I know I’m supposed to write about Maritime from Milwaukee — their latest album, We, the Vehicles, was just released, they’re made up of former members of The Promise Ring and The Dismemberment Plan, and everyone else is giving them some serious press time. But the Flameshovel website’s story about the band is so affected, pretentious and self-indulgent that I kind of want to write about Maritime from Belfast and Brighton instead. The thing is, they have an annoying bio page too, and their “life-affirming folk-soul,” as exemplified by “Like a Firefly” (click here if you want to listen to it) doesn’t do it for me like the other Maritime’s excellent track “Calm,” available below. I’m not sure if the idea that “Maritime remains solidly tethered to pop perfection, but has taken space to let that pop cycle through all its permutations” helps, or even what that means really, but “Calm” is a sweet tune. Enjoy!
Think About Life
Montreal’s Think About Life is more than that. The debut album, Think About Life, out yesterday, May 2nd, is more than that. Think About Life is a way of life. As they sing on “Paul Cries”, “Put on your shoes and your clothes, get set, get set for life, get set, get set for life.†And with the feverish backing dance beat and shrill pounding drones that cause spontaneous body convulsions/dancing, how can you not?
The Black Heart Procession
It might be strange to think of The Black Heart Procession as offering up a summer song, but “Not Just Words” feels like that kind of anthem, one that will bring a little light to the breezy summer nights. But if you’re not going for that and you just want to listen to them in your bedroom with nobody else around, just be sure to put on your headphones—BHP songs are still meant to feel bigger than their surroundings, and they still do.
Horse Stories
Pairing nicely with the barren alt-country of Radiogram is the energetic, jangle-pop of Melbourne’s Horse Stories. Even though the bit-rate is lousy, download the total perfectness of “Bloody Time of the Year” and “You Explained Away Everything,” if only to put a smile on your face. Thanks to Jennifer for the suggestion here; it was one of many that we could eventually track back to Jon’s wife Heather, who politely chatted us up on Dooce not too long ago.
Director
You do one Irish band, you have to do another. This comes from the suggestion box, courtesy of David from Dublin, pointing out to 3hive what he calls “the most interesting new band here in Dublin.” Be sure to also check out Director’s new single “Reconnect” at their myspace page.
The Wombats
This Liverpudlian marsupial is a distant cousin to the sorely missed Los Angeles marsupial, Possum Dixon. Note the similar lyrical delivery, a kind of snotty, melodic talking. The two species also share a certain jerky jangle in their guitars. The resemblance is most notable on “Derail and Crash.” The Wombats are known to travel as a trio and were first spotted in the wild, open myspace. Everyone here at 3hive looks forward to this fine specimen arriving to this continent for a prolonged stay.
Butterfly Explosion
Irish and Swedish bands. I’m a sucker for them. Irish caused I lived there for two years (even saw Bono’s house/castle/mansion on a road nicknamed, what else, Millionaire’s Row). Swedish cause they have some unexplained disposition to creating great pop music. Is it nature or nurture? Personally, I blame ABBA.
Butterfly Explosion are Irish, are unsigned, and recently played at SXSW. One reviewer names Duran Duran, Sigur Ros, Smashing Pumpkins, and My Bloody Valentine as comparisions. While I reject the MBV link (for reasons we won’t go into here), I would add Lush as a strong starting point. “Sophia” will be on a soon-to-be released EP.
Conner
Where’s that deliciously pouty, funky sound coming from? South London? NYC? Try Lawrence, Kansas. (Hey, they’re entitled to deliciously pouty, funky music, too, you know.) These tracks are from Conner’s forthcoming album Hello Graphic Missile which is due out June 6. June 6?? But I want it NOW…
Woody Whatever
Athens, Ohio’s Erik Schmall has been recording frayed, cuddly lo-fi at a blistering pace. He’s already released over 100 songs since he first started in 2001, at age 17. Like many prolific bedroom songwriters, or any prolific songwriter for that matter, not every track will blow you away. But these ones here do, and I’m sure I’ve overlooked a few. If you’re looking for a good place to get started, hop (Happy Easter!) over to the lovely blog/netlabel Beat the Indie Drum to download Woody Whatever’s Big One Shout Out EP that just came out in March 2006.
Eiffel Tower
Nevermind the snappy drums. Ignore the catchy licks. Pay no attention to fuzzy hooks. Tight harmonies? What tight harmonies? See, Eiffel Tower have got something hidden underneath all that. Songwriting. That unique ability to craft a pop, or rock, song, a talent that mainman Benjamin Wheelocks has been honing and developing since he started writing songs at age 6. Okay, you can now go back to the snappy drums, catchy licks, etc., etc., like you could even ignore them in the first place.