They burned brightly, but briefly. Now, they have rekindled the flame. For Beachwood Sparks, the metaphor is all too easy and all too apt. The band’s discography is succinct: two albums, plus an EP and a few singles. There wasn’t much, but there was something indelible about those records. They took the cosmic American music of the Flying Burrito Brothers and Byrds, added the bittersweet sounds of middle-period Beach Boys and Sister Lovers Big Star, then turned them into a sun-dappled, dreamy, psychedelic brand of alt-country. But by 2002, Beachwood had run its course, and the group disbanded amicably, five years after it formed. Now a decade later, Beachwood Sparks—guitarists Farmer Dave Scher and Chris Gunst, bassist Brent Rademaker and drummer Aaron Sperske—is back with The Tarnished Gold (Sub Pop). The quartet will also be guest editing magnet magazine.com all week. Read our new feature on the band.
Rademaker: “As Seen On TV”… Not since the days of the K-Tel Records ’70s compilations has an item that is available directly from TV been this awesome. My wife and I got tired of smaller smoothie makers breaking, and cleaning our expensive juicer got very tedious. Not to mention a juicer doesn’t break down the entire fruit or veggie that contain many of the nutrients. The NutriBullet takes it all: fruit, nuts, veggies, powders and seeds. Whatever you throw at it, it turns them inside out into a truly delicious “super food.” It’s super-easy to clean and comes with three different container/cup sizes and two different blades for processing. It’s a comprehensive recipe/health guide for creating your own home remedies. It travels well, too; we brought it out on our last West Coast tour, and it worked like a champ. So if you’re choosing between the Rhinestone and Stud Setter or Bedazzler, if you will, do yourself a flavor and get a NutriBullet. Warning: Be patient with the phone operators; they’ll try your patience and try to up-sell you like their life depended on you getting overnight shipping.
Video after the jump.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF3Q5sZzDDI
