I have it! Yo La Tengo!
Deadstring Brothers
My friend Aram suggested the Deadstring Brothers for 3hive, and I think I know why. You see, Aram knows the oeuvre of Bob Dylan the way the rest of us know our birthday or the alphabet. I think, in the roots rock of the Deadstring Brothers, he hears a little tribute to Bob, or at least a recognition of the work of Bob’s son Jakob and his band, The Wallflowers. On the other hand, maybe he just thinks they’re a decent band. Either way, enjoy that pedal steel guitar slide in “27 Hours,” and thanks, Aram!
The Insomniacs
Many years ago Sean introduced me to The Three O’Clock, a mod-influenced power pop trio who were strong in the music but displayed a common shortcoming of mod bands: the lyrics were just stupid. “Jet Fighter Man/that’s what I am/cause tanks go too slow.” That’s actually my favorite song by them, but I mean, come on. The Insomniacs are another mod-influenced power pop trio who I turn to when I miss one of my favorite all-time bands, the early ’90s British mod-influenced power pop trio Five Thirty. (I recently had the priviledge of introducing Sean to Five Thirty, a little quid pro quo.) The Insomniacs have almost got it all: bass-shaking snarling (in the mod sense of the word) guitars, tight Small Faces harmonies, enough hooks to knock out Pete Townshend, and a singer whose voice makes him a dead ringer for the singer of Five Thirty. Let’s just not discuss the lyrics.
Low
Over seven albums, Low have collected praise and fans from all over the world. Their sound has grown and expanded, from the gentle stillness of I Could Live in Hope to the strong melodies and warm harmonies of Things We Lost in the Fire, and from the pure genius of their cover of Joy Division’s “Transmission” to proving they can make some noise with best of ’em on “Monkey” from their Subpop debut, The Great Destroyer. Simply one of the best bands out there. Enjoy.
Note: Their wonderful ode to the Misfits that was previously featured on 3hive is no longer available from their revamped website. It’s time to start a letter writing campaign to get it back!
Matt Pond PA
I feel weird not letting Clay post this one, as he’d be able to tell you exactly what plot point warranted Matt Pond PA’s “New Hampshire” in a recent episode of “The O.C.” All I can tell you is recent plot points in my chaotic life have warranted the tender, string-buoyed comfort of Matt Pond PA’s “Fairlee.” And “A List of Sound.” And “Closer.” Not every track here is as cheerful as the above. But your personal plot points may warrant just that, so who am I to deny you?
The Gossip
We all go through phases. Some are developmental, like my two year old’s tantrum/fit last night upon leaving the Taco Bell play-place. Some are musical, like me listening to almost nothing but The High Water Marks and 30 Amp Fuse the past two weeks. So to break me out of my phase, here’s The Gossip, a trio of ladies who relocated from Searcy, Arkansas, to Olympia, Washington, who I think are no more. If PJ Harvey fronted the Blues Explosion, the Gossip would still do gospel-shaking, blues-tinged rock ‘n’ roll better…Addendum: Thanks to a 3hive reader, it’s been confirmed that The Gossip have played a show as recently as a few months ago, so hopefully they’re still around.
Soledad Brothers
In 1835, militiamen from Michigan and Ohio engaged in a brief skirmish over the possession of Toledo. Shots were inaccurately fired and prisoners taken. However, in the end, Michigan obviously lost in its bid to claim Toledo, the jewel of the Maumee River, and was offered the Upper Peninsula as compensation. (Ha! Take that, Ohio!) This brief history lesson reminds us why the Soledad Brothers are not a Detroit band, even though their trashy blues-rock boogies call to mind the MC5, Iggy and the Stooges, and the currently popular (White Stripes, Von Bondies, etc.) gritty garage sound of D-town.
We Are Scientists
My red Rickenbacker 620, the poor thing, doesn’t get picked up much these days. Job, age, fatherhood, soccer, home ownership, the price of 9-volt batteries…they’ve all conspired to keep me from my guitar and my Maestro Fuzztain pedal (which, by the way, is the size of two calculus textbooks; I bought it cause Kurt Heasley of the Lilys used one). A couple of bands over the few last years have inspired me to pick my guitar up, like the late great Henry’s Dress (whenever I miss them) and more recently The High Water Marks and Louis XIV. But now I think I’ve found the perfect inspiration: We Are Scientists. Anybody want to join my We Are Scientists cover band? If I may quote the We Are Scientists website, “Bring yourself and your dignity; only one of you will leave.”
Marah
So, I was cleaning out the closet in my old bedroom at my mom and dad’s house and I ran across a bunch of Marah singles from about 1984 or ’85, old 45s to play on the Panasonic turntable I got for my 13th birthday. Actually, that’s not true at all, but it should be. Marah sounds like middle school, all big guitars and big hair and rock ‘n’ roll, baby! It’s like late ’70s Springsteen demo tapes with someone else singing, or Bon Jovi a little less high-pitched. You can tell me that “The Rough Streets Below” wasn’t recorded in 1983, but I won’t believe you. Not even you, Tim O. (Thanks for the tip!)
El Ten Eleven
First, a quick comparison. Tortoise meets The Cure (at least on this track). Now, the instructions. Step one: listen to “Connie.” Step two: stream a few more tracks off their myspace page. Step three: see them live. Finally, step four: be amazed that El Ten Eleven consists of two musicians, and they pull this stuff off live.