palewire / Hot Chip @ 930 Club.

Hot Chip @ 930 Club.

I walked up to see Hot Chip perform last night at the 9:30 Club. If you haven’t heard these guys, they got some solid love last year and even some mainstream video play thanks to the funky breakout single “Over and Over.”

Alright show. I dug the slackerish twist they put on Kraftwerk’s style of stagecraft and when things really got rumbling the music hit with serious heft. It reminded me a bit of the industrial shows from my Chicago days put on by Ministry and KMFDM.

The biggest thing missing yet are the songs. Even the group’s best material often ignores the model of rising tension and dramatic, climatic release capitalized on by the rhythmic pop music I most enjoy. Sadly, the new songs they played didn’t show much progress there.