The Slew

Leave it to Kid Koala to roust me from my blogging negligence...well, Koala and friends. DJ extraordinaire Kid Koala and indie hip-hop producer Dynomite D had been working on the score to a documentary D's cousin Jay Rowlands was making about an obscure '70s psych rock band called The Slew. Known mostly among obsessive record collectors, who pay as much as $1000 for a copy of the band's only album, Dust Collector, of which there are only 50 copies in existence. The documentary got shelved as enigmatic frontman (didn't you just know there was an "enigmatic frontman" in this story?) Jack Slew backed out. Koala and D already had already remixed and retooled a lot of The Slew's material. When Chris Ross and Myles Heskett, the former rhythm section of Wolfmother, heard the tracks, they offered to help perform the tracks live so the music could be heard by more ears. So this fall, they're taking their show (reportedly involving six turntables) on the road, which is the only place where you can get this soundtrack-to-a-non-existent-movie-featuring-remixes-of-tracks-you've-probably-never-heard-before-by-a-band-you've-probably-never-heard-of-before, simply titled 100%. Check Kid Koala's site for tour dates. (Looks like the closest it's coming to the Motor City is Chicago...or the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa).

from 100% (2009):
It's All Over [MP3, 8MB, 320kbps]

You Turn Me Cold [MP3, 7.7MB, 320kbps]

nufonia.com
www.myspace.com/kidkoalaonesandtwos
www.myspace.com/dynomited

PDX Pop Now! 2009

Today we're happy to serve up a North West smorgasbord. However, unless you can get to the Portland area within the next 48 hours or so, this post won't do you much good. There are the MP3s. Have at 'em. That's the reason why you're here ain't it? This year marks the fifth time the good people of Portland have put their collective musicheads together for a weekend of free live music. The fantastic thing about the aforementioned people of Portland is that they're doing this all out of the goodness of their hearts. Bands, businesses, and residents all volunteer their time to put on this grassroots festival which has spawned action packed compilations that help raise money and awareness for the festival. I wouldn't mind it a bit if I were actually there this weekend enjoying the music, the weather, the wonderful city, and of course a healthy Powell's browse would top things off nicely. If only... Included are songs from a few bands playing this weekend. And if your attendance is more than my pipe dream, here's the link to the schedule.

The Shaky Hands - We Are Young [MP3, 3.1MB, 178kbps]
Menomena - Wet & Rusting [MP3, 4.9MB, 192kbps]
Explode Into Colors - Paper (Hot Sax version) [MP3, 3.5MB, 192kbps]
Jared Mees & The Grown Children - The Tallest Building in Hell [MP3, 7MB, 192kbps]
Ethan Rose and Laura Gibson - Sun [MP3, 4.4MB, 192kbps]
Nice Nice - Cold Sweat Part XVI
[MP3, 2.4MB, 128kbps]

www.pdxpopnow.com

The Boy Koan

Sonically, my Memorial Day weekend has been marked by the sizzle of meat, screams and splashes from kids in the pool, and the hearty blaring of these two tracks from the nearest sound system and my own vocal chords. New York's The Boy Koan has me geeked to start summer, or maybe I'm just geeked for summer to start. One thing's for sure, I'm geeked on The Boy Koan—they're the first band that I've ever asked to send me their lyrics. On second thought, that may simply say more about my thorough lack of thoroughness. I get the same tingly sensations from "Beasts from More Rustic Days" as I did when I first heard Grandaddy's Under The Western Freeway. And "My Russian Doll" fires up pogo reflexes with its '90s new wave gang vocals giving way to Mark E. Smith-like lackadaisical lilting on the bridge. It's hard to believe this is the band's first recorded efforts and that the usual purveyors of all things indie between here and there haven't been giving this sleeper of a debut more blog space. I'd be surprised if the lack of coverage lasted long.

Beasts From More Rustic Days [MP3, 7.9MB, 256kbps]
My Russian Doll [MP3, 6.6MB, 256kbps]

www.myspace.com/theboykoan

Photons

Photons will be releasing three EP's this year, the first of which is Glory!, out tomorrow via Insound.com. "Where Were You Last Night" continues the raucous party, still with bassoon.

Original Post Oct 20, 2008:
In trying to figure out what to write about San Francisco's Photons, I had several paths in mind. Working in the musical history of the city by the Bay, or coming up with something witty about their eclectic pop. Then I remembered the line from the top of their Myspace page that says all you need to know before downloading and listening: "Now with Bassoon!"

From Glory! EP:
Where Were You Last Night

Others:

This Must Be Love [MP3, MB, kbps]
Animals [MP3, MB, kbps]

myspace.com/photonsrock
www.insound.com

William Fitzsimmons

I haven’t decided if William Fitzsimmons is a bastard with an irritating beard, or the undiscovered perfect boyfriend I missed sitting in the back of my most boring college class. Perhaps he’s both, and maybe I dated his evil angelic twin. Joseph, the boy who knew he’d never fight with his true love; the artist who was so sure he’d leave his young family in the dark of night.

Fitzsimmons' most recent album, “The Sparrow and the Crow” is about divorce. His divorce, but I’m certain any divorcee could glean some ah-ha from listening. Call it music to listen to once you’ve accepted what has happened, comfortable with it or not. With a Master’s Degree in mental health you have to hope he’s got solid ideas about the delicacy of marriage. The joy that aches.

If You Would Come Back Home is officially on repeat in my head, rarely interrupted for a week. It’s a nice sunshine melancholy soundtrack to the spectacularly mundane everyday stuff. He understands what took me so long to see, good writing is not about the fanciest words, it’s about the perfect arrangement of the most simple words.

(by our friend Emily M.)

If You Would Come Back Home [MP3, 8.8MB, 320kbps]

www.williamfitzsimmons.com

Not Waving But Drowning

A few years ago I went to a political fundraiser where it was decided everyone would more likely hand over their pennies if all the begging was disguised as a hoe down. BBQ beef on rolls as big as your head, piles of potato salad and hay. Bales and bales of hay. Cowboy boots on hundreds of people with too much money who’d never even seen a cow in real life.

Not Waving But Dancing is not this type of hoe down. It is decidedly more hopeless. Like a drunken fest in a Romanian Gypsy camp. At this hoe down Peter the Great would show you his baby skeletons in his cabinet of curiosities; you’d see less teeth, more fishnet, more velvet. With or without alcohol you’d feel yourself moving slower.

(by our friend Emily M.)

Let's Go Dancing [MP3, 4.7MB, 192kbps]
Maypole [MP3, 4.8MB, 192kbps]

www.wavingdrowning.com

King Loses Crown

I recall an interview with Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins many years ago where he said that in his head the music he wrote sounded like death metal. I get the same sense with King Loses Crown. While this San Francisco duo exercises their love of hooks and synthesizers analog and digital, somewhere in their heads perhaps their music sounds more like death metal than the electronic power-rock of their self-titled debut EP.

My Revenge [MP3, 3.1MB, 192kbps]
Dallas Doesn't Love You [MP3, 3.9MB, 192kbps]

kinglosescrown.com/

Rae Spoon

Rae Spoon is, according to the publicists, "one of the world’s only transgender country singers." He's also a clever songwriter and a bit of a wit, and really not all that country, at least on his most recent release, superioryouareinferior. This disc is a trip through musical styles, from lo-fi indie pop to mod folk. Drop a buck and download "If You Lose Your Horses" if you're looking for a classic country track, or check out the album's opener for an example of Spoon's songwriting smarts — I never knew I wanted to write a song for the Great Lakes until I heard his. Oh, and if you're looking for a record full of what it means to be a transgender country singer, you might want to keep on looking, because this isn't it.

Come On Forest Fire Burn The Disco Down [MP3, 4.3MB, 192kbps]

www.raespoon.com
www.myspace.com/raespoon

Travels

Mona and Anar were destined to make this music together. That's the only explanation of how they can (seemingly) effortlessly create such beautiful, personal, intimate, and delicate music. Their second LP The Hot Summer is out now, again self-released; why there aren't labels lining up to get their John Hancocks on the dotted line is beyond me.

Original Post Sept 17, 2007:
Travels is the duo of Mona Elliott of the band Victory at Sea and Anar Badalov of Metal Hearts. The two met and fell in love while their bands toured together, and Mona has recently battled breast cancer. So they have quite a lot of emotion to put into their deliberate and simple music, which is full of a sense of togetherness and enjoyment that could only come from their combination.

The Forgotten [MP3, 3.3MB, 160kbps]
Favorite People [MP3, 3.1MB, 160kbps]

myspace.com/travelsband
thebirdsaresleeping.blogspot.com/

Intricate Machines

L.A.'s Intricate Machines seem to find inspiration in their own name, taking an intricate approach in their creation of pop music. They don't necessarily pay more attention to the details in their music than anyone else; that's impossible to judge. It's just that the details and textures on which they elaborate are less obvious than most. Really, it's just my roundabout way of saying they have a roundabout way of getting to the hooks in their songs. Intricate Machines require time to soak, simmer, and settle. If you're willing to give them that time you'll find plenty of pleasures to sink your chops into. Considering the minute attention span of music consumers these days, Intricate Machines take a big risk attempting to break into the indie scene with less than immediate hooks. This ain't no microwave meal; this is some slow-cooking, crock pot rock. You may have noticed I haven't mentioned exactly what Intricate Machines sound like. This is deliberate. I don't want to contribute to the instant-gratification impulse they've obviously worked hard to avoid. Enjoy the journey.

*Show notes: Intricate Machines play this week in L.A. Click here for details.

From IM EP (2008):
Ocean Sky [MP3, 3.7MB, 160kbps]

Exclusive forthcoming album track:
Wooden Roof [MP3, 5.6MB, 128kbps]

www.intricatemachines.com
www.myspace.com/intricatemachines

Loyal Divide

This makes me sick! (Well, the sick feeling probably comes from the dizzying bout of Neuritis I've been battling for the past week. Makes typing a bit tedious.) Peeved may be a better word. Either way, I can't believe I let 2008 lapse without mentioning my favorite EP to come our way at the end of the year. Chicago's Loyal Divide is at once cold and earthy, shoe-gazey and trip hop, Nine Inch Nails and Autolux, Laurie Anderson and Portishead. Your not so typical post-industrial-shoe-goth if you don't mind me taking such liberties. "Labrador" is tethered to time as the track unwinds into a chugging locomotive pace, driven by Can's tribal basslines, until ethereal vocals hauntingly give way to a languid narrative about a dog with "blackest eyes and softest mouth / she buried her bones behind the house / she grabbed a bird trying to steal my food / she squeezed its head until it cooed." The vocals float along through punchy bass-lines and electronic tickings and tweets as everything but the bassline drop out, then rush back in. The Loyal Divide creates the most compellingly textured music I've heard from a new artist in some time.

Labrador [MP3, 5.2MB, 160kbps]

www.theloyaldivide.com
www.myspace.com/loyaldivide

Wintermitts

Wintermitts is a quartet from Vancouver, that inexplicably chipper Canadian raintown that is lax on the doobie laws and serious about its pop music. Wintermitts is so serious that it features accordion and flute regularly and bring in horns, harmonica, melodica, and even glockenspiel for extra-special occasions. If that weren't enough, they're also serious conservationists — they gave away an Heirloom tomato seedling with their previous CD, aptly, Heirloom. But wait...there's more. They sing in French sometimes, and sometimes is perfect because us monolinguists can enjoy how they make an octopus a symbol for true love (really, it's not far-fetched at all once you know that octopi have three hearts) in English and then enjoy whatever blah blah blah they're saying in French on tracks like "Petit Monstre." Seriously, Lise Monique Oakley can be singing about emptying the litter box for all I know and I still want to grab her and say "Kiss me, mon amour!"

DANS [MP3, 4.6MB, 192kbps]
Crossing Bridges [MP3, 3.7MB, 192kbps]
Ghost Note [MP3, 3.9MB, 192kbps]
Petit Monstre [MP3, 5.7MB, 192kbps]
Octopus [MP3, 2.6MB, 160kbps]

wintermitts.com
myspace.com/lisemusic

Eagle and Talon

I love the way "Georgia" meanders its way into my consciousness. It opens in the middle of an off-the-cuff saxophone riff, then the low-end guitar joins in and finally the sweet, laid-back double vocals of Kim Talon beckon my full attention, and unlike Odysseus I'm fresh out of beeswax, so I can't plug up my ears to avoid certain destruction. Or certain seduction in this case. There's a bit of nostalgia at work for me with Eagle & Talon. I love Kim's double-voice work like I loved Julie & Gretchen's vocals in Mary's Danish, although Eagle and Talon's low-fi, earthy production and their stop/start rockin' and slowin' recall Sleater-Kinney's red light, green light energy. Lyrically, Eagle and Talon cover all stages and consequences of desire, from the lead up in "Hot Caught" to the act in "One Lark;" then you're living with the product of that desire from birth, "Georgia," through high school, "Ice Life." Eagle and Talon provide an alluring soundtrack to the entire cycle.

Georgia [MP3, 5.4MB, 160kbps]
Hot Country [MP3, 4.4MB, 160kbps]

www.eagleandtalon.com

The Hush Now

A couple of weeks ago, I was putting together some mix CDs for my wife for her birthday and, as usually happens, I loaded them up with Hall & Oates. She likes them. I say I don’t. Yet the truth is that not only is there an H&O song that is indelible in our romantic history, but those goofy-looking dudes wrote some pretty fine pop songs. There, I said it. The Hush Now said it, too. The poppy quartet is fronted by Noel Kelly, who almost died listening to Queen and who draws on The Apples in Stereo and Built to Spill, among others, for comparison to their frenetic power chords and his own melancholy tenor. But, for all of their “indie-pop-shoegazer” (their words, not mine) name-dropping, it’s that touch of Darryl and John that gets me every time.

Sadie Hawkins Dance [MP3, 5.7MB, 192kbps]

myspace.com/TheHushNow
www.thehushnow.com

Sam Bennett

Sam Bennett's music is for the post-sarcastic, post-ironic believer in &mdash what did Obama call it? oh yeah — the audacity of hope within all (some? a few?) of us. As Detroit lurches towards extinction right down the expressway from my house, I'm thinking the honest, upbeat, youthful dreaminess of this British singer-songwriter will temper the total depression that's surely going to soak southeast Michigan. (Either that, or a huge meteorite will blast us into oblivion; right now, I'll take Bennett's positivity instead.) Listen to "I Love" first to get a sense of what to expect, then check out "I Am A Lighthouse" if you're still into it. And for those of you who are all snarky, who live in a state where the unemployment rate is lower than a typical mortgage rate, for those of you who are still listening to that which celebrates our impending darkness, don't even bother. Personally, I think we need more lighthouses among us.

I Love [MP3, 3.2MB, 192kbps]
I Am A Lighthouse [MP3, 4.4MB, 192kbps]

www.sam-bennett.co.uk

We Landed on the Moon!

Sometimes you just need to dance when you're sweeping the kitchen floor. Sometime you just need to bounce in your seat on a long drive home. Sometimes you just need to let this Baton Rouge band fill your ears with their dance-y take on 90's rock after spending time digging through your old shoegaze albums to get your head back to reality. And sometimes I talk about myself in the second person.

Re: Your Letter [MP3, 4.2MB, 192kbps]
The Night Was Open [MP3, 6.8MB, 192kbps]

www.welandedonthemoon.com

Love Grenades

This track is a gem among gems on the new Accidental Rhythm compilation curated by Jason Eldredge and Jeremy Wineberg, a couple L.A. lads who are all that and a bag of chips. Hickory BBQ, my current fave. Need to spice up your life? Then boogie on down to this saucy track. This thing is all groove: brown chicken, brown cow! (What's the lead-in to that punchline?) and as classic as anything off Thriller, without all that Neverland baggage. Instead you get the gorgeous and sultry Liz Wight. Priceless. I should stop gushing now. If you're in L.A. you can judge for yourself—they're playing the Echo the next two Fridays.

Tigers in the Fire [MP3, 4.4MB, 160kbps]

www.myspace.com/lovegrenades

The Gay Blades

Clark from The Gay Blades sat down and recorded this song a few days after he heard that Paul Newman had passed away. He, like myself and many others, thought Paul Newman was about as good as actors, and men, got. Perhaps he just wanted to remember Newman or perhaps he wanted to offer a eulogy. Whatever it was, he picked well. In Cool Hand Luke Newman sang “Plastic Jesus” to mourn the death of his mother. Clark sings it as much more of a celebration, which you get the feeling would have suited Newman just fine.

Plastic Jesus [MP3, 1.9MB, 192kbps]

www.thegayblades.com
myspace.com/gayblades

Frank Hoier

There’s nothing like a good protest song. There are plenty such songs—heck, whole bands, that just aren’t any fun. They take themselves so seriously and make music for people with no sense of humor or joie de vivre. That ain’t me, ‘coz I get the joie, baby! So does Frank Hoier. I bet if he watched the U.S. Vice Presidential debate last night, he started strumming “Jesus Don’t Give Tax Breaks to the Rich” about halfway through. And I bet if his bandmates the Weber Brothers were there with him, they started strumming and picking right along. And I bet that if anyone else was there, they all clapped and stomped their feet and sang along. And I bet instead of getting angry at the people who might rule the free world in a couple of months, they all smiled, laughed, and felt the joie!

Jesus Don’t Give Tax Breaks to the Rich [MP3, 5.2MB, 320kbps]

www.frankhoier.com
myspace.com/FrankHoier

Rickolus

You reap what you share. Here's proof. A reader tipped me off to this prolific Floridian after encountering Radical Face on 3hive. Something's obviously been brewing off the coast down there in Jacksonville, FL. Rickolus is one Richard Colado, who sings for the band The Julius Airwave, and he can't seem to sit still for long. Below are songs from each of his five albums, recorded in as many years, with probably double the friends (including Ben Cooper AKA Radical Face). The recordings are inspired both thematically and sonically by everything from Colado's children, video game music, anime, friends, to his own backyard. Winter's Daughter is an intimate and introspective epic fable of, presumably, Colado's children. American Backyard has a certain back-porch-folksy feel, Video Game Birthday Party's darkly festive mood depends heavily on Casios and Korgs, and Soundtrack... predictably, but not disappointingly, sounds more cinematic. With the exception of the latter, Colado's melancholic vocals accompany most of the songs. The quality and quantity of Rickolus' music is worth way more than the word-of-mouth plug I'm offering here. And considering every song from every album is yours for the sharing it wouldn't hurt donating a dime or two when you drop by for more downloads.

single [2008]:
There is No Parade [MP3, 9.8MB, 320kbps]

from A Winter's Daughter [2008]:
Maryn [MP3, 10.6MB, 320kbps]

from American Backyard [2007]:
Backyard Baby [MP3, 7.0MB, 224kbps]

from Video Game Birthday Party [2007]:
Sae La Dee [MP3, 5.3MB, 224kbps]

from Rivers and Lakes [2003]:
Part One [MP3, 6.2MB, 224kbps]

from Soundtrack for a Movie That's Never Been Made [2004]:
Lute [MP3, 2.1MB, 224kbps]

from Other People's Songs:
Cermony (Joy Division cover) [MP3, 5.1MB, 224kbps]

www.iamrickolus.com

Hifiklub

Hot off the French Riviera and into my suburban home, a bike ride away from a large, democratic swath of California beach, via our trusty suggestion box is Hifiklub. Their album was produced by Earl Slick, best known for his guitar work on Bowie's Young Americans and Station to Station albums. The first single, "Babe Doll" starts off with a Blur-esque dance beat, moaning guitars lead to spoken/sung vocals, the guitars go all angular, and then they're just Dave Allen's deadly bass groove shy of ushering in France's Gang of Four resurgence. The band was kind enough to offer up a second track off their album, French Accent, which we're happy to pass along to you even though thematically it's the antithesis to our little "sharing the sharing" project here. Yep, it's all about stealing from your favorite bands, but in the artsy sense of the word, not in that smarmy blogging way of stealing.

Babe Doll [MP3, 2.5MB, 128kbps]
Records Made from Records [MP3, 2.6MB, 128kbps]

www.hifiklub.com
myspace.com/hifiklub

The Upallnights

In this time of political posturing and ramblin' rhetoric I've found someone with whom I can agree: Introducing The Upallnights, who have proposed the following plan for potential supporters: "Let's go to the airport and catch a random flight...Let's got to where the governments don't lie and everything you eat tastes like blueberry pie." If they're including a scoop of vanilla bean ice-cream in the deal, count me in! The Upallnights are nothing more than four unassuming lads from Stockholm armed with guitars, drums, blasting out jangly punk pop bullets that will keep your feet dancing. The cover of their new EP, Factory Sessions, should give you an idea of the band's modus operandi. If you're unfamiliar with the concept of young boys with light sabers, let me tell you they mean business. Stay out of their way, cuz they, um, just wanna have fun.

Blueberry Pie [MP3, 5.5MB, 197kbps]
Endless Night [MP3, 6.6MB, 199kbps]
Bang! Bang! Bang! (Shoot My Way Out of Here [MP3, 6.2MB, 200kbps]

"Blueberry Pie" [video]

theupallnights.googlepages.com
www.myspace.com/theupallnights

The Laureates

This post marks my return from "The Last Frontier," Alaska. Yes, I've spent the last couple weeks far removed from what I consider civilization, cavorting with cohos, bears, foxes, moose, and mosquitoes. And the hot-fudge milkshake at Lucky Wishbone in Anchorage (oh man, they'd burn the hot-fudge just a bit for a palate pleasing punch. Heaven!). We did spend a few days in the wilderness, about fifteen miles north west of Willow where I mostly hung around the banks of the Deshka River with a fishing pole, coaxing those silver salmon onto my hook. Don't mistake me for an outdoorsman though. My idea of the outdoors is the not-so-desolate stretch of the Pacific Ocean where I'm never too far from the Ahi Steak Sandwich at TK Burger. Once home, I stopped by the over-flowing post office box to begin catching up on music. The Laureates lured me in first with their brightly packaged advance of their debut album There are No More Gentlemen. I was easily hooked by their raw, '60s freakbeat sound and their jerky, syncopated rhythms. A couple early Laureates fans beat me to some apt descriptions like "equal parts paisley and punk" and "Interpol produced by Phil Spector." Absolutely right up my alley. You can also download their first EP off their site.

Your Filthy Eastern Ways [MP3, 5.4MB, 160kbps]
Nothing Is Perfect [MP3, 3.0MB, 160kbps]

www.laureatesmusic.com

The Locals

The Locals e-mailed me some time ago suggesting that their indie-rock and my literary-minded randomness would work well together. (Hey, thanks for reading the posts!) Plus, they're from Chicago and I used to live there too. And they've got this thing for a Danger Boy doll (go ahead, check the website) and 3hive's good friend Dave used to go by that exact same nickname. Also, The Locals totally have this tight '80s kind of thing going on, and I just love that sound. Therefore, I'm happy to offer up their hard work for free and legal download. And to congratulate the band on the recent release of Big Picture, their new album. And to say, to any reader who made it this far, "Tidal Wave" is pop beauty, catchy and hook-filled and summery and fun. "Big Picture" and "Perfect World" are more calm, more retrospective, but with nice heavy guitars and big drums. And The Locals rock, straight up.

Tidal Wave [MP3, 7MB, 320kbps]
Big Picture [MP3, 10.2MB, 320kbps]
Perfect World [MP3, 10.2MB, 320kbps]

www.localsrock.com

Zoos of Berlin

I'm at least six months late in writing about this Detroit-based quintet, which gives me the luxury (or burden) of reacting not only to their music, but to others' reactions to their music. One rarely hears Zoos of Berlin mentioned without a reference to Brian Eno and David Bowie collabos. And while there are certainly similarities, especially in Trevor Naud's cool, spacey vocals, to focus on that is to miss the range that Zoos demonstrate live, or even in the three songs on their debut EP. "Below the Old House" serves up ebullient psychedelia then resolves in a trance-inducing ending. "Speak Well of Manderlay" romps and stomps about with an amped-up Baroque air. Then there's "On Large Amusements," my personal favorite, which fits a sprawling shoegazerly jam into an efficient two-and-a-half minutes—leaving you hungry for more. They've kindly permitted us to make all three tracks available for download so you can decide for yourself which Zoos of Berlin you like the most. Have fun.

Below the Old House [MP3, 4.9MB, 192kbps]
Speak Well of Manderlay [MP3, 5.9MB, 192kbps]
On Large Amusements [MP3, 3.7MB, 192kbps]

www.myspace.com/zoosofberlin

Wild Years

Basically everything I know about Ann Arbor's Wild Years is found on their myspace page. So download the song below, a twirling, whirling electronic piece, then head to their myspace page and grab their two EP's for free. The older one has definite folk leanings, so knowing they pretty much make whatever music they want goes right along their dabblings in performance art.

Half Japaneez Girl [MP3, 2.9MB, 192kbps]

myspace.com/wildyearsmusic

Zooey

I think it's pretty safe to say that you won't be hearing about Zooey from many other music sites. A few weeks ago the band sent out an email blast and they forgot to BCC their mailing list. Ouch! Poor Zooey got an earful about that faux pas. Instead of drinking the Haterade I thought I'd listen in on what Zooey had to offer. I was pleasantly surprised by their semi-easy-listening-electronica. Zooey recently remixed "Change of Destination" by Monade and, if you can imagine, they made it even bubblier than the original. "Little Thunder" is brand new music while "You Gave Your Love to Me Softly" and "Rendez-vous" are from their 2005 self-released LP Pique-nique et jeux dans l'eau, which you can download in its entirety. Zooey is sweet, playful, and with the exception of their little "accident," perfectly charming.

