Boppy skater-pop from Sweden, courtesy of My Orchard. “A List of Things” is taken from their new EP Silhouettes, while “Something New” can be found on Paperheart Music’s compilation Hi-Fi Songs for Lo-Fi Hearts. Maybe our next 3hive summit should be in Stockholm?
Iron Hero
Sam from Iron Hero got my attention with two words and one number: Athens, 40, Watt. Although I’ve never been there, the 40 Watt Club is a hallowed place for me since my teenage years spent worshipping Love Tractor, Pylon, and many other Athens, Georgia, bands who played there. Iron Hero, you see, had a CD release show just recently at said 40 Watt Club. Then Iron Hero got my adoration with two things: delightful pop and some oh so delightful fuzz. With songs like “Heart of a Ghost,” surely Iron Hero’s days of self-releasing albums will be a thing of past, ie., there’s a label somewhere out there who has gotta snatch them up soon.
New MP3 and Tour Schedule from Sally Crewe & the Sudden Moves
New MP3 from new The Adored LP
Pet Politics
As I spent this weekend in NYC for the big wedding, I was able to get in a lot of quality iPod time on the subway and walking about (we don’t walk much back in Michigan). Just as I ducked out of the bitter cold wind into a subway tunnel, this lovely, VU-esque pop song came on labeled “Pet Politics – In My Head.” That’s all I knew at the time. When I got home, I did what I always do in these situations: I searched through my old email for “Pet Politics” and found a note from one Magnus Larsson (dba Pet Politics) of Gothenburg, Sweden, sent back in August 2005 asking me nicely to listen to his music. Well, Magnus, I did…eventually. And, while “In My Head” is no longer available, 3hive readers, here is a quaint Robyn Hitchcock-esque songs about ghosts that I may like even better. Unfortunately, blog/label Catbird has since sold out of his extremely limited edition EP, released late last year. If you want to hear more, check out *sixeyes’ interview with Magnus for a couple other downloads or go to the Pet Politics MySpace page.
Micah P. Hinson
I probably shouldn’t call attention to the fact that this post is very late. Maybe I’d be able to sneak it in at the eleventh hour, literally, with little fanfare. But Sam, Clay, Shan and Joe all know I’m late because we just had breakfast this morning at Veselka in New York and Sam straight up asked me, “Sean, aren’t you going to post today?” So my secret was shattered over a plate of raspberry blintzes. It was the largest gathering of us 3hive kids since we started this thing up. We talked shop and helped Joe finish off his potato pancakes. Anyway, my apologies to anyone who noticed the lack of new music for the better part of the day. You’ll find it was worth the wait with this “country-noir” track from Micah P. Hinson. Jade Tree is thankfully re-issuing Hinson’s debut EP, The Baby and the Satellite and will be shedding new, well-deserved light on this young Texan. His album from last year, Micah P. Hinson and the Gospel of Progress was one of my favorites, and seemed to make more noise in the UK than here in the States. Here’s hoping folks start catching up.
Black Twig Pickers
Today’s post is dedicated to Serge and Sabrina, who today will marry in a Manhattan loft overlooking the Hudson river. Serge’s taste in music splits pretty evenly between ’80s one-hit wonders and old timey bluegrass. Sabrina’s…well, let’s just say her request list for the wedding mix included this song. So, in their honor, I’m going with the banjo and fiddle. Congratulations, S+S!
Rocky Votolato
With a name like Rocky Votolato, I was expecting disco covers, not classic folk-rock — acoustic guitar, harmonica, brooding lyrics, scruffy cheeks and the long gaze. Ah, I shouldn’t make assumptions based on the guy’s name, especially with that Italian ring to it. Did you see those ads in the paper, around the time of the Alito confirmation, blasting people for calling him “Scalito,” claiming that was ethnic bigotry? 3hive doesn’t need that kind of attention. Anyway, Rocky’s an old-style singer-songwriter from the PNW, and “Portland Is Leaving” is the prettiest sad song I’ve heard in a long time. “Love’s a trainwreck, you’re a mistake…”
Thanks to everyone for pointing out the bad links…
These songs are only downloadable directly from Barsuk’s website. Sorry.