When I first received the press release for The Hounds Below, I immediately took a look at it considering it was Jason Stollsteimer’s (frontman of The Von Bondies) new project. I’ve always been a fan of The Von Bondies and their edgy indie rock sound that many bands have tried to emulate. While listening to The Hounds Below, I found myself pleasantly surprised with their refreshing sound. Totally opposite of The Von Bondies,
The Hounds Below resurrect all the delectable sounds from rock ‘n roll’s glory days. From Buddy Holly to Elvis, these Detroit natives spark some sweet nostalgia with their catchy melodic tunes that they smoothly fuse together with their hip indie-pop stylings.
Led by Stollsteimer, with his alluring vocal charm, the band becomes a stellar collective with members Ben Collins on lead guitar, who by the way fuckin’ rips, the lovely Molly Jean Schoen on the bass who can roll out the groovy bass lines while looking absolutely stunning, all the while drummer Ben Luckett busts out the cool drum beats that will get your head bobbing and feet stamping across the dance floor. The band is also joined by friends on the organ, giving The Hounds Below even more of that classic early rock sound.
With only a few songs to their name, The Hounds Below played a short and sweet set at Spaceland this past Tuesday, March 2, 2010. Whether getting us riled up in a booty shakin’ dance frenzy with “Two Step” or clutching our hearts with the bittersweet beauty that is “Crawling Back To You,” the band also performed two awesome covers of “Where Is My Mind” by The Pixies and “We Gotta Get out of This Place” by The Animals. Although quite a brief performance, this is one tease I thoroughly enjoyed. The Hounds Below left us with an insane craving for more!
Stay tuned for their debut album and download some free tunes here!
Words: Sandy B.
Photos: Craig Parker
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