HOTTUB

However, concert dynamite awaited me in the electro/DJ/dance themed Subsonic Tent. Oakland's Hottub are the brightest "hey ladies" shout to hit the dance floor since Fannypack first shook their booties. To go colloquial, their shit was hectic. They combined the body smack of say the Chemical Brothers with the round-the-way, pass the mic wildin' of LL Cool J and early Beastie Boys, then fleshed it out with a strong sister vibe reminiscent of Queen Latifah and Labelle. Spend a couple minutes in their presence and see if you aren't "Voulez-vouing" them, too. Loud and proud, the three fluorescently attired ladies and the two music-making boys behind them are the best peppermint stick to swizzle hip-hop's cola in ages. With a trio of smart, clever, stoopid charismatic women up front and crucial beat science underneath (and around and above...), Hottub is all things good about a dance party, a trigger for Chic's "Good Times" that drew in passersby throughout their set. Swinging enough moxie to sample Europe's "Final Countdown" keyboard sting and dress like they just panty raided Cyndi Lauper's bedroom circa 1986, Hottub ain't shy, and their come hither ways eventually brought boys and girls up to work it alongside the band onstage. There's also the matter of a log in a wedding veil that was waltzed around for a minute. Genuinely weird and brimming with estrogen and testosterone, this is a band Frank Zappa would have loved and produced. Color me smitten!
To see full article go to:
http://www.jambase.com/Articles/14172/BFD-2008-06.07.08-Mountain-View
- Jambase.com

Hottub Brings Old-School Heat
The girly emcees push '80s nostalgia to the forefront.

By Rachel Swan

April 16, 2008

Clad in spandex dresses, spangly neon tights, and fingerless material-girl gloves, the three lady emcees of Oakland electrorap group Hottub look like an anachronism. They resemble girl groups of the '60s, but have the peppy vocal hooks and sing-songy rhyme patterns of '80s-era rap groups like J.J. Fad and L'Trimm. Not to mention their music — composed by local producer Jason Stinnett and keyboardist Mark Gregory — has a dry recording sound and party-jam style that harks back to its old-school source material. Even their spontaneous dance moves (which have the appearance of being choreographed) recall an earlier genre of hip-hop, when show-style presentation amounted to more than flossy jewelry and a big entourage.

But Hottub resists the retro label. "I think that sound is due to the fact that Mark and I love old gear," said Stinnett, a former punk bassist who served as the electronic music buyer at Amoeba Records from 1999 to 2006. Indeed, much of Hottub's old-school affect stems from its instrumentation. Gregory uses an Ensoniq ASR-10, which is a sampling keyboard that prevailed in hip-hop during the mid-'90s. His other main instrument, the sequential circuits multi-track synthesizer, emerged in the mid-'80s and isn't manufactured anymore. They use MPC samplers, drum machines, and 808 bass beats because they prefer the tone over stuff that's coming out of contemporary software programs. "We're trying to push those pieces of equipment," Stinnett explained, but indicated that they're also influenced by dancehall, punk, mash-ups, and favela funk: "We're definitely trying to push stuff forward rather than sound like old music."

Stinnett is, in essence, Hottub's analogue to Motown's Berry Gordy. In 1999 he and producer Ben Jerde founded an electro-hip-hop outfit called Concepts, which featured two MPCs, synthesizers, a Vocoder, and turntable scratches provided by Oakland Faders' DJ Joe Quixx. Its sample-driven sound resembled the beats he currently uses for Hottub, though it lacked the aesthetic draw of three hot, girly emcees (i.e., "Hottub minus the babes," said Hottub emcee Nicole Feliciano, who met Stinnett while working as a buyer at Buffalo Exchange). He formed Hottub with Feliciano — aka Co-Co Machete — in 2004. They debuted at a Middle Eastern restaurant in the Tenderloin, with Feliciano sing-rapping in Tagalog — "about food, basically," she said — and Stinnett backing her on an MPC sampler. "I was scared as hell, it was really creepy," said Feliciano. "That's when the speakers caught on fire."

Despite such inauspicious beginnings, the thing had legs. Hottub went through various incarnations before getting its current lineup — Feliciano, Jenifer Ackerman (aka Loli Pop), and Amber Nicole Griffin-Royal (aka Ambreezy) — in 2006. Collectively, they could walk into a crowded party and within five minutes have the whole room basking in their reflected light. Filipino immigrant Feliciano spent half of her childhood in a majority-white suburb of Orange County, where she tried to act "like a badass" in high school while surreptitiously joining an off-campus show choir that required her to wear sequined costumes and pink lipstick. Ackerman drives a white Volvo luxury sedan named "la Leche." She's studying to be a dental hygienist and hopes to design limited-edition collectible Hottub toothbrushes and floss — "'cause flossin' ain't just for gangstas." Griffin-Royal is working on a clothing line called "A Virgin's Perspective on Sex." The group's MySpace slogan, borrowed from every rap artist to ever pick up a microphone, is "Humble and Hungry."

