Hum (Band)

It was a brisk, gray March morning when I decided to tune into my local college radio station while driving on the highway to school. I don't usually listen to the radio, but that day I figured that I would listen to the MSU radio station to see what they usually played in the mornings. When I first tuned in, I heard the some of the newer alternative singles from some moderately popular bands--MGMT, The Dandy Warhols, etc. But the next song I heard completely blew me away. It started off with a quiet, clean guitar lick, and soon after a laid-back, almost hesitant voice came in singing: "She thinks she missed the train to Mars, she's out back counting stars." The voice sings the lyric again, and suddenly out of my low grade car speakers comes an explosive one-chord fury of guitars, bass and drums. The noise lingers for a moment and then fades into a chorus effect-ridden guitar line. This plays for a moment and suddenly the drums pound back in, unleashing the fury of over driven guitars and bass again as I listen to this beautifully melodic yet driving song about isolation and love. Later that day, I search the web looking for the band that played this song (the unfortunate thing about college radio stations is that they don't usually have DJ's working early to state what songs are played/being played). To my surprise, there wasn't a whole plethora of information about the song or the band. But after some fervent searching I found out that the song, called "Stars" was played by a band that just barely got famous. They're from the small college town of Champaign, Illinois, and their name is Hum.

Searing guitars, thundering rhythm, and mellow vocals. This combination of musical qualities created the sonic and melodic tones that was Hum. The band consisted of four members- Vocalist and guitarist Matt Talbott, guitarist Tim Lash, bass guitarist Jeff Dimpsey and drummer Bryan St. Pere. What surprises me about this band is that very little people know about them or their music. The band formed in 1989, a time where the music scene in the U.S. was starting to feel the effects of the "hair metal" scene that dominated the 80's. Guitarist and vocalist Matt Talbott was working in a cafe in Champaign where he met Dimpsey, Pere, and then guitarist Andy Switzky. All members had played in local bands before forming Hum, and soon began playing shows in the Chicago area and beyond. In 1991, the group released their debut album Fillet Show. They soon began touring and they began growing a small fan base within the Chicago area. With bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam breaking the mold with their "alternative" and "grunge" sound in Seattle, Hum began to find itself in a hotbed of a burgeoning alternative scene sprouting all across the country. Soon local Chicago bands like Smashing Pumpkins began gaining fame, but Hum still had some work to do. In 1993 the band released Electra 2000 on Parasol Records, this time with new guitarist Tim Lash. The record continued to help the band grow their fan base and popularity and by 1995 the group signed a major label record deal with RCA. That same year, Hum released their major label debut You'd Rather Prefer an Astronaut, a swirling album filled with overdriven guitars, space-like effects, and subtle vocal work which gave the album a looming, ethereal feel. The theme of space and astronomy is very prominent throughout Hum's discography, and this theme was fitting for their major label debut's first single, "Stars." With the single gaining airplay, the band soon began an American tour, landing feature spots on programs like the Howard Stern Show and Late Night with Conan O' Brien. Record sales for You'd Prefer and Astronaut began to sky-rocket and the band sold over 250,000 copies of the record. The band spent most of 1996 touring but despite all that and releasing more singles, the album began to lose its fire. In 1998, Hum released their final album Downward is Heavenward. Sales of the album were weak and sold less than 30,000 copies, and during the tour supporting the album the band suffered an accident which totaled their tour van. Without a means of touring and slowing sales, RCA decided to drop Hum off their label and by 2000, the band had decided to call it a day and moved on to other projects of their own.

With the passing of the millennium and the recent rise of '90s bands reuniting, Hum has gotten back together on a handful of occasions, mostly just for one-off gigs in and around Champaign and the Chicago area. As for a full-blown reunion tour, anything is possible. No one in the group has mentioned anything of that manner as of yet, but time is still on Hum's side and the options are plentiful. I have just become a recent fan of Hum, but I do enjoy their music despite my fairly newfound interest. If you would like to listen to some of their stuff, I'd highly recommend You'd Prefer an Astronaut although copies are somewhat difficult to find these days. There are also a few live videos of them on Youtube, including their Howard Stern and Conan O' Brien performances. Check them out if you like, if you're into alternative rock music and are looking for something old yet new, you have yourself a perfect listen.

Source Credit

http://www.h-u-m.net/index.php