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.

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.

Nicole Canaan

Nicole Canaan | Wherever | 3hive.com
Nicole Canaan | Wherever | 3hive.com

Nicole Canaan’s newest EP, Whererver, is 19 minutes of dreamy pop goodness featuring five tracks packed full of lush instrumentation and shoegazy vocals. Check out the EP opener “Lose Yourself” (below) for a taste.

Wherever is available now digitally via UPHERE! Records and will be released on cassette in early 2021 which can be preordered at the same link. Enjoy.

Nathan Womack

Nathan Womack | Eastern Rain | 3hive.com

Eastern Rain, the newest EP from Nathan Womack (who is also one half of 3hive favorite Paces Lift & Ben Bounce), is inspired from Womack’s many years traveling and living in Asia and collecting music while there. Eastern Rain is 4 tracks of music sampled, recorded and produced in Kunming, Yunnan, China. It features hand-pan drummers, local Guqin instrument players as well as additional synths and beats from (another 3hive fave) RUMTUM.

Eastern Rain is a relaxing trip abroad even though it only lasts for 14 minutes. The best part of this trip however, is you can take it over and over again any time you’d like. Eastern Rain is available now via Nathan’s Bandcamp and Wax Thématique. Enjoy.

Landscaping

Landscaping | Picturesque | 3hive.com
Landscaping | Picturesque | 3hive.com

I am a sucker for a solid groove and Landscaping’s (new solo project of Andrew Petersen) new album, Picturesque, is packed full it. From the Schroeder-like piano and programmed beats and clicks on “Woke Up On The Shore”, to the almost hidden (but way groovy) bass line on “Vacation”, to the full on 80’s vibe of album standout “Full Moon Lovers”, Picturesque is 26 minutes of wall to wall groove.

Give “Full Moon Lovers” (below) a spin, you’ll be glad that you did.

Picturesque is out now and available on CD or digitally via new label UPHERE! Records’ Bandcamp page. Enjoy.

Polytherian

Polytherian | Role Play | 3hive.com
Polytherian | Role Play | 3hive.com

Polytherian is the new Dylan Tidyman-Jones (FRONDS, Sonny & The Sunsets, The Mallard) project. His debut album, Role Play, is a dreamy and haunting pop album, full of thought-provoking themes of self-discovery.

We are thrilled to debut Polytherian’s new video (directed by Hannah Burhorn) for “Adventure” the peppy glam/gaze-pop track that is packed with groove for days. It’s my favorite track on the album. Check it out below.

Role Play is available now on vinyl via Gold Robot Records and digitally from Polytherian’s Bandcamp page. Enjoy.

The Resonars

The Resonars | Disappear | 3hive.com
The Resonars | Disappear | 3hive.com

Matt Rendon has been cranking out the garage-pop jams under the moniker The Resonars since 1997. His newest album, Disappear, is another 14 solid tracks, including covers of The Mamas & The Papas’ “Even If I Could” and Herman’s Hermits’ “Don’t Go Out Into The Rain, You’re Going To Melt”. Check out the burner “Let’s Bring It Home” (below), it’s a good one.

Disappear is available for a mere $7 from The Resonars’ Bandcamp page. I suggest you buy it right now. I slept on this album for way too long, do not make the same mistake. A vinyl release will be coming in early 2021, I can’t wait for that. Enjoy.