Though wholly deserved, it was a little surprising to find our favorite bedroom nerd-rockers Hot Chip on the cusp of huge fame last year. Their album The Warning went gold in the UK, a Mercury Music Prize nomination followed, and sold-out shows across the US and Europe became the norm. This from fellows who record in a London bedsit and look like they walked out of the Dell engineer's cafeteria. As a sold-out crowd at Antone's last May attested to, the group's unique mix of electronics, blue-eyed soul, club bangers, and indie-rock captivated many worldwide searching for a new voice. Hot Chip have always claimed that they loved lots of music, but that nobody made the exact music that they wanted to listen to. And their pastiche of their influences backed the statement up - critics weren't sure what to compare them to. But they sure loved them....

It's not often that an indie blues-rock combo from Northwest England go from garage band to a Mercury Music Prize, but that's exactly what happened to Gomez nearly a decade ago. Formed for fun in late 1996, the band's demos ignited a bidding war in the post-Britpop era and produced a classic debut album, Bring It On (hear two singles by clicking on the YouTube links below.) Since then, the band has produced four......

Do we need to explain this contest? Hot Chip are coming. We implore you to go and see them. And we have a pair of tickets for one lucky reader. Austinist Interviews Joe Goddard of Hot Chip Hot Chip's The Warning Takes #3 on Austinist's Top 15 Albums of 2006 Austinist Glowingly Reviews Hot Chip's The Warning Hot Chip Nominated For Mercury Music Prize Hot Chip Blow The Roof Off New York's Webster Hall......

Saturday evenings at SXSW are usually a disappointment. Everyone is tired, bands are weary, and lines seem to be at a peak. Last year, our Saturday was completely transformed when we attended Hot Chip's showcase at The Parish. Despite some equipment troubles, the band's mix of electronics, enthusiasm, and tough-guy lyrics had the crowd dancing and roaring approval to the point that the floor quaked. Since then, the group have won NME's single of......