HIVE RIOT - HIVE RIOT

I learned about this CD through a podcast I was listening to.  Hive Riot were the guests and they talked about their lives and careers up to this point.  Mindy Gledhill and Dustin Gledhill are brother and sister-in-law not actual siblings.  Both had careers in music prior to this release.  Mindy has her own brand of indie pop while Dustin composed some classical albums.

This record is an attempt to branch out from those previous sounds and expand their fan base to a more pop oriented audience.  The material is synth based and highly influenced by 80's New Wave.  That's not a bad thing as it seems that genre of music is currently on an upswing.  All musical movements seem to come around over and over.  Electronic pop music is seeing a resurgence right now and it's a smart move to transition into pop with something like this.

I've already got a few songs I'm really into.  In general, I like the entire record, but there are a couple I like more than others.  The record seems to have the perfect ratio between songs you can really dance to and those that are more ballad based.

My favorite tracks on the album are 'Sherlock', 'Wonderwild' and 'Undercover'.  I absolutely love the lyrics for 'Sherlock'.  I think they're brilliant.  I'm also a huge fan of the chorus for 'Wonderwild'.  It's so dang catchy you just can't help but sing along at the top of your voice.  

"We are wild and wonderful
full, full of wonder"

You can sing along at the top of your lungs and feel absolute joy!  Now don't get me wrong, there are other songs just as great on this record.  'Kiss My Lips You Fool', 'Catch That Train' and 'Hearts' are also extremely fun to listen to and sing along with.  In fact, with more listens, I may end up liking them just as much as the other tracks I've mentioned.  Honestly, I was listening to my three favorite songs on youtube before I received the CD in the mail.  I couldn't find a lot of audio for other tracks on the disc so I'm basically just discovering them.  But my excitement for the music I have listened to is so great I just had to review the disc now.

Hive Riot have produced some music videos to go along with their CD and I've actually really enjoyed everything I've seen and heard.  I'm planning on attending their show this week so this may be the very first entry I come back and add to after I've posted it.  

Ok...  Here's the addendum to this article.  I went to the show in Provo, UT last Friday night and let me tell you, Wow!  In addition to the entire album, they played two Cyndi Lauper covers - 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' and 'True Colors'.  The event was electrifying and the crowd was completely engaged by the group!  The first song the group performed was 'Wonderwild' and the crowd was so loud, Mindy couldn't hear the stage monitor and was off on the start of the song.  After seeing 'Catch That Train' live, I've upgraded it to favorite status.  I love it.  Some of the sleeper tracks like 'Fish Out Of Water' are also suddenly more poignant to me and meaningful after seeing the band perform them live.  I had the pleasure of introducing this band to a couple of other people over the weekend and the response has been phenomenal.  I've only had one person come back and tell me they didn't like the sound.

Hive Riot is a fun and exciting band!  They're just as fantastic live as they are on record and video.  You won't make a mistake if you check out this band.  

If you love great 80's synth pop, positive music that makes you feel good and want to dance, Hive Riot is the band for you.  Pick up this disc right now.  My final words:  LIKE THE BIG BANG, HIVE RIOT EXPLODES ON THE SCENE WITH A SOLID RECORD START TO FINISH!  IT ALL STARTS HERE!

HIVE RIOT - HIVE RIOT
01. Wonderwild
02. Kiss My Lips You Fool
03. Sherlock
04. Fish Out Of Water
05. Hearts
06. Pourquoi?
07. Undercover
08. Catch That Train
09. So I Dance
10. Her Elegy

THE PRINCE SONGBOOK - SYMBOLISM

This is an unusual release. First of all, it doesn't distinguish between songs some of these artists were given by Prince versus songs they covered by Prince. For the record... Tracks 03, 04, 07, 09, 10, and 11 are covers. 08 isn't considered a cover even though Prince has released his own version of the song because Joe Cocker released his version first. The other tracks are all music either written specifically for the artist or songs donated to the artist for their own releases.

One thing this disc does is save consumers a huge ton of money. My biggest complaint back in the day was buying an entire CD of music for one song. Often Prince would donate a single track to a band and you'd be out $15. just to get the one song. If you wanted it. Collections like this allow you to get all the tracks without coming out of pocket almost $200. Although it would present better value if it included more of those one-off songs versus covers. Usually, the cover versions aren't nearly as good as the original Prince versions. Stephanie Mills and Tina Turner both deliver enjoyable performances, but the originals are still superior in many ways. Other covers like the Mel'isa Morgan, Living Colour and Cyndi Lauper versions are completely throw away junk not worth the time or effort. 

 I also question the inclusion of the Elisa Fiorillo track simply because Prince produced and wrote the bulk of that album. There's not value in including that track. More one off songs would have been a much nicer collection.

I think the Tina Turner cover was released as a b-side to a single and was only available on vinyl. That being the case, it's certainly worth inclusion. But that's neither here nor there.

Of course with modern technology, you can simply download individual tracks and create your own playlist or burn your own CDs. In that light, this release becomes even less valuable or necessary. My final word: AMBITIOUS. Someone had a good idea and was on the right track. Sadly, it's just outdated now. Still, it's nice to have.


PRINCE SONGBOOK - SYMBOLISM
01. Mica Paris - If I Love U 2 Nite
02. Elisa Fiorillo - On The Way Up
03. Tina Turner - Let's Pretend We're Married
04. Living Colour - 17 Days
05. Sheena Easton - Sugar Walls
06. Patti LaBelle - I Hear Your Voice
07. Mel'isa Morgan - Do Me, Baby
08. Joe Cocker - Five Women
09. Stephanie Mills - How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?
10. M.X.M. - Nothing Compares 2 U
11. Cyndi Lauper - When You Were Mine
12. Kid Creole - The Sex Of It
13. Nona Hendryx - Baby Go-Go
14. Martika - Love...Thy Will Be Done
15. Bangles - Manic Monday