Urbs

Austrian hip hop and breakz DJ, Paul Nawrata, has been crafting mean sets since 1991. He's been producing since 1997 and his first solo album, Toujours le Même Film, in a word, KILLS. Fans of film scores and other cinematic sounds are definitely gonna wanna jump in on this one. As are the hip hop kids. Quality downtempo, trip-hop for folks who are partial to Portishead, RJD2, and surround sound.

The Incident [MP3, 4.3MB, 128kbps]

Buy from iTunes
www.g-stoned.com

Every Move a Picture

Nigh on two years ago, I wrote about my wife asking me, "Are you listening to 80's music?" whilst posting about Kawaii. When I was getting Every Move A Picture's album Heart=Weapon from eMusic recently, she asked me that yet again. I really should have posted about this San Francisco band this time last year, but I passed. However, I recently discovered them again, filling that space between Bloc Party and Interpol. So flying back from SFO on Friday night going through Bay Area bands—reminding me how much I still miss the late great Henry's Dress—on my MP3 player I decided to finally get around to Every Move A Picture. Their website points to their myspace page, where you can grab at a lower bitrate two of the better songs, "Outlaw" and "Simple Lessons in Love," from their album.

Signs of Life (from SIC label) [MP3. 5.2MB, 192kbps]
Signs of Life (from download.com) [MP3. 5.2MB, 192kbps]

www.v2music.com
www.everymoveapicture.com
www.somethinginconstruction.com

The Postmarks

Trick or treat...or treat...or treat! Treat 1: The sweet, sweet heartbreak pop of "Goodbye," a sneak peek of the self-titled debut from Floridian trio The Postmarks. Treat 2: A couple of remixes from Spookey Ruben and Cassettes Won't Listen. (In a nutty marketing move, The Postmarks preceded their debut with a 9-track remix EP which flips their delicate sound on 45 so you can dance to it.) Treat 3: A wonderfully eerie take on Ministry's goth-wave era hit "Everyday Is Halloween." The trick? Waiting for the full-length to come out.

from The Postmarks (2006):
Goodbye [MP3, 4.9MB, 192kbps]

from Remixes EP (2006):
Goodbye (Cassettes Won't Listen Remix) [MP3, 3.8MB, 128kbps]
Goodbye (Spookey Ruben Remix) [MP3, 1.9MB, 192kbps]

from the goodness of their hearts:
Everyday Is Halloween [MP3, 3.1MB, 192kbps]

www.unfilteredrecords.com
www.myspace.com/thepostmarks
www.thepostmarks.com

Johan

Johan is an Amsterdam quartet whose members have good haircuts and impeccable pop sensibilities. “Oceans” features swimming, crossing, crawling, a first verse built around “you,” and various other indications of true love, unrequited. Its infectious hooks and crooning might remind you of Matthew Sweet, Travis, or (lyrically) James Blunt, but Johan’s sensibilities are all their own…and they’re meant just for you.

Oceans [MP3, 4MB, 128kbps]

www.johan4all.com
www.excelsior-recordings.net

Hem

My friend down the hall, Joe LaDuke, has tossed two excellent suggestions my way in just the last few weeks. The first was Pandora, a subset of the Music Genome Project. If you haven't seen it yet, Pandora is basically a personalized Internet DJ. Type in an artist or song that you like, and Pandora will break down your selection via a number of musical criteria and then offer up a selection of other artists that match up with your tastes. While it naturally can't acknowledge my desire to have something cool and ambient after a hot ska set, Pandora is fantastic for exposure to new music. We kind of like that here at 3hive. Joe's other offering was Hem, and based on what I've read about the band, it seems like someone should have told me about them sooner. Favorably compared to Mazzy Star and Cowboy Junkies, among others, Hem offers fat, lush, beautifully-written, unadulterated songs sung wonderfully by Sally Ellyson. "The Golden Day is Done," from an album full of covers and other band favorites, gives a good hint of Hem's unique sense of place along the backroads of the American South.

The Golden Day is Dying [MP3, 3.8MB, 128kbps]

www.nettwerk.com
www.hemmusic.com

Boyskout

I originally posted about Boyskout two years ago when they released their debut. As you can see below, I was quite smitten. I still am...this time by the range and sophistication of their follow-up, Another Life. They go from fragile innocence ("Everybody Knew") to smoldering spite ("Happy Yet?") without letting up on the sexually charged energy. Welcome back, girls.

