Hot Carl Hot Carl Release Date : Don't know, but likely 2004. Label: Dependent Music. Rating: Andy doesn't dig rating stuff. I might as well just direct you to this website : Hot Carl!, where you can learn for yourself the lore of Hot Carl. And if you need a definition beyond the band, well, you're online right now - punch a search into Yahoo and see what you come up with. Anyways, it took me a few moments to realize what was happening. That's what occurs when you listen to a CD for the first time when you're distracted by transit vehicles. At first, it opened with this Self-like electronic bit, like a kids' keyboard (bring on the Casio). Then an announcement came, introducing the band, and the sound of roughly 4 people cheering was heard in the background. Then, the vocals. Sounded like fun punk tunage. And then I realized what they were basically saying throughout the whole thing... variations on "Hot Carl." And then I realized it was totally a little keyboard making more of these noises, and that there were certainly not any real drums. So I was about to say 'needs a vocal kick,' when it suddenly dawned on me that the whole point of this record is to just be really weird. And what a weird record it turned out to be. With repeating songs that simply alter where the "woo"s come in, and a Hot Carl theme running throughout. The band is Hot Carl. The album is Hot Carl. The members of the band are named Hot Carl. And of course, all the songs are called "Hot Carl". They're raunchy, saucy, rambunctious guys, happily introducing the similary-named songs to their enthusiastic, 4-person basement audience as something you might have heard on the radio etc. Very amusing. It's kinda fun, kinda can only be taken in small doses though. Lyric of choice : I'll leave it to their press kit : "It's sex rock. It's got bass, a lot of bass. And it gets you in your groin." Or "Hey not you, we said the prittery girls! Get off the table, you can maybe buy us a drink after the show..." from Hot Carl #6. Song of choice : If I were DJ-ing a night at the Marble Arch, this would be my credibility pick. Oh, how regional of me. The Marble Arch is one of Vancouver's weekend 'cool' bars, where all the scenesters who don't have a Yeah Yeah Yeah's show to go to party on Saturday. The whole CD would work for this purpose, but the third track (surprisingly titled "Hot Carl")is the best. All the hipsters would coming shimmying and gyrating across the dance floor, bangs in their eyes, and be like, "What ISSSSS this? I LOOOOOVE it!" And I'd cut the music abruptly and go, "...it's Hot Carl." And then I would 'Wooo' with one fist to the sky as I slam back the Casio beats. Yo. -Andy Scheffler Elsewhere Dependent Music website Published : August 6, 2004.