Hot Chip - Coming On Strong

Hot Chip, "Keep Fallin'"

Hot Chip, "Down With Prince"

I figured that I would talk a little bit about the first Hot Chip album, Coming On Strong, especially as we're gonna be putting up lots more stuff in a similar vein in the coming weeks. DFA remixes, Hot Chip remixes, Tiga, Erol Alkan, Ricardo Villalobos' new album, Tiefschwarz, electroclash (you heard me, I'm bringing that shit back), MYLO, lots more. In other words, this is the place to be.

In listening to this one again, after playing the new one, The Warning, lots, I must say that their debut hasn't held up as well as I thought it would. It's not so much that the music isn't good, it's that the new album sounds so much better. In particular, the "funny" lyrics and hip hop parody just doesn't work for me. There's some funny lines, especially the opening to "Down With Prince," where singer Alexis Taylor bitches, "I'm sick of motherfuckers tryna tell me that they're down with Prince." But, it's too cute for its own good, too cheeky as the British might say, or at least the stereotypical Brit I have in mind. As on "Playboy," where the refrain talks about ridin' on 22s in a Peugeot and bumpin' Yo La Tengo, it's just annoying. It comes off smug and condescending, laughing at the hip hoppers with their silly bling-bling and Cristal. I think they're trying to be self-deprecating, but it doesn't come off that way. Instead, it comes as the worst imaginable combo, backpackers and college indie kids.

It's ashame, as it takes away from the music that lays behind the lyrics. I think that the songs above show how much potential the band had musically, a great electro/soul thing that was as in tune with the latest hip hop production as dance music stuff. It's catchy, fun and interesting, but pales in comparison to the new one. No song really grabs me, makes me come back to it all the time. It's also much more laid-back than the new one, which doesn't sound as good to me.

My Old Kentucky Blog and shoes are for work have other tracks from the album, which should give you a good idea of what to expect. Go here and buy the album, see if you agree with my assessment.

-A movie about the life of Missy Elliott, starring Missy? Has Hollywood completely run out of ideas? Can I suggest a Pound for Pound story with Scarlett Johansson as the stylish, grogeous MC, me as myself (or possibly played by Paul Rudd), Jezebel as herself in the adorable, fabulous cat role, set in Philly, with pivotal scenes at 700 Club and Kibitz in the City? Producers, holler at my people.

-I've been listening to Radiohead's Kid A quite a bit lately, an amazing album that I like better than the more highly regard OK Computer and The Bends. Check out the recent Radiohead show in Boston over at musicisart, which sounds phenomenal. Kinda sad that I didn't catch either of the two Philly shows, but my bank account is happy.

-I'll have my Sonic Youth review up later, but in the meantime, grab tickets to their shows in Brooklyn, August 11th and 12th, with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, a dream show of sorts. Pound for Pound favorite Blood on the Wall opens on the first night, which is better known as my birthday. It all goes down in an abandoned pool, making this one of the must shows of the summer. Brooklyn Vegan has more on this new venue in Greenpoint.