When the garage rock revival hit big in the U.S. in 2001 with the Strokes, White Stripes, et al., it came as a surprise to many fans that a number of Swedish bands had been doing it longer and arguably better. Of these, the hyperactive Hives broke the biggest in the States. Complete with band uniforms and a singer named Howlin' Pelle Almquist, they trotted out a frenetic, '60s-influenced sound full of cutting riffs and stabbing rhythms, perfectly in tune with the retro times. To paraphrase Howlin' Pelle, the Hives were indeed your new favorite band.
















![Little Joy [11/4] (CD) ~ Little Joy (Artist) Cover Art](http://i43.tower.com/images/ss112490473/little-joy-cd-cover-art.jpg)















