Hot Hot Heat was a Canadian

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

band from

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, formed in 1999. The band was signed to Seattle label

Sub Pop Sub Pop is an independent record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana (band), Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the gru ...

in 2001 and

Warner Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...

throughout the majority of their career. The band has released five full-length albums to date, their first and critically acclaimed, ''

Make Up the Breakdown ''Make Up the Breakdown'' is the debut album by Hot Hot Heat, following the release of the '' Knock Knock Knock'' EP. It was released on October 8, 2002. It was ranked the 20th best album of the year on ''Pitchfork''s Top 50 Albums of 2002. Tra ...

'' (2002), ''

Elevator An elevator (American English) or lift (Commonwealth English) is a machine that vertically transports people or freight between levels. They are typically powered by electric motors that drive traction cables and counterweight systems suc ...

'' (2005), ''

Happiness Ltd. ''Happiness Ltd.'' is the third studio album, and second major release since signing with Sire Records by Hot Hot Heat. The album was released on September 11, 2007.

'' (2007), ''

Future Breeds ''Future Breeds'' is Hot Hot Heat's fourth studio album, released on June 8, 2010, under Dine Alone Records. It is the first album with new bassist Parker Bossley, from Fake Shark – Real Zombie! Background On November 11, 2009, Vancouver pho ...

'' (2010) and their last before disbanding, ''Hot Hot Heat'' (2016). The band's style makes use of electronic and traditional instruments and has variously been categorized as

dance-punk Dance-punk (also known as disco-punk) is a post-punk subgenre that emerged in the late 1970s, and is closely associated with the disco, post-disco and new wave movements.Rip It Up and Start Again: Post Punk 1978-1984. Simon Reynolds.Faber an ...

post-punk revival Post-punk revival (also known as indie rock revival) is a Music genre, subgenre or movement of indie rock that emerged in the early 2000s as a stripped-down and back-to-basics version of Guitar-rock, guitar rock inspired by the original sounds a ...

, and

art-punk Art punk, or artcore, is a subgenre of punk rock in which artists go beyond the genre's rudimentary garage rock and are considered more sophisticated than their peers. These groups still generated punk's aesthetic of being simple, offensive, and ...

. After five years of scant activity following the touring cycle of ''Future Breeds'' in 2011, on March 13, 2016, Hot Hot Heat announced new music with a limited edition 7" record, "Nature of Things" which was released for April 16, 2016, in participation with

Record Store Day Record Store Day is a semi-annual event established in 2008 to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". Held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November, the day brings together f ...

that year. Preceding that release, on April 5, the group officially announced they had disbanded and would release their fifth and final self-titled album on June 24. 2016 via Kaw-Liga Records, with the album's lead single, "Kid Who Stays in the Picture" premiering alongside the announcement. Following an eight year hiatus, Hot Hot Heat reunited at the end of 2023, with the release of their comeback single, "Shock Me" on December 1, 2023. However, the reunion would be extremely short-lived following an announcement by the group on January 26, 2024, stating all intentions to release new material and subsequent live performances were effectively cancelled. The reasoning was further explained in part due to lead vocalist and primary songwriter

Steve Bays Steve Bays is a Canadian musician, audio engineer, and producer. He is a member of Canadian bands Left Field Messiah, Fur Trade, and Mounties. Bays was also the frontman and one of the founding members of Hot Hot Heat. Career Bays has worked w ...

no longer being able to commit to the group's plans.

Career

Dustin Hawthorne, a drugstore clerk, and Steve Bays, a personal assistant, had been in many different bands together since 1995 and met Paul Hawley in 1998. In 1999, Hawley bought a Juno 6 keyboard and asked Bays to try playing it, as no one else knew how. Hawley took over the drums from Bays and Hawthorne played bass. Matthew Marnik, who was a friend of the band, sang vocals. The band's original sound can be considered

electropunk Electronic rock (also known as electro rock and synth rock) is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s when rock b ...

. The band soon changed direction to a more melodic, pop-influenced style, losing Marnik and adding guitarist

Dante DeCaro Dante DeCaro (born January 26, 1981) is a Canadian musician who was the guitarist and songwriter of the Canadian band Hot Hot Heat. DeCaro initially joined Hot Hot Heat in 2001 and was with the band until he announced his departure from in Octob ...

. Strongly influenced by the new wave sound of 1980s bands

the Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Reev ...

XTC XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge (vocals, guitars) and Colin Moulding (vocals, bass), the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing ...

the Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...

, and

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...

and

the Attractions The Attractions were an English backing band for the English new wave musician Elvis Costello between 1977 and 1986, and again from 1994 to 1996. They consisted of Steve Nieve (keyboards), Bruce Thomas (bass guitar), and Pete Thomas (drums ...

