2… Read Full Bio ↴1. A British indie pop and "urban folk" band fronted by Darren Hayman.
2. electronic downtempo artist Lee Jones who released an album called Residue,
3. An experimental side project of Swedish indie, electronic, hip hop artist Lechy
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1. Hefner were a British indie pop and "urban folk" band fronted by Darren Hayman. They were active from about 1996 until 2002; since then they have played together only once, for a tribute to the DJ John Peel, who was a strong supporter of theirs.
Hefner began as a live band in 1995. In 1996 Darren Hayman recorded a tape for Sticky Records (named The Devotion Chamber) on which all instruments were played by Darren himself. His friend from art school, Antony Harding, assisted, providing backing vocals.
The band's first release was in April of 1997 when the 7" single "A Better Friend" was released by Boogle Wonderland. The single featured Antony on drums and John Morrison (from Rhatigan) on bass. Shortly after the release, the record label Too Pure offered a record deal to Darren, who extended the offer to Antony and John.
After a few more singles, Hefner recorded their debut album Breaking God's Heart. A lo fidelity album primarily recorded in one take, Hayman has declared that this album is the one he is least interested in listening to, due to its unrealized potential.
The Fidelity Wars would be their next record (with the recent addition of multi-instrumentalist Jack Hayter playing on some tracks, who would later join the band properly); a darker collection of songs. In the official website of the band Darren has explained that all of the songs gravitate around the concept of breaking up.
Hefner had, at this point, recorded a large number of singles and EPs. Boxing Hefner collected some of those tracks that had not appeared on the previous albums, often as new recordings. The compilation also included some unreleased material. The band stated that this album was released primarily to mark Jack's actual joining.
We Love the City marked a change in direction for the band. In contrast with previous records, which had older songs, all of the compositions on We Love the City were made for this record, which had better production value and more varied instrumentation.
Dead Media, released in 2001, continued the interest that Hefner had shown in exploring new ways. Dead Media is certainly different from previous records in the sense of its electronic weight, an interest that led Darren to eventually create The French.
After the band's final gig at the ICA in London on 10 December 2001 and the release of an EP called The Hefner Brain the following March, the band went on a seemingly permanent hiatus, save for one reformation for the "Keeping It Peel" tribute show, marking the death of one of their biggest supporters, Radio 1 DJ John Peel. In 2005 a t-shirt was released that read "Hefner, Britain’s Largest Small Band (1997-2002)", and in an interview Darren Hayman said "no, no reunion planned".
In 2005, after a legal dispute between Darren Hayman and Too Pure, the rights to all the band's Too Pure recordings have reverted to Darren. As a result, he has released The Best of Hefner 1996-2002 (on Fortune & Glory) and Catfight (Cargo), a 2 CD collection of 43 unreleased songs, both in 2006. The full recording of Hefner's special live Peel Session performance from 23rd August 2000 in the eight piece We Love the City formation (amelia fletcher and a horn section - part of which appeared as a limited bonus disc with some copies of the CD of We Love the City) has been released under the title of Maida Vale in November 2006. All of the band's albums have also been reissued with bonus tracks.
In 2008 Darren and Jack got together and played Hefner songs on a limited number of venues around Europe. This project is not planned to continue further after September 2008 though.
Darren Hayman tours and releases music as a solo artist - sometimes as Darren Hayman and the Secondary Modern, but he has been involved in several solo projects: The French, the Stereo Morphonium and Hayman, Watkins, Trout and Lee.
Antony Harding's solo project is known as Ant
Jack Hayter releases solo stuff as well.
www.hefnet.com
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2. The other is Lee Jones who released an album called Residue, a number of 12"s and remixes on Inertia Records.
Residue sold 85,000 albums independently through Inertia Records. Lee Jones, in response, took the project on the road around Europe, playing throughout Holland, Germany, Italy and France. Also appearing on national TV in both Germany and Holland. The album was voted number 3 in the BBC Radio 1 urban albums poll.
Then all went quiet. He worked on Josee's solo album, Lost Souls Dancing, and moved to Berlin.
At this time in order to satisfy demand Inertia released a compilation of his best remixes called "Reworks" featuring his versions of tunes by Lamb, 4 Hero, Omar faruk Takbilek and others and took time off to produce some other artists.
