Hot Garbage melt into a heavily volatile yet undeniably palatable amalgamation of sonic elements. Calling on the driving rhythms of dark post-punk and motorik krautrock, the Toronto-based outfit seamlessly works shining melodies and swirling textures into deliberate, brooding arrangements. Fans of Sonic Youth, Broadcast and 70’s era Iggy Pop should no doubt find a familiar pull into their raw sound, which draws inspiration from a wide and eclectic range of musical genres and art forms.
Following the release of EPs Max Blonda in November 2017 and Coco’s Paradise in April 2019, Hot Garbage entered the studio with Juno-nominated producer Graham Walsh (of evil experimental Toronto supergroup Holy Fuck) in early 2020 to cut a selection of tracks live off the floor. The result was a blazing standalone single, Easy Believer, and the group’s debut long play offering, RIDE, composed of 33 reverb-soaked minutes to be pressed to vinyl and released on Mothland in October 2021. The debut full-length quickly made its way into SiriusXM rotation via CBC Radio 3 and The Verge, while also climbing to #3 on the Earshot Top 50 and #82 on the NACC Top 200. Stephan Boissonneault at Aquarium Drunkard refers to the album as “a feasts for the senses containing fuzz-filled riffs, whirling organ, an adept utilization of post-punk auxiliary percussion, and hypnotic vox,” adding that “it’s the kind of album you throw on loud when you want to get lost and laugh into the void.” British critic Iain Key at Louder Than War stoically bestows his seal of approval: “Highly Recommended”.
Aside from studio endeavours, Hot Garbage have toured extensively throughout Canada, the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom, bringing their intense live sets to festival slots at Levitation (Austin, TX), SXSW (Austin, TX), Treefort Music Fest (Boise, ID), Freakout Fest (Seattle, WA), Sled Island (Calgary, AB), Sappyfest (Sackville, NB), FME (Rouyn-Noranda, QC), M for Montreal (Montreal, QC) and Pop Montreal (Montreal, QC), as well as on tour with L.A. Witch and Frankie & The Witch Fingers. They have also shared the stage with Osees, Ty Segall, JJUUJJUU, Mdou Moctar, Wand, Kikagaku Moyo and Dead Meadow. After catching them live, Ben Lemieux at Quip Magazine concludes that “the band understands the theatrically implied expectations of the genre, striking a perfect balance between the gossamer vocal quality of early shoegaze and the cranked-up, guitar pyrotechnics emblematic of the 60s and 70s rockers.”
Hot Garbage recently returned with Precious Dream (January 19th, 2024 via Mothland & Exag’ Records), a sprawling collection of songs written in isolation and brought together in studio in late 2022 with visionary producer Graham Walsh (METZ, Preoccupations, Holy Fuck, !!!) at the helm once again, offering an exhilarating new breath into the world of post-punk and modern psychedelia, a listening experience that is equally cathartic and introspective.
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“The single delivers a dynamite jolt, zipping past with manic chuckles, sharp punk licks, and distinctively eccentric production from Holy Fuck’s Graham Walsh. This gritty, mocking tune does more than merely dazzle — it sends your senses spinning, thanks to thunderous beats, supremely warped bass, guitar, and organ, and echoing voices floating over a foreboding surge of sound and resonance. Aficionados of those reminiscent of Sonic Youth, Frankie and the Witch Fingers, or Joy Division might fancy a befuddled amble through this passionate, albeit bleak, piece; a touching clarity is on the horizon.”
“Hot Garbage dive deeper into their brutalist, post-punk and psychedelia roots at full throttle with their new album — something made overwhelmingly clear by “Snooze You Lose” alone, which busts the door open in a barrage of distortion, feedback and maniacal laughter.”
“The new single serves as the album opener, and sets the tone with a perfect balance of post-punk and krautrock. The track opens with an explosive, fuzzed out opening before launching into gritty, anthemic guitars.”
“In a mere 8 minutes, the band traversed uncharted sonic territories that left listeners grasping for more. And those listeners are in luck… because word on the street is there’s a new Hot Garbage record in the oven.”
SHARED STAGE WITH:
OSEES, TY SEGALL, WAND, KIKAGAKU MOYO,SIMPLY SAUCER, MDOU MOCTAR
FRANKIE & THE WITCH FINGERS, L.A. WITCH, DEAD MEADOW, JJUUJJUU, THE OBGMS
FESTIVALS
LEVITATION
Freakout Fest
Sled Island
SXSW
Treefort Music Fest
Pop Montreal
River & Sky
M for Montreal
FME
DISTORSION
Sappyfest
Electric Eclectics