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?
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.”
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.