Original post from 8/25/2004: Boyskout are not boys at all. In fact, I don't even think they are "into" boys, if you get my drift... So why is it that I feel all special inside every time I listen to "Back to Bed"? Because something about their black magic new wave transcends sexual politics and brings out the freak in me.

from Another Life (2006):
Happy yet? [MP3, 2.3MB, 128kbps]
Fantastic [MP3, 3.1MB, 128kbps]
Everybody Knew [MP3, 3.1MB, 128kbps]

from School of Etiquette (2004):
Back to Bed [MP3, 3.1MB, 160kbps]
Girl on Girl [MP3, 5.6MB, 192kbps]
Secrets [MP3, 2.8MB, 160kbps]

www.threeringrecords.com
www.alive-totalenergy.com
www.boyskout.com

Benjy Ferree

An interesting tidbit about Mr. Ferree to start things off, he's Domino's first American worldwide signing. Meaning, I guess, that Domino's British mothership is finally warming to the American music scene. And Benjy Ferree's got a solid, old fashioned, back porch, red, white and blue sound running through his songs. I can almost hear someone blowing into a moonshine jug in "Why Bother," and a washboard player would fit in just as well. "Private Honeymoon" waltzes along nicely with the sounds of the West Coast's neu-folk folks. Ah, it's probably the playful, beatles-esque romp "In The Countryside" that's got the label giving Benjy the green light for worldwide domino-ation. His tour of the Midwest and East Coast starts tomorrow with the Archie Bronson Outfit.

In The Countryside [MP3, 4.8MB, 192kbps]
Why Bother [MP3, 7.4MB, 192kbps]
Private Honeymoon [MP3, 8.2MB, 192kbps]

www.dominorecordco.us
www.benjyferree.com

Under Byen

I need to thank David Byrne for tipping me off to Under Byen. And more thanks is overdue to Mr. Byrne for tipping me off years ago to a tasty soup special at Shopsins, back when Kenny & Co. were at their original location (I'm dying to see "I Like Killing Flies," dying harder actually for a plate of Slutty Cakes and a tall tumbler of their Horchata!). Under Byen is a Danish ensemble, who maneuver orchestrally, and percussively, in the dark end of the pop music spectrum. Beautiful, hushed vocals draw you in and keep you warm in songs which befit the cold, cold landscape of Denmark.

Hjertebarn [MP3, 2.0MB, 56kbps]
Plantage [MP3, 3.9MB, 128kbps]
Af Samme Stof Som Stof [MP3, 6.1MB, 192kbps]
Den her sang handler om at få det bedste ud af det [MP3, 10.4MB, 192kbps]

Buy on iTunes
www.morningsiderecords.dk
www.underbyen.dk

Nom De Guerre

Not only do Nom de Guerre play some wonderful pop music, but they offer perhaps the best band shirts ever offered for sale by a band: tailor-made, double cuff dress shirts designed by the bassist for measley 70 euros! Other offers available for purchase include your name in a song, an entire song about you, and even an entire album about you. If only I were the Russian billionaire with some spare cash whom Nom de Guerre is hoping to court, I'd buy Blackburn Rovers, then buy half the Chelsea squad (and no, not Lampard) and have them warm the Blackburn bench cause that other Russian billionaire must be getting bored by now, and then have Nom de Guerre write albums about each member of my family. But in laying out the required payment, I would insist on the formula of "So Long Sister": dirty bass, swliring keyboards, and plenty of la la's and other sing-along harmonies. Oh, and some of those dress shirts. What is the dollar-to-euro exchange rate these days anyway?

So Long Sister [MP3, 4.2MB, 192kbps]
Slack vs. Lame [MP3, 5.8MB, 192kbps]
Everland [MP3, 5.8MB, 192kbps]

www.nomdeguerre.se

The Little Ones

In recording their debut Sing Song EP, The Little Ones had two goals: 1) convince themselves that everything was going to be alright, and 2) make their own feet shuffle. I'm posting about them because they managed to help me achieve those two goals as well. Which, alas, brings me to my third goal: clean my house. At least I know what I'll be listening to...

