LISTEN: The Hush Now - "Please Mephistopheles (Leave Me Alone)"

It's CMJ week in NYC (up through October 23). What does that mean for the city? Well, there's all different kinds of showcases and sets happening in a gaggle of different venues. What does that mean for us blog writers? Mountains of new material. While Quinn wades through some bodacious new albums for your listening and reading enjoyment, here's a quick look at Boston's The Hush Now.

LISTEN: The Hush Now - "Vietnam Giraffe"

via bighappyfunhouse

MP3: The Hush Now - "Vietnam Giraffe"

The song is called "Vietnam Giraffe," and I'll be honest with you, that's why I bothered to check it out in the first place. It's called "Vietnam Giraffe." I was thinking that it could go one of two ways: be absolutely ridiculous or be a goofily-named but pretty sweet track. It's most definitely the latter.

It has nothing to do with Vietnam giraffes (can you even find giraffes in Vietnam outside of the zoo?), unless the "Vietnam Giraffe" is some sort of hip dance/dance move I'm unfamiliar with. It's a song about getting down and grooving, connecting with people on the dance floor. New wave synth streaks and dances along with a guitar that takes flight on a pinch of delay. It calls to mind early-era Stills, but exudes an air of optimism despite the obvious post-rock/shoegaze influence over the guitar riff that marks the instrumental breaks. I would argue that "Vietnam Giraffe" really is an easy-going, upbeat cut of dance floor-ready indie pop rock.

BUY: "Vietnam Giraffe" is the lead single from The Hush Now's forthcoming EP entitled Shiver Me Starships. You'll be able to download it from the band's website for free starting September 28th.

The Hush Now
Official Site
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