I first heard MC Chris on last week’s installment of “Synchronicity” on KUCI with the always topical DJ Longbeard. He opened his show with the hilarious “Fette’s Vette” (follow along with the lyrics). Boba Fett is my son’s favorite Star Wars character. However, due to the song’s lyrical content, he won’t be hearing this song (he’s eight) nor will he be seeing the final Star Wars installment. I hear it’s just a tad too dark. Lucas sucks. He lures the kiddies into SW I & II with a character like Jar Jar Binks, making the films nearly impossible to watch, then makes III nearly impossible for the kids to watch. So back to MC Chris — not only is he a prolific rapper (check out all the MP3s on his site), he’s also the voice for MC Pee Pants on Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
The Twin Atlas
The Twin Atlas craft tiny, shimmering jewels of folk pop which are driving me wild of late. Speaking of which, the duo sport the same exact animal masks on their bio page that my two sons are fond of wearing any time of the year BUT Halloween [picture not available] at which point they inevitably want to be dress up as something that requires purchase of an overpriced costume. Way more MP3s on the band’s site, which is also the best place to buy their CDs.
The Raging Family
Here’s a brief recap of The Raging Family’s bio: raised and home-schooled by bohemians in Upstate New York; lived in Eugene, Oregon until driven from their house by local authorities because of noise and behavior complaints; settled down in an enclave somewhere in the hills outside of town to focus on music and art. If you ask me it all sounds a little cultish, and at the risk of becoming Sharon Tate to their Manson Clan, I’m gonna throw my support behind The Raging Family’s latest “concept” album. Black Holes is ostensibly a journey through space and time, but how they get us there is through an eclectic collection of styles ranging from the knob-twisting and wax-scratching exploits of Land of the Loops and Prefuse 73, the found-sound rebelliousness of Negativland, the electro-clash abandon of Meat Beat Manifesto, the jazz exploration of Miles Davis and Sun Ra Arkestra, and even the psychedelic guitar masturbation of Carlos Santana’s Illuminations period. It’s a whole lot of styles to wrap your noodle around, but luckily the band has posted the entire album on their website for us to take it all in (the links below are just some highlights), and there are other entire albums there fully linked for the taking — but beware, the money you save on music today may go to pay for the cult deprogrammer you’ll need tomorrow.
The Lovekevins
There nothing quite like blindly buying an album at the local record store and finding something you just love. Trust me, I’ve bought some real junk over the years (Betty Boo circa 1990, anyone?) in that pursuit. But I’ve found some really good stuff. Sometimes it’s the album cover (Jessamine), sometimes it’s the record label (Henry’s Dress), sometimes it’s just a good vibe (Super 5 Thor). Even today, in the new millenium, that still happens with the world wide web. I stumbled across a real gem of band, the Lovekevins, on the online store Delicious Goldfish Records. Fantastic Swedish pop that soars and bounces and captivates and I just have to go listen to “Stop Being Perfect” again right now.
Kate Maki
You can just tell Kate Maki is smart. Her nostalgic country lyrics hit all the favorite targets, from loneliness to love to obsession, and the easy-going gait to her songs always manages to sound a step ahead of old fashioned. Check out how the restrained brushed snare and pedal steel guitar match so nicely with her quiet, clear voice on “First Impression.” Then, listen to the playfulness of all of those same instruments on “Sweet Time.” It’s no wonder — Kate Maki used to be a teacher. On her first two albums, she’s put together a fine country music primer.
The Happies
A handful of us here at the 3hive were involved, musically, many years back. First, at an AM radio station we basically hijacked for a summer, then at a CD exchange (remember those?) called Sonic Garden. Blurb designed the logo. Soon after that fell to pieces, Sam and I started up an indie distribution company called Happyville (I’m sure we’d unanimously agree that 3hive is our best venture yet). ANYWAY, The Happies are sorta namesakes, and are not-so-coincidentally, from the state of Utah, where we initially made our acquaintances. They also make endearing, quiet, lo-fi pop songs, for which I am a complete sucker. Thanks to Todd Simmons for dropping this into the ol’ s-box.
Group Sounds
HP ain’t the only ones getting mileage out of the Kinks’ time-honored pop formula. Group Sounds put a slightly modern spin on the Davies brothers’ no-nonsense hookology and 90% of what I’ve heard so far sounds pretty flippin’ good (10% being the falsetto chorus on “Business Before Pleasure”). Also, my pal Jon Regardie would be quick to point out that Group Sounds are Jewish, which means they are a chosen band. Well, at very least they’re chosen by 3hive, which should count for something…
Elephonic
Not to be confused with the latest joint by Thai Elephant Orchestra (yes, exactly what the name suggests), Elephonic are four humans from LA who provide some quirky, orchestral chillout music of their own.
Album
Sean’s not the only one talking about South by Southwest. The New York Times — one of the hippest, most progressive indie-friendly rags out there — mentioned Album in its coverage of SXSW. What a score! On the Monterrey (Mexico) band’s website, everything they’ve ever recorded is available in MP3 form, and a lot of it is wildly fresh and inventive. The sampling below starts with a suggested listening sequence supplied by the band, as well as a few more selected tracks that aren’t half bad either. Enjoy!
Big Betsy
I know it’s not actually St. Paddy’s Day just yet, but it’s a perfect Irish day here in Memphis. Cold, about 40 degrees, with a stiff, strong wind that goes right through you. There’s also a light rain that comes and goes. Like I said, a perfect Irish day. Since I lived in Ireland for a few years, I go a little overboard with my celebrations, wearing my 1996 Ireland national soccer team jersey to work and forcing my family to wear entire outfits of green. Another way to celebrate is going to hear Big Betsy play at Murphy’s Pub, and if this song ain’t Irish, I don’t know what is.