Buzzin Music

happy hollows

The acclaimed Los Angeles trio The Happy Hollows will be releasing their debut album on October 6th. The album called Spells is a culmination of the bands work with producer and former Mighty Lemon Drops guitarist David Newton, who was also responsible for The Happy Hollows 2008 EP Imaginary.

The BBC picked them as a band to watch for 2009, while 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!”

Formed in 2006 The Happy Hollows played their first shows in Japanese restaraunts, laundromats and small clubs, their debut EP Bunnies and Bombs released in the first year attracted the attention of LA’s underground music scene.

Drawing inspiration from 90s college rock, garage punk art rock and80’s pop The Happy Hollows new album encompasses a wide range of musical ideas and performances.

The album’s opening track, Faces, begins with a crunchy guitar hook strummed by Sarah 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.

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 perform Lieutenant @ Glasshouse Pomona, CA;

Spells – Tracklisting:
01. Faces
02. Death To Vivek Kemp
03. Silver
04. We Will Find You
05. Lieutenant
06. Father Time
07. Monster Room
08. High Wire
09. Turtle and Hare
10. DeLorean
11. The Stein
12. Tambourine
13. A Man, A Plan, A Canal
14. Second Lieutenant