RecaPitulation: Happy Hollows, Nick Oliveri, The Books, Brian Eno

Happy Hollows are getting more buzz than a prom girl who just downed her first bottle of Boone’s Farm. The indie-rockers have been talked about so much around these parts - which is to say, L.A. - that we can’t believe they still haven’t actually put out an album yet. Well, now they finally have a date: October 6 will see the release of the unsigned band’s Spells. Want to hear what all the fuss is about? We can be of some service there - below are two cuts from the record. The opening track, “Faces,” sounds stunningly similar to the opening track to another band’s debut: “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine,” from the Killers’ Hot Fuss.

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“Monster Room” is a little less noisy but no less catchy:

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The trio - who pal around with Deerhoof and the Silversun Pickups - have three shows on their docket at the moment, including a Saturday show in San Diego and one August 28 in Santa Cruz. Happy Hollows’ third gig will be a hometown “album-release” party for Spells - but it’s happening waaay early, on September 4. …

Believe it or not, Nick Oliveri is still kicking. A walking Pandora’s box, the formerly (or presently, we haven’t caught up with him in a while) embittered ex-bassist for Queens of the Stone Age is stumbling forth once again. The latest roller-coaster ride by the mercurial/troubled musician - who loves hard drugs as much as he does taking off his clothes - will be issued under Oliveri’s own name, not Mondo Generator, which was originally a solo project but grew into a band. Death Acoustic will arrive October 6 via Impedance/MVD Audio; here’s the track list, which’ll give you an idea of what you’ll be in for: “Start a Fight,” “Like the Sky,” “Dairy Queen,” “Gonna Leave You,” “Love Has Passed Me By,” “U Blow,” “Hybrid Moments,” “Unless I Can Kill,” “Follow Me” and “Outlaw Scumfuc.” One assumes that “Gonna Leave You” is a new version of the QOTSA song of the same name - the original, which appeared on 2002’s Songs for the Deaf, was one of Oliveri’s last contributions to the band. After he was booted by Josh Homme, Oliveri put his energies into Mondo - as well as the Dwarves, even if his participation with them was sporadic. Beyond the new solo record, Oliveri is apparently also contributing to Slash’s new solo album. Now there’s a drinking contest we’d like to see. …

We’ve had a thing for the Books ever since we leafed through The Lemon of Pink for the first time some six years ago. Prior to that, we had no idea that a band could dismantle songs with such precision and care - it sounded like a stroll through a science museum. That was their second record, and while they put out one after that - 2005’s Lost and Safe - it’s been years since they coalesced a new album. A new one by the New York duo is indeed on the way, we’re being told, and while we don’t have a title or date for it, the literary artists will be raising the curtain on some of their new songs with a collation of concerts. The Books will play two shows in North Carolina on August 14-15, perform 10 gigs on the East Coast and in the Midwest from September 15-26, and then throw down one more time in Vancouver on November 25. The venues include a Philadelphia church, Pittsburgh’s Andy Warhol Museum and, maybe most appropriately, the Ladies Literary Club in Grand Rapids. (The Michigan venue has since been overtaken by Calvin College for live shows like these.) …

The last thing we expected to hear from Rise Above Records - a U.K. indie label that loves metal as much as we do - was an album that could be mistaken for a contemporary revisitation of the Who’s Quadrophenia. But that’s exactly what we’re getting with Aurora, the second flight by Litmus. With their feet firmly planted on effects pedals almost the whole was through, the distinctly British band also doesn’t hold back with strings - or song length. If there’s one drawback to their far-out voyage, it’s that: With songs averaging about eight minutes - and three of them over 10 - some fat could be trimmed from the August 18 release. But otherwise, this is a dense listen worthy of being heard while drifting off in a La-Z-Boy. …

More a.m. listening: the_Network’s Bishop Kent Manning is a savvy piece of metallic rage, and while we survived the listen, it was hard to appreciate all its technical proficiency for a single reason: The vocals are mixed way, way too loud. Don’t tell Mike McGee he doesn’t know how to belt it out, because he barely gives his cords a moment’s rest during the 42 minutes of brutality. See if you can take the heat when the record arrives September 15 via Red Chord vocalist Guy Kozowyk’s Black Market Activities. …

Here’s a quick musical exercise, to keep you on your toes. Listen to this song (without looking at the artists behind it):

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Sound like the latest experiment out of Ibiza? It isn’t. Get this: that dark instrumental, ”Vamos Compañeros,” was made 33 years ago. You know how electronic-music fans always say they’re listening to the songs of the future? Well, three decades ago, they might’ve been right. Now that we’ve sufficiently digressed, we’ll finally reveal the authors behind the composition: kraut masters Harmonia, along with none other than Brian Eno. “Vamos Compañeros” is one of three previously unreleased songs accompanying the reissue of Tracks and Traces, the geniuses’ way-overlooked 1976 collaboration, which will drop October 6 on Gronland/High Wire. The album was finally released in 1997 after being left in the closet for decades and is likely to mark the end of Harmonia. …

Say what you will about Basement Jaxx‘ loopy brand of dance music, the Londoners sure know how to put together compelling album art:

The album - which sports guest spots by Santigold, Yoko Ono and others - drops October 6 via XL/Ultra. …

On a similar note, look at what DJ Spooky slapped together for his new one:

For his sixth go-round, the turntablist tapped Thurston Moore, hip-hop leftie radicals the Coup and others. The needle will touch The Secret Song (Thirsty Ear) on October 6. …

And finally, ladies and gentlemen, the comeback album of the year: