“A killer hybrid of Kim Deal, PJ Harvey and Emily Haines. Negahdari has the guitar chops, explosive energy and winning sense of humor that should make The Happy Hollows one of the more interesting bands of our new millennium’s next decade.” -- Wired Magazine
"A pugilistic mix of stinging guitars, turbulent rhythms, and shouted vocals. Alternates between childlike experimentation and ferocious firestorm.” -- Los Angeles Times
Acclaimed Los Angeles trio The Happy Hollows have announced the release of their debut full length in October. The album, Spells is a culmination of their work with producer and former Mighty Lemon Drops guitarist David Newton (The Little Ones, The Blood Arm), who also produced the group’s 2008 EP Imaginary. The young group's infectious and irreverent noise-pop has earned considerable following up and down the west coast, with their energetic and charismatic performances. Vocalist/guitarist Sarah Negahdari wields ominous riffs and finger-tapped arpeggios while singing with a cherubic-yet-mischievous grin. Meanwhile, the agile rhythm section of Charles Mahoney (bass/vocals) and Chris Hernandez (drums/vocals) vault and lunge with precision. Listen to MP3s for "Faces" (HERE) and "Monster Room" (HERE). Stream the full album here.
Wired Magazine recently described Negahdari as “a killer hybrid of Kim Deal, PJ Harvey and Emily Haines” and added that “Negahdari has the guitar chops, explosive energy and winning sense of humor that should make The Happy Hollows one of the more interesting bands of our new millennium’s next decade.” The BBC picked them as a band to watch for 2009, the Los Angeles Times has described the group’s sound as a “pugilistic mix of stinging guitars, turbulent rhythms, and shouted vocals” that “alternates between childlike experimentation and ferocious firestorm.” AllMusic wrote that the band’s “appeal is immediate” and LAist has labeled them “a must see!”
The Happy Hollows' catchy yet dissonant sound is influenced by genres as disparate as 90's college rock, garage punk, art rock, and 80's pop. The band combines innovative song structures, surreal lyrics, and fiercely adept instrumentation to recreate reality into a jagged panorama of vibrant, kaleidoscopic collage. Listening to their music, one cannot help but see visions of a place oddly askew from the world we experience everyday, a parallel universe that is at once whimsical, demented, and ferocious.
Having born and bred their band in various corners of the L.A. music scene since forming 2006, The Happy Hollows played their first shows in Japanese restaurants, laundromats, and small local clubs. In their first year as a band, they snuck into a studio at night and, in two sessions, recorded Bunnies and Bombs, an EP that attracted the attention of the L.A.'s underground music scene. After seeing them play a show, established L.A. heroes Silversun Pickups asked The Happy Hollows to open for them at The Wiltern and The Fillmore. In 2008, fellow art-rock outfit Deerhoof invited the Hollows to open for them on their album release shows at The Avalon and The Great American Music Hall.
In October 2009, The Happy Hollows will release their debut album entitled Spells. The 14 tracks on Spells encompass the wide range of structures and musical ideas that The Happy Hollows bring to the table. The album’s opening track, “Faces”, begins with a crunchy guitar hook strummed by Ms. Negahdari on her Gibson SG. The song takes an unexpected twist with the introduction of the drums and bass, and yet another turn when Negahdari’s irresistible, chanteuse style vocals begin floating over the music. Track 3, “Silver”, is a gritty and danceable song that shows off Ms. Negahdari’s unconventional lead guitar technique. On track 5, “Lieutenant”, the band demonstrates their technical chops as well as their ability to compose songs with non-traditional structures. Two of the later songs on Spells, “Father Time” and “Turtle and Hare”, highlight the band’s more eerie and melodic side.
In summary, Spells is an album which is at once catchy and innovative. It is gritty, loud, and ambitious, while not shying away from the use of melody and the employment pop sensibility. Written and recorded over a period of two years, it will certainly stand as one of the definitive statements of the Los Angeles and indie rock music scenes in recent memory.
The Happy Hollows live:
Aug 08 San Diego, CA @ Kensington Club
Aug 28 Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place
Sep 04 Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland (Album Release Party)
Artist: The Happy Hollows
Album: Spells
Release Date: October 06, 2009
01. Faces (MP3)
02. Death To Vivek Kemp
03. Silver
04. We Will Find You
05. Lieutenant
06. Father Time
07. Monster Room (MP3)
08. High Wire
09. Turtle and Hare
10. DeLorean
11. The Stein
12. Tambourine
13. A Man, A Plan, A Canal
14. Second Lieutenant
On the web:
http://www.happyhollows.com
http://www.myspace.com/thehappyhollows
http://thehappyhollows.bandcamp.com/
http://twitter.com/happyhollows
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The Happy Hollows are available for interviews. For more information, please contact Dave Clifford at dave@usthemgroup.com
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