Hot Chip Sing The Blues

Hot Chip Sing The Blues - V

Posted by V

Alright, maybe the post title is a little misleading. This isn’t about Hot Chip covering Muddy Waters, Memphis Slim or Amos Milburn. This is about Hot Chip covering a different type of bluesâ€”the dark and troubled music of Joy Division.

War Child, a network of independent organizations working across the world to help children affected by war, asked 15 music icons to select a favorite song from their classic back catalog and to nominate the new act they most trust to create a unique interpretation of that hand-picked track. Alongside Hot Chip, the compilation features Beck, The Kooks, The Hold Steady, Lily Allen, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Franz Ferdinand, Duffy, Estelle, Rufus Wainwright, Scissor Sisters, Peaches, Adam Cohen, Elbow, The Like and TV On The Radio. The project releases stateside February 16th.

Covers are always a rough water to tread. With any covers project, there is an omnipresent tide of naysayers against the concept of reinterpreting historically significant music. This attitude is evident in the feedback for Hot Chip’s contribution, a cover of Transmission from Joy Division. The people have spoken, and they don’t want Ian Curtis fucked with. Personally, I find this attitude intolerably snobby. Covers are meant to pay homage to the musical greats of the past, not take their place. I really enjoy this cover. It retains some of the solemn notes of the original, interpreted in a way that brightens the dark cloud of Curtis’ influence. The steel drums are an especially nice touch. Hot Chip did a great job with this cover, bringing dawn to one of the darkest figures in musical history.

Check out the War Child site and find out more about the 15 artists and the classic track and music legend they have covered for the Heroes album.

Hot Chip – Transmission (Joy Division Cover) (160 kbps)