The Fat Angel Sings

Following a string of sold-out dates in Australia, locals-gone-global Spacey Jane have released their new single “It’s Been A Long Day”. The track will feature on their upcoming second album, “Here Comes Everybody“, which lands on Friday, June 10th.

“This song was written pre and post a breakup in 2020,” said vocalist and guitarist Caleb Harper. “It was a way to tell someone that I loved them when I was feeling so anxious and down in the early stages of COVID –  and I didn’t know if I was doing enough to really tell them.”

“In the end I became so overwhelmed and unwell during a six month period that I convinced myself that music was a lost cause, and the complete loss of identity resulted in the breakdown of the relationship. ‘I’ve got something to say,’ was trying to say all the things I felt for her at once. In the end, after the breakup, the final lines of the song are – ‘I really loved you.’”

“Here Comes Everybody” first came to life at the start of the 2020 lockdown and features recent single “Sitting Up, Lots of Nothing” .

Spacey Jane’s debut album “Sunlight” was released in June 2020, was voted Album of the Year in the triple j Listener’s Poll, was nominated for a J Award for Album of the Year and is now certified Gold.  Hit single “Booster Seat” picked up Song Of The Year at the 2021 ARIA’s, Spacey Jane have released their new single “It’s Been A Long Day” from their upcoming second album, “Here Comes Everybody”, which comes out Friday, June 10th. 

Hotly tipped psyche rockers Midnight Rodeo are the new band making waves in Nottingham, already getting huge attention after signing to essential indie label FatCat Records and dropping debut single “Now You’re Gone”.

Freshly signed to Fat Cat Records, the new single is a sharp-shootin’ piece of psych-pop that recalls everyone from Allah-Las and Mazzy Star to those early Pink Floyd singles. Imbued with the knockabout charm of early La Luz, there’s also something defiantly British at play within their lysergic template.

Carefully layered, ‘Now You’re Gone’ feels like the perfect opening gambit, boasting a slight Morricone influence in the arrangement.

Midnight Rodeo comment: “‘Now You’re Gone’ laments the sometimes frustratingly ephemeral nature of life, and the futility of “chasing a time that we know is over.””

Their first trip into the studio conjures images of 70’s hedonism, as “Now You’re Gone” draws on woozy dream pop and projects shades of a lost spaghetti western soundtrack, just as you’d expect from a band with a name like that! The sensational six-piece includes singer Maddy Chamberlain, James McBride and William Crumpton sharing both guitar and backing vocal duties, with Sam Potts playing keys, bass curtesy of Harry Taylor and Ferg Moran on drums.

Midnight Rodeo will be showcasing their hot new single whilst impressing a home crowd when they play a headline show at The Chameleon next week. Plus, they play support for The Baggios in London before making an appearance at Splendour Festival.

The Rolling Stones have announced the release of a new live collection, “Licked Live in NYC”, from the band’s performance at Madison Square Garden during their 2003 tour. The title will be issued as 1-DVD/2-CDs, 1-SD Blu-ray/2-CDs, 2-CDs and 3-LPs, on June 10th, 2022, via the Universal Music Group’s Mercury Records. The news arrived less than three weeks after the band had revealed that their legendary 1977 “secret” performances at Toronto’s El Mocambo club were also being released on May 13th.

From the announcement: To celebrate their 40th anniversary, the Rolling Stones embarked on a worldwide tour in 2002 and 2003 that would cover 117 shows in a variety of theatre’s, arenas and stadiums. This show captures their January 2003 performance at Madison Square Garden in New York City and features a guest appearance from Sheryl Crow on “Honky Tonk Women.”

“Licked Live In NYC” includes previously unreleased performances of “Start Me Up,” “Tumbling Dice,” “Gimme Shelter” and “Sympathy For the Devil,” along with three bonus performances from Amsterdam and rehearsal footage.

Mercury Studios release a new title from the Rolling Stones archive, “Licked Live in NYC”. This show from New York’s Madison Square Garden in January 2003 was one of 117 shows on the band’s 40th Anniversary tour, which played in stadiums, arenas and theatres around the world between 2002 and 2003. Originally released as part of the “Four Flicks” DVD collection in 2003, “Licked Live in NYC” features 4 songs previously unavailable, along with 3 bonus performances from Amsterdam and two rehearsals. The SD Blu-ray also includes the “Tip of the Tongue” documentary, along with documentary footage from Boston, adding nearly an hour of additional footage compared to the DVD.

To celebrate their 40th anniversary, The Rolling Stones embarked on a worldwide tour in 2002 and 2003 that would cover 117 shows in a variety of theatres, arenas and stadiums. This show captures their January 2003 performance at Madison Square Garden in New York City and features a guest appearance from Sheryl Crow on “Honky Tonk Women”. “Licked Live In NYC” includes previously unreleased performances of “Start Me Up”, “Tumbling Dice”, “Gimme Shelter” & “Sympathy For The Devil”, along with 3 bonus performances from Amsterdam and rehearsal footage.

The SDBD also includes the “Tip of the Tongue” documentary chronicling the conception and preparations for the innovative 3 show / 3 venue concept from the recording studio in Paris to Toronto where the band prepares for their Licks World Tour.

Joining Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, and Charlie Watts were Darryl Jones (bass, backing vocals), Chuck Leavell (keyboards, backing vocals), Bobby Keys (saxophone), Bernard Fowler (backing vocals), Lisa Fischer (backing vocals), Blondie Chaplin (backing vocals, acoustic guitar/ percussion), Tim Ries (saxophone, keyboards), Kent Smith (trumpet), and Michael Davis (trombone).

Much of the material on the new collection was previously released in 2003 on the Stones’ “Four Flicks” DVD.

The long-awaited deluxe edition of Pavement‘s divisive (literally!) final album, which many thought would never see the light of day, is finally out and comes with the very different track order that producer Nigel Godrich originally envisioned for the album, plus 28 never-before-heard bonus tracks including a lot of Stephen Malkmus demos.

“Terror Twilight: Farewell Horizontal” is an exhaustive 45-track set compiling the remastered original album, B-sides, home demos, rehearsal tapes, era-appropriate live recordings, and even the rough tracks from Pavement’s scrapped session at Sonic Youth’s Echo Canyon studio. Altogether, it features 28 unreleased tracks. Originally released in 1999, “Terror Twilight” marked a departure from Pavement’s established operating methods. Which is to say that it was recorded with a big-time producer in an expensive studio. However, for all the talk of “polish” and “precision” it’s still very much a Pavement record. And a great one. Like every Pavement album that preceded it, “Terror Twilight” thrills and confounds. Often at the same time. Also being released the same day: An expanded edition of Pavement’s “Spit On A Stranger” It includes the viral phenomenon “Harness Your Hopes” and a previously unreleased live take from the band’s legendary 1999 Brixton performance.”

“Spit on a Stranger” is taken from the album ‘Terror Twilight.’ Pre-order / save the deluxe box set ‘Terror Twilight: Farewell Horizontal’ out on Matador Records April 8th, 2022:

Maybe it’s Godrich’s track order, maybe it’s just time away, but Terror Twilight sounds pretty good in 2022, and feels like it’s gotten better with age. It also sounds much more like a Pavement album now than it did in 1999 when the baggage of its creation came with it, even though Kanneberg’s essay in the liner notes is titled “The Terror Twilight… or Pavement’s All Shook Down,” which is a reference to The Replacements’ final album that many consider to be a Paul Westerberg solo album.

“You Are a Light” “Spit on a Stranger,” the doomy “Cream of Gold,” “Ann Don’t Cry,” “Billie,” and “Folk Jam” are Pavement songs through-and-though. Only “Carrot Rope” and “Major Leagues” really feel like songs that could’ve ended up on Malkmus’ first solo album. One that did, “The Hook,” was actually tried out during the RPM sessions as “Be the Hook,” and is one of “Farewell Horizontal’s” many bonus tracks.

Following on from the success of the critics and fans favourite 2019 Debut LP, the maverick tunesmith Mick Trouble returns to the fold with 12 solid “A”s.

