We Cast Music: You Got it All... Wrong

Song: You Got it All... Wrong
Artist: The Hives
Album: The Black & White Album

In the garage rock revival early this millennium, The Hives were at the forefront, along with The Strokes and the White Stripes, producing one of the movements first hits, the amazing “Hate to Say I Told you So,” three minutes and twenty-two seconds of non-stop break-neck rock that poised the band as one of the hot new things on the music scene. The band all dressed the same, have built a questionable mythology about their creation, and play with the press when they do interviews or perform onstage at events. They have just released their fourth album, “The Black & White Album” this month.

While I was a fan of “Hate to Say…” I couldn’t get into the full record “Veni Vidi Vicious” or the follow up “Tyrannosaurus Hives.” That record was not as successful as “V.V.V.” and failed to deliver on the promise the Hives themselves gave the public, nor the garage rock revival itself which saw The White Stripes, & The Strokes release multiple critically acclaimed and successful records.

Since the gap between 2004’s “Tyrannosaurus Hives” it seems the band has decided to try to conquer the world again. During the recording of the album they worked with hip hop super-producers Timbaland and Pharrell Williams. The Timbaland songs were not finished in time for inclusion on the album, but they did record a song that Timba put on his solo album “Shock Value” called “Throw it on Me.” Despite the hip hop producers, “The Black & White Album” is a rock record through and through, though they have upped the catchiness and dancibility of the songs. I liked the record right away, and while I haven’t given much time to it yet, it sounds like a solid collection of catchy rock with the perfect amount of ridiculous punk swagger with that touch of Swedish cheekiness.

The first single is lead track “Tick Tick Boom.” I am really digging the fast and furious yet super catchy “You Got It All… Wrong” which sounds like it could have been pulled out of a late seventies time capsule. Good stuff.

Enjoy.

Here’s a sample of videos from the band, which are always entertaining and concept driven:

Hate to Say I Told You So