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.
Prototypes
Depending on where you stand on the infamous World Cup headbutt, you could dedicate this punchy little number to Zinedine Zidane because, unless my French is nonexistent (which, actually, it is), the title translates to something like “I don’t know you,” which seemed to be the clarion call of commentators and journalists around the globe. (Did anyone else get tired of the ABC TV commentator repeatedly call the hit “vicious”? Overly aggressive? Yes. Ill-timed? Absolutely. But it seemed clear that Marco Materazzi A) took a dive, and B) said something pretty, ahem, unsportsmanlike…but I digress.) Luckily the Prototypes, who apparently are huge in France and have recently joined Minty Fresh stateside, don’t specialize in downtrodden numbers—there’s a “yeah yeah yeah” callout in English on this track—so we can look at Zizou’s antics with a little levity and maybe practice some fancy footwork, and headwork, of our own.
My Brightest Diamond
Ypsilanti, Michigan, usually has trouble measuring up to its neighbor to the north, Ann Arbor. The bar and restaurant scene is less vibrant, the clubs a bit dirtier, and Eastern Michigan University is no U of M, period. The brightest spot, perhaps, is Materials Unlimited, a salvage shop extrordinaire, filled with eclecticism and rare gems. And so, the analogy should be obvious — the music of former Ypsi-kid Shara Worden, a.k.a. My Brightest Diamond, is like something out of the finest architectural antique shop. Her stylized and orchestrated pop experiments are structured compositions, full of nuance, and her voice reflects he Pentecostal church choir childhood. Too bad for Ypsilanti she moved to New York. Her debut ablum on Asthmatic Kitty, Bring Me The Workhorse, comes out August 22nd.
Holy Shit
I remember as a kid, when I’d get caught cussing, I’d defend myself by saying “but I was just quoting someone…” So I’m just quoting when I say, “HOLY SHIT!” I mean, that’s the group’s name—how can I talk about them without saying it. As in, “HOLY SHIT” this is a match made in heaven for a goofy pop sucker like myself: Matt Fishbeck of the now-defunct LA indie pop group the Push Kings and the one and only Ariel Pink. Matt sings like a dream, while Ariel is able to leave his unmistakable sound through beats, bass, and other various vocal “enhancements.” The result is something the band would call “special” (this time I’m putting it quotes because I am in fact quoting). “HOLY SHIT” they’re right…
Midlake
Midlake’s debut album, Bamnan and Slivercork, has spent the last two years flying well below the radar. Not as quirky as Grandaddy and less pretentious than Radiohead, Midlake gently nudged their way, sonically and alphabetically, between those two bands in my music collection. With the recent unveiling of their new album, The Trials of VanOccupanther, in stores July 25th, Midlake won’t be able to avoid the spotlight for much longer. For the most part they’ve ditched the keyboards replacing them with more guitars, acoustic and electric, as well as more vocals. The resulting sound boldly embraces the country/folk rock of the mid-70s as Midlake channels the likes of The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac. Midlake wears their influences on their sleeves while managing a classical, button-down sound all their own.
*A note on the downloads: with the exception of “Roscoe” all links point to .zip files containing the MP3s so you won’t be able to preview them directly. They’re all worth downloading. Trust me.
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.
The Long Winters
The Long Winters are long overdue for an overhaul on the ‘hive. They were one of the first five original posts, back when we were just so excited to be live, sharing music that we loved, we’d post a micro-review of the band, and move on to the next one. So more background on The Long Winters: it’s the brainchild of John Roderick along with a revolving cast of musicians. Roderick’s an Alaskan native living in Seattle, so there’s lots of talent to tap up there. Producer Chris Walla and Ken Stringfellow (The Posies) are among the many who have put up with Roderick who’s a self-proclaimed “little grouchy Napoleon” (and I don’t think he means of the Dynamite variety). Says a lot about his strength as a songcrafter—that he attracts that caliber of musician. Musically he’s a little bit folk, a little bit psychedelic, like Apples In Stereo caught up in A Mighty Wind. You’ll get caught up in the music and the charming earnestness of his vocals and lyrics.
*Note: Go to The Long Winters site to get hi-fi versions of the 48kbps MP3s. He asks nicely not to link directly to the files, so we won’t. He’s got Merlin Mann running his site, and you straight up don’t want to mess with that guy. He’ll get you done.
From Putting the Days to Bed (Coming July 25, 2006)
Pushover [MP3, 2.4MB, 128kbps]
From When I Pretend to Fall
Blue Diamonds [MP3, 1.3MB, 48kbps]
Stupid [MP3, 1.4MB, 48kbps]
From The Worst You Can Do is Harm
Carparts [MP3, 1.4MB, 48kbps]
Scent of Lime [MP3, 1.4MB, 48kbps]
Original post: 02/17/04
A sampling of favorites from 2003. That ’60s album.
Bedroom Walls
Self-pigeonholed as “romanticore,” L.A.’s Bedroom Walls are equal parts dreamy and playful. Raised in the suburbs, guitarist and songcrafter, Adam Goldman says the band tries to recreate the schizophrenia of his high school mix tapes. “You just love what you love without thinking too hard about classifications or sub-genres…I wanted to get all of that—the anglo-pop of Squeeze, the mythic pre-tensions of Led Zeppelin, the druggy bombast of Floyd, the teenage narcissism of the Smiths.” That should peak your interest. Busy making your summer mixtapes? We love a good summer song and “Your Idea of a Holiday” is just a gem.
The Isles
Ever since I came across their compilation Tracks For Horses back in ’03, I’ve been a big fan of the Manchester label Melodic. That CD alone introduced me to Pedro, The Earlies, Psapp, Minotaur Shock, Micah P. Hinson and a slew of others. So I keep close tabs. Melodic recently announced a rare American signing, The Isles from New York City. Melodic tends towards electronic artists, so again The Isles are somewhat of a rarity for the label. Their debut album, due July 24th in the UK and on iTunes, is rooted in acoustic guitar. The Isles songwriting depends heavily on, well, songwriting. “We wanted to write songs that didn’t rely on volume or delivery to have an impact,” says Andrew Geller, singer and guitarist. “The traditional ‘campfire’ test is a great tool—does this song translate with one guitar and one voice, in the middle of the woods?” It is, and yes, the songs do hold up. The band’s influences are easy to hear, and I’ll avoid the obvious comparisons. Know this, their Manchester-based label is a fitting geography for The Isles acute take on the jangly, indie-pop music that consistenly flows forth from the city.
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.