The Fat Angel Sings

Bob Dylan will release his next archival package, “The Bootleg Series Vol. 16: Springtime in New York”, on September 17th. The latest chapter in Columbia/Legacy’s highly acclaimed Bob Dylan Bootleg Series revisits an often-forgotten, rich vein in Dylan’s vast and complex catalogue, shining fresh light on the provocative new musical directions Dylan was taking as a songwriter and a recording artist from 1980 through 1985.

The newist installment of his ongoing out-takes and demo’s highlights the years 1981 through 1985. The project will be available in three formats: a two-CD version, a two-LP edition and a five-CD deluxe box set.

According to a press release, the set will include “unreleased outtakes, alternate takes, rehearsal recordings, live performances and more.” A full-band take on “Too Late,” a folky early version of an “Infidels” outtake “Foot of Pride,” has been released in advance of the set. (“Foot of Pride” appeared on 1991’s The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (rarte and Unreleased) 1961-1991.

The track listing for The Bootleg Series Vol. 16 – which includes material surrounding the making of 1981’s “Shot Of Love”, 1983’s “Infidels” and the 1985 “Empire Burlesque” is available to order at Dylan’s website.

In June, Dylan released a two-hour compilation film, Bob Dylan “Odds and Ends”, featuring archival footage, unused clips from earlier Dylan documentaries and other material from throughout his career.

He also recently issued “Shadow Kingdom” -taped concert that marked his first performance since 2019; the 12-track movie, directed by Alma Har’el, starred Dylan fronting a small house band in a speakeasy.

Over fifty years ago on July 20th, 1969, arguably two of the most important moments in mankind occurred at the same time. First, at 10:56 p.m. ET the American astronaut Neil Armstrong put his left foot on the lunar surface and famously declared, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Also at 10:56 p.m. ET Iggy and the Stooges were playing in Detroit, Michigan. No doubt, equally important to civilization.

In the summer of 1969, most of the world simply didn’t know what to make of Iggy Pop and the Stooges. The brash and abrasive band blasted out of the Detroit underground with a seething vengeance, armed with caustic songs laced with bracing titles, like “I Wanna Be Your Dog.” But The Stooges essentially laid out the blueprint for punk rock to generations of noisemakers eager to plug in and turn it up to 11. The album’s brutal and violent approach was reflective of the mood of a nation dealing with the atrocities of the Vietnam War, and civil unrest bubbling up across the country.

“My memory of the original years was a transfixed, frozen attention,” Iggy Pop told Rolling Stone in 2007. “Few people wanted to be anywhere near the stage. They would just stare. It was as if the audience was a gigantic cardboard cut out, a diorama. Nobody moved. Nobody went to the bathroom,” he cracked. “Little by little, people started liking it. It was mostly high school kids — tenth graders,” Pop continued. “What we did didn’t bother them. They thought the riffs were cool. The songs said something to them. And then there were the Ramones, sitting in Queens, going, ‘I can get with that. It’s kind of simple.’ It didn’t bother them at all.”

The Stooges were a late addition to the bill at the Grande Ballroom on July 20th, 1969. Audience accounts of the evening recall Iggy being told on stage that Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. Ecstatic at the news, Iggy proclaimed “I’m gonna play a special dedication” and the Stooges played “1969” in honour of the event. Well fifty years later, we’re going to honour it all with an out-of-this-world Iggy and the Stooges print by the one and only Godmachine: I think Iggy is theee best and I send all my love. It’s fucking Iggy man, this is my chance, ya know?! I hope I did him proud, my aim was to make it for the Stooges fans in my style with space references to the gig too. – GM

“Eavesdropper” the new single from Alexalone (fronted by Alex Peterson, live member of Hovvdy and Lomelda), blew the brain worms out of my head. 

Alexalone, the gloomy Austin rock band fronted by Alex Peterson, announced their debut album, “ALEXALONEWORLD”, last month with lead single “Ruins”. Today, they’re back with a new one called “Eavesdropper,” an immersive extended jam that the band recorded while making their debut album. It’s filled with muddy guitars and some well-placed histrionics and a whole lot of billowing atmosphere. “This song is a cover of my old band, and it’s so fun to see it reinterpreted through this group of people,” Peterson explained in a statement, continuing:

Since we didn’t know if we’d be able to play shows when the album came out, it seemed like a fun idea to do a live version of ‘Eavesdropper’ so folks could see what our band sounds like live. Working with Brittany Reeber (the director) and crew was a dream, and Lazy Bones Audio in Silsbee, TX was the most comfortable / best sounding place to go which made things very easy for us. It was great to get out of town after a year in one place.

