TWIN LAKES FUNDRAISER FOR THE ROCKAWAYS

While it's been over a month since Superstorm Sandy reared her ugly head, some communities are still struggling to get back on their feet. In Queens there are still many people in the Rockaways without shelter or electricity. 

So a few weeks ago we developed a plan to raise money to help this community rebuild. We commissioned Twin Lakes' own Dwight Smith to record a cover of the Ramone's "Rockaway Beach". Dwight's unique take on this Ramones classic is truly inspired -- a gorgeous arrangement that's hypnotic, a little sad, but full of hope. Listen and download it here. All proceeds from your downloads will go to the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance. But that's not the only way you can contribute to this fundraiser and score this little gem...

We also commissioned master silkscreener Andy Perkowski from Black Unicorn Studios to design some Twin Lakes t-shirts. Featuring the Twin Lakes logo in negative on black 100% cotton, they come in both men and women's styles, and all purchases come with an immediate free download of Dwight Smith's "Rockaway Beach". As you can see from the photo, Andy did an amazing job on these, and between now and the New Year, all t-shirt sales will go toward this fundraising campaign. We think they'd make for a pretty rad gift for the holidays, or grab one for yourself here.

NEW ALBUM, TOUR FROM DWIGHT SMITH

Earlier this year we shared Austin's Dwight Smith and his musical vision with the world with the release of his debut offering--a critically-acclaimed virtual 7-inch titled Plumed Serpent. Now we are proud to announce the October 23rd release of his highly-anticipated debut album Lateral Drifts, available on CD and DL. Somewhere in his travels across two continents, he seems to have developed hands with a touch like Nick Drake's, a voice as powerful as Marc Bolan's and a lyrical ability all to himself. 

On his latest effort, ringing voices, plaintive horns, and sparkling keys drift over a sunset river of shimmering, spiraling, tumbling fingerpicked melodies, carrying us to a place of shared fragile exhilaration. Your viewers can stream the album now and submit pre-orders for the CD here. 

Dwight is currently touring the Northeast in support of Lateral Drifts. See the full list of tour dates below.

 

 

TWIN LAKES SHOWCASE AT THIS YEAR'S STPP MUSIC FEST

OCTOBER 6TH, 2012 at the Velvet Lounge, 915 U St. NW, 4PM-Midnight: 
All-Day All-Night Rock and Noise Open House Party, 18+ $10, 21+ $8

An afternoon, evening, and night of psych rock, heavy rock, folk, noisy composition, and compositional noise featuring Twin Lakes artists and some of our other favorite bands, like Nashville's Ttotals and from Drag City Records, P.G. Six! Plus a very special performance by a large-scale all-star rock orchestra from D.C. and abroad performing compositions from Erik Satie's Furniture Music collection, led by acclaimed guitarist/composer and Georgetown music prof Ben Harbert.
 

SOURCE OF YELLOW JOINS TWIN LAKES TO RELEASE NEW EP

We are thrilled to announce the newest addition to the Twin Lakes catalog -- Source of Yellow's The Said, a three-song EP of unique beauty, offering a heady and guileless take on playing against the psych-wardens, the noise-canon, the must-listen-to and hard-listed. 

This Brooklyn trio doesn't just trade on the value of knowing the old explorations, but instead take the most outré edges and sonics from our masters and contemporaries as their starting point -- then they sing to them and coax them into an intimate and amplified complexity. 

On The Said SOY yanks energy from space to sling it hard back to the earth:

I. The Said: Two notes urgent and sparkling.  An incantation. Bass and drums suddenly pushing harder than expected with an exhortation to come along on ferocious drops through knotted loops, speed changes, and rattling hard turns.  You are locked on a variegated three-loop ride from the ether ending hard and fun in the dirt. 

II. 1 & 9: A smile and then a swooning sleep. A heartbeat, a jangle like cicadas and the breeze in summer, a tangle of descending arpeggios as birdsong. A further fall into a dreamless theta state. Days or years are passing.

III. Maybe!: Then a heady wakeful hum. A dancing lurch with a reedy ostinato and a yearning voice. A final harmonic convergence that seems to leave tracer notes arcing back to us and gently fading while we finish listening. 

