Thieving These Golden Beaches

Aussie ex-pat Michael Beach never sits still, whether it be with the excellent Colossal Yes, his rock band Electric Jellyfish (which left San Fran earlier this year to alight on these southern shores, but didn't make it up to Queensland unfortunately, even though I pleaded), and of course his stellar solo gear. His latest offering though, Golden Theft (out on Twin Lakes Records), is the best thing he has put together. If you can't get into opening track 'The Exhilarating Rise', then you are dead inside (and to me). Seriously, I listened to this track incessantly for a week before I even took in the rest of the album. Rest assured the remainder is just as golden. Teaming up with drummer Utrillo Kushner (Comets On Fire), recorded by the idiosyncratic Phil Manley and mastered by Bob Weston, Golden Theft is a rollicking rustic pastiche pulse through raucous rambles and frayed flake-outs. Beach is alienated yet sane, voicing his internal concerns with passion, and he's never sounded better.

Beach has been playing some excellent shows of late with the likes of Estrogen Highs and Scout Niblett, and there are a few more on the horizon (one at the Hemlock Tavern with MV & EE on the 21st is of particular merit). If you haven't checked him out yet, do the whole world a favour and do so - it'll change your mind for the better. Word is he will be out this way again this year as part of Newcastle's excellent Sound Summit in November (which already includes the likes of Oval, Tyvek, Heatsick, Ooga Boogas, Bushwalking, Unity Floors, Cured Pink - the list goes on and on...) so hopefully he will venture north this time. I might see if he'd be keen for a Sonic Masala show? You can buy Golden Theft in limited edition vinyl here.

T(t)otal Source Of Yellow/Silver/Black

I don't know what it's like in your end of the world, but here in "sunny" Brisbane it's gloomy, grey and raining. So I thought that I would get all gloomy myself by locking myself away in order to listen to two of Twin Lakes Records' newest releases.

First up is The Said, a three-track EP from Source of Yellow. The Brooklyn-based band borrow heavily from psych touchstones, as is most evident on opening title track and clear standout, but they also play with the genre, focusing on groove and rhythm more than languid noise jams. This combined with their debut release back in 2010 pinpoints Source of Yellow as a band of great import, and The Said is the perfect introduction into their world.

Then there is Ttotals, the Nashville duo whose Silver On Black 7" is more straight up space blues jams a la Black Mountain, White Hills and The Black Angels. These three tracks are a great hazy rumble when combined, and prove that these dudes rule the outer blues. Awesome stuff!

Beaching Jellyfish

Electric Jellyfish features Michael Beach, whose Mountains & Valleys tape on Twin Lakes Records last year was a delightful, underrated gem. Electric Jellyfish is a different kettle of...er...fish though. The Melbourne 3 piece bark up David Yow's rancid tree, yet there is more space lurking in the shadows that focuses less on the abuse and more on the tension. They are a rad little band, and whilst its taken almost forever for me to post about, they have released a little number that is bound to melt that stupid grin off your face. Available through Twin Lakes Records as a limited edition cassette, Trouble Coming Down is well worth the pennies - grab it here. Get back over here, stat!

Electric Jellyfish - Trouble Coming Down