Since 2001, Beat Angels fans have been hearing about a long-awaited "third album". While still active in Phoenix, the five bandmates would often take weekend road trips to L.A. to visit musician and producer Gilby Clarke. After the last vocal track, but before a proper final mix down, things changed for the Angels. Singer Brian Smith moved to Detroit to further his Pulitzer prized writing career, guitarist Keith Jackson renewed his dedication to his long time street punk band Glass Heroes (going as far as to recruit then-Beat Angels drummer A.D. Adams), and other members were left to deal with the ho-hum of everyday Phoenix life while spending time in various local bands.

Keith Jackson was indeed a hero when he gave me a CD-R copy of the unfinished masterpiece a few years back, although the lack of funds prevented me from releasing the album myself.

While the album may finally find it's proper place on vinyl, CD, and iTunes, French music blog SONGS OF THE DOLLS has posted these ten glam-infused power/pop/punk tracks in a high quality digital format. Click this link and discover why the Beat Angels were one of the most talked about Phoenix bands in the 90s. It evens includes fan designed CD artwork.

The Beat Angels Myspace page has a few unreleased and demo tracks from the band's earliest years. It also has many reviews and media quotes, including the following tribute by yours truly:

The Beat Angels were a "coming-of-age" band for me. In my mid 20s, Iadmit, I didn't get it. Don't get me wrong. I loved Cheap Trick, SexPistols, The Clash, and T-Rex. But as a child of 80s American punk andhardcore and an early follower of the 90s post-hardcore/emo movement, Isaw the Beat Angels as shtick and irrelevant.

THEN, a few yearslater I saw myself at the tail end of a disastrous 3 year relationship(a repeated scenario through my life) and spiritually lost as Iapproached my 30s. Journey-less, I discovered the beauty of dive bars,enjoyed their nectar, and started learning quick that "women with apast" are best enjoyed from a distance. I re-acquainted myself with LongWongs on Mill avenue and caught my first Beat Angels gig since seeingthem open for Gene Loves Jezebel at the Nile in 1997 (ironically, thefirst date of the aforementioned relationship). What I witnessed thatnight is what I truly believed was the greatest live rock n roll bandwalking the earth at that time. Green Day? No. Foo Fighters? Fuck No.Nickelback? Fuck you! It was like a young Johnny Rotten possessed thesoul of Robin Zander and told him to go sing for The Clash and writebeautiful pop disasters.  The next day I bought both Beat Angel CDs fromZIA, read Brian's lyrics, and I really began to "get it". The lyricswere always more poetic than cliche' for a band considered among many tobe within the trashy rocknroll subgenre. I never been to Miss LuckyEights, but I know I wanted to go there for last call. "Are you gonnacall Don The Bartender?" Was he talking about Donnie from The Emerald?!(God Rest His Soul). I never met the main character in "The MostBeautiful Loser In Town", but I felt like I knew her all my life, likeshe had fallen in love with me many times before in the past, each in adifferent female form. I realized that many times in my life when myblue collar ethics overcame any of my raw rocknroll aspirations that I toowas a "Saturday Punk" and that I came so close in my life to becoming thevery same person Brian's lyrics dance and poke fun at in the song "GrowUp".

Georgie (bassist for The Earps and Jeff Dahll) is much more qualified to write a proper biographybecause he was smart enough to believe in the Beat Angels from thebeginning. I only became a fan during the last 2 active years. But thosetwo years really helped me loosen up and not take my post-adolescentdays and my imminent pre-middle aged years too damn seriously.

Thankyou Brian, Keith, Michael, Kevin, and AD for helping me live my lifethrough my soul during a period when my heart had failed and my mindneeded a break.

Your friend, Vil!

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