Being Dead — the Austin, TX-based duo consisting of Falcon Bitch and Shmoofy — announces its new album, EELS, out September 27th on Bayonet, lead single/video “Firefighters,” and a fall headline tour. Being Dead’s records are mosaics, technicolor incantations, each song its own self-contained little universe. And while the dreamlike EELS probes further into the depths of the duo Being Dead’s psyche, it is, most importantly, a 16-track record that is genuinely unpredictable from one track to the next. It’s a joyous and unexpected trip helmed by two true-blue freak bitch besties holed up in a lil’ house in the heart of Austin, Texas.

When Horses Would Run, Being Dead’s “glorious and timeless” (Gorilla vs. Bear) debut record released in 2023, took years to release. The final product was excellent and expertly polished, at odds with the live rowdiness they’d cultivated a reputation for throughout Austin and beyond across seven years of being a band. For the next one, they knew they’d have to do things differently. They decamped to Los Angeles for two weeks to record with GRAMMY-winning producer John Congleton, writing songs for the record until days before they left. The radical shift in process was welcome - a good balance and a challenge, Congleton helping them find new ways to work and helping peel back the layers on the core of their songwriting. Being Dead has grown from a duo to a trio live, including bassist Nicole Roman-Johnston who also co-wrote and recorded bass and vocals on several album tracks.

The resulting EELS is a darker record, tapped more into the devilishness within. It’s a more raucous, rougher ride sonically. There’s heartbreak, excitement, enchantment, dancing – we move through it all at a high-octane pace. Falcon Bitch and Smoofy never want to do the same thing twice on any song, and they don’t. This is never more apparent than on lead single, “Firefighters,” which might be the first of its kind told from the perspective of a Dalmatian who is overworked at their fire station. The pummeling, distorted garage rock ripper’s accompanying video by director URZULKA “came together through a group hallucination.” The band adds, “We love marbles and outdoor play and decided to get it on video for y’all. Making this was like creating an intricate handshake with all your buddies—riddled with inside jokes and giggles.”

Lonna Kelley is undoubtedly the queen of the underground. I am sure anyone that is in-the-know would agree. She has been self-releasing albums since the early 00’s. Quietly developing into a singular voice. These years have been littered with co-fronting the short lived (but celebrated) psych outfit, Cherie Cherie, and being a longtime member of Howe Gelb’s, Giant Sand.

In 2015, Lonna self-released Take Me Home Spiderman. This album was something of an awakening. A fully realized sound. A hot pot boiling over with lush pop melodies of the 60’s/70’s, brutally honest lyricism, minimal instrumentation and harsh noise. This album garnered praise by WFMU’s legendary music director, Brian Turner. This lead to being heavily played on the influential radio station through that year, and in turn the limited pressing of the album was quickly out of print.

For the last few years, there has been rumors of mysterious B sides to Take Me Home Spiderman. Lonna decided to finally dust off the old tape reels and unearth these lost classics, “Will I See You” and “Time Waits For No One”. They carry very similar nuances to Take Me Home Spiderman, however, these songs explore deeper the themes of loss, love and longing. Grappling with the idea of death and how brutal lost time is. Even in the darkness, there still seems to be light at the end. The last line in Will I see You, “I’m never, ever gonna stop believing.” It was sung in a way that she was clearly trying to convince herself to not give up. You can’t help but feel the earnest sincerity. The songs were made out of necessity, not vanity.

Lonna collaborated with John Dieterich (of Deerhoof) to solidify the sonic landscape. Not only did he perform mixing/mastering duties, but also sculpted the incidental noise throughout these tracks. This 45 is meditative and at times transcendent. It is still hard to believe that these songs haven’t always been around.