The Fat Angel Sings

 I loved Van Halen during their original David Lee Roth era, and being a guy who pays too much attention to the “wrong” members of bands, I was really into bassist-vocalist Michael Anthony. So when Roth returned late in the group’s run, I was happy, but then disappointed to learn that Anthony was replaced by Eddie Van Halen’s son, Wolfgang. After Eddie’s death, and with this, Wolf’s debut album out, Wolfgang is an incredibly talented musician, writing, singing and playing every note on this exceptional album. Plus, “Distance,” his song about his Dad’s death, made my eyes admittedly misty. And that takes some doing, .

Wolfgang Van Halen had to thread quite a narrow needle while launching his solo career: establishing a musical identity separate from his father Eddie’s massive shadow while still living up to his family’s high standards, just months after the guitar legend’s death. No pressure, right? But he pulls it off with seeming ease on “Mammoth WVH“, acting as a one-man band on an impressively sharp and hook-filled collection of songs that draw from a completely different set of influences than Van Halen. You won’t find any of David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar’s cocky vocal swagger or winking sexual foreplay here. But there’s a big dose of pop smarts along with plenty of clever, complex instrumental bits to reward repeated listens.

Mammoth WVH is the debut, self-titled album of Mammoth WVH – the band created by Wolfgang Van Halen – that includes 14 new songs on a double vinyl, CD, Digital Download and streaming. This collection includes the #1 Hit Single, “Distance” plus “You’re to Blame”, “Don’t Back Down,” “Epiphany,” and more. At the beginning of 2015, Wolf broke ground on what would become Mammoth WVH with producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette [Alter Bridge, Slash] behind the board. Wolf began to embrace his voice, inspired by everyone from his father, to bands like AC/DC, Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails, TOOL, and Jimmy Eat World. In addition to writing and singing every song on the self-title debut album, remarkably Wolfgang plays every instrument.

For those who are unaware, the WVH in Mammoth WVH are the initials of the band’s creator Wolfgang Van Halen. And whether you want to embrace or ignore the last name, what’s clear is that Wolf is ready to chart a legacy all his own. Like Prince and Dave Grohl before him, Wolf wrote every song, played every instrument, and sang every song on this album. That is a tall task for any artist, but especially for one making their debut album, and the offspring of a man forever linked to rock and roll greatness. From the hard rocking “The Big Picture,” and “Don’t Back Down,” to the grungy, Alice In Chains-esqe “Circles” with it’s harmonizing vocals, Wolf took various approaches to the songs on this album, and as a whole, put together an excellent rock record.

Mammoth WVH Album features the Hit Song ‘Distance’, ‘Don’t Back Down’ + many more!

Dirty Honey abide by retro-rock’s Golden Rule: You’ve got to steal from more than one source. The Los Angeles foursome’s eponymous debut full-length incorporates Led Zeppelin’s thunder-god riffing, the Black Crowes’ barroom boogie and Aerosmith’s streetwise snarl, all topped with an air of Sunset Strip hedonism. Singer Marc LaBelle and guitarist John Notto ape the archetypal frontman-guitarist duos of yesteryear; hear the skyscraping howls on “The Morning” and the slash-and-burn solos on “Gypsy.” Dirty Honey may not do anything new here, but the bluesy, album-closing ballad “Another Last Time” signals more ambitious and grandiose material on LP2.

After blowing up the rock charts in 2019, there was an excitement to see what would come next for Dirty Honey. The plan was for the band to fly to Australia in early 2020 to get into a studio and start on the next record. Those plans changed when the pandemic caused nations to close their borders to international travel. But the band was able to adapt, and the additional downtime became a benefit as Dirty Honey we able to write and record their first full length record.

Released in the spring of 2021, the self titled LP continues where the self titled EP left off, pulling from the classic rock and roll sound that generations grew up with, and advancing it in a way that sounds fresh for a younger generation.