, the new lineup, with Steve on vocals, quickly released a series of 7" singles and toured extensively in Canada and the American Pacific Northwest, joining up with similarly styled indie rock bands such as

Les Savy Fav Les Savy Fav ( ) is an American indie rock band based in New York City. Their style is influenced by art punk and post-hardcore. The group is known for the stage presence of lead singer Tim Harrington. The band is signed to Frenchkiss Record ...

, the French Kicks, Radio 4,

Ima Robot Ima Robot is an American band based in Los Angeles, California, that formed in the late 1990s. They have released several albums, EPs, and singles, most notably ''Ima Robot (album), Ima Robot'' in 2003, ''Search and Destroy'' and ''Monument to ...

, and

Pretty Girls Make Graves Pretty Girls Make Graves is a post-hardcore band formed in Seattle in 2001, named after The Smiths' song of the same name (which itself was named after a quote from Jack Kerouac's ''The Dharma Bums''). Andrea Zollo and Derek Fudesco had played ...

, and opening for established Canadian rockers Sloan on a national tour. The band's touring exposure attracted the interest of Seattle record label

, who signed Hot Hot Heat in 2001, leading to the early 2002 release of EP '' Knock Knock Knock'', produced in part by

Chris Walla Christopher Ryan Walla (born November 2, 1975) is an American musician, record producer, and film music composer, best known for being a former guitarist and songwriter for the band Death Cab for Cutie. Musical career Early bands While at B ...

Death Cab for Cutie Death Cab for Cutie (commonly abbreviated to DCFC or Death Cab) is an American rock music, rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington, in 1997. Death Cab for Cutie's music has been classified as indie rock, indie pop, and alternative rock. The ...

. Although Hot Hot Heat got its start as a hardcore band, by the time it made contact with Sub Pop, its sound had mutated into what would soon be known as dance-punk. The band stood at the forefront of a movement that would explode on the indie rock scene within another year. That release was followed up quickly by the band's first full-length release, ''

'', produced by

Nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...

and

Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially ...

producer

Jack Endino Jack Endino (born Michael M. Giacondino; 1964) is an American producer and musician based in Seattle, Washington. Long associated with Seattle label Sub Pop and the grunge movement, Endino worked on seminal albums from bands including Mudhoney, ...

. That album quickly found critical acclaim, and its singles "Bandages" and "Talk to Me, Dance With Me" received regular airplay on

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

and radio, including influential Los Angeles, California station

KROQ-FM KROQ-FM (106.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Pasadena, California, serving Greater Los Angeles. Owned by Audacy, Inc., it broadcasts an alternative rock format known as "The World Famous KROQ" (pronounced "kay-rock"). The sta ...

, on whose charts both reached No. 1. However, their track "Bandages" was removed from radio in the UK, from the playlist at

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...

, in the light of the war in the Middle East. This was thought to have hindered its position at No. 25 in the UK charts. The track had been on the B list on the station, guaranteeing 15 plays a week and a potential audience of millions. It was removed because of a "prevalence of the word 'bandages' in the song", a spokesperson said. In 2002, the band signed with

Warner Warner can refer to: People * Warner (writer) * Warner (given name) * Warner (surname) Fictional characters * Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner, stars of the animated television series ''Animaniacs'' * Aaron Warner, a character in '' Shatter M ...

in the U.S. In 2003, the band re-released the 2001 album of tracks recorded prior to their Sub Pop recordings, ''Scenes One Through Thirteen'', on the OHEV Records label. Reflecting the band's transition period between their original sound and the present, and thus very much unlike what fans had heard on ''Knock Knock Knock'' and ''Make Up the Breakdown''. In 2004, ''

'' won "Favourite Album" at the

Canadian Independent Music Awards The Canadian Independent Music Awards, also known as the Independent Music Awards or Indies, are national awards presented annually to musicians to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. They were first inaug ...

by popular vote. Guitarist Dante DeCaro announced his departure from the band in October 2004, but stayed to complete their next album, and in 2005 joined

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

band

Wolf Parade Wolf Parade is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2003 in Montreal. The band released three full-length albums before taking a five-year hiatus in 2011. They announced their return in 2016, releasing a self-titled EP in May of that year, and ...

. That album, ''

'' was the band's major label debut and was released commercially by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

In April 2005, Dante handed guitar duties over to replacement Luke Paquin when the band started their 2005 tour. In June ''Elevator'' appeared in the top ten of the !earshot Campus and Community Radio chart. In 2005, the band opened for

Weezer Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Brian Bell (guitar, keyboards, backing ...

and

Foo Fighters The Foo Fighters are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Initially founded as a one-man project by former Nirvana (band), Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the band comprises vocalist/guitarist Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, gu ...

on the "Foozer Tour". Hot Hot Heat played an opening set for American synth rock group

the Killers The Killers are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After the band went through a number of short-term bas ...

