Fall Sound Archive Vol. 10: Middle Class Revolt

In some ways, The Fall’s 1994 release, ‘Middle Class Revolt’ has spent most of its life living in the shadow of its immediate predecessor, ‘The Infotainment Scan’. With the help of a rather spirited cover of ‘Lost In Music’, ‘Infotainment’ found its way into the consciousness of the more casual listener and, as a whole, the album showcased a more commercial sounding Fall at somewhere near their best. In retrospect, ‘Middle Class Revolt’ has actually aged just as well, and a few of the record’s deeper cuts provide a really interesting listen.

The 2025 super deluxe release from Cherry Red Records, wisely, takes a tried and tested approach when it comes to re-presenting the album with a wealth of interesting period extras. Mirroring the ‘Infotainment’ box set, the vastly expanded ‘Revolt’ greets the fans as a six disc tome, with the original long player joined by a disc of studio based extras and a generous four disc helping of sounding live material drawn from different sources.

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THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #109

There’s an obvious theme of “crossover” for this visit to the Singles Bar, with half of the featured tracks comprising two jazz fusion tracks, a blend of punk ‘n’ roll and alternative metal, and an unexpected noise from a French band that are really pushing the boundaries. With a great post-punk track and a familiar melodic punk act also sharing recent material, there are also a couple of very familiar touchstones here too, making it a very strong mix of material all round. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy.

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VARIOUS ARTISTS – Feelin’ Alright?: Mod, Rock, Funky Prog & Heavy Jazz 1967-1972

When it comes to curating a period specific, multi disc anthology – particularly covering the exciting, ever evolving sounds of the late 60s and early 70s – there are few that do the job anywhere near as well as Cherry Red Records and their family of associated labels. That said, it doesn’t initially feel as if ‘Feelin’ Alright?’ will be one of their better efforts. By kicking off with Deep Purple’s over-exposed ‘Hush’, reaching for Spencer Davis Group’s ‘I’m A Man’ in record time, presenting what feels like the hundredth compilation outing for Small Faces’ ‘Song of A Baker’, and having the first disc also play host to the titular track from Traffic – tracks that’ll need absolutely no introduction – there’s a strong feeling of deja vu.

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ECCE SHNAK – Backroom Sessions EP

The release of Ecce Shnak’s single ‘Jeremy, Utilitarian Sadboy’ in October 2024 marked a triumphant return for the most cult of art rock bands. Their first new recording in five years, the track shared something almost uncategorisable. Jumping from frenetic beats and rock riffs into post punk sounds, and eventually descending into a choir of voices sharing a warped carny melody, it packed more into three minutes than some bands manage over the course of entire albums. Their subsequent EP ‘Shadows Grow Fangs’ (released in February ’25) proved to be equally as inventive, sharing a half dozen numbers that seemed as keen to bemuse as entertain.

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PARADIS – Forever In Time EP

The self titled debut EP from UK prog metal band Paradis was an absolute beast. From the very beginning, it showcased a world of truly intense riffs, but by mixing classic prog metal chops with a pinch of metalcore and a touch of extra, groove infused heaviness – hinting at a love of Lamb of God – their sound was immediately more impressive than most.

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