Suffering Jukebox

This morning's episode features an interview with Californian/Australian musician Michael Beach. Last Friday (31st July) saw the release of Michael's Live At Phoenix Central Park album, which was released via Poison City Records. His first live record, Live At Phoenix Central Park also features Lloyd Swanton, Mick Turner and Joe Talia. Find out more about Michael Beach (and purchase his music) here: https://michaelbeach.bandcamp.com/

Nick's Pick of the Week is Sir Richard Bishop's Hillbilly Erotica, you can hear it in all the usual places, or purchase it here: https://sirrichardbishop.bandcamp.com/album/hillbilly-erotica and my review can be read below.

Sir Richard Bishop: Hillbilly Erotica (Drag City)

Released July 31st 2026

Sir Richard Bishop made a name for himself performing with Sun City Girls, but his first solo release was on John Fahey’s Revenant label in 1998. It seems fitting that one of the originators of the American primitive style of guitar playing would release the first record by an individual who would carry its torch into the new century — and the new millennium.

Hillbilly Erotica serves as a companion piece —or, perhaps, a continuation?— of Bishop’s previous album, Hillbilly Ragas, released in 2025 by Drag City. In the words of the man himself, Hillbilly Erotica is, “…still exploring the areas around these parts with a similar type of aggression [as Hillbilly Ragas], but as morning light approaches, a clearing or two present themselves, with hills and valleys viewable in the distance inspiring a slightly different sonic landscape. One could be forgiven for feeling a sense of relief from finally arriving from out of the night-time woods to a place which may seem less threatening in the daylight, but it’s a trap - the darkness of night is always right around the corner. Enjoy the postcoital smoke but tread carefully!”

Lick Spittle open the record. Fast-paced and frantic, it borrows a touch from the flamenco and mariachi styles, while it’s follow up, Finger, Tennessee, is a far more mellow affair that wouldn’t feel out of place around a campfire. Back Forty Lashes is a heavily strummed highlight that takes a little while to get moving, but doesn’t let up once it does. Finger Revisited slows things down, once again, before the album comes to a close with one final, beautiful track, Postcoital Serenade.

Comprising eight tracks across (almost) forty minutes, Hillbilly Erotica is an intense and impassioned collection of instrumental, acoustic compositions that are deeply rooted in the annals of American guitar music, whilst also bearing influence from various eastern musical traditions. Bishop is an adept player, but he never sacrifices passion for virtuosity, always ensuring that —at its core— each and every song is not only soulful, but (equally) has a soul.

Nick Stephan