Beachwood Sparks... classic or dud?

Can't understand why they're still so "under the radar" - I think a lot of people would really like them.

There are a few "genre" bands these days that I think could appeal to a lot of people outside of their individual scenes if given half a chance: Beachwood Sparks, The Go, The Deadly Snakes, The Detroit Cobras... Have people heard these bands?

I much prefer Eagle, they're part of that scene, how come they never get any of the acclaim? Too fun, I suppose.

Anyone see the Lilys backed by Beachwood Sparks?

But then I got the record, and it sounded exactly like the Eagles. Disappointing.

And the new LP, which at the risk of sounding like an arse, they had just finished mastering and were playing to us while we were in LA, is about 1,000,000 times better than their debut, a much clearer, more focussed sound, and swathed in really spooky, ethereal harmonies. Even James, who is usually horribly cynical about these things thought it was destined for classic status.

Makes you want to believe in music again.

A big fan of theirs played me some of their stuff the other day - I liked it.

That's all.

They coulda been contenders. Amazing first record followed up with a shitty grunge record with shitty J Mascis. One pretty good pretty weird e.p. and they're out.

Summer of 98 in LA you couldn't turn around w/o seeing these guys ... Liked 'em then, though they seemed a little overrated. One of the guys used to have a great radio show on KXLU, I think. First album was nice! Never heard the second one. Really liked the one Tyde record I've heard. Is Beechwood Sparks back together? I thought I heard something to that effect. Or that they had never really broken up. Or something.

Classic!

i love the first album and the EP and the tyde album. i've never heard the "grunge" album. is it really grunge?

doesn't it have a Sade cover on it? How grunge could it be?

i like that sade cover. anyone heard the new album by "farmer" dave scher?

haven't heard it -- Farmer Dave's the guy who had the radio show I mentioned. Heard a lot of great stuff for the first time back in the mid 90s on that show.

OK OK, it's not really grunge exactly, just a lot sludgier and less fun to my ears than that bright beautiful crystalline California country pop of the first record.

they're back.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RlqqHwrmsQA/T5C_zHdNZII/AAAAAAAAD-g/XosErlpDW38/s1600/11614.jpg

the single, forget the song, is somewhat forgettable but nice. verses are lovely and drifty, chorus is a bit weak.

"The Tarnished Gold" is the work of the classic Beachwood Sparks lineup: singer/guitarist Chris Gunst, singer/bassist Brent Rademaker, singer/multi-instrumentalist Farmer Dave Scher, and drummer Aaron Sperske, with invaluable support from guitarist and longtime friend Ben Knight (The Tyde). For the sessions, the band expanded to seven pieces, with guitarists Knight and Neal Casal, with Dan Horne on pedal steel in place of Scher, who opted to play organ, key, flying V guitar and electrified melodica. Also lending a hand were Gunst’s wife Jen Cohen, Sparks’ very first drummer Jimi Hey, Brent’s brother Darren (leader of The Tyde) and L.A. indie-rock maestro Ariel Pink. Once We Were Trees producer Thom Monahan returned to his familiar spot behind the console. (Sub Pop)

really excited to hear this, probably setting my expectations too high but i really loved these dudes

classic!

no ariel pink!

thom monahan my old CT homeboy! Xdanburyhardcore4everX

man, i love beechwood sparks so much. fuck a wilco.

i didn't know bob fay used to play with the tyde. he told me that on facebook after i mentioned how much i loved that album and especially the Felt tribute on the tyde album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MybPelion4I

I loved Scher and Hey's side project

what's that called?

like this new song. like these guys. i remember when they came out making snide remarks along the lines of "hey i like the byrds too", but i don't really care about that now. rock on!

All Night Radio

Scher is also the man behind Farmer Dave’s Hot Nuts, a habanero-roasted almond snack based on a family recipe.

the jingle for this on dave's website is pretty good.

sometimes i'll listen to this EP 35 times in a row at work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oV9gkM8Sjys&feature=related

they were like a whole band of really talented doug yules.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHdnXoO2y_w

I adore the new record. Can't stop playing it.

i want it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIVknPPpltw

no bites on that one^^^

c'mon dudes. okay this is way better, written and sung by Britney Spears' guitarist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kgagAdTH5s

RIP John Schwartz

https://pitchfork.com/news/beachwood-sparks-josh-schwartz-dead-at-45/

Josh, of course.

RIP... This is one of my all-time favorites, the first song the BS recorded, and maybe Josh's best song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lodtgXoL4sA

Aw man... Further is one of my favorite lo-fi acts ever. That music is very important to me.