Man, recessions suck. It’s all work, work, work. I’ve been woefully ignorant of all of these Internet happenings except perhaps Twitter because, y’know, that’s just quick random thoughts, right? But what we could really use in these lean times are free MP3 downloads. So god bless you for going strong with 3Hive, Sean and Joe and Clay, because there’s so much great music out there and, long hours be damned, we gots to share the sharing! Like Chicago’s Helicopters, a group that got its first major exposure by winning a battle of the bands contest that gave them a slot at Lollapalooza. And they didn’t stuff the ballot box, either. Like the Chicago Man of the Decade, Helicopters offer a complex yet accessible brand of hope that is a sea change from a cynicism that has prevailed for too long. It’s no small feat considering they have three primary songwriters. Such musical trinities can lead to a garbled mess of influences. And while you’ll get a smorgasbord on Sizing Up the Distance, from synthed new wave reduxes to driven guitar anthems to emo wails, there’s a common thread of pop craftsmanship that pulls it all together. These are some finely crafted gems, and at least one of them is free. The Spring thaw is upon us, and hopefully the financial thaw is about to follow – and with Helicopters, my thaw soundtrack is coming together nicely.
New Phoenix Single
I like Phoenix. And they like you. To prove it, they just released their new single “1901” as a free download. Gotta go here to get it. No email or log in necessary. The band will issue their full album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix on May 25th.
Papermoons
It started in October. The holiday season kicked into full swing with Halloween, which might be the most anxiously awaited holiday of the year at my house. I suffered a serious knee injury the week before Halloween, but we had the November elections, Thanksgiving, and Christmas arriving before we knew it, with all the hussle and bussle that go with them. It continued into January with my wife’s birthday and some major issues at work, and then we finally got to February where they continued. It feels like we’ve been running non-stop since October. Prior to this weekend, we’ve been out of town for five weekends in a row. My music choices have been changing as I’ve tried to keep up the pace. Faster, faster, if it didn’t have enough BPM’s or pounding energy, I wasn’t working for me. I found myself listening to a lot of Black Flag, Bad Religion, the Specials, and the Projects on the train ride to/from work.
Don’t get me wrong; it has been good times, a whole lotta fun with family, friends, and great places. But it was all starting to catch up with me. Last week I was on my fourth cold of the season, my knee is in bad shape as I’ve been doing hard rehab in a final attempt to avoid ligament reconstruction surgery, and my body has felt like it’s falling apart. On Saturday, finally at home for the first weekend in six, I downloaded the Houston duo Papermoons’ “Follow the Sun,” a delicate, melodic song of peace and tenderness, fell asleep at 9 pm, and had the best night of sleep I’ve had in months. Coincidence? Maybe. But maybe not.
The Von Bondies
Yeah yeah, you’re thinking, the Von Bondies, something about Detroit rock ‘n’ roll, the lead singer got in a fight with that White Stripes dude, their big song a few years back “C’mon C’mon” was in some American car commercial (Detroit, right?), give me something new, 3hive. We here at 3hive have often shared some guilty pleasures with you over the years, and the Von Bondies do that for me. There’s just something about their simple, hook-filled rock with the anthem-like lyrics you can shout along to that gets me going.
Faunts
On their second full-length, Alberta, Canada’s Faunts reign in their epic song structuring, meandering less while managing to maintain their expansive sound. Their new album tends to use more electronics (a more dour Postal Service?) without sacrificing the ringing guitars. In “M4 (Part 1)” guitars loop repeatedly a la Michael Brook’s infinite guitar and Faunts’ ethereal tendencies in many of their songs remind me of similar moments in The Cure’s Seventeen Seconds. Faunts get plenty of comparisons to The Cure, but unlike many of their contemporaries the similarities lie with the instrumentation rather than Smith’s warbled vocals; however, bald-faced comparisons to any band do a disservice to potential fans, because Faunts transcend simple analogies to any band that’s come before, and Feel.Love.Thinking.Of raises expectations for any band choosing to follow Faunts’ lead.
Mr. Russia
To say that Mr. Russia are low-end fiends is an understatement. Mr. Russia is heavy on drums and bass. Make that plural on the bass, drums and basses. Plus a bit of synth and lots of snark. Death From Above 1979 fans may find Mr. Russia’s a bit tame for their tastes, but I personally like their poppier take on the sans guitar sound. The timbre and attitude in the vocals remind me a lot of the late, great Possum Dixon, which is never a bad thing. A perfect pair of rock ‘n’ roll numbers to shake the tedium out of your Tuesday. Dig ’em.
The Soft Pack
After seeing the Ettes last Thursday night (awesome show!), I had a host of events, and my own laziness, prevent me from catching the Raveonettes and the Soft Pack Friday night. Formerly known as the Muslims, the Soft Pack has a wonderful cover of Spiritualized’s “Walking With Jesus,” one of my top songs of all time. Their song “Parasite” is my current favorite song; the throbbing bass makes me wanna move, and the steady pounding drums and vocals are heavily influenced by the Velvet Underground. The singer of this San Diego outfit sounds like a young, modern Lou Reed influenced by all the great bands (too long to list here) who were influenced by the VU.
Point Juncture, WA
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.