Lovers Who Uncover [MP3, 3.9MB, 128kbps]
Cha Cha Cha [MP3, 4.4MB, 128kbps]

www.wearethelittleones.com

Princeton

Princeton is not from Princeton. I have my doubts that the floppy-headed Santa Monica twins and their best friend, who recorded their first E.P. in London while on study-abroad programs, have ever set foot in New Jersey. They claim such classic Brit-pop songwriters Ray Davies and Rod Argent as influences, and their four-track stylings, carefree lyrical associations and bookish sensibilities also bring to mind Ben Lee, Lou Barlow, Stephen Malkmus, and Jonathan Richman. It takes more than cleverness to write a song about a pirate that doesn’t sound like a Broadway musical, or to sing a travelogue of an Asian city that doesn’t descend into kitsch. But Princeton does it well — with organs, acoustic guitar, and sweet, youthfully knowing vocals. Just don’t ask me which twin is singing.

Blackbeard [MP3, 5.2MB, 192kbps]
Careless Boy [MP3, 8.6MB, 160kbps]
The Indifference Curve [MP3, 4.5MB, 192kbps]
Tokyo Japan [MP3, 4.4MB, 192kbps]

princetontheband.net
myspace.com/princetonmusic

T.S.O.L. (True Sounds Of Liberty)

Habeus Corpus R.I.P.

In memoriam, please enjoy 3hive's soundtrack (courtesy of T.S.O.L.) to the new Military Commissions Act of 2006 that George W. Bush recently signed into law. It is the true sound of liberty according to our President and our Congress. Others disagree. Don't forget to vote next month.

Abolish Government-Silent Majority [MP3, 2.3MB, 160kbps]
World War III [MP3, 2.0MB, 160kbps]
Serious [MP3, 3.1MB, 192kbps]

www.truesoundsofliberty.com
www.nitrorecords.com

Perpetual Dream Theory

Blissed-out ambient pop from Vancouver. (How many times can we say that it seems all good things come from Canada?) I don't know if there really is a scientific perpetual dream theory, but if you come up with some ideas of what the soundtrack to it would be, the band probably comes close. If you like what you hear and want to grab more free stuff, you can download their whole Tiny Hands EP for free. Thanks to Sarah for the suggestion!

When Worlds Collide [MP3, 4.5MB, 128kbps]
Snow in September [MP3, 2.2MB, 128kbps]
Angels of Search and Rescue [MP3, 4.5MB, 128kbps]
Imaginary Places [MP3, 3.8MB, 128kbps]

www.dreamtheory.net

Firecracker Jazz Band

I won't bog you down with personal details, but I recently hit a speed bump in the road of life. No sympathy, please. It's just one of those things that absolutely blows now, but with time will seem insignificant and trivial. Still, it's got me feeling down, and these tracks from the Firecracker Jazz Band (featuring members of Squirrel Nut Zippers) fit the mood perfectly. The comic melancholy of the wa-wa trumpeting, horse clomping, and playful tickling of the piano keys leave me no choice but to laugh at myself and move on. So for anyone who's been dealt a bad hand the Firecracker Jazz Band is here to tell you, no, really, it's gonna be OK.

Blue Leaf Clover [MP3, 3.4MB, 96kbps]
Melancholy [MP3, 3.2MB, 96kbps]

www.firecrackerjazz.com

The Baldwin Brothers

It's late. I'm beat. I'm starting to hallucinate: flashing slices of pepperoni...But I want everyone to have a fresh, hot cup o' music first thing on a Sunday morning. The new Baldwin Brothers album is appropriately titled The Return of the Golden Rhodes because as you'll hear, just about every song has T.J. Widner ripping on his "main ax," the Rhodes keyboard. Most of the tracks groove along like Starsky & Hutch, Welcome Back Kotter, or Sesame Street, except for the closer "The Party's Over" which turns down the Rhodes and gets all Moody Blues on us. Mark Lanegan provides the moody vocals. The track does stop the party in its tracks, and frankly isn't representive of the rest of the album. Even "Leave the Past Behind" fails to keep pace with the rest of the album's block rocking funk. What's a boy to do? Those are the tracks we get to work with. Sharers can't be choosers. Just make a note, if you like the tracks from their EP, know that most of the new album is similar rug-cutting material.

