Discover Hot Chip, a British Electropop and Dance Music Sensation

I confess: Techno, dance music and euro pop have never held my attention for very long. Instead, these musical genres and art forms struck me as cold, impersonal and technically inferior. Where was the skill? Where was the heart?

Indeed, how could techno or euro pop compete with music from bands like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, U2, R.E.M. or Grateful Dead? How could dance music ever rise to the heights of songs written by Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell? How could techno or euro pop compare with music and lyrics down through the ages that moved whole generations?

That's what I thought for a long time, until I discovered Hot Chip.

Hot Chip

What's Hot Chip? Hot Chip's an English electropop band that's only now catching on with American audiences. With four albums (Coming on Strong, The Warning, Made in the Dark and One Life Stand) under its belt, Hot Chip is bound to make inroads into the American and global dance and techno music scene.

Hot Chip began in 2000. Over the years, the group has developed its artistic chops through experimentation and live gigs. Joe Goddard, one of the group's founders, likened Hot Chip's early music to "sixth-form poetry with acoustic guitars," though its high energy rhythms and electronic experimentation has long been part of the band's pull. Critics would agree that Hot Chip has evolved with time and continues to reach new artistic heights.

Joe Goddard and Alexis Taylor form the core of Hot Chip. Longtime schoolmates with an interest in music, sound and beat, Goddard set out to provide a counterpoint to the processed digital dance music that was often blaring over a speaker in the music stores they frequented as young kids. Owen Clark, Al Doyle and Felix Martin round out the band. All share a passion for experimentation and take great pride in their eclectic musical tastes and theoretical drift that underscores Hot Chip's tracks.

What Sets Hot Chip Apart?

Hot Chip is actually two bands in one. The band is known for its remixing talents, taking tracks by artists like Amy Winehouse to new heights. The band has also gained a following with its live concerts, giving electronic and dance music that personal touch that only a live band could achieve. If you like Devo and Kraftwerk, you'll love Hot Chip.

Hot Chip Venues and Tour Dates

Hot Chip has performed at a wide variety of clubs, festivals and happenings in the UK , United States and all over the world, including Lollapalooza (2006), Austin City Limits (2008). This techno wonder group is expected to appear at the New Orleans' Voodoo Festival (2010) on Halloween weekend and Hollywood Bowl in the months ahead.

Even if you're not into electronica, check out Hot Chip the next time this musical group comes to town. You might find yourself tapping along to a beat that's caught fire with folks looking for music that's high energy, offbeat, new and different.

RESOURCES

Official Website - Hot Chip
http://hotchip.co.uk

Official Twitter Page - Hot Chip
http://twitter.com/hot_chip

Hot Chip on Yahoo!
http://new.music.yahoo.com/hot-chip/