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

Dolour

I was first exposed to Made In Mexico Records when I came across Pedro The Lion's album It's Hard To Find A Friend. Instantly I was a fan, with the band and the label. Made In Mexico seemed like the perfect indie label: wonderful bands and a simple, small, intimate vibe. The label eventually closed its doors and has remained dormant for almost five years, until now.

Singer/songwriter Damien Jurado, along with a couple friends and the blessing of the original owner, has resurrected Made In Mexico. Dolour is their first offering. Band leader, Shane Tutmarc, continues the Northwest's too frequently slighted tradition of indie-pop craftsmen proving once again that sunny songs and cloudy skies are not mutually exclusive.

Cheer Up Baby [MP3, 4.3MB, 160kbps]
You Can't Make New Old Friends [MP3, 3.9MB, 160kbps]

www.madeinmexicorecords.com
www.dolour.com

Dutch Elms

I can't find out a damn thing about the Dutch Elms, but does that really matter when they purvey such pristine pop? No indie snobbishness, no "we're making art" pretentiousness; just jangling, dancing, harmonizing fun. This pop is as pure as it can get.

Cleopatra [MP3, 1.9MB, 128kbps]
Doctoral Dissipation [MP3, 2.0MB, 128kbps]

www.indiepages.com/jigsaw
www.dutchelms.com

Windsor for the Derby

Waaaaay back in the late '90s, WFTD built a modest rep on synthy post-rock instrumentals. Now they've taken to delicate (still synthy) melodies, narrative lyrics, and generally sounding all grown up. And, holy extreme makeover, does it sound alright to these ears...

Melody of a Fallen Tree [MP3, 7.5MB, 128kbps]
A Spring Like Sixty [MP3, 4.3MB, 128kbps]

www.secretlycanadian.com

The Legends

A Stockholm band built on the whims of nine friends, many of whom had never even picked up an instrument before, with the simple desire of writing songs together. A study in desire, fuzzed out guitars, drive, and handclaps.

Make It All Right [MP3, 2.9MB, 160kbps]
There And Back [MP3, 3.7MB, 160kbps]

www.labrador.se
www.lakeshore-records.com

The Fiery Furnaces

You know what they say about the Fiery Furnaces: an MP3 is worth a thousand words. So rather than listen to me babble, just download and listen.

Crystal Clear [MP3, 3.0MB, 192kbps]

www.roughtradeamerica.com
www.thefieryfurnaces.net

The Mendoza Line

I've spent the last three days down at 27th Street in Newport Beach, California. Hurricane Howard is much nicer than his East Coast cousin and is brewing up some great waves for us. So between too much sun, some really big waves, and helping a poor soul out of a rip current and onto shore, I'm beat. But 3hive knows no holidays and I'm happy to offer up four fine MP3s as the reality of 9 to 5, or another school year, sets in. If you enjoy The New Pornographers, Bob Dylan, and/or Mazzy Star, or any facsimile thereof, The Mendoza Line is sure to please your punch.

It's a Long Line (But It Moves Quickly) [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]
Let's Not Talk About It [MP3, 3.3MB, 128kbps]
Metro Pictures [MP3, 3.6MB, 128kbps]
Throw It in the Fire [MP3, 4.9MB, 128kbps]

www.bar-none.com
www.mendozaline.com

Suburban Kids With Biblical Names

Suburban apologist I'll cop to, but Suburbanite with kids with Biblical names I ain't. Cairo we got from a Cure song; Pallas, well, email me if you don't have to Google the name to know where it came from and I'll be really impressed; and Jasper — although the word is found in the Bible it's not a name — is named after the artist Jasper Johns.

This band is a MUST download. Their name says it all. A delightful sense of humor to go along with their keen sense of melody and wit. A musical embodiment of why I do 3hive. Discovering SKWBN gave me a third wind and kept me way up past bedtime...

Rent a Wreck [MP3, 3.4MB, 160kbps]

06/22/06 Update: Suburban Kids Get Minty + New MP3s

www.labrador.se
www.skwbn.blogspot.com

Rocketship

Ah, Rocketship... Back in 1995, Sam and I were college roommates and I bought a Rocketship 7-inch. I should have bought two copies, 'cause I listened to the song "Naomi and Me" so much that today that vinyl is unbearable to listen to, with all the hisses and crackling from overplaying. So, Sam, as you listen to these songs, just close your eyes and think back to our room and the Kylie Minogue poster on the wall.

All the Pleasures [MP3, 6.5MB, 128kbps]
Get on the Floor [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]
Pretty Sara [MP3, 2.7MB, 128kbps]

www.indiepages.com/jigsaw
www.eeniemeenie.com

The Waxwings

Heavy on harmonies and trippy licks, The Waxwings pay more homage to British psych pop than to their Detroit garage rock forebears. Who cares, so long as it feels good, right?

All the Fuss [MP3, 3.0MB, 128kbps]
Leave Less Waiting [MP3, 2.9MB, 128kbps]

www.rainbowquartz.com
www.thewaxwings.com