hot chip, hot stuff

we used to have another saying in college when we were excited about a band. in the heat of the applause we'd scream, "hot shit! shit hot!" i'd liked to have used that as my title here but thought it a bit too rude.

anyhoo, the band in question here, british act hot chip, played variety playhouse in atlanta this past thursday, october 9. i was pretty shocked that enough people in this city knew about, let alone loved enough to pay $25 to see (which i did, a rarity for me since i'm not used to having to pay for shows), hot chip. but the place was packed and the crowd was feverishly jumping.

for those of you who don't know, hot chip serve up a brand of dance music mixed with the hippest of suave indie rock croonerism. slick yet nerdy, they are like the klaxons mixed with a softer, less emotional belle and sebastian or pulp. new order for the 21st century. they are a fun, fun band - sexy and aloof without being too cool. like the party you want to go to without all those unnerving uber cool kids sneering down their noses. at this party everyone is a winner. case in point:



the band's above video for "ready for the floor" is artsy without being pretentious, amusing without being crass, colorful without being blinding, fun and cool without looking like they're trying too hard. and so, so danceable. without loosing the melody.

the show was all of the above, with the exception of one or two "oldies but goodies" which seriously removed the mood, launching into guitar-heavy grumpy-rockness from the 90s which, i'm sorry to say, should have stayed there. the tracks driven by keyboards and other modes of electronica (along with some sharp, steady, live drumming) were sure pleasers, and moved the party forward with full force.

new track "alley cat" was, though not as hooky as hits like "boy from school" and "over and over," had a smooth, kraftwerk-like quality that is still pretty mesmerizing as classic hot chip songs usually are.

anyhoo, here's my low-quality, super-short video that hopefully gives you a bit of a feel for the mad party that was the hot chip show. if you can, check out the keyboard player on the left and his sharp moves. he's an inspiration for me!