Words by Brendan

I like The Happy Hollows so much that the opening guitar/bass riff to “Faces” is my ringtone. Seriously, call me. We’ll talk about this rockin’ trio and their snappy tunes and their wild videos. What, you don’t have my number? Guess you better keep reading …

The Happy Hollows / Faces
The Happy Hollows / Big Bad Wolf
The Happy Hollows / Meteors

I really can’t even remember exactly how I first found The Happy Hollows—some random internet surfing, no doubt—but I remember part of what hooked me were their wild, artistic music videos. Their sole LP to date, Faces, came out in 2010 accompanied by a music video for their tune “Death To Vivek Kemp”. (The name came from a high school classmate of frontwoman Sarah Negahdari but there is apparently no ill will towards him. It just sounded cool. And it reminds me of Detlef Schrempf.) The tune is typical of their sound: Sarah shreds guitar riffs like it’s nobody’s business and alternately coos and yelps with her beautiful voice and powerful vocal cords while bassist Charlie Charge rumbles along with bouncy riffs and drummer Chris whips his simple drumkit into a rhythmic frenzy. Quite the formula, I say, and they yield it with great effect on several rockin’ tunes, like “Faces” and “Monster Room” and “Tambourine”.

The video I want to highlight, though, is for “Big Bad Wolf”. The band shared several B-sides on their Bandcamp page a few months after Spells was released, and they really stand out as a solid EP on their own. “My Wet Tongue” is a re-working of an older tune that appeared on 2007′s Bunnies & Bombs EP, “Colors” is a fun and catchy little call-and-response ditty about (duh) colors, “Bird of Prey” is a skittery pop-rock tune that showcases Sarah’s voice, and “Labyrinth” lets Charlie take the vocal reins and sing about being lost in a maze (until the guitar noise explodes, of course). “Big Bad Wolf” really grabs my ear, for some reason. Cymbal crashes, high-pitch vocals, silly “bum bum bums”, hard-hitting guitar riffs, and a sudden ending. I don’t know, it’s just awesome. The video, too, is weird and arty and attention-grabbing and has an almost child-like appeal, with wild, bright colors and fantastical imagery. In a way, I think it’s a rapidfire journey through the brain of Ms. Negahdari (indeed, notice the colorful trees are from the album art for Spells, recyling her old artwork) and it’s a strange and (strangely) wonderful place.

The Happy Hollows / “Big Bad Wolf” / Spells B-Sides EP [self-released, 2010] / dir. Ryan Reichenfeld

They have plenty of other videos for older songs from the Bunnies & Bombs EP, like “Vietnam” (the sound, video, and graininess give it an intense 90s aura), “Meteors” (having fun playing music and dancing outdoors), and “Labyrinth” (making the traffic/maze analogy bluntly). Their synthy song “High Wire” (and Sarah, herself) was also featured in a (pretty cool, actually) Samsung ad in 2009. They acquired a new drummer, Richy, this year, which might be a good sign about coming out with new material soon. Check out their Bandcamp page for Spells and the B-sides, and join me in the eager wait for new songs, or even an East Coast tour!

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While we’re here, we should mention that Sarah Negahdari just debuted some songs and videos for a solo side project, Pisces. These songs have the same kind of boisterous energy she exudes in Happy Hollows songs, but they’re played acoustically and focused on more cosmic themes. Just check out the video for “Paint a Rocket” and you’ll see what I mean. I’m diggin the “Voodoo” track and video, which you can listen to/see here. It’s got the feel of a 60s pop song, with jangly guitar and words about being tangled up in love, with some interesting dark twists on the melodies and lyrics. And the video is crazy.

The Happy Hollows on the web: Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Bandcamp / Insound

Pisces on the web: Facebook / Bandcamp

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Filed under: New to Us, New to You?