Little Thunder [MP3, 5.1MB, 192kbps]
You Gave Your Love to Me Softly [MP3, 2.4MB, 160kbps]
Rendez-vous [MP3, 4.8MB, 160kbps]

www.frannyandzooey.org
www.myspace.com/zooeyzooey

Bell

Is Olga Bell a Bjork sound-a-like? Not exactly. She probably gets asked this a lot, so to combat the similarities between their grand and ethereal Scandinavian voices--she cleverly decided to answer this question by starting with tribute. covering a Bjork track! She's firmly not-Bjork. Nor is she Bjork-lite. When I first heard Bell, I was so-so on the whole thing. As when smelling a glass of wine, I was getting over-strong notes of the aforementioned Icelandic star and Radiohead. But my friend Seth kept telling me how much he loved her, so I kept listening. Where I ended up with was this: Bell is a singer whose personality comes through in her voice, a love for the staccato beat and someone I have come to really like listening to. I also love that she is Russian born, Alaska-reared and has somehow ended up in my own beloved Brooklyn. She also calls her laptop and instrument. And while I have been a detractor re: "laptops are music!" for ages, I'm kind of willing to buy that in her case.

Echinacea [MP3, 3.5MB, 128kbps]

www.olgabell.com
http://www.myspace.com/whoisbell

Bikini

Here's a little something to keep an eye on, Montreal duo Bikini. Alisa mentioned their Feist cover sounds like a sleepy Daft Punk ("hey honey, you never read 3hive, but why don't start writing for us??" It won't happen. She's blog-phobic. Says they make her feel like a voyeur. Yeah, what's wrong with that?). The one original they've posted for the world to hear, "I Remember Being Young," quickly stuttered and warbled its way into my head and had me grooving out with some impressive air knob twiddling. The song seems to be an homage to childhood, something like "hole in your shoe, everyone can study, everyone can sing...sunrise is meant to get up, sunset's meant to fall asleep..." Really hooky, but way too short. Keep that thing going! Spin it around the block one more time! Bikini will reveal more when they release their EP next month.

1234 (Feist Cover) [MP3, 3.1MB, 128kbps]
I Remember Being You [MP3, 2.3MB, 128kbps]

www.myspace.com/bikinii

Daniel Ahearn

While Daniel Ahearn's group project, Ill Lit, was one of our earliest posts, they never really enjoyed proper coverage on this site. Now's the time to make up for such an oversight. Ahearn emerges with a solo EP almost two years after Ill Lit's self-released album, Tom Cruise. To be honest, it's not much different from Ill Lit's electro-tinged americana sound. That's a good thing. The difference is Ahearn wrote the songs on Pray for Me By Name so that he felt comfortable playing them alone with an acoustic guitar. Rather than painting himself into a corner, this restraint, this simplification allows Ahearn to create a small masterpiece in "Down for the Count." A gritty keyboard groove opens the song with a bounce, then smoothes out giving way to a soft, sweet, soaring chorus. Don't let the gentle tone fool you. Ahearn couches both the ups and downs, the sunshine and the Santa Anas, of West Coast living in one friendly tune.

Down for the Count [MP3, 5.5MB, 192kbps]

Buy from iTunes
www.myspace.com/danielahearn

Mass Solo Revolt

Time to hit Athens again with the indie rock of Mass Solo Revolt. Other reviewers, publicists, and music sources bring up the apparent 90's indie rock influences of MSR, listing off the obvious suspects, but what else would one expect of a band that grew up on said influences? MSR, though, aren't content with just mimicing; they have an earnestness that shows they're doing what they want to do. The Flaming Lips, Dinosaur, Jr., Superchunk, The Wedding Present, and (personal fave) the Grifters have been known to have that effect on impressionable young ears.

The Site... [MP3, 5.4MB, 192kbps]

masssolorevolt.com

Twin Tiger

I recently caught the last hour or so of the classic documentary Athens, Georgia Inside/Out. That LP was probably the most used vinyl of the summer between high school graduation and my freshman year of college, Love Tractor and Pylon being two of my faves at the time.

Athens has continued to be an almost non-stop source of bands over the years, of all types and sounds, so it's natural that the pysch-tinged, shoegaze-influenced rock of Twin Tigers would hail from the capital of alterna-rock, forming, playing, putting out an EP and touring from Georgia to Texas to Michigan, all in about 6 months. Ah, the innocence of youth, making music the way they want to, and seeing what happens. That's Athens for you.

If [MP3, 5.2MB, 192kbps]

myspace.com/thetwintigers

Joe Pug

There's been a fair amount of turmoil in my life of late: relocation from The Big Northeastern City to The Little Southern City, new job, first house, first child—basically we've inadvertently fit all of the major milestones of adulthood into about a 12-month span. It's got me a little out of sorts, which may explain why I've gravitated more than normal toward singer-songwriters. Surely I'm softening in my mid-30s, but there's just something about an acoustic guitar and a single voice that brings focus to my overactive mind. Joe Pug's voice and guitar have a particular resonance in this regard. Pug is a Chicago carpenter by day and a troubadour by night. He possesses the eyes, mop, and even a hint of the vocal cords of a young Bob Dylan. More importantly, he possesses the strumming fingers and lush songbook of an all-American folk singer. In Pug's hard plucking, exaggerated choruses, and lyrical vignettes you can draw a pretty straight line from Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan to Johnny Cash to Bruce Springsteen to Steve Earle to Josh Ritter. Like all of them, Pug is a populist at heart, a singer who can't help but talk about all of us when he sings about himself and can't help but sing about himself when he's talking about all of us. I'm a sucker for a good line and this one from "Hymn #101" is one of my favorites right now: "I've come to meet the sheriff and his posse/ to offer him the broad side of my jaw/ I've come here to get broke/ and maybe bum a smoke/ we'll go drinkin' two towns over after all." It could just be a comic-tragic put-on and you probably have to feel some turmoil yourself to truly appreciate it, but "Hymn #101" is full of lines that will fill you with both heartbreak and euphoria. It's good to be reminded that that's why we listen to music in the first place.

Hymn #101 [MP3, 4.4MB, 128kbps]
Call It What You Will [MP3, 4.1MB, 192kbps]

www.joepugmusic.com
www.myspace.com/thejoepug

Reeve Oliver

Did you notice? Reeve Oliver's initials are R.O., the first two letters in the word "rock." You know where I'm going with this don't you? Well, they do! They rock like alternative radio circa the late '90s when bands like Foo Fighters were ruling the airwaves and alternative radio wasn't all that alternative any more. Reeve Oliver is one of those no-it's-not-a-dude-but-the-name-of-their-band bands from San Diego who recently recorded their second album courtesy of a major label only to have the major label back out of the deal. Luckily, the band was able to get control of the record so it didn't end up getting shelved, out of sight, out of mind for years. A few songs on this new album are re-recordings of previous releases, the band wisely choosing to spend big money production on their strongest songs, e.g. "Yer Motion." I dig the band's oh, so tasty melodies, melodies you wouldn't usually hear on a rock record. They remind me a lot of Erik Voek's lithe vocal melodies, a genius, under-the-radar pop recluse that I can never get enough of. And really, when you've got a secret weapon like O. (Olivelawn, Fluf) up your sleeve it's pwnage time. Play often, play loud, play now.

Yer Motion [MP3, 4.7MB, 192kbps]
Open Face Daryl [MP3, 3.5MB, 192kbps]

Buy from iTunes
www.reeveoliver.com
www.myspace.com/reeveoliver

Rench

Nope, I didn't mess up on those genres up there. Rench is a Brooklyn-based producer who mixes old bluegrass and country samples with a standup band that includes slide guitar and fiddle, and he pulls it all together with hip hop beats and splits vocals between country guys and gals and underground emcees from around the way. If your head's about to explode, join the club. The mere thought of it in abstract made me think of those fun but mostly throwaway "crossovers" like Hayseed Dixie and The Gourds' "Gin & Juice." But hey, if Snoop Dogg's gonna show up at the CMT Awards and Clinton and Obama are gonna keep fighting over who really has his or her finger on the pulse of America, we may as well get down to mashups of extreme urban and rural. And you will get down. It doesn't all work, but when Rench hits it, which is done particularly deftly on "Street Soldier" and "Oh Sleeper," you can truly imagine Gangstagrass blasting from Escalades on Flatbush and F-150's in the Appalachians. As for "Come Back to Brooklyn," it won me over by capturing the spirit of my former borough and the downhome hospitality of my new southern environs. It's a toe-tapper and a window-rattler.

Street Soldier (Deep Thoughts) [MP3, 3.1MB, 128kbps]
Oh Sleeper [MP3, 5.2MB, 192kbps]
Theme from Mean Season [MP3, 4.9MB, 192kbps]
Get On It (Deep Thoughts and Kaz Mir) [MP3, 2.9MB, 128kbps]
Come Back to Brooklyn [MP3, 4.6MB, 192kbps]
Download Full Gangstagrass Mix [ZIP, 72MB]

www.renchaudio.com
myspace.com/renchaudio

Man Plus

Seattle's Man Plus is kind of like 3hive--a bunch of dudes, one girl and all about the music. When I run low on musical suggestions, I tend to stream KEXP radio when I wake up in the morning and when I did just that recently, I came across this. I was very happy about this find. I have to give much love to the good people at KEXP for always throwing up something new, something smart and being profound musical locavores. To my ear, Man Plus is definitely music from the Pacific Northwest. I have no idea how one really defines "music from the Pacific Northwest" in 2008--but I'm feeling like it has to be part rock out music, part semi-impenetrable lyric (see: "I want to be the number 12") and, of course, part unrestrained angst (see: all those gloomy pretty guitars attended to by the tendency to move from pretty singing to expressive yell-singing). It has been the soundtrack to this gloomy but sweet morning, and to many others.

What I Like About Love [MP3, 3.5MB, 128kbps]
I've Always Been a Loser [MP3, 3.1MB, 128kbps]

www.manplusrocks.com/
www.myspace.com/manplus

Pretty Good Dance Moves

P.G.D.M. will, as the title implies, keep the dance floor packed at the silent disco. It's fitting because the electronic instrumentation approximates The Postal Service while the lovely female vocals will be a warm wooby for fans of Cat Power and Bat for Lashes – in other words, it's great music for dancing with yourself, even when you're dancing with the masses. I'm giving the band short shrift with such simple comparisons because I'm in a hurry today, but I ask—nay, admonish—you to not give them short shrift yourself, because beats like these don't often come with such pretty and smart heartstrings attached.

Demons Dancing [MP3, 3.7MB, 160kbps]

myspace.com/prettygooddancemoves

Honey Claws

As most of the music world heads to Austin, Texas this week for the annual South By South West music festival I'm stuck here in my front bedroom doing the virtual bar crawl hunting for something new to listen to and re-living past SXSWs. Honey Claws is just the sort of thing I'd hope to run into at 1 A.M. my feet weary from the walking, my head hurting from all the rocking, but these grooves would buoy me up for another couple hours. These two tracks sound a bit like Nine Inch Nails tempered and mellowed through Beck's beatbox and microphone. The rest of the album will take you on a wild bounce deep into the heart of Austin's freak-hop-tronic scene. Sure, that may just be the Honey Claws' garage but bigger things have blossomed from humbler origins.

SXSW showcase: Wednesday night @ 115 Club.

Villains [MP3, 4.8MB, 256kbps]
July [MP3, 4.8MB, 256kbps]

www.honeyclaws.com
www.myspace.com/honeyclaws

Rademacher

Really? Has it really been two a half years since Rademacher first appeared on 3hive? This foursome, led and driven by Malcolm Sosa, continues to mature, while still doing their own thing, man. Yes, they've made some changes over the years--style, personnel--but they still have their independence, their quirkiness, and an ear for a good tune, finally releasing their first full-length Stunts in December 2007 after three earlier EP's.

Original Post 8/24/2005:
Okay, there are three good things that come from Fresno, Californ-I-A, and no, not one of the three is Cher. My old lady (oh crap, she's gonna read this, make that my young bride, to quote my father-in-law) hails from Fresno, as do Let's Go Bowling and Rademacher. The relative isolation of the Central Valley has allowed the young ones of Rademacher to develop their own take on indie rock that is intense, melodic, and original while being vaguely familiar. The first song is from their new EP out this fall.

If U Got Some Magic [MP3, 5.5MB, 192kbps]

radradrad.com

Under Electric Light

Danny Provencher began making music as a child secretly singing over records (something I still do, not so secretly, as a full-grown man, often over records I only hear in my head). At some point he committed his music to record, leaving out, ironically, his vocals. The earliest recording as Under Electric Light features four synth-pop instrumentals that sound like a mix between early Depeche Mode beats awash in New Order melodies. From my not-so-scientific investigation, Provencher didn't come out of the proverbial vocal closet until about three years later. The result is a clean, dreamy, earnest style free from any bells and whistles, content on remaining inconspicuously, well, great—and entirely timeless within the window of the last four decades. "Wintertime" is nothing less than a small epic worthy of ushering out this current season, while leaving the listener wanting more: oh, play that chorus again, please! "This Moment" fills that gap by repeating its gorgeous, soaring chorus once. Oh well, I'll just have to listen to them for the fifteenth time. Pull my leg.

from After the Blue (2007)
Wintertime [MP3, 5.9MB, 192kbps]
This Moment [MP3, 6.3MB, 192kbps]

from UEL Concert Sampler (2004)
International Agreement [MP3, 5.8MB, 160kbps]

from Under Electric Light single (2002)
Drop [MP3, 3.5MB, 160kbps]
Time [MP3, 3.4MB, 160kbps]

www.underelectriclight.com

These United States

These United States fall on the Devendra Banhart side of the folk scale in terms of their "freakiness." I imagine their songs would take you on quite the headphone trip; I've yet to put them to such a test. From what I've heard thus far from their forthcoming debut, A Picture of the Three of Us at the Gate to the Garden of Eden, my expectations are ratcheted up something fierce. It's as if I've just picked up a new novel, fallen in love with the first chapter, and I'm feeling like I'm on the cusp of reading The Great Americana Novel. As if...

First Sight [MP3, 4.2MB, 192kbps]

www.theseunitedstates.net

Ben Kamen

It's certainly not all-weather folk, but Ben Kamen's somber strumming and vocalizing mingle nicely with the raindrops on the roof today. Kamen has a new EP that he's giving away for free on his website, from which the two new tracks below are taken. That's mighty nice of him. What's nicer is that if you're willing to do Kamen a Radiohead-style solid and pay for the music he's otherwise giving away, he'll send you a limited edition (1 of 100 — No. 98 is to the left) 3" CD with a hand-painted cover. Now, perhaps you're all iTuned out and that offer holds nothing for you. But if you ask me it's good to remember that music ain't just something you download – it's something that's created—and in this case created just for you.

clouds and snow [MP3, 4.6MB, 192kbps]
"dreams" [MP3, 5.4MB, 192kbps]


ORIGINAL POST (8/21/06):
Ben Kamen makes songs that sound like lonely drives along a two-lane highway. The tracks here, collectively released online-only as the Songs from Red River EP, feature little adornment, just an acoustic guitar that sounds like it’s tired of fighting and Ben straining for mumbled high notes. The impact that Kamen leaves is similarly subtle: the songs won't burn themselves into your psyche, but they’ll seep in through the cracks just the same.


Did I Choose? [MP3, 4.3MB, 192kbps]
Time Stretched Like Light [MP3, 5.5MB, 192kbps]
From the Mountain to the Ocean Floor [MP3, 6.5MB, 192kbps]
Hundreds of Times Over [MP3, 5.3MB, 192kbps]
Walk Away [MP3, 10.3MB, 192kbps]

www.benkamen.com
myspace.com/anonymousmonk

The Federalists

For this President's Day, a holiday usually celebrating George Washington's birthday, let's look at the modern namesake of the party of John Adams, second president of the United States. The Federalists (the band), with their smart indie rock and a penchant for occasional flashes of electronics, hopefully will not repeat the political mistake of the Federalists (the political party) in opposing with War of 1812, which led to their eventual demise after Andrew Jackson's surprise victory at New Orleans.

Friendly Fire [MP3, 4.8MB, 256kbps]

www.the-federalists.com
www.myspace.com/thefederalistsrock

Science For Girls

If I reveal producer Darren Solomon's musical pedigree you may very well choose not to listen to his newest endeavor, Science For Girls. I guess it depends on how comfortable you are with your closet favorites. I'll leave his former employers unnamed and leave the sleuthing up to you. Solomon lays a smooth, electronic foundation to each of his songs—gentle rhythms, rich keyboard riffs, scratchy hip-hop beats—then turns mic duties over to various, flying-below-the-radar New York-based singers (Bronwen Exter [wow!], Boots Ottestad [The Getaway People], and Paul Brill). They're icing on this trip-hop, brazilian pop, chill-out layered cake. The vocoder vocals on this track are the edgiest element on Science For Girls' easy-listening debut. I can easily hear Science For Girls being obliterated by the WB, Gray's Anatomy, Starbucks muzak machine. Get to SFG before they do.

You'll Never Know [MP3, 8.0MB, 201kbps]

www.scienceforgirls.net

The Apple Bros.

I'm filling in for Lisa today; she's off doing the New York thing, you know. — working. Actually, so are The Apple Bros. They're working the rock star gig, though it sounds more like New York, Alabama, than the Big Apple, NYC. Really, I thought I'd have a little fun with this post, seeing as Lisa's about as far from a good ol' boy as you can get. She's probably too young to be a Dukes of Hazzard fan anyway. I think, however, that she'll like the hip-shaking, bluesy rock from her five boroughs neighbors.

I Want More [MP3, 4.1MB, 160kbps]
Good Ol' Boys [MP3, 2MB, 160kbps]
I Hope Somebody Runs You Over [MP3, 2.7MB, 112kbps]
All My Life [MP3, 3.1MB, 112kbps]

www.theapplebros.com

Empty Rooms

They sound like they're making music in post-punk London, circa 1979. They look like they're from Modesto, CA, circa 1999. Inspired musically by Camus, fashionably by Steinbeck. Because they don't fit the mold, it's doubtful you'll find them splashed across glossy magazines or blogged about incessantly by the cool kids. But if you don't mind they play between the dark and dusty, the play between the gloomy and glittery, San Francisco's Empty Rooms will sound spectacular in that space between your ears.

Off With His Head [MP3, 4.4MB, 128kbps]
Docks in the Distance [MP3, 6.7MB, 160kbps]
Try Again [MP3, 4.1MB, 160kbps]

emptyroomsbandsf.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/emptyrooms

Hearts of Palm UK

The following is a Public Service Announcement from 3hive and Hearts of Palm UK.

Hearts of Palm UK offers a timely song this week about citizens and their right to vote, "Super Tuesday," the (un)official anthem of (obviously) Super Tuesday, the day 24 states in our blessed union hold presidential primaries. Hearts of Palm UK are not British or Northern Irish, as the name would suggest; Erika and Ambi-D are a couple of Cali girls cranking out this peculiar indie-electro-pop. As a political science major in college, I secretly hope that they follow this up with a song discussing, dissecting, and explaining the results of Super Tuesday. Maybe they can even get invited to appear on Meet the Press. Anybody got Tim Russert's email address?

Remember to vote!

Super Tuesday [MP3, 3.9MB, 160kbps]

www.heartsofpalmuk.com
myspace.com/heartsofpalmuk

The Hermit

I found out about The Hermit after checking up on Paper Moon, one of my favorite Canadian bands. The brainchild of musical experimentalist/drummer Hamish Thomson, The Hermit also features — with greater prominence on their most recent release, Turn Up (the Stereo) — the alluring voice of Allison Shevernoha from the aforementioned Paper Moon. Samples from the new spin can be heard over on MySpace; I like "Si vous me quittez" a lot. The tracks available here are winners from a remix contest, based on The Hermit's 2005 album Wonderment, and they are sweet and pleasant things to listen to.

Flutterbye (Sputnichek remix) [MP3, 6MB, 160kbps]
Wonderment (Affekt remix) [MP3, 7.1MB, 160kbps]

www.hermitmusic.com
www.myspace.com/hermitmusic

Fantasy Mirrors

Hey, as I've admitted elsewhere on these pages, I was a child of the 80's. When it came to the electronic music of the decade, I did have certain tastes. Big fan of Tears for Fears' the Hurting, as well as A-ha (those Norwegians could write a fantastic pop song), the Thompson Twins (who weren't really twins), the perverse Australian fun of Severed Heads, and even, gulp, for a brief while, the Communards. Despite their popularity at church dances, I was not so into Depeche Mode, and I sold Erasure back to the CD exchange store a week after buying it. After ending 2007 with the electronic pop of hollAnd, I'll also start 2008 in the same vein, although the Fantasy Mirrors are much more blatant in their devotion to 80's electronic music. Anyone care to take a stab at naming the Fantasy Mirrors' influences?

Human Beings [MP3, 4.1MB, VBR]
Premature Baby [MP3, 5.8MB, 320kbps]
The Blue Whale [MP3, 5.7MB, 320kbps]
Premature Baby (Totally Radd! Mix) [MP3, 6.0MB, 320kbps]

www.fantasymirrors.com

Sneaky

Sneaky is the double-bassist from the UK pluckin' and scratchin' outfit Fingathing. His debut EP Feel Like a King is due sometime this spring and promises more pluckin' than scratchin'...natch. The lead track, "Beduija," has a nice curried flavor to it.

Beduija [MP3, 4.7MB, 192kbps]

www.thisissneaky.co.uk

Holland Buffalo

Yay! It's always a good email day when something comes from The Harvey Girls. You're never sure what it might be – concept album, tribute, covers, et. al. – but you know that it will have a healthy dose of sweetly melancholic harmonies wrapped in a subtle sonic blanket that'll keep you warm and cozy. Well, it turns out that for the past year or so they've been collaborating with the lovely and equally adventurous UK outfit Feedle, latter-day ambient wizards who make lo-fi electronic music that in more devious marketing hands might be called "lifestyle music." What happens when the two come together? Layers upon layers of pop bliss. Plus, you can download the two tracks here and then go to Amie St. and get the other two for 26 cents, or be a real champ and buy the whole EP for a mere 52 cents. Yay!

Optimistic [MP3, 4.5MB, 128kbps]
Electricity [MP3, 4.7MB, 128kbps]

myspace.com/hollandbuffalo
www.feedle.co.uk
www.theharveygirls.com

Hello, Blue Roses

Today I will be brief in favor of yet another satisfying nap. I love slow, electronic-ish, mixed-voice fare. I really, really love it, actually. And from this vantage point, Sydney Vermont and "her man" [direct quote from Myspace bio, interesting...] Dan Bejar (who spends some time with Destoyer and the New Pornos as well) are yet another antidote to seasonal indulgence. This one was recommended by my dear friend Seth, who will leave New York City this week for more verdant vistas. How appropriate and delicious the melancholia.

Shadow Falls [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]

helloblueroses.com
myspace.com/helloblueroses

Merry Christmas 2007

May you and yours have a festive and safe holiday this year. Please enjoy this Christmas song from our friends in Letting Up Despite Great Faults (gingerbread houses courtesy Sean's kids):

So Fast [MP3, 4.3MB, 128kbps]

Plastic Passion

On these very pages I have previously used the term "dance punk disco funk" to describe the Rapture. So please pardon me for applying the same label late on a Sunday night to London's Plastic Passion. Owing an obvious debt to the Cure for inspiration and the name of their band, Plastic Passion are a rough and raw complication of their post-punk/new wave influences in an age where similar bands are perhaps a bit too slick in their production. I can unfortunately only imagine what grand fun their live shows are, combining said roughness with the palpable energy of their songs.

Everything Changes [MP3, 5.1MB, 192kbps]
We Have Come So Far [MP3, 2.8MB, 128kbps] also here.

myspace.com/plasticpassionuk

Pale Young Gentlemen

Orchestral pop is nothing new, but Madison, Wisconsin's Pale Young Gentlemen manage to have fun with the genre by adding some theatrics and wit without overdosing on irony (though their cellist is, despite the fairly band's descriptive name, a woman). That's about all I have to say, as every other reputable music blog has already beat us to the punch.

Fraulein [MP3, 2.9MB, 128kbps]
Saturday Night [MP3, 3.4MB, 128kbps]
Single Days [MP3, 3.5MB, 128kbps]
Clap Your Hands [MP3, 2.8MB, 128kbps]

www.myspace.com/paleyounggents

Dujeous

Nothing says Thanksgiving to me more than Dujeous. Full disclosure: I've know these guys since before I was of legal drinking age, they are old friends and I am 100% totally, completely biased in their favor. Back in the good old days, there was always a Dujeous show to look forward to. You would see the family, put on your cute clothes and head out to whatever downtown venue the Duj happened to be playing at. You would have crushes on various Dujeous members. You would think you were really cool when you could sing all the words to "Spilt Milk". But mostly, you would bliss out all night to the sweet sounds of good old-fashioned hip-hop, the kind that involves a drummer, a bass player, a trumpet and all manner of wonderful instruments. You may have heard the sounds of Dave Guy (trumpet) before, as he is super busy sidelining as a Dap-King, playing with Sharon Jones, a member of the Budos Band, appearing as a cartoon in the New Yorker and showing up on my television in Lily Allen's band. The six other bandmembers, die-hard New Yorkers all, have been doing it up — producing, providing music for soundtracks of oscar winning films (see: Half Nelson), being MCs, touring what seems like ALL of Asia, popping up as staffers at my place of work, and just being Dujeous in general. (I'm told the name may serve as a noun, a verb or an adjective, depending on your mood.) I love them. Dujeous makes me highly nostalgic. More people should know about Dujeous. Hip-hop, instruments, big love for what they do — enough said.

Smile-Lily Allen (Remix, featuring Dujeous) [MP3, 4.22MB, 160kbps]
Pro-Choice (featuring John Legend) [MP3, 5.7MB, 160kbps]
Shades of Green (featuring Jigsaw and Delta) [MP3, 3.8MB, 160kbps]

dujeous.net
myspace.com/dujeous

Devin Davis

This is DIY at its best. Devin Davis did pretty much everything, from trombone to handclaps, on his 2004 release Lonely People of the World, Unite!. His old school indie-rock-soul sounds like it was backed by a crowd, but hey, that's the point; lonely people usually have lots to say. Let's hope a new release is on its way.

Iron Woman [MP3, 2.6MB, 160kbps]
Turtle and the Flightless Bird [MP3, 4.2MB, 160kbps]
Deserted Eyeland [MP3, 4MB, 160kbps]

www.devindaviswebsite.com

Spitzer

Spitzer consists of a couple young men raised in the same house in Lyon, France. These brothers have one goal: Make you dance. Currently, the duo is working on a four song EP called Roller Coaster and if the four tracks on their myspace page are any indication of what we're in for, we're in for some big, bright and bold dancefloor action. I love the early Speak & Spell-like synth tones used on "Disco Biscuits." Of course they've been pumped up ala Marion Jones for maximum rump-shakin' enjoyment. The track opens with one synth riff getting overshadowed by another, high up in the mix, trampling over the first until that second riff distorts itself into oblivion as the track finally settles into its groove, a slamming epiphany imminent. Spitzer proves France still has fertile fields to harvest for yet another generation of club kids.

Disco Biscuits [MP3, 7.9MB, 192kbps]

www.spitzer.fr

The Radishes

I never pegged myself as a sucker for reminiscing about some bygone era of youthful indiscretions set to a soundtrack so loud that it did permanent hearing damage. Then again, I never figured that the moment I had a child, my life before that moment would become an abstraction only referential as fragmented memories and out-of-body mental snapshots. I hope that doesn't sound too wistful because there's nothing better than being a parent, but on our first "official" family road trip this past week there were a couple of moments when I'd just about gotten my fill of baby-friendly playlists and was ready for a quick mental cleanse of the kind that The Radishes are fond of administering. Y'know, the kind with simple riffs repeated fast and loud, driving bass and drums (provided by the former rhythm section for Ministry!), and acidic vocals that scream alienation, anger, and irony. Alas, when the baby is sleeping in the back seat and your wife has taken the reins of the iPod, you don't always get that instant aural gratification. But when you're home early on a Friday morning and the rest of the family is asleep behind closed doors, you can put on the headphones, turn it up all the way and get a good dose of noise, sweet noise.

Good Machine [MP3, 2.6MB, 128kbps]

www.theradishes.com

Z-Trip

For the longest time you'd have to dig up classic Z-Trip mixes by way of some friendly shared drive somewhere. Now that Z-Trip has sobered up from his major label affair (only one album...who saw that coming?), he's his own boss. And that means, among other things, a website with downloads to die for. I've included a couple of his original compositions (featuring the inimitable Chali2Na and Lateef the Truthspeaker). But if you haven't already heard such classic mashup mixdowns as Uneasy Listening, Live at the Future Primitive, and The Anti-War Mix stop what you're doing right now and pay a visit to Chez Z-Trip.

Something Different [MP3, 4.8MB, VBR]
Mass Hysteria [MP3, 4.1MB, VBR]

www.djztrip.com
myspace.com/djztrip

Demander

The Santa Ana's are roaring in these parts. The winds and smoke burn my sinuses, eyes and throat. And after spending two hours helping my 6th grader with his math homework my brain's burnt as well. Fight fire with fire! Demander has brought a sweet equilibrium to my dry and fried skull. Imagine Siouxsie Sioux rising out of the DC punk scene as part of the Dischord family. Yeah, it's cool, and cools, like that.

GMT [MP3, 5.8MB, 192kbps]
Revelle [MP3, 6.2MB, 192kbps]

www.demandernyc.com
www.myspace.com/demander

Miss Fairchild

The promo materials promise that Miss Fairchild aren't a bunch of "suburban white kids play-acting at being an '80s funk band." Well, unless they were born in Detroit fifty years ago they are exactly a bunch of suburban white kids posing as an '80s funk band, and guess what??? THAT'S OK. All I care about is that you actually pull it off without a whiff of irony. Miss Fairchild does just that. They are 100% committed to a rump-shakin' dancefloor party, no wink-wink-nudge-nudge attached. Miss Fairchild bring the smooth, R&B-styled party-pop, the kind that'll have all your friends waving their hands in the air like they just don't care, especially during the "cha-cha" breakdown in "Number One"..."Yeah Rosie, Yeah Rosie, Yeah Vije, Yeah Vije, Yeah Patty, Yeah Patty, Yeah SylviiiiiiAAAA!!"

Now all they need to do is hop on the road with Hunter Revenge and Gen-Y's Prince will have his Morris Day counterpart. Deluxe.

Number One [MP3, 6.0MB, 192kbps]
Vanilla Place [MP3, 6.3MB, 192kbps]

www.missfairchild.com

Cheyenne

Cheyenne is a rock group whose members are mostly from Norman, Oklahoma but who now reside in Brooklyn. Despite their current residence (go Brooklyn!), to these ears they're much more influenced by those Southern-slash-Midwestern roots than by the affected, irony-drenched post-rock that can sometimes permeate the Brooklyn scene. And that's a very good thing. Lead singer Beau Jennings has been compared to Pedro the Lion's David Bazan and I'm not one to deny it, but musically Cheyenne is far more downhome and far less emo. "The Whale" builds from steady handclaps and a sturdy piano melody into monster guitar riffs and chiming keys tuned to a playful yet pensive harmony. "Painting Horses" follows a similar classic pop formula but conjures a deeper roots rock aura thanks to Josh Harper's climactic, chicken-fried guitar solo. There's been a rewarding Southern rock resurgence over the past several years thanks to the likes of My Morning Jacket, Kings of Leon, Band of Horses and others. Cheyenne deserves to be added to that list, even if they've decided to call Brooklyn home.

The Whale [MP3, 4.4MB, 160kbps]
Painting Horses [MP3, 5MB, 160kbps]

cheyennesongs.net
myspace.com/cheyenne

Clare & The Reasons

It's fall. It may be 87 sacreligious September degrees in NYC right now, but as far as I am concerned it is fall. I want my braised meat, I want my long sleeve shirts, I want cups of tea and I want old school loungey twilight songs. Husband and wife duo Clare & the Reasons are perfecto for such seasonal urges. I think I once mentioned my secret compulsion to enjoy sappy soundtrack songs (it's true, I'm sorry), and Clare & the Reasons (who named their album "The Movie") are like all the joys of my secret musical vice without the any of the cringey guilt. Its plucky and sweet enough for my to get me my fix, but wacky and hip enough that I can play it for others and anticipate a jealous "wait, who is this playing??" Love that. Plus, the entire delicious album is on Emusic.

Pluto [MP3, 6MB, 192kbps]

http://www.claremuldaur.com/
http://www.myspace.com/claremuldaur

Neighborhood Texture Jam

One last Memphis music history lesson. I saw Neighborhood Texture Jam at the Antenna Club in Memphis in 1988 (as nearest as I can recall), and one their most appealing features was the absurd song subjects, like "Torsoes of Murdered People" and my personal favorite, "Mall Boutique" on the life of a mall worker. The suggestion box at 3hive recently got an email about NTJ, so with their new website comes the opportunity to share the NTJ love. More MP3's can be found at their website.

Borax Factory [MP3, 5.0MB, 128kbps]

www.neighborhoodtexturejam.com

Hasch'm'Méneum

This is a fun mystery.

Having stumbled upon Hasch'm'Méneum through the backalleys of Last.fm, I have yet to find any more information on them. The best source of information comes in the way of the “electrojazz” tag given to them on said social music network. Normally we at Moodmat shun genre names, especially those of the hastily taped- and stapled-together variety. But this one ain’t bad. Hasch'm'Méneum’s “jazz” has a blues-y chug to it, and their “electro” bubbles a bit under the surface. So songs like “Heliotrope” wouldn’t be out of place in a Jazzanova set, and “Slide” evokes the “future sound of Hull,” a.k.a. Fila Brazillia. Who are these masked men? And why did they leave us two free albums to download?

Dan Sicko (special guest to 3hive.com)

Heliotrope [MP3, 4.1MB, 128kbps]
Slide [MP3, 4.1MB, 128kbps]
Christerium [MP3, 4.2MB, 128kbps]
Red Sniper [MP3, 4.0MB, 128kbps]

www.last.fm/music/Hasch'm'Méneum

The Hudsons

The Hudsons often describe themselves as a hard-working band, making this an appropriate Labor Day post. Offering up a solid blend of folk & country, I ran across this Austin trio while researching Texas bands for my friend Tim. He's got a friend moving there, and wanted to clue him in to the scene (which is probably pretty big, considering the size of the state and all that). I was hooked on the clean sound and classis lyrics of the Hudsons from "It Just Takes One"; that is, after all, all it took. If you like what you hear — and this goes for you too, Tim's friend — head over to the band's website for a half dozen live tracks, or to Sonicbids for more studio recordings.

It Just Takes One [MP3, 6.6MB, 256kbps]

www. thehudsonsmusic.com

Plane

"Blood on the Waves" starts with a guitar melody that anyone with the slightest knowledge of the Manchester sound will know. But just in case, Plane doesn't make a mystery of their influences: listed right at the top of their "Sounds Like" section on MySpace is Joy Division. It would be slightly more accurate if they could convey that it sounds like that uncharted territory between the premature fall of Joy Division and the far-from-inevitable rise of New Order. And that should tell you a lot about the depth, intelligence and even newness that you can expect from Plane. That first tingling guitar progression is as familiar as they come, but what comes after proves that Plane is no nostalgia act. Chicago's still a blue-collar town, like Manchester, and Plane is workingman's new wave—you can take your nihilism to the dance-floor without feeling even a pinch self-conscious.

Blood on the Waves [MP3, 7.8MB, 288kbps]
Western Avenue [MP3, 7.9MB, 192kbps]

www.planebandsite.com
myspace.com/plane

The Bosch

I usually don't read e-mails from publicists — sorry... I know it must take so long to cut and paste our names (usually incompletely or incorrectly) into the form messages you send out that often do not reflect any real understanding of what this blog does — but Tony's pitch for The Bosch caught my eye. Now, I'm not usually one for crazy, mixed-up comparisons, and I almost got lost in the ones provided for The Bosch: Joey Ramone, Dick Dale and Brian Wilson, or maybe The White Stripes, The Violent Femmes and Phil Spector, or even The Clash, the Femmes, Spector, Bruce Springsteen and Man... Or Astroman. However, I like enough of these performers to download a few tracks, and I liked them enough to share them with you. This NYC quartet offers short, rich, intense songs that are better enjoyed on their own, without comparison. These are from their newest album, Hurry Up, while four more off Buy One, Get One, from 2005, are available on the band's website.

This Town [MP3, 6.8MB, 320kbps]
Worst Thing [MP3, 9.8MB, 320kbps]
Paperback [MP3, 5.4MB, 320kbps]
Brooklyn Cars [MP3, 6.2MB, 320kbps]

www.boschcast.com

The Airborne Toxic Event

Any band using Don DeLillo references for their nom de plume are friends of mine. The Airborne Toxic Event is named after a chapter in DeLillo's 1985 novel, White Noise. Their EP sounds as if it was recorded during that same era. The band has been wafting across Los Angeles airwaves and blogwaves with their upbeat yet dour songs, the tempo made for the dancefloor set, the lyrics for the brokenhearted. It's still too early in their career to determine how things will pan out for The Airborne Toxic Event, they've only released four songs, but considering they've had a run of shows and a single release in the UK there's a good chance they'll be affecting a lot more people with their own White Noise.

Does This Mean You're Moving On? [MP3, 2.1MB, 128kbps]

http://www.theairbornetoxicevent.com

LoveLikeFire

Can you really fall in love at first sight, or is it just infatuation? Romeo thought he was in love when he first saw Juliet: "Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! / For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night." I'm feeling a little loopy myself after hearing "S.O.S." from San Francisco's LoveLikeFire. The song blows open like a track from Bossanova, or Trompe Le Monde, then settles into a nice Cure-esque riff ("A Forest?") and finally into a breathtaking chorus where singer Ann Yu sounds like a more forceful Siouxsie. I love LoveLikeFire like I love all of the above. No, I know it's just infatuation. I don't have a long relationship with LoveLikeFire. I haven't put in hours and hours of intense listening. I haven't dreamt or loved along with their music. It sure feels like love though. Call it what you will; I'm going to let myself wallow in the butterflies I get from LoveLikeFire.

S.O.S. [MP3, 6.4MB, 231kbps]
Wish You Dead [MP3, 6.3MB, 229kbps]
From a Tower [MP3, 7.3MB, 231kbps]
I Will [MP3, 6.3MB, 231kbps]

www.lovelikefire.com
www.myspace.com/lovelikefire

Licorice Roots

Let me preface Licorice Roots by saying they're an acquired taste. I admit I almost didn't last twenty seconds into their record. Their wobbly, off-kilter sound knocked me off balance at first. At first. But I held strong and as soon as I ventured four tracks deep, their song "Hey There Little Love" saved the CD from certain eject-death. I learned to appreciate Licorice Roots for their peculiar low-fi-ness. It's as if The Seeds were playing underwater, with a sprinkle of attitude courtesy of Ween. My swimming trunks are on and I'm in mid-cannonball, ready to take the Licorice Roots plunge! P.S. If the vocals are a bit much for you, check out the title track "Caves of the Sun." It'd make a great soundtrack to a SpongeBob SquarePants Spaghetti Western.

Hey There Little Love [MP3, 4.6MB, 160kbps]
Caves of the Sun [MP3, 2.0MB, 160kbps]

www.licoriceroots.net
www.myspace.com/licoriceroots

Mono in VCF

To make up for a few posting days I've missed during my move to Cali, it's two-for-one day.

Recalling a simpler time with simpler pop, Mono in VCF have graduated from the University of Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood (school mascot: The Some Velvet Mornings) magna cum laude. Okay, that was lame, but these songs are so fresh and clean and original (in a 2007 way) that they are completing enthralling, and you should just download now. An MP3, like a picture, is worth a thousand words.

Escape City Scrapers [MP3, 4.8MB, 160kbps]

www.monoinvcf.com

Easy Anthems

I sometimes wonder how couples who do their art together pull it off. I mean, it seems like the creative tension would lead to realtionship tension and it would all be so... personal. Easy Anthems, Vanesa and Philip Jimenez, sort of exemplifies what I'm talking about. From their website: "We broke up, and we made music, and we got back together, and we made music, and we got married, and we made music, and we broke up, and we made a kid, and we got back together, and we made music." Yeah, I just don't think I could handle all that. Thankfully, all that matters is that the Jimenez family can, and do, and make some fine music to narrate the saga. Their entire debut album of country-tinged, pleasantly melodramatic, ear-friendly pop therapy sessions is available as one big old free download on their aforementioned website; the four songs below are a nice sampling of what you'd get.

BB Shooting [MP3, 4.9MB, 192kbps]
The Great Race [MP3, 4.2MB, 192kbps]
Concrete Star Signs [MP3, 4.9MB, 192kbps]
Old Suitcase [MP3, 5.9MB, 192kbps]

www.easyanthems.org

Beat Radio

Beat Radio have managed to bend several ears here at 3hive, so it's always nice to get an email from Brian cluing us to new tracks, in this case the well-arranged and optimistically emo stylings of "What I Love the Most." It's even nicer when the track is a preview of not just an LP on the way, but an LP/EP superset, The Great Big Sea + Miracle Flag EP, which will be available in the coming weeks from CD Baby and iTunes. Plus, I just noticed that you can get a ton more free music than what's below by just clicking over to the band's website. Listen now, buy later, know that you're doing it the way 3hive intended.

Sam's original post from Sept. 2005:
Beat Radio spin wistful melodies with subtle, vulnerable lyrics in the same vein as Luna or Sebadoh's more tender moments. Their songs have a radiant, familiar quality that grows on you with each listen. In fact, I've included two versions of "Treetops" — the 4-track demo version from earlier this year and a more polished version from the forthcoming EP — for this very reason. Much like a frayed blue blankie I once loved, I don't know if I'm ready to let go of the demo version just yet. While the EP version is by no means overproduced, it seems so in comparison. But I'll let you decide for yourself.

What I Love the Most [MP3, 4.4MB, 128kbps]
Elegy [MP3, 3.8MB, 128kbps]
Mexico (LP Version) [MP3, 3.5MB, 128kbps]
Another Loveless Anthem (Demo) [MP3, 3.7MB, 128kbps]
Everything Is Temporary (Demo) [MP3, 4.3MB, 128kbps]
Treetops (Demo Version) [MP3, 3.3MB, 128kbps]
Treetops (EP Version) [MP3, 3.3MB, 128kbps]
Ancient as the Stars [MP3, 3.6MB, 128kbps]
A Million Miles [MP3, 3.4MB, 128kbps]

www.beatradio.org
myspace.com/beatradio

Intensive Care

3hive.com and Canadian bands have a totally love-love relationship. From The Arcade Fire to The Awkward Stage, qr5, The New Pornographers, Paper Moon and Oh Bijou — and you know there are many, many more — we've had great success with maple leaf music. Montreal's Intensive Care fits right into this mix. Theatrical, conceptual, orchestral rock with both buzz-saw guitars and oohs and aahs, these tracks from the band's EP 2805 exhibit the versatility and uniqueness we've come to expect from Canadian artists. Listen to these songs in order for an interesting, cool sonic ride.

Distorted Love Song [MP3, 4.6MB, 166kbps]
Stray [MP3, 3.8MB, 166kbps]
Break Me Up, Machine [MP3, 6.9MB, 166kbps]
k [MP3, 9MB, 166kbps]

www.intensivecareband.com

The Drawing Board

In the late '90s I became briefly obsessed with Ednaswap, the L.A.-based group fronted by Anne Preven and known less for their own well-crafted pop gems than for what other people did with said gems (Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn" was originally Ednaswap's). It made sense that the daughter of composer Andre Preven would have an impeccable sense of composition herself, and that's exactly what otherwise inexplicably kept me and my former-college-football-playing roommate wailing along to Ednaswap's catchy heartbreakers like a pair of teenage girls hooked on Dashboard Confessional. That's not to say that The Drawing Board, the Austin-by-way-of-L.A. group sounds like Ednaswap, but what they share with my former obsession is an undeniably intelligent take on pop music. Think of Elvis Costello or Ben Folds and you'll get a good sense of how The Drawing Board is mature, engrossing and hummable. Better yet, download "The Writer," a bouncy little ditty whose playful piano belies its nihilistic lyrics. Still sound too cerebral? Don't worry, just disregard this writer's pedantic take, download the rest and you can trust the music.

The Writer [MP3, 3.7MB, 128kbps]
Every Moment [MP3, 4.6MB, 191kbps]
Haven't We Been Through This? [MP3, 3.3MB, 191kbps]
It's A Lie [MP3, 5.1MB, 191kbps]

myspace.com/thedrawingboard

The Sheds

My friend Cheech is driving around the USA this summer with his girlfriend and a Geoffrey Roberts Award, tasting and blogging about our country's endangered foods. How great is that?! (Check out his adventures at www.eat-american.com, and maybe buy a thing or two. A few years ago he sent me a bottle of datil pepper hot sauce, and that stuff was awesome.) In honor and support of his cool summer, I'm posting The Sheds, a do-it-yourself pop-rock outfit from Cincinnati that, in my mind, embodies in music what Cheech is doing with food. Pumping out quirky Americana for the last few years, The Sheds seem a little endangered too; they offer everything they've got for free on this here Internet. How do they eat, or at least make a buck? So, here's to good free music and good, honest food. May both live long and prosper.

From You've Got A Light:
All the Right Things [MP3, 1.6MB, 128kbps]
Drunk for Lunch [MP3, 3.1MB, 128kbps]

From The Sheds Quit Smoking:
Champions of Summer [MP3, 3.1MB, 128kbps]

From Dadcommunication:
Bad Reviews [MP3, 3MB, 128kbps]

www.theshedsmusic.com

Varnaline

I can't write about Space Needle without plugging Anders Parker's Varnaline with equal, if not greater, vigor. It's almost easier to do, given Parker's more prolific output—whether as Varnaline through 2001 or his subsequent eponymous work for Baryon Records. Sadly, Varnaline's music received limited notoriety in their time due in part to their now defunct record labels, Zero Hour and Artemis, neither of which were really a perfect fit for Varnaline's sound. The Varnaline take on alt country was blistering, raw, and true, with really excellent texture and sobering lyrics for those left standing.

from Man of Sin (1996):
The Hammer Goes Down [MP3, 3.0MB, 128kbps]
lbs. [MP3, 2.8MB, 128kbps]

from Varnaline (1997):
Lights [MP3, 3.9MB, 128kbps]

from Sweet Life (1998):
Gulf of Mexico [MP3, 3.5MB, 128kbps]

from Songs in a Northern Key (2001):
Song [MP3, 3.5MB, 128kbps]

varnaline.com

George Sarah

It's been almost four years since I had George Sarah and his string trio on my KUCI show. And just about as long since he's released a proper album. He's back again tonight on the program, this time as a guest DJ and I look forward to catching up with him. I do know he's been hard at work scoring music for, and placing his music in, television and film. One listen and you'll hear why his work is sought after. Sarah's downtempo beats and synth work flow in and around gorgeous strings of all shapes and sizes. He calls it Electronic Chamber music. I call it a super-smooth-chill-explosion. Cool down your hot summer head with some George Sarah swimming between your ears.

Lament (previously unreleased) [MP3, 3.8MB, 160kbps]
Untitled [MP3, 4.2MB, 128kbps]
Sonata For Petra [MP3, 6.9MB, 192kbps]

www.georgesarah.com
www.myspace.com/georgesarahmusic

Parade

Two weeks ago when posting the Childballads, I quoted from Jonathan Fire*Eater's "Give Me Daughters" in relating that I have three daughters, just like the song. In my quote, I left out the lines immediately preceding the words I quoted: "I will raise them/I will raise them/I will raise/I will raise/I will raise them oh/In the city surrounded by water." Now that me and the family are moving San Francisco, which I understand to be mostly surrounded by water, I've started to wonder about Stewart Lupton's impact on my life. Of course, this also means that for the near future I will be focusing purely on Southern bands, like Atlanta's (via Athens) Parade, in celebration of the 81% of my life spent living in the South. I've loved Atlanta bands since I first heard the 1986 compilation of Atlanta bands Make the City Grovel In Its Dust, and I can still remember almost every word and guitar lick of Train Black Manifesto's "Bristol" and Rockin' Bones' "Be At Ease."

So back to Parade and their smart rock-tinged pop. On "That's Hott" from their recent EP, one cannot almost imagine the B52's raised in this millennium on Parade's stated influences of Radiohead, Gang of Four, Nick Cave, and PJ Harvey, while others like the acoustic guitar-based "Hunting" embrace the Southern singer-songwriter tradition of other Athens and Atlanta bands. But whatever the style, Parade is simple and melodic, kinda like the South.

That's Hott [MP3, 4.9MB, 192kbps]
Hunting [MP3, 3.0MB, 192kbps]

www.weareparade.com

Saturna

I’ll cop to being a wee bit of a sucker for the newish, more combustible brand of shoegazer fuzz. It just feels closer to what I’ve always thought of as the ideal of rock and roll: nihilism in three chords or less. Portland's Saturna don’t shy away from such interpretations, giving us both the more traditionally atmospheric naval gaze of “Roll Down” and the slightly embittered and fully catchy kiss-off of “Pop Rocks.” There’s even a cowbell in there.

Roll Down [MP3, 6.7MB, 160kbps]
Pop Rocks [MP3, 4.2MB, 160kbps]
Just for Thrills [MP3, 2.8MB, 160kbps]

www.saturnamusic.com
myspace.com/saturnahq

The Harlem Shakes

It is a difficult thing, trying to find the perfect song to accompany a key lime pie, a margarita, good company and some serious barbeque. The first time I heard the buzz about the Harlem Shakes, I was hoping for just such a song (because I am always hoping for such a song), but I was expecting something a little more, erm, Harlem? When I heard the opening notes, my heart sank a little and then I got over my initial expectations and couldn't stop bopping. They are clever, loud, playful and often rocking out, and for today, July 4th, I plan on blasting them loudly and often. Margarita in hand.

Red Right Hands [MP3, 6.0MB, 192kbps]

www.harlemshakes.com
www.myspace.com/harlemshakes

The Childballads

Whilst sitting in church last week with my three daughters, I thought of a Jonathan Fire*Eater song that I first heard before I had any children. I could just hear Stewart Lupton singing in my ears "Give me daughters/And make 'em 1-2-3/I will raise them/they'll go to church with me." Now I know he wasn't prophesying about me, but Stewart's imaginative lyrics were one of my favorites things about one of my favorite bands. Three of the Fire*Eaters went on to The Walkmen after the big breakup, but Stewart's new band the Child Ballads hit the scene around two years ago. Style-wise, Stewart's 60s-influenced acoustic guitar rock is a long way from the Fire*Eater days, but when it comes to the lyrcis, he's still got his muse.

White Chocolate Tea [MP3, 5.6MB, 160kbps]
Blackbirds [MP3, 4.5MB, 160kbps]

www.myspace.com/childballad

Plunkett

Ian and Lara Plunkett, recording wistful acoustic pop in Italy. At least that's what I remember this track sounding like. I'm working on giving myself access to the song... You see, I'm writing this post up on a new laptop purchsed for me by my wife Jennifer — Thanks honey! This is way cooler than your "right shoe for my birthday, left shoe for Father's Day" idea! — and I don't quite have it set up correctly yet. I hope the rest of you can enjoy the mellowness of Plunkett as I navigate the MacBook world. Ciao!

