Hiccup

It's fun to imagine Hiccup's origin as a meet-cute story with a pop-punk twist. Hallie Bulleit and Alex Clute were first brought together to play in a made-for-TV house band, The LLC, on The Chris Gethard Show — the delightfully DIY and subversive public-access-turned-Fusion network show. As part of the band, Bulleit and Clute would perform short, punk-infused songs as transitional bumpers between all the comedy sketches, and shaggy themes that helped fuel the hilarious misfit vibe of Gethard's recurring characters and guests.

It was soon obvious to the two that they shared a musical connection that could be developed more fully without time constraints. So with both singing, Clute on guitar and Bulleit on bass — and adding drummer Piyal Basu — they formed a new band.


On Hiccup's debut, Imaginary Enemies, the band captures the same frenzied dynamic it displays on TV. Produced with Kyle Gilbride (formerly of Swearin', and producer of bands like Girlpool and All Dogs), the album is full of songs that clock in at just over two minutes — practically sprawling compared to those explosive, if all-too-brief, 30-second interludes. The songs benefit from the extra space for — let's say — a second verse, a blistering instrumental breakdown or maybe just another refrain.


"Neverwhere," the album's dynamic closer, exemplifies that balance, retaining Hiccup's knack for taut concision and turn-on-a-dime arrangements while unleashing scorching guitar distortion and breakneck drumming that lets the song's singalong pop hooks shine. A song about belonging, "Neverwhere" finds Bulleit searching for a calming space free of worry and harm, singing, "Wish I could make myself believe / It'd make it easier to breathe / Wish I could see with my eyes closed / a place where all good gone things go," with a heartfelt ferocity. It's an intoxicating jolt that embodies Hiccup's lightning-in-a-bottle creative energy. - NPR

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Morning Show with John Richards, is “Teasin’ ” by Hiccup from their forthcoming record, Imaginary Enemies, due March 24th on Father/Daughter Records.

To put it simply, Hiccup write a good hook. The Brooklyn three-piece punk group have released just a handful of singles to date, but immediately evident in their music is a keen sense of melody and momentum, building off classic guitar pop groups from The Undertones to Fastbacks to Alvvays. Hiccup’s two vocalists, Hallie Bulleit and Alex Clute, met playing in the house band for NY underground favorite The Chris Gethard Show. The group’s propellant brand of sun-inflected guitar pop is centered on Bulleit and Clute’s intertwined vocal parts and a dense wall of guitar fuzz. Today’s featured song, also the lead single off Hiccup’s debut LP, “Teasin’,” is an under three minute burst of energy which shows that the band has plenty more hooks to come.
Hiccup has no tour dates announced for the West Coast at this time, but check out their Facebook and Bandcamp for more information. Meanwhile, here’s the top notch video for “Teasin'”: - KEXP

Fans of The Chris Gethard Show will likely recognize members of the new band Hiccup. Formed by Hallie Bulleit and Alex Clute—also known to fans of the show as Messenger Bag—the pair play in TCGS’ house band The LLC, where they compose songs seemingly on the fly for the late-night show. With the addition of drummer Piyal Basu, Hiccup takes that freewheeling spirit and gives Bulleit and Clute some room to settle in. The band’s debut album Imaginary Enemies will be released March 24 on Father/Daughter Records, but The A.V. Club is premiering the video for “Teasin’” below, which sees the band finding ways to breakthrough the boredom of a mundane office job. “Teasin’” is the kind of bouncing pop-punk song that’s seemingly a pile of hooks and harmonies, all of which is over in a flash.

Imaginary Enemies comes out on Father/Daughter Records on March 24 2017. - AV Club

Late night's favorite misfits have started a power pop trio and man oh man are they catchy.

Indie rock bands do not usually form as the result of their members having met when they happened into the same cast of a late night television show. That is, however, the genesis story of the Brooklyn, NY outfit Hiccup. Co-songwriters and vocalists Alex Clute and Hallie Bulleit (formerly of The Unlovables) are also members of The LLC, The Chris Gethard Show's island-of-misfit-dorks-turned-talk-show-house-band, penning countless 30-second bursts of pop punk mania, to segue between sketches and bits on the show.

"Eventually after playing together and not really having the ability to be too precious or protective over the songs we were writing for the show due to time constraints, we thought, hey, maybe this can translate into something similar but with more of a lasting impression," Clute explains.

This love and skill for penning melodic yet frenetic songs in the vein that the Ramones pioneered—and bands like the Smoking Popes, the Exploding Hearts and the Lookout! Records roster expanded upon—led them to write the songs that would make up Imaginary Enemies, Hiccup's debut full-length album, which is available for pre-order via Father/Daughter Records and will be released on March 24.

The lead single, "Teasin'," has a pop-punk dual-vocal foundation, but also a murkiness and dissonance that hints at some of Belle And Sebastian's darker moments. Check it out below. - Noisey

Brooklyn's Hiccup (spoiler: they're good) play short poppy poppy poppy punk songs that will quickly improve your mood.

