Artist to Love: Beulah

"Punk rock was my first girl,she left me a scar so we're not through yet"

Beulah were an incredible band out of San Francisco consisting of two guys Miles Kurosky and Bill Swan. They started out on The Elephant 6 label with Neutral Milk Hotel , Of Montreal and Elf Power . Their First album Handsome Western States was a lo-fi garage epic filled with great dirty guitars and heartfelt lyrics. They sound Like The Beach boys then they crash in noisy and full of emotion.Stand out tracks include "The secretaries blues" and "lay low for the let down". Their next album When Your Hearstrings Break saw them starting to really grasp songwriting and gain chops musically. Stretching out as as far as their song titles like "Emma Blowgun's Last Stand" and "If We Can Land a Man on the Moon, Surely I Can Win Your Heart". This time around they discovered horns strings and a variety of found sounds to make maybe the best album in their career.

Mp3s after The Jump


The Coast is Never Clear released in 2001 was a great follow up with a number of now Beulah classics like "Silver Lining" and "Gravity's Bringing Us Down" . This one is my sentimental favorite. I find myself going back to this time and time again. This one leans more towards sunny pop and bright harmonies it's easily the most accessible Beulah album.

Beulah's Final album was aptly titled Yoko. Its alot darker in tone and lyrics. At this point the band members were going through divorces and released one of the most emotionally devastating break up albums that could be either about a girl or the band. The full album is devastatingly gorgeous and even more beautiful in the raw demo form with Miles voice out and center backed by guitars and Bill Swan's horn. These Guys are even more incredible in live bootleg form where its stripped to its ragged core and they just rage. Enjoy some live Beulah Bootlegs.

Beulah-Gene Autry Live
Beulah-Lay Low For The Letdown
Beulah-I love John she loves paul
Beulah-Sunday under glass
Beulah-Emma Blowguns last stand
Beulah-Landslide baby
Beulah-Hey Brother

And a few from The Yoko Demos
Beulah-My side of the city
Beulah-Don't forget to breathe
Beulah-Me and Jesus Don't talk anymore

Buy all sorts of beulah on