The Fat Angel Sings

The Beatles have released a new animated video for their 1966 classic “Taxman”. The video heralds the arrival of the expanded Special Edition release of the band’s classic “Revolver” album, which hits the shelves on October 28th. 

The animated video for “Taxman” was directed by Danny Sangra, who previously worked with the band on a series of animated birthday messages from “Taxman” writer George Harrison to John, Paul and Ringo. Sangra has also worked on a collaboration between Metallica and Italian shoe brand Brioni. 

The Beatles announced the expanded edition of “Revolver” in July, and released a demo version of “Taxman“. Earlier this month another demo arrived, the first recorded version of “Tomorrow Never Knows”.

The track was recorded across three Studio Two sessions in April and May, 1966. One of three songs on the album by George, in “Taxman” he expresses his frustration with the UK’s ‘super-rich’ tax rate at the time (90%), with a vocal wink to the “Batman” TV theme song. Get The Beatles’ “Revolver” into your life with the new mixes and expanded Special Editions. Available everywhere October 28th, 2022 across 5CD/4LP Super Deluxe, 2CD Deluxe, Picture Disk, 1LP, 1CD, Download and Streaming. Dolby Atmos Mixes + original mono mix accompany never-before-released session recordings and demos, plus the “Paperback Writer” and “Rain” EP. The Beatles’ 1966 album “Revolver” changed everything. Spinning popular music off its axis and ushering in a vibrant new era of experimental, avant-garde sonic psychedelia, Revolver brought about a cultural sea change and marked an important turn in The Beatles’ own creative evolution. With “Revolver,” John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr set sail together across a new musical sea. Showcasing GRAMMY-winning original album artwork created by Klaus Voormann, the Super Deluxe CD and vinyl house a beautiful book featuring Paul McCartney’s foreword, an introduction by Giles Martin, an enlightening essay by Questlove, and insightful chapters by Kevin Howlett.

The expanded edition of “Revolver” will be available in several configurations, including standalone vinyl, picture disc, CD, and expanded CD and CD/vinyl sets. The Special Edition tracks have been remixed by producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell in stereo and Dolby Atmos. 

When it comes to the worst-ever rock’n’roll botch jobs, The Clash’s 1985 death rattle “Cut the Crap” deserves special mention, it turns out that the “Cut The Crap” songs were actually good songs horribly produced as you can hear in the video below. And there were about 30 songs from those “Out of Control” sessions. Might have been a great double album had the boys recruited a quality producer and begged Mick and Topper to return to the fold.

Largely concocted by Joe Strummer and Clash manager Bernie Rhodes, Cut the Crap spat up a queasy gumbo of amateur-hour punk guitar and football chants laid atop a mess of inept drum programming, wedding-band funk bass, and cornball 80s synths. And as if that racket weren’t bad enough, the pair then overdubbed ‘found sounds’ like arcade noises and short-wave radio broadcasts at random, often overpowering the vocals.

What they forgot to include, however, were any actual members of Strummer’s post-Mick Jones Clash, most unforgivably their powerhouse new drummer Pete Howard. Not even original bassist Paul Simonon made the cut.

But for many Clash fans who saw or heard recordings of the ‘84 line-up incendiary shows, the album was utterly inexplicable. “Cut the Crap” scrapped the live arrangements, then replaced the new band with synths and beatboxes, the very machines Strummer had publicly denounced partner Mick Jones for dicking around with in 1983. Henceforth, fans would have to content themselves with bootlegs of varying audibility to hear the original versions of Strummer’s Clash II songs.