from Return of the Golden Rhodes:
Leave the Past Behind [MP3, 6.6MB, 205kbps]
The Party's Over [MP3, 4.1MB, 186kbps]

from Funk Shui EP:
That's Right [MP3, 3.1MB, 128kbps]
Funky Junkyard [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]

Buy from iTunes
www.tvtrecords.com
www.baldwinstyle.com

The Low Frequency in Stereo

I'm still catching up with The Low Frequency in Stereo, but they may very well be my second favorite "In Stereo" band, after you-know-who. Their debut self-titled album featured careful, moving post-rock instrumentals. Then came 2005's Travelling Ants Who Got Eaten by Moskus with decidedly more swagger — somehow splitting the diff between Siouxsie and the Banshees/Joy Division and Dick Dale (trust me). Their new album, last temptation of..., opens this formula up, at times, into new territory thanks to organ, horns, and even stronger pop leanings (e.g., the psychedelic euphoria of "Axes," which could be mistaken for a Stereolab track). At this trajectory, I'm already looking forward to the next joint and this one hasn't even been released yet.

Axes [MP3, 5.3MB, 192kbps]
Big City Lights [MP3, 4.5MB, 192kbps]

www.giganticmusic.com
www.rec90.com
www.myspace.com/lowfrequencyinstereo
www.lowfrequencyinstereo.com

Katell Keineg

It's not a beautiful day in Michigan, with wind, cold rain and lightning, so there's plenty of time to tell the Katell Keineg story. Daughter of a Breton poet and Welsh schoolteacher and current resident of Dublin (Ireland, not Ohio), Keineg received heavy-duty critical and music industry acclaim in the 1990s. Elektra released two of her albums, she was close friends with the late Jeff Buckley, and she worked with Iggy Pop and Natalie Merchant (not at the same time). Since then she's put out albums on indie labels Field Recording Co. and Megaphone Music, been adored by Rolling Stone and The New York Times, and built a following for her live performances. Jennifer S. from L.A. — who suggested Katell Keineg back in June — was pretty stoked to see her live, and if the two tracks available here for download are a sign of what she heard, it must have been a unique experience. "Beautiful Day" couldn't be much farther away from the experimental sounds of "Pablo Quilla's Dream" unless it was amped-up metal instead of the sing-along, calypso-esque piece of happiness it is. So yeah, time to set "Beautiful Day" on repeat, close the blinds and pretend that's what it really is outside.

Beautiful Day [MP3, 5.3MB, 160kbps]
Pablo Quilla's Dream [MP3, 4MB, 128kbps]

www.megaphone-music.com
www.katellkeineg.com

Gertie Fox

Heart-warming, frayed guitar pop with frayed vocals to match. Their press release suggests they may be the United States' answer to Wolf Parade, who were Canada's answer to Modest Mouse (who were Seattle's answer to the Pixies...). I'll say this: they're from L.A., so they must be actors, and actors are paid to pretend they're someone else. So if they seem like they're pretending to be Wolf Parade, keep in mind they're just doing their jobs—and they're pretty good at it. These two tracks are from their new self-released album called An Imaginary Meeting in the Woods, there are a half a dozen other downloadable tracks from previous releases on their site (one of these rainy days I might link to them directly).

Modern Love [MP3, 3.3MB, 128kbps]
She’s So Married [MP3, 3.9MB, 128kbps]

www.myspace.com/gertiefox
www.gertiefox.com

Elephant Parade

Hauntingly melodic, Brooklyn's Elephant Parade betray their cumbersome name with delicate, heart-wrenching pop. A boy, a girl, a keyboard—sure it's been done before, but never so effortlessly.

Goodbye [MP3, 3.3MB, 128kbps]
Riding in Your Car [MP3, 3.8MB, 128kbps]

www.idofluk.com/elephant

Radio Citizen

Radio Citizen updates the big band concept for the hip hop generation. To be more precise, Radio Citizen is Niko Schabel, a one-man big band really, with a cast of players, including Indian-born vocalist Bajka. "The Hop's" bluesy beats, grinding organ riffs, and seductively soulful vocals resurrect trip hop's potential and tap hip hop's power and promise—the ability to combine genres and moods to create a new work of art. Radio Citizen's source genres are a potpourri of sixties jazz, funk 45s, soul, dub and reggae, afrobeat, electronica, trippy avantgarde, surf, Latin, boogaloo, and rocksteady just to name a few. Get in on this track now for an injection of soul into your usual, soul-sucking Monday.

