Family Manderson are working on some recorded material, which we are very much looking forward to.
Family Manderson craft songs with a lamenting richness and depth, layering fragile creeping drones and picked out melody lines. Featuring baritone vocals that convey a ferocious candour and gesturing minimalism, Family Manderson tell us of the world weary.
This is a live, acoustic version of a track called Wolves.
Here are two videos for singles from The Body As Pleasure, Rat the Magnificent’s debut LP. Enjoy the visual spectacle & exploration of the inner workings of the mind and body.
Up The Street
“Crank “Up The Street” to a volume that shakes the dust from your creaky bones. Made stiff from years of rock and roll neglect, you are now redeemed by the nasty howl and stomp of Rat the Magnificent. Hallelujah and hot damn.” NPR Music
Olon
“The standout track “Olon,”… features some of bassist Ross Davies’ best moments on the LP — he lays down a thick, fuzzed out bottom end for a swirling guitar riff, and singer Perry Anderson captivates with a dexterous falsetto. Anderson recalls Jeff Buckley and Muse’s Matt Bellamy at times, but with an Eighties no-wave approach. The song builds off its initial minimalism, swelling with background vocals, drummer Anna Dodridge attacking the kit harder on each riff cycle, until its abrupt conclusion.
“Olon,” like the rest of the album’s songs, stands apart in its composition and tone; while most bands claim to have “tons of influences,” very few integrate a full spectrum of sounds into their work, and actually make them work. Rat The Magnificent have established a unique and compelling template for a rock band, and the possibilities are endless. Pretty cool.” [Invisible Oranges]
“The Body As Pleasure is undeniably cool. It strikes a balance between carefully constructed melody and unhinged intensity, proving what Swans and the Jesus Lizard have been telling us all for decades: you don’t have to be metal to be heavy…while most bands claim to have “tons of influences,” very few integrate a full spectrum of sounds into their work, and actually make them work…Rat The Magnificent have established a unique and compelling template for a rock band, and the possibilities are endless.”
[Invisible Oranges]
“Magnificence may be an unwise bar to set, but damn they get pretty close.” [Hey Nineteen]
Recorded over the course of three years with Brad Hemsell, ‘The Body As Pleasure’ also features huge range of inimitable guest musicians, who add even further depth and dynamics to the record. Guests include: Ian Catskilkin (Future Of The Left, Art Brut), Jen Macro (MBV, Graham Coxon, Charlotte Hatherly, Hurtling), Stephen Gilchrist (Graham Coxon, The Damned, The Cardiacs, Vic and Bob), Jeff Fairley (Cheel Ghar) and Caroline Gilchrist (Hot Sauce Pony).
It’s available to stream and download on all the usual sites, bandcamp, soundcloud itunes and spotify included.
A first look at the album artwork from The Body As Pleasure
Rat the Magnificent are a heady mix of obstinance and oblivion. Described as “Strutting blues” and “knuckle-busting riffage” [NPR Music] Up The Street features the band at their most defiant, a fully blasted piece of theatrical rock and roll.
UP THE STREET on bandcamp
Up The Street is the second track released from The Body As Pleasure, Rat the Magnificent’s debut album released on TTWD Records 21st June 2018.
“Crank “Up The Street” to a volume that shakes the dust from your creaky bones. Made stiff from years of rock and roll neglect, you are now redeemed by the nasty howl and stomp of Rat the Magnificent. Hallelujah and hot damn.” NPR Music
“Sometimes a blast of full on swaggering rock helps clear the cobwebs and ‘Up The Street’ is all of that. The vocals are immersed in the mix, the guitars dominate with serious intent and the driving rhythm is mesmerising.” Beehive Candy
Rat the Magnificent’s second video is one b-side from In The Middle which has been described as
“Relentless post-punk fuzz” [Overblown] and a “Brutal white-knuckle ride” [Best Tuna].
ITCH 2 was recorded at Brixton Hill Studios and features the always perfect guitar work of Jen Macro (Hurtling, MBV, Graham Coxon, Charlotte Hatherley).Thunderingly kinetic, ITCH 2 is dedicated to worrying about the finer things in life with the video looking at those things on a grander scale.
In The Middle was the first single from The Body As Pleasure, Rat the Magnificent’s debut album coming out through TTWD Records in summer 2018. Hear the single on bandcamp https://ratthemagnificent.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-middle-single
“In The Middle has a full frontal scorched earth policy type attack and in the end is an ode to lust and carnal acts where Anderson sings of the immediacy of desire.”
American Pancake
http://www.americanpancake.com/2018/02/rat-magnificent-pump-out-their-scorched.html
“dès que tu as terminé, tu as tout de suite envie de remettre ça” [Another Whisky for Mister Bukowski]
https://anotherwhiskyformisterbukowski.com/2018/01/19/rat-the-magnificent-musique-journee-grise-fraiche/
“Muscular, fuzz-drenched post-punk” Joyzine
“Stomping, Cramps’ish, punk-blues” Dexter Bentley, Resonance FM
Featuring Ian Catskilkin of Art Brut/ Future of the Left, Ross Davies and Anna Dodridge of BBC Radio 6 Music darlings Hot Sauce Pony, RTM are a much darker and more foreboding prospect.
A motorik stampede of a song In The Middle is an ode to lust and the carnal acts where Anderson sings of the immediacy of desire.
The video looks at this paradigm, a ritual essay on the bright lights of the flesh and the darkness that can surround such things.
The single’s exclusive 2 b-sides feature Jen Macro (Hurtling, MBV, Graham Coxon, Charlotte Hatherley) on guitar, and were recorded at Brixton Hill Studios with Nick Howiantz.
Stream & Download https://ratthemagnificent.bandcamp.com
Watch the Video on YouTube
More reviews coming in on the Cheel Ghar tape.
https://www.ninehertz.co.uk/viewitem/4689
http://thesludgelord.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/cheel-ghar-cheel-ghar-album-review.html
http://outlawsofthesun.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/cheel-ghar-st-album-review.html
We’ve only got a few copies left so be quick if you want it.
“Hidden within this monolithic music – which lumbers forth upon legs of doom and tectonic rock ‘n’ roll – is the evidence of rot and mortal unease”
http://www.attnmagazine.co.uk/music/9437
Thanks to the ever excellent ATTN:Magazine and Jack Chuter.
Please check out his new book here http://stormstaticsleep.com/
Cheel Ghar, KLLR, Modern Men and Rat the Magnificent all have records in the pipeline, much further down the pipeline than they were a while ago. The ever glorious Bradley Hemsell has been using his hawk-like ears to make them all sound like DESTROYERS.
Brad’s also been on business with some buddies of TTWD the VERY NASTY and BRILLIANT Swallowing, who are on the excellent Outsider Art label. You can pick up their record online, 100% recommended, it will fuck you up.
Rat Le Magnificent and Cheel Ghar have a couple of upcoming shows, LIVE LIVE LIVE. Cheel Ghar are making it up north (to Sheffield). Something to behold in the flesh. Find out more on our EVENTS page.
KLLR have the tiniest of teasers available online.
TTWD Records 
You must be logged in to post a comment.