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COVER STORY : THE HIVES
When a band makes a grand return after a decades-long absence , it ’ s a mix of emotions . There ’ s equal parts dread and excitement , happy to return to adoring fans , yet anxious to see if anyone still cares , especially in the short attention span of the streaming age . But those pesky thoughts never seemed to bother The Hives . Why ? Because they ’ re the best band in the world . That confidence has always been a part of the band ’ s canon . Keep in mind , this is the band that titled their first compilation album Your New Favorite Band . After a ten-year absence , that confidence is still fully realized .
The Swedish garage rockers returned this year with The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons , the long overdue follow-up to their 2012 album Lex Hives . Picking up where the previous album left off , it ’ s 32 minutes of unbridled energy , bootstomping anthems , and tongue-in-cheek lyrics . It ’ s what we ’ ve come to expect from the band . But their sudden appearance left many wondering where they were this whole time . According to the band , their mysterious sixth member , Randy Fitzsimmons , is responsible for their absence .
Fitzsimmons , hailed as the founder , mentor , and songwriter behind The Hives , disappeared after the band ’ s last album . Without their leader , they were lost , unsure of what to do next . They soon found the answer when they stumbled upon an obituary which led them to Fitzsimmons ’ tombstone . In search of answers , they dug up the grave and found demo tapes and a piece of paper plotting out the new album .
Guitarist Niklas Almqvist , aka Nicholaus Arson , has a simpler explanation : they were on tour . Ashley Perez Hollingsworth spoke to Almqvist .
HELLO MY NAME IS FRANKIE
British band The Darkness made an auspicious arrival in North America in 2003 . The band ’ s bombastic lead single , “ I Believe in a Thing Called Love ,” was an explosive blast of hard rock replete with a soaring falsetto melody , rich harmonies , guitar heroics by brothers Justin and Dan Hawkins , and cheeky fun . Debut album Permission to Land followed suit with the heavy pop hooks and two-ton rhythm . Jeff Ebel spoke to Frankie Poullain before their Chicago appearance at The Vic .
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File
Remembering Shelley Howard and Jason Plahutnik .
CinemaScopes
What ’ s in Theaters in November ?
Spins
Wilco , The Who , Slowdive and more .
Media
An oral history of The Loop .
Calendar
1300 shows and 2800 bands , it ’ s IE ’ s live music calendar .
Studiophile
Southside Bandits , Inc at Gravity Studios .
Record Store Day
Record Store Day is back on Black Friday .
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