A few months ago, The New York Times compared Okkervil River to The Decemberists, noting that both bands compose literate, obscure indie-pop songs for small-but-growing audiences. At least I think that’s what the article was about. I don’t really remember. Anyway, the songs I donwloaded back then have been sitting around on my computer, aging like a decent bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, so please let me say, “Drink away!” Start with the mellow intensity of “A Favor,” check out the pop legs of “Black,” or dive right into “For Real,” off their recently released Black Sheep Boy. For more hits at the bottle, so to speak, check out the half dozen other tracks available at the Okkervil River homepage (and please excuse my oenophilic tendencies).
Noe Venable
Clicking through someone else’s iPod is a personal experience, like examining the contents of a purse or carefully reading titles on a bookshelf. “She’s got a hell of a lot of 50 Cent on here,” you might say to yourself, and completely remake your mental image of that iPod’s owner. While S. didn’t have a lot of rap on hers — Japanese pop artists were ubiquitous, for some reason — it was Noe Venable that caught my ear. With a clear voice that ranges from innocent to playful to angry, this San Francisco artist’s lush home recordings reflect her strong, intelligent narrative vision. And this reminds me of S., at least “Just a Lil Bit.”
Wonder Ground
Today the suggestion box brings us Wonder Ground, who will be recording an EP at the Ship with a guy from Earlimart, who were described by Joe here on 3hive as “intelligent pop that’s true to an indie-rock spirit.” That statement also applies to Wonder Ground. Joe added four descriptive words to describe Earlimart, but for Wonder Ground, I’ll add comparisons to American Analog Set and Beulah, who were, well, intelligent pop that was true to an indie-rock spirit. Don’t you just love the suggestion box?
Solex
Arena Rock’s now clocking in at five entries here at 3hive. After conquering the East Coast, ARRCO honcho, Greg Glover moved out to Portland and is making plenty of noise at one of the finer stations in the country, KNRK. Greg’s quite the go-getter and to my delight he went-and-got Solex, aka Elizabeth Esselink, and put out her 2004 release, The Laughing Stock of Indie Rock. Esselink makes the tastiest pop around, a pleasing mix of PJ Harvey-type guitar riffs, loops and samples a la Soul Coughing, with the sweet vocals of someone like Claire Grogan from the ’80s band Altered Images. For the already initiated be sure to check out the new EP: Solex + M.A.E. In the Fishtank.
The Russian Futurists
Last week I was fortunate enough to be driving around the Tuscan countryside with some good friends (including our aforementioned legal counsel), listening to Scott’s iPod via iTrip whenever the crowded radio dial allowed. The Russian Futurists’ “Still Life” burst through the static with a playground-simple blend of orchestral washes, a loping drum pattern, and intimate lyrics. Upon returning home to my broadband connection, I did some Googling to find that Matthew Hart (the man behind The Russian Futurists) has been turning out such triumphant heartbreak jams since 2001, and I am certainly not the first to notice. His latest, The Thickness, though, shows enough polish to position The Russian Futurists as a less sterile and equally infectious Postal Service. Mr. Hart is currently touring with Caribou and Junior Boys (June 9 at The Magic Stick, Detroit!), catch him if you can.
Ligyro
Fuzzy rhythms, blunt beats, and all manner of static and stutters, made by a man (Neil Cain) and a machine (Akai MPC 2000XL), and held together by moments of sonic chill. Thanks to music like this I don’t need to do drugs. All it takes is a pair of headphones.
Kaze
A suggestion from the box (thanks, Emily!), this North Carolina rhymesayer recently saw an album’s worth of his raps remixed by the one-and-only 9th Wonder — check his soulful treatment of Kaze’s Mother’s Day ode, “Should’ve Been Here.” And, from his Enemy of the State LP, K-Hill’s funky chipmunkification of “On” is particularly, well, on.
Split Lip Rayfield
Serge, 3hive’s official pro bono legal counsel, announced a few months ago that he’s getting married, and to celebrate this exciting news (and see if there was any validity in it — he sent the email on April 1st, one year exactly after he told everyone he was going to be on The Apprentice, and got us all excited until we looked again at the date) I’m posting bluegrass. Serge is from Kentucky, and he likes to represent so much that I think bluegrass is all he listens to. Anyway, my neighbor Chuck sent me some links to Split Lip Rayfield that sound like the real thing, bluegrass, heavily tattooed and drunk. So Serge, I hope you’re actually getting married; if not, I hope you at least enjoy Split Lip Rayfield’s guitar, banjo, mandolin, and bass made out of an old gas tank.
Mike Park
On July 2nd, Mike Park’s “Living Room Tour” is coming to Livonia, MI, a few miles down the road from here. First he’s playing in Ben’s living room in the afternoon, then there’s an evening show for Stephanie and Andrew. How cool is that? Maybe we can set up a 3hive sponsorship and I could carry his guitar case inside the house or something. The back-to-basics spirit of the tour matches perfectly with Park’s musical approach; think of Woody Guthrie’s social vision — “This guitar kills Fascists” — or the in-your-face emotion of Billy Bragg. Mike Park may not be the best guitar player ever, or have the finest singing voice, but when he tells you he thinks racism sucks, you can be sure he means it.
The Mexicos
Don’t let the name fool you. The Mexicos ain’t Mexican. They’re Swedish, no doubt dreaming of the warm sunshine and luscious avocados of Mexico. The Mexicos play simple pop that is light without being lightweight, airy not airheady, and whimsical without being insulting. So grab your sombrero, you know, the one with the Swedish flag in it.