Hit Back
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Hit Back

Morton, Illinois, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2011 | INDIE

Morton, Illinois, United States | INDIE
Established on Jan, 2011
Duo Pop Alternative

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"THE BEST SONGS OF 2011"

20. The Hit Back – “Me and the Kid”
19. Vetiver – “Wonder Why”
18. First Aid Kit – “The Lion’s Roar”
17. Tune-Yards – “Powa”
16. Tyson – “Love’s On The Line”
15. Deportees – “Islands And Shores”
14. The Rural Alberta Advantage – “Tornado ’87?
13. Keegan DeWitt – “Thunder Clatter”
12. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – “Morning Thought”
11. Florence + The Machine – “Shake It Out”
10. Generationals – “Ten-Twenty-Ten”
9. Shabazz Palaces – “Swerve… the reeping of all that is worthwhile (noir not withstanding)”
8. Bombay Bicycle Club – “Shuffle”
7. The War On Drugs – “Baby Missiles”
6. Youth Lagoon – “Cannons”
5. Wye Oak – Civilian”
4. PAPA – “I Am The Lion King”
3. Feist – “The Bad In Each Other”
2. Fleet Foxes – “Helplessness Blues”
1. M83 – “MIDNIGHT CITY” - The Wounded Jukebox


"ICYMI: THE HIT BACK – Who Are These Weird Old Kids"

Chicago duo The Hit Back recently came up on our radar and boy are we glad they did. Back in April of this year they released their debut long player and we want you to check it out.

With that being said, have a listen to Who Are These Weird Old Kids in the Bandcamp player below. It would be difficult to find a song on the album we don’t like.

The 2-piece are set to play Toronto on October 14th and 15th during Indie Week. For more info and additional live dates, visit The Hit Back over on Facebook. - The Indie Machine


"The Hit Back - Who Are These Weird Old Kids"

The Hit Back, duo de Chicago, a sorti leur premier album en avril 2011 chez Sidedown Audio.
ll est difficile de rattacher leur son à un genre particulier et c'est ce qui fait de «Who Are These Weird Kids» un album si intéressant.
On pourrait parler de pop électro power flok. Leur musique est mélancolique ,douce, calme, planante et soutenue par un son électro, pop folk, voire shoegaze. Même les influences sont difficiles à trouver et dépendent des goûts de chacun, on pense, au fil des titres et des écoutes, à The Trills ,The Submarines, Death Cab For Cutie, The Beach Boys, mais aussi à Animal Collective, Doves, Engineers, Midlake, Depeche Mode, Angelo Badalamenti. - Stereo Music Connection (France)


"The Hit Back, la révélation chicagoane de l'été"

Diffusé, comme tous les bons albums (on rigole) sur bandcamp, le premier album de The Hit Back, duo transmusical de Chicago, a fait moins parler de lui cet été qu'il ne s'est écouté. Avec son titre excellent, Who Are These Weird Kids, Hit Back propose une musique résolument moderne (ce qui ne veut rien dire) entre électro folk et power pop enthousiasmante qui creuse le sillon d'un genre éclairé par Animal Collective d'un côté, Diamond Ring de l'autre, et soutenu par d'autres mouvements souterrains comme le revival shoegaze.

Comme cela devient l'habitude désormais, il apparaît assez difficile de décrire précisément à quelle sous-chapelle rattacher cette musique, sa caractéristique première étant d'exprimer une forme de mélancolie soutenue sous une apparence plutôt allègre. On peut ainsi faire de cette musique à peu près ce qu'on veut - ce qui quelque part est aussi un handicap et peut s'interpréter chez les anciens comme un manque de corps : danser, remuer la tête, chiller ou juste s'étendre pour rêver ou maudire le sort de la planète.

