Hot Flash Heat Wave At Subterranean
Hot Flash Heat Wave is a band that I've been listening to for what feels like forever. I credit them with having gotten me through high school (and many other weird times in my life), and maybe now their music can do the same for you.
The first song I heard by Hot Flash Heat Wave was “Hesitation,” which I found through my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist in 2018. I have a very specific memory of listening to that song and thinking “this is good… but does the band have other good stuff?” And then I spent the rest of the night listening to their whole discography and loving it all. Something about their music is distinct to me because even though they’ve tried out a lot of different genres, every song still sounds specific to them. This is one of the things that I love most about their music because I don't think I could name another band that sounds like them. All of their songs just feel like they exist in their own lil world.
I went to see Hot Flash Heat Wave perform at Subterranean last month. B u t I have already seen them perform live a few times so this review is not going to be my first reaction to one of their shows. What's been really interesting about seeing them perform over the last few years is that every show they've had a slightly different lineup, so every performance has been a little different. I think that their show at Subterranean was the best I've seen of them so far, but nothing can beat the first time I saw them in St. Louis. One of the highlights of that show was when they brought out a guy who played the accordion for their song “Blue” and it somehow made the song even better than it already is. Overall every show of theirs that I’ve been to has been great and I would highly suggest seeing them next time they're in Chicago.
SONG RECOMMENDATIONS
In previous reviews I’ve written about how certain parts of some songs are so good that they make my brain go ??? (in a good way). Hot Flash Heat Wave has a lot of songs like this, so here are some of my favorites and what I like about them. (You can find more of my favorite songs by them on our “Tour Features” playlist on Spotify).
So Many People
Something about the lil guitar/harmony part at the beginning feels like a big deep breath. It's just one of those songs that makes everything feel okay for a nice 3 minutes and 43 seconds.
Blue
This song goes in a music category that I’m not really sure how to describe? It kinda sounds like a walk through an enchanted forest (specifically one with gnomes), and no I will not elaborate. The whole song is just very hypnotizing.
Dirty Dreamer (XXX)
This song always puts me in a good mood. The guitar part is very fun, and likely will not leave your head after listening to it. It’s been on all of my summer playlists since I first found it.
Vampires
Again, the harmonies in this one are so good. Specifically the chorus where he sings “so beware baby you better watch your neck.” Something about it just scratches the brain-itch.
ALBUM GUIDE
Something that the band mentioned in our interview with them is that they have a bit of something for everyone, which I think is very true. Every album/EP of theirs takes on a new sound. So here's my take on each one so you can see which might be best for you.
Neapolitan - Surf rock summer vacation
Soaked - The Beatles’ (Sgt. Pepper era) 3rd cousin who grew up in the 90’s and lives underwater in the yellow submarine.
Mood Ring EP - Laying in the rain on a sunny day… but also you’re in love.
Sportswear - 80's sci-fi movie where the main character just realized that everything that happened was actually a dream.
So in the words of Hot Flash Heat Wave, you should give them a listen because: their music is fun, fresh, diverse, and full of good melodies and riffs. They're cool, they're funny, they're sad, and they make timeless music that ages like fine wine. Or in simpler terms “whatever you're into you'll probably like it.”
