It's been awhile since I blogged about my latest finds at 3Hive (a great source for downloading tracks from terrific indie bands.) The pickings have been pretty slim over the last 4 months, and though I have grabbed some things I liked, I haven't found anything that blew my mind.  This is what I've heard recently that I enjoyed (in chronological order)...

1. Tom Rothrock
   Track: Darker Blues
   
   Like the title says, this isn't just the blues, but has a darker bent to it. A piece like this would make fine theme music for the life of a criminal. Thanks Tom for this bit of darkness.  
    
2. Kama Aina
   Track: Hotaru
   
   It's not clear where this piece of meditative slowcore by the Japanese artist Takuji Aoyagi is going, but as it draws me in with it's rhythms I slowly lose interest in the destination and simply enjoy the journey. It makes me think of water gardens and zen gardens as it works through its progressions.
    
3. L.A.O.S.
   Track: Drowning Deep Inside Your Soul
   
   And from Japanese acoustical meditative music, we move to Finnish electronica meditative music. L.A.O.S. (Large Amounts of Soul) may inspire you to move as much as Kama Aina inspires you to sit still, and yet I can't help feeling that there is something common between the two pieces. A word to those who are not broadbandy -- this is a "Large Amount Of Music"... it's approximately a 15Mb download. So if you aren't huge on funky electronica, you may want to give it a pass.
    
4. Missing Numbers
   Track: The Real Realizer
   
   Darker than Darker Blues, this piece will make you feel the power of the drone. It took all of a few seconds of the throaty saxophone at the beginning of this song to make me sit up and pay attention.  The music runs thick with coarse gritty cynicism and the disturbing taste of exhaust fumes. When I close my eyes with this song playing, I can't help seeing a man in a dark trench coat, wearing a fedora, and walking through a dark alley in a city at night. Steam billows from the grates behind him as he stops to consider the bum sitting on the sidewalk and holding out a cup for change, and then just walks away.
    
5. Money Mark
   Track: Pick Up the Pieces
   
   Okay, I'll be honest and admit up front that this song is fairly mediocre in my opinion. I liked it enough to not throw it away while I was looking for something better to download. I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with the execution. It's decent filler in your background music... not necessarily something you would actually want to pay attention to. But, maybe you'll like it more than I do. It would make decent music for a video game like The Sims.
    
6. Reutschle
   Tracks: (1) Can You Remember?, (2) Don't Turn Around
   
   This pop band comes from Dayton, Ohio, and although I would hardly call these tracks "deep" I would definitely call them "fun". This summery stuff strikes me as both corny and goofy, but if I just let it play I find myself smiling and wanting to clap along. I am not a music afficionado by any standard, so I couldn't even begin to tell you what influences this group, but their music simultaneously reminds me of the Beach Boys and the Partridge Family. Have a listen and make your own determination. There are actually more tracks available for download than these, but I didn't check them out.
    
7. Bee and Flower
   Tracks: (1) Don't Say Don't Worry, (2) Riding on Empty
   
   Of the four tracks available for download, I only liked these two. The vocalist has a great voice and the music is moody and beautiful, but ultimately depressing. If you are in an angsty mood, this might be something you would enjoy. This is not happy music, but instead a wretched downward spiral... particularly Riding on Empty.
    
8. Buildings Breeding
   Track: Emma Wood
   
   I place this piece in the same bin as Pick Up the Pieces by Money Mark, which is to say "well... I didn't delete it." This is background music for sure. There were two other tracks by the same band available, but I actively disliked them.
    
9. The Expos
   Track: Little Red Hook
   
   Now this is a fun piece of music if you like ska. I hear a lot of stuff on 3Hive which is described as ska, but when I hear it I find myself saying "this is ska?" Not so this piece. This gets my head bobbing... the singer notes "I've got a little red hook" and he has caught me with it.
    
10. The Red Button
    Track: She's Going Down
    
    3Hive describes this piece as a "sleepy little pop song". I agree wholeheartedly--what a fun, pleasant little tune. This is music to listen to while you and someone you love cuddle in a hammock and laugh a sunny summer afternoon away.
     
11. Sister Vanilla
    Tracks: (1) Jamcolas, (2) Can't Stop the Rock
    
    Not my typical fare. It's still pop, but it's pop flirting with grunge and a little punk. Sister Vanilla wouldn't sound too out of place in a mix that included Billy Idol, Nirvana, and Garbage. I like both of these tracks. Jamcolas is more on the punky side, and Can't Stop the Rock is more on the grungy side.
     
12. The Bird and the Bee
    Track: I Hate Camera
    
    Here's an interesting song. I definitely want to hear more from The Bird and the Bee. I love eccentric lyrics and eccentric music. One thing is certain in this song, she hates that camera and doesn't want her picture taken. This piece has a retro element to it and also sounds like it incorporates music from old video games in spots.
     
13. Luz Mob
    Tracks: (1) The Selector, (2) Ella Se Fue
    
    What strange mix of styles! When Selector starts, I'm thinking, okay some kind of mellow electronica funk. But then the second layer of music kicks in and I'm listening to the sort of reggae I would expect from The Police. And as I wonder if I'm going to be Walking on the Moon the horns begin. Horns? Is that... jazz? I don't really care for jazz, and I suspect a hardcore jazz fan might not call this jazz, but it sounds like jazz to me... uh, set to a reggae beat with electronic undertones. So then I switch over to Ella Se Fue and I'm bathed in a distinctly latin tune being belted out in goofy synthetic cherps. And there go those horns again.
    
    What the hell do you call this?
    
    Luz Mob, apparently!
     
14. Vapnet
    Tracks: (1) Färjemansleden, (2) Thoméegränd
    
    I'm only 25% Swedish, but I have a soft spot for Swedish bands, and Vapnet actually sings in Swedish (an incredibly beautiful language which I have never been able to master.) This is the second time today I am going to mention the Partridge Family, except in this case it would really be the "Rapphöna Barn". It isn't awesome music, but it is very gentle, and if I allow it, Färjemansleden and Thoméegränd buoy my soul, swaddle me in melody, and carry me away.
    
    Tack så mycket, Vapnet. 

Sadly missing from today's lineup of songs is any really good driving music, except perhaps for Darker Blues or Real Realizer. Hope you enjoy at least some of this music, and BTW if you know any good sources for downloading free indie music (legally), please share them.