Nothing is rotten in the state of Denmark. Musically speaking that is. Something’s very, very good actually. First Figurines and now Dúné. These Danes add the friskiness of Blur to the dancey moments of The Cure. Neither reinventing, nor redundant they’re definitely bringing a tasty plate of treats to the block party.
Nobody & Mystic Chords of Memory
SoCal meets NoCal, baby. This collabo between LA fixture Elvin Estela (aka Nobody) and Santa Cruz couple Chris Gunst (Beachwood Sparks) and Jen Cohen (The Aisler’s Set) sounds as good as it appears on paper. Nobody brings his taste for unforced rhythms, textures, and beats. Chris and Jen bring pastoral pop vocals and timeless instrumentation. Really groovy, brilliant, and warm. Don’t think, just listen.
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!
Absinthe Glow
Thanks to Greg for suggesting Absinthe Glow, a band often compared to late 3hive fan favorite Elliott Smith. Chill out music, early morning music, music for the long drive, for the late late night alone, for looking out the window. This is anti-punk rock provided by Scott from the punk band The Fairlanes, and a new album’s worth should be forthcoming shortly.
Architecture in Helsinki
3hive fan and former student of mine Max says these guys are “the new hotness.” (He had terrible punctuation and capitalization in his e-mail message touting the band, so maybe that B+ I gave him in Composition was a bit of a gift, eh?) “Australia’s indie-pop chamber orchestra,” according to Bar None, offers up a great windows-down, warm-weather treat here, a version of their track “Do the Whirlwind” remixed by the UK’s Metronomy. Check the band’s website for a video of the original version of the song and assorted other treats.
Islands
For some reason I really enjoy beating Clay to the punch. Not even sure why. But I know he’s gonna be bummed he didn’t find this one first, because he really likes The Unicorns. And Islands consists of two members of The Unicorns, Nick and J’aime, after what sounds like an ugly break-up. They crossed paths in Los Angeles on the set of Woody Allen’s “Melinda and Melinda” as walk-ons in the same scene. Fate, and mutual pity, brought the two closer together when both their parts were cut from the film (side note: OK, I’ve always wanted to be an extra in a Woody Allen film—Juliet Taylor if you’re reading this and Woody ever has a bit part for a thumbless guy, call me—and I’d be hating it too if I got that close!). We feel your pain and love the result: more crisp, clean pop from Montreal. Thanks to Filter for digging up the MP3.
Sukpatch
They’re back! They’re back! Sukpatch are back! After a near seven-year hiatus, Chris and Steve are finally about to drop a new full-length full of polished bedroom beats, guitar loops, and slacker poetry on our aching ears. (If you need to get caught up on these fools, head over to Slabco and download their first two albums for free, ’cause that’s how Slabco rolls.) To celebrate their new release, Sukpatch have put out an open call for remixes. Go to the Music section of their site to download remix files and instructions. The rest is up to you…and Reason, Ableton, Cakewalk, Acid, or whatever the kids are using these days. Good luck on that.
The Situation
With The La’s making a comeback, it might be time for some young lads from this side of the Atlantic to bring back that Manchester feeling in their own Americanized way. The strong bassline, Philadelphia-accented nasally vocals, and infectious rhythm make it clear that The Situation have taken their cue from the flop-topped Brit-pops of the early ’90s. But that’s a good thing when you add a little Philly soul.
POSTSCRIPT: As Oliver astutely pointed out in the comments below, The La’s are actually a product of Liverpool, which geographically is just a short drive from Manchester but psychologically may as well be Athens to Manchester’s Sparta—or vice-versa if you prefer. Anyhow, rest assured of one thing: The Situation is still from Philly, and they still rock it.
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”.
Young and Sexy
Aside from the obvious ploy to boost our search engine traffic, I offer up Young and Sexy to add to Sean’s early nominations for Pop Album of the Year. This Vancouver outfit’s thoughtful, epic take on pop makes them a perfect foil for the Figurines’ scruffy charm or Field Music’s fleeting sugar rushes. Me, I’ve got all three in heavy rotation. Who says there can only be one Pop Album of the Year? Well, the oddsmakers, I suppose. Best believe there’d be rioting in Vegas if we ended up with a three-way tie…