How much fun to execute these compositions and improvisations! How much care and deftly hidden preparation to start the listener at 40000+ feet for a controlled free fall, romp, and recovery! At the beginning and end of it all are three people making brilliant noises sometimes knowingly, it seems, and sometimes maybe acting the vessel, but probably trembling and smiling all the while. 

For this release, the band commissioned NYC-based visual artist Pali Kashi for the cover art. The arresting Upstate, evokes SOY’s sonics -- their ability to pull in the harmolodic for a hug with the gothic in a muddy dance stomp, where the psychedelic spectrum encompasses true tonal weirdness as well as compelling housebroken sounds. This work of haunting beauty will be available September 18th in a limited run of 50 archival quality prints, each of which will come with a free download code. Buy it here.

-- MK.

AN EVENING WITH CLOSELY WATCHED TRAINS

It's been far too long, but Closely Watched Trains returns to the stage this Thursday, May 10th at BAR in New Haven. They've been working hard all year on their new LP due out this fall, so this is their first show of 2012 and they're not messing around...they're playing two full sets! There's no opener for this one, so be sure to get there by 8:30. The band's got lots of new tunes they'd like you to hear, and it's Kiefer's birthday. So come out. It's FREE!


ELECTRIC JELLYFISH HEADED EAST...JOIN FEEDTIME, MYTY KONKEROR

Electric Jellyfish continue to blaze a path across the States on their 2012 US tour and are headed to the Northeast for some killer shows. Highlights include two shows with Aussie legends feedtime--one at Cake Shop in lower Manhattan on 3/31, and the other at Maxwell's in Hoboken the following night. They'll also be playing two back-to-back shows with labelmates MYTY KONKEROR--3/28 at BAR in New Haven with psych-jammers Spectre Folk, and 3/29 at the Ding Dong Lounge in NYC with Bob Crusoe and Sugarm. Their final show also features a killer lineup with Noveller and Tall Firs joining them at Death By Audio on 4/3.

Trouble Coming Down limited edition tour cassettes keep getting plucked from the merch table, but we should still have some left by the time they get out here. In the meantime, watch the band play a blistering version of their new single last week at SXSW at the WFMU showcase. Then listen to the entire show from the WFMU archives.

 

ELECTRIC JELLYFISH KICK OFF US TOUR!

Electric Jellyfish recently kicked off their 2012 US tour by performing an in-store at Oakland's 1234 Go Records this past Wednesday and will continue to wind their way around the country till early April. This is their first US tour in two years, and this time around it will include SXSW appearances and shows with Aussie legends feedtime, The Wedding Present, Spectre Folk, Tall Firs, Noveller, Hank IV, Golden Boys, The Men, Carlton Melton, and label mates MYTY KONKEROR.

The SXSW details are as follows:

Electric Jellyfish are playing two showcases. One is at Headhunters Patio on Wednesday March 14th in the 11:00 time slot, and the other is one we're really not supposed to say much about as it's not an official SXSW showcase. Let's just say it's happening at the end of the week and was curated by the best independent radio station on the planet, so you know the line-up will be amazing.

EJ frontman Michael Beach is also playing a solo set at SXSW on March 15th at The Hideout with MYTY KONKEROR's Michael Kiefer on drums in the 11:00 time slot.

A full list of dates for the entire tour can be found here. And don't forget to check out the limited edition tour cassette for their new single/EP "Trouble Coming Down". These are sure to sell out on the road, but we'll be sure to hold on to a few copies at our online store for those who can't make it out to a show. Order soon before they're gone.

ELECTRIC JELLYFISH TOURING THE US IN SUPPORT OF A NEW CASSETTE

We're really proud and excited to announce the release of a new cassette from Australia's Electric Jellyfish. Recorded in a two-day session in Melbourne’s inner north suburbs in between shows on their 2011 Australian tour, "Trouble Coming Down" features the band's most compelling work to date. Raw, elemental, and filled with post-punk fury, these tunes channel Leadbelly, the Jesus Lizard, and Joy Division all at once through their singular, grunged-out blend of Gothic folk and blues punk. It sees its official release on March 1, 2012 as a limited edition cassette (100) and download on Twin Lakes Records. Listen and grab your copy here.

