Since the Black Belles’ gained prominence on Jack White’s Third Man label a few years ago, singer/guitarist Olivia Jean has distinguished herself not just as that band’s front-person, but as a side player for the likes of White’s now ex-wife, model/singer Karen Elson, the great rockabilly pioneer Wanda Jackson, and Mr. White himself. (Age test: did “Mr. White” make you think of Reservoir Dogs or Breaking Bad?)
 

 
Given that Jean’s shown skill with pretty much every rock instrument, a solo album was probably inevitable. Produced by Jack White (also inevitable), it’s called Bathtub Love Killings. As it’s on Third Man, there will of course be a limited colored vinyl edition on top of the usual LP/CD/digital release. The first single is “Reminisce,” and DM is pleased to be debuting it for you today. Like any given Black Belles song, it owes a lot to garage rock and ‘60s girl groups, but to my surprise, it’s a good bit less dark in its tone than the work the Belles are known for. Judge for yourself below.

The non-LP b-side is a marvelous cover of “Toot Toot Tootsie,” a song made famous by Al Jolson (though an earlier version was recorded by Eddie Cantor) in the groundbreaking 1927 film Jazz Singer. The first ever feature film with synchronized sound dialogue and music, it basically killed off the silent film era. Before we all take to the comments, yes, I’m aware that Jolson was best known as a blackface performer, and that this is now recognized by reasonable people as racist and offensive. Accordingly, I’m sharing a Jazz Singer clip wherein Jolson sports his natural Jewface.
 

 
Here are those Olivia Jean tracks for your consideration. Both songs, by the way, are downloadable, via the graces of ScionAV. Bathtub Love Killings is due for release on October 14.
 

 
Indianapolis’ We Are Hex have constantly been creeping up to the verge of something bigger for far too long. Formed in 2007, their reputation grew steadily, and the excellence of their live shows grew with it. Their 2010 12” LP Hail the Goer positively slayed, and a single released on Jack White’s Third Man label in 2011 brought them to the attention of “all the right people,” and then… nothing.

There were rumors that the guitar player had joined a cult. There were rumors of serious but unspecified health problems. And then atop all that, their studio got robbed and they were left without instruments or recording gear. No more We Are Hex. “Indefinite hiatus” was the explanation proffered, but in band-land, that’s like a restaurant hanging up the “closed for renovations” sign: it typically means that someone’s in denial about being out of business.

Their indefinite hiatus, however, became finite in 2013, when the reconstituted band released the “Lude Newdie Animals” single and toured again. I went to see the live show—of course I did, what else do you do when a favorite band you never thought you’d see again suddenly announces tour dates—and they completely killed it.

No description of their sound I’ve ever read or conjured has done them proper justice. P.J. Harvey’s name gets dropped a lot, the long shadow of goth is definitely hovering over this band, and they bring the obtuse angles of post-punk and the abrasions of ‘90s underground rock to the mix too, but you really have to hear it to get it. And as they’ve just released a new video for the song “Tongues,” here’s a fine opportunity. I threw in a few older ones too, after the jump, because why not. Enjoy.
 

”Tongues”
 
This way to more We Are Hex…