Cover versions of songs from The Clash’s Cut The Crap (Out of Control) sessions. Songs: This Is England (The Strummers) 00:00 Fingerpoppin (El Quatro) 04:43 Three Card Trick (The Crap Cutters) 08:24 Are You Ready (The Crap Cutters) 11:34 Play To Win (Winterdrinks) 15:24 Life Is Wild (The Crap Cutters) 18:52 Dirty Punk (Basenji) 21:21 Movers and Shakers (The Violets) 24:46 Pouring Rain (Indio Bravo) 27:35 Backwoods Drive (Sussed Out With Sol Roots) 31:55 Jericho (Ammunition) (Crap Cutters) 34:28 Galleani (Don Zientara) 37:33 We Are The Clash (Too Much Joy) 41:12 Glue Zombie (The Crap Cutters) 43:58 Blues On The River (The Crap Cutters) 46:21 Dictator (Silverado) 50:59 Out of Control (Do It Now) 53:35 Before We Go Forward (The Crap Cutters) 56:49 Sex Mad Roar (Dom Casual) 1:00:00 Are You Ready (Scotch Bonnets) 1:03:05 Play To Win (The Crap Cutters) 1:06:14 National Powder (Sussed Out) 1:09:10 Cool Under Heat (The Violets) 1:12:57 Pouring Rain (The Crap Cutters) 1:16:19 Jericho (Ammunition) (The Delarcos) 1:21:32 Rock ‘n Roll City (Space Giants) 1:24:36 Life Is Wild (Don Zientara) 1:27:00 North and South (The Crap Cutters) 1:30:54

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German musician Gerald Manns (of punk/metal outfit Mutant Proof set about to put modern technology to better use, undergoing one of the most ambitious fan remix projects ever attempted. And with his restoration, Mann has given long-suffering fans the nearest thing they will ever have to a Great Lost Clash Album.

Mann digitally stripped Strummer’s vocal tracks from “Cut the Crap”, pasted them into his meticulous recreation of the band’s live arrangements, and created what is for all intents and purposes an entirely new work of art (retitled “Mohawk Revenge“, after a Clash t-shirt design).

Nick Sheppard, the only member of Strummer’s new Clash actually invited to the “Cut the Crap” sessions?. Nick has heard the remixes, and cited the stunning reggae revamp of the heretofore-unlistenable “Play To Win” as “genius,” and his personal favourite. He also gave special praise to Gerald’s drum programming and cited his arrangements of “Are You Ready for War” and “This is England” as being “ridiculously close” to what the band had originally intended, though he felt the guitars “would have been more aggressive” on the Clash album.

Sheppard said, “All in all it’s a great and noble endeavour,” but also lamented that it was “a bittersweet listening experience for me, as it definitely confirms that ‘what could have been’ would have cut the mustard.”

Shorn of all the inept studio scuzz, even the weaker tracks like “Dirty Punk” and “Cool Under Heat” sound more like classic British power-pop than 80s

Romi, Sarah, Emily, and Meg were fed up of music being a ‘members-only club’ at its best and a phallocracy at its worst, so in 2018, they decided to do something about it. Cue, Panic Shack.

Armed with brash, witty lyrics and killer hooks, they crashed through the UK music scene with a tidal wave of ear-crunching noise. Immediately building up a reputation for their raw, unapologetic live shows and off-kilter songs, Panic Shack prove that DIY does it better.

Since their inception it’s been non-stop for this Welsh punk quintet. With support from BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6 Music, Huw Stephens, Jack Saunders, Radio X, Bob Vylan, and PRS, it’s clear that this band have started something special.

Having already played prestigious stages at Green Man Festival, Liverpool Sound City, Cardiff Castle, and 2000 Trees Festival, and joined bands like The Wytches, Grandma’s House, and Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard on stages across the UK, Panic Shack are only going to continue to create unhinged, earth-shattering music (until, of course, they’re rich enough to be sipping champagne after taking a dip in the pool at their mansions).

Released via Brace Yourself Records 2022

As they have said since their inception, they want to be “the best band since Oasis.” As frontman Aramis Johnson puts it, “In the lineage of rock, Oasis is the last band to go from some random dive bar to a stadium. And if we’re not selling out stadiums, we’re not doing it how I wanted to do it.”

It’s a lofty goal, but they’re already on their way to earning that moniker, drawing plenty of interest from the indie world with their “Jimbo Demo” EP. But when listening to “Save The Baby”, you begin to realize that for Johnson this band’s success isn’t just a goal – it’s a necessity.

