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AN EVENING WITH CLOSELY WATCHED TRAINS

2012-05-07T05:17:58Z

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

2012-03-26T02:31:54Z

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!

2012-03-03T22:48:12Z

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

2012-02-10T05:18:44Z

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

2012-01-20T03:26:54Z

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"

2011-12-06T05:00:00Z

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

2011-11-08T13:22:00Z

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."

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

2011-10-02T21:54:52Z

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

2011-03-23T21:13:38Z

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.

2ND EDITION "I MISS THE FUTURE." AVAILABLE NOW

2011-03-09T04:06:34Z

Order it now from the MYTY KONKEROR store.

Side A

Side B