Hot Chip - C/D?

"Flutes" is kind of awesome. It has an honest-to-god propulsive beat!

ILM's most hate to love/love to hate group

Really? Always thought they were largely controversial and mildly to well liked here.

My reaction to the new track is basically the same as all the others - great song, shame about the voice. But I usually get used to the voice after a while and find myself wondering why it bothered me.

i'm sure his voice didn't always use to be this bad - it was never great but for the past few years it's been unlistenable

It's weird, it's sort of quavery but he's never actually out of tune, so after a while I get used to it. There are two vocalists and I think the quavery one has been doing more of late. Wish he'd sing in the lower register more though, but this goes for basically all male singers ever with me, especially indie dudes.

It's definitely worse. I haven't been able to listen to anything since the first two albums because of that voice.

Huh. I find the singing in Hot Chip possibly its greatest attribute. No joke. Reminds me of ... Squeeze? I don't know, but I love how approachable they are.

I hated the vocals on One Life Stand at first and then grew to love pretty much the whole album, but when Gabriel came out last year it reminded me of how amazing Hot Chip could have been had they gone down the Basement Jaxx route and roped in a rotating cast of singers.

What an obnoxious video!

These guys ran out of ideas a long time ago.

Just heard Flutes from the upcoming release. Love it, dreamy and v. pretty. I have a weak spot for synth pop, though, so good -> grrreat.

First proper single is out there. It's very addictive.

http://soundcloud.com/dominorecordco/hot-chip-night-day-radio-edit

Every time there's a new Hot Chip single and I hear praise on it I get a bit excited and hopeful, then I listen to it and feel frustrated by the horrible vocals. This is no different.

Like I know I shouldn't ever expect the vocals to not be insufferably twee by this point but there's so much muscle in this new effort, it all seems so mismatched with a frustrating amount of potential.

I love this, especially the deadpan DJ bit. "I like Zapp not Zappa/So Stop your jibber-jabber." I don't mind Alexis's vocals as long as he's not doing ballads.

I think the new single is fierce!

I don't mind Alexis's vocals as long as he's not doing ballads.

he should definitely get Joe to sing those

I think the new single is fierce!

dude's voice is actually the exact opposite of fierce

wow this is just... wow. i am so mad i decided to listen to that.

He reminds me of Tom Ellard from Severed Heads, but at least Ellard had the sense to filter/distort his vocals.

I've been a Hot Chip apologist for a long time, but it ends now.

I'm kind of in love with this at the moment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH_HEXzPB4k&feature=relmfu

so Grosvenor blokey is a full member now?

Alexis voice sounds fine there btw

I keep warming to them a little more with each passing year. From a starting position of "Who are these jokers?" I am now at "I think Hot Chip are probably the best modern British band." Which is not something I expected to believe.

funny, i've gone the other way - i found them to be overall a Good Thing earlier in their career, maybe not a band i'd be obsessed about but reliable for the occasional great jam, enjoyable live show that no one in any group would object to, fun DJ sets, good fodder for remixers. but ennui has definitely set in over the years as it becomes more and more clear that they're just the kind of journeymen whose output is permanently stuck at three-star quality. i listened to the new one out of a sense of duty and was relieved when it finished..

Alexis voice sounds fine there btw

sounds bloody awful imo.

well comparatively!

though if Grosvenor's up playing things and singing now it would be a boon to turn most of the vocals over to him and Joe

I keep warming to them a little more with each passing year. From a starting position of "Who are these jokers?" I am now at "I think Hot Chip are probably the best modern British band." Which is not something I expected to believe.

― Manfred Mann meets Man Parrish (ithappens)

I kind of agree with this. Really hated them when I first heard them, did not get the fuss about Over & Over at all but now they might just be my favourite British band around. Night & Day is the weakest of the new tracks I've heard but that one I just posted is one of the best things they've done. There's like 3 great choruses in that song. As for his vocals I've no problem with them at all, he always sounds really vulnerable which kind of works with how warm the music is.

I like a couple of songs off each album. I don't think they've ever managed to be inspired enough, often enough. I like the idea of them.

I think their last two albums are head and shoulders above the first three. It's like they've always loved dance music but for ages they felt obliged to put air quotes around it. The new album makes me think of New Order's Technique.

I don't like Alexis' trousers.

so Grosvenor blokey is a full member now?

he and girl drummer lady are in the new (Serafinowicz-directed, Reggie Watts- and Terence Stamp-starring) video so

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fxg2JbWA7Nk

She is the drummer from New Young Pony Club apparently.

It's a good video but I'm starting to get annoyed that they chose Night & Day as the single instead of Don't Deny Your Heart.

sounds good

http://www.npr.org/2012/06/03/154073556/first-listen-hot-chip-in-our-heads

New album is really good. Let Me Be Him might just be the most moving song they've done.

Incredible song - maybe their best yet.

The album version of "Don't Deny Your Heart" is fucking ace.

I'm loving this album

Yeah Don't Deny Your Heart sounds so great, it could be a really big hit for them. There really isn't anything on here I don't like, yet another great album.

thirding the Don't Deny Your Heart love

the first song on this is fucking amazing

so if I've been skeptical since 2006 should I listen?

The production's a lot better on this than on previous Hot Chip records, but if you've not been fussed about them before I doubt this is exactly going to change your mind.

"Don't Deny Your Heart" is good!

the first song on this is fucking amazing

― J0rdan S

Might be my favourite opening track they've done.

i don't know don't deny sounds like it's building into something great but then fumbles it on the chorus which sounds like it's beamed in from another song. that's off 2 listens admittedly.

I love this band so much. Don't see why anyone would be "skeptical," though. I think you either love them or you don't, but Alfred, it seems comfortably in your wheelhouse.

(Also, incredible live act, which helps)

xxpost, i agreed at first about the sudden shift w/ the chorus but after 4 or 5 listens it's become fun and endearing

xpost i definitely am skeptical about them -- i thought the warning and made in the dark were solid but i never really gelled with them beyond the big singles. and i thought one life stand was a pretty weak record. but i love this one back to front.

The dinkiness has always bothered me but it sounds – on first listen – like they've developed their grooves.

Huh. I think "One Life Stand" is their best one, and the first one that sounded fully groove-developed to me. I love the wistfulness to much of their stuff - the Wyatt collab was a tip-off - and the fact that they are kind of a band that makes you dance rather than a dance band, which puts them in the same hybrid box as New Order and LCD Soundsystem. But really more idiosyncratic than both of those acts.