Alexalone: Alex Peterson: Guitar Andrew Hulett: Guitar / Tape Player Sam Jordan: Drums Mari Rubio: Synth Hannah Read: Bass

“Eavesdropper” is taken from alexalone​’s debut full-length, ALEXALONEWORLD, out August 13th, 2021.

The War On Drugs have at long last announced the release of their new album. Entitled “I Don’t Live Here Anymore”, the rock band’s first full-length in four years is set to arrive on October 29th via Atlantic Records. The War on Drugs have also shared the album’s first single, “Living Proof,” and mapped out an extensive supporting tour.

I Don’t Live Here Anymore was initially conceived by band leader Adam Granduciel, bassist Dave Hartley, and multi-instrumentalist Anthony LaMarca during a retreat to upstate New York in early 2018. The trio then recorded the 10-song over the course of three years and a dozen-plus recording sessions taking place in seven different studios, including at Electric Lady in New York and Los Angeles’ Sound City.

One particularly memorable session, as highlighted by the band in a statement announcing the album’s release, took place in May 2019 at Electro-Vox, in which the band’s entire line up — rounded out by keyboardist Robbie Bennett, drummer Charlie Hall, and saxophonist Jon Natchez — convened to record the affecting album opener and lead single, “Living Proof.”

“Typically, Granduciel assembles The War On Drugs records from reams of overdubs, like a kind of rock ‘n’ roll jigsaw puzzle. But for ‘Living Proof,’ the track came together in real time, as the musicians drew on their chemistry as a live unit to summon some extemporaneous magic. The immediacy of the performance was appropriate for one of the most personal songs Granduciel has ever written.”

Watch the video for “Living Proof,” directed by Emmett Malloy and shot on 16mm film at the historic Panoramic studio in Stinson Beach, California, below.

The supporting tour launches in early 2022, and includes dates at some of the largest venues the band has ever played, including Madison Square Garden in New York City, the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, and the Bill Graham Civic Center in San Francisco. 

As a whole, the band describes I Don’t Live Here Anymore as “an uncommon rock album about one of our most common but daunting processes—resilience in the face of despair.”

The War on Drugs have steadily emerged as one of this century’s great rock and roll synthesists, removing the gaps between the underground and the mainstream, between the obtuse and the anthemic, making records that wrestle a fractured past into a unified and engrossing present. The War On Drugs have never done that as well as they do with their fifth studio album, I Don’t Live Here Anymore, an uncommon rock album about one of our most common but daunting processes—resilience in the face of despair. Just a month after The War On Drugs’ A Deeper Understanding received the 2018 Grammy for Best Rock Album, the core of Granduciel, bassist Dave Hartley, and multi-instrumentalist Anthony LaMarca retreated to upstate New York to jam and cut new demos, working outside of the predetermined roles each member plays in the live setting.

These sessions proved highly productive, turning out early versions of some of the most immediate songs on I Don’t Live Here Anymore. It was the start of a dozen-plus session odyssey that spanned three years and seven studios, including some of rock’s greatest sonic workshops. Band leader Adam Granduciel and trusted co-producer/engineer Shawn Everett spent untold hours peeling back every piece of these songs and rebuilding them.

Granduciel assembles The War On Drugs records from reams of overdubs, like a kind of rock ‘n’ roll jigsaw puzzle. But for “Living Proof,” the track came together in real time, as the musicians drew on their chemistry as a live unit to summon some extemporaneous magic. The immediacy of the performance was appropriate for one of the most personal songs Granduciel has ever written. The “Living Proof” video, directed by filmmaker Emmett Malloy, and shot on 16mm, captures Granduciel at the historic Panoramic studio in Stinson Beach, California.

