The Happy Hollows sure have a lot to be happy about. It seems like 99% of the bands' formation was left completely up to chance. Had L.A. traffic been a bit slower one day, or had a computer never been switched on that night, the Happy Hollows probably never would have even existed. The house was stacked against their favor from the get go, but then again, this L.A. trio doesn't sound like the type to play the odds anyway.
The year was 2005. Unbeknownst to one another, D.C. natives
Charlie Mahoney and
Chris Hernandez had each transplanted to the west coast to pursue their individual music aspirations. An unlikely encounter in the sunshine state brought forth a bond seeded in hometown familiarity, and the saplings of a future band were rooted. But something was still missing.
Enter the magic of Craigslist. Guitarist and vocalist
Sarah Negahdari had been performing solo in the greater Los Angeles area for some time. A chance posting by Mahoney and Hernandez piqued her interest, and a few keystrokes paved the way for a catalytic first meeting, which lead to the eventual fruition of the band we're now lucky enough to call the Happy Hollows.
The impending release of the bands'
Imaginary EP (10/21/08) reveals a sensitive and supporting chemistry important to the sound of any three piece outfit. Hernandez's heavy drums add fanfare underneath Mahoney's melodically rooted bass, crafting a sound that is both intricate and absolutely massive. Negahdari's guitar weaves a web of fuzzy arpeggios and sparse, knotty power chords over the whole sound, but it's her breezy, purring vocals that are the real highlight. The comparisons to Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon are more than obvious, but every yelp and doot doot (as heard in tracks like "Tambourine" and "Big Bad Wolf") provides a stark and vulnerable femininity detached from the heaviness of the Pixie-like instrumentation. It's easy, breezy, beautiful, cover-girl easiness over the soundtrack of a battlefield.
As convention has it, this band probably would have never existed. Here at Baeble, we'd like to think that maybe we're the lucky ones after all.
- chris gayomali
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The Happy Hollows @ MySpace
other sites weighing in on the happy hollows
SMT Blog: The Happy Hollows - Imaginary EP
Obscure Sound: The Happy Hollows
The Scenestar: The Happy Hollows to Release Imaginary
Making a Joyful Noise: The Happy Hollows @ The Knockout, San Francisco
