“That track you wanted was just recorded in our friend’s basement on his computer when we were all drunk as shit.” This is what Nathan Langston, violinist for the Maybe Happening, told me via MySpace when I asked if Local Cut could us “Hot Night” as a Cut of the Day. Well, guys, if this is what happens when you get trashed in your friend’s basement, then I say keep the booze a flowin’.

“Hot Night” is a jangly little number that’s complete with rock yells, steadily spastic guitar riffs and a spacey, bubbly guitar breakdown about two minutes in, and the whole package is about as feelgood as, well, a night of drinking with friends. Not to sound like a broken record (I mentioned this in a WW listing recently), but I find this track awfully reminiscent of Philadelphia’s Dr. Dog, and I love me some Dr. Dog. The bright strumming at the beginning and following mini-breakdown that leads into the track’s power-chord rock has a similarly smart-yet-playful feel, hinting (as those Philly psych-rockers often do) toward some sort of winking intent behind the apparent goofiness. Maybe, as Nathan’s comment suggests, there is no such intent, but the effect is reached nonetheless.

Suffice it to say I’m excited to hear what this local guitar/drums/violin trio offers up in the future; after all, sometimes the most seemingly sloppy pop turns out to be the most relevant, and the most fun (see Seattle’s BOAT for a good example of such silly profundity).

www.myspace.com/themaybehappening

Photo: from the band’s MySpace.

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