Electric Jellyfish will be spending all of March and early April touring the US in support of these new tunes, including SXSW appearances and shows with Aussie legends feedtime, The Wedding Present, Spectre Folk, Tall Firs, Noveller, Hank IV, Golden Boys, MYTY KONKEROR, and Carlton Melton. We are in the process of finalizing the last few dates, but a more detailed tour schedule is coming soon.

TWIN LAKES CO-FOUNDER INTERVIEWED IN SLOVENIA'S FINEST ONLINE MUSIC MAG

When It's Psychedelic Baby contacted us about doing an interview, we jumped at the opportunity. It's creator, Klemen, has an incredible ear for vital music, past and present, and we couldn't be more honored to share our story. Twin Lakes co-founder and MYTY KONKEROR singer-guitarist Steubs took the reigns on this one, giving an in-depth look at our genesis as purveyors of sound with some glimpses as to what the future holds. Dig deeper here.

ARTIST DEBUT: DWIGHT SMITH'S "PLUMED SERPENT"

Today we're proud to introduce Dwight Smith and his musical vision to the world with the release of his debut offering--a virtual 7-inch titled Plumed Serpent. We were blown away the first time we heard the demos he sent us, and Twin Lakes co-founder Steubs articulates just why... 

 

 

 

Plumed Serpent. Dwight Smith. 
 
Our bodies are driven to sustain and reproduce without worries of a greater meaning. It's no wonder that our minds and hearts are similarly driven forward to understand and create, all the while vexed by how the facts of the physical world may or may not add up to very much at all. Our faculties might just make us tragic because they allow us to dream of and define beauty, completeness and peace that seemingly can't exist in our physical world.
 
But what is more hopeful than filling a void with ringing voices?  What better answer can we give monstrous solipsism than to write of what we see and feel so that others will understand? Dwight Smith seems to be heeding this call when he gives us two sad, hopeful, and gorgeous songs that pull us through these questions, pull us into him, and push us up and out to a place of shared fragile exhilaration.  In each song, Smith pulls us behind his minor chords and harmonies towards what will certainly be a maelstrom and wreck but instead drops us gently each time into glorious but sadly complex resolution. The questions, maybe the void too, are still there, but we feel different about them -- a little lighter, a little tired, happy to be on the positive side of materiality, and slightly sympathetic to the necessary negative. 
 
When Smith sings that 'everyone wants to talk like they know something/I don't know anything' it's not a statement of defeat, but a declaration dripping with breathless epistemological glee. It's Buddha smiling from the front of a runaway train. It's Icarus realizing his glory will actually be his fall. When he sings later on about the need for forgiveness or about our own falls, the songs ring out, resonate and amplify an out-sized hope and love for the world and humanity There's an angel living in this music, or somewhere in Dwight Smith. 


Plumed Serpent is now available for download on a pay-what-you-want basis over at Dwight's Bandcamp page where you can also purchase a hand-made origami-style CD-R that includes two bonus tracks recorded live at a recent performance.

MICHAEL BEACH'S "MOUNTAINS + VALLEYS" NOW AVAILABLE

Mountains + Valleys (through Spectacular Commodity and Twin Lakes) is a ballsy and accomplished collection of rustic rust, and it sounds amazing." -- Sonic Masala

Bandcamp Hunter described it as "the sort of music that reminds me that’s it’s still very possible to make vital rock and roll," comparing it to Eddy Current Suppression Ring's best work. 

The Needle Drop gave it high praise as well, drawn in by "its strong, emotional edge" and "poetic lyrics."

Read More

THE MICHAEL BEACH 'MOUNTAINS + VALLEYS' USA TOUR, AUTUMN 2011


Michael Beach, a San Francisco-based musician who writes, records, and performs under his own name, and as a member of Melbourne-based trio Electric Jellyfish, is about to hit the road once again.  Since 2008, he has toured regularly, putting out records on the Thurston Moore/Byron Coley colab label, Ecstatic Yod, as well as Twin Lakes and Spectacular Commodity.  Mountains + Valleys, Beach’s latest solo effort, sees its official release November 8th as a limited-edition cassette (100) and digital download on Twin Lakes/Spectacular Commodity. But you don't have to wait till November to own it. You can grab one of these rare tapes early if you catch Beach on his upcoming fall 2011 tour, a year that also saw him tour Europe and Australia in support of his previous single, A Horse (Twin Lakes/Spectacular Commodity).

