REVIEW: HOT HOOVES – AVOID BEING FILMED ALBUM
With the Oxford music scene currently under the microscope thanks to the rather wonderful documentary film ‘Anyone Can Play Guitar’, it’s pleasing to see the one protagonist the film makers couldn’t pin down returning to the fray. Local legend Mac, who, as the promoter of the Jericho Tavern and The Point, was integral in the development of music in Oxford and indie legend Pete Momtchiloff (from Here Comes Everybody and the much-missed indie sprites Heavenly) are back, trotting out a new band in the shape of Hot Hooves.
So far, so parochial, but regardless of Mac and Momtchiloff’s status in Oxford, Hot Hooves deserve more than local adulation. ‘This Is It, This Is The Scene’ kicks things off, a rumbling bar room stomp populated with strangulated guitar solos and sardonic vocals. The title track follows and rips quickly in to a fizzing pop punk hymnal that manages to fuse the influence of Husker Du and Half Man Half Biscuit. Elsewhere there’s more direct punk influences on the likes of ‘Spark Up Agenda’ and ‘My Telekenesis’ which finds itself at that point where punk was spawning bands such as Eddie And The Hot Rods and Pete And The Test Tube Babies. Things go a little awry when Momtichiloff steps up to take on the vocal duties but for the most part these 10 songs in the space of 23 minutes invoke the spirit of punk and indie quite capably.
