Record Label: Liquid Panda
Genre: Indie
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com link

Ordinarily I’m not into these trendy-sounding Modest Mouse wannabe bands, what with the strained, high vocals and rhythm-heavy thumping. (And – oh god – they even use sleigh bells. Fuckin’ fuck.)

But I liked this album from these Nashville natives. I spent a half hour trying to pinpoint why I like them and I have some theories. First, marching band-like drumming is just appealing, no matter how much any of us resist. No wonder why John Philip Souza got so much wimp. Second, the Hotpipes don’t stick with the tried-and-true beats – they mix up speeds, usually within songs, giving them a more energetic, chaotic (yet focused) feel. And lastly, they add some instruments that give this usually stripped-down sound more depth and texture. Besides the sleigh bells which don’t belong in music ever, they successfully incorporate saloon-like piano and rich horns in a few songs.

And I guess I should admit that they rock.

But the vocals can really be a deal breaker. They go beyond the usual indie-garage hipster yarl into Robert Plant territory. And no, that’s not a good thing.

Bottom Line:
Notable Tracks: Song For The Late Riser, Downer Quitter
Overall Rating: