In January 2010, Los Angeles based Autumn Tone Records (The Henry Clay People, Roadside Graves) will release The Happy Hollows’ debut album, Spells. The songs on Spells encompass the wide range of structures and musical ideas that The Happy Hollows bring to the table. The opening track, “Faces”, begins with a crunchy guitar hook strummed by Negahdari on her Gibson SG. The song takes an unexpected twist with the off-time introduction of the drums and bass, and yet another turn when Negahdari’s irresistible, chanteuse style vocals begin floating over the music. Track 4, “We Will Find You” takes its structural inspiration from the musical Hair (in which Sarah once played the role of Jeanie) and waits until the very end to hit the listener with its huge “chorus.” On track 5, “Lieutenant”, the band demonstrates their technical chops. The song was written shortly after an encounter with Eddie Van Halen at the band’s practice space which inspired Negahdari to learn how to finger-tap.
In summary, Spells is an album which is at once catchy and innovative. It is gritty, loud, and ambitious, while not shying away from the use of melody and the employment pop sensibility. Produced by former Mighty Lemon Drop guitarist David Newton, it will certainly stand as one of the definitive statements of the Los Angeles indie rock music scene in recent memory.
- Faces | Listen
- Death to Vivek Kemp
- Silver
- We Will Find You
- Lieutenant
- Father Time
- Monster Room
- High Wire
- Turtle and Hare
- Delorean
- The Stein
- Tambourine
- A Man, A Plan, A Canal
- Second Lieutenant
“When you see the Happy Hollows, there will be no doubt that you're witnessing something special.”
-- Huffington Post
"A pugilistic mix of stinging guitars, turbulent rhythms, and shouted vocals that alternates between childlike experimentation and ferocious firestorm. Spells is twisty and frantic, yet perpetually melodic.”
-- Los Angeles Times
“Flecks of heavy stoner fuzz and wafts of breezy modern rock blow in and out of Spells, but at its core, it's a ripper. Most of the credit goes to Sarah Negahdari; she's a powerful but economical guitarist, jutting in and out of the tracks like a jagged saw.”
-- Pitchfork
“A killer hybrid of Kim Deal, PJ Harvey and Emily Haines. Negahdari has the guitar chops, explosive energy and winning sense of humor that should make The Happy Hollows one of the more interesting bands of our new millennium’s next decade.”
-- Wired Magazine
“The Happy Hollows have a lot of weapons in their arsenal but chief among them is Sarah Negahdari and her Polly Harvey meets Kim Deal croon.”
-- Magnet Magazine