Hot Chip

Hot Chip came into view in the mid 2000s, sporting a distinctive brand of electronic-based pop that managed to be both danceable and musically sophisticated. The group formed in London in 2000 and released some under-the-radar EPs in their first few years of existence. Hot Chip released its first album, Coming on Strong, in 2004 on the Moshi Moshi label, with a lineup of Owen Clarke on guitar and bass, Al Doyle on guitar and synth, Joe Goddard on vocals and synth, Felix Martin handling the electronic beats, and Alexis Taylor playing a multitude of instruments. While the record didn't trouble the charts on either side of the Atlantic, it did earn some enthusiastic reviews. But it was the follow-up that would really put Hot Chip on the map; The Warning came out on EMI in 2006 and landed in the U.K. Top 40, eventually achieving Gold status there. The singles "Boy From School" and "Over and Over" became minor British hits. 2008's Made in the Dark went all the way to No. 4 in England, and garnered the group some attention in America as well, receiving a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording. It also gave the band their biggest British hit to date, "Ready for the Floor," which went all the way to No. 6. Shortly after, Hot Chip forged a short-term alliance with the old guard, putting out a collaborative EP with Robert Wyatt. One Life Stand followed in 2010 and included a team-up with another old art-rocker, in the form of a guest appearance by drummer Charles Hayward of This Heat. The following year saw the release of Start & Complete, the first album by Alexis Taylor's side project About Group, also featuring John Coxon and Pat Thomas. Hot Chip then shifted to the Domino label, which put out In Our Heads in 2012 and Why Make Sense? three years later.