The band = Haille / Alex / Piyal

(Fun fact: co-songwriters / vocalists Alex & Haille are also members of comic Chris Gethard's house band on his TV show.)

Since forming sometime circa 2015 A.D. Hiccup has played a bunch of shows w/ several solid peeps including Screaming Females, Laura Stevenson, Fern Mayo, Thick, Such Hounds, Twiga, Katie Ellen, Chris Gethard (already mentioned in the fun fact section) and more good artists and bands to be sure but we must move on.

The band's debut full-length album is out soon on the excellent Father/Daughter Records (home to: Forth Wanderers, Diet Cig, PWR BTTM & lots more goodness).

Here are two good jams from it. - Oh My Rockness

Hiccup have bit around for a bit now — dual vocalists Hallie Bulleit and Alex Clute met while playing in The Chris Gethard Show’s house band before adding drummer Piyal Basu to their ranks — but they’re just getting around to releasing their debut album, Imaginary Enemies, next month. They’ve already shared one track from it, “Teasin’,” and today they’re unveiling another one. “Lady MacBeth & Miss Havisham” is a rapid-fire track about finding a center in the stress of mental unrest, and it sounds like it was ripped straight out of a ’90s teen movie. It comes attached to a video directed by Fletcher Wolfe that sees the band getting spun around in mid-air while a narrative of discontentment plays out concurrently (complete with a cameo from Chris Gethard). Watch and listen below. - Stereogum

Unlovables singer Hallie Bulliet is now also in another band, Hiccup, where she splits vocal duties with Alex Knudson. So far Hiccup have released two demos, “Dad Jokes” and “Whatev, It’s Cool,” and a third track, “Yeah,” premieres in this post. They’re not too far removed from The Unlovables, but they feel a bit more subdued — “Dad Jokes” borders on Smiths/R.E.M. style jangle pop. Listen to all three below.

Read More: The Unlovables are back; singer also in Hiccup — upcoming shows w/ Jeff Rosenstock, Chumped & more (stream 3 songs) | http://www.brooklynvegan.com/the-unlovables/?trackback=tsmclip - BrooklynVegan

Do you like three chords buzzsaw guitars? Do you like pop-punk melodies? Do you like music that bops like music from a sock hop but wasn’t written for 14-year-olds with goo-goo eyes? Hiccup is the ticket. This band pays homage to the pop-punk heroes while coming at you from the brain of actual adults. Moreso than almost any other band, Hiccup proves that you can rock and be a grown person, and there’s more to life than “do-you-like-me” songs. In fact, their monster jam, “Whatev, it’s cool” is basically a I-don’t-like-you song. That's my favorite kind of song! (Fun fact, a couple of the bandmembers in Hiccup are in the LLC, the Chris Gethard show house band). -John Gentile - PunksNews.org

Hiccup hail from Brooklyn, and they’re the newest members of the ever-growing Father/Daughter Records family. Their first release will be a double-A side single, which will drop in October, and today we’re hearing the first side. “Fuckup” is a brash and self-deprecating song about finding solace inside, and ignoring the world around you. Hiccup’s members share vocalist duties, which makes their desire to be alone sound like less of a sad admission and more of a defiant declaration of collective boredom. Listen. - Stereogum

This week, Shaun chats with Hallie Bulleit, Alex Clute, and Piyal Basu of Hiccup, a punk rock trio currently signed to Father/Daughter records, after their set at Aviv in Brooklyn on July 17th. - WLUR 91.5 FM

Brooklyn garage poppers Hiccup play Aviv on 7.17

Brooklyn-based band Hiccup signed to Father/Daughter Records in the fall of 2015, and is comprised of Hallie Bulleit (The Unlovables & The Chris Gethard Show House Band), Alex Clute (The Chris Gethard Show House Band), and Piyal Basu (New Oldies). The three-piece blends together male/female vocal harmonies with a mature pop punk and garage rock sound. Their track “Fuckup” features a laid back vocal delivery from Clute and self-deprecating lyrics that examine the comfort found in solitude. “Whatev, It’s Cool” (streaming below) is less focuses instead on putting a negative relationship in the past while singing the lines, “cuz he loves me more than you ever could.” The track features the band's signature buzzing garage rock fuzz, combined with charming two way harmonies. The band will be playing Aviv on July 17th in support of Winter Break. - John Honan - The Deli

It's here! To celebrate 300 episodes of the Punknews Podcast we brought in a bunch of friends to chat about punk rock, play song cool songs, and join in our ongoing experiment in rambling insanity. This episode features live performances from Blag Dahlia of the Dwarves, new Fat Wreck darlings PEARS, Hallie Bulleit's new trio Hiccup and Albany, NY's After The Fall. We also catch up with Asian Man Records' Mike Park to celebrate his label's own big anniversary. - PunkNews.org