Hot Chip had a pretty busy 2012 with the release of their own great album, In Our Heads, plus the debut albums by side projects New Build (whose lineup includes Felix Martin and Al Doyle) and The 2 Bears (whose lineup includes Joe Goddard, who also has solo material out).

The 2 Bears (a duo, whose lineup is completed by Raf Rundell) finds Goddard in much more straight-up good times party mode than Hot Chip's relatively artier vibe. Their debut album, Be Strong, is a lot of fun and you can stream it below. The 2 Bears don't have much of an itinerary for 2013 but they do have a one-off in NYC scheduled to take place April 8 at Le Poisson Rouge, one day before Hot Chip play their one-off at Roseland Ballroom. Tickets for the LPR show are on sale now. Tickets for Hot Chip's Roseland show are still available too.

Joe Goddard will also be in NYC even sooner to DJ Cameo Gallery on February 9. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Flyer for the Cameo show and a stream of The 2 Bears album plus music videos are below...

Continue reading "The 2 Bears playing NYC before Hot Chip's Roseland show"

by Andrew Sacher

UK bass duo Disclosure (aka brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence) released their debut EP, The Face, earlier this year via Greco-Roman. It's four tracks long, two of which have guest lead singers -- Sinhead Harnett on "Boiling" and Ria Ritchie on "Control" -- and should be of interest to fans of last year's guest vocalist-filled SBTRKT album, who Disclosure has joined on stage in Nottingham (video below). SBTRKT also featured them in a a mix he made last year. They've also remixed SBTRKT collaborator Jessie Ware's track "Running," (listen below) off her upcoming debut LP and performed it live with her last month in London at Hackney Weekend (but the video has since been removed).

Though the SBTRKT and Jessie Ware comparisons are good reference points for the duo's sound, it's not totally fair to tie them down to it. There's a really familiar feeling to the EP, perhaps due in part to the fact that it was released about a year after this sound really began taking off, but it's not without its own twist. It's certainly got a bit more hop in its step than the vocal-fronted ambient garage of Jamie Woon or James Blake, but it doesn't totally sound like Disclosure will be headlining Terminal 5 any time soon either (where SBTRKT's just-announced tour will hit in October). And though lead vocals tend to make songs like these more memorable, the most distinctive track is "What's In Your Head," which is lead by a sampled voice repeating the song's title and some looping moans. You can stream the entire EP below, and check out the video for "Control." Disclosure also have a FACT mix and a Mixmag DJ lab mix which you can stream below.

Disclosure will be heading out on a North American tour this October, which kicks off with two NYC shows that happen on October 24 at Glasslands and October 25 at Mercury Lounge. Tickets for the Glasslands show go on sale Friday (7/27) at 7 AM and tickets for the Mercury Lounge show go on sale Friday (7/27) at noon. Before the North American tour, they'll go on a European run supporting Hot Chip, whose member Joe Goddard remixed Disclosure's track, "Control," and co-owns the Greco-Roman label they're on.

A stream of that remix, a list of all dates, the tour flier, and all other streams and videos are below...

Continue reading "check out UK duo Disclosure, friends of SBTRKT & Jessie Ware (dates & stream)"

New Build is a new project from Hot Chip members Felix Martin and Al Doyle, who was also a member of LCD Soundsystem, and they are joined by engineer Tom Hopkins. They put out the limited edition "Misery Loves Company" 12" on November 28, which you can stream below and purchase at bandcamp. The b-side has a track called "Guitar Man," which features Pat Mahoney of LCD Soundsystem on drums and a remix by DFA labelmate Planningtorock of another track called "Finding Reasons," which also features vocals from Planningtorock.

New Build played their first show the day after the 12"'s release (11/29) in London. They are now planning a full length for 2012 and a tour in support of it which will come to NYC on March 13 at Mercury Lounge. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday (12/30) at noon. The NYC show is the only one we know of at the moment but a full tour announcement will come soon.

Meanwhile, Al Doyle and Felix Martin's Hot Chip bandmates have been involved in other projects this year. Alexis Taylor has been playing as a member of About Group, which also features members of This Heat and Spiritualized. They released their debut album, Start and Complete on Domino Records this past April.

Joe Goddard released the Gabriel EP in August via DFA. You can stream that below. He's also been working as a member of The 2 Bears with DJ Raf Rundell. Earlier this week, they put out a winter mix which you can download for free in exchange for your email address at their website. Their debut LP, Be Strong, will be out on January 30 via Southern Fried.

Streams below...

Continue reading "members of Hot Chip (and LCD Soundsystem) formed New Build --- 12" out now, NYC show going on sale soon"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Hot Chip, Joe Goddard in spirit & Holy Ghost!

"By the time darkness fell, the crowd was sufficiently antsy. Their thirst for rich sound was quenched by Hot Chip's arrival, opening with 'And I Was a Boy From School' from their second album. The humid New York night blew through all their albums, playing crowd favorites like 'One Life Stand' and 'Over and Over.' The night was an eveloping blanket of musk, causing the band and the crowd to shed layers of clothing as they raged on.

One of the band members, Joe Goddard, was unable to be there because he was with his wife, expecting their first child. The other members made sure to pay due tribute to their beloved bandmate, closing the night with a gloriously extended version of 'Ready for the Floor' that made the entire island of Manhattan rumble." [Ology]

Coming up, Hot Chip have dates scheduled with LCD Soundsystem. More pictures from Summerstage below...

Continue reading "Hot Chip (minus Joe Goddard), Hercules & Love Affair & Holy Ghost! played Central Park Summerstage (pics) "