Hottub's intentionally campy, nostalgia-based ensemble goes over really well at big dance parties like the Rickshaw Stop's weekly Blow Up, or a popular monthly event at Uptown Night Club, hosted by Hottub's indie record label, LeHeat. Less cutting-edge venues like Betty's Rock Club in Walnut Creek — where Hottub recently shared a bill with local bands Maldroid and Scissors for Lefty — take a little more work. Formerly an Irish rock pub called O'Kearney's (best known for its weekly calendar girl contests), the newly rechristened Betty's has pinball machines, pool tables, and TVs playing vintage No Doubt videos. On the eve of Hottub's performance, the bartenders wore Chuck Taylors and daisy dukes, and the clientele was generally WASPy.

The ladies of Hottub were pretty easy to spot. Feliciano had a rainbow boa in her hair. Griffin wore turquoise-green tights and a bathing suit. Ackerman's pink sleeveless dress exposed the tattoos on her arms. They performed eight songs in roughly half an hour, with no breaks; the idea is to keep it as seamless as a DJ set. Stinnett and Gregory hover in the background, forming the group's two-man rhythm section. Though they have all the beats and samples programmed into their MPCs and keyboards, there is some room for improvisation. The beats, however, are often intricate and surprising. "Man Bitch" — in which the emcees carp about suckas and sensitive girlymen — features a drumline with horns, whereas "Plastic People" is a rock track with heavy kick-drum and guitars.

The main attraction, though, is Hottub's crazy, hammy stage antics. They bust Carmen Electra pole-dance moves, squat down and play patty-cake, beatbox a cappella, and pretend the microphone is a dildo or a deodorant stick. At one point, they break into a barbershop-chorus cover of Snoop Dogg's "Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)," singing the lyrics completely straight, but in a wink-wink nudge-nudge kinda way. (The line Cause you gave me all your pussy/And ya even licked my balls has a girly shriek at the end.) Toward the end of their set, the three emcees jump offstage and skip out into the audience, jumping up on barstools, sampling people's drinks, and sidling up to the bemused alt-rockers of Walnut Creek.

The following week at the Alley on Grand Avenue — where Gregory ends up singing Chet Baker tunes with pianist Rod Dibble — the band members admit they got a little static from the crowd that night. Not that they're really tripping, said Stinnett. "Anywhere we go we try to just bring it."

And they really have no need to worry. After all, Hottub is slated to play Live 105's BFD Tour at Shoreline Amphitheatre this June. They may sound like old-school hip-hop, but luckily, they're operating in a medium that's becoming increasingly nostalgic for its '80s-era roots. By combining a punky, girl-group aesthetic with obsolete machinery, Hottub is, in fact, using old trends to create something pastiche and contemporary. As Stinnett assures, they're pushing everything forward — right back to the past. 

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/music/hottub_brings_old_school_heat/Content?oid=683561
- East Bay Express

HOT TUB, SUBTLE, AND THE FEDERALISTS

Not sure what to chat about whilst standing around the office water cooler? Impress co-workers with your superior foresight by demonstrating a keen ability to identify what's hot. Simply use our Band Barometer to know which local bands are heating up.

Hot Tub: Hot Tub is everywhere. If they aren't headlining, these ladies make themselves the main event. Who doesn't love chicks that run their mouths off in that "we think we're so tough," sort of way, bringing cute rap on playful electro and old school beats? Hot simplicity with raunchy songs is getting this threesome lots of attention. They're wild and tacky, often campy, and ready to serve it hard—straight out of Oakland. They've got the bait and they ain't afraid to go fishin'. We're hooked.

http://www.theowlmag.com/features.asp?id=165 - Owl Mag

Coco Machete, Ambr33zy, and Loli Pop -- say what? With Funky Finger Mark on synths and Jay-Sonic's production, this sleazoid all-female Oaktown electro-rap trio spits it out on the dirty from tiny Tenderloin gems like Aunt Charlie's to glitz-happy Rickshaw Stop to the huge San Francisco Concourse, where they opened for M.I.A. last month. ("See, Papa, dreams really do come true!" says Coco of the Concourse show. "We just plowed through the 20-foot stage barrier and got one with our audience. We need to smell 'em and taste 'em and feel 'em.")

HOTTUB hosts their club, LeHeat, every fourth Saturday at Oakland's Uptown (www.uptownnightclub.com), and they have a new single dropping this summer on their LeHeat label, followed by a fall full-length. They've also got 1,000 shows this summer: check 'em at www.myspace.com/hottub94608.

SFBG There seem to be a lot of fierce women taking over underground club music -- M.I.A., Santogold, Uffie, Alice Glass ...

COCO MACHETE, HOTTUB It's about motherfucking time! How many times do we have to hear what the boys have to say? No offense, but the straight male ego perspective is just redundant as shit. We're going through such an interesting time right now, and it seems like people are ready for change. They're ready to hear something other than what's been said over and over. And if they're not ready, its our time to puke our guts out all over their faces.

