Beezewax - A Dozen Summits LP - Purple Vinyl

 
SellOut! / Boss Tuneage (2025, Reissue)

A Dozen Summits is a pretty pivotal record as it was when Beezewax appeared on the radar of PopKid Records HQ.  I'm not sure where the band heard of PopKid, but they sent this (at the time) CD only release and demos of some of the songs that would go on to become South of Boredom to Alan back in 1997 or 1998.  He loved them and the rest is history.  Somewhere in there we procured a copy of the CD for me as well and it's been in my frequent rotation ever since.  This is a record that has long been on my short list for my most wanted records to get a vinyl release and the fine folks at SellOut and Boss Tuneage made that a reality last year.

A Dozen Summits is only second to South of Boredom in the Beezewax catalog for me.  It's a perfect guitar pop record with perhaps a bit more fuzz a roughness than the rest of their catalog.  But it's in those fuzzy, imperfect moments where I find the perfection in these songs.  There's so many great songs on here and there's moments, like where they go from the heavier Posies-esque "Take the Wheel" to the blown out bass intro of "Miss Playin Basketball," that wow me every time I listen.

As with many things in life, it ruins my brain to realize that this album is 29 years old.  At the same time, this record is kind of a remarkable snapshot of youthful enthusiasm, energy and optimism that's probably difficult to replicate when you is double digits and starts with a 4 or a 5.  This is an album that takes me back to a hectic, stressful and challenging time in my life, but one that certainly had its good moments and a ton of great music.  So happy to finally be able to spin this on my record player after all these years.

Beezewax - A Dozen Summits:

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nvzAF9zW_F2bPR5feGmqPZpg5oi9IkiV0

Mrs. Magician - Spiritual Hangover LP - Black Vinyl (/250)

 
Swami (2026)

I have been talking about Mrs. Magician since the moment I acquired some of their early 7"s.  I really dug those singles, but I was not prepared for their debut full length in 2012, Strange Heaven.  It instantly became an all timer for me and I often mention it as my favorite record of the last however many years (though at this point, that however is getting to be a pretty big number).  Their 2016 follow up Bermuda was also my album of that year.  But then we didn't hear a whole lot from Mrs. Magician.  For about a decade.

Spiritual Hangover is the 2026 return of Mrs. Magician, though this time Jacob Turnbloom is collaborating with a new crew that make up the band.  I would be lying if I said this didn't give me pause when I first heard that.  The main reason being that during Mrs. Magician downtimes there were some very good Jacob Turnbloom solo records, but they were different from Mrs. Magician.  I wanted this record to feel like the others.  Luckily, any worries I had evaporated almost immediately as Spiritual Hangover is exactly what I need from a Mrs. Magician record.

If you like Mrs. Magician already, you go in with a certain set of expectations.  You want the reverb tinged, surf hooks.  You want interesting chord progressions that break down into side quests, but come right back where they're supposed to be.  And then you expect to be popped in the jaw with a picture perfect hook.  All the while, you've got lyrics that demand repeated listens to try to catch every one of the nuggets that are thrown out there.  I've always sort have found the lyrics to be humorously depressing or having a feeling of resigned optimism.  There's crappy stuff out there and a Mrs. Magician record will point those things out, but in a way that makes you begrudging laugh and realize you've got to keep pushing through even if some things seem kind of hopeless.

Every time I've listened to this record I just dig it more and more. To the point where I think it's even better than Bermuda.  I love the scrappy production that while still sounding clean and warm, manages to have those fuzzy elements that keeps it feeling real and not over produced.  This is a band with a near flawless catalog and I am so happy whenever I get to hear something new.  I just wish these records would come out more often. Ten years is way too long to wait!

(PS - I am pretty sure the black vinyl was limited to 250 copies, but I can't find where I thought I read that.  I'll update that info if it's wrong.)

Mrs. Magician - Spiritual Hangover:

https://mrsmagician.bandcamp.com/album/spiritual-hangover