The Hop [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]

Buy from iTunes
www.ubiquityrecords.com
myspace.com/radiocitizen

The May Bees

This one's hot outta the suggestion box. And by the way, let me just say we completely appreciate anyone who takes the time to send in a tip. I know we can take a long time to get to things, but it's the nature of the proverbial beast that is an inbox jam-packed with music. Alright, on to The May Bees—primarily a dutch duo, guitars and drums (with what looks like a rent-a-bassist), who keep their rock stripped down and ferociously lo-fi without losing an ounce of listenability. They also keep their top myspace friends to a minimum (just four), revealing obvious influences/mentors/kindred spirits—a quadraphonic godhead of American indie rock really—Guided By Voices, Grandaddy, Sonic Youth and The Pixies. And what separates The May Bees from many of the micro-indie bands we cover on this site, is that they're making a respectable run at touring, especially considering they're coming across the Atlantic to do so. This is a call for our Canadian, East Coast and Mid West readers to pencil in The May Bees when they come through your town and give 'em a warm North American welcome courtesy of 3hive.

Fields of Albany [MP3, 4.6MB, 128kbps]
Undefined Sofa Sketches [MP3, 2.3MB, 160kbps]

www.themaybees.com

Christopher Willits

Hot on the heels of his release with with Brad Laner (ex-Medicine) as North Valley Subconscious Orchestra, Christopher Willits drops this blissful solo album. Each track features layers upon layers of dreamy vocals, soaring guitars, and chirpy synths that keep washing over you until your mind is completely free. Call it shoegazer, call it stargazer, call it what you will. Just make sure you call it up on your iPod to keep you warm inside this fall.

Yellow Spring [MP3, 5MB, 128kbps]

www.ghostly.com
www.myspace.com/christopherwillits
www.christopherwillits.com

Jeremy Enigk

Jeremy Enigk’s solo debut, Return of the Frog Queen, is more than a decade old now, but it still sounds as groundbreaking as the day it came out. Enigk gave a visceral new dimension to orchestral pop by bucking accepted wisdom: Where most took the opportunity to turn rock into chamber music, Enigk converted chamber music into breathtaking anthems full of sound, soul, and fury. Shortly after, Sunny Day Real Estate released How It Feels to be Something On, one of the best rock albums of the ‘90s, if not ever. Enigk’s cryptically searching vocals seemed to sing duets with sprawling guitar wails, making it sound much larger than anyone had come to expect from an indie rock outfit. The “rumor” (in college, anything with religious undertones automatically became uncorroborated and vaguely suspect) was that Enigk was in crisis but had been born again, and this was his grand purge. Whatever the motivation, How It Feels… sounded like the album I’d always wanted to hear and I still listen to it at least once a month. Which brings us to the aptly titled World Waits, Enigk’s second solo album and two bands removed from his debut. The cheesy thing to say would be that it’s been worth the wait, but the truth is that it has. “Been Here Before” is a perfect sample of where Enigk has found himself. His two lives – the orch-pop wunderkind with the most distinct cracked tenor in music meets the indie-rock frontman of intense introspection – intersect beautifully. Enigk’s secret is that he is capable of grasping for something beyond himself. Yet, like the more emotionally dramatic moments of Pink Floyd (Wish You Were Here) and the universally reflective side of U2, Enigk doesn’t need to know what it is he’s grasping for. He’s happy just knowing that there's something out there to grasp.

Been Here Before [MP3, 5.8MB, 192kbps]

www.lewishollow.com
myspace.com/jeremyenigk

The Low Hello

I'm hoping the Detroit Tigers will put on a better show in the coming days than they did Tuesday night. Yuck, that was ugly. What's not ugly from Detroit are the sounds of The Low Hello and their lead singer Sunil Sawani, featured in the post below. (Sunil's voice isn't exactly pretty, but that's a comment for the next post.) We haven't posted much from Detroit lately, so these low-fi, homemade pop songs — comprising The Low Hello's EP, which they apparently give away for free at their gigs, as well as online — should make up for our D-town dearth. Anyway, if you like what you hear here, move on to the next post...

