New Hot Chip! New Hot Chip! New Hot Chip!

Over the last two years, one of my favorite things in the world has been driving around listening to Hot Chip's Coming On Strong and making mixes that feature either "Boy From School," "Baby Said," or the beautifully sewn together "I Can't Wake Up." Thinking about all these songs and specific moments in life gives me chills, but nothing gives me more thrills than saying the words "NEW" "HOT" and "CHIP" in the same sentence.

I saw them almost a year ago at CMJ, and just a few months past their sophomore effort The Warning (one of last year's best records and defining moments of my summer and last weeks of college,) but their set was slightly outweighed by new songs. New songs that were funky, new songs that were fresh, new songs that were different yet the same. "Out At The Pictures" was glorious with all its cheesiness, and then there was "Shake A Fist," a fan favorite for quite some time in the live setting.

Now that they have finished their new album supposedly (maybe titled Made In The Dark, maybe called Shot Down In Flames, a title tied to another new song "I Became A Volunteer" when posted earlier this year on their MySpace.) Anyway, the band has released the studio version of "Fist" unto the world, and a MySpace bulletin from Joe Goddard of Hot Chip earlier this morning told me and the rest of us Hot Chippers to go vote for the song to get played on Steve Lamacq's show on the BBC next week. Do so to help Hot Chip here. Shot Down In The Dark or whatever Hot Chip's third opus will be titled is due in early 2008.

Elsewhere, you should check out Hyperbola, the official blog for those crazy kids who work at Planetary. I finally made my contribution by delivering my burning missive to the masses on this year's so totally awesome VMA's (barf.)

"Out At The Pictures" at CMJ last year. You don't know it but I'm right in the front of Alexis and Joe.


Stream: "Shake A Fist" [Here]