Library Voices

Here’s a glimpse into the highly structured publishing process that powers 3hive: if one of us wants to call dibs on an artist we create a draft post in WordPress. As you might imagine I’m notorious among the more active authors for squatting on bands way too long. I swear I posted about Library Voices back in August but Sean sternly pointed out that the only thing I did in August is prevent anyone else from doing so.

Library Voices are a seven-piece outfit from Regina, Saskatchewan. The warm, spunky pop on their second album, Summer of Lust, belies the fact it was recorded in the deep cold of Canadian winter. There’s a lot to love here – bouncy rhythms, swirling synths, saxophone accents, swelling harmonies – but the lyrics, rich with literary and cultural references, pay dividends with repeat listens. Where else can you find yourself drumming on the steering wheel and singing along to a skewering of Canadian PM Stephen Harper’s cuts to arts funding? Or an homage to Miles Davis and Juliette Gréco’s tragic romance? Or a Gen Y take on the short stories of Raymond Carver? (I’m guessing that last one is why Sean was bummed I was sitting on this post for so long.)

As good as those tracks are, I’ll let you discover them on your own. Turns out Library Voices write their best lyrics when they’re not trying to be topical. I leave you with one of the best pop songs I’ve heard all year…

Generation Handclap from Summer of Lust (2011)

www.summeroflust.tumblr.com
libraryvoices.com
facebook.com/libraryvoices
www.myspace.com/thelibraryvoices
www.dinealonerecords.com

3 Replies to “Library Voices”

  1. I’m jealous you called dibs on this because I’ve been listening to it non-stop. And I geek on it for many more reasons besides the Raymond Carver reference….I could be wrong, but I haven’t heard a band drop as many cultural references since Lloyd Cole and the Commotions’ “Rattlesnakes.” The album is smothered with a similar literariness–not just the name-dropping, but their lyrical prowess as well. Then there’s the infectious beat and sing-a-long chorus that leave me snap happy. 

    One other reason: they share many vocal and sonic qualities with this really obscure 80s band called 3-D. I believe they only released one self-titled album. The one wonder from that album is “X-Ray Eyes.” Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgMOXY-kLcs

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