Tag Archives: elevator

#1147: Hot Hot Heat – Running Out of Time

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Hot Hot Heat were one of the first bands I witnessed when I was really getting into rock music, thanks to the video for ‘Bandages’ being played in the morning one day on MTV2. Not too far from that point, the group came back with their second album Elevator, promoted by singles ‘Goodnight Goodnight’ and ‘Middle of Nowhere’. Both fine, fine songs. And it was those two, along with ‘Island of the Honest Man’, that gave me the urge to download the album years later. This is all a very roundabout way of saying this is how I came to know today’s song ‘Running Out of Time’, which is the first proper track on Elevator following a short little introduction that opens the album.

It’s a slamming start to the track that greets the listener, putting things into high gear before Steve Bays goes in observation mode and dedicates his verses to a bunch of kooky characters. In order of appearance, he sings about: himself, an art history dropout, a screenplay player co-writing a screenplay (a lyric which I’ve never fully realised how clunky it is till now), a Hollywood waiter and a retired ball player. They’re all going through their own situations, all of which seem to freak Bays out in a way and lead him to the conclusion that he’s ‘running out of time’. Maybe these characters are reminding him of his age or something. But he would have been relatively young while writing the lyrics. I don’t know. It’s a guess. I could understand someone not liking Bays’ style of singing. I read the lyrics online and wonder if they’re the words that are actually being said. But he has enough power and melody in his delivery that it wins me over anyway. And also Dante DeCaro’s guitar fills throughout add a little extra eccentricity to the action. It’s all very good stuff.

I’d gotten used to fact that Hot Hot Heat were no longer a band. The Canadian group hadn’t been a functioning unit since 2016, I believe. They released a final self-titled album, called it a day, and that was that. So it was strange to me when maybe a couple weeks ago I read that the band had split up again. Again? When did they reunite? Apparently in November last year. They released a new song and everything, which I completely missed. But the comeback didn’t last long, as vocalist Steve Bays felt he “couldn’t participate”. A fair enough reason not to do something, I guess. There’s probably something more behind that statement, but also probably best not to probe.

#839: Hot Hot Heat – Middle of Nowhere

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So ‘Goodnight Goodnight’ was the first single from Hot Hot Heat’s Elevator back in 2005. And I thought it was okay then. Just okay though. I didn’t think it was as good as ‘Bandages’. That song still rules. I eventually grew to appreciate ‘Goodnight’ more too. But when the hype for ‘Goodnight’ was over, the video for ‘Middle of Nowhere’ started showing itself on television soon after. I thought it was much better. I wasn’t into Hot Hot Heat that much then. I think 2005 was my Green Day year. But the track was one of the reasons why I downloaded Elevator when I started to download random albums in around 2009 or something.

For me, this track goes into that pile of those that I’ve known for so long and sung along to but never thought about in much depth. The stop-starting groove’s very catchy and the vocal melody throughout is infectious, particularly during its choruses. Obviously those moments are when you want to have the memorable parts. I’ll listen to it and it’ll take me back to being a ten-year-old just watching new music on the television. For the sake of this post, I’ll share with you an interpretation I found. The song’s narrator is dealing with a lot of heavy stuff. They’re unable to sleep, think properly. The girl who is being sung about provides some relief from all these problems and frequently meets up with the narrator to see how they’re doing. The narrator gives her something to go on (nudge nudge) before continuing to do the same old same old.

Makes sense to me. Again, I wouldn’t think about it so much, but that’s just me. I’ll carry on listening to it the same way I did when I was younger. Enjoying it all the same. This song was on an episode of One Tree Hill, so this track may be familiar.

#645: Hot Hot Heat – Island of the Honest Man

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Does anyone else remember when Windows Media Player had this option where you could search for a song on the internet and add it to your own playlist after the program provided a link to the website where the file was hosted? I think it was called the ‘guide’? Something along those lines. It wasn’t such a great tool as the music was very scarce. Not always in great quality either. It wasn’t like now where you can virtually listen to anything now because of Spotify and the like. But to build on my initial question… I think that is how I came to hear today’s song for the very first time back in 2005, and it’s probably one of the better songs from the album it’s on.

‘Island of the Honest Man’ was the initial promo single from Hot Hot Heat’s second album Elevator, before ‘Goodnight Goodnight’ was released as the proper commercial track some time later. In 2005 I was ten, and I guess there was something about this track that I thought stood out from a lot of other things I was listening to around that time. The clangy guitar in the verses is very sharp and biting in its delivery. Its general fast tempo and the way the timing changes during the transition into the chorus. The chorus is fantastic too. There’s a very uplifting sense about it, something I’ve got from those fluid summery guitars that back it up. I don’t think the track excites me as much as it did way back when but I still get into its groove when its momentum gets going. Also recently I noticed that there’s a guitar part that harmonises with the lead vocals during the last choruses. That’s pretty cool.

I guess because I heard it at that young age I never considered what the lyrics are about. Though mainly from its chorus, it’s about finding this place where you can do whatever you want to do without being judged. Be yourself. All of that sentiment.

My iPod #463: Hot Hot Heat – Goodnight Goodnight

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“Goodnight Goodnight” was the first single released from Canadian indie rock band Hot Hot Heat’s second album and first major label release Elevator. Released in 2005, I was ten years old at the time and it had maybe been a year or two after I heard seen the band for the first time via the music video for “Bandages” when it aired early in the morning on MTV2. It was good to see the group with a new song. I don’t think I cared for it that much, however. That was to change after hearing “Island of the Honest Man” and “Middle of Nowhere”.

In summary, this upbeat and poppy tune is from the perspective of a guy who is fed up in a relationship where neither one involved seem to have any interest in each other. The girl seems to string him along and the narrator has had enough and in a sarcastic, mocking tone wishes her goodnight and walks away.

Clearly, I’m more into this track now than when I was ten. It’s simple, quite short, but straight to the point. Most of all it’s a very nice melody to sing along to, and a suitable one to play for your soon-to-be-ex when they’re least expecting a dumping.

My iPod #320: Hot Hot Heat – Elevator

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“Elevator” was Hot Hot Heat’s newest album back in 2005. It took me about five years to eventually listen to the thing in full. Why did it take so long after hearing tracks like “Goodnight Goodnight”, “Middle of Nowhere”, and “Island of the Honest Man”? I’m not quite sure of that myself. But after hearing it for the first time in 2010, I thought it was alright. Some critics thought it was a bit of a let down after the hype built up after their first album, especially as “Elevator” was their first on a major label. Whatever, I maintain my statement that I think the album is alright.

The title track is the last song on the album. It may be the only track to feature a piano on there which you can blatantly hear in the song’s introduction and other various parts, so you know there’s got to be some real emotional depth to the track’s topic. The track is about a relationship in which the song’s ‘protagonist’ is apprehensive on taking it to the next step with their other half,  instead wanting to keep things simple and not so serious. They that if the former happens, it will only lead to disappointment. And all these commitment issues are compared to an elevator going up and down, possibly to symbolise the instability of it all.

Yeah, this song’s alright too. If you haven’t heard it, or listened to anything else by Hot Hot Heat for that matter, the lead singer’s vocals may irritate you. They don’t for me, I think they’re funny sometimes. But to each their own.