This is Conlan

A few months ago, I saw The Hot Toddies perform at a local watering hole (figure of speech)^[1]. The Oakland-based, all-girl quartet plays an ironic mix of twee surf-pop, girl-group beach party, retro-inspired philspectorism^[2]. But the Splenda-sweet melodies and truly brilliant multi-part harmonies are belied by the absurdist and cynical lyrics, ranging in topic from internet perverts to photosynthesis to longing for a lover’s touch (not quite phrased like that, though).

The Hot Toddies are another in the tradition of bands, like Flight of the Conchords, that deliver comical, ironic, or just plain odd lyrics, but go on to back them up with solid songwriting and musicianship. You’d be remiss to discount them as four girls goofing around on a stage. There’s real talent here, wrapped in a package alternately sweet and sour.

Naturally, after the show, we became fast friends (in a sense^[3]), so I was only too happy to hear they were embarking on a national tour, starting this weekend in San Francisco. And I was only too happy to help them promote it. For my around-the-country friends: be sure to swing by if there’s a show within 200 miles of you. To my Fresnans, I will see you at Audie’s Olympic on Thursday, June 18. (Click the image below to embiggen.)

Fun.

1. I actually mentioned it here. [↩]
2. None of those are real music genres. Except philspectorism. [↩]
3. “No sense” is a sense! [↩]