Bio: It’s safe to say that ever since 1968, when Dennis Wilson invited Charles Manson in as an extended houseguest, it’s been common knowledge that summery, shimmery surf-pop is ... (more)
Bio: It’s safe to say that ever since 1968, when Dennis Wilson invited Charles Manson in as an extended houseguest, it’s been common knowledge that summery, shimmery surf-pop is firmly in possession of a dark side. It should therefore come as no surprise that Heavy Hawaii, a San Diego based band currently surfing the sonic wave, are still exploring the murky, slightly sinister side of the genre. The band brings their signature lazy hazy day on the sidewalk next to the beach sound to their upcoming 12” release on Art Fag Recordings, presenting six tracks swirling with atmosphere and featuring harmonies that would make Gidget swoon and then promptly spike the lemonade.
The records first single, “Teen Angel,” is a haunting, organ driven track that sounds like clapping along to a teenage tragedy, letterman jackets ripped and lying at the side of the road. The melodies are woozy and the vocals just a little far away, with harmonies like dream sequence fuzz around the edges. It’s a song that would be right at home on the soundtrack to Grease, if Sandy and Danny were zombies with a mild dependence on prescription narcotics. The rest of the record’s tracks follow in this vein—slightly sedated, sepia-toned flights through the June gloom. Glittering like heat off the parking lot in July, tracks like “Better” and album-opener “Sleeping Bag” shimmy and sway in the nether regions between innocent love songs and lethargic odes to teenage ennui, Heavy Hawaii’s perfect limbo.
The foursome, led by the aptly named Matt Bahamas (guitar, keyboards and lead vocals), and rounded out by the also aptly named Jojo Keylargo (guitar, keyboards and backup vocals), Mikey Peterson (keyboards, drums), and Derek Butler (bass, backup vocals), formed in 2009 and have since played with the likes of Abe Vigoda and The Strange Boys, in addition to recording tracks which will soon find homes on such labels as Vivian Girls’ Wild World and Bathetic Records.
With a modern sensibility colored in the shadowy, muddy waters of grungy garage pop, and a reverence for the simple, nearly naïve brightness of the golden age of surf songs and beach bunnies, Heavy Hawaii make nuanced, multi-faceted music for people prone to looking at the sun until they have to rub the spots from their eyes, and then returning to look even longer. (less)
