More than a dozen local bands will be playing the Fall Semester showdown at the Canopy Club on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. In case you’re not familiar with some of them, we’ll be running capsule interviews with as many of them as would respond to our emails over the next few days.
Next up: Hot Cops, who will be playing on Saturday night as part of a five-band bill also featuring Worlds First Flying Machine, Zach May and the Maps, On Again Off Again and Shark Bandit. Cover is $7, and the show starts at 9 p.m.
“Exploding Monkeys” by Hot Cops
Smile Politely: How would you describe your sound to a person who you don’t think will like your music?
Hot Cops: Recklessly. Probably “Melodically-Screamed Indie Rock with a tinge of Noise and a Pizza/R.Kelly After Party Vibe”
Smile Politely: Is there anything your music has been compared to that you don’t particularly agree with?
Hot Cops: Owl City, but I think the person meant well. Or had a few in them. Either way, we wholeheartedly disagree.
Smile Politely: Are there any non-musical influences that one might not expect?
Hot Cops: Definitely Bernhard Riemann. The guy responsible for the advent of Differential Geometry and Math Rock. Physics and Shellac owe a great deal to this man.
Smile Politely: What are the primary factors/influences/motivations that keep you doing what you’re doing?
Hot Cops: We’ve been doing this for so long that we’re finally getting the hang of how we work together. The songs get better, the shows sound tighter, and the people gradually start saying our name because of us and not Arrested Development. It’s a fulfilling time.
Smile Politely: What is the best (or worst) thing happening in music today (either local, national or international)?
Hot Cops: Best: Andrew Bird, Antlers, Bon Iver, Frightened Rabbit, pretty much a steady stream of catchy and spirited songs from varying strains of music. Worst: Twilight.
Smile Politely: Tell us about the worst show you have ever played.
Hot Cops: Double Door on a Tuesday night in December. Snow, sleet, went on at midnight, and played to a nearly empty venue. I don’t think they’ll invite us back anytime soon.
Smile Politely: What do you have coming up on the horizon?
“Dirty” Jon Hasselbring: trumpets! right Too Smooth?
Nik Allen: What, you mean besides the Great Cover-Up? We’re writing for a full length, trying to line up some new shows in Chicago.
Smile Politely: What can people expect from your live show that differs from what is available from your MySpace?
Hot Cops: Insanity, Vibrancy, and Tangerines. Myspace stopped the tangerine promo a while back.
Smile Politely: Anything else you want to emphasize or get off your chest?
Hot Cops: Dear WPGU, we’ve sent you our CD through the mail, through the e-mail, and have tried contacting you on multiple occasions. Unless PGU-bot has killed everyone in the station and has decided that we don’t fit into the new format, please give us a ring back so we know which defunct post-punk band to mimic. Toodles, The Hot Cops!