This California band bring us their first full length album and let me tell you it sounds like it is from California.  And that is a good thing.  This 70’s inspired band captures the magic of music of old.  The high pitched gritty vocals of Marc LaBelle and the killer guitar work of John Notto along with a unmatched rhythm section of Justin Smolian on bass and Corey Coverstone on drums you don’t find new bands with this much talent very often. Songs “California Dreamin’” and “The Wire” are only a couple of the amazing tracks.

Dirt Records Released on: 2021-04-23

Free’s blues heritage is undeniable. Guitarist Paul Kossoff and drummer Simon Kirke came from a blues combo called Black Cat Bones. Vocalist Paul Rodgers arrived from the similar sounding Brown Sugar and bassist Andy Fraser had been a Bluesbreaker. Free was a formidable coming together of raw British blues rock talent. And they didn’t disappoint, coming up with their own distinctive brand of blues on their debut. They didn’t pummel like Zeppelin, caress like Cream or strut like The Rolling Stones. Rather, Free loped and grooved, driven by Kossoff’s aching guitar, Fraser’s throbbing bass and Rodgers’s sonorous voice. Free, back then were aged between16 and 17 when they made “Tons of Sobs“. They were a very young band. Although, from their lyrical content they were very mature for their ages and had obviously done a lot of living from the kind of songs that they were writing.

“Tons Of Sobs” begins and ends deceptively with the pastoral sounds of Over The Green Hills (parts one and two). But in-between there are all-time blues rock classics such as Worry, Walk In My Shadow and I’m A Mover. Such is their authenticity, these songs sound like they were recorded by crusty old blues legends instead of raw new kids on the block. (Andy Fraser, let us not forget, was barely out of his school uniform at the time of the album recording.) The standout track on Tons Of Sobs is The Hunter, a swaggering version of the blues rock staple originally written for Booker T And The MGs.

No one else sounded like Free.  They didn’t play fast or punishingly loud, but when they locked onto a groove their mid-tempo sound was unmistakable and their fierce, soulful brand of raw blues unparalleled.  Paul Kossoff’s emotion-drenched guitar playing, if not especially flashy, rivalled the best in the world, while Andy Fraser’s adventurous, walking bass lines made the band sound like they had two guitarists much of the time.  

Fraser had briefly been a member of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, while Kossoff and Simon Kirke came from Black Cat Bones so their blues credentials were unimpeachable.  Add to this the world-beating vocals of Paul Rodgers and you’ve got a recipe for success.  

It’s hard to think of a more impressive debut album than “Tons Of Sobs“, especially as none of the band members were yet twenty and the youngest, Andy Fraser, was barely sixteen years old when it was recorded.  All tracks were band originals except Jimmy Oden’s classic “Goin’ Down Slow” The most memorable part of this album for me is the introduction to “Goin’ Down Slow“. We are drawn into a smoky bar room with the drawly piano and then Kossoff plays that first note which sends an electric shock up your spine. More than any other group, Free were truly out there with their emotions.

Booker T’s “The Hunter” which had been a 1967 hit for Albert King.  The later Free albums may have been more successful – especially “Fire and Water” which spawned the worldwide hit “All Right Now” – but none of them tapped into the heart of the blues boom more comprehensively than “Tons of Sobs”.

It has such a mysterious cover, with a clown looking at Mickey Mouse in a coffin and a rabbit in a graveyard. On the inside cover, you have the band looking very mysterious. Paul Kossoff looks like he could rule the world!. The USA cover was completely different with just a picture of the band members.

