Reviews don't get much simpler than this. Get in front of your computer, type in The Hives and download their single "Hate to Say I Told You So." Listen to it once and The Hives will be "your new favorite band." That's 40 words. 'Nuff said. . . . Oh, so you want a proper review?
OK. The Hives are from Sweden, and after eight years plying speedy garage-punk at about 1,500 gigs in toilet venues across Scandinavia with the odd adventure into mainland Europe and the United States, they were just about covering rent and booze bills.
Then, last year, Alan McGee -- the music impresario who discovered Oasis and signed them to his now-defunct Creation label -- got The Hives hitched up on his struggling new Poptones brand. To coincide with a bunch of gigs in Britain, "Hate to Say I Told You So" was released as the single from "debut" album "Your New Favourite Band," which has gone on to shift almost 150,000 copies in the U.K.