In 2003 Inertia hooked Hefner up with Frazey Ford, lead singer of The Be Good Tanyas, a fantastic rootsy, folky band from Vancouver. The resulting material was magical but due to recording commitments to EMI the project had to be stalled until the Be Good Tanyas album was finally released. As of the end of 2006 the project has been revitalised with the partnership working together again. An album is due at the end of 2007.
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3. Dr. Hefner, the Prince of Holmiapolis
Hello Kitten
Hefner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The photos are taken up
The photos are light
They look dull, they look crap when placed in real life.
You have a blue iris with a hint of burt sienna
And it wrestles my hate to the ground.
You have inquisitive eyebrows,
They make me soft-centered
Your lips make a purring sound.
I'm gonna make myself go blind tonight.
I'm gonna make myself go blind tonight.
I'm gonna build a shrine to the wasted days
I'm gonna make myself go blind tonight.
Hello Kitten, you'll never know what it's like to be me when I'm curled at your feet.
I thought you were perfect but that racist joke just made it all bittersweet.
Won't you slap me around and make my lips a bit swollen so we can spend the day off work?
Won't you you cut up my heart and lock it in a suitcase 'cause love is coming in spurts.
I'm so fucking happy it hurts.
I'm gonna make myself go blind tonight.
I'm gonna make myself go blind tonight.
I'm gonna build a shrine to the wasted days.
I'm gonna make myself go blind tonight.
I'm going to
interpret the lyrics of "Hello Kitten" by Hefner. The song begins with the singer revealing that what he misses about sex is not the act itself but the feeling of skin against skin. The photos of the person mentioned in the song look dull and crap when placed in real life. This person has a blue iris with a hint of burt sienna, which the singer finds wrestles his hate to the ground. He also finds this person's eyebrows inquisitive, which makes him soft-centered. Additionally, their lips make a purring sound, adding to the overall intrigue and attraction towards them.
In the chorus, he repeats the phrase "I'm gonna make myself go blind tonight," indicating a desire to indulge in something to the point of exhaustion. The reference to building a shrine to the wasted days suggests a feeling of emptiness or regret about past experiences. The second verse mentions the singer's attraction to the person mentioned earlier, but it's revealed that a racist joke from them has made things bittersweet. Despite this, the singer desires to be slapped around and have his lips made a bit swollen for a day off work, indicating a desire for physical pleasure.
Overall, the lyrics of "Hello Kitten" explore the complexity of desire and the lengths one would go to indulge in them. The singer's attraction towards the person mentioned is intense, but there is also a sense of regret and emptiness present in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello Kitten I don't miss sex it's just the feeling of skin against skin that I want.
Sex is not what I crave, but the sensual feeling of touch and skin is what I desire.
The photos are taken up
The photos are light
They look dull, they look crap when placed in real life.
Although the pictures appear good, they look unattractive and unimpressive when seen in reality.
You have a blue iris with a hint of burt sienna
And it wrestles my hate to the ground.
You have inquisitive eyebrows,
They make me soft-centered
And your lips make a purring sound.
Your lips make a purring sound.
The various nuances in your physical features captivate me, overpowering any negative emotions I may have, and arouse my softness through the sound of your lips.
I'm gonna make myself go blind tonight.
I'm gonna make myself go blind tonight.
I'm gonna build a shrine to the wasted days
I'm gonna make myself go blind tonight.
I am going to indulge in something excessive and intense tonight, as I want to forget the time I have wasted and turn it into a remembrance.
Hello Kitten, you'll never know what it's like to be me when I'm curled at your feet.
I thought you were perfect but that racist joke just made it all bittersweet.
You will never understand how it's like to be me, lying at your feet. While I found you perfect, the racist joke revealed an unpleasant side of you adding bitterness to my feelings.
Won't you slap me around and make my lips a bit swollen so we can spend the day off work?
Won't you you cut up my heart and lock it in a suitcase 'cause love is coming in spurts.
I'm so fucking happy it hurts.
Can you please treat me rudely and leave marks on my lips so we can play hooky? Can you rip open my heart and keep it secure, as our love isn't stable? It'll hurt me in a fulfilling way.
I'm gonna make myself go blind tonight.
I'm gonna make myself go blind tonight.
I'm gonna build a shrine to the wasted days.
I'm gonna make myself go blind tonight.
I will delve into my excesses again in the night and mourn my lost days through building a place of worship for them, turning them into memorials.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DARREN HAYMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MrDFlexer
Opening credit music to an unfinished movie filmed senior year of high school in 2002 featuring a main character unable to remove a bowler hat on his head.
@rileythefriend570
Good shit David!