Rock n Roll's Past in Williamsburg: The Hives; The Donnas @ Music Hall

The Hives; The Donnas
@ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY - March 6, 2008

For pure shits and giggles, I went to see those scrappy Hives make their Brooklyn debut, some five years too late. It's always been a mystery why a band that makes such simple music has only put out 4 records in over a decade's worth of existence. It's not exactly the kind of stuff that needs Axl Rose-like deliberation. And their laconic recording style makes their music all the more of a joke. Plus, with all the rapid changes in Indie music, the idea of a new Hives record and tour has lost its grandeur (if it ever really had it - this kind of music should not be considered momentous). But give credit where credit is due: Having not seen them since July 2004 at Irving Plaza, I wondered if they still put on a spectacular live show and they do. Though it has lost some of its luster. The suit gimmick is old. But Howlin' Pelle Almqvist's energy is not. He's still got the magnetism. And one cannot take away from the Hives the simple fact that they are one of the three or four bands from the early years of this decade that brought rock n roll back from the dead. This was a nice trip down memory lane.

Not so nice a trip were the Donnas. They too had their moment in the early years of the decade, really on the strength of one excellent song, "Take It Off". But they had nothing else to them. Not even looks (the exceptionally gorgeous lead singer, Donna A B C or D whatever, is the only dolly in the bunch and by a mile at that). They tried to make a comeback last year with a decent song, "Don't Wait Up For Me", but it was a needless rip off of a couple of Joan Jett hits and it sunk like a stone. They are tired, they are forced. Even the lead beauty's use of "fuck" for every other word felt insincere. They are not punk. They are not anything. They are not even a good tribute to the hair bands they seem to love almost exclusively now. They almost - ALMOST - made me want to listen to Europe's "The Final Countdown" as some sort of refuge.

The New Hives Record: The Pennypacker Perspective

With The Black and White Album, the Hives put themselves right into the crosshairs of the two sides of the great never-ending debate in music: to replicate more of the same that has worked in the past, or to be bold and try new and different things. It should be noted that the anticipation for more of the same was not at the same level of enthusiasm as it was for Tyrannosaurus Hives, the Swedish rockers' last and fairly good album, the follow-up to the stupendous Veni, Vidi, Vicious. While in 2004 it was great to hear the Hives retain most of the three-chord melodic garage from the previous record, 2007 did not hold the same.

So it was in the band's favor to make a record that was different than their past, in order to stay relevant. And indeed, the band did just that. The Black and White Album is at times a radical departure for the band. And it turns out that decision was the wrong one. After the initial and familiar strains of "Tick Tick Boom", the album is a pretty slick, overly produced, overly polished, bit of tripe. This should then indicate that the Pharrell Williams tracks are the culprit but one of them, the unoriginally titled "T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S." is one of the least bad ones. "Try It Again" and "Won't Be Long" are the only two decent tracks besides the lead-off. And the latter especially showcases what the Hives should have tried to do more of: Experiment with "Howlin'" Pelle Almqvist's reduction of the "Howlin'" while retaining the all-out but concentrated fury of the last two records. He sounds like a completely different character at times and it's refreshing. Too bad these were the exceptions on an LP of misfires and lost opportunity.