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MP3.com Live: The dweeb-funk of Hot Chip
UK electro-pop outfit bounces its way through a lovable set of synth funk in San Francisco.
Revenge of the Nerds: Electric Boogaloo broke out at the Independent in San Francisco last night.
Hot Chip
Hot Chip, the UK electro-pop outfit that has the dweeb synth-funk market cornered, ripped through an hour-long set that was equal parts syrupy sweet, hilariously deadpanned, and nastily funky.
Anytime a bunch of nerdy-looking white guys, wearing recently purchased, still-creased record store t-shirts, are willing to croon lines like, "Give up all you suckers, we the tightest motherf***ers and you never seen this before," the first question is obvious: "Are they clowning us?"
But Hot Chip are for real, and their bookworm appearances and wry boasts belie an impressive mix of indie rock sensibility and a diverse swarm of influences, from Prince and Ween to Timbaland and Aphex Twin.
Touring in support of their critically acclaimed, Mercury Prize-nominated sophomore album The Warning, the four members of Hot Chip rotated between drum machines, guitars, synthesizers, and several percussive instruments. They were joined by stalwart drummer Pat Mahoney of DFA labelmate LCD Soundsystem.
Lead vocalist Alexis Taylor, the defining personality of the band and quite possibly one of the funkiest nerds around, played multiple instruments during several songs, bouncing between congas, keyboards, and guitar, all while singing his seemingly sincere but often hilariously tongue-in-cheek vocals.
The quintet kicked off the set with one of their signature tunes, the Warning-opening "Careful." The song alternated between a clatter of percussion, complete with spastic dance moves, and sweet indie pop, with Taylor singing sweetly, "Every year, exactly this time of year/They float a balloon up into the air."
Taylor's tongue was squarely in cheek when the band drifted into several verses of Fleetwood Mac's cheesy "Everywhere" before segueing into the literal cheese of the ballad "Crap Kraft Dinner."
But it wasn't until later in the set that "Keep Fallin'," complete with the aforementioned boasts and bottom-heavy synth funk, really got the party started. Hearing Taylor drop chest-bumping f-bombs in what would otherwise pass as an earnest voice is a bit disarming. Having him do so over riffs that harken back to Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters is a whole other matter.
That disarming nature is easier to digest on record, where multiple listens can answer the "did he just say that?" question. But even though Hot Chip is both head nod-inducing and head scratching in a live setting, who wouldn't want to spend an hour laughing and dancing at the same time?
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