Just Rise [MP3, 6MB, 192kbps]

www.plunkett.it

Ra Ra Riot

Art is often speckled with tragedy. I was planning to post on Ra Ra Riot beforehand, but now with the untimely death of their 23 year old drummer John Pike early this month, I have to forgo some of the general enthusiasm and lightness of these posts in favor of something a little more somber. All there is to say really is that the music made by this Syracuse band is lovely and this is a terrible loss and it just breaks my heart to hear this sad news. Hopefully the music they make in the future will be able to be a testament to the young man who helped create their sound and the music they have already made will be a beautiful reminder of him. The 'Hive sends its love to Ra Ra Riot.

Each Year [MP3, 5.2MB, 192kbps]

www.rarariot.com
www.myspace.com/rarariot

These Electric Lives

By my count, These Electric Lives sent their first email to 3hive on May 25th of last year. Nineteen, count 'em, nineteen, emails later, we've finally snapped out of our slumber and persuaded these lads from Toronto to share a song with us. It's only a matter of time before the arena-inspired indie rock from their debut EP infiltrates across the border into American popular media, the cancellation of Veronica Mars only delaying the inevitable. Available from iTunes and eMusic on July 25.

Soda Water [MP3, 4.3MB, 128kbps]

www.theseelectriclives.com

Detektivbyrån

I've always had a love-hate relationship with instrumental music. As a compulsive reader, songs have often been an extension of that compulsion, and I've always been drawn to verbose, dense songs that have something to say aside from the music itself. And if I can relate to what is being said, then all the better. But every once in a while songs sans words manage to tickle some small place in our brains and can speak to us directly without having to say anything. I don't know if this is that for you, but without getting into it, Detektivbyrån is from Goteborg (Sweden's second city) and with their simplicity, chimes, accordians and ethereal Amelie-esque charm, they have managed to thrust me straight back to the time I was in their city and I'll be damned if this isn't the wordless soundtrack to my time there, only discovered after the fact. And so, they must be added to the short list of musicians who work in the instrumental form who just plain old move me.

E18 [MP3, 5.2MB, 206kbps]
Nattopet [MP3, 5.2MB, 128kbps]
Dansbanan [MP3, 5.6MB, 200kbps]

www.detektivbyran.net
www.myspace.com/detektivbyran

Taxi Taxi

Sounds like Terence Bernardo can't make up his mind. "Do I do a gritty, urban groove thing, or a slow piano jam?" Lucky for us he's undecided. He's given us both and sure enough there's plenty more on Taxi Taxi's debut, Maps and Legends. The variegated styles of Taxi Taxi are a sort of tribute to Bernardo's kaleidoscopic, adopted hometown of New York City and his friends there who define the city and helped record the album. But music-heads from East to Left Coast will find something to love on Maps and Legends. From the Liquid Liquid-inspired party track "Shoot the Dog..." to the introspective "X Marks the Spot" Taxi Taxi holds all the songs together with inventive production, solid songwriting, and universal themes like love and loss.

Shoot the Dog, Chop the Tree [MP3, 2.9MB, 128kbps]
X Marks the Spot [MP3, 4.0MB, 128kbps]

www.taxitaxiband.com

Oh Bijou

My friend Neal just bought a satellite radio receiver on eBay, and my guess is he's listening to as much Canadian radio as he can. That's really his thing, along with snowboarding, long-distance bicycling, vacuum tube stereos, new albums on vinyl and the benzodiazepine-induced superoxide signalling of B cell apoptosis. (I'm not kidding! PhD scientists! My wife is the same way...) Anyway, he sent an e-mail suggesting Oh Bijou, and let me tell you there's no apoptosis (that is, cell death) here, just nice, quiet, hazy pop songs with a 70s flavor. I mean, really, "Misty Eyes" is just about perfect. Oh Bijou! Oh Canada! Keep it up!

Misty Eyes [MP3, 3.8MB, 160kbps]
Steep [MP3, 4MB, 128kbps]

www.ohbijou.com

Bill Coleman

Really, it's not that I'm lazy. It's that Phil can talk about Bill Coleman much more effectively than I can, so let's let him: "Essentially, Bill Coleman is a finger-picking-guitar-style singer-songwriter from Cork, Ireland. He released his debut album I'll Tear My Own Walls Down in February, and has some free downloads on his website. I go to his live show every chance I get. The guy knows how to put on a show, especially when he has his full band (at times, reviewers try to compare his live shows to The Flaming Lips, for the sheer zanyness, and positive, uplifting vibes to come from the music and the persona of Bill himself. Some songs may dredge you through the darkest areas of the mind at times, but somehow, Bill always manages to find some light at the end. His quiet/sad songs are simply sublime and majestic. His upbeat songs leave you with a smile on your face, and the feeling everything will be alright." See?

The Pull of the Pint [MP3, 6.6MB, 128kbps]
In My Head [MP3, 3.7MB, 128kbps]
Awake [MP3, 4.9MB, 128kbps]
From I'll Tear My Own Walls Down

Don't Suffer in Silence [MP3, 4.9MB, 128kbps]
Fight No More [MP3, 4.4MB, 96kbps]
From A Long Time Coming EP

bcoleman.songwriter.ie

CoCo B's

When CoCo B's dropped their new tracks into our mailbox I experienced a spell of flashbacks: me and Matt from The Bronx hauling out to Anaheim every Sunday night, Alberto's burritos in hand, along with crates full of CDs from Orange County bands. This was back in 2002, before Indie 103.1 was around, and a small staff of music-heads were running a great alternative station with a stupid name: Cool 94.3. Matt and I produced and hosted a (four hour!) local show called Go Loco and CoCo B's track "Big Okie Dokie" was practically our theme song. I haven't heard anything from them until now.

It appears CoCo B's have been laying low, working day jobs, taking lots of time to record their new album. Alex Newport mixed the record. Sounds like the band has pulled out all the stops. Compared to the small, hushed strains of "Big Okie Dokie," their new songs, like "Modern Lover," are built to rock The Pond without losing their uber-indie cred. Kevin's vocals are the American, sweeter, less monotone version of Mark E. Smith—which, ironically, make them sound nothing like Mark E. Smith if that makes sense. Gentler than The Replacements, less drugged out than The Lemonheads, CoCo B's wear their fuzzed-out pop anthems on their sleeves as they shoulder their way through the crowd of bands hoping for their fifteen minutes. This review outta be good for .001 seconds. At least.

CoCo B's are playing May 10th, with Ima Robot at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa.

Modern Lover [MP3, 4.2MB, 160kbps]
Hot Pantz [MP3, 4.0MB, 160kbps]
From the forthcoming album: CoCo B's

Sister Cold Caller [MP3, 1.7MB, 128kbps]
Arena Rock Cinema [MP3, 2.8MB, 160kbps]
From the split CD: The Fast-Trak.....

Big Okie Dokie [MP3, 3.3MB, 192kbps]
Bluebird [MP3, 3.0MB, 192kbps]
From the EP: Basement Songs... EP1

www.cocobs.com

The Utah Carol

Joe is reigning king of the mix tape. While most of us have grown lazy (just look at our sporadic podcast output), Joe still makes mixes — most often on CD-R these days — with little more impetus than capturing a theme or mood: spring songs, road songs, grading papers songs, cooking songs, songs featuring a particular girl's name... The latter prove to be the most difficult (unless your name happens to be Baby), which is why Utah Carol's latest album, Rodeo Queen, reminded me of Joe. Among the 13 rich country pop songs we have "Kimberly Smiles," "I'm Sorry Maria," "Sam's Ranch," and, featured here, "Ruby" and "Come Back Baby" (see, they even have Baby covered). Utah Carol, named after a traditional song about a cowboy who dies trying to save his friend from a stampede, are in fact the Chicago-based JinJa Davis and Grant Birkenbeuel. They take country and pop influences with equal weight, producing precious harmonies, delicate instrumentation, loping rhythms, and memorable lyrics. Hit record, Joe.

Come Back Baby [MP3, 6.5MB, 192kbps]
Ruby [MP3, 3.3MB, 192kbps]

www.utahcarol.com
myspace.com/utahcarol

Mezzanine Owls

I haven't listened to this album much because I CANNOT STOP listening to track number four, "Lightbulb." Seriously, it's a problem. You know how some songs reel you in when you first hear them and you develop a temporary addiction to them? I fall for all the hooks: the layers of guitars thicken, leading up to the vocals, then drop out only to build up again until they pull all out all the stops at the chorus..."Can't you see it sucks the life out of me..." I wish I could figure out the next line! It's a good thing Alisa's out of town with the girls, because she'd have pulled out her hair by now. She doesn't have much patience for my obsessive compulsive disorder when it comes to my latest pet sounds. This song also makes me wanna pull out some Ocean Blue (anyone remember them?) and revisit that band. There's a lot more meat to the Mezzanine Owls though. Sometimes I don't repeat "Lightbulb" soon enough the beginning of track five, "Graceless," leaks into my head. The play between the fuzzy guitars and the tambourine recalls The Jesus and Mary Chain. I'm not sure when I'll be able to snap out of my funk here, but the rest of the album sounds promising.

If you're in the L.A. area Mezzanine Owls are playing Spaceland on Tuesday, and the Bordello on Thursday as part of a Syd Barrett night with the Pity Party, Irving, and Midnight Movies.

Lightbulb [MP3, 4.5MB, 128kbps]

www.mezzanineowls.com

The Metasciences

The Metasciences = super-duper lo-fi, boy-girl, brainiac geek-themed pop. There are folks out there who love this already, without even downloading a track, and you know it. The entire Pencils Down album is available for free download (of course) and a fine interview with the band (Ruth Barabe and Daniel Kibbelsmith) is up at songs:illinois. Now get back to work on your dissertations!

Up North [MP3, 3MB, 160kbps]
Four-Color Love Story [MP3, 2.5MB, 160kbps]
TiVo the Revolution [MP3, 4.6MB, 160kbps]
Okay [MP3, 2.8MB, 160kbps]

www.themetasciences.com

The Muggabears

Now I understand NYC is all cleaned up these days. I personally have walked in Central Park more than once over the past few years without getting mugged, despite the best efforts of television dramas like "Law & Order" to keep me paranoid of being mugged upon setting foot within any of the boroughs. So perhaps it was destiny that three friends from Norman, Oklahoma, with a band named the Muggabears would move to NYC. The band's website describes them as a "structurally-mutilated brand of noise-pop featuring blissful interplay, sonic experimentation and song destruction," going on to refer to influences from early 90's indie rock like Pavement and Sonic Youth. I'll add Superchunk, Some Velvet Sidewalk, and even Polvo while we're listing early 90's indie rock influences. "The Goth Tarts" is from their new EP Night Choreography out on April 24th, and the other two are from their 2006 EP Teenage Cop. Wasn't there a Law & Order franchise called Law & Order Teenage Cops?

The Goth Tarts [MP3, 6.1MB, 192kbps]
Married to the Moon [MP3, 3.5MB, 96kbps]
I'm Coming True [MP3, 3.7MB, 160kbps]

www.themuggabears.com

Hooray for Earth

Given the season, it's appropriate that "Simple Plan," one of my favorite songs of late, could be described as triumphant. Don't get me wrong, ain't nothing preachy about Hooray for Earth. Though you could say they're on a bit of a mission. They appear determined to make every one of their songs sound freakin' epic. They start with the big-guitars-meet-big-synths sound—then proceed to send it skyward and never look back. "Simple Plan" is a classic example. For the first 20 seconds it rumbles through low-gear grunge, then bursts into a glorious, spiraling new wave anthem that would make Icicle Works blush. "So Happy" picks up the pace, like Self jettisoning in an escape pod from his bedroom studio. Their self-titled debut is worth it if only for the ridiculously catchy (as proven by the track's popularity on iTunes) vocal hook from "Everything We Want": "Put on your makeup, I want to get out."

Simple Plan [MP3, 6.6MB, 192lbps]
So Happy [MP3, 6.6MB, 192lbps]

Buy from iTunes
myspace.com/hooray4earth
www.hoorayforearth.net

Tobias Hellkvist

Tobias Hellkvist is a Swedish singer/songwriter/guitarist who came to me by way of Efterklang, whose sweetly melancholy “Step Aside” Hellkvist treats with great charity on his own cover. His winsome yet penetrating vocals might remind you of Iron & Wine, as will his gentle acoustic melodies. Likewise his instrumental tracks hang in the air like autumn leaves. Sorry, MySpace seems to have made it next to impossible (at least to my limited abilities) to directly link to their MP3s anymore, but after downloading “Step Aside,” head to Hellkvist’s MySpace page and give your day an extra dozen minutes of sublime reflection.

Step Aside [MP3, 7.3MB, 192kbps]

myspace.com/tobiashellkvist

Northern State

Northern State, while not typical of most bands, does have a typical experience: little band writes some good stuff, tours like crazy, goes big, gets written up in Rolling Stone and Spin and the rest, gets signed to a major label, tours some more, then bolts from said major label and gets back to doing their own thing. These ladies from Long Island have been working with Chuck Brody (Shitake Monkey) and the Beasties' Adrock on their new album, which has them moving from hip-hop to a more Luscous Jackson-like vibe. New songs can be heard at their myspace site, but check out this oldie with the best ever rhyme from Prynn about her Native American ancestory.

Dying in Stereo [MP3, 4.5MB, 128kbps]

www.northernstate.net
myspace.com/northernstate

Beat Hive Winners

Thanks to everyone who participated in our Beat Hive contest. These artists put a lot of creative energy into these contest tracks. We hope you like the tracks as much as we did. Here are the results:

Grand Prize Winner:

Andrew Newton, Five Sounds With Leaves
A devout Canadian currently living in LA, Andrew creates music by cutting samples and putting them into completely new contexts. He's currently producing for Project Blowed, as well as doing a lot of live music with his own mixed-media anti-war/anti-imperialist collective called Amar (art-music-activism-resistance).
Song: The Dispossessed
Artist Site

Runners-Up:

Felix Miklik, Transalarm Recordings
Based in Chicago, Felix currently has dance tracks rotating on XM radio. In addition he composes and produces music for brands such as NIKE, Adidas, MTV, the NBA, AMD, Spike TV, Paramount Pictures, Motorola, Abbot Labs, Moosehead Beer, and Hazordous Sports.
Song: The Future
Artist Site

James Harris, Zebulon
Currently a film student at York University, James's music is emotive, interesting, and often complex electronic music ranging from the chilled soundscapes of ambient and downtempo music, to more upbeat and psychedelic trance/club tracks.
Song: Pulsations from the Hive
Artist Site

Eddie, eMinor Music
An incorrigible audiophile living in Libertyville, IL, Eddie has diverse tastes and a hungry mind. His current work reflects too many interests and influences to list. "I leave that interpretation up to the listener. I've just got all this stuff in me and my job is to let it out." At this time, Eddie calls it "LaptopFolkPop."
Song: Nevermind Blue
Artist Site

Derek Hecksher
We don't have bio info for Derek, but we were able to grok that he's from Alright, Oklahoma.
Song: Beat Hives! Use Lotion!
Artist Site

Honorable Mentions:

Tim Porter, InfiniteAero
From Northville, Michigan.
Song: Darker Deepness
Artist Site

Karl G, More Powerful Astronaut
From Hood River, Oregon
Song: No Backstage Pass
Artist Site

Congratulations to the winners! The grand prize winner and the runners-up will receive a Best of BeatHive Loop Collection, along with a 12 pack of CDs from 3hive. Winners, please send your mailing address to kennyd [at} beathive.com to get your prizes.

Ford & Fitzroy

Here I was, sitting down at the computer, relatively late at night, at least for me, wondering what on earth I was going to do about 3hive, when into the suggestion box came an email suggesting Ford & Fitzroy. One quick listen and my problem was solved! So enjoy the crisp, psych pop with the pleasantly unsteady vocals. Not to be confused with this guy.

The Weatherman's Refrain [MP3, 9.6MB, 320kbps]

www.fordandfitzroy.com

The Fatels

Sure, the UK's The Fatels are starting to get some buzz, as they say in the biz, but boy I am a sucker for their distinctly London-eque, pounding punk/post-punk pop. Especially refreshing is knowing that only three people made all this racket! More downloads available on their sites below.

Sunni Cher [MP3, 3.8MB, 160kbps]

www.myspace.com/fatels
www.myspace.com/fatels2

Super 5 Thor

In May 1996 I wrote this in grid magazine about the Super 5 Thor song below: "The Space side's "Superstar" is a brilliant example of Super 5 Thor's delicate Velvet Underground-meets-The Jesus and May Chain brand of rock. Sparse, vibrato-tinged and soaring guitars and drugged-out vocals that the Reid brothers can be envious of are backed up by simple, steady drumming." After many years of hiatus, Manny and Scott are getting the band back together! Actually, Super 5 Thor wasn't really a band. Manny and Scott had been in the Miss Alans together in Fresno, California, my wife's hometown (she was a fan), but by the time they got around to Super 5 Thor, they lived in different states and traded tapes in the mail. So until they get going again, enjoy "Superstar," with Manny's permission, and also check out their only live performance on KCRW's Brave New World. It's what's kept me going all these years.

Superstar [MP3, 4.3MB, 160kbps]

www.super5thor.com
www.pandemic.com/thor
www.myspace.com/super5thor

The Linemen

Full disclosure: I know Kevin Butterfield, the lead singer of St. Louis’ The Linemen. I don’t know him well, but I did once make him pancakes. And before you go getting ideas about this happily married man, I’ve made strictly platonic pancakes for plenty of people. You could even say it’s a specialty of mine. Kevin seemed to like them, at least. Anyhow, The Linemen are good old-fashioned country (think Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, George Jones) in both sound and spirit: Butterfield’s crooning tenor favors the kind of heartbreak that’ll get you down without putting you out and Scott Swartz’s pedal steel seems to be singing the melodies rather than twanging them. It’s a toe-tapping affair just right for road trips through the heartland. And if that ain’t your cup of tea, you might consider switching to whiskey.

Five Years Later [MP3, 4.5MB, 160kbps]
Through One Side [MP3, 4.7MB, 160kbps]

www.linemenmusic.com
myspace.com/thelinemen

Marla Hansen

Lately, my picks have all been male artists and it was feeling like high time to revisit my (your?) girlier side. Marla Hansen, who sings soft and quiet folk-inspired songs and is also part of team-Sufjan-My-Brightest-Diamond, is a perfect return. She sounds like tea and flowers and a good book in bed when you are tired. Oddly positioned on my iTunes next to Marlene Dietrich's raspy, vaguely mannish "Sag Mir Wo Die Blumen Sind", "Wedding Day" felt like something we women can celebrate our peculiar chromosomal dispositions to and her tone is something that the men can daydream about (note: no letching)--even more so from the comparison to Dietrich. Hansen has a honeyed voice and sings delicious little songs as though she were singing to herself, for herself. There's no clever hook here, no steamrolling vocals, no unexpectedly jarring electronic sounds, just simple, strong singing, songwriting and her viola. And throughout, she is exquisitely feminine. It's charming.

Wedding Day [MP3, 5.3MB, 160kbps]
Shuffle Your Feet [MP3, 3.81MB, 160kbps]

www.marlahansenmusic.com
www.myspace.com/marlahansen

The Red Button

I'm always in the mood for this sleepy sort of pop song, this time from The Red Button. Principals, Mike Ruekberg and Seth Swirsky, have been writing and producing music in L.A. for more than a decade: composing soundtracks and writing songs for the likes of Al Green, respectively. The two met in 2004 when Seth was working on a solo record and discovered they had a mutual love for concise, melodic pop songs. So they began creating just that. Their album, She's About to Cross My Mind, reminds me of a mix between the woefully obscure song-crafting wizard Erik Voeks on his album, Sandbox, and seminal pop-rockers The Posies. Coincidentally, those last two artists were in heavy rotation on the college radio station (AM 960: The Student Underground Network) Sam, Clay, and I launched way back when: sharing the sharing v.1. The Red Button's retrospective melodies have me reminiscing like that today, the day after 3hive quietly celebrated our third year of existence. We hope to instigate more intensive festivities in the near future once our lives, mine in particular, settle down a bit. The proverbial dance card's been booked lately.

She's Going Down [MP3, 2.5MB, 128kbps]

www.TheRedButton.net

The Scarring Party

"Fortelling certain doom to the bouncing rhythm of tuba, bass, accordion, banjo, and tongue drum." That's how The Scarring Party describes "No More Room," as in no more room in hell. You could add the following: Tin Pan Alley, Tom Waits, gothic slaughterhouse, phantasmagoria — it's like, make sure the hatchet is safely in the garage, the double-barrel in the gun safe. There will be quite a party on the ship when the Scarring Party sets sail from Milwaukee for Singapore, but with evil lurking everywhere, will anyone survive the journey? Though not for everyone, these tracks should give you that little extra twist for which you might be searching.

No More Room [MP3, 2.9MB, 256kbps]
Eat Your Young [MP3, 3.6MB, 256kbps]

www.scarringparty.com

Sparrow House

It seems that with all this frantic social networking going on in the world (umm, the internet?), musicians are following suit. One search leads to the other in an endless maze of "who plays with who." Sometimes you find yourself following the trail until you end up at a Lynard Skynard tribute band and you wonder where you went wrong. Not so with Sparrow House (which is actually just Jared Van Fleet, of keyboards and guitar for Voxtrot). When I finished following the trail of crumbs, I just listened, smiled and said "sweet!" Apparently, we were a little late on sharing some Voxtrot with you all, but this time I think we're right on point. The track below reminds me of Elliot Smith, and since I pretty much wish that man was alive every day, I say, yes, Jared, lets please revisit. But the rest of the EP is varied, folky, dark and stormy. The kind of stuff you can close your eyes and be happy to listen to when you just need a moment. The cool kids totally love him and me too. Thanks Jared, I totally needed a moment.

When I am Gone [MP3, 4.1MB, 192kbps]

http://www.sparrowhouse.net
http://www.myspace.com/sparrowhouse

Inlets

Sebastian Krueger is the man behind what he calls "the bedroom fidelity project" Inlets. This perhaps makes him both faithful and musical? Ladies? He is also a generous man, and we here at the 'hive appreciate good music even more when the artists who make said music decide to make their EP's available for NO dollars to music lovers of the world. Krueger gets "sharing the sharing." He just gets it. Back when I was a 3hive fan and not a participant, I used to be totally charmed by all this "this is totally a Clay band", "oh such and such is Shan music for sure" business. Since I'm still pretty new, I'll just say that Inlets is Lisa music--moody, instrumental, a touch earnest, but musical in a way that avoids sappy sweet sentimentality. And who doesn't like a man who cut his teeth with My Brightest Diamond? So snatch up the Vestibules EP at luvsound while the gettin' is still good.

Pictures of Trees [MP3, 6.5MB, 182kbps]
You are an Effigy [MP3, 4.0MB, 178kbps]
Sunfed Shapes [MP3, 5.1MB, 200kbps]

http://www.luvsound.org
http://www.inletsmusic.com

MudKids

Perhaps many of you are too young to remember the “Super Bowl Shuffle”, that perpetual answer to a trivia question that took the nation by storm in 1985, the last time Da Bears were in the big game. Sweetness talkin’ about how “runnin’ the ball is like makin’ romance”; Jim McMahon, who is so white and uncool that the Utah high school where he graduated is named “Roy,” wearing his glasses and rappin’ anyway; Mike Singletary trying hard not to look like Urkel before there was even such a thing—in other words, it was to 10-year-old boys and 40-year-old men what “We Are the World” was to 10-year-old girls and 40-year-old women a year earlier. But that was two decades ago. Rex Grossman? Sorry dude, but you’re no Mac. The real QB is down the interstate in Indy, and now he’s got a fight song by Indy homeboys the Mudkids, part of the capital city’s Musical Family Tree. This sorta-crunky version may not feature any of the players, but when you’re droppin’ lines like “We love the Colts ‘cuz the blue’s the hottest part of the flame,” you don’t need no stinkin’ Chi-Town shufflers!

Rock ‘N’ Roll (Go Blue Mix) [MP3, 7.2MB, 282kbps]

www.myspace.com/mudkids
www.musicalfamilytree.com

Bridges and Powerlines

NYC style power pop, a touch of 80s British post-punk rock with driving Strokes-like sensibilities, courtesy of Bridges and Powerlines. For fans of The Rakes, We Are Scientists, and like-minded bands. So that'd be me, a fan, then.

Carmen [MP3, 3.7MB, 160kbps]
Mumbles [MP3, 4.2MB, 160kbps]
All In [MP3, 3.8MB, 160kbps]

bridgesandpowerlines.com

WJ Kington

WJ Kington spends lots of time around his house recording found sounds, tapping on walls and household appliances and recording the results. Sometimes he just sits at the piano and records his improvisations. Rather than "perfecting" the recordings he'll leave in sounds of passing trains and the crows scratching at his roof. What's left are highly engaging compositions. I found these tracks via boingboing.net (if they're not already a habit don't start!) which linked to "I'm Talin," a track made from samples of his young son ripping apart a cardboard box which he'd strung with rubber bands. Be sure to stop by his site for stories on each of the songs.

