We usually save our announcements for the Junk Drawer, but today is a momentous day of sorts here at the Hive. It was two years ago that our very first posting went live. Although we contributors are more likely to get excited about the birthday cake than the party, we thought we’d celebrate in our own way by bringing you a two-fer and saying thanks for checking out what we’re listening to these days. Speaking of which…
It doesn’t take long to lock a visual on the meaning behind the name of Black Mountain guy Stephen McBean’s side project, and as titillating or offensive as you might find it, the name thankfully ain’t all she wrote. McBean is a maverick one-man-band who falls somewhere along the continuum between Eels, Nine Inch Nails, Nick Drake, Self, and that dude from 13th Floor Elevators. That’s a pretty disparate list, and it still doesn’t do much to describe how Pink Mountaintops mixes bawdy lyrics with Casio-tized death metal, sweet noir balladeering, and even singer-songwriter affectation. He’s an enigma, in case you didn’t get that from the poster at the label website, and like all good enigmas, you won’t want to stop listening even if you can.
Black Mountain, unlike 
Released in the U.S. by Reincarnate Music a mere two days ago, Sing-Sing and I, this British duo’s second full length album (ugh, too many twos in that sentence!) should please you U.K. pop fans who like smooth-voiced female singers, and just about anyone looking for bright yet not banal songs, some of which are downright groovy.
The dilemna? Keep running with this whole anti-Valentines thing that the kids and the nation’s biggest retailers got going on and throw in a little post-Valentines Norwegian death metal today on 3hive? Or try to actually extend the blessed day–after all I do have four Valentines at home–by finding a band whose name had something to do with Valentines Day, other than 
Darren Jesse, ex-Ben Folds Five drummer, is the brainchild behind Hotel Lights. This is no solo project however. I imagine after being one of the nameless two-thirds in Ben Folds Five Jessee soured on the solo-type thing. That’s pure speculation on my part. He’s put together an impressive band featuring Mark Price (Archers of Loaf drummer) and Alan Weatherhead (a once-member of Sparklehorse) as producer and guitarist. Adam Schlesinger from Fountains of Wayne had his hand in a few tracks as well. The pedigree should get your attention, but the product will hold it. This is the kind of music I’ll never burn out on: richly-textured, finely-crafted pop songs that play effortlessly and smooth.
Okay, all you saps, here’s one for your Valentine’s Day playlist… Portland’s Parks and Recreation craft completely over-the-top pop pastiche with a wistfull underbelly. Fits nicely alongside 
Cory over at Absolutely Kosher brought Ex-Boyfriends to my attention with perfect timing considering my re-kindled interest in XTC and the accompanying power-pop kick I’m on. Dig their Drums and Wires era vibe—mixed in with a touch of Archers of Loaf and 999. Album’s available next week and in March the band begins making rounds out West. Ready, set, pogo!
It’s been saddening for me to watch this whole Danish cartoon scandal go down because Denmark has always sat on a pedestal in my memory after I spent a few of the more peaceful and pleasing days of my life there back in 1999. Not much I can do about the recent events, except for this small gesture of distraction: Slaraffenland’s slow-burning instrumental jazz/rock goodness from Denmark, done with the effortless, artful precision Danes ought to be known for.