• The US LP version of Tons Of Sobs on was on A&M used different sleeve photos taken from the inside sleeve of the UK release 
• The 2001 CD issue contained eight bonus tracks, including three BBC recordings
• Producer Guy Stevens ran the UK branch of Sue records under the wing of Island records, and he was the man who named both Procol Harum and Mott the Hoople.  He also produced records for the band Art (pre-Spooky Tooth), Mighty Baby and, later, The Clash  
• Standout track: “I’m A Mover”
• Blues highlight: “Goin’ Down Slow“

The 2016 remasters were done by Andy Pearce who has done a sterling job and these are the best the Free albums have sounded on CD. There’s something about the sound stage, the clarity of the musicians, the warmth of it. It’s probably as close as you’ll get to vinyl without having all the cracks and pops! “Tons of Sobs” was released in 1968 it is a very raw blues-rock album and Kossoff is simply on fire on this. Andy Fraser had not quite got his mojo for writing the songs yet with Paul Rogers. They are nearly all Rogers’ compositions, apart from “Moonshine“, which is written with Paul Kossoff. “Going Down Slow” is over eight and a half minutes long and the notes just pour out of Paul Kossoff’s guitar. “Sweet Tooth” is actually my favourite track. I think Kossoff’s playing is just absolutely fantastic. If you’re a fan of blues guitar, this is where Kossoff made his mark. He might have later on pulled back on the number of notes he was playing. (He never played millions of notes) but all the notes he plays are on target, and this is a classic piece of blues classic rock and every home should have one.

Paul Rodgers: Vocals, Paul Kossoff: Guitars, Andy Fraser: Bass guitar, piano, Simon Kirke: Drums, Plus: Steve Miller: Piano

Released: 14th March 1969

As a singer, five solo LPs plus recordings with Meat Loaf, The Clash, Ian Hunter & Mick Ronson. Acting includes film and stage productions of “Hair,” TV series “Night Court,” and more.

Working with everybody Ellen Foley released a trilogy of albums in the late ‘70s/early ‘80s that achieved a cultish renown, but then she moved on to theater, TV, and film work. She re-emerged as a recording artist with 2013’s spare, rootsy “About Time”, buoyed by songwriter Paul Foglino. Overdue follow-up “Fighting Words” finds Foglino’s tunes reigniting Foley’s rock ‘n’ roll fire, and her ageless, bigger-than-life pipes are more than up to the task. Being backed by the cream of NYC rock stalwarts doesn’t hurt either.

released August 6th, 2021

Players:
Guitar: Slim Simon, Paul Foglino, Michael Jung, Stephen B. Antonakos
Bass: C.P. Roth, Mark Ettinger, Paul Foglino, J.C. Chmiel
Keyboards: C.P. Roth, Mark Ettinger
Drums: Steve Goulding, C.P. Roth
Vocals: Ula Hedwig, Rachelle Garniez, Karla DeVito (duet on I’m Just Happy To Be Here)

From the album ‘Fighting Words’

Flat White Moon’ is the eighth studio album from indie veterans Field Music. Commenced before 2020’s ‘Making A New World’ had even been released, the Brewis brothers called on the music they loved as kids for the primary sonic influences, using the upbeat disposition of those classic rock sounds as a counterpoint to the bleak, highly personal nature of many of the album’s themes. It’s fair to assert that Field Music don’t make bad albums, but it’s still worth highlighting the considerable quality of their latest, ‘Flat White Moon’. Shimmering opening track ‘Orion From The Street’ features cascading piano lines which array themselves in the soundstage before you, wider percussive aspects framing a sensory carnival. The detail is taken very seriously indeed and it’s noticeable just how alive the bass and acoustic guitar sound across the whole record.

As musicians, brothers David and Peter Brewis are able to pay homage to these records in their own way, blending the influence of their parents’ sophisti-pop and Brit-funk records into the slightly anachronistic sounds they’ve experimented with over the past few decades as Field Music. 

‘Not When You’re In Love’ comes on like ‘I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun’ before frenetic percussion makes full use of the stereo spectrum. The Brewis brothers’ consistently inventive capacity for building an angular musical landscape is remarkable and the clear, near silent vinyl Optimal cut that I’ve played often this year is a joy to experience.

