Richmond, Virginia's Hot Lava, comprised of Allison Apperson, Jared Sosa, Andrew Mowe and Matt Deans started out as a group of art school buddies. Allison was design focused, Jared and Andrew did film and Matt did illustration and design. Their background had them playing in galleries and underground warehouse parties but things became a bit problematic so they started networking and developing their chemistry. Over the course of 3 years, countless laughs, putting things into place, and quite a few line-up changes Hot Lava are finally ready to heat things up with their album, Lavalogy.
A lo-fi quirk pop opus, Lavalogyis indie pop stripped down to it's molten core. Sounding something like Neutral Milk Hotel stuck in a surf guitar marathon with the Danielson Family, Hot Lava are a pretty strange little group that has no problem finding melodies and harmonies even in the roughest of circumstances. It might not seem possible, but good songs can be made for under $1,000 and it sounds as if Hot Lava has figured that out and made a lifetime of them. Jangly, skittish, and animated, Lavalogy is filled with a sense of excitement that rivals a kid in a candy factory with a pocket full of money.
What Hot Lava have essentially done on Lavalogy is taken the template laid out by all the classic Elephant Six bands filled it in with their own songs and then tarnished them a bit. It's a bit rough and tumble at times but Lavalogyis a lighthearted, jubilant record that censors itself but still has a good time. From the bleeps of "O Retorno Da Lovefoxxx," to the classic in the making, "Blue Dragon," Lavalogynever ceases to entertain. It's a fun record by a band that seems to revel in the opportunity to make music that's in love with the history of indie pop while dragging it into the future. Good job Hot Lava.
No comments:
Post a Comment