“It’s Mick Trouble’s Second LP” is 2022s “Doing it for the Kids” – an eloquent exercise in pop perfectionism. “A joyous listen that harks back to the late 70’s and especially the golden era of the Television Personalities” (Flying Nun Records, NZ)

Mick Trouble’s known associates include cult guitar pop outfit My Teenage Stride and cultish short scale guitar pop outfit / Slumberland Records roster members of Jeanines. Mick writes songs about class warfare, Iron Ladies, and Hadrian’s Wall. Nobody has seen him in public for several decades, as far as you know.

“Filled to the brim with earworm melodies, killer basslines, magic harmonies and lyrics jam-packed with obscure British references sung in a chippy-chappy British accent.”

Available as limited white vinyl with bonus flexidisc, and classic black vinyl.

released April 5th, 2022

UK duo make good on the promise of “Chaise Longue” on their absolute blast of a debut album

Wet Leg‘s self-titled debut is finally here and — sorry haters — it’s great. “Wet Leg” plays like a snapshot of your mid-to-late-20s, when hangovers start to get worse but don’t stop you from going out all the time, and you start looking for more serious relationships, questioning the direction your life is heading — all set to ridiculously catchy indie rock. Songs are peppered with memorable, saucy lines — “Baby do you want to come home with me? / I’ve got Buffalo 66 on DVD,” “I hope you choke on your girlfriend,” “I got the big D” — but Wet Leg know the value of a “la la la” or “ah-eeh-ah” chorus, too.

The production, mostly by the in-demand Dan Carey with mixing by Alan Moulder (he did all your favorite ’90s shoegaze albums), isn’t scared of layers upon layers of sound — “Angelica” builds to a wonderful hazy, noisy mess, and “Convincing” (Chambers’ sole lead vocal here) is a sea of guitars and harmonies — but they understand sometimes all you need is bass and drums. Hooks are plentiful and sometimes come in the form of seemingly throwaway pings and glitches, and keep things interesting in the choruses, verses and middle eights.

Never in a million years when we started Wet Leg did we think we’d be releasing an album or doing any of this tbf. We feel so privileged that we were given the opportunity to make the album we have made. Thank you to everyone who believed in us even before we did!

Wet Leg – “Ur Mum” from the album ‘Wet Leg’ out now on Domino Recordings

It is with great pain in our hearts that we have to inform you about the passing of Chris Bailey, singer and songwriter of The Saints, on April the 9th 2022. The Saints were one of punk rock’s earliest and most influential forces

Chris Bailey, frontman of Australian punk rock icons The Saints, died on Saturday. Chris lived a life of poetry and music and stranded on a Saturday night.

The Saints formed in Brisbane in 1973. Their 1976 debut single, ‘(I’m) Stranded’, was a landmark punk rock anthem upon its release and remains influential to this day.

Spanning numerous solo efforts together with The Saints’ 14 studio albums, not to mention various collaborations, the catalogue of late Aussie icon Chris Bailey is as extensive as it is influential.

For those wondering, ‘Who is Chris Bailey?’, while he’s been named one of the co-creators of punk music, his work spans far greater than the band’s breakout hit “(I’m) Stranded“. In paying tribute to Bailey, who passed away over the weekend.

“The reason why we sounded the way we did, certainly Brisbane is the backwoods of this country,” he told triple j in 1985. “It’s like a lot of things that happen to you, you’re not aware of why they’re happening until after the fact. “I’ve got no explanation for why the first Saints record sounds like it does. Maybe because it’s so quiet [in Brisbane], that’s why the music was so noisy.

Bailey retained The Saints name after the departure of fellow founding member and songwriter Ed Kuepper, releasing albums through the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, ending with the 14th The Saints album, “King Of The Sun“, released in 2012.

After several years of solo adventure, Bailey revived The Saints to record Howling in 1996. This album was followed by “Everybody Knows the Monkey” (1998), Spit the Blues Out (2002), “Nothing is Straight in My House” (2005), “Imperious Delirium” (2006) and “King of the Sun” (2012-Australia, 2013-Europe) which were all recorded under the name of The Saints.

He also released albums under his own name, beginning with 1983’s “Casablanca” and ending on “Stranger“, his 2012 collaboration with French singer-songwriter H-Burns.

