Something about the way The Movies play a fast beat real slow-like just gets the “they sound like” comparative juices flowing. The guitar chimes and backbeat are what The Promise Ring would sound like if you played their 45s at 33 and a third. Their wistful vocals are what the Tindersticks would sound like if they were from the Midwest. Their wail-and-repeat lyrics are a bit like The Fall without the dissonance, or like Fugazi fronted by Jonathan Richman. And yet, the newest of these tracks, “Rock in the Slingshot,” picks ups the pace ever-so-slightly – “they sound like” Gang of Four in the chill-out room.
Innaway
I gotta be up at 4am tomorrow morning to take my parents to LAX — they’re flying to Richmond, VA to begin their East coast road trip vacation. (My only suggestion to them is to be sure to hit Shopsin’s when they’re in New York). So I’ll be keeping this brief. Innaway makes slow, groovy, classic rock-like jams. They played live on my radio show last week, and you can catch them soon with Brian Jonestown Massacre.
Cass McCombs
I’ve been waiting for some MP3 newness from Cass McCombs (so I’d have an excuse to post something) ever since I first downloaded the blissfully doped-up “I Went to the Hospital” close to a year ago. But “Sacred Heart,” with its beautiful depiction of British middle-class existence as a tragically poetic way to go — yes, in the tradition of His Majesty Morrissey — is good enough to stand on its own. “Hospital” and “Not the Way” give you something to fill your headphones with lovely sounds for another few minutes.
Empress
Empress was the alter ego of that mad Leeds outfit Boyracer, with several members having stints in Hood. But while Boyracer has been fast, frentic, and fun, Empress was haunting and mesmerizing, with the stillness of Low and the sensuousness of Movietone. And if you haven’t heard Empress already, well, now it’s time.
The Happies
A handful of us here at the 3hive were involved, musically, many years back. First, at an AM radio station we basically hijacked for a summer, then at a CD exchange (remember those?) called Sonic Garden. Blurb designed the logo. Soon after that fell to pieces, Sam and I started up an indie distribution company called Happyville (I’m sure we’d unanimously agree that 3hive is our best venture yet). ANYWAY, The Happies are sorta namesakes, and are not-so-coincidentally, from the state of Utah, where we initially made our acquaintances. They also make endearing, quiet, lo-fi pop songs, for which I am a complete sucker. Thanks to Todd Simmons for dropping this into the ol’ s-box.
Timonium
Stunningly sublime, or sublimely stunning? How about both? The perfect music for a warm spring day. So highly addictive that even one listen starts a dependency. Fortunately, this is one addiction you should feed.
The One A.M. Radio
“Why, this singer/songwriter has the proud bearing and glossy coat of a Yale man.” Sorry, couldn’t resist. Yes, Hrishikesh Hirway (you’d change your name to The One A.M. Radio, too) is a Yalie, but far more important to this crowd, I reckon, are his whisper-quiet ballads which fingerpluck their way to your heart — not unlike those of Iron and Wine. If you find yourself wishing for just a bit more glitch to go with that guitar, check out On the Shore of the Wide World, which features The One A.M. Radio remixed by offbeat maestros Daedelus, Alias, and Caural, and holds weight on its own. (Thanks, Jeff, for dropping this in the suggestion box.)
The Occasion
The subdued, swaggering basslines and organ expanses you’ll find from The Occasion will probably bring plenty of comparisons to mind. The one that lights up most in my own noggin is The Doors. They may be more wallflower than life of the party, and their noir melodies may make you want to look over your shoulder rather than to the sky, but these cloudy-headed dudes can still ride on the storm without getting the least bit wet.
The Same Fate
I like to look at local bands for 3hive, and usually that means Detroit acts. The Same Fate are even more local than that; guitar player Joe used to sleep in the back of my Creative Writing class a few years ago. He’s spent his time since wisely, skipping classes at the University of Michigan, playing gigs for ten people, and crafting gems like “The Last Flight of the Fireflies,” the most frequently played track on the family iPod.
The Glass
The Glass take all that’s good from the last decade of indie music and work into their soundscapes the qualities of Memphis, Tennessee: slow, easygoing, polite (to your face), good food, good friends. Like a still day in the summer heat, where Ol’ Man River, the Mighty Mississippi, is as smooth as glass.