Sunken Sky [MP3, 2.0MB, 128kbps]
I'm Talin [MP3, 3.4MB, 128kbps]
Bubble House [MP3, 1.7MB, 128kbps]
Crows Upon the Roof [MP3, 2.7MB, 128kbps]
Making Rain [MP3, 3.6MB, 128kbps]

theurbanmyths.blogspot.com

qr5

I was cleaning out my suggestion file from 2006 this morning, bringing the number down to a manageable 227 bands left to check out, when I came across qr5. The Canadian pop-reggae outfit suggested themselves in the sunny month of May, and I finally gave them a listen. (Sorry it took so long! Do you have snow yet? We got a little bit yesterday.) Since then, "Revisited Gone" has been the groove of the moment. Here's what they had to say about themselves: "Introspective music you can dance to, qr5 is a singular combination of reggae groove, pop contagion, and folk sensibility. With their new album Pharmakon the Toronto 4 piece mixes a positive feel and engaging arrangements with tight rhythms and deep thoughts." Right on. You know reggae sounds better in January anyway.

Revisited Gone [MP3, 2.6MB, 128kbps]

www.qr5.com

Bee and Flower

Apparently, here in Brooklyn, it's flu season. When you are achey, shakey, sniffley, coughey and just generally miserable, it is important not to discount having health appropriate tunes available. My prescription is Bee and Flower (and a flu shot). Bee and Flower are refugees from this fair city, now happily residing in Berlin and making tunes that are interesting, pretty and, bless them, soothing. I wonder if perhaps they were fleeing the rampant germiness of this place. Alas, they are on the cusp of releasing a new album, with a new track included here. For the past two days, most of what I listen to has simply been registering as noise, but these guys have somehow brightened my days. I hope they brighten yours. Also noteworthy about Bee and Flower? Collaborations with French Expat songstress Keren Ann and the lovely Calexico.

Don't Say Don't Worry [MP3, 2.8MB, 128 kbps]
I Know Your Name [MP3, 4.5MB, 128 kbps]
Riding On Empty [MP3, 3.8MB, 128 kbps]
Wounded Walking [MP3, 4.0MB, 128 kbps]

www.beeandflower.com
www.neurotrecordings.com
www.tuition-music.com
www.myspace.com/beeandflower

Bedroom Eyes

Someone recently asked me what I liked most about getting to participate in the fun house that is 3hive. Let me share just two of many. First, experiences like checking out at Home Depot and having a conversation with the guy behind the counter about the Walkmen cause of my t-shirt and telling him about Jonathan Fire*eater as he wrote down "3hive.com" on a piece of paper he then stuffed in his pocket. Second, emails from Sweden, like the one from Jonas Jonsson introducing us to his little project Bedroom Eyes. The EP Embrace in Stereo is provided gratis by Jonas and friends, so let me just quote Jonas himself: "Pop music from the heart - to the feet."

Motorcycle Daydream [MP3, 3.8MB, 192kbps]
Dancing Under Influence [MP3, 4.7MB, 192kbps]
The Skywriter [MP3, 5.8MB, 192kbps]
Blueprint for Departure [MP3, 6.2MB, 192kbps]

www.bedroomeyes.se

Bitter Tea for Breakfast

Comparisons never work out right, you know? The most well-intentioned end up sounding like the biggest slams, e.g. when we still had a print newspaper at the high school at which I teach, and the student review of a new restaurant noted the "Applebee's-like customer service with Outback Steakhouse quality." I'm totally certain the kid was giving serious props to the place, while simultaneously guaranteeing that I would rather be hit (gently) by a truck than eat there. Anyway, Bitter Tea for Breakfast is Travis Carter, formerly of Millimeters Mercury, another Mr. Hyde Records band. Bitter Tea etc. reminds me of — well, don't take this the wrong way — Bright Eyes. Not really in terms of sound or lyrics, but maybe in spirit. Meticulous chaos, that sort of thing. The thing is, the big C.O. doesn't offer entire albums for free download over at Saddle Creek, like Travis does at his site. Oh well... By the way, I'm dedicating this post to 3hive's new pal Lisa, like me a former Maroon (she's hardcore though, she was in the college!) and wishing everyone a good 2007.

Fine, I Admit It. [MP3, 3.4MB, 160kbps]
You Have Nothing to Fear From Me (Self-sabotage) [MP3, 3.8MB, 160kbps]

www.bittertea.com

Apes and Androids

Despite the fact that I’m sensing a whole lot of holiday spirit from the 3hive dudes this week, I’m going to have to deviate from the norm and express my relief that the world has returned to its normal state of affairs. And in the coming days, I’ll have to step aside and let someone else find you all that hot new ghettotech version of Auld Lang Syne. In any case, the seasonal lights may still be up, people may still be out of town, but the madness is over. And for a grinch like me, that means some celebration is in order. Who knew that NYC band Apes and Androids would provide just the kind of relief I was looking for? I’m naturally arrhythmic and dancing has just never been my thing, so what a miracle it is that I cannot stop dancing around my apartment to “Radio”! Seriously, this is huge. I’ve been dancing all weekend! There was a time when uber-electronic music that made other people want to bump and grind really didn’t speak out to me, but times are a-changing and Apes and Androids happen to be clever about the placements of their bleeps and zips and pings, which helps. Of course, let us not discount the value of hearing something fun after all these days of cheer and sentimentality. A&A are new to the game, and will be releasing their album in early 2007, but while I wait, I plan on buying a pair of good flat shoes to dance in ALL NIGHT LONG. Ah, how sweet to remember just how fun life can be when you need a holiday from the holidays.

Radio [MP3, 5.5MB, 192 kbps]
Hot Kathy [MP3, 6.5MB, 192 kbps]
Nights of the Week [MP3, 6.6MB, 192 kbps]

www.apesandandroids.com
www.myspace.com/apesandandroids

Takka Takka

So I have this friend who is pretty much the indie rock grinch. You can throw on the newest.freshest.latest and he’s all BAH! INDIE BY NUMBERS!! Off with its head! It’s a battle you can’t really win. If he hears so much as a hand clap, a trace of irony, or god help you, whistling – it’s over. Enter exceedingly indie, uber DIY, outer-borough band (specifically: Brooklyn, Queens): Takka Takka. Hand clapping? Oh yeah. Whistling? Totally. Irony? Much. And they’ve got a country twang that’s not living in Mississippi. They are the arch nemesis of my hater friend. But that is his issue, not mine. Despite some musical tics that might seem a bit obvious, there’s just something about these boys that resounds with me. It’s a kind of clapping that I can get down with clapping along with. And who doesn’t like something catchy to whistle along with. Indie by numbers, it’s possible, but Takka Takka are also doling out some solid, catchy pop too. And after forming a veritable trifecta of oddness when they joined forces with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Architecture in Helsinki for a recent tour, the proof is in the pudding – silly/weird/random can be some good stuff.

We Feel Safer at Night [MP3, 4.1MB, 160 kbps]
Coco on the Corner [MP3, 2.9MB, 160 kbps]

www.takkatakkamusic.com
www.myspace.com/takkatakka

Thieves Like Us

A great tip from Lismore's email blast. The two bands just played Friday at the Delancy in NYC. I can't stop listening to the 12" from Thieves Like Us. This A-side plays like a lost track from the Trainspotting soundtrack. A little New Order, a little Daft Punk, a lot of dance floor fun. A tribute to tripping. 3hive does not condone illegal drug use (at least not before breakfast), but we fully support dropping beats that induce body moving euphoria. Tune into these two Swedes and a Yankee and let yourself go.

For those of you keeping score at home, this post marks 3hive's 1,000th entry. Make some noise!

Drugs in My Body [MP3, 4.8MB, 192kbps]

http://www.thieves-like-us.com

L.A.O.S.

I've been holding out on posting this one...holding out for the day when L.A.O.S.'s brilliant (not to mention educational!) "Panda Style" single becomes available to the masses—or to me, at least. Alas, it's not widely available in any format and I can't, according to the 3hive Oath, keep awesome free MP3 downloads to myself. L.A.O.S. (Large Amount of Soul) are a drum 'n' bass trio from Helsinki with a great ear for deep hooks, cheeky samples, and beats that won't quit. "Drowning Deep Inside Your Soul" is a good taste of their sound. However, if you want to hear "Panda Style" you can stream it from their MySpace page, or download the DJ Abraham (1/3 of L.A.O.S.) mix from their old school site where it sits alongside some other killer dubplates. Also, if you don't mind voiceover—and in this particular case I really don't—I'd recommend the thrilling Hospital Records podcast where I first heard "Panda Style" (thanks Moodmat!). Rumor has it, L.A.O.S. will release at least one title on Hospital in the near future. Fingers crossed it's you-know-what...

Drowning Deep Inside Your Soul [MP3, 15.4MB, 320kbps]

www.largeamountofsoul.net
www.myspace.com/largeamountofsoul

Beat Hive

We're pushing three years serving music fans by "sharing" from artists and frankly it's time we give back to the music makers. Introducing BeatHive.com (no relation to 3hive). BeatHive is an online marketplace for musicians to buy and sell loops. They currently have producers from the US, UK, Spain, Argentina and Canada, offering their best loops in Apple Loop and Acid formats, which work in programs like GarageBand and ACID. This means even uninitiated songwriters can grab some loops and start banging out the hits. We came across BeatHive and thought it was the coolest thing since curly fries, so we asked them if they'd be willing to share some free loops with y'all. They said yes! Both WAV and AIFF formats are available and all the loops are 100% royalty free. Mouse over the handy buttons to hear each of the loops. The download links are just below. 3Hive 12-pack Contents:
	Drums 1		Synth 1
	Scraper		Guitar 1
	Triangle		Drums 2
	Guitar 2		Pedal Steel
	Electric Bass		Synth 2
	Drums 3		Bass Synth
Download Apple Loop AIFF Format Here Download ACIDized WAV Format Here (Not sure which format to use? Click here.) CONTEST: Make Stuff from BeatHive, Post it on 3Hive! Now here's the fun part: create a piece of music using all or part of at least six loops from this 12-pack and post a URL of the mp3 to the comments. Five top compositions, picked by 3Hive and BeatHive, will receive a free Best of BeatHive, Vol 1. DVD-ROM (click here to check it out) that's just chock full of royalty free loops, a 12-pack of CDs from 3hive artists, and we'll post the tracks on 3hive (CONTEST ENDS 1/22/07 and we reserve the right to make up the rules as we go along).

The Black Antipodes

Is Denmark the new Sweden? But borders aren't important. We here at 3hive love all Scandanavians, especially the ones who have a way with a guitar. The Black Antipodes claim Sonic Youth, The Stokes, and Interpol, among others, as influences, and it's easy to hear all three in "Black Coffee and Pie." My grandmother-in-law, a full Dane, if she were still here, would be so pleased.

Black Coffee and Pie [MP3, 5.1MB, 160kbps]

www.theblackantipodes.com

Millimeters Mercury

"Her hips were sharp in the dark / in a park on N. Clark"
Millimeters Mercury, "Not Too Fast"

When a bunch of my old students went off to college in Chicago — hi Katherine, Jared, Mia, Jen L., Tom G., etc. — I really wanted to make them a good Chicago mix, but it just didn't work out. I had Sufjan Stevens and Ryan Adams, Liz Phair and Rhett Miller, Wilco and Soul Coughing. But I still hadn't come across Canasta or Millimeters Mercury (mmHg, for my wife and her Ph.D. science friends) — especially "Not Too Fast." What a great song! Part of the Mr. Hyde Records crew, the now-defunct Millimeters Mercury has since split into a bunch of other bands, like Cola Wars. Check out the band's website for their math rock discography, including about 30 additional free downloads.

Not Too Fast [MP3, 5.7MB, 192kbps]
I!D!M! [MP3, 5.8MB, 192kbps]
Too Close to You [MP3, 6MB, 160kbps]
Broken Typewriter [MP3, 6.6MB, 192kbps]

www.millimetersmercury.com

Clare Burson

Clare Burson is often compared to Lucinda Williams, so clearly she's got something good going on. The Nashville-based Burson's very personal tales, often of searching or longing, are hypnotic and gritty and completely endearing. As evidenced by the number of free downloads, she's a generous soul as well, offering up for easy access about half the body of her recorded work. My favorites are from her full-length album The In-Between, on which her country roots are most obvious. Like several other 3hive picks, Burson's music has been used in a hip TV show (Six Degrees on ABC? If it's not Dora the Explorer I don't know about it) so we wish her luck in landing a big fat record deal and implore her to remember the good old days of sharing the sharing.

from Idaho:
Love Me in the Morning [MP3, 4.2MB, 160kbps]
Take Good Care [MP3, 5.2MB, 160kbps]
Blue Pearl [MP3, 4.3MB, 160kbps]

from The In-Between:
Where You Are [MP3, 3MB, 160kbps]
Tonight [MP3, 4.6MB, 160kbps]
Another Day Down [MP3, 4.3MB, 160kbps]
Hold On [MP3, 4.8MB, 160kbps]
You Got Me [MP3, 3.3MB, 160kbps]

from Undone:
Mysteries Revealed [MP3, 4.8MB, 160kbps]

www.clareburson.com

She, Sir

Austin-based quartet, She, Sir recently built a lovely wall-of-sound EP, stacked with layers upon layers of guitars, modal harmonies, and hushed melodies. With the subtle hooks and deep atmospherics of Who Can't Say Yes, She, Sir drop pop music to an even vaguer level than Loveless. She, Sir beautifully fractures music for the next generation of dream-pop connoisseurs.

The Clandestine [MP3, 5.6MB, 224kbps]
I Love You, Blowtorch Eyes [MP3, 5.9MB, 224kbps]
It's My Way of Staying Connected [MP3, 4.0MB, 128kbps]

www.shesir.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

Diminished Men

The day's just too damn nice to be sitting in front of a computer. I'm going to the beach. Come with me. If not physically, then in spirit with the sounds of Diminished Men!

Accidental Patient [MP3, 4.1MB, 160kbps]
March of Eyes [MP3, 3.6MB, 160kbps]
Concussion [MP3, 3.4MB, 160kbps]
Organ Lottery [MP3, 2.3MB, 160kbps]
Names of the Dead [MP3, 4.2MB, 160kbps]

www.diminishedmen.net

King of Prussia

My sister-in-law's family live in one of those farm suburbs outside of Philadelphia. Whenever we visit them we need to drive to a larger suburb called King of Prussia for our "big city" amenities (i.e., first-run movies or non-Wal-Mart shopping). The running joke is, "Come on kids, we're off to see the King of Prussia!" You can imagine their disappointment when they learn there is no castle, no king — only a mall just like the one they have back home. I mention all this to contrast with the band King of Prussia (from Athens, GA, ironically), recommended by 3hive reader James A.. Unlike the aforementioned mall, King of Prussia live up to the promise of their name with lush, romantic, and, yes, regal pop. In fact, the only disappointment you'll experience is figuring out how to get your hands on their debut CD, Save the Scene. (Hey KofP, shed some light if you're reading this.)

Campaign Kids [MP3, 2.1MB, 96kbps]
Phyzics Never Stood a Chance [MP3, 2.7MB, 96kbps]
Spain in Summertime [MP3, 2.2MB, 96kbps]
Terrarium [MP3, 3.8MB, 96kbps]

www.myspace.com/wearekingofprussia

Evan Duby

If you’ll afford me a moment of cheerful codgerism: There was a time when you got a self-recorded release and you could tell. The guitar was flat and muffled. The vocals sounded like they were filtered through cellophane. There was no such thing as “layering” – you could barely get in what you needed on the four tracks you had to work with. There’s still plenty of room for such DIY ethics. But thank goodness for ever-improving technology too, because now songwriters like Evan Duby can create tracks that are appropriately multidimensional. The strings on “Words” bathe Duby’s soft vocals in warmth. “Separate Ways” and “Pale” surround themselves in the subtle ambience of an old-style organ, so that they’re acoustic with a little something extra. And his cover of Springsteen’s “State Trooper” has a sublime sonic kick. Of course, the best equipment in the world can’t hide something that was never meant to sound good. Fortunately, Evan Duby has nothing to hide.

Separate Ways [MP3, 3.4MB, 128kbps]
Pale [MP3, 3.6MB, 128kbps]
Words [MP3, 2.8MB, 128kbps]
Half Block from a Dream [MP3, 5.3MB, 128kbps]
State Trooper [MP3, 2.8MB, 128kbps]

www.evanduby.com
www.myspace.com/evanduby

The Folk Yous

Some cats, like Sean and Clay, were just born with good taste in music. Me? I took the long way, which included a phase of schlock rock—most of it consumed on 8-track. Now some of you youngsters won't remember the delight of plugging an 8-track cassette into the player and listening to the sweet sounds of REO Speedwagon and Journey. Which means you also won't remember how songs would fade out midway through the bridge, allowing the cassette to jump tracks with a clumsy "ka-chunk" sound, then the song would fade back in as if nothing had happened. It sounds as though Athens, GA's Julie Dyles and Courtnie Wolfgang do remember those good ol' days. Or they've at least developed a fondness for the power ballads of that era. Their covers of Asia, Jouney, and REO classics are earnest and well-honed, if a bit difficult to sing along to without falling back on old habits...

Take It on the Run [MP3, 2.2MB, 96kbps]
Don't Stop Believin' [MP3, 2.4MB, 96kbps]

www.myspace.com/thefolkyous

Finest Dearest

A year or so finds San Francisco's Finest Dearest a little more raw and angry, muscially at least. (Carly's new e-mail was very much as pleasant as the last one, though. Thanks.) Both new tracks off their upcoming 7" are tense, energetic, argumentative, confrontational and really good listening material. I can't wait to hear their next message in our inbox.

We're Making a Sound 1 [MP3, 5.1MB, 160kbps]
March into Flames [MP3, 4.3MB, 160kbps]

Original post: 09/15/05
Carly from Finest Dearest left a nice e-mail in our Suggestion Box recently (nice because she acknowledged that we receive a lot of suggestions) and so here is San Francisco's Finest Dearest. Yes, Carly, I do like these two songs, particularly "Idaho," which reminds me of being in high school again for some reason, in a good way. Your classic indie-rock sound is like comfort food, you know? Mashed potatoes or p.b. & j. or whatever it is for each of us. Oh, and good luck with the debut of your EP Pacemaker in a few weeks. If you ever hit the big time and make it to Detroit...

Sleep Until the Weekend [MP3, 5.4MB, 160kbps]
Idaho [MP3, 6.2MB, 160kbps]

www.finestdearest.com

Cola Wars

First, let me welcome any visitors who got the 3hive tip from the recent Michigan Alumnus magazine. (I'm happy with the photo they ran of me in the 'UM alum bloggers' article, as it hides my double chin fairly well.) And although today's post reflects a band affiliated with my other alma mater, the University of Chicago, I encourage any suggestions of good Ann Arbor bands to share. Anyway, Cola Wars. Complex rock orchestration and whiny geek vocals. Social Thought or Math majors? Either way, totally interesting and fresh.

V as in Victory [MP3, 3.7MB, 192kbps]
Apartment M [MP3, 3.8MB, 192kbps]
The Ghosts of What We Know [MP3, 6MB, 192kbps]

www.colawars.net

Out of Clouds

More Swedes, anyone? Gotheburg's Out of Clouds play an arena-pop that can only come from being raised on ABBA and '70s AM radio (do they have '70s AM radio in Sweden?). Sharp licks, sweet hooks, and vibrant harmonies usher in their second EP Into Your Lovely Summer, which seems only appropriate as ours starts to slip away.

Like a Lily [MP3, 4.4MB, VBR]
Another [MP3, 6.4MB, VBR]

www.outofclouds.com

Eskiimo

I usually try to avoid overdoing it with backstory, but Dear Eskiimo [ed. note: It's now just Eskiimo; check out the comments] has proven to be so confounding that a little context feels appropriate, if only to relieve the mystery in my own mind. About three months ago we got a link in our suggestion box to an entertaining pop mini-mix that merged the mixers' own tracks with showtunes, Depeche Mode, Gwen Stefani, PiL, Eminem, and more. Eskiimo’s original music was intriguing, if truncated, so I emailed them to solicit more music with which to share the sharing. We exchanged a couple of semi-cryptic messages and I waited for MP3s that never came. So…I go searching the other day and am reminded of Eskiimo, whose MySpace page now features two downloadable tracks. The group counts Gorillaz, Eels, and The Dresden Dolls among its friends on MySpace and it has major press representation, slick photos, and an attractive lead singer. They were apparently on Mercury Records UK when they released their EP last year and now, with a full-length debut on the way, the Dear Eskiimo website redirects to Universal Music UK…where there is no information on the band. Long story short: Dear Eskiimo appears to be a relatively unknown UK pop group that has everything going for it—major label support, cool “friends,” and solid representation. [Read the comments for a demystifying explanation of what's going on with Eskiimo]

Oh yeah, and talent. Lead singer Katie lists among her musical tastes “good, un-crap pop music,” which is a great way to describe Dear Eskiimo, too. The trio make pop music that doesn’t hide its radio ambitions, but they don’t suffer terribly for it. Dear Eskiimo are quite unlike what we’ve been trained to expect from Manchester over the years, which makes them sort of mainstream outcasts. They merge well with Annie, Scissor Sisters, Zero 7, and other groups you’ll hear at hip clothing stores. And the mix of organic melodies and canned beats might bring back fond memories of, um, George Michael’s "Freedom '90" and "Faith." (Let the hater-mail commence.) “Pretty” is a chirpy number about…abusive relationships. The whimsical “Patience” sounds Broadway all the way—I have the sneaking feeling it’s a cover that I just can’t place. In fact, I have the sneaking feeling that Dear Eskiimo may just be “undiscovered” to me and that I’ll get plenty of emails from those in the UK who have been listening to them on the radio for a while now. Oh well. Whether they’re stars or a secret, Dear Eskiimo’s pop music sounds pretty un-crap to me.

Pretty [MP3, 2.1MB, 96kbps]
Patience [MP3, 2.3MB, 96kbps]

www.eskiimo.com
www.myspace.com/deareskiimo

All Night Chemists

Len Monachello was the bassist for Thisway, which signed with Reprise in the waning days of the major label indie land-grab of the ‘90s. They released one critically well-received but publicly underexposed album and recorded another that is yet to be released. The same thing happened to Wilco around the same time and on the same label. The name of that album was Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Just saying. Anyway, Monachello has no misconceptions about the business of making music, which could be why he’s so good at the craft side of it. The Brooklyn-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist has a mellow, reflective voice that speaks to experience and a way with instrumentation that, as they say, goes easy on the ears. Fans of Elliott Smith, Badly Drawn Boy, Joe Henry and Ron Sexsmith should clear some space on their iPods, as should the rest of you.

Down Here [MP3, 3.5MB, 192kbps]
Fine With Me [MP3, 4.1MB, 192kbps]

www.allnightchemists.com

Hands Down Eugene

Hailing from Nashville, uh Indiana, Hands Down Eugene is yet another of the fine acts featured on Delicious Berries, MusicalFamilyTree.com's cool compilation of Hoosier bands. MFT had the entire Hands Down Eugene EP Full Blast available for free download, so here it is. With a rotating cast of musicians and a little weirdness thrown into the pop-rock mix, there's probably something here for everyone.

Full Blast [MP3, 4MB, 160kbps]
If It's Up To Me [MP3, 3.5MB, 160kbps]
Ticket Girl [MP3, 3.4MB, 160kbps]
Champion [MP3, 3.8MB, 160kbps]
Built for Speed [MP3, 4.6MB, 160kbps]
Read and Disadvantaged [MP3, 3MB, 160kbps]

http://www.handsdowneugene.com

The Screaming Eagles

This is not the screaming eagle from the beginning of "The Colbert Report" (though I hear he's got a Christmas album in the works). This is a Vancouver, B.C. outfit who play fiery instrumental pop inspired by "pre-shitty Weezer" that's good enough to not require lyrics...though I sure would love to know the story behind some of these song titles. Their debut album, Enemy Gold, is available at shows or — as wonderfully quaint as this may seem — by emailing the band members individually and making arrangements.

DooDooDooDoo [MP3, 2.0MB, 128kbps]
Futureball [MP3, 2.0MB, 128kbps]
Entertip [MP3, 2.0MB, 128kbps]
Cobra Cabana [MP3, 2.0MB, 128kbps]

www.myspace.com/thescreamingeagles
www.thescreamingeagles.com

Bel Auburn

Bel Auburn is a quintet from Ashland, an idyllic Ohio town some distance southwest of Cleveland. I say idyllic despite never having been there because the sweeping soundscapes that Bel Auburn have created are anything but ugly and uninspiring. In fact, these tracks, all from the band’s second self-released LP, Lullabies in A & C, are about as anthemic, emotive, and polished as you’ll find from a group of friends living off the cultural grid. It’s reminiscent of Coldplay or early Jimmy Eat World, the latter of which Bel Auburn claim as an influence. The lyrics can drift into codes known only by their author, but once a warm blast of guitar kicks in and Matt the lead singer lets go with a cathartic chorus, you’ll know exactly what Bel Auburn mean even if you have no clue what they’re talking about.

(Selected tracks are linked below; visit the Bel Auburn Website to download the rest of the album.)

Roses [MP3, 5.4MB, 160kbps]
Metropolitan (Watercolor) [MP3, 6MB, 160kbps]
Lullaby in A [MP3, 5.1MB, 160kbps]
Good Night [MP3, 5MB, 160kbps]

www.belauburn.com

Heidi Gluck

Our next artist from MusicalFamilyTree.com's great compilation Delicious Berries, featuring the work of Indiana musicians, is Canadian Heidi Gluck. I know, I know... it seems she spent some time in Indianapolis. Anyway, her track on the disc has a heavy country vibe that really works for me, and that you won't find at all on the free downloads available below. The songs here are all about pop smoothness, either up-beat or down-tempo. "Open Your Eyes" reminds me a bit of Heidi's Some Girls bandmate Juliana Hatfield. (The cover of their month-old album Crushing Love is the thumbnail image for this post.) And next week, another artist from Delicious Berries.

