ALBUM
OF THE WEEK
HotChaCha
Rifle, I knew you when you were just
a pistol
Exit Stencil
Released 06.24.08
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HotChaCha has quickly established
themselves as one of the best bands in the area. They have
certain obvious qualities that make them both unique and appealing,
namely that they're an all-girl band and they're all very
attractive; however, that can only take you so far, especially
in the skeptical
Cleveland
music scene.
What makes HotChaCha really excellent
is that they combine a sense of playfulness and humor with some
serious musical skills. Lead singer Jovana Batkovic has made a
name for herself with her indelible stage presence, but her
actions would
ring hollow if the rest of the band wasn't expertly rocking behind
her. Bassist
Heather Gmucs and drummer Lisa Paulovcin keep the songs from
falling apart with their shear precision while still managing
to keep things loose, and guitarist Mandy Aramouni has a knack
for those minimal, yet effective,
guitar
lines that
lead to post-punk comparisons.
Indeed,
you will hear Gang of Four, Mission of Burma, and hell, even
early U2 in the four songs that make up their debut ep.
The lead track, "J'accuse", is bolstered
by a chiming guitar line that propels the song to the chorus,
where Batkovic
is allowed to unleash her wild charm, and the rest of the band
naturally follows. With it's German lyrics and
hypnotic guitar, closer
"Wir Tanzen" counteracts the lightheartedness of "It's
Hard to be a White Boy in 1992".
A HotChaCha full-length is sure to follow, and
this ep shows promise at every turn. Until then, it is pertinent
to see this band live, where you can experience what
HotChaCha is all about first-hand. They will headline our 4th
Birthday party this Saturday,
June 28th, at 9pm,
in the Beachland
Tavern, joined by The Muttering Retreats (CD release
show) and Marie Corbo.
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