The Hives’ Lex Hives is out today, and it’s maybe the band’s strongest effort since Veni Vidi Vicious. I remember being in college and all kinds of people were into The Hives during the short-lived so-called garage rock revival of the early ’00s. Mostly “Hate to Say I Told You So” was just better and louder than anything else on the radio at the time, back when people were still listening to mainstream radio to find new and exciting rock bands.
 
It’s great to hear them in good form again on Lex Hives, exuding the same bratty appeal that made them so much fun in the first place. The band continues to veer from the garagey punk of their debut toward both the new wave feel of Tyrannosaurus Hives, like the Devo-esque “Wait a Minute,” and scuffed up ’70s arena rock, especially on first single “Go Right Ahead,” which is like a punk version of E.L.O.’s “Don’t Bring Me Down.” There are still plenty of garage-punk cuts to be had, like breakneck-speed rockers “These Spectacles Reveal the Nostalgics” and “If I Had a Cent,” but it’s nice to see them mess with the formula a bit to keep things interesting — “Take Back the Toys” sounds like someone left a cassette of the band’s biggest hit out in the sun, baked into crispy lo-fi, while “My Time Is Coming” begins a blues-y dirge before tearing into it.
 
Pick up Lex Hives online or in-store, and check out their “What’s In My Bag?” below, in which the band digs into punk, blues, Neil Young and Mitch Hedberg. Frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist is 34 this year, but still somehow looks 18. What do the Swedes know that we don’t?
 

 
Some of The Hives’ Amoeba picks:
 

Mariachi El Bronx – Mariachi El Bronx II
 

To read more Behind The Grooves, go to http://behindthegrooves.tumblr.com

On this day in music history: May 14, 1969 - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, the second studio album by Neil Young is released. Produced by Neil Young and David Briggs, it is recorded at Wally Heider Studio 3 in Hollywood, CA, in January and March of 1969.  Recorded in just two weeks worth of studio time, it is the first to feature Young's backing band Crazy Horse. The album features some of Young's best known material including "Cinnamon Girl" (#55 Pop), "Down By The River," and "Cowgirl In The Sand." Young will write all three songs in one day while sick in bed with a 103 ° fever. "Nowhere" will peak at #34 on the Billboard Top 200 and will be certified platinum by the RIAA.


On this day in music history: May 14, 1971 - Carpenters, third studio album by The Carpenters is released. Produced by Jack Daughtery, it is recorded at A&M Studios in Hollywood, CA in late 1970/early 1971. Coming just nine months after their breakthrough album Close To You, it will firmly establish the duo's pop star status on a worldwide basis.  Carpenters will spin off three top five singles including "Rainy Days And Mondays" (#2 Pop), "Superstar" (#2 Pop), and "For All We Know" (#3 Pop). The original LP package is designed to look like a formal party invitation, opening from the top like an envelope with an overlapping flap. Carpenters will peak at #2 on the Billboard Top 200, and to date has sold over 4 million copies in the US.

One day at Amoeba Hollywood I proclaimed that Aztec Camera's 1983 release High Land, Hard Rain was one of the best records of the '80s. This single statement eventually led to over 200 Amoebites ranking their top 10 favorite albums from the ‘80s.

From the beginning we realized that it was impossible for most of us to condense our favorites from all genres into a tiny top ten list. So, we limited our lists to Rock/Pop and its sub-genres like punk, metal, goth, and new wave. Even so, it was a difficult selection process because not only are there hundreds of amazing records to consider, there is also the added dynamic of time.

The '80s were a long time ago and the music has had many years to gestate. We have a deep sense of nostalgia and sentiment with these albums as our fondest memories are associated with them. These are albums we LOVE.

- Henry Polk

P.S. We'll be posting new additions to the '80s list project from Amoeba staff members on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. See all entries in our '80s list series.

P.P.S. The '80s List Book is available for sale at Amoeba Hollywood.


Kristen Frederick
The Dream Syndicate – The Days Of Wine & Roses (1982)
The Clash – London Calling (1980)
The Smiths – The Smiths (1983)
Roxy Music – Avalon (1980)
Ultravox – Vienna (1980)
The Waterboys – A Pagan Place (1984)
Echo & Bunnymen – Porcupine (1983)
The Psychedelic Furs – Talk Talk Talk (1981)
New Order – Power, Corruption & Lies (1983)
OMD – Architecture & Morality (1981)

Above is a great video clip with Neil Young being interviewed recently interspersed with classic mid 80's footage of him along with  The International Harvesters performing the previously unreleased "Amber Jean" taken from the 1984 television show Nashville Now TV. The rare recording, with the great back story to it, can be found on Young's new Reprise Records release A Treasure which was released this month and is available at Amoeba Music in stores and online.

A Treasure is just the latest gem uncovered in the seemingly never ending archives of Neil Young's musical legacy. Recorded in 1984 and 1985 when Young toured with the International Harvesters - a band comprised of both many of his regular sidemen musicians along with some of Nashville's studio heavyweights such as Rufus Thibodeaux (fiddle) and Hargus (Pig) Robbins (piano). What makes this recording so special, beyond the fact that it is simply great rockin' country music, is that Young, ever the musician true to his heart, ignored the naysayers who told him that no one wanted to hear him play this kind of music.  At the time Young was warned by his label that no radio programmer would touch this music. The fact that today this music would fit in the format of any alt-country station merely proves what a visionary Neil Young has always been. Buy A Treaure online from Amoeba for $13.98 with free shipping in the US.