The Rebel Set

The Rebel Set | Modern Living | 3hive.com
The Rebel Set | Modern Living | 3hive.com

Phoenix quartet The Rebel Set have returned with 12 fried crispy, psych/garage rock tunes on their brand new album Modern Living. Modern Living was recorded by the garage rock master Matt Rendon at Midtown Island in Tucson and a top secret “pandemic hideaway”. This album is a blast from start to finish, pogoing all the way through its 34 minute run time. The band claims “The soundtrack to your summer has arrived” and I agree.

Check out “Going Out In Style” for a taste below. Modern Living is out on Friday (May 28) via Outro Records and is available on vinyl (if your fast) and digitally via The Rebel Set’s Bandcamp page. Enjoy.

FACS

FACS | Present Tense | 3hive.com
FACS | Present Tense | 3hive.com

Chicago trio FACS are barely a year removed from releasing their incredible Void Moments and are already back with another brooding masterpiece titled Present Tense.

From its opening track “XOUT” to the final “Mirrored”, Present Tense bludgeons the ear drums with pounding drums, shrieking guitars and chugging bass lines. This album is meant to be played loud. Check out second single “General Public” (below), it’s a great example of said bludgeoning.

FACS has quickly become one of my favorite bands and Present Tense doesn’t disappoint; it’s their strongest release yet and a sure contender for album of the year. Present Tense is out now via Trouble In Mind Records. We will also have it available at the 3hive Record Lounge. DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS ALBUM.

Wineteeth

Wineteeth | Soft Bangers | 3hive.com
Wineteeth | Soft Bangers | 3hive.com

I am here today to introduce you to Harrisonburg, VA’s Wineteeth and premier their newest single “Haunted Boy” from their upcoming cassette release Soft Bangers.

“Haunted Boy” is the second single from Soft Bangers. It’s a chugging guitar and bass driven tune that bounces around in your skull for its short 2:08 duration. It reminds me of the band Pretty Girls Make Graves a bit. You need to check out the stream of it below.

Soft Bangers is a killer album, full of melodic, punk rock goodness. There is nothing soft about this album. The cassette release will be dropping soon via Funny / Not Funny Records. I highly recommend it.

Fake Fruit

Fake Fruit | Fake Fruit| 3hive.com
Fake Fruit | Fake Fruit| 3hive.com

San Francisco’s Fake Fruit is the newest addition to the already stellar Rocks In Your Head roster and they fit like a glove. Their just released, self-titled album is 30+ minutes of high-end lo-fi, post-punk goodness packed with pounding drums, chugging bass lines and piercing guitars. It’s solid stuff.

Check out “Old Skin”, “Stroke My Ego” and “Milkman” below for a sample.

Fake Fruit is out now and available digitally and on vinyl via Rocks In Your Head. Enjoy.

Nightshift

Nightshift | Zoe | 3hive.com
Nightshift | Zoe | 3hive.com

Nightshift didn’t let the pandemic stop them from creating their sophomore LP Zöe. In fact the Glasgow band took full advantage of quarantine and separation to create their most ambitious music to date.

The common denominator throughout Zöe is the pounding drums and driving bass lines which move the tracks along and blend nicely with the use of clarinet, and the jangly guitar work. I think “Power Cut” (below) is the best example of this.

Zöe is a strong album that only gets stronger with every listen. You can snag it now via Trouble In Mind and I highly recommend that you do. Enjoy.

Hoorsees

Hoorsees | Hoorsees | 3hive.com
Hoorsees | Hoorsees | 3hive.com

Parisian quartet Hoorsees’ debut self-titled album is my new favorite thing at the moment. I don’t really know how to describe their sound exactly – calling it indie rock seems like a cop out – It’s like jangle-pop (minus a little bit of jangle) with a little shoegaze (minus the wall of sound) and add some bedroom pop (with better production) for good measure.

However you want to classify the sound, this is the first can’t miss/don’t miss album of 2021.

Check out “Pitfall” and “Instant Tea” (below) then snag yourself a copy via Howlin’ Banana, In Silico or Kanine. Good luck finding a vinyl copy, if that’s your thing, as they seem to be sold out everywhere. Good for them!

Dummy

Dummy | EP2 | 3hive.com
Dummy | EP2 | 3hive.com

The other night Trouble In Mind Records announced the signing of L.A. band, Dummy. I hadn’t heard of them, but the news made me immediately jump to their Bandcamp page to check them out. Thirty seconds into “Pool Dizzy” was all it took – I was ordering their latest release, EP2.

EP2 is 6 tracks of engaging, ambient-leaning, kraut-pop. Check out “Pool Dizzy”, “Nuages” and “Prime Mover Unmoved” (below) they are all very hypnotic and worth your time.

You can cop EP2 from Dummy’s Bandcamp page and I highly recommend that you do. I can’t wait for what they do next with TiM. Enjoy.

Backhand

Backhand | Kiki Alarcon | 3hive.com
Backhand | Kiki Alarcon | 3hive.com

Orem, Utah’s “Team of Winners”, Backhand, are like the Tasmanian Devil, leaving mass destruction in their wake. They’re like the biker gang from Hell in Weird Science, who show up to crash your party and destroy your mom’s Three Dog Night record collection.

Take the title track from their debut EP, Kiki Alarcon, it starts out like a nice indie rock song and as soon as you start to get comfortable the brass knuckles are out and you’re picking your teeth up from off the floor. Most of the EP is this way – which is FANTASTIC – and I highly recommend the beat down.

Kiki Alarcon is out now on cassette and digitally via UPHERE! Records. If you live in the Salt Lake – Provo area you can swing by the 3hive Record Lounge and snag yourself a copy. I am looking forward to lots more from these guys. Enjoy.

Lia Ices

Lia Ices | Family Album | 3hive.com
Lia Ices | Family Album | 3hive.com

Lia Ices has one of those voices that leaves a mark on your soul. A voice you can’t forget. A voice that makes you want to put her albums on repeat and let them take you away.

Her fourth album (and first on her own label Natural Music), Family Album, is no exception as motherhood and relocating to California has served Ices well because Family Album is her strongest album yet.

Give the equally excellent “Young on the Mountain” and “Beauty Blue” a listen (below) for a sample, but I highly recommend listening to the entire album from start to finish over an over again like I’ve been doing.

Family Album is available now via Natural Music and Bandcamp. Enjoy.

Fox Face

Fox Face | End of Man | 3hive.com
Fox Face | End of Man | 3hive.com

Milwaukee 4-piece Fox Face punch you in the mouth and then kick you while you’re down with their blistering, heavy (à la early Sleater-Kinney) brand of punk rock on their newest album, End of Man.

Check out the title track below. Their label PR calls it the “best song Black Sabbath never wrote”. That description nails it!

End of Man is available now via Dirtnap Records. I highly recommend it.