MP3 Monday: Hot & Cold
By Morgan Short, Jul 15th, 2009 | In Nightlife
MP3 Monday is a weekly SmartShanghai column, serving up mp3s from bands living and making music in China (or coming to China, or thinking about coming to China, or whatever). Right click on the links and choose "Save Link As..." to download 'em. Click play to rock 'em.
A couple days late on these MP3s... I was sick on Monday.
Mudhoney ¨C Touch Me, I'm Sick
Today's MP3s come from Beijing boyz noyze two-piece, Hot & Cold. Hot & Cold formed in Beijing back in 2005. The name comes from a Yangon restaurant. I'm not too sure if they've played in Shanghai before, but this Saturday they're here, on that big-time, hot-hot-rock bill with PK14, Carsick Cars, and New Yawk band These Are Powers.
Zip zap zoop. Blammo!
Here are some MP3s, so you can check them out and be all hip to the shit before you go. These are from their first record, "Any Monkey is Dangerous" -- so true.
That one¡¯s been released on the "Maybe Mars subsidiary Maybe Noise". Really? They have a subsidiary label?
Hot & Cold - Knife Fight
Hot & Cold - Helen¡¯s Interiors
Musically, it belies a big affection for the distorted bass, which I can support. There¡¯s also some megaphone haranguing, spoken bits, screechy feedback, effects pedal tomfoolery (set phasers on "experimental") and plodding drums. Fits right in there with the noise zeitgeist of the Chinese New Age.
More about Hot & Cold straight from the horse's mouth (Simon, the keyboard player):
¡°Besides Hot & Cold, we also play in other groups such as Speak Chinese or Die, with Shouwang from Carsick Cars and Wang Xu from The Gar. I also play keyboard live with Ourself Beside Me, and we have both collaborated onstage with White and Carsick Cars.¡±
But who gives a shit, right? More importantly -- most importantly -- is the fact that the two dudes from Hot & Cold are originally from Ottawa, Canada. Ottawa, as Hot & Cold deftly illustrate, is a veritable hotbed of musical creativity and talent. Alanis Morissette? From Ottawa. Bryan Adams? The same.
As are FurnaceFace, the best Black Sabbath-y band Canada has ever produced. Here's their hit, "If You Love Her... Buy Her a Gun", a song about the necessity of arming the females in your life because it's a war out there, there's a bullet with her number, and she's an unarmed soldier now.
FurnaceFace ¨C If You Love Her... Buy Her A Gun
***
Show up this Saturday early to catch Hot & Cold. Good stuff. Click here for their MySpace.
Here's some related MP3 Mondays: These Are Powers; PK 14.
Photograph is by Ray Deng. It's terrific.
Hassle free ticket purchasing and delivery for Shanghai's cultural and concert events:
Ciga, Jul 18th, 2009
they played in shanghai last year at miniless showcasePlease sign in or register to comment