People ask me where we come up with all the good stuff we post on 3hive. It’s hard to explain except to say that we sometimes seem to benefit from some sort of collective stream of consciousness. To wit: spring springs in Detroit, which reminds Joe of Hayden’s music; Joe posts Hayden, which reminds Eli of Kid Lunch who is a Canadian colleague of Hayden’s; Eli drops us a note about the Kid; I like the name and download some tracks from his 1999 self-titled debut; I like them enough to download the entire thing (it’s available for free on his website); I scrap together a post which says nothing about the music itself and voila! It’s just that easy! Kid Lunch may be in semi-retirement — his last live gig appears to have been in 2002 — but his sonically diverse album holds enough promise to leave me wondering if/when he’ll return with more good stuff. In the meantime, let’s see what kind of associations this post triggers… The suggestion box is open.
Spoon
So nice to have Spoon back in the mix. Dig the thick groove and soulful vocals on “I Turn My Camera On,” a cross between Prince and Gang of Four. How can that be bad? Not much more booty-shaking on the album (with the exception of “Was It You?”), but lovely nonetheless.
Hayden
Yes, it was 70+ degrees yesterday in southeast Michigan, and yes, my daughter was playing in the sandbox in the park in short sleeves and no shoes or socks. Yes, the crocuses are in crazy bloom, and yes, the daffodils are ready to break free at any moment. The melancholy trio of songs below are for all of you who know, like me, that it will surely snow one more time this year. (Hayden is Canadian, after all. He knows this to be true, too.)
Citizen Bird
I’m normally a patient guy. I coach a soccer team of sixteen 3-5 year olds for crying out loud. But I get impatient in two areas: waiting for new albums to come out, and waiting for my rare eBay purchases to arrive. We here at 3hive just love the Swedes; in fact, I’d expand that to all Scandanavians. In the midst of Sam’s Swedish shoegazing frenzy this past week, I finally lost patience in waiting for the new Citizen Bird album to come out before I put them on 3hive. (Plus, I didn’t want him to beat me to them, cause you know, that happens here at the 3hive; insults and fisticuffs have been know to fly.) I’ve read anywhere from spring 2004 to spring 2005 for the release of their sophomore effort. While Swedish but not exactly shoegazers, they do follow in the footsteps of Loop, Suicide, Spacemen 3, Stereolab, and the Stooges, with their throbbing rhythms, pulsing Farfisas, and fuzzy guitars. That should hold me over until the album finally comes out. Now if I could only do something about the USPS…
South Ambulance
That Sambassadeur post sent me on a Swedish shoegazing spree. That’s right, a spree. In case you doubt there is such a thing, I present you with South Ambulance. Also Swedish, also shoegazerly. When their press frequently references Ride, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and Television Personalities (and I’d add Galaxie 500 just to sweeten the deal), you know you’re in for a dreamy, melancholy treat.
John Vanderslice
When she graduated last year, Martha gave me a mix CD without a track list. For some people, this would be considered a form of psychological abuse as opposed to a kind gesture. For others, like me, it’s a pleasant excuse for wasting an hour playing on Google. Investigating “Me and My 424” (one of my favorite songs on what turned out to be a great road trip mix, with the likes of Iron and Wine and Nick Drake) led me to John Vanderslice and about a dozen MP3s, half of which are provided for you below. The marriage of his macabre narratives and nasal vocal whine is infinitely better than the description sounds — trust me. Also, if you’ve got the time, check out Tiny Telephone, his SF recording studio. Thanks, Martha!
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Some kid was walking by singing “Knock on Wood” the other day, and it got me thinking about the Bosstones. In 1989, I played trombone in a ska band that opened for for them in Toronto. Nineteen eighty-nine! That kid probably wasn’t even born yet! And although the words “now defunct” are commonly associated with the band, I like to think they’re aging nicely, still dressed in plaid from head to toe.
Album
Sean’s not the only one talking about South by Southwest. The New York Times — one of the hippest, most progressive indie-friendly rags out there — mentioned Album in its coverage of SXSW. What a score! On the Monterrey (Mexico) band’s website, everything they’ve ever recorded is available in MP3 form, and a lot of it is wildly fresh and inventive. The sampling below starts with a suggested listening sequence supplied by the band, as well as a few more selected tracks that aren’t half bad either. Enjoy!
Hot Hot Heat
For those who like your heat hot hot — and you know who you are — help yourself to a couple MP3s from the forthcoming Elevator. For those who like your heat canned…ahem, well, here’s to you.
Anna Fermin’s Trigger Gospel
So, my wife and I are taking our daughter on her second trip to Chicago (or “Ka-goh,” as she likes to say) a week AFTER Anna Fermin’s Trigger Gospel plays at Schuba’s, one of the greatest bars in the whole world. I bet the kid would love Anna’s clear vocals and rootsy country-rock (in fact, she’d probably say “better,” in comparison to something else that wasn’t as good). I’m not sure if they’d let almost-two-year-olds in, though.