Songs From The Burrow CD EP (SHMAT03)
(Limited Edition of 500) Released: August 19, 2003
|
Recommended for fans of: Sentridoh, Trembling Blue Stars, The Gerbils, Sparklehorse
What would happen if a mild mannered indie pop kid suddenly became trapped in a rabbit's body? One Tuesday, owing to a terrible Douglas Adams - style accident involving rubber bands and frisbees, Tharn was translated into the body of a rabbit roaming around the fringes of the Repetto Hills. A lesser rabbit might have quailed at the prospect of life as a lapine.
But from his burrow in Alhambra, CA, Tharn has been quietly cranking out song after song of lo-fi indie goodness. The songs have been helping him adjust to his new life. He embeds local observations of historical Alhambra lifestyles inside his 3 minute moody acoustic guitar driven tunes. (You try playing guitar using your ears and paws.) Ah, and there's always his trusty kazoo at his side ready to squawk on command. When he isn't working on music he's been setting up his factory, making modifications on the great beasts that will guide him on his Tractor Pilgrimage to the sea. Crazy? No... maybe just a little addled from too much Alhambra sun. Tharn hopes you enjoy his EP. Oh, and like many Southern Californian rabbits he does not surf.
This is a limited edition of 500 hand cut and numbered CD packages..
Reviews / Press
Indieville, March 2004 - Matt Shimmer
This EP could be Shmat Records' best release yet! Hrududu Factory is an absolutely amazing indie pop band. With nothing more than your average array of instruments - guitar, drums, vocals, etcetera - HF craft beautiful, endearing pop tunes that should be enjoyed by anyone with a fondness for sweet melodies and pretty, almost Sparklehorse-esque atmospherics.
We start off with the heartwarming, Elf Power-tinged "Tractor Guy," which is an exciting and loose romp boasting some really nice, hushed vocals and a fun, intensely listenable song structure. "Garfield and Valley," meanwhile, is irresistibly potent, twee-influenced pop with a cutesy, It's A Wonderful Life-style chorus. Another highlight is the short hidden track, which is a simple, happy pop tune focused solely on the disc's main theme - rabbits.
All in all, this is a terrific pop EP that anyone should enjoy. However, if you're interested, you'll need to act fast. Songs from the Burrow is limited to 500 copies and you don't want to miss out, even if it's just for the cool cover and the little rabbit cut-out toy.
South of Mainstream, February 2004 - CompGeekGirl
Lovers of music richly woven with intelligence should heave a sigh of relief upon seeing the cover of Hrududu Factory's Songs From The Burrow EP. It takes guts to put together a project based upon such a beloved work of fiction. And Hrududu Factory pull it off famously. This isn't a gimmick album - regardless what other albums based on written works might have done in times past. This is an intelligent EP derived from the rich portrayal of the literary work. Both their name (hrududu is the rabbit word for an automobile) and the album title tie back to the novel.
Any of us who have actually read Watership Down know that it is not a warm and fuzzy account of floppy eared bunnies chewing carrots and playing in the sun. The novel tackles dark, even evil concepts. The tone of the album is mellow, even light, but it isn't breezy or cute. It's lo-fi in the vein of many other smart indie artists. Light sound doesn't mean light on intelligence, and it is immediately evident that these musicians are smart and talented...
Delusions of Adequacy, January 2004 - Jeff
For those who say you can take a concept or gimmick too far, I give you Hrududu Factory, perhaps the most unabashedly gimmick project that I defy anyone to not enjoy. Borrowing heavily from Watership Down, all the material about Hrududu Factory claims it's the project of one man, Tharn, and the rabbit imagery goes far beyond simply the band name and cover. I have to admit, I loved Watership Down, and my biggest fear was that the music couldn't possibly live up to the image Hrududu Factory created. Oddly enough, it's pretty fitting.
The songs are light, playful, bouncy, and a little unusual. They all feel pretty lo-fi, with mostly acoustic guitar and the light, rather whispery vocals. There's odd little flourishes, like unique percussion and kazoo that add to the silly feel of the music without actually diminishing its quality, but Tharn takes his music seriously, and that's evident on some of these songs that thrive even with the lo-fi production values.