For this latest collection of songs, Beach assembled an all-star cast of West Coast musicians, including drummer Utrillo Kushner (Comets On Fire) and Raymond Raposa (Castanets) on guitar and vocals. Recorded by Trans Am’s Phil Manley, Mountains + Valleys has the same familiar feeling of intimacy on previous Michael Beach releases, mixed with an intensity reminiscent of early Sonic Youth and Sebadoh tunes. Listen to some cuts early and pre-order the entire album here.

For a complete list of tour dates click here.

LATHE-CUTS FOR JAPAN

Photo credit: Mark SchoneveldThough we sold out of the very limited, first edition of MYTY KONKEROR's "I miss the future." we had set aside a handful of these lathe-cut records for band members and family that made its recording possible. But we've decided to sell those with 100% the proceeds going to the Japan Society's Earthquake Relief Fund. This out-of-print, critically-acclaimed record can be purchased here for $30. Of course, the new white vinyl edition of the album is also available from the same location...just be sure to use the drop-down menu to select "Lathe-cut for Japan" to ensure your purchase goes toward helping our brothers and sisters in Japan overcome this tragedy.


MYTY KONKEROR TEAMS UP WITH WESTERN MASS'S PREMIER LIT MAG FOR RECORD RELEASE PARTY

As you may remember, the limited first run lathe-cut edition of MYTY KONKEROR "I miss the future." sold out pretty fast at the end of 2010 after appearing on several year-end "Best of" lists. We only cut 70 of those, so we are now happy to announce the official release date for a 2nd edition pressing on 140g white vinyl. The band is honored to be sharing its release party with western Massachusetts' premier literary journal Meat for Tea on March 12 at Northampton, MA's The Elevens. In addition to music by MYTY KONKEROR, Constantly Burning Fire, Sculptural Freedom, and Curious Buddies, the show will feature readings as well as performances by The Happy Hour Burlesque Troupe. We’ve been taking pre-orders here, but if you're anywhere near Noho that weekend, come out to the show and pick up a copy of the album and the newest edition of this stellar literary magazine in person.

In anticipation of its second coming, the band has just posted a new video for one of the album's standout tracks. If you dig B-movies and drag racing, check out "Cell Division."

In addition to iTunes, eMusic, and all the other major online retailers, digital downloads of the album are now available at MK's new Bandcamp site. Physical copies will also be coming to Insound.com soon.

MICHAEL BEACH RELEASES NEW 7-INCH ON TWIN LAKES

We are pleased to announce the release of Michael Beach’s “A Horse/The Exhilarating Rise"-- our first on 7-inch vinyl.  Beach’s first single since relocating to San Francisco from Australia, "A Horse" is a clear display of the versatility he has become known for after multiple releases with Melbourne’s Electric Jellyfish (Ecstatic Yod/Twin Lakes). In the first sessions for his sophomore album, Beach brought together friend and co-producer Raymond Raposa (Castanets) and engineer Seth Lorinczi (Corin Tucker Band, Golden Bears) at Seth’s Little Golden Book Studio in Portland, Oregon. The tape hiss and sparseness of "A Horse" recall early Elliott Smith recordings mixed with upbeat Townes Van Zandt melodies, while the B-side offers a euphoric Glenn Branca-esque guitar drone with hints of White Light/White Heat-era Velvet Underground madness. Though they span a wide array of influences, both songs are held together by Beach’s single-handed approach to recording and an exploration of alienation, unity, sadness, and joy. There’s a depth to these songs that have kept them in heavy rotation here at Twin Lakes ever since Beach sent us the masters. The vinyl version of this two-song treasure officially drops on February 8th but can be pre-ordered here now. Digital downloads are immediately available on a name-your-price basis over at Beach's Bandcamp site. 

MORE END-OF-YEAR HONORS FOR "I MISS THE FUTURE."

In addition to a selection in IMPOSE Magazine's Best 25 Albums of 2010, we recently found out that MYTY KONKEROR's "I miss the future." was also picked for Built on a Weak Spot's Top 20 Records of 2010, as well as The Styrofoam Drone's Top 25 Albums of 2010.

As nice as it was for the record’s music to be recognized on these lists, its inclusion in Redefine Magazine's 90 Notable Album Covers from 2010(#26) might be the raddest of all. Kanye was their #1 pick…we don’t intend to lose to that guy again.