With their latest collection, “Flat White Moon“, arriving this Friday, Peter Brewis took the time to discuss some of these influences with us. “David and me were lucky that our parents were the perfect age to grow up alongside the explosion of popular music from the early ’60s onwards,” he shares. “Our mam especially, being a youth worker, kept up with mainstream UK contemporary pop music pretty much ’til the end of the century. The records that she bought and played throughout our childhood were pretty much dismissed by me and David when we went ‘alternative’ and sought out our own musical choices—then when we rediscovered them it was a little surprising how much of it has become part of our musical makeup.

The album Flat White Moon,

Hopefully you’ve been with The Coral since their celebrated, self-titled, mercury prize-nominated debut in 2002, are a lapsed fan or have never heard of them before, ‘Coral Island’ which is the 10^th body of work from the legendary Merseyside band – is a joy for the ears & soul….& the dinked edition is another pretty special offering too. Three years on from 2018’s unconvincing ‘Move Through The Dawn’, The Coral have returned with possibly their finest release to date. ‘Coral Island’ is loosely themed around different seasons in a seaside location, songs woven together by spoken language excerpts from a work of fiction entitled ‘Over Coral Island’, written by the band’s keyboard player, Nick Power. Such stitching is atmospheric but don’t go thinking this is some impenetrable concept album.

The Coral have come a long way in their 25 years together from a ragtag group of Merseyside teens hopped up on old Deram Records sides into one of most astute acts in modern UK rock. Now as men in the throes of middle age, they’ve turned around and delivered some of the most English Britpop since Blur’s The Great Escape.

The wheels rattle into the thrilling unknown on the Coral’s first ever double-album, which finds the unsurpassed, metamorphic gonzo-pop five-piece remaining wilfully & delightfully idiosyncratic. still heavily influenced by the classic song-writing of love, the Beatles & the Byrds, the psych-folk popsters remain inventive as they weave spoken word & cinematic instrumental interludes amongst the glorious melding of their retro melodies, guitar twang, 60s psychedelia & folk-rock influences.

Squinting into the neon-lit penny arcades & draining an after hours glass with the displaced & dispossessed once the power is pulled, The Coral’s latest caper concerns listeners with the light, shade, thrills & profound melancholy of coastal palaces packed with fun & fright.

Recorded in a sense of barely-controlled, copy & paste chaos at Parr Street studios in Liverpool, ‘Coral Island’ was written & performed by the multi-instrumentalist & multi-talented line-up of James Skelly, Ian Skelly, Nick Power, Paul Duffy & Paul Molloy plus a special guest.

Few of their peers from the 00s indie boom are so hale and hearty; 20 years into their career, the Merseyside band made their most ambitious album, and one of their best. It’s a double concept album about a seaside resort, and captures those towns’ blend of buckets-and-spades buoyancy and out-of-season malaise; gorgeous harmonies flow through jangling psych-pop and touches of northern soul, though there’s also creepy rockabilly emanating from the ghost train and ballads for lonely fishermen at the end of the pier.

The 2LP set, pressed at Takt in Poland and silent other than a couple of slightly noisy run-in grooves, sounds fulsome and maintains decent separation during the jubilant jangle of ebullient highlights ‘Change Your Mind’ and ‘Take Me Back To The Summertime’. There are nods to the frenetic psych of their early output alongside more melancholic mid-paced treats like ‘Strange Illusions’. James Skelly’s voice only seems to be improving with age and such is the quality of the song writing that a double album at this stage in their career is most welcome.

Sometimes “Dinked” is about bringing new music to new fans. sometimes it’s about bringing old music to new fans. sometimes it’s about bringing old fans to new music. sometimes it’s about rekindling an old love.
The band’s album ‘Coral Island’ released on 30th April 2021.

Loney dear is the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Emil Svanängen’s idiosyncratic musical project where classic song-writing meets complex productions – both wide open and uplifting as well as sensitive and heart breaking…While Emil Svanängen’s stage moniker as Loney dear may not quite be a household name, those who have encountered him in the past rarely forget his work. A run of gorgeous records during the Noughties – ‘Citadel Band’, ‘Sologne’, ‘Loney, Noir’ and, most notably, ‘Dear John’ – ensured he was one of those artists you heard playing in your local indie store and ended up buying as a result. 

