Pitchfork

[Posted Friday, September 19th, 2003 17:35:00 Pitchfork Central Time]

Ryan Goldman and Jonah Flicker report:
Here's Pitchfork's revisionist-history-slash-political-conspiracy theory for the day: The United States government is using recent military-industrial activities in Iraq and Afghanistan to divert attention from federal investment in cultural programs sublimating the Bush administration's obvious revisitation of then-popular Reagan policies from the 1980's. As evidence, we submit for your consideration the paralyzing effects of VH1's I Love the '80s and upcoming More I Love the '80s series, the subsequent revival of dancepunk, artfunk, and electroclash movements, and motherfucking Kiefer Sutherland. Matador, Sub-Pop, Touch & Go-- none of you are safe (never were, never will be). OMG, Pretty in Pink is on TBS again.

In this vein, we revise the previously reported Hot Hot Heat American and European tour dates to include newly announced East Coast and French shows and the sold-out KROQ Inland Invasion Flashback to the Future in Devore, CA with The Cure, Duran Duran, Psychedelic Furs, Echo and the Bunnymen, Bow Wow Wow, Interpol, General Public, Berlin, Dramarama, and Marc Almond of Soft Cell (lord, that's a lot of candypants).

But enough about tackin' more dates on yer tour and getting all retro in the desert-- what about a new record? Are they even working on one? Could the Heat be following the lead of Interpol, shamelessly flogging the material from their fluke hit record for more than a year? Not according to singer Steve Bays. "We're always working on stuff," Bays told Drowned in Sound in a recent interview. "We have a million ideas floating around-- stuff on dictaphones, on a couple of computers, in our heads. We have a couple [of songs] that are completed and a bunch of stuff in the works."

Speaking to the direction they will take on their non-existent new record, Bays commented: "With Make Up the Breakdown we were trying to find a new sound, and that hasn't been completed yet. It's inevitably going to be different as we've been on tour for 14 months and we've changed as people and musicians. I'm just really excited about it. We recorded the last one in six days and with more time to work on it, the next record's gonna be crazy."

Once you get him going, Bays can't seem to stop. He also blabbed to Rolling Stone that their touring will soon end and they'll be heading home to Victoria to concentrate on the new material. They have been playing at least one new song recently, called "You're Making Such a Mess," which is "really bizarre sounding," according to Bays. Another new song has a Native American feel, reports drummer Paul Hawley, or a "jungle, Oriental" vibe as interpreted by Bays. Oh please, no, not new-wave-'80s-revival-new-age-fusion again. You kids don't want to end up opening for Tom Tom Club!

No solid plans are set for a release date yet, of course, but the band hints that the record may be ready by next summer. In the meantime, you can find Hot Hot Heat's new sound at any of the following venues (please select just one):

09-19 Los Angeles, CA - Avalon *
09-20 Devore, CA - KROQ Inland Invasion
09-21 Anaheim, CA - House Of Blues (w/ Ima Robot, The Joggers)
09-22 Anaheim, CA - House Of Blues (w/ Ima Robot)
09-23 San Diego, CA - The Scene *
09-24 Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre (w/ The White Stripes, The Soledad Brothers)
09-25 San Francisco, CA - Fillmore *
09-27 Sacramento, CA - Crest Theater *
09-28 Reno, NV - New Oasis *
09-29 Salt Lake City, UT - Bricks #
09-30 Boulder, CO - Tulagi's #
10-02 Minneapolis, MN - The Quest #
10-03 Chicago, IL - The Vic #
10-04 Detroit, MI - St. Andrews #
10-06 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts #
10-07 Providence, RI - Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel #
10-08 Boston, MA - Axis #
10-10 Washington, D.C. - 9:30 Club #
10-11 New York, NY - Irving Plaza #
10-14 New York, NY - Late Night With David Letterman
10-27 Bristol, England - Bristol University $
10-29 London, England - Astoria
10-30 Norwich, England - Waterfront
11-01 Sheffield, England - Leadmill $
11-02 Manchester, England - MDH $
11-03 Newcastle, England - Newcastle University $
11-04 Glasgow, Scotland - QMU $
11-05 Nottingham, England - Rock City $
11-06 Wolverhampton, England - Wulfrun Hall $
11-08 Lille, France - Aeronef +
11-09 Paris, France - La Cigalle + (w/ My Morning Jacket)
11-10 Nantes, France - Olympic +
11-12 Bordeaux, France - Theatre Barbey +

* with French Kicks, The Joggers
# with French Kicks, Ima Robot
$ with Franz Ferdinand, The Fiery Furnaces
+ with Kings of Leon, The Ravonettes, The Black Keys