HotKid

"Here4U" (video)
By Alex Hudson
Published May 01, 2015

A normal winter's day gets increasingly surreal for Toronto's HotKid, who just shared a video for their brand new track "Here4U."

The song is a bouncy pop-rock number, and the accompanying clip shows frontwoman Shiloh Harrison filling up on gas while her bandmates shop in the convenience store. She ends up going trekking through the snow into the forest of the Canadian Shield and a trail of glowing blue bricks lead her to a large igloo.

A press release explains, "The ice dome was hand built over two days in -20C weather, with more than 1,000 ice bricks moulded out of 2L milk cartons." The clip was directed by Matt Finlin.

Check it out below. - Exclaim

“Watch your ears, Toronto’s HOTKID wrecks their new single ‘Rip It Into Pieces’ with a hell-sent fury. Try and listen without shaking a leg in angst. I can’t get over the power of singer/guitarist Shiloh Harrison voice. Good Lord.”
- too many carpets - too many carpets

“This Toronto duo continues to thrash it on this new single. Their sound is raw power that sparks fire with everything they touch, like they’ve got flint for fingers. It’s fearless and wild and burns out of control. Hard to look away. Not to be missed, director Alon Isocianu’s other incredible video for the band: ”Yours and Mine”.”
- yvynl - yvynl

“Courage To Fight (…) sees Shiloh Harrison & Rob Butcher III jacking up the vocal reverb to 11 and pushing things in a much more mature direction. Opening track “Blind To It” definitely still shows the raw emotion off previous efforts, but tracks “One More (C’mon C’mon)” and the titular “Courage To Fight” strip things back a bit on the in-your-face distortion front to allow a glimpse into a more structured songwriting style that screams for you to sing along – and to rock your convulsing body ragged…”
– theindiemachine.com - theindiemachine.com

“Courage To Fight (…) sees Shiloh Harrison & Rob Butcher III jacking up the vocal reverb to 11 and pushing things in a much more mature direction. Opening track “Blind To It” definitely still shows the raw emotion off previous efforts, but tracks “One More (C’mon C’mon)” and the titular “Courage To Fight” strip things back a bit on the in-your-face distortion front to allow a glimpse into a more structured songwriting style that screams for you to sing along – and to rock your convulsing body ragged…”
– theindiemachine.com - theindiemachine.com

“First track “Blind To It” is like a jacked-up Ting Tings, containing enough hooks to sing along to, but living up to the rock-heavy emotionality the band is known for. The duo strips itself down significantly for the rest of the album, showcasing their evolving songwriting abilities. “One More (C’mon C’mon)” pairs a steady White-Stripes drumbeat with muted vocals and beefy guitar licks. Title track “Courage to Fight” is the strongest track on the album, an anthemic, fist-pumping go-getter reminiscent of Muse’s politically-infused “Uprising”. The EP rounds out with “Begin Again”, which displays a lighter side to the band, preparing its listeners for those heated and lazy days of summer through its casual vocals and simple melody.” - plaidmag.com

“First track “Blind To It” is like a jacked-up Ting Tings, containing enough hooks to sing along to, but living up to the rock-heavy emotionality the band is known for. The duo strips itself down significantly for the rest of the album, showcasing their evolving songwriting abilities. “One More (C’mon C’mon)” pairs a steady White-Stripes drumbeat with muted vocals and beefy guitar licks. Title track “Courage to Fight” is the strongest track on the album, an anthemic, fist-pumping go-getter reminiscent of Muse’s politically-infused “Uprising”. The EP rounds out with “Begin Again”, which displays a lighter side to the band, preparing its listeners for those heated and lazy days of summer through its casual vocals and simple melody.” - plaidmag.com

“Stripped of all things pretentious, it is nothing but unadulterated pure garage rock at its finest. There is also just something about Harrison’s fuzzed out yet fierce vocals that just makes them irresistible.”
– buyingshotsforbands.com - buyingshotsforbands.com

HotKid
Someday Somehow
By Vish Khanna

With a couple of Can rock legends in their employ, Cambridge, ON-based duo HotKid present a record that's sonically more refined than anything they've released to date. A punk-infused band with a penchant for country-flavoured classic rock riffs, HotKid forsake frills for stark passion. The raw power of Shiloh Harrison as a vocalist and guitarist is bolstered by the quaking rhythms of deceptively straight-ahead drummer Peter McIntosh and, up to now, the band's tight sound has been captured haphazardly. In seeking out C'mon front-man/noted producer Ian Blurton and Eric's Trip's Rick White to help shape (and perform on) their new record, HotKid find clear definition for some terrific new songs. Often resembling some combination of Bleach-era Nirvana fronted by Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker, the band's full range of talent is exhibited on this third release. - Exclaim!

Cambridge rock’n’roll duo HotKid are quickly becoming live favourites around Ontario for their infectious riffage and inspired performances. Got It To Give, is a truly a solid collection of unique twang-y rock with an informed alt-rock influence. With wailing vocals and raw, no-nonsense guitar parts, Shiloh Harrison has emerged as a captivating front-woman, and drummer Peter McIntosh propels her voice forward with tasteful thrashing. The two recall early Sonic Youth with “Get on the Road,” which also nods to the classic rock anthem “Journey to the Center of the Mind.” They’re downright poppy on “He’s On My Mind,” while “Ties that Bind” is a haunting country song with a mesmerising hook. The title track sounds like an upbeat Eric’s Trip tune, while “People Using People” and “Knock You Down” is the kind of indignant punk noise that fans of Sleater-Kinney would surely appreciate. HotKid are a unique, gritty rock band on the Canadian scene and their star is sure to rise thanks to Got It To Give.

- Exclaim!

The guitar/drum duo, HotKid has described itself as country, but they also add elements of surf, soul and space rock. They managed that tricky business of blending punk urgency with graceful female vocals, in a minimal two-piece set-up no less.

- Eye Weekly

Local indie music scene in review
December 27, 2007

JASON SCHNEIDER

For this year's wrap-up of the best releases produced in the tricities I've decided not to mess around and just present a Top 10 list of CDs that stand out above the rest. The list is in personal preferential order, but each of these discs is equally worth discovering and show that our music scene is as vibrant and diverse as ever. Enjoy!

1. HOTKID GOT IT TO GIVE (P572)

Although the awesome Cambridge duo's first full-length album came out in limited quantities in 2006, getting picked up by a Quebec-based label this year allowed many more to hear the band's fiery fusion of garage punk, blues and country for the first time.

Full article
http://news.therecord.com/arts/NightLife/article/287683
- Kitchener Waterloo Record