"Me And The Kid" le premier morceau est à cet égard un bon reflet de ce que savent faire les deux hommes du groupe, raconter une histoire, l'habiller pour la collection été/hiver et la déployer avec élégance et savoir-faire autour d'une mélodie habile et relativement inoffensive. L'album regorge de belles ballades un peu tristes et qu'on ne distingue pas tout à fait les unes des autres mais qui sont agréables, planantes comme une sorte de version urbaine et chicagoane de la musique douce amère de The Thrills, il y a quelques années, les flonflons à la Beach Boys de Dublin en moins. Le tout est moderne au sens où on n'a pas connu ça avant, tout en dégageant aussi un côté rétro (rétromaniaque) qui donne l'impression de naviguer en terre connue. Produit par un Suédois, The Hit Back propose une musique chaleureuse et à la fois cosmopolite, mémorable par sa délicatesse mais globalement évanescente.

A eux seuls, ces deux-là et leur musique pourraient rouvrir les débats sur l'avenir du rock et la signature sonore des musiques des années 2000-2010 : comment identifier ce son-là ? Quelle texture lui donner historiquement ? The Hit Back couronne-t-il un genre qui est à la pop ce qu'Ikea est à la menuiserie ou marque-t-il un point de sophistication que seuls ont pu accoucher des siècles de progrès et de développement occidentaux ? Tout ceci nous emmenant un peu loin, on en restera là. - Fluctuat (France)


"Daily Diversion"

Local electropop duo The Hit Back sound more Euro than American, and for good reason. For their album Who Are These Weird Old Kids, masterminds Jesse Hanabarger and Seth Weidmann sought help from the Swedes to craft the delicate pop songs that are part acoustic ballad and part atmospheric noise replete with digital drum beats and synthesizers. A description like that screams music that is on the verge of cheese-dom, but somehow The Hit Back create a soothing, and entirely enjoyable experience. - Loud Loop Press


"Scouting Report: The Hit Back"

The Hit Back's Jesse Hanabarger is such a ringer for Joe Pernice that frankly it's hard to tell the two apart. Chicago's The Hit Back may have all the finesse and poeticism of The Pernice Brothers, but their debut Who Are These Weird Old Kids takes the kind of inventive sonic detours that bring to mind everyone from Canada's Small Sins to the The Beach Boys. "Me And The Kid" is an infectious number of pure pop weariness; "Sick Of Sweets" is a series of layered loops and harmonies that may only clock in at one minute, but somehow, in its brevity manages to be a mini-indie rock symphony. Later, "That Wave" juxtaposes bleak lyrics with a dark and simple groove and "Everything Leaks" and "Down The Hall" choke back the sobs with such expertly restrained beauty, it's hard to believe this is only the band's first record. The closer "And You're The Night" is the first proper album closer this reviewer has heard in years. Singing against the lone accompaniment of a piano, Hanabarger's voice soars and staggers like someone who's recapturing his balance only so he can plunge back into the darkness: "When I awoke/I was partially healed/You're so right/Sick and addicted feels just fine."

This album feels better than fine. This feels like the debut of a band that's about to produce a wealth of brilliant work.

On the eve of the release of Who Are These Weird Old Kids, singer Jesse Hanabarger willingly subjected himself to CITC's Scouting Report Questionnaire.

FULL NAME: Jesse H. Hanabarger

HOMETOWN: Fillmore, Il

WEBSITE: www.thehitback.com

RECORD LABEL: Unsigned

DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND IN ONE SENTENCE: Our sound is electronic pop, but tells its parents it's alt/folk.

PROUDEST PROFESSIONAL MOMENT: Seth and I were really excited to get to work with Lindefelt (The LK, Fredrik) on the post-production of our first album. We were both fans of his music and production before we even considered asking him to help out.

STRANGEST PROFESSIONAL MOMENT: A few years ago while setting up stage with a previous band of mine, these three guys hijacked our equipment and played "One-Armed Scissor." Great song. But those three guys did an asshole cover of it.

THE SONG YOU WISH YOU'D WRITTEN: "Sweet Song" by Blur FIVE MUSICIANS YOU ADMIRE: Rufus Wainwright, Damon Albarn, John Vanderslice, Antony Hegarty, Thom Yorke

ALBUM YOU CAN'T STOP LISTENING TO: Crying Light by Antony and the Johnsons

DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS A KID: I was a bit of a misfit. I grew up in a tiny country town where everyone was into hunting, cars, and sports. I was more interested in cats and building dams in the creek.

