#betsy wright

[rakishtilt]

Ex Hex rocks out @ Ottobar Baltimore, MD.

[jastrups]

[circusofsound]

Ex Hex has come out with a new album “ITS REAL” I was really excited about this as I was thinking they might not release any new material. I have always loved their sound and they did not disappoint with this latest endeavor. Give them a listen!!!!!

[dustedmagazine]

Ex Hex — It's Real (Merge)

It's Real by Ex Hex

Rips, the modestly perfect debut record of rock and roll lifer Mary Timony’s band Ex Hex, was characterized by an absolute economy of production. It had the DNA of classic rock, but its attitude was pure punk. Accusing Rips of mere nostalgia peddling missed the point; it pulled the same stunt with 80’s arena rock that the Ramones pulled with 50’s teenybop pop: strip it down, speed it up. Same great taste, no fat. By contrast, the songs on Ex Hex’s follow-up, It’s Real, are heavier, louder, and nearer in spirit to the self-indulgent AOR hits that inspired them, but they fall short of their arena sized aspirations. 

On It’s Real, guitars and vocals are piled dozens deep; riffs are heavier, tempos are slower, production is flashier, and songs are longer (Average song length on Rips—2:55. Average song length on It’s Real—3:55). However, rather than liberating Ex Hex, their newfound glamour muscles weigh them down. Many of It’s Real’s better tunes, “Tough Enough,” “No Reflection,” and “Radiate,” could drop a minute without losing anything, and there’s no reason for the plodding “Another Dimension” and “Medley” to be break the five minute barrier. While nothing on Rips hit as hard as “Rainbow Shiner,” which is as good as anything Def Leppard ever wrote, nothing on It’s Real is as breezy as “How You Got That Girl,” joyful as “Radio On,” or weightless as “Waterfall” and “Everywhere.” Only “Cosmic Cave” matches the insouciant spirit of their first album’s best songs. It’s kind of fun to hear Ex Hex experiment with their production, but it would have been more fun to hear them take some real risks with, say, an acoustic number or some synths. Truth is, despite its heft, It’s Real isn’t a huge departure from Rips. It’s more like a bulky rough draft of the record that preceded it. 

Lumbering, repetitive tempos and unnecessary length do these songs no favors, but the real issue is that the riffs just aren’t there. I don’t know for sure what alchemy separates a great riff from a forgettable one, but I can hazard a guess. What made Ex Hex’s debut such a treat was how inextricable its desire to please was from its fuck-you audacity. It didn’t matter that “Hot and Cold” sounded just like “Sweet Jane,” or that “How You Got That Girl” was just a rewrite of “My Best Friend’s Girl” because they played it totally straight, with conviction, energy, and the good taste to know when to quit. Not only is the energy on It’s Real diffused among longer, slower tunes, but a few of the lyrics nod at their classic rock forebears, a move that feels disappointingly timid.

There’s a fine line between theft and homage, and in rock and roll, homage is rarely the more honorable choice. “Good Times” opens with: “Let me elope with the good times babe/while you are standing there/ Let me elope with the good times while you brush your rock and roll hair.” It’s no secret that Ex Hex take after The Cars, but this blatant call-back is disappointing. It feels like the wink of the covers band, an admission of guilt, and a loss of nerve. Stealing riffs is a noble tradition, but for god's sake don’t return to the scene of the crime. Maybe Ex Hex is in the nostalgia business now. If so, It’s Real won’t make you miss The Cars, but it might make you miss Rips.

Isaac Olson

[mergerecords]

Ex Hex is back! It's been a while, but the power trio is back with their sophomore album It's Real. Listen to the amazing "Cosmic Cave" now at digital services and pre-order the album on digital, CD, LP, and Peak Vinyl. The latter is pressed on limited-edition “rainbow shiner” (magenta and blue swirl) vinyl and it's only available from the Merge Store or independent record stores. http://smarturl.it/ItsReal

The band will traverse North America in the spring and head to the U.K. in late May. Check the schedule ⬇︎