I Don’t Live Here Anymore serves as the band’s fifth album to date and the follow-up to their Grammy Award-winning “A Deeper Understanding”

Following its recent deluxe reissue of the Monkees debut album, Run Out Groove is turning its attention to “More of the Monkees“, the group’s follow up LP featuring the chart-topping “I’m a Believer” and top 20 hit “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone.”  More of the Monkees displaced its predecessor from the top of the Billboard 200 where it remained for a staggering 18 weeks.  A sign of the times, it became the first pop-rock LP to top Billboard‘s year-end sales chart.  In addition to Neil Diamond’s ‘I’m a Believer” and Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart’s “Steppin’ Stone,” the album also featured Diamond’s “(Look Out) Here Comes Tomorrow,” Carole Bayer Sager and Neil Sedaka’s “When Love Comes Knockin’ (At Your Door),” and Gerry Goffin and Carole King’s “Sometime in the Morning.”  Michael Nesmith shone with “Mary, Mary” as well as “The Kind of Girl I Could Love,” the latter co-written with Roger Atkins.  The album was previously expanded on CD by Rhino in 1994 (1CD), 2006 (2CD), and 2017 (3CD) but this presentation marks its first deluxe edition on vinyl.

Run Out Groove’s full press release is reprinted below:

The Monkees’ 1967 classic, “More of the Monkees” (Deluxe Edition), is Run Out Groove’s new pre-order title. The iconic quartet’s second studio album remained on the Billboard 200 chart at No. 1 for 18 weeks – the longest of any Monkees album and went on to become 5x platinum certified in the U.S. Notable for being the first pop/rock album to be the best-selling album of the year in the States., it includes iconic tracks such as the Neil Diamond-written “I’m A Believer,” which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone,” which peaked at No. 20.

When asked about the reissue, Micky Dolenz said, “”Those were crazy times!  I would film the television show for ten hours a day, grab a burger, then race over to RCA Records to lay down tracks for the first album.  Sometimes a couple of lead vocals per night!  I don’t remember much from those overloaded days, but I’m told I had a great time.”

For the standard album tracks, lacquers will be cut directly from the original stereo analog tapes by Kevin Gray and Andrew Sandoval for the best sonic experience. The album will be expanded to a 2LP set, featuring rarities making their debut on vinyl. If that wasn’t enough, it will come in a beautiful gatefold, tip-on style jacket with new liner notes by Andrew, and lots of photos.

A limited 180g transparent green vinyl edition will be available that can only be purchased exclusively at RunOutGrooveVinyl.com while supplies last. There is also a standard black vinyl edition available. “More of the Monkees” (Deluxe Edition) will be available to preorder through August 17th, 2021 and then will get a one-time limited and numbered pressing.

Each month, Run Out Groove allows fans to vote on the label’s next high-quality vinyl pressing, chosen from selections of unreleased material, reissues of out-of-print titles, titles that have never seen a vinyl release or brand-new collections compiled from the Warner Music vaults. You can vote on this month’s titles here.

For a selection of previous titles now available in stores, check our past titles section on the website.  To locate older titles in our catalog that are sold out, please check our retail store locator. 

The Monkees, “More of the Monkees” (Deluxe Edition) The iconic quartet’s second studio album remained on the Billboard 200 chart at No. 1 for 18 weeks – the longest of any Monkees album and went on to become 5x platinum certified in the U.S. Run Out Groove is going to put together THE definitive edition of this classic #1 album that includes iconic tracks such as “(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone,” and “I’m A Believer.”

• Lacquers cut from the original analog stereo tapes for maximum Monkees-fidelity!
• Includes a second LP of bonus tracks: several exclusive to this set. All tracks making their vinyl debut in these mixes.
• Pressed on 2-180g records, comes in a deluxe tip-on style gatefold jacket, with new photos and liner notes

Olivia Kaplan is a songwriter from Los Angeles.

We are both reliable and unreliable narrators in our own lives, which means our perspective is really just that. But the multiplicity of thoughts in our heads is why every interaction with someone is so interesting, each one underpinned by our sense of self and a whirlwind of unspoken dynamics and narratives. Olivia Kaplan’s debut LP, “Tonight Turns to Nothing“, examines her relationships with others and herself, and it demonstrates the complexities of each one with care and detail.

Her contemplative folk-pop also captures the tension of the present day at large, which can overwhelm without warning and forces everyone to be at their best or crumble. The awe-inspiring vocal take off at the end of “Ghosts” is worth a listen of the album alone, harnessing a tidal wave of emotion that cuts deep.

