Their bitterly euphoric choruses and precise, dexterous solos could thrill even the most jaded of guitar music fans.

HotWax are like live wires off stage too, exuding a frenzied blend of mild anxiety and excitement as they talk over each other. When we broach their upcoming slot at The Strokes’ All Point East show in London this August, all three members rush to speak in wide-eyed bursts. “We almost feel guilty for being on the lineup poster,” says Sayers, laughing. “But equally, we want to relish the challenge: we’re currently unknown, and need to prove ourselves.”

Sayers has been drumming before he learned his times tables, having been taught by a childminder at a young age. Sim-Savage and Sam, meanwhile, are childhood friends who have always had a firm grasp on their narrative. Before they met Sayers at music college in Brighton, they grew up in tandem, plotting local gigs, analysing YouTube videos of their heroes Karen O and Starcrawler’s Arrow de Wilde, and immersing themselves in Hastings’ tight-knit creative scene. “We literally had each other, and no one else,” affirms Sim-Savage. At college, they bonded over a shared resentment for the hyper-critical nature of their classmates, many of whom had learned their instruments via a more traditional musical education. “You can’t be taught something that you know you want to do in your own way,” says Sayers. “There’s no way we could have followed their critiques and what they had to say about what we’re doing.”

Fed up with the “narrow-minded environment” of her bass guitar course, Sam eventually quit her degree and encouraged her bandmates to start channelling their frustrations and nonconformist spirit into their songs. “I don’t have anything else in my life besides music,” she says with a trace of pride, flicking her orange-red hair behind her. “So, when we started the band, we made a commitment to each other. 

Their bond would soon strengthen in the face of adversity; the pair were bullied in high school and had food thrown at them during lunch breaks, but continued to focus on pursuing their dreams as soon as they finished their studies. Today, they radiate an inseparable, sisterly dynamic, often directing their answers to each . “Many people leave school with nothing, but we knew we had something really special with our band,” Sim-Savage says. “We just needed to work out how we were going to get out there.”

‘A Thousand Times’ due May 19th

The 80s Paisley Underground scene in Los Angeles yielded a curious paradox: combining the gentle harmonies and intricate guitars of psychedelic-era bands like The Byrds and Velvet Underground, with the fury of punk. This scene included the likes of The Bangles, Rain Parade, The Three O’Clock…and The Dream Syndicate.

The Dream Syndicate wore their influences on their sleeves: the moniker refers to La Monte Young’s early 1960s New York experimental ensemble  The Theatre of Eternal Music, whose members included former Velvet John Cale, and Tony Conrad. The Dream Syndicate’s sound was much harsher than their hippie-era forebears; they dwelled in the same energy cloud as Echo and the Bunnymen, but infused with a more frenetic ferocity.

Frontman Steve Wynn declared that “We’re playing music we want to hear because nobody else is doing it.” He added, “I’ll compromise on what I eat or where I sleep, but I won’t compromise on what music I play.”

To celebrate the bands 40th anniversary, The Dream Syndicate’s 1982 debut, “The Days of Wine and Roses”, will receive a re-issue via Fire Records: “History Kinda Pales When It and You Are Aligned: The Days Of Wine and Roses”.  This 4-disc, 54-track collection, out 23rd June, boasts ten rarities and a whopping 31 previously unreleased recordings from the original line-up of Steve Wynn, Dennis Duck, Kendra Smith, and Karl Precoda.

“The Days Of Wine And Roses’ is as timelessly potent as the records that inspired it.” Uncut

Central to the hugely influential Paisley Underground scene of the early 1980s that spawned Green On Red, The Bangles, Long Ryders and Rain Parade. With a nod to the Velvet Underground, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Dylan, packed into an incendiary slow-burn punk fuse, ‘The Days Of Wine And Roses’ is a glorious, upbeat sprawl, everything that rock ‘n’ roll should be.

“Hearing these bonus tracks of live and rehearsal performances of The Dream Syndicate, culled by Pat Thomas from the cassette collection of Dennis Duck, I remember things about that band and what we were doing in 1982 that I had long since forgotten,” Wynn muses. “We would actually listen to these cassettes back then religiously, simultaneously for study and clues for what to do next but also just out of amazement that we were suddenly playing in our own favourite band, doing a kind of music we had only dreamed somebody might do someday.”

The first disc presents a newly remastered edition of the original nine-song album, which is accompanied by the band’s eponymous debut EP, also released in 1982 on Down There Records. This disc alone serves as a rich repository of post-punk, dream-pop, and indie rock history.

The second disc, meanwhile, takes us on a journey through the band’s earlier days with tracks from a 7-inch that features frontman Steve Wynn’s earlier band, 15 Minutes  the debut EP, astounding cover renditions (Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin, The Who), recordings of the band’s first ever rehearsal, along with several visceral live concerts from the pre-album era.. The disc also includes rehearsal takes from Dream Syndicate’s embryonic phase, recorded in 1981 and 1982, and a pair of live radio performances from ’82.