Slow Motion [MP3, 4.1MB, 160kbps]
Wingwalker [MP3, 3.4MB, 128kbps]
Open Your Eyes [MP3, 4.5MB, 128kbps]

www.musicalfamilytree.com

Peppertree

Summertime rules. And it's got the best of the 3hive crew as we can't seem to remember who's posting when, who's filling in for who when the latter who's vacationing. But not even summer can stop us even while it's trying to melt us all. New music everyday, or damn near close. Today's selection is Peppertree: soaring, dramatic rock from Québec. A nice interplay between opposites (acoustic/electric, English/French, soft/loud) gives off an air of dramatic tension, without giving into overt thespianism. If you've been searching for Radiohead's French Canadian cousin, you've found them.

Wallpaper [MP3, 8.5MB, 206kbps]
Myriads of Stars [MP3, 5.5MB, 206kbps]
La Brume en Equerre [MP3, 5.2MB, 210kbps]
La Cage Appat [MP3, 4.6MB, 209kbps]

www.peppertree.ws

Canasta

Some bands are made up of those who fled organized education at the first chance possible, while others are just a bunch of math majors. Canasta has got to be one of the latter. Suggested by Dawntread at the University of Chicago (need I say more?), Canasta taps into a Chi-town vibe with melodic, witty and intelligent chamber-pop. For something upbeat, enjoy "Slow Down Chicago," and glide along with its tastefully muted horn line. For introspection, "Shadowlands" could have been written by heartbreak kings Ben Folds or Mac McCaughan, but wasn't.

Slow Down Chicago [MP3, 5.6MB, 192kbps]
Impostors [MP3, 7.6MB, 192kbps]
Shadowcat [MP3, 10.3MB, 192kbps]

www.canastamusic.com

The Stevenson Ranch Davidians

It's hot, it's Sunday; let's get spiritualized. Today I'm happy to point you to four psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs by The Stevenson Ranch Davidians. Theirs is the church of psychedelia and they seem intent on taking their congregation on a trip back to the Summer of Love, '67 style. They make no apologies for inhaling the effects of the British Invasion, shoegazing, and the music atmosphere of Los Angeles in the late sixties. In fact they're poised to join the pantheon of L.A. neo-psychedelic bands such as Rain Parade, Mazzy Star, The Dandy Warhols, Brian Jonestown Massacre and Beachwood Sparks. Is it any coincidence I whipped up a batch of grape Kool-Aid for the kids this morning? I think not. Bottom's up!

Let It All Go [MP3, 4.8MB, 160kbps]
Nature Boy [MP3, 3.9MB, 160kbps]
Getting By [MP3, 3.6MB, 160kbps]
No Tomorrow [MP3, 7.0MB, 160kbps]

www.thestevensonranchdavidians.com

Derek Fairbridge

My eyes burn. They're too sensitive. Been staring at my computer too long. Reminds me of the night, years ago, a cop pulled me over on my way home from work. It was late. I had been doing inventory at the record (yes, record) store where I worked. Music Plus. Strolling up to my window the cop took one look at me, at my bloodshot eyes and said, "Son, what have you been smoking?" I told him the truth and nothing but the truth. Had he heard the soundtrack to our record counting adventure I doubt he would have believed me when I told him I hadn't been smoking anything. The soundtrack was Crashing Dream by Rain Parade. That memory blossomed today thanks to the warm, dusty psychedelic songs of Derek Fairbridge. These could pass as lost songs from Crashing Dreams sessions. I love that about music—its power to unveil the past, offer hope for the future (No Sean, this inventory won't last forever. Your eyes won't fall from their sockets). Unfortunately that was Rain Parade's last album, and seemingly it's Derek Fairbridge's only album.

I've Got A Car [MP3, 4.6MB, 128kbps]
Giraffe [MP3, 3.0MB, 128kbps]
Keremeos [MP3, 2.8MB, 128kbps]

www.derekfairbridge.com

The Floor Is Made of Lava

You Americans reading and asking yourself "Is that what they really think about us?", apparently the answer is yes. The Floor Is Made of Lava is possibly named after a Simpsons quote and in the funny and moshable "Told Her I'm From Compton" they name-drop Camaros and Kodak moments, among other things. One look at the Kodak moment to the left and you'll agree that these guys wouldn't want to find themselves in Compton, even in a Camaro. But that's OK, because whether the crazy Copenhagen kids are taking the piss out of us or just having themselves some fun, their bouncy chords and goofy lyrics come across as a post-pop Ween for expats. So turn it up, turn your sensibilities off and hide your sister (see song 2).

Told Her I'm From Compton [MP3, 3.5MB, 192kbps]
Do Your Sister [MP3, 3.7MB, 192kbps]

http://www.myspace.com/thelava

Sapporo 72

Sapporo 72 comes to us today courtesy of my new friend Tracy T., who made this suggestion last night as fireworks were exploding over our heads. Now, you know this whole 80's new wave thing that's been going on for a while? Think that's the only 80's drama the kids these days are unearthing? There's a whole lot more to the 80's, and in this case we're talking about electro-synth-dance-pop, a la Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, Erasure, etc. So let Sweden's Sapporo 72 take you on a trip down memory lane, updated for the new millenium.

Architecture of Love [MP3, 9.2MB, 128kbps]

www.sapporo72.se

Over The Rhine

Another guest post (I'm trying to be on vacation). This one's from Sean M. in New Hamburg, Ontario. I thought it appropriate that a Canadian school us on an American group this 4th of July.

Here's a group that I think fits well on 3hive under the "throaty female vocalist with a passion for storytelling" genre. She's supported by her extremely kind and poetic husband on piano, and they've got something like thirteen albums under their belts. They started out recording songs on their kitchen floor by themselves and a grassroots kind of feel continues through their recordings. Over The Rhine's live shows really define them for me, though—I've seen them the past few years playing in these dark, hot summer nights where they'll play for a good hour and a half or more, then come out and do an impromptu jazz session, or a fantastic cover like "Moondance". They have this great, gentle blend of country, folk, cabaret, jazz and pop. Just a true understanding of great Americana-type music. And that's coming from a Canadian, so if I can appreciate it, anyone can!

Unfortunately many of their best songs don't seem to be online—a little disappointing considering the really solid songs I hoped to share, but still some good ones here. The first is a great studio recording, the other two are live performances from a new, limited edition live record.

All I Need [MP3, 4.7MB, 128kbps]
Lookin' Forward (Live) [MP3, 3.8MB, 128kbps]
Moondance (Live) [MP3, 4.8MB, 128kbps]

www.overtherhine.com

Damon Huss

The following post is courtesy of my co-desk jockey, Jerod:

There were two kinds of American indie-rock/college rock in the 1980s—the bands that everyone knew, R.E.M., Camper Van Beethoven, Husker Du, et al. Yeah, I know, those bands were yours. You were there first. Before everyone else figured out how great they were. But then there was that awful night in 1987, you were walking past the local lame-fraternity/sorority bar and from inside you heard a group of drunken idiots singing every word to "It's the End of the World As We Know It" at the top of their lungs. That was rough.

Lucky for you that you kept a secret stash of bands under your bed for just such an emergency. Bands you could still claim as yours, bands like Let's Active, The dbs, Dumptruck, Love Tractor. Those doofuses from fraternity row will never get their hands on these bands. These bands are true, still slugging it out on their own terms, still making music for no other reason than to make music. These bands never let you down.

If he were around 20 years ago, Damon Huss would have been part of your secret stash. But he's here today to keep a tradition alive of American indie rock that never aspired or cared to be anything more than indie rock. Like his underground heroes, Damon rolls the 8-track and throws it all out there for you in all its ragged, jangly, droney, angular, glory. The songs take their time and deliver on their own terms. I have no idea when this was recorded, it could have been yesterday it could have been 20 years ago. Whenever it was recorded, let's just be thankful that there's still an honest and great songwriter out there writing in a style that was pretty much forgotten after the underground heroes of the '80s turned off the tape machines. So here's Damon Huss, go get him, go hide him under your bed. He's all yours.

Sheets of Glass [MP3, 2.7MB, 128kbps]
Lazy Thing [MP3, 6.1MB, 160kbps]

www.myspace.com/damonhuss

The Gray Kid

Never timid on the mic, The Gray Kid (born Steve Cooper) unleashes the sexy falsetto and back-pocket rhymes over some giant beats. Kinda like a Pharrell for the Silverlake set. Like that means anything to most of you...don't worry, Ann Arbor, you'll like him, too. As CD Baby customer reviewer Tim Bones says: "Joint is flavorful. Makes you want to impregnate your local librarian." And for the Sunday afternoon version, go to The Gray Kid's unplugged MySpace page.

Lonely Love [MP3, 5.8MB, 192kbps]

www.graykid.com

Birdmonster

Ah, music my great distraction. You wouldn't believe all the things I should be doing right now. I'll spare you the boring details. I put it all aside to prove to the world that 3hive is the pinnacle of uncool. The Mount Everest of square. There are an umpteen number of cooler music blogs than this place. "Umpteen?" I told you. We're dorks (I speak for myself here, shouldn't drag the rest of the guys into this). Birdmonster is living proof of our cool-lessness. The cool blogs were talking up Birdmonster a year ago. Some blogs tried to be as uncool as us, but they're eight months cooler. So Birdmonster, a year later and they're still great, still holding up under the pressure of being the next "thing." "Resurrection Song" has been their introduction to the world. Its spare production and the band's playing bring an immediate sense of urgency, like there's no tomorrow for these boys. When Peter Arcuni's singing hits three-fourths the way in you get Malkmus-smart lyrics, and a similar delivery. More agressive and less pretentious than Pavement. That's the soundbite. If you haven't heard Birdmonster yet, well, you're in good hands with 3hive.

*Note: Tune in today at 4pm Eastern at WOXY.com for a live performance of Birdmonster. More upcoming shows available here.

Resurrection Song [MP3, 2.6MB, 128kbps]

06/19/06 Update: Birdmonster's WOXY Set
07/31/06 Update: Birdmonster Leaves Nest + MP3

www.birdmonster.com

The Book of Daniel

When Jan suggested The Book of Daniel a few months ago, my first thought was of E.L. Doctorow's novel of the same name, which was my least favorite of the texts we read in my most favorite grad school class, Prof. William Veeder's "Contemporary Historical Fiction." Every year I try (and invariably fail) to teach Eudora Welty's wonderful and little-known short story "Where is the Voice Coming From" as finely as Bill did. Oh well. Anyway, here's what Jan had to say about The Book of Daniel: "Daniel Gustafsson (who is the brother of Swedish Bright Eyes-type singer-songwriter Boy Omega) has written some awesome songs recently. Imagine John K. Samson of the Weakerthans playing beautiful jazz versions of Buckley or Wainwright songs." Exactly. I've included three of the six songs available for free and legal download from Gustafsson's EP; the rest are available at Daniel's website, and there's more info at Swedesplease, a really cool version of 3hive (free, legal MP3s) specifically for Swedish bands. (Who would have known there'd be enough to keep it going?)

3rd of December [MP3, 8.2MB, 192kbps]
Hokus Pokus [MP3, 9.9MB, 192kbps]
Alice's Last Song [MP3, 5.7MB, 192kbps]

www.thebookofdaniel.net

The Rentals

They're back! After a rather long hiatus, the Rentals are playing shows and starting to record a new album. So while we wait until 2007 for said third album, enjoy these alternative remixes of two songs from their past. Oh, and check out their website for brilliant footage of Blur covering "Friends of P."

We Have a Technical (Alternative Mix) [MP3, 4.7MB, 192kbps]
Big Daddy C (Alternative Mix) [MP3, 5.0MB, 192kbps]

www.therentals.com

Gordo Gringo

We’ve been enjoying Beat Radio for a while here at the Hive, so it’s always nice to hear what else the guys have going on. Guitarist/vocalist Phil Jimenez and drummer Jim Mansfield, along with two more friends from Huntington, Long Island, New York, have been busy with Gordo Gringo, whose simple melodies and pensive chords mix just right with Jimenez’s gravelly, cathartic vocals. “Old Suitcase” is a particularly bittersweet anthem, and the other two tracks here aren’t far behind.

Goodbye Song [MP3, 4.8MB, 192kbps]
Old Suitcase [MP3, 5.6MB, 192kbps]
Sleep When I’m Dead [MP3, 4.9MB, 192kbps]

www.gordogringo.com
www.myspace.com/gordogringo

max Min

Austrian singer/songwriter Max Tertinegg, a.k.a. max Min, writes romantic, modern pop (that's right, I'm on a pop kick... I'll soon recover) replete with dreamy strings, horns, synths, harmonies, flawed English...whatever the moment calls for. It's rather magical stuff. He's got a political side, too, having crafted this amusing device that allows you to play speechwriter to The Decider himself (a little nod to "The Daily Show" there). Fun for the whole fam.

Lie [MP3, 4.9MB, VBR]
I Don't Let You Go [MP3, 6.1MB, VBR]

www.maxmin.ws

Bill Patton

Available in its entirety for free download from Bipolar Productions, Bill Patton's cleverly fragile debut album Gets It On is looking for a good home. Part Neil Young from the "Sugar Mountain" days, part Dashiell Hammet meets Nick Drake (the title "A Crimefighter Who Pities Fools" should say enough), Patton's sparse arrangements, with mumbled vocals and piercing pedal steel guitar, are about as emotive as you can get. Try two originals (especially "Dirty Woman") and two covers — yes, from the Beatles and Prince — to get a handle on his unique sound and, of course, to enjoy. PS Thanks for the tip, Justin.

Dirty Woman [MP3, 2.1MB, 128kbps]
She Loves You [MP3, 2.9MB, 128kbps]
A Crimefighter Who Pities Fools [MP3, 3.7MB, 128kbps]
Kiss [MP3, 977KB, 128kbps]

www.billpatton.net

Penny Century

Someone left a tip for Penny Century in the comments to my Peter Walker post last week. I liked them enough to pull them up out of the comments and give them a proper review. Penny Century, their name lifted from the classic Love and Rockets comic book, is a five-piece from Sweden writing stripped down, almost fragile, pop songs lead by the charming vocals of Julia Hanberg. You know how Eskimos are supposed to have 100 words for snow? I think Swedes do too. Case in point, the lyrics to "Season of Mists:" "We drove through blizzering snow / I tried to warm my hands on a cigarette-lighter." Spring is not the time you want to be reminded of blizzering weather, but that's life. Sometimes the worst blizzering hits in April, crushing spirits and spoiling picnics. Here's to a strong Spring for everyone. If it gets blizzery in your neck of the woods, be sure to snuggle up with Penny Century and a cigarette lighter.

Tangled Up in My Sheets [MP3, 2.5MB, 128kbps]
Too Bitter to Be Charming [MP3, 2.6MB, 128kbps]
Season of Mists [MP3, 3.8MB, 128kbps]
This is Not My Song Anymore [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]

www.pennycentury.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/pennycentury

The Wombats

This Liverpudlian marsupial is a distant cousin to the sorely missed Los Angeles marsupial, Possum Dixon. Note the similar lyrical delivery, a kind of snotty, melodic talking. The two species also share a certain jerky jangle in their guitars. The resemblance is most notable on "Derail and Crash." The Wombats are known to travel as a trio and were first spotted in the wild, open myspace. Everyone here at 3hive looks forward to this fine specimen arriving to this continent for a prolonged stay.

Derail and Crash [MP3, 4.0MB, 160kbps]
Moving to New York [MP3, 4.0MB, 160kbps]
Patricia the Stripper [MP3, 4.3MB, 160kbps]
Little Miss Pipedream [MP3, 4.7MB, 160kbps]
The Ostrich Song [MP3, 3.2MB, 160kbps]

www.thewombats.co.uk
www.myspace.com/thewombatsuk

Children of the CPU

Look at the cover. Look at the band name. WYSIWYG (a little tech nerd reference of my own there). Warm, synthy pop with sweet, disposable lyrics. Perfect for an analog road trip with your windows down.

Slay Your Dragons [MP3, 5.1MB, 160kpbs]
I Spy [MP3, 4.5MB, 160kpbs]
Omega [MP3, 5.6MB, 160kpbs]

www.childrenofthecpu.com

Butterfly Explosion

Irish and Swedish bands. I'm a sucker for them. Irish caused I lived there for two years (even saw Bono's house/castle/mansion on a road nicknamed, what else, Millionaire's Row). Swedish cause they have some unexplained disposition to creating great pop music. Is it nature or nurture? Personally, I blame ABBA.

Butterfly Explosion are Irish, are unsigned, and recently played at SXSW. One reviewer names Duran Duran, Sigur Ros, Smashing Pumpkins, and My Bloody Valentine as comparisions. While I reject the MBV link (for reasons we won't go into here), I would add Lush as a strong starting point. "Sophia" will be on a soon-to-be released EP.

The Great Game [MP3, 5.1MB, 128kbps]
Sophia [MP3, 4.6MB, 128kbps]
Comfort of the Dark [MP3, 3.5MB, 128kbps]
Vision [MP3, 7.0MB, 128kbps]

www.butterflyexplosion.com

Oh No! Oh My!

If you haven't lately, why not stop by our links page? There's a few of the usual suspects as well as some sites you may not be familiar with. Lots of good stuff to discover, like this gem I found via You Ain't No Picasso. What I like best about Oh No! Oh My! is what they don't put in their songs. They use their white space well. Not that there's empty spaces in the music, it's just that every instrument counts. No filler. The best way to describe them is clap your hands and say yeah. I'm not talking about the band. Imagine if that was a sound, a genre: clap your hands and say yeah. That's where you'd file Oh No! Oh My! Listen to "The Party Punch" and you'll get it. I bet they're a ton of fun live. A total jam band vibe...if by jam band I meant The Boy Least Likely To instead of Phish.

Walk in the Park [MP3, 2.7MB, 160kbps]
The Party Punch [MP3, 5.5MB, 192kbps]
Oh Be One [MP3, 3.1MB, 192kbps]
A Pirate's Anthem [MP3, 5.2MB, 192kbps]
Jane is Fat [MP3, 4.4MB, 160kbps]

Buy from iTunes
www.thejollyrogers.org
www.myspace.com/ohnoohmyband

Data Panik

You want the bad news or the good news first? The bad news (you're so predictable): Scottish electro-pop-punkers Bis are no more. Kaput. Finito. The band that gave us the theme song to the Powerpuff Girls is dead. The good news: original Bis members Manda, Steven, and John have been joined by two other lads to form Data Panik. The torch has been passed. Now aren't you glad you heard the good news last?

Rulers and the States [MP3, 3.2MB, 160kbps]
Minimum Wage [MP3, 3.8MB, 160kbps]

www.datapanik.co.uk
www.mustdestroymusic.com

Guggenheim Grotto

This is soft music with slight edges. As such, it's probably some of the most accessible stuff posted on 3hive for people into folk, Iron & Wine and understated strings. These tracks from GG's A Lifetime in Heat EP are touching tracks that your average Sum41 or Good Charlotte fan will run screaming from. These tracks are perfect for bringing up next time someone says, "they don't write songs like this anymore".

Portmarnock Beach Boy Blue [MP3, 3.5 MB, 128kbps]
A Lifetime in Heat [MP3, 4.5MB, 128kbps]
One For Sorrow [MP3, 3.5MB, 128kbps]
And A Tear Isn't Such a Bad Thing [MP3, 3.5MB, 128kbps]
Cold Truth [MP3, 6.5MB, 192kpbs]

guggenheimgrotto.com

Katie the Pest

Lo-fi bitrates for this wonderful, lo-fi shoegazey duo that takes me back to L.A.'s Paisley Underground days—a gritty version of The Bangles or Opal. The stand out track here is "Sober." It's, as they sing in the song, "unstoppable." You'll end up listening to it twenty times in a row. It's maddeningly addicting. Thanks to Whitney B for reminding me about Katie The Pest. She can't stop listening either and is mad at us for making her spend so much money on records. We're not sorry.

Sober [MP3, 1.7MB, 56kbps]
This Giant Will Kill You [MP3, 1.7MB, 56kbps]
The Art of Missing You [MP3, 2.3MB, 56kbps]

www.katiethepest.com

Iron Hero

Sam from Iron Hero got my attention with two words and one number: Athens, 40, Watt. Although I've never been there, the 40 Watt Club is a hallowed place for me since my teenage years spent worshipping Love Tractor, Pylon, and many other Athens, Georgia, bands who played there. Iron Hero, you see, had a CD release show just recently at said 40 Watt Club. Then Iron Hero got my adoration with two things: delightful pop and some oh so delightful fuzz. With songs like "Heart of a Ghost," surely Iron Hero's days of self-releasing albums will be a thing of past, ie., there's a label somewhere out there who has gotta snatch them up soon.

Pilot [MP3, 6.1MB, 192kbps]
Heart of a Ghost [MP3, 6.7MB, 192kbps]
Bomb Shelter [MP3, 6.7MB, 192kbps]
Wearing a Wire [MP3, 5.3MB, 192kbps]

www.ironhero.net

Mike Ferraro

Tim O. and I were sitting in the office listening to Mike Ferraro's "Lovers Only Love," and he was like, "Hey, all this guy needs is hand claps," and I was like, "Yeah." And then I started wondering how Mike Ferraro's songs ended up on my computer, and I found an old e-mail he sent to 3hive on 8.14.05. That explains that. And then I dug around some more and saw that David — of the wonderful LargeHearted Boy MP3 and other stuff blog — wrote about Mike Ferraro way back when, too, and then I felt really scooped. But you know, that was last year, and this is now, and Tim O. and I are digging these songs so much and hoping you people will go to Mike F's website and buy his demos, go see him live, or whatever, and clap your hands at all the right times. Yeah.

Lovers Only Love [MP3, 3.4MB, VBR]
Something for Nothing [MP3, 3.8MB, VBR]
Song for Friendship [MP3, 3.3MB, VBR]
Yesterday Was a Burning Plane [MP3, 4.2MB, VBR]

www.mikeferraro.net

Shotgun and Jaybird

Lo-fi music from "smalltown Canada." That's how Paul from Shotgun and Jaybird described Sackville, New Brunswick, in his e-mail pitch to 3hive (I added the lo-fi part). It seems like these guys are kind of into the small — small sound, small town, a new EP of (only) 6 songs. Even their wonderful crayon slideshow bio is too short, in the sense that it's not long enough. What happens next? Do they still live in the Road King? Download "Secret" for a Pavement-inspired soundtrack of what's going on in Sackville.

Long Distance Dates [MP3, 2.7MB, 192kbps]
Secret [MP3, 3.3MB, 192kbps]

www.shotgunandjaybird.com

Trace Wiren

When the tunes are coming out of Salt Lake City, it's hard to resist a little comparison: "I'm a little bit country, I'm a little bit rock and roll." Trace Wiren has that in common with Donny and Marie, that's for sure. However, she's also a little bit folksinger, a little taken with the blues, and a whole lot fresh. Download "Trouble at Home" now and start preparing your summer roadtrip mix.

Trouble at Home [MP3, 4.1MB, 160kbps]
Home to Me [MP3, 3.6MB, 160kbps]
Mystery in Her Hands [MP3, 2.8MB, 160kbps]

www.tracewiren.com

Protokoll

Given the Great Polarizing Talking Heads Comparison of 2005, I will attempt to describe Protokoll without referring to any beloved bands from the past four decades. Okay, here goes... Protokoll is a GANG OF FOUR scrawny, unshorn lads from Boston. It's a real JOY to see such a young band blur the DIVISION between style and substance. While Protokoll's nervous, synthy punk often bears all the charm and warmth of a BAUHAUS structure, one mustn't INTERPOLate from that a lack of feeling. Jose De Lara's dark, stoic vocals belie very simple and very HUMAN sentiments which alone puts Protokoll in a LEAGUE apart from the more fashion-conscious derivative acts of their vintage. This will set them apart down the WIRE, if they continue writing such memorable songs. There, that wasn't so hard.

Holy Divine [MP3, 4.9MB, 192kbps]
How Can You? [MP3, 5.1MB, 192kbps]
Worthy Nonsense [MP3, 3.9MB, 192kbps]

www.protokoll.us

Scotland Yard Gospel Choir

Ahhhh, the sounds of Sunday. Brothers and Sisters, put your hands together for the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir! In reality, there's no choir, the gospel they preach is the saving grace of rock 'n' roll ("Yet you're saved by the graves/Of old men whose names play on the jukebox"), none of the members are incarcerated, and they're based in Chicago (although one of the principal members, Elia, was born in Wales). A couple years back the band found themselves supporting bands like Arcade Fire, Spoon, Olivia Tremor Control and seemed to be well on their way to indie rock success. Then in October of last year, co-founder Matthew Kerstein left the band to pursue his own project. Elia continues recording under Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, and should have a new album out next year. Not that I advocate taking sides, but Matthew wrote the first song offered here, Elia the second. Both songs will suck you into this unfolding drama.

Bet You Never Thought It Would be Like This [MP3, 4.1MB, 128kbps]
Ellen's Telling Me What I Want to Hear [MP3, 1.7MB, 128kbps]

www.sygc.com

50 Foot Wave

Some of you youngsters may not immediately recognize the name Kristin Hersh. I hate to sound all grandfatherly and stubborn, but you should. She and Throwing Muses were the '80s indie rock antitode to the Pixies: less visionary loose screw with arena-sized riffs than enigmatic everywoman of chilling insight who could rock with the best of 'em and lay down heartbreaking four-track ballads. Well, she's still rockin' with her new band 50 Foot Wave, and she's doin' it for free. "Money has so polluted the music world that my overwhelming urge right now is to divorce money from recorded music...So we're sending free recordings off into the world to do their work. If people enjoy these songs and are excited by them, we ask that they share them with others. The music business is about fame and huge profits — egos and greed — music itself, is not."