“Spill” is another tear-jerker, as Kaplan uses the sea as a symbol of blissful freedom and writes about the urges that prevent us from reaching that state of peace. “Quote me pages from the book / You say defines you but I can tell by the look / On your face you’re still waiting to be saved / I might be good at that, but I’m really trying to change,” she sings. Kaplan’s self-compassion and forgiveness are made even more affecting by her vocals, which flow with serenity and poise. Tonight Turns to Nothing not only captures the candid warmth and timelessness of the singer/songwriter genre, but it also embodies the hopes and fears that are rattling around our brains in 2021.

“Ghosts” is taken from Olivia Kaplan’s debut album ‘Tonight Turns to Nothing,’ out June 25th, 2021 on Topshelf Records

Whenever a band has more than six members, I assume there are either a brass section of musicians, or someone must be in the corner playing some sort of weird instrument. The band Caroline has eight members, who play an array of brass, strings, guitars and percussion, so sadly, no one’s blowing into glass jars or preparing a charcuterie board in the background. The London based post-rockers have been quiet since they released their debut single “Dark blue” in early 2020 via Rough Trade, but they returned last month with “Skydiving onto the library roof” (which was accompanied by b-side “Everything for everyone”). Equal parts dignified and askew, the single has a pretty impressive arc. Its repetitive string swells and experimental clamour are fascinating and pretty, until they transform into something much more affecting. The rapture gradually becomes a tide of overwhelming beauty, as if you’re being slowly overcome by a powerful movie scene, one that’s not overtly sad but leaves your cheeks streaked with tears anyway. Maybe it’s so potent because it sounds like the nebulous feeling of contentment with simple pleasures in the face of gloom, or maybe it’s their inspired musicianship.

Caroline signed to Rough Trade Records in 2020. New song “Skydiving onto the Library Roof” reminds me of the esoteric end of the indie rock boom, think artists like Beirut and Jens Lekman, who filled their music with string instruments and allusions to books I haven’t read. This sprawling 8-minute song is similarly heady, but something about it pulls you in closer with each repeat listen.

“Skydiving onto the library roof” on 12″

Meat Wave thought they’d spend most of 2020 touring and preparing for the release of their next, yet-to-be-titled album. As was the case for most in the world, the band’s plans wouldn’t come anywhere close to materializing. Determined to push forward, they’ve created “Volcano Park”, a six song EP, recorded at the end of everyone-in-the-world’s least favourite year.

Meat Wave, made up of vocalist/guitarist Chris Sutter, drummer Ryan Wizniak and bassist/engineer Joe Gac, managed to stay connected as a band throughout the global lockdown, through occasional practices and writing sessions. Toward the end of the year, eager to keep things sharp and creative, the group went to their rehearsal space to record a single.

Volcano Park soon went from an intended single to a full-fledged six song EP, and the extra material began to surprise the band. They’d quickly put together a concise, intentional collection of songs. With much of the new material, it was “jam sessions” that found the band experimenting in more psychedelic and spaced-out territory, showcased in songs like “Truth Died” or “Nursing.” On the other hand, Meat Wave’s stabs at post-hardcore melodies and riff-raging are all the more honed. “Tugboat,” the leading track on the EP, as well as it’s blistering follow-up “For Sale,” rival the same level of thoughtful intensity of their 2012 self-titled debut LP.

Taking its name from the book 1-800 Mice by graphic novelist Matthew Thurber, Volcano Park is the band’s first major output since 2017’s The Incessant and a series of proceeding singles in 2018. Much like the book, the music weaves in-and-out of fantasy and reality, a kaleidoscope of paranoia and existential dread. The EP also marks Meat Wave’s 10th year together. As was the case of writing and recording the material, the band additionally created the artwork, videos and managed the pressing of the EP.

The group’s identity remains clear and pronounced; it is steadfast in the stratospheric firmament of driving-yet-haunting riff-centric punk. But within that well-defined groove, an even more dependable factor is Meat Wave’s ability to continue to innovate and transcend the stock descriptions grounded in genre and influence. With every release, the band has made the task of categorizing their work more difficult and are steadily looking less like a rock band and more like an art collective. What’s become clear on Volcano Park is a draw of artistic vision that is not grounded in punk, rock, or even music at large. The release edges on the cinematic and, at times, feels more like a piece of installation art than a gritty Chicago rock record.

“Volcano Park” releases digitally June 11th, with a physical release out on August 6th via Big Scary Monsters. 

Released June 11th, 2021