The third disc is an eclectic mix of live recordings and rehearsal takes, which showcases the band’s dynamic live performances and their remarkable ability to innovate and evolve constantly. Finally, the fourth disc features fifteen live cuts from a 1982 concert in Reseda, California, as well as backstage material recorded in Tucson, Arizona, in the same year.

In North America only, the album will be available as a 4-CD bookback edition and a 2-LP vinyl edition, featuring the remastered album plus the band’s debut EP. The 4-CD book-back edition also includes a 30-page booklet of new liner notes by band historian Pat Thomas, as well as exclusive interviews with Kendra Smith, engineer Paul Cutler, and the album’s producer, Chris Desjardins. Additionally, rare photos, gig posters, and other exciting extras are included.

With its wealth of rare recordings and previously unreleased material, this comprehensive collection is a testament to The Dream Syndicate’s profound influence on the paisley underground scene.

• Limited Edition Gatefold 2xLP + 7″
• Vinyl reissue of their original 4 song 12-inch EP (long out of print)
• Exact facsimile replica of Steve Wynn’s rare “15 Minutes” 7-inch single

Indigo De Souza’s music is all about sharing the joy of connection — even if that joy is screaming into your phone, like in her new song, “Real Pain,” where she crowdsourced dozens of voice memos from fans to layer into the song. But the connections can also be more immediate. Her mother’s support helped her navigate her childhood in Spruce Pine North Carolina, where she often felt like an outsider. After finding her footing in Ashville, Indigo recorded “I Love You Mom” in her bedroom and released it in 2018.

Now with more experience under her belt, Indigo’s latest album, “Any Shape You Take“, recorded in a studio, showcases De Souza’s gifts as a songwriter and as a producer and multi-instrumentalist. In this session, we caught up with De Souza to talk about the album, growing up in North Carolina and we’ll share live recordings from the stage of World Cafe Live in Philadelphia.

Set List:

• “Darker Than Death”
• “Real Pain”
• “What Are We Gonna Do Now”

Lucinda Williams has shared details of a new album and released its first single – listen to new Bruce Springsteen collaboration ‘New York Comeback’ below.

The new single, which also features Springsteen’s wife Patti Scialfa on backing vocals, is the first preview of new LP ‘Stories From A Rock n Roll Heart’, which is due out on June 30th via Highway 20 Records/Thirty Tigers.

The album comes after Williams had to re-learn to play guitar and to walk again after a severe stroke, while her house in Nashville was also damaged by a hurricane just before the start of the COVID lockdown.

 Williams will also release a new memoir titled Don’t Tell Anybody The Secrets I Told You.

‘Stories From A Rock n Roll Heart’ also features contributions from a host of artists including Angel Olsen and Margo Price. Last year, Angel Olsen – one of the new album’s collaborators – shared a cover of Williams‘ track ‘Greenville’ as part of the Amazon Originals series.

“There is no one like her out there,” Olsen said of the country folk singer. “It’s clear to me that her songs come from a very real place, and that’s the only kind of writing I like.”

Williams said: “An ambulance came and got me and we told them not to put the big siren on. We didn’t want to alarm the neighbours or anything. But they put the siren on.” Williams spent a week in the intensive care unit where doctors discovered a blood clot on the right side of her brain, which affected the left side of her body. She was then transferred to a rehabilitation centre to begin a monthlong treatment of therapy.

“What happens is your brain gets all… the wires get all crossed and you have to retrain your brain basically, to tell your arm to do whatever it is you’re trying to do. So that’s the biggest challenge,” Williams said of the healing process. “I do, like, walking, with the cane and they watch me and see how well I’m doing. And then I have to do hand and arm exercises. It’s really about regaining my strength and mobility, and range of motion. That’s what they work with me on.”

After a stint in prison, David Crosby (guitar/vocals) emerged from his year-long incarceration a completely clean and sobre man. His revitalization was marked by a period of unbridled creativity, yielding his second solo effort “Oh Yes I Can” (1989). Crosby was supporting the album during the spring 1989 tour that produced the material on this disc. The set was recorded live at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia and backed by a powerhouse combo that included longtime CSN bandmate Michael Finnigan (keyboards), Dan Dugmore (guitar), Jody Cortez (drums), and Davey Farragher (bass/vocals).

Indeed, abstemiousness suits Crosby as his powerful, emotive vocals, and strident fretwork have rarely been as well defined or as energetic as they are here. The show begins with an acoustic setting on the opening pairing of “Tracks in the Dust” and one of the most hauntingly beautiful readings of “Guinnevere” to have ever been committed to tape. The same is especially true of “Compass,” which was the first song Crosby wrote after sobriety had kicked in.

His lyrical metaphors remain as poignant as his vocals are honey-glistened. In addition to other new tunes such as “Lady of the Harbour,” the edgy rocker “Monkey and the Underdog,” and the title track from “Oh Yes I Can”, Crosby regales older material with the wisdom of Solomon. “In My Dream,” “Wooden Ships,” and “Delta” all reveal an underscored exquisiteness that had been formerly obscured by substance abuse.

