Ex Hex is already one of Washington, D.C.'s most exciting bands, and not just because of the lightning-strong licks that scream out of Mary Timony's guitar. This is a group that lets itself have as much fun as possible, and that sense of joy is crucial.
There aren't a lot of big, important messages coursing through the lyrics crafted by Timony, the veteran musician (Helium, Wild Flag, Autoclave, Mary Timony Band) who writes most of Ex Hex's songs. Mostly, she tackles people and relationships, then blows everything out of a cannon preloaded with nails and confetti. Then there's the rest of the band: Bassist and fellow songwriter Betsy Wright burrows right into a groove with effortless cool, while drummer Laura Harris, as focused as an electron microscope, kicks off her shoes to get deep in the zone.
I'd been trying to get Ex Hex into WAMU's studios for months, but the band took its time in the run-up to its debut album, Rips. That chunk of noise came tumbling down from rock mountain last week, not long after the band finally stopped by our studio to lay down two wailers from the record: "Everywhere" (shown here) and "Don't Wanna Lose."
On recording day, the response from inside WAMU HQ gave us a sense of how tremendous this session would be. Within minutes of Timony's first solo, staff from came in to say they could feel it all the way down the hall.
May Ex Hex's clamor forever transform nerds into leather-clad rockers! Let it disturb the productivity of a million more office workers! Long live the rock!
Set List
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