Recorded by Svanángen with producer Emanuel Lundgren in a mythical studio on western Södermalm in Stockholm, ‘A Lantern and A Bell’ is Loney dear’s second album for Real World, following 2017’s self-titled release.
Maritime themes permeate across ‘A Lantern and A Bell’ – the album arrives bearing artwork depicting the international nautical flag for distress and Emil’s voice is frequently bolstered by diffused water sounds at dark low frequencies and the calls of sea birds. For those who know their Loney dear, the constant references to sea and ships are hardly something new. “All that is an important part of my inner life, maybe a romantic dream of adventure, but also a phobia, a danger I cannot help but be drawn to,” says Emil; “Near where I live, freighters pass by every day and the sounds of their engines get into my head. And further into the music.”

Speaking about Emil’s new record – on which he has consulted as a sounding board, Real World label founder Peter Gabriel says; “Sad soulful melodies that create space in your head that fill with memories dreams and tenderness. I am very proud that we are working with such a gifted songwriter. When you’re isolating, what better than to be wrapped up in these beautiful imaginative constructions – the work of a master.” ‘Mute / All Things Pass’ and ‘Trifles’ both explore tone and intensity to great effect while the plangent tip-toe tune of ‘Go Easy On Me Now’ is accompanied by a staggeringly direct vocal performance that must be heard. Any format will suffice for such magnificent music, but the vinyl has been done very well indeed considering the beautiful nature of the recording. With each listen, I think I love this album a little more. Everyone I’ve recommended it to has said something similar,

This really is excellent, his voice sounds like magic and these are all beautifully crafted songs.

The Anchoress‘ (aka Welsh multi-instrumentalist Catherine Anne Davies) second album has rightly been lauded by critics and is truly a joy from start to finish. “The Art of Losing‘s” strength is largely down to a collection of superb songs, and there are so many of them!. The synth-driven title track’s deliberate juxtaposition of a poppy “do-do-do-do-do” refrain against lyrics like “do you want the marks to prove that you do matter more than he says” is just one example of intricate craft and unrestrained artistry at play. The self-production is entirely fitting for such an honest record and the attention to detail is well-served across an excellent Optimal double vinyl pressing. There’s 14 tracks in total, but actually four of these are short piano interludes (with two top-and-tailing the record) so that leaves us with ten ‘proper’ songs, which I’m sure you would agree is a perfect for an album.

‘Let It Hurt’ is a melodic, mournful, mid-paced piano-led number and the pace never lets up on ‘Show Your Face’ which is a pulsing, driving track with crunching guitars. On ‘The Exchange’, James Dean Bradfield duets (returning the favour of 2018, when The Anchoress delivered guest vocals on ‘Dylan & Caitlin’ on the Manic Street Preachers’ Resistance is Futile). ‘Unravel’ boasts ‘Running Up That Hill’-style drums and the truly remarkable ‘5am’ which would only be spoilt by a precis of its message here. Seek it out, take in the meticulous sleeve notes and just listen. It is just piano, voice and strings; it’s achingly sad and beautiful. The title track brings together everything that is good about The Art of Losing in four minutes and six seconds.

The overriding theme here is of loss; the lyrics are heartfelt and Catherine’s voice and delivery really sucks you in. The songs manage to pull off the rare feat of sounding both satisfyingly ‘classic’, structurally – in rock/pop terms – but also edgy and dark, with enough angles in the production/arrangements to keep the listener engaged.

Even if this collection of songs wasn’t more than the sum of its parts, it would still be superb, but when brought together and thoughtfully sequenced, with those interludes, the magic happens. It’s a truly exceptional album.

There was a smart looking 3CD deluxe at the time of release, which included all sorts of bonus tracks. Sadly, I missed out on that (argh!), but a new, expanded single CD, with five bonus acoustic tracks, is released in March .