He likewise drives home “Almost Cut My Hair” and “Déja Vu” with the same cocksure attitude of the originals and more than a hint of grunge rock ethos thrown in for good measure.

David Crosby live performance on the syndicated “King Biscuit Flower Hour” on 4/8/1989. This concert was broadcast nationally on the KBFH radio network.

The set list includes songs from Crosby’s solo career as well as some from CSNY. 

Musicans: David Crosby – lead vocals, guitar; Dan Dugmore – guitar; Michael Finnigan – keyboards, backing vocals; Jody Cortez – drums; Davey Faragher – bass, backing vocals

The formidable Melbourne punks Cable Ties have been on the radar for a while now, so it was a thrill that the band announced their third studio album today.

Before that record – titled “All Her Plans” which arrives in June, the trio have shared a new single, “Time for You”, a track that cools the traditional ferocity of their sound without diminishing what makes Cable Ties distinctive. Cable Ties were formed in 2015, and quickly became mainstays of Melbourne’s feminist punk scene. They will be supporting Amyl and the Sniffers on three of their UK/EU dates this summer. 

Hopeful and optimistic, “Time for You” is “about feeling safe and happy with someone,” as the band’s lead vocalist Jenny McKechnie explains.

“I’m a pretty chaotic and anxious person. I often feel that I’m barely holding everything together and never have enough time for everything I’ve planned. When I come home to my partner James, I feel safe, happy and like everything is going to be ok. It’s like our time together sits outside of the timeline of the rest of my life.”

For a band who have been so powerfully political and socially conscious in their songwriting, it’s enjoyable to hear them relent slightly to warmly detail the personal in such a touching way. “I’ve got no time / But I’ve got time for you,” McKechnie happily repeats in the chorus; a punky love song never goes amiss.

You can watch the accompanying music video, directed by Nina Renee, below, which coolly contrasts the perpetual exhaustion of modern life with the cathartic effects of friendship and love.

“Time for You” will feature on “All Her Plans”, which is the much-anticipated follow-up to 2020’s scorching “Far Enough”. The album will also contain recent single “Perfect Client”, released earlier this year in celebration of the band’s European tour.

“All Her Plans” was recorded last year alongside the band’s longtime engineer Paul Maybury. It tackles a wide range of important topics, including Australia’s underserved mental health care system and addiction, all while undoubtedly maintaining Cable Ties’ trademark resilience.

The uplifting track will feature on the Melbourne trio’s newly announced third album, ‘All Her Plans’

Cable Ties’ “Time for You” is out now. “All Her Plans” is out Friday, June 23rd via Poison City / Merge Records

Jethro Tull have released a third song from their 23rd studio album, “RökFlöte”, due April 21st, 2023 via InsideOutMusic. Following the worldwide success of 2022’s “The Zealot Gene”, the band’s first album in two decades, Ian Anderson and the band are returning with a 12-track record based on the characters and roles of some of the principle gods of the old Norse paganism, and at the same time exploring the ‘RökFlöte’ – rock flute – which Jethro Tull has made iconic.

Anderson explains the album’s title and theme in more detail: “The title of this offering went through a little change or two along the way. I started with the idea of a predominantly instrumental album for rock flute – as in rock music. When the subject material of the album presented itself, I was drawn to the term Ragnarök from Norse mythology – their version of apocalyptic end times or Biblical Armageddon.

The ‘final showdown’ scenario is ubiquitous and inherent in Hinduism, Christianity and Islam, for example. Ragnarök translates as ‘destiny of the Gods,’ the rök part meaning destiny, course, direction. With umlaut firmly in place, courtesy of the Germanic origins of Old Norse, Flute became Flöte in keeping with the spelling.” “The Navigators” explores the Norse god Njord, who was the god of wealth, fertility, the sea and seafaring.

“RökFlöte” will be available on CD and vinyl, as well as on two limited deluxe formats that include bonus demo material, extensive liner notes & a Blu-ray featuring Dolby Atmos, 5.1 surround sound, alternative stereo mixes by Bruce Soord, as well as a bonus track and in-depth interview with Ian Anderson. The album will also be available digitally in the spatial audio formats Dolby Atmos & Sony 360 RA.

“Hammer on Hammer,” released on April 5th, takes inspiration from the god Thor, a loyal & honorable warrior who wears a powerful symbolic belt and wields a hammer. His mortal enemy & nemesis was Jormungand the sea-serpent.

Jethro Tull continues live dates this year, with shows in Europe, as well as a date in London to celebrate the new album release. They will also return to North America later this year, with shows to be announced in the coming weeks. The lineup consists of Anderson (concert and alto flutes, flute d’Amour, Irish whistle and vocals), David Goodier (bass guitar), John O’Hara (piano, keyboards and Hammond organ), Scott Hammond (drums), and Joe Parrish-James (electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin).

With more than 30 albums to their credit and sales totalling more than 60 million, Jethro Tull are one of the most successful rock bands of all-time with a catalogue that contains classic rock favorites “Aqualung”, “Thick As a Brick“, and more.