Music: HOTKICKS = HOTLICKS
WHAT IS A BAND CRUSH?
Hollywood, CA – Just like a regular infatuation, you never know when or where you are going to see someone or some band, in my case, which excites your sensibilities and perks up your ears. Just such a thing happened to me recently while I was up in Hollywood, and away from the elections. So what is a ‘band crush’? It’s something between your Uncle Bernie’s ‘pat on the back’ to wish you ‘Good Luck’ on your music career as you head off to a different country to ‘make it big’ and a doe-eyed groupie staring back up at you with a submissive glance.
I fell into this in-between spot, drawn by the flare of long, gothic-auburn hair exploding with each head turn, flashing drum sticks, and hot licks by Kim, the female drummer of the band, HotKicks, fresh from Melbourne, Australia, who looks ‘Persian’ according to an Afghanistan friend that saw the CD cover photo. But you know how it is with me, always more than meets the eye, and it is true of this band.
The CD I received and have been playing in heavy rotation, the one with the aforementioned pic, is from a band called Late Nite Access. Because of some legal obstacles the band of Late Nite Access became HotKicks. I enjoyed the stage presence of the band that has that out-of-town rawness which comes from the outback down-underness of the band’s roots. The songs I heard live, especially a couple, had real potential, at least it seemed so to me that night. The CD, which is a 2007 release, features the same current three person line-up as I saw onstage that night. The cover art is mean, clean, and composed of band member photos in black & white, and professionally done by Aussie CD production. Inside, the twelve track package contains a number of catchy tunes like #2, Pretty Little Face (reminded me of IPod, for my BM fans), and most songs have a one word title, like the infectious #4, Daydream, #6, sucker, and more somber Indy rockers, like #8, Crave. But the real emphasis is the unsullied craftsmanship and musicianship of the original songs, which are not heavy or Emo, nor too cerebral where you listen twenty times before you understand that the singer’s girlfriend left him brokenhearted.
In short, the songs are ‘just right’ and grow on you with each listen. Besides Kim on drums, there is Mick on bass and vox, what do you know, a guy named Pete on guitar providing his own hot licks. What’s not to like? The CD even has a ’secret track’, something done by all the ‘cool’ bands nowadays. But don’t take my word for it, you can catch this next ‘break-out’ band for yourself on Monday, Columbus Day, 10/13, at the Key Club, appearing with Steel Panther, and pick up the LNA/HK CD for yourself. HK plays around 10PM. Hopefully they will play a gig here for the Temecula Music Fest happening in T-Town during May of next year at the CRC.