Not long ago, I found myself sitting in a little cafe in Paris with our saxophonist, Aldo Sachs. It wasn’t the kind of bar I would usually frequent, being located on the rue Saint Denis, one of the city’s more notorious red-light districts, but many years ago Aldo used to play in the house band there and he had persuaded me to accompany him on a walk down memory lane.

We were both tired after the band’s sold out concert at l’Olympia and only planned to stay for one drink, but Aldo got chatting to some friends from the old days and that one drink turned into quite a few. About midnight, a tall, sad looking man came in and sat at the bar. Without being asked, the barman placed a glass of Ricard in front of him. He nodded his thanks and downed the drink in one. Aldo pushed back his chair and went to stand beside the newcomer. Two glasses of Ricard appeared on the bar. For a few moments the two talked, then the man nodded to Aldo, picked up his hat and left. Aldo returned to his seat with a sigh. I raised my eyebrows inquisitively, and Aldo proceeded to tell me the sad story of his friend and the tragic events from many years ago which inspired this song.

The intro to Angels of the Rue Saint Denis features a rare (and brief) chance to hear Aldo on tuba instead of his customary sax. He also features on accordion because all French people can play the accordion.

Our new single, “Pour Choices” will be released on all streaming platforms on Sunday November 24th. Use the link below to pre-save the song and it will magically appear in your Spotify or Apple Music library on release day. This will reduce the risk of you wandering about in a bit of a funk that day, with a vague but unsettling feeling that there’s something missing in your life but you’re not sure what.

Click here to pre-save the song.

We posted this song a while ago to muted critical acclaim but I always felt there was something missing, namely a sax solo from Aldo Sachs. So here is the extended version, also featuring a solo from guitarist Dee Sharpe.

Not many people know this, but we are not the only band in Falling Rock, North Carolina with aspirations to megastardom, although we are the only band to actually achieve it. You have probably never heard of our archrivals, Sid Sinister and the Nemesis. Few people have as they and their songs have been banned from live venues and streaming platforms for extreme violence, sexual content of the most disturbing although occasionally intriguing kind, racism, disrespect towards women, men, minorities, majorities and Taylor Swift, cruelty to animals with a focus on marsupials and because their music is just awful, having been compared unfavorably to nails being drawn across a blackboard or a speech from Donald Trump.

Sid’s envy of our success has led to an implacable hatred of The Mysterious Beings and various attempts at sabotage, including vandalizing our equipment and crude intimidation techniques. Our bassist Juan Tusrivor recently woke up to find a dead opossum in his bed. Sid’s vindictiveness is a stranger to competence however, and the little fella turned out not to be dead at all but merely playing possum and now travels with the band as official mascot, even making a brief cameo onstage when we play There’s A Dead Possum In My Pool.

Sid’s latest attempt at sabotage did achieve some success, albeit temporary. We were unable to include a sax solo on the original recording because Aldo had been kidnapped by Sid’s gang with the aim of forcing him to perform on the Nemesis’ Latin punk gospel fusion track, “Holy Crap Salsa.” I’m pleased to announce that we have Aldo back, having exchanged him for our keyboard ace, Gene Poole Skimmings. We don’t need Gene for this song and I’m confident that he’ll soon be returned to us, once Sid realizes what an absolute pain in the ass he is. Unless we can persuade him to keep him a bit longer.

Coming to your Spotify machines on May 6th, this philosophical musing on the meaning of life is sure to enchant those with an interest in the life and death struggles happening every day in their gardens. Following band policy, I’m not posting audio here so that you will feel compelled to go and listen to it on your favourite streaming service on the release date, thus enriching us enormously and propelling us to the stardom we so richly deserve. And don’t go looking for it now elsewhere on this site. That’s cheating.

You’re sure to want to catch it as soon as it’s released, so here is a pre-save link provided by our distributor, Amuse. From there you can click on either the Spotify or the Apple Music button and it will magically appear for you on the day of release.

https://share.amuse.io/aSLpxQIJqDuO

If you ever find yourself in Newton, North Carolina, stop by a little tavern called Pour Choices. It’s right off the old courthouse square. Chances are you’ll find me and the boys propping up the bar most nights when we’re not on one of our sold out stadium tours. Misty or Jessie or JJ will pour you a pint while you soak up the atmosphere that inspired this song.

A couple of years ago, when my daughter, Niamh, left for Germany, I wrote this song for her. I had to record it quickly, so that I could send it to her in time to be waiting for when she arrived in Europe. I was never happy with the arrangement, so, when I found myself missing her more than usual the other day, I went back and redid it. I like this arrangement a lot better.

A musical tribute to some of those we lost in 2023. How many can you recognize?

Yes, the album the whole music world has been anticipating with a mix of apathy and dread is finally here. Recorded in Nashville and a secret location in North Carolina, these songs are sure to blow your mind or, at the very least, blow. Strap on the headphones or make a special trip in your car lasting just under forty minutes so that you can listen undisturbed. Beneath that classy album cover from the creative genius that is New York’s top designer Aoife Sinclair is a feast of mediocrity just waiting to be stumbled upon by the unwary. Choose your streaming service below.

When it comes to upholstery, the edge is an oft neglected part of the seat. Make sure yours is comfortably padded as you prepare to spend the next few weeks perched on it in anticipation of this major music industry event. Stay tuned (as I often tell the band)!