Red Rocks Amphitheatre Red Rocks Amphitheatre (also known colloquially as simply Red Rocks) is an open-air amphitheater in the Western United States, western United States near Morrison, Colorado, approximately southwest of Denver. It is owned and operated by the c ...

on May 17, 2007. However, the Killers were forced to pull out after three songs because lead singer

Brandon Flowers Brandon Richard Flowers (born June 21, 1981) is an American musician. He serves as the co-founder, lead vocalist, primary songwriter, keyboardist, and occasional bassist of the Las Vegas-based rock band the Killers, which he formed with Dave Ke ...

was suffering from bronchitis. The group's follow-up to ''Elevator'' and third studio album, ''

Happiness Ltd. ''Happiness Ltd.'' is the third studio album, and second major release since signing with Sire Records by Hot Hot Heat. The album was released on September 11, 2007.

'', was released on September 11, 2007. In late March 2007, the band posted the song "Give Up?" on their

Myspace Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...

page as a sample of the album, and it was released on iTunes as a single on May 15. A second single entitled "Let Me In" was released on July 16. Hot Hot Heat toured in 2007 with

Snow Patrol Snow Patrol are a Northern Irish–Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in 1994 in Dundee, Scotland, consisting of Gary Lightbody (vocals, guitar), Nathan Connolly (guitar, backing vocals), and Johnny McDaid (piano, guitar, keyboards, backi ...

as their opening act on the U.S. leg of their summer tour. Their headlining tour of Germany, Canada and U.S. started September 3, 2007. "Let Me In" debuted on

at number 8. On August 8, 2007, the music video for "Let Me In" premiered on Myspace Music. Also, on September 6, 2007, Hot Hot Heat posted their new album on their Myspace. The band spent most of 2008/2009 recording and constructing their own studio. Experimenting with 5/4 disco grooves and electro loops, they went into the studio with producer/musician

Ryan Dahle Ryan Dahle (born 1970) is a Canadian musician, best known for his contributions to the bands Age of Electric and Limblifter, each of which have scored several major radio hits. The Age of ''Electric'' The Age of Electric was a band founded in ...

from

Limblifter Limblifter is a Canadian alternative rock group from Vancouver, formed in 1995. History The group was originally formed by brothers Ryan Dahle and Kurt Dahle, as a side project from their main band, The Age of Electric, along with a third memb ...

Age of Electric The Age of Electric was a Canadian rock band founded in 1989 with members from Lanigan and Regina, Saskatchewan. The members were Todd Kerns (vocals/guitar), Ryan Dahle (guitar/backing vocals), John Kerns (bass), and Kurt Dahle (drums/backing v ...

awhile doing a brief Canadian tour opening for

Bloc Party Bloc Party are an English Rock music, rock band that was formed in London, England, London in 1999 by co-founders Kele Okereke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, sampler) and Russell Lissack (lead guitar). Their first four albums all featur ...

. On September 24, 2008, Hot Hot Heat would make an appearance on second season of American-Canadian

children's television series Children's television series (or children's television shows) are Television show, television programs designed specifically for Child, children. They are typically characterised by easy-going content devoid of sensitive or adult themes and are ...

, ''

Yo Gabba Gabba! ''Yo Gabba Gabba!'' is a Children's television series, children's Musical film, musical television series created by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz (producer), Scott Schultz and developed by Kay Wilson Stallings. The series is about five cos ...

'', with the song, "Time to Go Outdoors", featured on season's third episode, "Talent". At some point during this period, founding bassist, Hawthorne quietly left the band. Parker Bossley from Canadian dance-punk band,

Fake Shark - Real Zombie! Fake Shark (formerly known as Fake Shark – Real Zombie!) is a Canadian alternative rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia. Originally formed in 2005, while their early musical style mainly combined elements of dance punk, post-hardcore ...

would become the group's new bassist. Ironically, another member of Fake Shark - Real Zombie!, Canadian guitarist, Louis Hearn would later on become the group's next bassist following Bossley's departure from the group in 2010. The band's fourth studio album,

was released June 8, 2010, through

Dine Alone Records Dine Alone Records is a Canadian and American record label, founded in St. Catharines and Toronto by Joel Carriere. The label is now based in Toronto, Nashville and Los Angeles. History Dine Alone was born out of founder Joel Carriere's home ...

. To build anticipation for the release the band performed residencies at two small clubs in the United States, Public Assembly in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, and Bootleg Theater in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

throughout May and June 2010 respectively. Hot Hot Heat's public activity was scant in the 2010s; however, they debuted a new song, "Mayor of the City", in May 2013. In response to a fan's question on Twitter, Hot Hot Heat mentioned a release for an album in the fall of 2015. On September 10, 2015, Hot Hot Heat announced new material via their Instagram page for a spring 2016 release. On Friday June 24, 2016, Hot Hot Heat released a 10-track self-titled album and announced it would be their final album. After the band split, Bays reunited with former bassist, Bossley to form,

electro pop Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a reviv ...

project,

Fur Trade The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...