Ex Hex on tour:⠀ Apr 02 Richmond, VA – Richmond Music Hall⠀ Apr 03 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer⠀ Apr 04 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom⠀ Apr 05 Portsmouth, NH – The Press Room⠀ Apr 06 Montreal, QC – l’Escogriffe⠀ Apr 07 Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern⠀ Apr 09 Ferndale, MI – Loving Touch⠀ Apr 10 Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall⠀ Apr 11 Madison, WI – High Noon⠀ Apr 12 Minneapolis, MN – Turf Club⠀ Apr 13 Omaha, NE – Reverb⠀ Apr 15 Denver, CO – Bluebird Theatre⠀ Apr 17 Boise, ID – Neurolux⠀ Apr 18 Portland, OR – Aladdin⠀ Apr 19 Vancouver, BC – Biltmore⠀ Apr 20 Seattle, WA – Crocodile⠀ Apr 23 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall⠀ Apr 24 Fresno, CA – Strummer’s⠀ Apr 25 Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom⠀ Apr 26 Tustin, CA – Marty’s on Newport⠀ Apr 27 Phoenix, AZ – Rebel Lounge⠀ Apr 28 Tucson, AZ – Club Congress⠀ Apr 30 Austin, TX – Barracuda⠀ May 01 Dallas, TX – Curtain Club⠀ May 03 Nashville, TN – Exit/In⠀ May 04 Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle⠀ May 05 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle⠀ May 09 Brooklyn, NY – Elsewhere⠀ May 10 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club⠀ May 28 London, UK – Village Underground

[leatherpearlslace]

[930club]

REASONS TO COME EARLY: Ex Hex

With such a rich history of punk music and jazz pioneers, Washington, D.C. has naturally bred local artists making big impressions on national music scenes. Big names who were born and raised in D.C. spread across the U.S. like wildfire: Duke Ellington, Bad Brains, and Ginuwine, to name a few. However, D.C. has to compete with a handful of other major cities, like New York City, Chicago, and L.A., that produce incredible artists regularly, which sometimes causes the D.C. music scene to slip under the radar. Luckily, in 2014, Ex Hex appeared from the basements of our nation’s capital to make some new, much-needed noise.

Ex Hex is a staple in an ever-growing line of female rock bands among the likes of Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney, and The Courtneys. As a matter of fact, frontwoman Mary Timony has fronted other successful bands like Helium and been in other groups with rock music greats like Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney. Add on drummer Laura Harris of The Aquarium and bassist Betsy Wright, and we’ve got the garage-pop trio of our dreams. All three of them are local to the D.C area.

Moods and daydreams are often side-effects of listening to a good album, and upon my first listen of Ex Hex’s first 2014 LP, Rips, I’m tumbling around and yelling in a crowded, vintage, red convertible on a beachside highway. Specific, yes, but the bright guitar and driving rhythm are undeniable. The opening song of the album, “Don’t Wanna Lose,” sets the perfect, sun-drenched tone for the album with wobbly, one-stroke power chords. The chorus is catchy and quick; “I don’t wanna lose your love / It’s in my hand, it’s just a question of / If you’re gonna stop messing around / You better hurry up, don’t let me down.” Another hit off the album called “Hot and Cold” is a testament to inconsistent and blurry relationships, and showcases some of Timony’s incredible guitar talent. With guitar licks throughout the song and a strong, classic rock ‘n’ roll guitar solo about a minute in, “Hot and Cold” demonstrates how all you need is some Timony guitar work to get you going. Their song “Outro” is the perfect way to end the album, as Timony belts out in her perfectly whiney-yet-deep vocals, “Take care, don’t beware / Follow the sound.” Throughout this album, Ex Hex does an impressive job of embodying classic beach and garage rock tropes while still making it their own; a raw, hot-tempered band with a sunny, vintage sound.

Now a staple in the D.C. music scene, Ex Hex is a band worth following. They have starpower of all forms: in their music, in their lyrics, and in their relationship with their hometown. So, what’s better than seeing them this summer at the legendary music venue Merriweather Post Pavillion, local to the D.C. area? Close to nothing. You don’t wanna lose this opportunity.

-Beth Townsend

See Ex Hex open for Belle & Sebastian, Spoon, and Andrew Bird at Merriweather Post Pavilion on July 30.

[eckshecks]

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