Beneath the blown-out guitars and sun-lit hooks that colour the album, Johnson’s lyrics are restless and confessional, revealing a nervous desperation for salvation that only the band can provide. He says as much on “Park Lodge,” an early highlight that also doubles as a mission statement一 “’Cause in my life, I’ve prayed for change/About a thousand times/And in my life, I’ve wasted time/But I had to take what’s mine.”

If nothing else, Enumclaw understands the power of mythmaking.

Canadian-duo Softcult released their latest single/video, ‘One Of A Million’.  The Twins Mercedes and Phoenix blend grunge, slowgaze, and dream-pop into their signature sound. With ‘One Of A Million’, Softcult continues to surprise and shows another side to their multifaceted talent. 

Mercedes shares the following about ‘One Of A Million’: “Originally, I was writing from a frustrating perspective, expressing my feelings about the people in our society who think they are the exception and can justify repeating selfish actions, no matter who they harm in the process. As the song began to take shape, it also became about my own personal insecurities and fear of being ordinary and unexceptional, but the more I thought about it and wrote about it, I realized that accepting how similar we all are as human beings is a comforting sentiment, if not a vital one. The more we relate to each other and acknowledge our similarities, the more empathy and compassion we will have for one another. The more divided we are, the longer these issues get drawn out instead of solved. It’s important to not only celebrate our diversity and unique-ness, but also to remember that at a very basic level we are all more the same than different.”

‘One Of A Million’ is a hazy and cinematic track with soaring vocals and vulnerable lyrics.

Hailing from Church Village in Wales and now based in Cardiff, we’re introducing you to the lush sounds of CVC. The group have just announced that their debut album ‘Get Real’ is set for release on 13th January via Secretly Distribution. There’s a few good bands that have come from Church Village, our good friends Wynt and Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, to name a few. And the Cardiff scene is bursting at the seams with great bands. A few more good venues in Cardiff and it would have one of the best scenes in the country!

“The album was recorded with love in the living room of a student house in Cardiff around one microphone, as we searched for a new sound,” they note. “We used pots and pans for percussion, Welsh thunder for atmosphere and 40p Ramen Noodle soups for dinner.”

When we initially moved to Cardiff, we were blown away by the music scene there. It was motivating for us to see other bands like Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard and Boy Azooga playing in great venues across the city. This has faded a bit recently, for obvious reasons – so we’re hoping to play our part in doing what ever we can to bring back the good times!

CVC are David Bassey, Francesco Orsi, Elliot Bradfield, Nanial Jones, Tom Fry and Ben Thorne

Metronomy have announced “Small World” (Special Edition) due 29th November via Because Music. The first taste of the repackaged album is Katy J Pearson’s version of “Small World” standout track ‘Love Factory’.

Katy J Pearson’s reimagining of ‘Love Factory’ is a duet with Metronomy frontman Joe Mount that swaps the glorious groove of the original for her wistful Americana-tinged rock, while retaining all of its irresistible charm. The track is accompanied by a nostalgic video that stars Katy and Joe channelling iconic country performances of the ‘60s and ‘70s, framed against the distinct landscapes of Devon.

Katy shares: “I’ve been a huge fan of Metronomy for a long time. The records they made had a big influence on my music. I have fond memories of travelling up to Bristol to watch them play in when I was a teenager and the shows being so joyous. Brilliantly intelligent pop music. I met Joe after their show in Bristol and we got chatting. After this encounter I got asked to rework “Love Factory” for the special edition of their album “Small World”. I was so excited as “Love Factory” is my favourite song from the new record.

It’s so beautiful! So I was very flattered and honoured to have the chance to put my own spin on it. I wanted to strip it down to basics and make it a vulnerable duet. I’d been listening to a lot of Nancy Lee & Lee Hazelwood at the time so making it a pop duet felt really fun to do.”

