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Launchpad [Issue
#22]
Hello Fever:
By
Mandana Beigi
Broken Lines
(CD
)
As an indie post-punk
band, Hello Fever is far from embodying the linear structure and sound of a three-piece
act: a singer/guitarist, a drummer, and a bass player! Opting for a more dynamic
line-up, all three band members contribute to the vocals and share the spotlight.
Hello Fever – Chy Lin (drums, vocals), Sam Farfsing (guitar, vocals), Jonah
(bass, vocals) – is a minimal indie group of untrained rockers who have built
a collaborating platform in the creation and performance of their music.
On their debut album,
Broken Lines (Sound Virus Records), the band has done a tremendous job in bringing
out the visual elements of their songs by the contrasts of male/female vocals,
the inter-twined melodies, and the rawness of the production. Describing the album’s
title, singer-guitarist Sam Farfsing says, “The way that we are influenced
and inspired is never like a straight line form one point to another. It’s
always like a pile of broken lines.”
Hello Fever’s
members hail from both coasts of the USA, adding a multi-dimensional quality
to the way they observe their surroundings and make music. While they embrace
the energy and the progressive nature of the indie scene in L.A., their sound
is heavily influenced by the less self-centered attitude of the east coast,
which is another reason why you will not hear any lavish guitar solos on this
album.
Broken Lines was
recorded by Alex Newport (At the Drive-In, Mars Volta), Hello Fever’s debut
album was recorded in LA at Hot Head Recording. “Hot Communication”,
“Variety”, and “The Last Time” are great examples of the
angular punk that makes this band worth checking out.
Hello Fever has
shared the stage with the likes of DFA 1979, Dance Disaster, and Moving Units,
and they are a regular at most of the secret spots in LA (the Smell, Il Corral,
etc.)
Broken Lines
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