Episode Summary
Not many 90s rock bands called Arkansas home, and even fewer looked to the straightforward radio pop of 1970s and 80s as a launching point for their sound. Yet on Ho Hum's 1996 debut Local, the band from Bradley, Arkansas tuned the radio dial to sounds of Big Star, The Plimsouls, The Knack, Dramarama, and early Tom Petty, to name a few, for their catchy, unpretentious sound. Though released in the middle of alternative decade, there isn't a note of angst or grunge to be found, instead forging a sound closer to likes of Velvet Crush, Sloan, Superdrag and Matthew Sweet at their most straightforward. From uptempo gems like opener "Around the World" to the infectious "Don't Go Out with Your Friends Tonite," to soulful ballads "Disappear" and "Superhuman," both featuring horn sections, the band clearly has an ear for an earworm melody.
Songs In This Episode
Intro - Around the World
21:15 - Here She Comes
24:41 - Pills and Guns
27:04 - Frozen
31:06 - Disappear
34:12 - Superhuman
Outro - Don't Go Out with Your Friends Tonite
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