The Hives - Your New Favorite Band (Bonus DVD)

With their mix of '50s rock, '60s garage, '70s punk, '80s new wave and plenty of attitude, The Hives are the hottest band on the planet! You didn't know that? Then check out Your New Favourite Band , a "best of" CD+DVD that features the Top 10 Modern Rock hit "Hate To Say I Told You So" from their major-label breakthrough Veni Vidi Vicious, rare EP cuts and three videos.When issued in the U.K. as a CD-only in 2001,Your New Favourite Band went gold.The Hives are law! You are crime! Album Description

Best of "New Favorite Band"

Let it be said that when "Your New Favorite Band" was first released, it was far too early for the Hives to have a "best of" album -- they only had EPs and two albums in the bag. But it is a good sampler of their best songs, and a good introduction to their rough, raw brand of garage punk.

"Your New Favorite Band" takes four tracks from their breakout album, "Veni Vidi Vicious," four from their debut predecessor "Barely Legal," and finally four from their EP work. These songs are almost undeniably the best of the batch, like the roaring "A.K.A I-D-I-O-T," "Mad Man" or "Main Offender."

What these songs all have in common is an adrenaline-powered rawness, and a fast-paced energy that most garage and/or punk bands try to achieve, but few do. Okay, they don't have the most original sound in the world. They have, instead, vibrancy and a lack of musical pretension -- they are influenced by bands like the Stooges, but they don't wear those on their sleeves.

The kinetic riffs give the group half their sound. Each song is a roiling mass of percussion, guitar and bass, endearingly nasty and very entertaining. Howlin' Pelle Almqvist provides the other -- he sounds like he's literally foaming at the mouth when he sings stuff like "Mad Man." He lives up to the "Howlin'" part of his name, definitely.

The DVD that comes with the album is a nice bonus, though hardly necessary. It contains three fairly good music videos for "Hate to Say I Told You So," "Main Offender," and "Die, All Right!", which is a good accompaniment to the hits album but somehow it feels that there could (and should) have been more on the DVD.

"Your New Favorite Band" serves as an effective "best of" album, although the band seemed too young to have enough for such an album. In a nutshell, it's a great way to revisit the best of these energetic Swedish rockers, or to introduce newbies to them. March 29, 2005

An All Around Great Punk Album

I just bought this on a trip to Circuit City, and I have to say, it's great. Feet stomping beats and crazy guitar riffs...this will be your new favourite cd. packaged with a 2 hour extra dvd, you cant go qrong with the price! July 30, 2004

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