Hot Water Music

[September 3rd, 2008]

[POST-HARDCORE] Ever since Minor Threat’s Ian MacKaye first scribbled dirty X’s on the hands of every young’un leaning toward the straighter edge, hardcore—the faster, thicker and more American cousin to British punk’s first wave—has been slowly internalizing elements of, well, melody. What once seemed a pretty strange brew (adding complexity and musicianship to the crusty DIY scene) is now almost the norm; what hardcore band isn’t combining throaty, shouted vocals with hard-driving tight arrangements?

Florida’s Hot Water Music avoids falling too deep into the emo pit, using dual vocalists Chuck Ragan and Chris Wollard as a jumping-off point for its own brand of intricate post-hardcore—writing songs that are catchy enough to tap your foot along to but still so loud that they sidestep the dreaded “wimp-core” genre tag. After initially disbanding in 2006, HWM took a short break, reuniting a year later and releasing the rarities collection Till the Wheels Fall Off early this winter. They even cover a Clash song—but would you expect anything else from a band with a jazz-bred rhythm section and a hardcore upbringing?