Full disclosure: The first record I bought was an XTC 7-inch of “Helicopter,” with the B-side “Ten Feet Tall.” That’s back in the day when radio was really, really cool. I heard “Helicopter” on Mighty Six Ninety, an early AM alternative station out of San Diego. Bought the record the next day at Music Market, and played it over and over again on my parent’s hi-fi that was as big as a coffin. There should be no wonder then as to why I’ve taken a fancy to The Futureheads…
Should
Today is a good day to share a beautiful song. Yes, “Breathe Salt” may be old, from 1995 when Should were known as ShiFt. But when it’s this wonderful, who cares?
Desaparecidos
Taken from young Conor Oberst’s rockin’ thesis on everything wrong with modern-day U.S.A., this is my last attempt to get out the vote. Here’s to a brighter future, so Conor can go back to singing about failed relationships with movie stars…
Les Savy Fav
While searching high and low, door to door, looking for a tasty Halloween treat to share, I hit the jackpot. Like going trick-or-treating in the rich kids’ neighborhood where every other house passes out full-size candy bars, Les Savy Fav and their labels are generous enough to fill our plastic pumpkins with music. Discordant, danceable, and definitely worth a good pogo. Les Savy Fav are making their way down the West Coast in a week. Hold on to some of those sweets, you’ll need the sugar fix to keep up with these fellows.
The Natural History
The Tepper brothers are the driving force behind The Natural History. With their comrades, they push out a pop-rock (or should that be rock-pop?) that entices and enthralls, like so many things from Brooklyn. The second album is still in process; these tracks from their debut should help shorten the wait.
Landing
Landing’s music-as-ripples-in-a-pond swirls in and out of focus around a riffless guitar and the spaciest of keyboard calls. It’s horribly out of vogue in these times of ballsy beats, retro-rock posturing, and other fashionable music movements. But Marshall McLuhan dubbed the persistence of fashion “The Bore War,” and I’m guessing that if he were around today he wouldn’t be bored at all by these sweet ambient sounds.
Aqueduct
Best start off your introduction to Aqueduct with the thrift store gangsta stance of “Hardcore Days, Softcore Nights,” just so you know not to mess with frontman Dave Terry. Sure, it’s wry bedroom pop on the surface, but I think he’s only half-joking about “pulling heat” if you ask him where he’s from (Tulsa, by the way, which might explain the defensiveness). But the fun only begins there… Song to song, Terry recalls any of the nerd-music-for-the-masses elite — from Ben Folds (without the Elton John fixation) to Ben Gibbard (after a few sleepless nights) — though he’s well on his way to earning his own seat at the table. At least that’s what I’d say to his face, lest I get on his bad side.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Unfortunately for us, John Peel’s favorite song, “Teenage Kicks” by the Undertones, is not available for 3hive to post. And my favorite Peel Session, Wire’s on January 18, 1978, is also not available. So, as I perused the list of bands and artists who had Peel Sessions, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs just jumped out at me. So listen, and think of John Peel.
Cinerama
John Peel died of a heart attack Monday at age 65. As Simon put it, it’s like a library burning. In memory, I’m posting a Peel Session track performed by one of Mr. Peel’s favorite songwriters, David Gedge, formerly of The Wedding Present and currently Cinerama. I don’t know how many incredible artists I discovered by way of the legendary Peel Sessions, but Gedge is definitely one of them. Man, there’s gonna be some good radio in heaven…
The Marlboro Chorus
Imagine Ween and Pavement each running for president. But, unlike next week’s real choices, you actually liked both candidates. Who would you vote for? Undecided? Enter a third party: The Marlboro Chorus.