A Killer Hot Lunch Makes Me Smile

 

San Francisco’s Hot Lunch blew me away with their visceral slice of riff-heavy rock on their Killer Smile 7” last year. They are back with a self-titled debut (out through German label Who Can You Trust?, and have just aligned themselves with Tee Pee Records) and it lives up to that release’s promise.

Self-proclaimed punk-n-rollers, the four-piece stampede through nine tracks of unadulterated retro-rock. Eric Shea is a throwback to the 70s era rock frontmen, all swagger, psych lyricism and throat-shedding howls. Aaron Nudelman takes these songs into the stratosphere with his thick-as-fuck guitar lines, whilst Tim Green’s production truly transplants these tracks some forty years in the past. As I stated with Games’ new record, looking back at past influences only works if its authentic and/or original, and Hot Lunch clearly embrace the heathen rhythms of the rock gods of yesteryear.

 

You can grab Hot Lunch here. Tasty.

Hot Lunch – Killer Smile

Serving Up A Killer Smile

German record label Who Can You Trust? have recently released this delicious 7" by San Francisco mentalists with 70s rock embedded in their DNA, Hot Lunch. Their influences range from "Grand Funk Railroad, early Hawkwind, Lobby Loyde, Misfits, Crushed Butler, The Who, Blue Cheer, that very first Rush album, early 1980s skate punk, UFO, Ace Frehley, CCR, Chuck Berry, Gedo, Amon Düül II, Black Sabbath and Groundhogs" - phew! PLUS they are a fan of Skyhooks - SKYHOOKS! Jesus wept. They had me at "hello". But their proclivity for hot lunches (hence the name) shows a band that refuses to take themselves seriously, and in many ways this informs the music in a much clearer way than the earnest revivalists that litter the bargain basement bins. Basically, it's gonna set your hair on fire. I really am looking forward to what these ne'er-do-wells have in store for their incumbent LP coming out later in the year.


Killer Smile is out now - get it here.