Mikrofisch is our first entry from the Hamburg net-label, Komakino. Their album, Masters of the Universe, represents the label’s first full-length release (the band’s second) and you can download it, in its entirety, here. Mikrofisch formed with the intention of covering The Smiths, but left their first recording session with four original tracks and “a brilliantly intimate lo-fi version of Morrissey´s Everyday Is Like Sunday on fourtrack.” Five years later Mikrofisch remains brilliantly lo-fi, and brilliantly playful, but from what I gather, this long distant recording duo (London/Hamburg) backgrounded their guitars around 2003 and opted for a synth-based sound. The first song, “Drum Machines Will Save Mankind” serves as a kind of mission statement for Mikrofisch in their understated quest to take over the musical universe: “Make a beat so we can dance, make the kids form bedroom bands.” Then Mikrofisch sets their alliances, forming their own Justice League of Indie Rock, in the tongue-in-cheek “Let’s Kiss and Listen to Bis” (hip, indie reference help). The band name drops some of their favorite bands and sounds circa 1995: Teenage Fanclub, Dinosaur Jr, Afghan Whigs, Sonic Youth, Twee, and an allusion to the now defunct March Records (“Keep Sparky’s dream alive…). Finally, it’s the micro-epic “The Kids are All Shite” in which Mikrofisch battle the current UK indie scene including HMV, NME, Coldplay, Keane, Kaiser Chiefs, Kasabian, Jet, Razorlight, their clones and fans. Delusions of grandeur? Perhaps, but Mikrofisch’s small and simple sounds are brimming with enough hooks and wit to bring their great dreams to life.
Causes 1 – Darfur Charity Album
For 90 days starting Tuesday, November 27th, the Causes 1 charity album will be available on iTunes. Three relief organizations — Doctors Without Borders, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam America — will receive 100% of the proceeds, earmarked for relief in Darfur, Sudan. The album is the inaugural edition in a Causes series offered by Waxploitation; the brief window of avilability, according to the label’s founder Jeff Antebi, is designed “to create a sense of urgency – to mirror what is a dire situation in Darfur.” Participating artists: Animal Collective, The Black Keys, Bloc Party, Bright Eyes, Cornelius, The Cure, David Sylvian, Death Cab for Cutie, (International) Noise Conspiracy, The Shins remixed by Clint Mansell, Spoon, Teargas & Plateglass, Thievery Corporation and Travis. A limited edition CD can also be pre-ordered at the Waxploitation website, listed below. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
Dujeous
Nothing says Thanksgiving to me more than Dujeous. Full disclosure: I’ve know these guys since before I was of legal drinking age, they are old friends and I am 100% totally, completely biased in their favor. Back in the good old days, there was always a Dujeous show to look forward to. You would see the family, put on your cute clothes and head out to whatever downtown venue the Duj happened to be playing at. You would have crushes on various Dujeous members. You would think you were really cool when you could sing all the words to “Spilt Milk”. But mostly, you would bliss out all night to the sweet sounds of good old-fashioned hip-hop, the kind that involves a drummer, a bass player, a trumpet and all manner of wonderful instruments. You may have heard the sounds of Dave Guy (trumpet) before, as he is super busy sidelining as a Dap-King, playing with Sharon Jones, a member of the Budos Band, appearing as a cartoon in the New Yorker and showing up on my television in Lily Allen’s band. The six other bandmembers, die-hard New Yorkers all, have been doing it up — producing, providing music for soundtracks of oscar winning films (see: Half Nelson), being MCs, touring what seems like ALL of Asia, popping up as staffers at my place of work, and just being Dujeous in general. (I’m told the name may serve as a noun, a verb or an adjective, depending on your mood.) I love them. Dujeous makes me highly nostalgic. More people should know about Dujeous. Hip-hop, instruments, big love for what they do — enough said.
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The Harlem Experiment
The Harlem Experiment isn’t a band, but a collective of music (specifically jazz, funk, and hip hop) fiends rustled together by Aaron Levinson to pay homage to the variety of sounds eminating over the years from, yes, Harlem. This is the third in Ropeadope’s “Experiment” series. They experimented with Philly and Detroit first. “It’s Just Begun” begins with a classic funk track by Jimmy Castor and The Castor Bunch, which DJ Arkive dismantled, re-cut, re-worked and scratched up a bit. From there, Eddy Martinez (keys for Tito Puente and Run D.M.C.) stepped in and laid down a screaming keyboard track. Their goal was to maintain the timeless quality of the original track. Do you think they hit the mark? The ears of this novice funkateer say, “we likey, a lot-y.”
Freezepop
What do 80’s electronic dance popsters Freezepop have in common with the Dead Kennedys and the Sex Pistols? They’ve all been included in the video game Guitar Hero!
Life has been good for Freezepop since we first posted about them on 3hive in July of 2004. They’ve been included in said Guitar Hero game that the kids love so much, and they’ll soon be in some MTV game (I’m not so good with reading to the end of press releases), but they sure keep pumping out the 80’s inspired electronic pop. So let that be a lesson to all you young bands and kids just playing Guitar Hero out there; keep doing your own thing, and maybe you, too, will someday be featured in Guitar Hero XXVII.
Original post July 7, 2004:
In their own words, Freezepop is “hip enough for hipsters but nerdy enough for nerds.” That pretty much says it all.
The Vandelles
Four out of five doctors recommend The Vandelles as an effective tinnitus tonic. There just isn’t anything better to beat a nagging case of tinnitus than the thick dose of white noise that is “Lovely Weather.” I’ve submersed my head in The Vandelles’ ocean of fuzz and wave upon droning wave of shimmering surf guitar has washed over me with soothing results. If that’s too noisy for your tastes, pod up the swell “Swell to Heaven” and get a load of what it sounds like when you cross-pollinate the Beach Boys with the Jesus & Mary Chain. Sweet summertime melodies swim lazily underneath the thick surface of guitars. I’ll withhold final judgement until I hear more, but The Vandelles are on the verge of christening a new genre: Wave of Sound.
Duquette Johnston
Supposedly, jail can change a man. To my knowledge, none of the 3hive men have done time in the joint — I can’t speak for Lisa. Duquette Johnston did, in Etowah County, Alabama. According to the publicity people, his album Etowah “is a reflection on where life can take a wrong turn…” I guess Duquette would know. A few years back, Johnston and Superphonic labelmate Scott (A.A.) Bondy were recording for Merge Records as Verbena; now, he’s laying down heavy southern rock all on his own. That is, when he’s not in jail.
Chris Walla
It’s a rare day that this kind of pop is considered a threat to national security, but then, these are strange days we live in. Apparently, a “data hard drive containing critical album files was detained by US Customs. The drive was held “to be analyzed” for several weeks on its way back into the US prior to final mixing of the album.” Well, as a mention of the band Death Cab for Cute simply hurls me backwards to my collegiate days of angst and Chuck Taylors–I’m glad the music pulled through. Chris Walla, DCFC guitarist/producer, despite some strange customs officer’s sentiments, is not making “contentious” music, its true. But I’m always ready to don my Chucks, emote a little and listen to something perty.
Service Group
Service Group songs start like any other indie pop song, then suddenly the ’70s era Top 40 guitars and choruses come roaring in, and its awesome, like when Datsun became Nissan. Service Group remind me of Boston the same way Ben Folds might remind you of Elton John, and that’s a good thing.
-Pei Yen (guest 3hive writer)