THREE THINGS THAT KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT: My friends, TV, the dumpster guy from Mulholland Drive

LAST TWO BOOKS YOU'VE READ: Blood Meridian, Age of Reason

THINGS WE'D FIND IN THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR: If I had a car I'd keep blankets or tools or something in there.

FAVORITE MUPPET WITH A BRIEF EXPLANATION: I like the Yip Yip Aliens because they say "yip yip" and they're fascinated by everything.

HARDEST PART ABOUT BEING A MUSICIAN: One of the hardest parts is developing your initial inspiration for songs into substantial material. Moments of inspiration with riffs and melodies do seem to pop out of nowhere. But moving forward from there is way more involved. You have to work on the song's development. But you can't over-work it. It sometimes feels like a fight to keep the original soul and inspiration through all the experimentation so it translates in the end.

FAVORITE LATE NIGHT TV SHOW: Syndicated Andy Griffith

IDEAL BREAKFAST: Bleu Cheese Omelet with Limpa from Svea

DRINK OF CHOICE: Wine

BEST ALBUM TO PLAY AFTER A BREAK-UP AND YOU'RE HOLDING A BOTTLE OF VODKA AND SOMETHING SHARP: You Forgot It In People - Broken Social Scene

INDULGENCE YOU REFUSE TO GIVE UP: Sweet drinks

WORDS TO LIVE BY: My grandma would always say, "Don't force it." That was usually when I'd catch the zipper on my jacket. But I now realize it applies on many levels.

Who Are All These Weird Old Kids is out now. - Caught in the Carousel


"CHIRP + Coach House Sounds Session With The Hit Back"

The Hit Back are a new group in Chicago comprised of Seth Weidmann and Jesse Hanabarger. Their piano-based rock recalls a young Ben Gibbard, with more atmospheric instrumentation. Their debut album, “Who Are These Weird Old Kids” came out on April 26th with gorgeous packaging by Chicago’s Sidedown Audio, and it was partially produced by Swedish producer Lindefelt.

Coach House Sounds will release The Hit Back Session on May 10th, 2011. Stream it at coachhousesounds.com and check out their in-store performance at Saki, 3617 W. Fullerton, on May 14th at 4pm.

What the dumbest thing you’ve ever done in a basement?

One of the dumbest things I ever did in a basement was try to start one of my first bands with some friends in high school. There were five of us, and we called ourselves 5 Card Stud. We built our first and only song on a riff I had come up with. We were pretty proud of ourselves until the end of the summer when we starting hearing the song “Right Now” by SR-71. Turns out we pretty much wrote that song. I can field questions later about the hip hop crew I also had in a different basement.

Can you tell me about one time when you realized this was YOUR city?

Growing up just north of Chicago, in Evanston, I always felt a strong connection with the city. I would even claim it as “my city” when I lived up in Minnesota for a few years in college, but it probably wasn’t true at that point. I’d say that a couple years ago, once me and my sister and my parents all ended up here in different and wonderful neighborhoods of Chicago, that’s when it was truly my city. It’s full of so many people and places that I love, too many to name. It’s hard to imagine living anywhere else.

Describe a scenario where The Hit Back could be someone’s life coach and the top 2 life lessons you’d teach them.

First of all, we would call our life coaching seminar Learn to Hit Back: Jesse and Seth’s Approach to Treating Life’s Obstacles as a Punching Bag. We would probably lecture from a boxing ring in the middle of the room, or at least have a mic hanging from the ceiling.

Then the lesson we would teach is that people should surround themselves with other people that they trust and respect the hell out of. The Hit Back is a good example of that. A lesson about regularly using a sinus rinse or neti pot would probably follow.

Tell me about your CHS session—what did you like about it? Was there anything that surprised you or was spontaneous that came out in the recording?

The Coach House Sounds experience was all positive. Matt and his crew are doing such a great job with this project. Doug, Mike and Neal are all crazy good at what they do.