“Surprise! Slaughter Beach, Dog’s “Live at The Cabin” is out now! Recorded at home in the poconos in March of 2021 – this set has been mixed and mastered and is ready for public consumption. Enjoy!”

Hello friends, hope you’re enjoying hibernation. Dropping in with a couple updates here…

-We’re starting a Substack newsletter called “Pause for Effect.” It’s a monthly dispatch in which I write a short essay about whatever I’m into lately (topics range from shoveling snow to Tom Waits worship), and you’ll also get an unreleased demo from the Slaughter Beach, Dog archive every month (some songs you’ll recognize, others are old secrets). This month I’m writing about meditation, skateboarding, and talking to strangers, and there’s a demo of our unreleased song “More.” It’s $5/month to subscribe, and you can sign up right now: https://slaughterbeachdog.substack.com/

released October 14th, 2022

Recorded by Jacob Ewald in Bushkill, PA

Girlpuppy is 23 year old Atlanta based singer-songwriter Becca Harvey. Following her first track For You and it’s success, she enlisted the help of Marshall Vore (Phoebe Bridgers) to make her debut ep, “Swan”.

Girlpuppy releases her new single “Teenage Dream” ahead of debut record “When I’m Alone” out October 28th. On the track, Girlpuppy says: “I wrote “Teenage Dream” after I cried at an Atlanta United soccer game at Mercedes Benz stadium. The song’s about a guy I lead on who looks like Keanu Reeves, and it’s the first one we made for the album. It was, in part, inspired by Caroline Polachek, who said in an interview that her lyrics for “Bunny Is A Rider” make no real sense, and that they just sounded good to sing. Similarly, the chorus lyrics to teenage dream don’t make much sense, but I do enjoy singing them. An important detail: I’m talking to my puppy Obi at the beginning, and you can hear him barking at the end.”

Catch girlpuppy on tour with Hovvdy this November!

Her debut album, produced by Samuel Acchione (Alex G) and engineered by Henry Stoehr (Slow Pulp) is out October 28th.

Becca Harvey – Vocals, Tambourine, Claps
Samuel Acchione – Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Slide Guitar, Keys, 12 String Guitar, Loop Drums, Drums, Tambourine, Shaker, Claps, Harmonies, Background Vocals, Wurlitzer
John Michael Young – Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, 12 String Guitar, Bass Guitar, Bells, Drums, Keys, Shaker, Mandolin, Glockenspiel
Henry Stoehr – Engineering, Harmonies, Background Vocals, Keys, Claps
Tom Sinclair – Bass Guitar, Piano, Wurlitzer, Shaker
Blaise O’Brien – Piano
Molly Germer – Violin, string arrangements
Tom Kelly – Engineering, Drums

One of our most anticipated releases of the year, Wild Pink’s “ILYSM” is finally out! The album has seen praise from outlets like The New York Times, Pitchfork, The FADER, and was named Album of The Week by Stereogum who say “it doesn’t do this album justice to merely call it a ‘level up.’ Paste Magazine described it as “one of the most surprising and satisfying musical moments of the year, the kind of thing you have to hear to believe.”

The fourth full-length from Wild Pink, “ILYSM” unfolds with all the fractured beauty of a dreamscape. Over the course of 12 chameleonic tracks, the New York-bred rock band build another world inhabited by ghosts and angels and aliens, inciting a strange and lovely daze as the backdrop shifts from the mundane (subdivisions, highways, hotel parking lots) to the extraordinary (deserts, battlefields, the moon).

But within its vast imagination lies a potent truth-telling on the part of singer / guitarist John Ross, whose lyrics closely examine his recent struggle with cancer. The follow-up to 2021’s “A Billion Little Lights” — a critically acclaimed effort praised by the likes of Pitchfork, NPR, Vulture, and Stereogum, who named it “one of the prettiest rock records of the past decade”—”ILYSM” emerges as a truly revelatory body of work, transforming the most painful reflection into moments of transcendence.

released October 14, 2022

Songs written and produced by John Ross