A three-day weekend’s nothing compared to the joy of Darla Records finally getting with the times and converting their fabulous label CD sampler series, Little Darla Has a Treat for You, into a download-only affair (albeit 64kbps…). You may have already read Sean’s Junk Drawer post about Little Darla Has a Download for You but I’m guessing both Clay and I will take the opportunity this week to finally herald some of our fave Darla acts. I’ll start with Entre Rios. Think of them as Argentina’s Everything But the Girl, because Isol just sings and Sebastian just writes. Or don’t think of them as anything, and just get lost in the angelic loveliness of “Claro Que Si” (one of my favorite Spanish phrases to drop into everyday conversation) from Entre Rios’ 2005 album Onda.
Psapp
We like to keep this main column on 3hive filled exclusively with brand, spanking new posts. But in this case we’ll make an exception. You see, Psapp (pronounced “sap,” fyi) was one of the very first posts to this site and we’ve carefully followed their progress. Galia Durant and Carim Clasmann, aka Psapp, are consistently one of 3hive’s most popular artists due, in large part, to Grey’s Anatomy fans searching for their song “Cosy in the Rocket.” The good folks at Domino have released THREE new MP3s, two from the new album The Only Thing I Ever Wanted, and one, “Wet Box,” which is a vinyl only b-side on their UK release. “Wet Box” is a more playful song, along the lines of their first Melodic tracks, filled with “anything that’s silly and uses stupid noises” (the band’s words). The album tracks work in Galia’s sultry vocals, for a feel that snuggles right up to “Cosy in the Rocket.” So get downloading, because you never know how long these links will last, and hit their e-card for details on their upcoming North American tour dates with Juana Molina and José González.
Hi [MP3, 3.6MB, 128kbps]
Tricycle [MP3, 2.6MB, 128kbps]
Wet Box [MP3, 2.8MB, 128kbps]
Original post: 02/23/04
Sounding like the best eclectic electronic comp since 2002’s Six Records Breaks Your Heart Again. The first track, “Difficult,” is from that comp, Tracks for Horses. The second track, “Dad’s Breakdown,” isn’t as strong, but fun nonetheless. They’re super lo-fi MP3s, Melodic’s definitely not showing much of their hand, but damn, can they pick ’em! Check out labelmate Pedro as well…
Think About Life
Montreal’s Think About Life is more than that. The debut album, Think About Life, out yesterday, May 2nd, is more than that. Think About Life is a way of life. As they sing on “Paul Cries”, “Put on your shoes and your clothes, get set, get set for life, get set, get set for life.†And with the feverish backing dance beat and shrill pounding drones that cause spontaneous body convulsions/dancing, how can you not?
Mr. Comicstore
We’re closer to the ’10s than we are to the ’90s. And guess what happens when we hit 2010? The twenty-year flashback happens in music. It’s a theory I have. Popular music recycles itself every twenty years. What’s the “now” sound? We’re re-living the ’80s right? Started off with the electro-clash thing and it’s morphed into this Talking Heads/The Cure vibe. Back in the ’90s we were dealing with a re-hash of the ’70s—everything from grunge’s revival of hippie-rock, to the resurgence of punk. It’s not a perfect theory by any means, but you can always find some interesting examples of this. Along comes Mr. Comicstore, a reminder that the DJ was king/queen of the ’90s. Party DJs like Fatboy Slim were all that and a bag of chips. Whether Mr. Comicstore is early on the DJ revival, or late to the party is your call. Either way, he’ll get your booty moving. (Thanks to Samantha for the tip. By the way, these aren’t complete tracks, but I’ll let it slide this time since they’re long enough to mix into and out of on your “two [iPods] and a microphone.”)
John Hughes
Let’s get his pedigree out of the way. Yes, John Hughes is related to that John Hughes (Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller). It’s a father/son relationship. The younger Hughes (the third actually) runs Hefty Records out of Chicago. Ten years ago he started the label as a way to get his own music out back when he was recording under the moniker Bill Ding (his other nom de beat is Slicker). Hefty has released some amazing albums, including the new Eliot Lipp, Telefon Tel Aviv, and essential re-issues and remixes from trombonist/Motown player, Phil Ranelin. Back to Hughes’ music… “Gull” is featured on the new IA-Tunes EP, a digital version of Hefty’s Immediate Action series. This track has a great xylophone riff that sounds not unlike a riff in Kraftwerk’s “Tour de France.” In fact, “Gull” sounds as if “Tour de France” somehow broke and Hughes came across the pieces and put them back together to form a completely new song. In fact Hughes composed pretty much the entire song with his sick collection of modular synths. If you’re new to this world of Hefty, I suggest you jump in now, and jump in deep. If you’re already a fan, share your favorite Hefty moments with us in the comments.
The Cansecos
“You know what I feel like doin’? I feel like struttin’…”
Another wonderful find courtesy of the CBC Radio 3 podcast. This Toronto quartet serves up warm, disco-tinged percolators guaranteed to put a little pimp in your limp. Or something like that.
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.
About
Jason Forrest (aka Donna Summer) has a record label called, subtly enough, Cock Rock Disco. Said label will be releasing the full-length debut of Amsterdam’s Rutger Hoedemaekers (aka About). About is all about “shredded pop,” as the sticker on my review copy describes it. It is, in fact, more shredded in places (e.g., “Think Niles Drink”) and more pop in others (e.g., “Strike You As the Enemy”). But sometimes About get the balance just right, which they do on a track not currently available for free and legal download (i.e., “Nogato”). Hmm, if only I could share it with you. If only… You know, you really should sign up for our mailing list. Just felt like saying that. Oh, and check the neat stop-motion video for “Think Niles Drink”. And sign up for the mailing list (lower right corner of the screen, btw). Just felt like saying it again.
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?
The Helio Sequence
So we just got schooled by one of our fine readers. Brittany P. wrote in with a “Currently Listening To” list of 45 bands. Everyone from The Books to Slowdive to Galaxie 500 to Boards of Canada. Then at the very end of the list was this little note: “I’m surprised none of these bands are on 3hive.” Everyone should know that we often surprise ourselves with what we haven’t featured on 3hive. It’s those surprises that keep us doing what we do. And I believe a reminder of what we do is in order: we only feature MP3s that are provided by the artists or their labels. We made that decision early on and it’s helped to differentiate us from the crazy amounts of audioblogs out there. There are a ton of bands we’d love to feature, like the ones mentioned above, but they don’t have free and legal MP3s available. That said, Brittany’s list is highly useful as I’m sure she includes more obvious oversights on our part. Like The Helio Sequence. So listen, enjoy their space-gazing sound, and if you live in the western part of the United States, be sure you see them on tour. And keep those suggestions coming!