From My Telescope I Can See You Grinning

The Sunshine Fix “What Do You Know?” – If I ever get to make a film in which there is a scene set at a psychedelic saloon in the middle of a desert (which is very doubtful, but you never know), I really ought to use this as the soundtrack for that sequence. The Sunshine Fix is led by Bill Doss, formerly of Olivia Tremor Control, who were the best of all of the Elephant Six bands as far as I am concerned. The new Sunshine Fix record isn’t quite as “let’s make our own Beatles record!” as OTC’s best work (I’m not exaggerating – Dusk At Cubist Castle is such a thorough aping of late period Beatles that there are even fake George Harrison songs!), but it’s still stuck in the late 60s, in terms of style and influence. I don’t have much of a problem with that, though – aside from The Shimmer Kids Underpop Association/The Society Of Rockets, no one else pulls off neopsychedelia as well as the Elephant Six folks. (Click here to buy it from Spinart.)

The Shimmer Kids Underpop Association “Black Heva Vs. The Ruby Satellite” – It seems wrong to mention the Shimmer Kids and not also post something by them, given that they were/are so obscure and underrated. “Black Heva” is a lost classic; an epic sci-fi love song which sounds like the musical equivalent of Jack Kirby comics from the mid-60s. Unfortunately, this recording has never been properly released, and was only ever available as an mp3 and on a limited edition cassette EP.