The Hentchmen seem like they’ve been on the Detroit garage-rock scene forever, and in band-years, they have. Twelve years or so as a butt-shaking rock and roll trio must equal about sixty years in real-person life. Anyway, age sure doesn’t slow them down on Form Follows Function, their recent ’60s rock-flavored release. Check out “Love” for a little of the nth degree.
Man Man
If you’ve ever been hitchhiking along a muddy country road in the middle of nowhere and been picked up by a beater Econoline van filled with career carnival professionals (and their children) who entertain you the remainder of your journey with their song and lore, Man Man should sound pretty familiar. If you haven’t…well, you haven’t really lived, have you?
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.
Marbles
Robert Schneider has a special place in my heart. It’s not just the perfect pop he has cranked out under the monikers of the Apples in Stereo, the Marbles, and Ulysses. You see, he’s such a swell guy. Many years ago, I left Utah with my girlfriend to drive to Denver under the guise of visiting my sister, when in fact, I wanted to see the Apples. By the time we reached Denver, my girlfriend was my fiancée, and the first thing we did upon arriving was head to the Lion’s Lair (oh yeah, it was a dive) to see the Apples with special guests, The Drags. While we didn’t tell them we just got engaged, we did tell them we made the trek from Utah just to see them (and my sister, in case she’s reading). They embraced us as dear friends. The love affair will continue when the Marbles play Memphis on March 24th supporting their new album Expo and Clem Snide.
Fleckfumie
Sure, the name comes off like the Danish translation of “f&ck you,” their music, however, is much more inviting. Japanese vocalist, Fumie, together with British programmer, Fleck, offer a world of stuttering samples, bubbling beats, silky vocals, and, oh baby, the bass! Worldwide flavor in both Fleckfumie’s members and sound. Hit their site for streams of five more album tracks…
Skaos
AM 960 The Student Undeground Network. Founded by 3hive’s own Sean way back in 1993. Our friend Scott and I hosted a ska show, making our best effort, as Scott recently said, to educate the high school youth in town about ska. We lifted the title of our show from the Skaos song “Ska Skank Down Party.” This song below is from Skaos’ brand new album Pocomania, proving to us once again that them German rude boys sure can cuss. Note: Two more songs added from earlier albums, “Too Late” and “Shout.” Enjoy!
Actionslacks
This last week, Tim Scanlin, Actionslacks singer/guitarist, sneaks into my office like Peter Parker pimping photographs to the Daily Bugle. Rock ‘N’ Roll undercover. Not only did his visit remind me to pull out his records, (their latest, Full Upright Position, has woefully flown way below the radar), he also admonished me to dive into the various projects of Craig Finn. Suffice it to say, on and off stage, Tim’s doing his best to ensure you hear “the bands that can save your life.” As for what his band sounds like, Tim said the most interesting comparison he’s heard is Peter Murphy singing for Cheap Trick. Download and decide.
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.
Clem Snide
For a group that has sounded so methodical for so long, this new, Tennessee Waltzy pace is nearly euphoric. Likewise, there’s a sonic sheen to “Fill Me With Your Light” that seems almost…polished. But beneath all of the unassuming hoopla is the same old song: the guys who come across as more down on themselves than anyone else have this strange power to make us feel a whole lot better about ourselves.