. On November 18, 2023, the band announced they had reunited via social media, with Bays, Hawley, DeCaro and Bossley consisting as the line-up. Their return single, "Shock Me" was released Dec 1. 2023. On January 26, 2024, however, the band announced via social media that their reunion had come to an abrupt end just before the new year due to Bays feeling "he could not participate."

Members

Former members

– keyboards (1999–2016, 2023), lead vocals (2000–2016, 2023), backing vocals (1999–2000) *Paul Hawley – drums, backing vocals (1999–2016, 2023) *

– guitar (2001–2005, 2023) *Parker Bossley – bass, backing vocals (2008–2010, 2023) *Dustin Hawthorne – bass (1999–2008) *Matthew Marnik – lead vocals (1999–2000) *Luke Paquin – guitar, backing vocals (2005–2016) *Louis Hearn – bass, backing vocals (2010–2016)

Former touring musicians

*Jimmy Sweet – keyboards, guitar, percussion (2007–2010)

= Timeline

ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:30 PlotArea = left:90 bottom:60 top:0 right:0 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1999 till:01/31/2024 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:3 start:1999 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1999 Colors = id:vocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals id:bvocals value:pink legend:Backing_vocals id:keyboard value:purple legend:Keyboards id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:lines value:black legend:Studio_albums LineData = at:10/08/2002 color:black layer:back at:04/05/2005 color:black layer:back at:09/11/2007 color:black layer:back at:06/08/2010 color:black layer:back at:06/24/2016 color:black layer:back BarData = bar:Matthew text:"Matthew Marnik" bar:Steve text:"Steve Bays" bar:Dante text:"Dante DeCaro" bar:Luke text:"Luke Paquin" bar:Dustin text:"Dustin Hawthorne" bar:Parker text:"Parker Bossley" bar:Louis text:"Louis Hearn" bar:Paul text:"Paul Hawley" PlotData= width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Steve from:01/01/1999 till:06/01/2000 color:keyboard bar:Steve from:01/01/1999 till:06/01/2000 color:bvocals width:3 bar:Steve from:06/01/2000 till:12/31/2016 color:vocals bar:Steve from:11/19/2023 till:end color:vocals bar:Steve from:11/19/2023 till:end color:keyboard width:3 bar:Steve from:06/01/2000 till:12/31/2016 color:keyboard width:3 bar:Paul from:01/01/1999 till:12/31/2016 color:drums bar:Paul from:04/01/2005 till:12/31/2016 color:bvocals width:3 bar:Paul from:11/19/2023 till:end color:drums bar:Paul from:11/19/2023 till:end color:bvocals width:3 bar:Dustin from:01/01/1999 till:06/01/2008 color:bass bar:Matthew from:01/01/1999 till:06/01/2000 color:vocals bar:Dante from:01/01/2001 till:01/01/2005 color:guitar bar:Dante from:11/19/2023 till:end color:guitar bar:Luke from:01/01/2005 till:12/31/2016 color:guitar bar:Luke from:01/01/2005 till:12/31/2016 color:bvocals width:3 bar:Parker from:06/01/2008 till:09/01/2010 color:bass bar:Louis from:09/01/2010 till:12/31/2016 color:bass bar:Parker from:11/19/2023 till:end color:bass bar:Parker from:06/01/2008 till:09/01/2010 color:bvocals width:3 bar:Louis from:09/01/2010 till:12/31/2016 color:bvocals width:3 bar:Parker from:11/19/2023 till:end color:bvocals width:3

Discography

Studio albums

Compilations

*'' Scenes One Through Thirteen'' (2002)

EPs

*''Hot Hot Heat'' four song 7" (1999) *''Hot Hot Heat Split the Red Light Sting'' (2000) *''Hot Hot Heat'' three song 7" (2001) *''Knock Knock Knock'' (2002) *''Happiness Ltd. EP'' (2007)

Singles

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hot Hot Heat Musical groups established in 1999 Musical groups disestablished in 2016 Musical groups reestablished in 2023 Musical groups disestablished in 2024 Canadian alternative rock groups Canadian indie rock groups Canadian indie pop groups Musical groups from Victoria, British Columbia Sub Pop artists Canadian dance-punk musical groups Dine Alone Records artists 1999 establishments in British Columbia 2016 disestablishments in British Columbia Dangerbird Records artists Sire Records artists Warner Records artists Record Collection artists

Career

Members

Former members

Former touring musicians

= Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

Compilations

EPs

Singles

See also

References

External links