Nostalgia Makes Confusion [MP3, 2.8MB, 126kbps]
Recess [MP3, 2.7MB, 117kbps]
Lying Down [MP3, 2.7MB, 177kbps]
New Kind of Stress [MP3, 2.2MB, 138kbps]
Down Side [MP3, 2.5MB, 88kbps]

thelowhello.com

Sunil Sawani

...and check out some of the solo work of the band's lead singer. (If you don't know where the first part of the first sentence is, direct your Internet browser to The Low Hello. See what I mean?) Sunil Sawani's solo stuff sounds similar to that of his band, maybe with a bit more intropection and melancholy, but still with his weak, nasal voice (that was kind of getting to me after a while). But hey, according to his website, Sunil is getting married on Saturday, so let's not pick on him. Instead, let's hope it doesn't snow (assuming he's marrying in Michigan).

Hard to Be [MP3, 3.4MB, 128kbps]
Big Arm [MP3, 2.8MB, 128kbps]

sunilsawani.com

Serengeti

Remember back on Saturday when I posted Polyphonic the Verbose? Man, those were the days... Anyway, Chicagoland MC Serengeti guests on Polyphonic's album and I found myself wanting to hear more. And more is what I got this week in the form of an email from Serengeti's publicist. Get your "rewind" finger ready, if only for the ill shout-outs on "Dennehy" (yes, as in Brian Dennehy). Here's a taste: "Vacation place: 'sconsin, sausage: Johnson, chicken: Swanson's..."

Dennehy [MP3, 3.9 MB, 128kbps]
iPod [MP3, 3.1MB, 128kbps]
Lineage [MP3, 3.9MB, 128kbps]

www.bonafyde.net
www.myspace.com/serengetiking

Tim Fite

He's a little bit country; he's a little bit rock 'n' roll; he's a little bit hip-hop. He's straight outta Brooklyn. He's Tim Fite. Basically, Mr. Fite builds songs around hip-hop loops and beats, infusing the tracks with folk's lyrical sensibilities. "Away From the Snakes," for example, follows country's song template: "I lost my dog, I lost my wife, I lost my money." Then, on "No Good Here," he'll fracture an upbeat, diddy-of-a-riff, with rock's explosive power. Consider him Beck's East Coast brother-in-arms, ten years later, but mining the same, largely untapped source of urban-folk gems. If cursing offends, beware. If cursing delights, dig in.

No Good Here [MP3, 3.3MB, 128kbps]
Forty-Five Remedies [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]
Away From the Snakes [MP3, 5.3MB, 192kbps]

Buy from iTunes
www.anti.com
www.timfite.com

The Blood Thirsty Lovers

With that fancy new banner we got here at 3hive, prominently listing Memphis first, it's about time we got around to something Memphis, ain't it? Who can be more Memphis (besides Elvis, smarty-pants) than Dave Shouse, in this carnation with friends as the Blood Thirsty Lovers? Shouse is well known round these parts for Think As Incas, the Grifters, and Those Bastard Souls, among others, and his lifelong devotion to guitars and noise. And speaking of Elvis, did I ever mention that my mom taught his cousin 7th grade math?

1,000 Light Years [MP3, 4.9MB, 160kbps]
The Conversation [MP3, 5.3MB, 160kbps]

www.frenchkissrecords.com

The Mary Onettes

Sam, Clay and I bicker constantly about who's gonna post the latest treat from Sweden's ever-so-sweet Labrador Records. Thanks to Jason over at Mystery and Misery (and newly Minimal) I've won this round. The Mary Onettes not only have a playful '80s era air about their name, they've also captured the artful earnestness of the decade's music. "Lost" devos open with a driving drum beat that leads into a jangly, New Order guitar riff and A Flock of Seagulls keyboard flourish. On paper it sounds like a disaster, but to the ear it's pure, um, music. They drop things down a few notches on "What's So Strange?" an acoustic-y, track bordering on gentle, psychedelic XTC. Next time your parents complain that "They just don't make music like they used to!" give 'em a dose of The Mary Onettes.

Lost [MP3, 2.6MB, 160kbps]
Void [MP3, 6.3MB, 256kbps]
What's So Strange? [MP3, 2.3MB, 96kbps]

www.labrador.se
www.themaryonettes.net