Hot Pink, Distorted [MP3, 6.6MB, 256kbps]
Vena Cava [MP3, 7.3MB, 256kbps]
Pretty Ugly [MP3, 5.4MB, 256kbps]
Animal [MP3, 5.8MB, 256kbps]
The Fuschia Wall [MP3, 4.7MB, 256kbps]

www.50footwave.com

The Valentines

Two events, no, three events have created this post about the Valentines. One, WindyLou, a 3hive reader, asked why my year-end list did not include more Memphis bands. Two, my friend Vince made a submission about the Valentines, a Memphis band who moved to Washington state. Three, the Monday holiday completely messed up my schedule so I'm a little late today. I really thought it was Tuesday.

So the Valentines (formerly the Dearest Darlins) make fun music with simple keyboards, guitars, and a crappy microphone. A little indie, a little rocksteady, a little toe-tappin, that's what the Valentines are all about.

Change of Heart [MP3, 2.3MB, 112kbps]
O's & I's [MP3, 2.5MB, 112kbps]

www.xoxthevalentines.com

Madman Moon

A good friend of mine used to regularly harp on me using the line, "Sean, you don't know anything about music before 1979." He was referring to the year XTC released their album Drums & Wires, the first album I ever bought with my hard-earned, paper-route cash. In a way he's right. I didn't have older siblings whose album collections I could pilfer from. I started with XTC and moved forward, not looking back much. Admittedly, my ability to reference back to classic '60s and '70s rock is lacking. Had I ever gone back and done a bit of homework I'd be able to better situate Madman Moon in that spectrum, because they fit in there somewhere. Shades of Bowie, ELO, and even The Doors come through, but there's another connection or two in there that I just can't nail down. Anyone else care to take a stab at it?

Destination [MP3, 3.6MB, 160kbps]
Thorn [MP3, 4.9MB, 160kbps]
Pattern [MP3, 5.0MB, 160kbps]
Point of Life [MP3, 4.9MB, 160kbps]

www.madmanmoonmusic.com

The Sweet Hurt

There's an aspect to The Sweet Hurt's bio that's, well, sweetly endearing. After going through the ususal personnel problems that bands have, there emerged an opportunity to play a show that pushed Sweet Hurt founder Wendy Wang "to get the band back together." So, when I was a kid, I loved The Blues Brothers, especially the car chase scenes, and while The Sweet Hurt sound nothing like Jake and Elwood, I appreciate Wendy's effort.

Driving Round in Circles [MP3, 4.2MB, 160kbps]

www.thesweethurt.com

zooey

It's funny how everything comes together around the holidays. I was assembling my Christmas-cast last night and wanted something...wasn't sure what. Then, I check my email to find that Zooey (one Matthieu Beck from Bordeaux, France) has just wrapped up his melancholy Grey Christmas single and, like everything Matthieu creates, is giving it away for free. It fit nicely into the mix, a delicate, flickering little Christmas miracle. That track and his latest full-length, Pique-Nique et Jeux Dans L'eau, are .zip files. So you'll have to go to Zooey's downloads page to get your hands on those. However, if you're looking to escape the weather of the season, we've got "Endless Summer on the Beaver Island" with it's lazy, hazy ode to warmer days.

Endless Summer on the Beaver Island [MP3, 3.6MB, 160kbps]

www.sparkreleases.com
www.frannyandzooey.org

The Special Guests

I found an old tape in my parents' garage that I'd made for my brother years ago. While it had Wire and Yello on it, it led me down a train of thought that eventually inspired me to dig out Desmond Dekker's song "Reggae Recipe," which naturally led to more ska listening. Yes, it's been a while since 3hive's last ska post, so something special was needed. Something authentic, something true to roots of ska, something with a rocksteady soul, and Germany's The Special Guests are the perfect fit. Plus, they're the only thing keeping me going after 15 hours at work!

Waiting [MP3, 4.8MB, 128kbps]
Rhythm'N'Brass [MP3, 2.6MB, 128kbps]
Forget It [MP3, 2.4MB, 128kbps]

www.thespecialguests.de

Nick Robin

I recently bought this and this from Insound. The package they arrived in included the usual 2:1 ratio of collateral marketing material to music product. Among the collateral was a small, square glossy catalog/zine. The theme of the issue was "indie rock road trip" and it was actually a pretty good read. However, nowhere did it mention perhaps the best driving-themed song I've heard all year: Nick Robin's "Drive-On". Nick's slow, careful folk glows with yearning. And it's got vibes, which earns automatic bonus points in my book. Go buy the album here. (Many thanks to Lise for the suggestion.)

Drive-On [MP3, 2.0MB, 128kbps]

www.nickrobin.com

Letting Up Despite Great Faults

Electronic, acoustic, classical, it all goes together to create beautiful music. Letting Up Despite Great Faults create music from the heart, ignoring formulas and expectations, letting their freedom and creativity flow. There are no great faults, and hopefully no letting up.

I Hear You Drowning But I'm Tied [MP3, 3.7MB, 128kbps]
Maybe I'll Hide With You [MP3, 3.3MB, 128kbps]
Disasters Are Okay [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]
If You're Here Today [MP3, 3.0MB, 128kbps]

lettingup.com

Walter Meego

No one in Walter Meego is named Walter. Ironically, the 3hive reader who tipped us off to Walter Meego is named Walter. But, lest you think he's just one of these vain guys who'll go see any band named after him, he actually went to see Caribou — who was known as Manitoba up until about a year ago — and Walter Meego was the opening act. Confused? Good. Now you're ready for Walter Meego (the band, remember, not the reader) and their wry, funky, glitchy brand of "mutant dance" music.

Onefive [MP3, 5.5MB, 160kbps]
Weekday [MP3, 4.8MB, 160kbps]

www.waltermeego.com

The Warmth

Let’s all take a moment to thank the guy who invented the Internet. And we should probably thank the billionaires over at Google, too, for if it weren’t for these individuals, we wouldn’t have the machinery by which we can stumble upon new music purely by accident. Not only was I looking for another band when The Warmth came up, but I had misspelled that original band’s name — badly. Yet, there was The Warmth, offering up an electro-acoustic vibe not unlike Travis and David Gray — something vaguely familiar and comforting but hardly stuck in Dullsville. There’s precious little information available about the band’s latest album, Fox & Weathervane, on their website or, irony of ironies, through Google searches. But they do have some music to share, so take a listen while you try to figure out this mystery wrapped in a riddle wrapped in…a website.

Granville Station [MP3, 4.4MB, 128kbps]
Motown Stars [MP3, 4.5MB, 128kbps]
Scarecrow [MP3, 7.9MB, 128kbps]
You Crafty Devil [MP3, 4.8MB, 128kbps]

www.thewarmth.com

Faux Pas

A week ago I posted Gotye. If I hadn't been in such a serious carb coma on the heels of Thanksgiving I probably would have posted an Australian two-fer including Gotye's friend and countryman, Faux Pas (aka Tim Shiel). These two take great care to make their quirky, sampleriffic musical explorations feel warm, organic, and spontaneous. Faux Pas even goes as far as to eliminate vocal samples lest we get lured into the obsessive spotting exercise that Gotye's tracks inspired. The frenzied big beat sound of "Cup of Wonder" provides instant gratification but "White Light" definitely steals the show. I am now convinced that spacey theramin, Asian dulcimer, and R&B horn riffs were always meant for each other; all they needed was a tumbling drumbeat to rally around... As a bonus, it turns out Tim's also a bit of an MP3 blogger himself. Check out the Blog section of his site to get a good sense of his musical reference points.

From Entropy Begins at Home:
For the Trees [MP3, 6.5MB, 192kbps]
Hermann's Hermans [MP3, 6.0MB, 192kbps]

From Faux Feels:
Cup of Wonder [MP3, 3.7MB, 192kbps]
White Light [MP3, 6.0MB, 192kbps]

www.iamfauxpas.com

Ehroehed

Ehroehed is Lonny Potter, who records music in British Columbia, apparently to give away to his friends. Erik Ratcliffe is a nice person from somewhere, wherever, who dropped Ehroehed in our Suggestion Box. If I knew Lonny Potter personally, I'd tell him to burn a disc of his music to give to Erik Ratcliffe because, you know, that whole sharing the sharing thing. Plus, it's gonna be the holidays, so let's all be Lonny's friends, yeah? Like Will Oldham in the Palace days, Ehroehed reminds me that there are plenty of weirdos out there making beautifully strange songs just for the hell of it (and for that I'll count my blessings).

Goodwill Come [MP3, 3.7MB, 128kbps]
Two Mile Final [MP3, 3.8MB, 128kbps]
Eyes [MP3, 2.3MB, 128kbps]

www3.telus.net/ehroehed

Blue Bone Express

I often wonder what kind of music my children will end up listening to. When I was their age I was fed a steady diet of The Beach Boys, The Carpenters, Bee Gees and Roger Miller, so my parents were understandably distraught when the sounds of Dead Kennedys' Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables blasted out of my room. I had a peek into my future when I mentioned to my son that if he kept practicing the piano and clarinet he'd soon be playing music like the punk rock that was shuffling through the car stereo at the time. "No dad," he said, "I want to play in the Disneyland band." Well, thanks to Patti Bao, one of our fine readers, I've found possible musical mentors for the kid. Straight outta Oakland, Blue Bone Express — nothing but lively traditional Dixieland jazz here. Look, I'm always worrying that he'll end up bringing home a pan flute, or let his appearance deteriorate like this, so I am extremely relieved at his choice of aspirations.

Sweltering Solar Rag [MP3, 2.4MB, 128kbps]
Darktown Strutters' Ball [MP3, 2.5MB, 128kbps]
Midnight in Moscow [MP3, 3.5MB, 128kbps]

www.blueboneexpress.com

Gotye

Gotye is Aussie one-man band Wally De Backer who, like his fellow countrymen The Avalanches, humanizes bedroom beats, quirky samples, and the odd live instrument and weaves them into epic pop structures. I guess it's summer down under, which would explain the decidedly upbeat tone of these preview tracks from his forthcoming LP.

A Distinctive Sound [MP3, 8.7MB, 192kbps]
Learnalilgivinanlovin [MP3, 4.2MB, 192kbps]

www.gotye.com

Au Revoir Simone

So long, Simone! Have a nice Thanksgiving in Brooklyn. (I'll probably get yelled at by our loyal fact-checking readership, who will remind me that none of the three women in this band is named Simone.) I'd love to spend my T-day in Brooklyn, or listening to Verses Of Comfort, Assurance and Salvation — which the Japanese consider to be "8 tracks of perfect lo-fi synth pop" — but it looks like I'll be at home with just one song by Au Revoir Simone to ease me through my tryptophan hit.

Back in Time [MP3, 7.3MB, 192kbps]

www.aurevoirsimone.com

Speaker Speaker

I thought I'd impress the lady and take her up to L.A. to see a rock and roll show. It'd been too long since we'd got our rock on. We were on the guestlist and everything. We had a babysitter and everything. As we were getting on the 405 at 7pm on Friday night I knew we were in trouble. Traffic. Long story short: missed the show, did a quick shopping spree at Amoeba, replaced a Housemartins (The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death) CD that we'd lost, and sang-along to it all the way home while sucking down milkshakes from In 'N' Out. Not a bad night after all. Probably, because, unlike Speaker Speaker, I was right when I picked my girl. We still share a similar taste in music years down the road. And like you, it's safe to assume, we're still listening to music fanatically when many of our friends have given up on it, or somehow, unexplicably, started listening to Top 40 Country radio. Speaker Speaker shares The Housemartins and Joe Jackson's youthful exuberance that too many people lose when they hit their late 20s/early 30s. Don't let it happen to you.

I Was Wrong [MP3, 3.7MB, 160kbps]
Statues/Shadows [MP3, 2.2MB, 160kbps]
Again & Again [MP3, 2.5MB, 160kbps]

www.speakerspeakermusic.com

Dog Traders

Drew is from Columbus, Ohio. He draws comics (Toothpaste for Dinner) and makes music (Dog Traders). You probably already know that. Prior to Jason B.'s suggestion, I may have been the only American of my particular demographic to have slept on Drew's wicked ballpoint funnies. I may be in broader company by saying I'd never heard his sandblasted garage pop either. But that, too, has changed and I'm a better man for it. Drew's distant, mumbled vocals remind me at times of J. Mascis or Michael Stipe on REM's circa Murmur. His lyrics are as odd, clever, and compelling as you would expect from the man who brought you this. Not only is the music good, it's free. All of the songs on Dog Traders' A Panic in a Pagoda is available as a downloadable .zip file on Drew's site (though at $7 I'd recommend buying a copy of the packaged CD, if only to get your hands on the lyrics).

Belgium [MP3, 3.9MB, 160kbps]
Evil Seeds [MP3, 3.2MB, 160kbps]
Minister and Man [MP3, 3.5MB, 160kbps]

www.toothpastefordinner

Jupiter One

I'll admit to occasionally hatin' on NYC bands, usually of the gratuitously post-punk variety, what with their fashionable arrogance and snarls of prissy posturing. But, these days, it appears that "fun" is the new black. Case in point, Jupiter One, whose bounce-on-the-balls-of-your-feet numbers can stand tall alongside new wave forefathers like The Cars with nary a double-take. Lead singer K's low tenor is as crisp as a starched white shirt and he can dodge canned guitar riffs (that's a compliment), B-movie synth sounds, and even an electrified violin much the way Dave Derby did in the Dambuilders. All of it makes for great music to drink coffee to — or possibly a coffee substitute. Either way, things are looking up in downtown NYC.

Countdown [MP3, 1.8MB, 64kbps]
Unglued [MP3, 2.3MB, 64kbps]
Turn Up the Radio [MP3, 1.7MB, 64kbps]

www.jupiterone.com

Pyramid

I've been sitting on this one for a while now. Note I say "sitting on," not "sleeping on," which is an important distinction because it means I'm more of a jerk than a slacker. Unlike many of the emails we receive in the ol' suggestionbox(at)3hive.com, I actually downloaded these songs mere moments after Ryan recommended the Charlotte, NC-based octet. So here I've been, soaking in their smoldering, headphone-friendly country goodness lo these past couple months without even telling my closest friends about it. Please accept my apologies and let me make it up to you by providing you with a direct link to purchase their fine debut, The First American, as those Amazon and Insound links below probably won't help much until they land a label or distribution deal.

Monster in the Canyon [MP3, 4.4MB, 128kbps]
Umbrellas [MP3, 3.7MB, 128kbps]
The Engineer [MP3, 4.3MB, 128kbps]

www.sidewalkexplosion.com

Self

Back it up about 10 years when Sam, Jon and I were all being paid for what we do now for free, a young man by the name of Matt Mahaffey was also, theoretically, getting paid for what he now does for free. His collage of organic and digital instrumentation, pop and hip-hop sensibilities, and his playful use of harmonic and discordant elements won us over immediately. Self was an essential artist in our soundtrack of those days at Acme. With Jon's usual sarcasm, he remembers this time as "misty watercolor memories." It took a loyal 3hive reader (thanks Josh!) to bring us full circle, back to Self. While selfies.com offers a veritable smorgasbord of free tunes, here's a brief sampler of his classic and newest works. "KiDdies" was a literal hit on my nightly radio show in Salt Lake City and a great Halloween track, "So Low" and "Cannon" the singles from Self's first album. The rest are from his most current album, this year's Porno, Mint & Grime.

KiDdies [MP3, 3.0MB, 160kbps]
So Low [MP3, 4.4MB, 160kbps]
Cannon [MP3, 4.6MB, 160kbps]
While the Gangsters Sleep [MP3, 3.9MB, 192kbps]
With You Somehow [MP3, 4.8MB, 192kbps]
Summersound [MP3, 4.8MB, 192kbps]

www.selfies.com

MC Frontalot

Emmett's been on my back to post MC Frontalot, the self-proclaimed "world's 579th greatest rapper." I've been putting off Frontalot for two reasons: 1) he's got A LOT of songs to choose from, all available for free download, and 2) I can't tell if he's for real, or if this is all just a way for some Cal Tech computer science Ph.D. candidate to let off some steam. Regarding the latter, the obvious next question is, "Does it even matter if he's legit?" At least I've come to a decisive "Hell no" answer to that one. So here's the nerdcore hip hop, ten songs worth. When you're done laughing at the silliness you get here, go ahead and download the other 52 songs available at www.frontalot.com. Or, you could buy his record, I suppose.

Charity Case [MP3, 4.1MB, VBR]
Nerdcore Hiphop [MP3, 2.3MB, 128kbps]
Good Old Clyde [MP3, 1.7MB, 128kbps]
Message No. 419 [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]
Yellow Lasers [MP3, 2.2MB, 128kbps]
Romantic Cheapskate [MP3, 3.7MB, 128kbps]
Indier Than Thou [MP3, 2.3MB, 128kbps]
Braggadocio [MP3, 3.0MB, 128kbps]
Special Delivery (Mission Accomplished Remix) [MP3, 3.4MB, VBR]
Which MC Was That? [MP3, 2.9MB, 128kbps]

www.frontalot.com

The Lil' Fighters

Upon seeing the Walkmen play the Hi-tone on Tuesday night, I was just blown away. They were so good and so loud live that I couldn't even stand to listen their own albums the next day. So while we can't post the Walkmen again, we can instead talk about the Lil' Fighters, a New York band with links to the Walkmen. The Lil' Fighters, however, don't share that much musically with the Walkmen, prefering a pop foundation that lends to glowing warmth and feeling pleasant and singing lots of la-la's, which is just what I need to let my ears recover.

Road Song [MP3, 5.1MB, 160 kbps]
Emily's Song [MP3, 3.6MB, 160 kbps]
Thunder & Lightning [MP3, 4.2MB, 160 kbps]

www.lilfighters.com

Build Buildings

Sometimes I can only explain my bias for a certain artist at a certain moment by blaming the weather. Build Buildings to me is autumnesque in its flickering warmth. Tape glitches and synth chirps swirl around you like cool fog on a country road, with moments of bright melody and humanity bursting through the periphery like orange, red, and yellow leaves. Whether or not you buy the meteorological analogy, you have to admit Ben Tweel's open-structured compositions are mature beyond the age of his laptop.

Test [MP3, 4.2MB, 128kbps]
November [MP3, 4.4MB, 128kbps]

www.buildbuildings.com

Song of the Lakes

Beware! Song of the Lakes is devoid of cynicism, coolness or hipness; the musicians probably don't wear much black and they likely have a collective age of 200+ yrs. (for the four of them); the flute plays a prominent role in this song. Now that that's taken care of, if you're still interested, check out what this near-legendary live act from Up North (northern Michigan / the upper Great Lakes) has to offer. Besides the north woods and lakes, summer cottages and fall-apart piers, maritime traditions and the 19th century, you can hear influences from the British Isles and Scandinavia. More downloads with even more flute are available at the Song of the Lakes website.

White Bird [MP3, 5.0MB, 128kbps]

www.songofthelakes.com

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

At some point I had to acknowledge the wonders of this band despite or due to the fact that every single one of my favorite music-related blogs has jocked Clap Your Hands Say Yeah — which I won't acronym-ize because it ends up reminding me of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young when, in fact, they remind me of all that's good about the Talking Heads, early Radiohead (yeah, Heather, I said Radiohead), and hazy, distorted memories of childhood.

In This Home on Ice[MP3, 3.7MB, 128kbps]
Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood MP3, 4.2MB, 128kbps]
Over and Over Again (Lost & Found) [MP3, 2.9MB, 128kbps]

clapyourhandssayyeah.com

Gardin

How do you like your slowcore? Gardin is delightfully simple, providing surprisingly lush soundscapes from fragile melodies and deliberate vocals, with an honesty that not's hidden by fluff or distractions. A perfect recipe for the genre.

Going Down [MP3, 3.6MB, 128kbps]
Air [MP3, 5.5MB, 128kbps]

www.gardin-music.com

Captain Sensible

I thought I'd follow up my Sunday Damned post with an obvious segue to Captain Sensible, who, in the early '80s broke off from The Damned to venture out on his own. He's got two decades worth of charming, often biting, pop songs that hold up remarkably well. His song "Wot" made quite a splash in the UK and its ripples made it across to our side of the pond. I remember actually seeing the video on MTV. The story ends up quite cheery as Captain joined back up with The Damned for an album in 2001, where Captain questions British Democracy and gets his digs in on a little place called Neverland.

Exploding Heads and Teapots [MP3, 3.7MB, 128kbps]
Miss Van Houten's Coffee Shoppe [MP3, 4.3MB, 128kbps]
Life Up in the Stars [MP3, 5.3MB, 128kbps]
Home [MP3, 3.9MB, 128kbps]

www.captainsensible.com
www.thedamned.com

The Damned

Nothing like downloading The Damned on a Sunday afternoon... I can't believe it's taken me this long to get to The Damned (Clay couldn't believe I beat him to it), but you just don't expect some of your old favorites to be this on top of things. I was turned onto The Damned years ago by a good friend who had amassed a huge vinyl collection, which I believe included, close to, if not, everything The Damned had released. I spent many hours at his house taping albums and recording mix tapes of The Damned. Then in 1993 his home was among hundreds burned in the Laguna Beach fire, burning along with it, yes, all that vinyl. I don't know if I've ever really repaid him for turning me onto some great music, so hey, Randy, gimme a call and bring your iPod...

A Dozen Girls [MP3, 4.2MB, 128kbps]
Wait for the Blackout [MP3, 3.6MB, 128kbps]
Love Song [MP3, 1.9MB, 128kbps]
Smash It Up [MP3, 4.4MB, 128kbps]
Street of Dreams [MP3, 5.2MB, 128kbps]

www.thedamned.com

Forest Giants

Just because we all contribute to 3hive doesn't mean we like the same bands. Jon's got a thing for prog rock that I just don't quite understand. Sean has his SoCal punk roots, but these days how bland is that? Joe, a Northerner, likes country! As for Shan, don't get me started. That leaves Sam, and his lifelong obsession with Billy Bragg (likeable enough, as long as I don't have to listen to him). But we all share common loves. Sam and I, we loved the Beatnik Filmstars. Forest Giants is the new band of Tim Rippington, formerly of the Beatniks, still cranking out beautiful noise, a la the Beatniks' Laid Back and English. Mundane Sounds' Volume Four Sampler includes Forest Giants and 14 other bands, all available for free download. And as for me, well, I've got impeccable taste!

Beards [MP3, 4.6MB, 192kbps]

www.mundanesounds.com
www.forestgiants.co.uk

Noe Venable

Clicking through someone else's iPod is a personal experience, like examining the contents of a purse or carefully reading titles on a bookshelf. "She's got a hell of a lot of 50 Cent on here," you might say to yourself, and completely remake your mental image of that iPod's owner. While S. didn't have a lot of rap on hers — Japanese pop artists were ubiquitous, for some reason — it was Noe Venable that caught my ear. With a clear voice that ranges from innocent to playful to angry, this San Francisco artist's lush home recordings reflect her strong, intelligent narrative vision. And this reminds me of S., at least "Just a Lil Bit."

Boots [MP3, 4.2MB, 128kbps]
Stolen Thing [MP3, 4.0MB, 128kbps]
Alcina's Things [MP3, 4.2MB, 128kbps]
On Time [MP3, 3.4MB, 128kbps]
Resistance [MP3, 3.8MB, 128kbps]

www.noevenable.com

Wonder Ground

Today the suggestion box brings us Wonder Ground, who will be recording an EP at the Ship with a guy from Earlimart, who were described by Joe here on 3hive as "intelligent pop that's true to an indie-rock spirit." That statement also applies to Wonder Ground. Joe added four descriptive words to describe Earlimart, but for Wonder Ground, I'll add comparisons to American Analog Set and Beulah, who were, well, intelligent pop that was true to an indie-rock spirit. Don't you just love the suggestion box?

On a Sunday Night [MP3, 2.6MB, 128kbps]
Money, Honey, Lazy, Baby [MP3, 2.6MB, 128kbps]
Paint My Days in Color [MP3, 2.6MB, 128kbps]

06/13/06 Update: WonderGround EP Surfaces

www.wondergroundsound.com

MC Chris

I first heard MC Chris on last week's installment of "Synchronicity" on KUCI with the always topical DJ Longbeard. He opened his show with the hilarious "Fette's Vette" (follow along with the lyrics). Boba Fett is my son's favorite Star Wars character. However, due to the song's lyrical content, he won't be hearing this song (he's eight) nor will he be seeing the final Star Wars installment. I hear it's just a tad too dark. Lucas sucks. He lures the kiddies into SW I & II with a character like Jar Jar Binks, making the films nearly impossible to watch, then makes III nearly impossible for the kids to watch. So back to MC Chris — not only is he a prolific rapper (check out all the MP3s on his site), he's also the voice for MC Pee Pants on Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

Fette's Vette [MP3, 4.7MB, 192kbps]
The Tussin (Robotussin) [MP3, 4.2MB, 192kbps]
DQ Blizzard [MP3, 4.7MB, 192kbps]

www.mcchris.com

The Twin Atlas

The Twin Atlas craft tiny, shimmering jewels of folk pop which are driving me wild of late. Speaking of which, the duo sport the same exact animal masks on their bio page that my two sons are fond of wearing any time of the year BUT Halloween [picture not available] at which point they inevitably want to be dress up as something that requires purchase of an overpriced costume. Way more MP3s on the band's site, which is also the best place to buy their CDs.

