hands on heads q&a

Sorry for interrupting all of the hip SXSW coverage on this here blog that is sure to come, but I do it today in the name of art-rock. (Always a good reason, in my opinion.) Hands on Heads are the among the second recipients of the vaunted eMusic Selects tag and, to be honest, I couldn’t be happier. Their self-titled album is something I’ve been jamming to ever since we got it in the eMusic offices. In between all that electronic music, of course. Alex Naidus, the newest 17Dotter wrote up the review for the site. What say you, Alex?

Erase Errata’s mangled guitar scratches, the one-finger keyboard jabs of Numbers and even the wacked-out, life-affirming synth anthems of Atom and His Package echo across Hands on Heads. But it’s neither tribute or regurgitation, as the songs — which they say are about “righteous joy” and “the supernatural everyday” — pummel while showing whimsy, even as they buzzsaw your skull. Check the descending bizzaro-carnival organ line on “Romantic Aorta” or the punk-playground anthem “X as Two Sticks,” that galloping squall of a verse stopping on a dime for a surprisingly sing-songy chorus. Totally (Melt) bananas.

Read Frances May Morgan’s interview with the band here.