Not to burden you with the boring details of my life (I’ve already alluded to them, so now I’m beating a dead horse to boot) but my equilibrium has been shot to hell over the last three weeks and it’s hampered my efforts in getting you the tunes. Thanks for bearing with 2009’s slow start. Point Juncture, WA was the first thing I pulled out of the growing pile of submissions at the ‘hive’s HQ. What a pleasant surprise and glowing gift this album is. Unfamiliar with their previous work I can’t compare it to their past efforts, but this album most definitely demands some history homework on my part. The album was recorded in the band’s Portland basement, set up as a makeshift sound lab with cables running into and out of windows, amps in stairwells, a diy plate reverb in the garage, and mics in every corner. The resulting recordings sound like an earthier Stereolab with a bit more rock replacing the pop. They’re also somewhat of a throwback to ’90s indie rock with shimmering guitars and boy/girl vocals. Their album, Heart to Elk, is out February 10th. They’ve been playing a bunch of dates in and around their hometown, but no further dates have been announced. We’ll keep you posted!
The Deep Dark Woods
It’s supposed to be -5 degrees Fahrenheit in Detroit tonight, which means it must be about -500 Celsius in Saskatoon, home of The Deep Dark Woods. (Actually, I picture Saskatchewan as being one big wheat field, with about ten trees scattered here and there, but what do I know, I’ve never been there.) Such cold is clearly irrelevant to this quartet, who offer up easy-going country rock more suited to the bronze glow of fall than the brutalities of winter. In fact, I’d go so far as saying these are warm songs, with steel guitar or, as in “All the Money I Had is Gone,” a fantastic old organ sound wrapping around you like an old blanket. Vocal harmonies smooth country grooves, lyrics of wistful longing — all perfect for curling up and staying under the covers, and due on Feb. 17.
Intricate Machines
L.A.’s Intricate Machines seem to find inspiration in their own name, taking an intricate approach in their creation of pop music. They don’t necessarily pay more attention to the details in their music than anyone else; that’s impossible to judge. It’s just that the details and textures on which they elaborate are less obvious than most. Really, it’s just my roundabout way of saying they have a roundabout way of getting to the hooks in their songs. Intricate Machines require time to soak, simmer, and settle. If you’re willing to give them that time you’ll find plenty of pleasures to sink your chops into. Considering the minute attention span of music consumers these days, Intricate Machines take a big risk attempting to break into the indie scene with less than immediate hooks. This ain’t no microwave meal; this is some slow-cooking, crock pot rock. You may have noticed I haven’t mentioned exactly what Intricate Machines sound like. This is deliberate. I don’t want to contribute to the instant-gratification impulse they’ve obviously worked hard to avoid. Enjoy the journey.
*Show notes: Intricate Machines play this week in L.A. Click here for details.
Times New Viking
Times New Viking sure make a whole lotta racket for only three people. The fuzz, the pounding, the screeching organ; it’s like The Velvets on speed, the Velvets how they sounded in the earphones of the young, impressionable future members of Times New Viking.
Eagle and Talon
I love the way “Georgia” meanders its way into my consciousness. It opens in the middle of an off-the-cuff saxophone riff, then the low-end guitar joins in and finally the sweet, laid-back double vocals of Kim Talon beckon my full attention, and unlike Odysseus I’m fresh out of beeswax, so I can’t plug up my ears to avoid certain destruction. Or certain seduction in this case. There’s a bit of nostalgia at work for me with Eagle & Talon. I love Kim’s double-voice work like I loved Julie & Gretchen’s vocals in Mary’s Danish, although Eagle and Talon’s low-fi, earthy production and their stop/start rockin’ and slowin’ recall Sleater-Kinney’s red light, green light energy. Lyrically, Eagle and Talon cover all stages and consequences of desire, from the lead up in “Hot Caught” to the act in “One Lark;” then you’re living with the product of that desire from birth, “Georgia,” through high school, “Ice Life.” Eagle and Talon provide an alluring soundtrack to the entire cycle.
The Sweet Serenades
I’ve got too many playlists of Swedish bands. The first was simply named “Swedes,” then came “More Swedes” and “Even More Swedes,” all including Swedish bands that can find by a little searching our 3hive archives from recent years. Now I’ve got to start another one to include the Sweet Serenades. Martin and Mathias, after many years of friendship, finally decided to start making making music together in Stockholm. The result: a sound that runs the gamut from 50’s pop to 80’s arena rock to today’s hipster indie rock, all in one song, like their new single “Mona Lee.”
Pale Young Gentlemen
The Pale Young Gentlemen are indeed pale. But unless my eyes have deceived me, they’re not all gentlemen and at least one of them is gonna get a smack from mama for their chauvinism. Maybe that’s why there’s all of this talk of only having one good arm, and running through barley and other slightly macabre circumstances. “The Crook of My Good Arm†is an escape song—the string section is low and immediate, the guitar is frantic, and the vocals and lyrics fall somewhere between Tom Waits and Rufus Wainwright. What they’re escaping from, we’re not sure. But there’s a good chance it’s mama’s wooden spoon.
Surf City
December barely rolls in and finally it looks like “winter” around Huntington Beach, CA, aka Surf City USA. “Winter” remains an ideal time to hit the waves for a chilly little surf session, and this warm, fuzzy track from our Surf City brothers down in New Zealand is the perfect soundtrack for such a jaunt. The band started when two friends connected in a video library just after one of the fellows, Davin, had purchased a four track recorder with money he received from a study grant. It sounds as if he spent more time studying the acoustics of a Volkswagen van because that’s what this EP sounds like: a more cheerful Jesus and Mary Chain as recorded in a VW. No matter your geographical location or its current climate, Surf City will sun up your heart and give you cozy toes.
The Soft Hands
The Soft Hands have resurrected the twitch and punch of the ’70s post-punk sound. They’ve more than resurrected it; they’ve bumped it up a notch or two. They’re jumpier than XTC, snottier than Joe Jackson, more herky-jerky than the Talking Heads. Repeated listens may induce seizures, limb-flailing pogo dancing about the room at least. Suffering from restless leg syndrome? Get out from behind your desk and let The Soft Hands shake the wiggles out of you.
Strangelights
Strangelights is perhaps the perfect name for a psych-influenced rock band. One with sitar-like guitar, maracas, and a wah-soaked guitar riff. This Minneapolis trio has all that and more. And by more I mean a singer who is a dead-ringer (vocally) for Ian McCulloch of Echo & the Bunnymen, but don’t make that the only reason to download “Planet Vesusvius.”