2.28 minutes of reverbed guitar, spikey vocals and the driving drumbeat of ‘Don’t Wanna Lose’ announces the arrival of ‘Rips’ the debut album from Ex Hex via Merge Records.
Ex Hex front woman is Mary Timony, whose musical lineage stretches back to the Nineties with Autoclave, Helium and The Spells was, most recently part of the short lived Wid Flag with Carrie Brownstein, Rebecca Cole and Janet Weiss.
The band hails from from Washington, DC where Mary found drummer Laura Harris (The Aquarium, Benjy Ferree) then Betsy Wright from Virginia. The album was recorded over the span of two weeks in North Carolina with Mitch Easter (Let’s Active) and in the basement of Mary’s home with frequent collaborator Jonah Takagi and Bobby Harlow (The Go, Conspiracy of Owls).
The result of all that chemistry is a classic Garage Rock album that has you reaching for the volume with one hand, to turn it up whilst, pulling the ‘Nuggets’ album off the rack to play next!
Ex Hex - Rips, is twelve songs, the longest 3.59 the shortest 2.06. In the car you will find you have it on a loop as it just drips American rock n roll for any road trip in 2014!!
European live dates look like February with Leeds Brudenell Social Club already announced for 11th Feb. In the meantime, just set that volume switch to high and enjoy!
Pete
9/11
Rips by Ex Hex is released on 13th October, 2014