SFBG You don't think three hot women rapping about sex is a male fantasy?

COCO Our energy catches people off guard. Oftentimes we play major sausage fests and it feels like at first glance we're gonna be some sexy Vanity Six act or something. Then about a minute into it, we're totally spazzing the fuck out like a bunch of 13-year-old boys hopped up on energy drinks. We're singing songs called "Man Bitch," starting mosh pits, and victimizing perpetrating men by pantsing them on stage and turning their bellies into bongos. It just feels really amazing to be doing what we do naturally, spreading unselfconscious girly fun throughout the land.

SFBG Your slogan is "Your dad's worst nightmare."

COCO Yeah, we'll steal a cucumber from your fridge and stick it up his.... Just kidding, we adore dads! We're actually really nice girls. We just love to terrorize boys and uptight whiteys. Wait, terrorize might be the wrong word. We just want to free them.

http://www.sfbg.com/scene/2008/summer/ - San Francisco Bay Guardian

By: Dennis Cook
Sometimes you only need four cuts to know you've stumbled upon serious fucking talent. The real deal has a way of slapping you around that leaves red handprints and unmistakable bruises all over. Oh, it can be a more genteel experience with singer-songwriter types but Oakland's Hottub are a "ride 'em hard and put 'em away wet" sorta thang. Bubbling over with the energy of early Beastie Boys given flowing, heated feminist whomp, their debut EP, On Blast! (Le Heat), is top tier beat science that's more fun than a Crisco coated group grope.

This is party-starting dynamite packed by three extremely talented female MCs and two crushingly gifted fellas who craft the banging musical settings. Anthemic without being dumb, every cut is a shouter waiting for a room full of sweaty, lubricated people to chime along, though you'll likely find yourself spinning around your living room with undignified abandon if this is playing. Hottub draw energy from quality ancestors – The Selector, B-52s, Schooly D, MC Lyte, Beasties – but given contemporary sharpness and dirty mouthed savoir faire. Co-Co Machete, Loli Pop, Ambr33zy, Jay-Sonic and Funky Finger have Parliament-ary potential, i.e. funk superheroes waiting to happen. I have ZERO doubt that Hottub could handle riding dolphins in fur cowboy outfits or landing a Mothership over undulating hordes. Some folks roll like that. The rest of us have only to raise our hands in the air and shout, "HOT-TUB!" Do yourself a favor and pop over to their MySpace page and bop around to "M.A.N.B.I.T.C.H." "1-2-3-Go!" and "Superfriction" to fall in love with Spanish Fly quickness. Now, the impatient wait for their full-length debut begins. Mark my words, it's gonna be a freakin' corker and a half.

Hottub started a new national tour opening for The Ting Tings last Sunday that runs through April 15 when the pairing hits The Fillmore in San Francisco. See full tour dates here. On top of their significant studio kung-fu, Hottub is murderously great live. Peep JamBase's rave for last year's BFD performance here. - Jambase.com

M.I.S.S. Michelle first featured the ladies of HOTTUB in February of 2008 and we were so in love with what they were bringing that we’ve been following them to the top ever since!

We’re excited to honor the history-making Oakland based group, who have been invited to join British sensation, The Ting Tings as they embark on a month long North American Tour. After playing only two shows with The Ting Tings in the San Francisco/Bay Area, it wasn’t long until guitarist/vocalist Katie of the The Ting Tings started talking about HOTTUB on blogs and magazines. Katie tells Mojo Magazine in their most current issue:

“They’re three really outrageous girls, kind of like Beth Ditto characters with spandex and disco balls on their heads. They sound like the Beastie Boys but with pop songs. It’s really bizarre, but they’re great performers.”

A few months after the shout out on Mojo Magazine, HOTTUB was invited to join them on their North American tour. 13 of the 20 dates are currently sold out but don’t let that stop you from trying to catch them in a city near you!

Here’s a more “proper” introduction on the group:

Founded in 2005 by producer Jason Stinnett and vocalist Nicole Feliciano, HOTTUB is a five piece group from Oakland, California whose music is an amalgamation of genres such as dancehall, punk, and Miami Bass.

The group consists of: Jason Stinnett, Producer; Coco Machete aka Nicole Feliciano, Vox; Loli PoP aka Jenifer Ackerman, Vox; Ambr33zy aka Amber Griffin-Royal, Vox; and Mark Gregory, Keyboards.

HOTTUB currently has an EP out called On Blast!, available on iTunes, released under their own independent record label, LeHeat.


Compare all you want but see these ladies live…they’re unlike anything you’ve ever seen before! A true force to be reckoned with, you’ll be hearing a lot more from them in the months to come!

http://www.missomnimedia.com/2009/03/women-making-history-the-ladies-of-hottub/ - MISSCREW.com