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)
Win Annuals Tix (L.A.) + 7″ Single
Kate Tucker & The Sons of Sweden
By the time I’ve published a post I’ve probably listened to the song(s) I’m reviewing around twenty times. But it only takes about twenty seconds to decide whether or not I like the song enough to post it. This was not the case with the present artist. As soon as Kate Tucker parted her lips to release her rich, dulcet voice I was gathering rope and beeswax to avoid following her to my inevitable destruction (forgive my allusion to the Odyssey; I’m deep into the Rouse translation…). You’d hear no complaints from me if this was the last voice I ever heard. Tucker herself journeyed from her home in Ohio across the country to Seattle and settled in with a couple Swedes and a young man obsessed with the Cocteau Twins. Tucker’s folk-influenced picking patterns (I stole that one straight outta the bio) sumptuously melt with her band’s ethereal programming and reverberating guitars. The result of their meeting should be ringing brightly in your ears now. If not, get your click on! With the WGA strike entering its second week, the music folks over at Grey’s Anatomy will have extra time to discover this siren’s songs.
The Mary Timony Band
You know, Mary Timony. Helium. Mary is still going strong, still telling us about the world, still giving us little glimpes into her soul, into her life, combining her raw talent these days with the experience that comes from years of making the music that she makes. The Mary Timony Band says it all. She is the band.
The Teenagers
A downright spunky meditation on a young man’s obsession with Scarlett Johansson, thinly veiled in the title as “Starlett Johansson.” Start/stop guitar bursts interspersed with spoken word factoids about Ms. Johansson make up the verses (the line I’ll find myself dropping as a non-sequiter [accent and delivery included] into future conversations: “I’m scared by spiders too”). The chorus explodes into a synth-pop romp, with Weezer-like hooks. This track is filled with the youthful, giddiness I expect even my old man experiences when he sees his starlett crush on-screen, or on the streets of Barcelona, arm-in-arm with Woody Allen, as he did on a recent overseas trip. Speaking of tripping overseas, this Parisian trio is scheduled to play the U.S. early next year.
Devin Davis
This is DIY at its best. Devin Davis did pretty much everything, from trombone to handclaps, on his 2004 release Lonely People of the World, Unite!. His old school indie-rock-soul sounds like it was backed by a crowd, but hey, that’s the point; lonely people usually have lots to say. Let’s hope a new release is on its way.
Josh Ritter
What I said about Josh Ritter a year and a half ago pretty much stands true today, except that now there’s another great release to add to his repertoire, including the fantastic, Dylan-esque “To the Dogs or Whoever” offered here. They don’t make as many songwriters these days who can encapsulate the sweeping American experience and still sound as personal as your oldest and dearest friend, so set yourself to downloading (especially “Dogs,” “Kathleen,” and “Harrisburg”) and have a great weekend.