Many have begun paying tribute to Bailey and his seminal work, as fellow artists and writers reflect on the huge impact he had. Most notably, Bailey’s schoolboy friend Ed Kuepper, with whom he wrote

“Chris and I met when we were about 14 during detention at Oxley High School and became close friends which later developed into what I always thought was an extremely strong artistic partnership,” Kuepper wrote Monday morning.

“I couldn’t have hoped for a better singer.

Know Your Product – The Saints (1978)

While Bailey has frequently been credited as one of the forefathers of punk, he wasn’t tied to the constraints of the genre, and shortly after The Saints’ ground-breaking first album, which borrowed its name from their acclaimed debut single, they unleashed a follow-up LP in “Eternally Yours“, which introduced a more R&B-driven sound. Know Your Product was the second single from the album and shook things up with prominent brass throughout, which confused a lot of people at the time.

Ghost Ships – The Saints (1984)

Again, with The Saints’ sixth album, “A Little Madness To Be Free”, Bailey continued to push the envelope, gravitating towards a sound that encompassed grand arrangements, with horns and strings heavily featured throughout – all of which can be heard in the album’s title track opener.

Just Like Fire Would – The Saints (1986)

What we didn’t mention about “Know Your Product” was that it was one of Kurt Cobain’s top tracks. Bailey’s writing chops saw him garner a slew of big-name fans, including none other than The Boss. The band’s 1986 single, “Just Like Fire Would“, featured on album seven, “All Fools Day”, would eventually be covered by Bruce Springsteen, who first performed the track in Australia during his 2013 Wrecking Ball tour before featuring a recorded version on his 2014 album “High Hopes”.

It Doesn’t Matter Anymore (Buddy Holly Cover) – Chris Bailey (1989)

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Buddy Holly’s passing, Bailey recorded a version of “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore“, which was included on the “Every Day Is A Holly Day” compilation.

Everything I Need – Chris Bailey (1994)

“Everything I Need” is taken from Bailey’s eclectic fourth solo studio album, “54 Days At Sea”, recorded Malmö, Sweden. While the album version dropped in 1994, we’d like to highlight this stunning performance from 1996 on Dutch music show 2 Meter Sessions.

Bring It On – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds featuring Chris Bailey (2003)

Not only did Bailey provide chorus vocals for Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ “Bring It On“, taken from Nocturama, but he also toured the US with them and appeared during their Late Show With David Letterman performance in 2003.

Can’t Help Falling In Love (Elvis Presley Cover) – Chris Bailey (2004)

Among some of his final solo works was epic two-part compilation “DM Blues“, the second volume of which finishes with a cover of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love” that will never get old.

Hey You! – Chris Bailey & H-Burns (2011)

One of Bailey’s many collaborative efforts, in 2011 he teamed with French country-folk troubadour H-Burns for an album, “Stranger. Hey You!” was featured on the album; a release that saw the duo tour France together.

King Of The Sun – The Saints (2012)

It’s hard to believe that The Saints’ fourteenth album, “King Of The Sun”, was released 10 years ago. It’s a concept album about a journey home after a hundred-year war, and its title track is proof that Bailey’s creativity hadn’t faltered since the band’s inception.

    

After blazing a trail with 2020’s critically acclaimed “Good Luck Seeker”, The Waterboys waste no time in delivering again with the announcement of their brand new record “All Souls Hill“.

The first track & video available is “The Liar”, a creeping groove-laden masterpiece, taking a powerful, descriptive swipe at Trump and the lies and deceit that infest those in power. The video, featuring a haunting image by satirical collagist Cold War Steve, amplifies its subject matter in dark eerie fashion. Mike Scott says, “The Liar” is a comment on recent and still-current events, and both song and video speak for themselves. We are proud to work on this video with the brilliant Cold War Steve “.

“All Souls Hill” is nine tracks of Waterboys brilliance, mixed by Scott himself. “All Souls Hill” is current, on the money social commentary, but with an air of hope.

“All Souls Hill” is mysterious, otherworldly, tune-banging and emotional,” comments Mike. “I made it with Waterboys old and new and my co-producer, brilliant sonic guru Simon Dine. Its nine songs tell stories, explore dreamscapes, and cast a cold but hopeful eye on the human drama.”

The Waterboys will release their 15th studio album entitled “All Souls Hill” on 22nd April 2022 via Cooking Vinyl Records.