Is Denmark the new Sweden? But borders aren’t important. We here at 3hive love all Scandanavians, especially the ones who have a way with a guitar. The Black Antipodes claim Sonic Youth, The Stokes, and Interpol, among others, as influences, and it’s easy to hear all three in “Black Coffee and Pie.” My grandmother-in-law, a full Dane, if she were still here, would be so pleased.
The How
Who: Matt from the late, great Henry’s Dress (seriously one of the best bands ever) and Stew from Boyracer. Also, The Who, the chief inspiration of Matt and Stew.
What: Self-described as “revved up Who-inspired mod-rock” that’s “in the Spirit of ’66.”
Where: Not important.
When: First released “Dreaming of Lily” on a split single with The Aisler’s Set back in 2000. “I Was a Boy” is from the current Happy Matt single out on Slumberland.
Why: Cause they can.
The How.
Every Move a Picture
Nigh on two years ago, I wrote about my wife asking me, “Are you listening to 80’s music?” whilst posting about Kawaii. When I was getting Every Move A Picture’s album Heart=Weapon from eMusic recently, she asked me that yet again. I really should have posted about this San Francisco band this time last year, but I passed. However, I recently discovered them again, filling that space between Bloc Party and Interpol. So flying back from SFO on Friday night going through Bay Area bands—reminding me how much I still miss the late great Henry’s Dress—on my MP3 player I decided to finally get around to Every Move A Picture. Their website points to their myspace page, where you can grab at a lower bitrate two of the better songs, “Outlaw” and “Simple Lessons in Love,” from their album.
Nom De Guerre
Not only do Nom de Guerre play some wonderful pop music, but they offer perhaps the best band shirts ever offered for sale by a band: tailor-made, double cuff dress shirts designed by the bassist for measley 70 euros! Other offers available for purchase include your name in a song, an entire song about you, and even an entire album about you. If only I were the Russian billionaire with some spare cash whom Nom de Guerre is hoping to court, I’d buy Blackburn Rovers, then buy half the Chelsea squad (and no, not Lampard) and have them warm the Blackburn bench cause that other Russian billionaire must be getting bored by now, and then have Nom de Guerre write albums about each member of my family. But in laying out the required payment, I would insist on the formula of “So Long Sister”: dirty bass, swliring keyboards, and plenty of la la’s and other sing-along harmonies. Oh, and some of those dress shirts. What is the dollar-to-euro exchange rate these days anyway?
Elephant Parade
Hauntingly melodic, Brooklyn’s Elephant Parade betray their cumbersome name with delicate, heart-wrenching pop. A boy, a girl, a keyboard—sure it’s been done before, but never so effortlessly.
The Blood Thirsty Lovers
With that fancy new banner we got here at 3hive, prominently listing Memphis first, it’s about time we got around to something Memphis, ain’t it? Who can be more Memphis (besides Elvis, smarty-pants) than Dave Shouse, in this carnation with friends as the Blood Thirsty Lovers? Shouse is well known round these parts for Think As Incas, the Grifters, and Those Bastard Souls, among others, and his lifelong devotion to guitars and noise. And speaking of Elvis, did I ever mention that my mom taught his cousin 7th grade math?
Fury of the Headteachers
Just imagine it: a bunch of headteachers from Yorkshire, seeking an outlet from the stress of education and teenage students, gathering late at night in a corner of a school cafeteria, plugging in their instruments and unleashing a torrent of sound rooted in the Animals, the Buzzcocks, and early Sonic Youth. Although in this case, it’s actually a group of six lads from Sheffield flailing away. Fury of the Headteachers, indeed.
The Bishops
Yes, yes, I admit it. I’m a sucker for mod and mod-ish bands, bands who take that great foundation built by the Who and the Kinks and many others, and then add their own modern interpretation. Bands like the Bishops, who are from of all places (wait for it) London. The Bishops have tight harmonies and sharp licks, no doubt due to the twin brothers Matt and Pete who are responsible for said harmonies and licks. And since the poor drummer probably feels overshadowed by the twins, who probably hog the spotlight and the front of the stage, I’d just like to add that the drummer is Chris McConville, everyone’s new favorite Scottish drummer.
Out of Clouds
More Swedes, anyone? Gotheburg’s Out of Clouds play an arena-pop that can only come from being raised on ABBA and ’70s AM radio (do they have ’70s AM radio in Sweden?). Sharp licks, sweet hooks, and vibrant harmonies usher in their second EP Into Your Lovely Summer, which seems only appropriate as ours starts to slip away.
The Prids
Sure, this whole 80’s thing is still going on, but let’s just remember there was more to the 80’s than the Clash and the Thompson Twins. There were many European bands who straddled the lines between post-punk and goth/industrial, as in Clan of Xymox, Trisomie 21, the Cassandra Complex, the Legendary Pink Dots, New Order, etc. The Prids update this sound for the new millenium, with a whole boy-girl interplay that provides a freshness to what they’re trying to do. And considering the boy-girl, David Frederickson and Mistina Keith, were married, then divorced, and still play in this band together, well that gives a whole new meaning to sexual tension.