We ended up recording our session a few days before a show, so it was a nice little rehearsal opportunity for us. We basically just ran through a shortened version of our set, trying out a couple new things for some of the songs. - Chicago Independent Radio Project


"CHIRP + Coach House Sounds Session With The Hit Back"

The Hit Back are a new group in Chicago comprised of Seth Weidmann and Jesse Hanabarger. Their piano-based rock recalls a young Ben Gibbard, with more atmospheric instrumentation. Their debut album, “Who Are These Weird Old Kids” came out on April 26th with gorgeous packaging by Chicago’s Sidedown Audio, and it was partially produced by Swedish producer Lindefelt.

Coach House Sounds will release The Hit Back Session on May 10th, 2011. Stream it at coachhousesounds.com and check out their in-store performance at Saki, 3617 W. Fullerton, on May 14th at 4pm.

What the dumbest thing you’ve ever done in a basement?

One of the dumbest things I ever did in a basement was try to start one of my first bands with some friends in high school. There were five of us, and we called ourselves 5 Card Stud. We built our first and only song on a riff I had come up with. We were pretty proud of ourselves until the end of the summer when we starting hearing the song “Right Now” by SR-71. Turns out we pretty much wrote that song. I can field questions later about the hip hop crew I also had in a different basement.

Can you tell me about one time when you realized this was YOUR city?

Growing up just north of Chicago, in Evanston, I always felt a strong connection with the city. I would even claim it as “my city” when I lived up in Minnesota for a few years in college, but it probably wasn’t true at that point. I’d say that a couple years ago, once me and my sister and my parents all ended up here in different and wonderful neighborhoods of Chicago, that’s when it was truly my city. It’s full of so many people and places that I love, too many to name. It’s hard to imagine living anywhere else.

Describe a scenario where The Hit Back could be someone’s life coach and the top 2 life lessons you’d teach them.

First of all, we would call our life coaching seminar Learn to Hit Back: Jesse and Seth’s Approach to Treating Life’s Obstacles as a Punching Bag. We would probably lecture from a boxing ring in the middle of the room, or at least have a mic hanging from the ceiling.

Then the lesson we would teach is that people should surround themselves with other people that they trust and respect the hell out of. The Hit Back is a good example of that. A lesson about regularly using a sinus rinse or neti pot would probably follow.

Tell me about your CHS session—what did you like about it? Was there anything that surprised you or was spontaneous that came out in the recording?

The Coach House Sounds experience was all positive. Matt and his crew are doing such a great job with this project. Doug, Mike and Neal are all crazy good at what they do.

We ended up recording our session a few days before a show, so it was a nice little rehearsal opportunity for us. We basically just ran through a shortened version of our set, trying out a couple new things for some of the songs. - Chicago Independent Radio Project


"Up and Coming Indie Artist: The Hit Back"

Up and coming Chicago indie artists Jesse Hanabarger and Seth Weidmann of The Hit Back are more than just another electronic duo. The Hit Back’s debut album, Who Are These Weird Old Kids spans multiple genres of music, and not just from one electronic sub-genre to another.

The album starts out with the radio friendly song “Me and the Kid” giving the listener a Beck vibe. Introducing instruments such as acoustic guitar and piano into tunes such as “Down the Hall” and “Everything Leaks” adds nice depth to the electric drums and synthesizers used in a majority of their tracks.

As you journey through the album, Beck isn’t the only popular artist that will ring mental bells; hints of Coldplay and Moby are apparent influences on this duo from Chicago in the song “Tagalong”.

Although there is nothing groundbreaking, the diverse instrumentation and catchy hooks make this a very listenable album. - Gravy and Biscuits


"The Hit Back"

The Hit Back officially release their debut album, Who Are These Weird Old Kids, through Sidedown Audio today. The band may not have a lot of experience on the scene, but their electro-pop sound is right in line with a lot of popular bands. Their sound is a mixture of guitar-based pop and subtle but effective electronics. - The Deli


"The Hit Back: Who Are These Weird Old Kids (Sidedown Audio)"