Roll On [MP3, 2.5MB, 128kbps]
Current Below [MP3, 2.8MB, 128kbps]
Plains of Saviors [MP3, 3.4MB, 160kbps]
Calling for You [MP3, 2.6MB, 128kbps]
Show Me All [MP3, 2.7MB, 128kbps]
Rooftop Sounds [MP3, 2.7MB, 128kbps]
Hold the Day [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]

www.thetwinatlas.com

The Raging Family

Here's a brief recap of The Raging Family's bio: raised and home-schooled by bohemians in Upstate New York; lived in Eugene, Oregon until driven from their house by local authorities because of noise and behavior complaints; settled down in an enclave somewhere in the hills outside of town to focus on music and art. If you ask me it all sounds a little cultish, and at the risk of becoming Sharon Tate to their Manson Clan, I'm gonna throw my support behind The Raging Family's latest "concept" album. Black Holes is ostensibly a journey through space and time, but how they get us there is through an eclectic collection of styles ranging from the knob-twisting and wax-scratching exploits of Land of the Loops and Prefuse 73, the found-sound rebelliousness of Negativland, the electro-clash abandon of Meat Beat Manifesto, the jazz exploration of Miles Davis and Sun Ra Arkestra, and even the psychedelic guitar masturbation of Carlos Santana's Illuminations period. It's a whole lot of styles to wrap your noodle around, but luckily the band has posted the entire album on their website for us to take it all in (the links below are just some highlights), and there are other entire albums there fully linked for the taking — but beware, the money you save on music today may go to pay for the cult deprogrammer you'll need tomorrow.

The Orkastring Bowsting [MP3, 5.6MB, 224kbps]
The Klep Telescope [MP3, 5.6MB, 224kbps]
Disrupted Transmission of the Cow Space People [MP3, 2.1MB, 224kbps]
Latent Destructive Power [MP3, 5.5MB, kbps]
The Supermassive Black Hole [MP3, 13.5MB, 224kbps]

www.ragingfamily.com

The Lovekevins

There nothing quite like blindly buying an album at the local record store and finding something you just love. Trust me, I've bought some real junk over the years (Betty Boo circa 1990, anyone?) in that pursuit. But I've found some really good stuff. Sometimes it's the album cover (Jessamine), sometimes it's the record label (Henry's Dress), sometimes it's just a good vibe (Super 5 Thor). Even today, in the new millenium, that still happens with the world wide web. I stumbled across a real gem of band, the Lovekevins, on the online store Delicious Goldfish Records. Fantastic Swedish pop that soars and bounces and captivates and I just have to go listen to "Stop Being Perfect" again right now.

Blame the English [MP3, 2.6MB, 128kbps]
Stop Being Perfect [MP3, 2.8MB, 128kbps]
Happy Happy [MP3, 2.7MB, 128kbps]

www.lovekevins.laparole.se

Kate Maki

You can just tell Kate Maki is smart. Her nostalgic country lyrics hit all the favorite targets, from loneliness to love to obsession, and the easy-going gait to her songs always manages to sound a step ahead of old fashioned. Check out how the restrained brushed snare and pedal steel guitar match so nicely with her quiet, clear voice on "First Impression." Then, listen to the playfulness of all of those same instruments on "Sweet Time." It's no wonder — Kate Maki used to be a teacher. On her first two albums, she's put together a fine country music primer.

First Impression [MP3, 3.9MB, 160kbps]
Sweet Time [MP3, 3.3MB, 160kbps]
Over [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]
Mid March Blues [MP3, 2.6MB, 128kbps]
To Be Good [MP3, 1.9MB, 128kbps]

www.katemaki.com

The Happies

A handful of us here at the 3hive were involved, musically, many years back. First, at an AM radio station we basically hijacked for a summer, then at a CD exchange (remember those?) called Sonic Garden. Blurb designed the logo. Soon after that fell to pieces, Sam and I started up an indie distribution company called Happyville (I'm sure we'd unanimously agree that 3hive is our best venture yet). ANYWAY, The Happies are sorta namesakes, and are not-so-coincidentally, from the state of Utah, where we initially made our acquaintances. They also make endearing, quiet, lo-fi pop songs, for which I am a complete sucker. Thanks to Todd Simmons for dropping this into the ol' s-box.

Blue Stream [MP3, 3.8MB, 160kbps]
Wahaka [MP3, 3.5MB, 160kbps]
Dogs in the Park [MP3, 2.4MB, 160kbps]
If [MP3, 3.6MB, 160kbps]
This Is Yr Stereolab [MP3, 2.9MB, 160kbps]
Ginger & Lime [MP3, 4.1MB, 160kbps]

www.thehappies.net

Group Sounds

HP ain't the only ones getting mileage out of the Kinks' time-honored pop formula. Group Sounds put a slightly modern spin on the Davies brothers' no-nonsense hookology and 90% of what I've heard so far sounds pretty flippin' good (10% being the falsetto chorus on "Business Before Pleasure"). Also, my pal Jon Regardie would be quick to point out that Group Sounds are Jewish, which means they are a chosen band. Well, at very least they're chosen by 3hive, which should count for something...

Things Fall Apart [MP3, 3.1MB, 160kbps]
1000 Phone Calls [MP3, 2.3MB, 128kbps]
It's Over Now [MP3, 2.9MB, 160kbps]
Business Before Pleasure [MP3, 2.2MB, 128kbps]

www.groupsounds.tv

Elephonic

Not to be confused with the latest joint by Thai Elephant Orchestra (yes, exactly what the name suggests), Elephonic are four humans from LA who provide some quirky, orchestral chillout music of their own.

Bailarina Plastica [MP3, 3.8MB, 128kbps]
Good Mood [MP3, 3.6MB, 128kbps]
Lost Limbo [MP3, 5.0MB, 128kbps]

www.elephonic.com

Album

Sean's not the only one talking about South by Southwest. The New York Times — one of the hippest, most progressive indie-friendly rags out there — mentioned Album in its coverage of SXSW. What a score! On the Monterrey (Mexico) band's website, everything they've ever recorded is available in MP3 form, and a lot of it is wildly fresh and inventive. The sampling below starts with a suggested listening sequence supplied by the band, as well as a few more selected tracks that aren't half bad either. Enjoy!

2/3 [MP3, 3.6MB, 128kbps]
Centro [MP3, 2.0MB, 128kbps]
Ti [MP3, 4.2MB, 128kbps]
Talvez [MP3, 4.7MB, 128kbps]
62 [MP3, 3.7MB, 128kbps]
Do [MP3, 4.7MB, 128kbps]

www.somosalbum.com

Big Betsy

I know it's not actually St. Paddy's Day just yet, but it's a perfect Irish day here in Memphis. Cold, about 40 degrees, with a stiff, strong wind that goes right through you. There's also a light rain that comes and goes. Like I said, a perfect Irish day. Since I lived in Ireland for a few years, I go a little overboard with my celebrations, wearing my 1996 Ireland national soccer team jersey to work and forcing my family to wear entire outfits of green. Another way to celebrate is going to hear Big Betsy play at Murphy's Pub, and if this song ain't Irish, I don't know what is.

All For Me Grog [MP3, 2.5MB, 192kbps]

www.grogginmusic.com

Ilkae

Had they offered up even one full MP3 I'd be reviewing this right now. Just as well, Ilkae suits my need for chilled-out electronic sounds just fine. I'm not talking about the soft-bellied glut of easy-listening Musak(TM) that's out there these days passing as chill-out music. I like mine with just enough twittering clicks and clacks to keep things interesting. Ilkae's golden like that, without overpowering their gentle, cinematic melodies.

The Lockpick Almanac [MP3, 5.2MB, 192kbps]
Ampersand [MP3, 7.3MB, 192kbps]
Tin Crow [MP3, 4.3MB, 192kbps]

www.ilkae.com

Imaginary Baseball League

If the kids in suburban Detroit are talking about an obscure indie band from Tennessee, it means: a) Imaginary Baseball League is going to be the Next Big Thing, b) someone here has a cousin in Murfreesboro whose best friend is dating IBL's drummer, or c) the Internet really does work as a way for people with like interests to connect, thus overcoming the boundaries of distance, culture, etc. Whichever answer works for you, go with it, you know? And if you like what you hear of Imaginary Baseball League, first thank Megan and then check out their website for a bunch more downloadable tracks.

The Scenery [MP3, 5.4MB, 192kbps]
Statistics [MP3, 5.8MB, 192kbps]
A Lot to Say [MP3, 3.6MB, 128kbps]
The Heiress [MP3, 4.3MB, 128kbps]

www.imaginarybaseball.com

RX

Brilliant and hilarious speech mash-ups of George W. Bush set to classic melodies. These are gonna make your day. Six more tracks are available on The Party Party site. I have DJ Longbeard to thank for turning me onto this stuff. I'm privileged to be on the air at KUCI right before his show Synchronicity. It's chock full o' fun like this...dig in.

My Name Is RX [MP3, 3.4MB, 128kbps]
Imagine/Walk on the Wild Side [MP3, 2.7MB, 128kbps]
Sunday Bloody Sunday [MP3, 2.9MB, 128kbps]

www.thepartyparty.com

The Same Fate

I like to look at local bands for 3hive, and usually that means Detroit acts. The Same Fate are even more local than that; guitar player Joe used to sleep in the back of my Creative Writing class a few years ago. He's spent his time since wisely, skipping classes at the University of Michigan, playing gigs for ten people, and crafting gems like "The Last Flight of the Fireflies," the most frequently played track on the family iPod.

Static [MP3, 6.3MB, 192kbps]
The Last Flight of the Fireflies [MP3, 6.6MB, 192kbps]
Chicago [MP3, 6.9MB, 192kbps]

www.thesamefate.com

Let's Go Sailing

Some bands blend well with their surroundings. The bright melodies emanating from Let's Go Sailing make the perfect soundtrack to their perpetually sunny Los Angeles. Their laid-back, surf pop songs makes you want to say, "Sure! Let's Go Sailing."

Better Off [MP3, 5.3MB, 192kbps]
Heart Condition [MP3, 4.1MB, 160kbps]
All I Want [MP3, 5.4MB, 192kbps]

www.letsgosailingmusic.com

Sweet Billy Pilgrim

I discovered Sweet Billy Pilgrim from their remix work on David Sylvian's new remix album, The Only Daughter. Both artists share lush vocal treatments and an ethereal quality about their music. On tracks like "Ain't No Jesus in Here" Sweet Billy Pilgrim go the pop route not unlike Grandaddy or Sparklehorse, and "God in the Details" sounds as if Nick Cave chilled out and toned it down a bit. Comparisons aside, Sweet Billy Pilgrim hold their own and are definitely newcomers to keep your eye on.

Experience [MP3, 5.4MB, 160kbps]
Ain't No Jesus in Here [MP3, 4.4MB, 128kbps]
God in the Details [MP3, 4.9MB, 128kbps]

www.sweetbillypilgrim.com

We Are Scientists

My red Rickenbacker 620, the poor thing, doesn't get picked up much these days. Job, age, fatherhood, soccer, home ownership, the price of 9-volt batteries...they've all conspired to keep me from my guitar and my Maestro Fuzztain pedal (which, by the way, is the size of two calculus textbooks; I bought it cause Kurt Heasley of the Lilys used one). A couple of bands over the few last years have inspired me to pick my guitar up, like the late great Henry's Dress (whenever I miss them) and more recently The High Water Marks and Louis XIV. But now I think I've found the perfect inspiration: We Are Scientists. Anybody want to join my We Are Scientists cover band? If I may quote the We Are Scientists website, "Bring yourself and your dignity; only one of you will leave."

In Action [MP3, 2.9MB, 160kbps]
This Scene Is Dead [MP3, 4.2MB, 160kbps]
The Great Escape [MP3, 3.8MB, 160kbps]
Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt [MP3, 3.6MB, 160kbps]

www.wearescientists.com

El Ten Eleven

First, a quick comparison. Tortoise meets The Cure (at least on this track). Now, the instructions. Step one: listen to "Connie." Step two: stream a few more tracks off their myspace page. Step three: see them live. Finally, step four: be amazed that El Ten Eleven consists of two musicians, and they pull this stuff off live.

Connie [MP3, 5.9MB, 128kbps]
Lorge [MP3, 4.5MB, 160kbps]

www.elteneleven.com

The Fatáles

Vaguely detached, vaguely nostalgic, vaguely wonderful space pop. It's really hard to believe these guys are unsigned...maybe they're not in it for the money, just on a personal crusade to promote use of the accent aigu (á). Either way, I'm in.

Cosmonaut [MP3, 3.4MB, 112kbps]
Ministry of Defense [MP3, 2.9MB, 112kbps]
You're Not the Lunar Type [MP3, 4.3MB, 112kbps]

www.thefatales.com

Soft

Another from the suggestion box... Soft play majestic pop, driven by crisp drumming and plethora of effects pedals. Though we won't name them here, the influences are many, but not blatant. However, any fleeting resemblences to Tim Burgess are coincidental, but appropriate. "Monkey Monkey" is excellent; it's not first in the download list, but start there.

Higher (added 11/6/05) [MP3, 5.4MB, 192kbps]
Lucky Jam [MP3, 6.0MB, 192kbps]
You Make Me Wanna Die [MP3, 5.5MB, 192kbps]
Droppin' [MP3, 6.4MB, 192kbps]
Monkey Monkey [MP3, 6.8MB, 192kbps]

www.thebandsoft.com

The Changes

Continuing in my tour of OPLs (Other People's Lists), I found this gem — amidst Blockhead, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, and Comets on Fire — on Scissorkick's eclectic hit parade of 2004. (Convenient comparison alert!) The Changes are modern-day Chicago's answer to Haircut 100: bouncy, dreamy pop that makes you want to smile at complete strangers or maybe, just maybe, swing from a vine in a Hawaiian shirt. However, unlike Haircut 100, these guys appear to have a longer career in them.

When I Wake Up [MP3, 3.0MB, 128kbps]
Not Too Serious [MP3, 3.1MB, 128kbps]
Why Did You Wait So Long? [MP3, 5.3MB, 192kbps]
Now I Know [MP3, 3.3MB, 128kbps]

www.the-changes.com

The Herms

My next-desk neighbor tipped me off to The Herms this afternoon. We're both back in the office after a healthy holiday break. His New Year's Eve was much more celebratory than mine. He: Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco for the Rogue Wave, Kelley Stoltz, and Herms show; Me: road-tripping back home down I-15, determined to miss the Las Vegas to L.A. parking lot over the weekend. It'd have been nice to have iPodded these tracks for the ride. "Record Machine" could be a demo recording from Bauhaus, and the remaining tracks, while wandering off on a sort of Jonathan Fire*Eater tangent, fail to disappoint. I'm baiting Clay with the former comparison. Watch for his impending, spirited comments.

Record Machine [MP3, 2.9MB, 192kbps]
Methylene Baby [MP3, 2.2MB, 192kbps]
Volley Ball Song [MP3, 5.8MB, 192kbps]
The Organization [MP3, 5.7MB, 192kbps]
Now Everyone [MP3, 4.7MB, 192kbps]

www.theherms.com

Gran Ronde

If you count yourself among the many fans of the current faux-British invasion, then get ready to surrender to another crusader. Today's 3hive pick brought to you by the number 3 (what else?) and by a hot tip from regular (in his use of 3hive) Todd Simmons. Thanks, Todd!

Fist Fight [MP3, 4.8MB, 160kbps]
Get Thru [MP3, 4.1MB, 160kbps]
Late Nite [MP3, 3.2MB, 160kbps]

www.granronde.com

Hinkley

I love this time of year, and not just because I can lounge around all day in my jammies eating leftovers and candy. I love it because this is when I start cherry picking the best-of-the-year lists for artists I somehow missed or slept on. Today's find comes from Mystery & Misery's Best of 2004. They caught my eye because my grandmother's maiden name is Hinckley, which turns out to be a happy coincidence. Their ragged, folksy pop would make them at home in the Elephant 6 stable but for now they're unsigned and living in Rochester, NY. Thanks, Jason!

Frail and Poker Faced [MP3, 3.0MB, 128kbps]
Lonesome Whistle [MP3, 2.2MB, 128kbps]
Superman [MP3, 1.9MB, 128kbps]
Queen of May [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]

www.hinkleysounds.com

At Dusk

As six cousins, ages five and under, make their 100th lap around the living room furniture at my parents' home this Christmas , At Dusk's "We Could Do Anything" will be the soundtrack playing in my head.

We Could Do Anything [MP3, 4.0MB, 128kbps]
Come Too Far [MP3, 4.2MB, 128kbps]

www.speakeasy.org/~gborenstein

Rachael Cantu

In the "girl-with-acoustic-guitar" sub-genre, it can sometimes be difficult to, well, not sound exactly like every other song that fits the category. Rachael Cantu manages to clear out some space of her own, with a sense of maturity and experience that seemingly can't match up with her age and offer these thoughtfully pleasant tracks. The assistance of Mates of State's Kori Gardner on "Summer of Cycling" doesn't hurt, either. P.S. You can also catch Rachael Cantu providing guest vocals for Limbeck and on tour with Tegan and Sara.
ED NOTE: the mp3 links are now dead. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Summer of Cycling [MP3, 3.5MB, 128kbps]
That's the Way It Is [MP3, 2.9MB, 160kbps]

www.rachaelcantu.com

Shots Fired

Ask Sam, my fellow 3hiver, just how utterly amazing the Seaweed/Quicksand show was back about ten years ago at the old Club DV8 in Salt Lake City. It changed our lives. I'd venture to say 3hive wouldn't exist if it weren't for that concert. At the risk of exposing ourselves as the complete geeks we are, I'll admit we were screaming every word of every song at the top of our lungs, working our air guitars as if possessed by a locomotive. Shots Fired, this Kansas City trio, would have made a perfect opener for that night. Check the chorus in "Squires @ Bristol." I just about keeled over from a brain aneurysm rocking out to that guitar riff. But wait! It only plays through once!?! AAAAAAAA! Rewrite! Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Chorus, CHORUS!!

Squires @ Bristol [MP3, 2.6MB, 128kbps]
Celebration [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]

www.shotsfired.net

Archetype

If you listen to the critics (and who doesn't?), this is Kanye West's year. If Archetype have it their way, all eyes will be on their native Lawrence, Kansas, not Chicago's South Side, in 2005. They're starting their takeover by offering better than half of their music for download, so take advantage while the getting's good. Nezbeat's refreshingly ecclectic mix of samples (from opera to gospel) and tempos (from old school breaks to drum 'n' bass) along with I.D.'s unflinching flow won't keep them on the fringe for long. Note: This isn't the metal band of the same name that you'll see if you search on Amazon or Insound (so, just this once, ignore those links and go to the artists' site for purchase information).

See the Light [MP3, 6.5MB, 192kbps]
Breathe and Release [MP3, 6.7MB, 192kbps]
Innerverse [MP3, 4.4MB, 192kbps]
Lineup [MP3, 4.8MB, 192kbps]
Soft Rain [MP3, 5.1MB, 192kbps]
Move [MP3, 4.5MB, 192kbps]
Signal [MP3, 4.6MB, 192kbps]
Get Down [MP3, 6.0MB, 192kbps]

www.archetypesite.com

DJ Riko

Our friend Jacob sent my wife a link with the following note: "Heard this tonight on KCRW and immediately thought that Sam would dig it..." I'm not sure if he thought I'd dig it because it comes from an album called Latter Day Taints (a knowing nod to my Mormon peeps) or because I'm a closet whistler. Either way, he's right, I dig it real good. DJ Riko is a plundering masher-upper cat from Columbus, Ohio who either doesn't have a day job or doesn't sleep 'cause he's mad prolific. For "Whistler's Delight" he pulls a crateful of whistled "riffs" from various songs, beginning with Peter Gabriel's "Games Without Frontiers," and takes us on a spotter's field trip. By the way, if you can name all 22 songs used herein by year's end, email Riko and he might award you with one of his fancy bootleg CDs. See his site for more details, and many more downloads — including a nice 55MB holiday mix.

Whistler's Delight (Full Version) [MP3, 7.9MB, 160kbps]

www.djriko.com

Air King Sound

San Francisco experimental sound posse who create very brilliant haunted soundscapes, perfect for moody film scores and a certain sense of isolation. Owing a lot to Brian Eno, but still managing to claim their own sound. Favorite track: "Gomez Gomez."

Wire Cast [MP3, 2.4MB, 128kbps]
Mineral [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]
Cloud Cover [MP3, 3.9MB, 128kbps]
Rain No Rain [MP3, 1.7MB, 128kbps]
4H Club [MP3, 3.1MB, 128kbps]
Holding Pattern [MP3, 1.5MB, 128kbps]
Hermit Thrush [MP3, 3.8MB, 128kbps]
Prickly Pear [MP3, .6MB, 128kbps]
Country Waltz [MP3, 2.8MB, 128kbps]
Gomez Gomez [MP3, 2.1MB, 128kbps]

www.airkingsound.com

Kleptones

These "original" tracks feature some swell breaks 'n' beats 'n' what-not but, to be honest, the Kleptones aren't nearly as interesting when abiding by copyright laws... This post is merely an excuse to plug their new mash-up-and-more theme album, A Night at the Hip Hopera. After giving the Flaming Lips a b-boy makeover with Yoshimi Battles the Hip Hop Robots, the audio kleptomaniacs are back at it with a similar tribute to Queen. To have a listen, head over to Waxy.org, where you'll find the complete album for download as well as a collaborative dissection of the countless samples used therein.

Potato Salad [MP3, 7.4MB, 192kbps]
Homesick [MP3, 8.9MB, 192kbps]
Maybe Another Here [MP3, 11.8MB, 192kbps]

www.kleptones.com

Cat Five

Another shot from the suggestion box... Cat Five's madcap samplerama Kataphonics finally has a sibling, a new 12-inch called "On the Rise." This may seem like a thin body of work for a five-year-old group. That is, until you discover the hours of original or heavily refurbished live tracks available on their site and realize what a fool you were for ever doubting them. These MP3s in particular were recorded directly from the mixing board and could easily pass for studio material. Cat Five are Avalanches on a budget; Negativland with a beat; whatever comparison you use when you find yourself nodding and smirking at the same time.

Snake Charmer [MP3, 7.5MB, VBR)
Egyptian Groove [MP3, 8.6MB, VBR)
Fame in the Air (Remix) [MP3, 8.0MB, VBR)
Darkwood [MP3, 8.6MB, VBR)
I Can Feel It [MP3, 2.8MB, VBR)

www.hiphopslam.com
www.katfive.com

The Shifties

West Coast slowpop vibe via Windy City. The pace picks up by "Can't Go On": the verses spunky like "Kids in America" while the chorus jangles like something off Reckoning. A fun find from the suggestion box.

Foot Out the Door [MP3, 3.6MB, 128kbps]
Insomniac [MP3, 2.1MB, 128kbps]
Can't Go On [MP3, 3.1MB, 128kbps]
Instrumental [MP3, 3.4MB, 128kbps]

www.theshifties.com

Spiraling

"Nostalgia" has always been the phrase at the heart of what could be called the entertainment equivalent of conservatism, i.e., it's a dangerous reaffirmation of not just the status quo but of "the way things used to be." Yet I just can't fight that good ol' feeling Spiraling gives me: classic keyboard melodics, arena-rocking riffs and cymbals — heck, there's even an organ in there. Tom Brislin knows his history, that's for sure, but I'm ready to throw down with anyone who tries to call these tracks, as much as they'll make you think of the glory days of new wave, anything but the new new thing.

(I Don�t Want To) Grow Up [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]
Lightning Twice [MP3, 4.1MB, 128kbps]

www.spiraling.net

Sam Bisbee

Bisbee's unflinching romanticism and grandiose sampler symphonics beg for a John Hughes soundtrack to call home.

High on You [MP3, 2.3MB, 128kbps]

www.sambisbee.com

Experimental Dental School

You're tossing and turning in your sleep. A nightmare. You're in your bed, in your room. But it's not your room. It's a carnival fun-house. A band is playing the most beautiful music ever heard...in a nightmare. The singer sounds like Jello Biafra, but it's not Jello Biafra. Dreams are like that.

Note: This is the entire album Hideous Dance Attack.

Taco Chakra [MP3, 1.5MB, 64kbps]
KKKFC Serves Sparkily Squirl Meat [MP3, 1.9MB, 64kbps]
The Deer Love Heavy Metal [MP3, 1.0MB, 64kbps]
She's My Ike [MP3, 1.3MB, 64kbps]
Hideous Dance Attack [MP3, 1.4MB, 64kbps]
Mayonaize Volcano, Ketchup Cave [MP3, 1.2MB, 64kbps]
Some 4 [MP3, 1.2MB, 64kbps]
Meyowch [MP3, 1.3MB, 64kbps]
Knife Thrower's Intern [MP3, 1.5MB, 64kbps]
Casino El Rio [MP3, 1.5MB, 64kbps]
Tractor Loves To Shuck Some Cows [MP3, 1.5MB, 64kbps]

www.experimentaldental.com

Osymyso

Dangermouse messes with Britain's biggest export since, well, since a bunch of disenfranchised chaps bailed the island to follow their own nation start-up dreams, the web goes grey for a day and the masses are alerted to the mash-up. No newcomer to the genre, Osymyso, messes with your head and record collection with these two takes on the same theme.

Intro-inspection [MP3, 11.2MB, 128kbps]
Intro-Expansion 02 [MP3, 4.9MB, 128kbps]

osymyso.com

Charles Kamm

Charles Kamm writes songs that sound like a Wes Anderson film: poignant glimpses into the serio-comic lives of the lonely-hearted.

Babies [MP3, 4.2MB, 160kbps]
Leave Him Hanging [MP3, 3.7MB, 160kbps]
More Better [MP3, 3.7MB, 160kbps]
Dorsia [MP3, 2.9MB, 160kbps]

www.charleskamm.com

UMass Percussion Ensemble

Fantastic cover of the Radiohead epic. Talk about Schoolhouse Rock. Could this song be the "Smoke on the Water" or "Smells Like Teen Spirit" of the new millenium? (source: Coudal)

Paranoid Android [MP3, 4.7MB, 128kbps]

people.umass.edu