An example of the unusual touches would be the little clip-clop beat on "Tractor Guy," which is all acoustic guitar and upbeat pace. The line of "I can't be your best friend anymore" reinforces the playful nature of the whole project. "Family Car" feels a bit bigger, a bit loftier, with some nice layering of guitar and odd vocals. "A Terrible Sight" is more subtle, soft and dreamy, with light guitar and the occasional chiming keys. "Garfield and Valley" is rather dreamy pop, probably the best song on the EP with its lightly strummed acoustic guitar, drum machine rhythm, and keyboards. Tharn even shows off his guitar talents on the very nice untitled sixth track, which mentions silly rabbits in a non-Trix context... (Read the full review)
Other Reviews:
The Bees Knees, April 2004 - Mike Turner
Smother.Net, January 2004 - J-Sin
Splendid E-zine, December 2003 - Mike Baker
Mundane Sounds, November 2003 - Joseph Kyle
Lost At Sea Online, November 2003 - Peter Lindblad
Left Off The Dial, November 2003 - Gregory Harbin
Comes With A Smile, October 2003
Action Man Magazine, October 2003
This EP could be Shmat Records' best release yet! Hrududu Factory is an absolutely amazing indie pop band. With nothing more than your average array of instruments - guitar, drums, vocals, etcetera - HF craft beautiful, endearing pop tunes that should be enjoyed by anyone with a fondness for sweet melodies and pretty, almost Sparklehorse-esque atmospherics.
We start off with the heartwarming, Elf Power-tinged "Tractor Guy," which is an exciting and loose romp boasting some really nice, hushed vocals and a fun, intensely listenable song structure. "Garfield and Valley," meanwhile, is irresistibly potent, twee-influenced pop with a cutesy, It's A Wonderful Life-style chorus. Another highlight is the short hidden track, which is a simple, happy pop tune focused solely on the disc's main theme - rabbits.
All in all, this is a terrific pop EP that anyone should enjoy. However, if you're interested, you'll need to act fast. Songs from the Burrow is limited to 500 copies and you don't want to miss out, even if it's just for the cool cover and the little rabbit cut-out toy.
South of Mainstream, February 2004 - CompGeekGirl
Lovers of music richly woven with intelligence should heave a sigh of relief upon seeing the cover of Hrududu Factory's Songs From The Burrow EP. It takes guts to put together a project based upon such a beloved work of fiction. And Hrududu Factory pull it off famously. This isn't a gimmick album - regardless what other albums based on written works might have done in times past. This is an intelligent EP derived from the rich portrayal of the literary work. Both their name (hrududu is the rabbit word for an automobile) and the album title tie back to the novel.
Any of us who have actually read Watership Down know that it is not a warm and fuzzy account of floppy eared bunnies chewing carrots and playing in the sun. The novel tackles dark, even evil concepts. The tone of the album is mellow, even light, but it isn't breezy or cute. It's lo-fi in the vein of many other smart indie artists. Light sound doesn't mean light on intelligence, and it is immediately evident that these musicians are smart and talented...
Delusions of Adequacy, January 2004 - Jeff
For those who say you can take a concept or gimmick too far, I give you Hrududu Factory, perhaps the most unabashedly gimmick project that I defy anyone to not enjoy. Borrowing heavily from Watership Down, all the material about Hrududu Factory claims it's the project of one man, Tharn, and the rabbit imagery goes far beyond simply the band name and cover. I have to admit, I loved Watership Down, and my biggest fear was that the music couldn't possibly live up to the image Hrududu Factory created. Oddly enough, it's pretty fitting.
The songs are light, playful, bouncy, and a little unusual. They all feel pretty lo-fi, with mostly acoustic guitar and the light, rather whispery vocals. There's odd little flourishes, like unique percussion and kazoo that add to the silly feel of the music without actually diminishing its quality, but Tharn takes his music seriously, and that's evident on some of these songs that thrive even with the lo-fi production values.
An example of the unusual touches would be the little clip-clop beat on "Tractor Guy," which is all acoustic guitar and upbeat pace. The line of "I can't be your best friend anymore" reinforces the playful nature of the whole project. "Family Car" feels a bit bigger, a bit loftier, with some nice layering of guitar and odd vocals. "A Terrible Sight" is more subtle, soft and dreamy, with light guitar and the occasional chiming keys. "Garfield and Valley" is rather dreamy pop, probably the best song on the EP with its lightly strummed acoustic guitar, drum machine rhythm, and keyboards. Tharn even shows off his guitar talents on the very nice untitled sixth track, which mentions silly rabbits in a non-Trix context... (Read the full review)
Other Reviews:
The Bees Knees, April 2004 - Mike Turner
Smother.Net, January 2004 - J-Sin
Splendid E-zine, December 2003 - Mike Baker
Mundane Sounds, November 2003 - Joseph Kyle
Lost At Sea Online, November 2003 - Peter Lindblad
Left Off The Dial, November 2003 - Gregory Harbin
Comes With A Smile, October 2003
Action Man Magazine, October 2003