Mixed bag, thy name is The Hit Back. At the start this DIY album behaves like most of your basic quirk-electropop records, endlessly inviting, understated electro-twee in the manner of Here We Go Magic’s more subtle material, stuff that’s considered electro-folk for lack of a more imaginative term; it’s simply very agreeable, very, you know, pleasant. These guys have hung out a Kings of Convenience franchise shingle to some extent, also, hence there’s softer, okay, electro-folk. Moving forward there are disagreeable moments made of things that don’t fit if you’d hoped to throw this thing on for background steez, for instance the unnecessarily loud Figurine-doing-shoegaze non sequitur ‘Afternoon’. I’m all for small-potatoes producers using everything at their disposal to make interesting things, but am I the only one getting fed up with having friendly chill out records suddenly remind you that there’s danger at every goddamned corner, and the terrorists are coming, and blah blah blah screeeech? - Spike Magazine


"The Hit Back: Who Are These Weird Old Kids (Sidedown Audio)"

Mixed bag, thy name is The Hit Back. At the start this DIY album behaves like most of your basic quirk-electropop records, endlessly inviting, understated electro-twee in the manner of Here We Go Magic’s more subtle material, stuff that’s considered electro-folk for lack of a more imaginative term; it’s simply very agreeable, very, you know, pleasant. These guys have hung out a Kings of Convenience franchise shingle to some extent, also, hence there’s softer, okay, electro-folk. Moving forward there are disagreeable moments made of things that don’t fit if you’d hoped to throw this thing on for background steez, for instance the unnecessarily loud Figurine-doing-shoegaze non sequitur ‘Afternoon’. I’m all for small-potatoes producers using everything at their disposal to make interesting things, but am I the only one getting fed up with having friendly chill out records suddenly remind you that there’s danger at every goddamned corner, and the terrorists are coming, and blah blah blah screeeech? - Spike Magazine


"The Hit Back’s Debut Album Announced"

The formula for Chicago’s The Hit Back tells of electronic mysticism infused with coffeehouse folk. From the sound of the duo’s debut album, Who Are These Weird Old Kids, the combos are lining up perfectly.

Simply, Jesse Hanabarger and Seth Weidmann have something that doesn’t sound like a first effort album. Aided by Swedish musician/producer Lindefelt, the 10-track album serenades, occasionally laments and often oozes of class. As the progression of the album unfolds, so too does the tethered tempo between vocals and the instrumental accompaniments (guitar, keyboard, drums). This unhinging pulls to a slight degree of discord before eloquently harmonizing to close down each track.

Who Are These Weird Old Kids is scheduled to hit stores on April 26. For more information on The Hit Back, visit their website, MySpace or Facebook. - Music Under Fire


"The Hit Back’s Debut Album Announced"

The formula for Chicago’s The Hit Back tells of electronic mysticism infused with coffeehouse folk. From the sound of the duo’s debut album, Who Are These Weird Old Kids, the combos are lining up perfectly.

Simply, Jesse Hanabarger and Seth Weidmann have something that doesn’t sound like a first effort album. Aided by Swedish musician/producer Lindefelt, the 10-track album serenades, occasionally laments and often oozes of class. As the progression of the album unfolds, so too does the tethered tempo between vocals and the instrumental accompaniments (guitar, keyboard, drums). This unhinging pulls to a slight degree of discord before eloquently harmonizing to close down each track.

Who Are These Weird Old Kids is scheduled to hit stores on April 26. For more information on The Hit Back, visit their website, MySpace or Facebook. - Music Under Fire


"The Hit Back: "Me and the Kid""

The Hit Back are a pair of twenty-somethings from Chicago. The duo already have a knack for creating charming songs powered by a variety of clicks and clacks, buzzes and hums. The base for most of the songs on the band’s debut LP Who Are These Weird Old Kids are either strummed guitar parts (both acoustic and electric) or a variety of keyboard samples.

“Me And The Kid” grabs the listener’s attention right away with an interesting, repetitious sample that continues in one form another for virtually the whole song. Layers of keyboard and percussion are added and lead vocalist Jesse Hanabarger capably croons over the whole tapestry. Those percussion elements you hear are provided by the other half of The Hit Back, Seth Weidmann.

The vibe on “Me And The Kid” is heartfelt and chill, and the song is skillfully crafted from the get-go. The rest of the album is worth checking out as well, and can be streamed in its entirety or purchased in digital form on the duo’s bandcamp site. Physical copies will be available on April 26th through Sidedown Audio. They call it electroacoustic pop. We call it enjoyable listening. Download “Me And The Kid” below! - The Wounded Jukebox


"Album Review: The Hit Back – Who Are These Weird Old Kids"

With a unique sound that crosses musical genres, there are high expectations for the Chicago duo The Hit Back. The band describes their sound and genre as “electro folk”. And after listening to their full-length album entitled Who Are These Weird Old Kids (out April 26, 2011), the claim of the genre makes sense.

While recording the album, the duo – Jesse Hanabarger and Seth Weidmann – brought in Lindefelt to produce the album. Overall, the production of the album further explains the use of the term electro-folk, but never really mixes the two. The tracks are organized in a measurement of energy.

The first track “Me and the Kid,” is the closest to the mixture. There is a timeless echo to it presented by a more hollow sound than anything else on the album. It is a great first track and is high in production value and energy.

The following tracks are truly beautiful, slower ballads, but something that would typically be found at the end of an album. In the fourth track called “Everything Leaks” the use of a traditional piano and the interaction it has with the electronic clips tied into the song as well. The song that transitions the lo-fi to hi-fi is called “Sick of Sweets”. The connection is mostly due to the retro feel that the song has.

The album finishes off with a slow track with an exciting crescendo, unifying the tracks. Who Are These Weird Old Kids is excellent, with an interesting organization. The band is impressive as a duo and has exceeded my expectations with their first release.

Currently, they have one tour date scheduled. They will be performing on April 22 in Chicago, IL a few days before their album release. For now, listeners can go to The Hit Back’s BandCamp page to listen to a few tracks from the album, which is highly recommended. - Dead Journalist


"Top 5 Songs for February 2011"

“ME AND THE KID” – THE HIT BACK – Another theft from The Wounded Jukebox, The Hit Back is an electro-acoustic pop duo from Chicago made up of Jesse Hanabarger and Seth Weidmann. “Me and the Kid” has an intoxicating blend of repetitive keyboard and drum samples that builds into a dance of melody and emotion-filled vocals. The driving force of the synth-infused song adds intensity with a decidedly satisfying pop finish. You can download it now on their Bandcamp site or wait for their official release of the physical CD on April 26th. - Radio Potato


"Pick Up On: The Hit Back"

There is a prevalence of musical duos in indie rock these days. Computerized tools enable smaller units to produce complex, euphonic works in the studio and onstage (insert juvenile Michael Scott comment), but songs are often rendered underdeveloped, one dimensional, or self-indulgent. Chicago duo, the Hit Back, do not fall prey to such missteps. Their indie pop music is spacious, measured, and charming, employing a good balance of electronica and diverse, organic instrumentation. Their press material succinctly and accurately states, “No microgenres, no niche approaches, just timeless and ornate music.” Their debut album is Who Are These Weird Old Kids. The opening track ‘Me and the Kid’ displays deep, soothing, yet simple electronic textures, crisp percussion, and amiable vocal melodies. ‘Everything Leaks’ resembles Coldplay, with a strong emotional core, but palpable commercial appeal. ‘Sick of Sweets’ is an extremely brief ditty with amusing, cheeky vocal harmonies, and ‘Tagalong’ is reminiscent of the Rosebuds, with propulsive guitar and soaring organ. What is most remarkable about The Hit Back is the precocious confidence that permeates this record. Don’t slight The Hit Back; check out their debut record, and keep an ear to the ground to catch what Jesse Hanabarger and Seth Weidmann do next. - The Dadada


"Pick Up On: The Hit Back"

There is a prevalence of musical duos in indie rock these days. Computerized tools enable smaller units to produce complex, euphonic works in the studio and onstage (insert juvenile Michael Scott comment), but songs are often rendered underdeveloped, one dimensional, or self-indulgent. Chicago duo, the Hit Back, do not fall prey to such missteps. Their indie pop music is spacious, measured, and charming, employing a good balance of electronica and diverse, organic instrumentation. Their press material succinctly and accurately states, “No microgenres, no niche approaches, just timeless and ornate music.” Their debut album is Who Are These Weird Old Kids. The opening track ‘Me and the Kid’ displays deep, soothing, yet simple electronic textures, crisp percussion, and amiable vocal melodies. ‘Everything Leaks’ resembles Coldplay, with a strong emotional core, but palpable commercial appeal. ‘Sick of Sweets’ is an extremely brief ditty with amusing, cheeky vocal harmonies, and ‘Tagalong’ is reminiscent of the Rosebuds, with propulsive guitar and soaring organ. What is most remarkable about The Hit Back is the precocious confidence that permeates this record. Don’t slight The Hit Back; check out their debut record, and keep an ear to the ground to catch what Jesse Hanabarger and Seth Weidmann do next. - The Dadada


"Review: The Hit Back"

The Hit Back is a Chicago duo that makes music you can snap your fingers to. Echoing electronica lulls you into a syrupy slumber, but whether it does so in a good way or not remains unclear. Keyboards and synthesizers mingle in an outcome that is pleasant and pleasurable enough. But at times, consuming The Hit Back’s melodies is like consuming a cupcake with too much frosting. If you can handle the sugar, you’ll probably like it, but if not, you may be left with a toothache and a queasy stomach.

The Hit Back’s mellow electro-rock has been likened to the slow, spaced electronic work of Kings of Convenience. This comparison holds in some respects, but The Hit Back lack the musical cunning Kings of Convenience possesses.

There are a couple of numbers that stand out among the rest. “Afternoon,” for one, with serpentine melodies and sultry notes of longing, is a song that may actually do the Kings of Convenience comparisons justice.

Several songs off Who Are These Weird Old Kids skirt along something special, but never quite make it to greatness. You may find that you spend a track waiting for some essential, culminating moment that never really comes. Perhaps, put most concisely, there is nothing outwardly bad about the album, but there is no obvious excellence either.

Listen to The Hit Back’s “Me and the Kid” - The Daily Tar Heel


"FAME Review: The Hit Back - Who are These Weird Old Kids"

Initiating in a Kraftwerkian Korg vibe, The Hit Back rapidly transforms Me and the Kid into a pop cut with strong chart-folk undertones until a Tangerine Dream wavefront wells up and colors the atmosphere into a cinematic theme, then drops back into a glacial tempo change from whence the song re-erupts, Beach boys-ish, Pet Sounds era. The unit is a duo (Jesse Hanabarger and Seth Weidmann) but doesn't sound it, and the vocalist, in a display half way between Brian Wilson and Ray Davies, has one of those delivery styles that evokes a snapshot of someone who was gobsmacked somewhere along the line and only recently came to, amnesiac, reacquainting with the notion of emotions, starting to daze at the wide world around him, not sure what to make of it all but bemused, unafraid, and grinning.

Expect a welter of electronica, alternatingly cold wave and lushly majestic, with drum machine synchrony and spare compositions that keep changing their minds, everything leaping into unexpected alleys before sauntering back to the sidewalk and continuing down the lane. Afternoon, on the other hand, is a great exercise in sublimatedly ecstatic chill, whispery vocals crooning to the listener of utopian lethargy as instruments slowly progress and finally unleash a long pent surge of wonder. Then That Wave rearranges the process and goes a long way to illustrate how the new crop of musicians are actually the integration point of everything that came before, the most interesting decision being the tension and balance between folk pastorality and progrock invention. There is no clear delimitation, and that's precisely the point. - FAME


Discography

Still working on that hot first release.

Photos

Bio

On their debut, Who Are These Weird Old Kids, Hit Back set up camp between electronic and organic pop. It was recorded in the autumn months with some overseas help from Swedish producer and musician Lindefelt (Fredrik, The LK) and possessed an uncommon confidence for a first effort. Uncompromisingly sweet pop hooks brush against thick electronic textures, diverse arrangements, and lean sonic landscapes reminiscent of Kings of Convenience's folk sensibilities. Their piano-based tracks recall a young Ben Gibbard, with more atmospheric instrumentation. 

Like the last time around, there are no microgenres and no niche approaches. This is just timeless and ornate music.

Hit Back songs have been featured in many productions, including festival-bound indie films, videos for OBEY Clothing, and the television show Suits.

Band Members