Get To Know My Friend Vol.2: Hot Water Music/ The Draft

For those who don’t know the powerhouse of Gainesville post-hardcore bliss that was Hot Water Music, you have missed out on something that was truly great. Not half arsed, new Coldplay album great. I’m talking ninja space pirate great. Named after a Charles Bukowski book of the same name, Hot Water Music and Rocket From The Crypt were the only 2 reasons why I kept on listening to punk music following my early teen obsession. And to classify them as punk music really doesn’t do them justice. These guys managed to infuse their own brand of Gainesville punk rock with catchy choruses, intricate multi layered guitar lines and a working class aesthetic topped off by Chris Wollard and Chuck Ragan’s incredible gravel soaked vocal tones. When you add to that the fact they had possibly the greatest rhythm section in punk at the time and that their cover art was light years ahead of anything else in the genre you get a sure fire hit right? Right? Wrong! Hot Water Music was possibly one of the most under appreciated bands of the last decade. They managed to stay afloat thanks to a rabidly fanatic cult fan base, but throughout their 13 year career they never made it past independent labels and at the start of 2006 Hot Water Music disbanded for good after Chuck Ragan left to spend more time with his family. But my crying stopped when I discovered the band “The Draft”, ¾’s of which had risen from the ashes of Hot Water Music smouldering wreckage. So here you go, enjoy this and if you do please jump on the bandwagon so these guys can keep releasing great records.

Hot water Music – Finding The Rhythms 1996

Hot Water Music’s first release and though not their best, it does show a great deal of promise . The first 7 tracks are really solid for this fledgling band, but the last 5 are virtually unlistenable due to the sound quality. "Floor" is a good indication of where they were at with this release. The sound quality issue is a shame because polished up they could have been pretty good. But there not. Its really really crap quality. Real crap.

Hot water Music – Fuel For The Hate Game 1997

HWM’s second release doesn’t get me as hot and sweaty as some of their later releases, but it’s a solid sophomore release, vastly improving in the originals poor production values. However, the boys are still in a formative stage, you can here Chuck and Chris’s back and forth coming to the fore and the rhythm section striving for greater complexity. “Trademark” is a great song showcasing Jason’s propulsive bass lines and “Turnstile” is a great example of the early Chuck and Chris call and response vocals.

Hot Water Music - Forever And Counting 1997

Their third is what is commonly considered the hardcore HWM fan’s (aka fuckwit’s) favourite, and it is easily my favourite of their work before the 1997 break up/reformation. This is because I believe the songwriting improves 10 fold on this disc. Listen to “Three Summers Strong” and tell me it isn’t the best song they had written up until then. Songs like "Just Don't Say You Lost It" are a good example of their knack for a hook and their developing complexity. Chuck and Chris are at their passionate best, pumping out anthem after anthem. It’s just brilliant stuff.

Hot Water Music - No Division 1999

Their comeback disc after the 1997 hiatus shows an improved production aesthetic, but fails to reach the heights of Forever and Counting. It doesn’t have the same passion and it definitely doen’t have as much balls. But it’s a shitload better than the first couple of albums though, so it’s definitely worth your time. “Free Radio Gainesville” kicks ass.

Hot water Music - A Flight And A Crash 2001

I was introduced to Hot Water Music by hearing Jack Of All Trades on an Epitaph punk rock sampler and have loved them ever since. This album is incredible. Anthem after anthem man, this album is actually really beautiful to me. I don’t know how to describe why I think that, it just has this sweet ambience to it. Tracks like "Paper Thin" and "Old Rules" exude their passion for music in such an epic way, it's almost a tangible thing. Just listen to it or I’ll get angry.

Hot Water Music - Caution 2002

Their penultimate release contains “Remedy”, which is probably their most popular song , it makes the album worth your money on it’s own merits. But theres plenty more to look forward to on this album which shows a progression to a cleaner sounding more precise HWM. Caution switches between hearty anthems like "Trusty Chords" to the bittersweet tones of a song like "Sweet Disasters" without breaking a sweat. Magic.

Hot Water Music - The New What Next 2004

(Sigh). HWM last effort. It’s a corker. I’m getting sad now. Songs like “All Heads Down” and “The End Of The Line” show the promise of what could have been. These guys were progessing, never settling for anything less than their best. This album showcases not only their improved instrumentalism (Yes. I made that word up) but also their knack for an anthemic chorus and a catchy verse. Awesome.

The Draft - In A Million Pieces 2006

These boys seem to have picked up from where HWM left off. Great punk infused rock. I would expect no less from these guys. . "Lo Zee Rose" and "New Eyes Open" are kick ass tracks which indicate a phenomenal future for these guys. The only thing that anoys me is that Chris’s vocals sound hollow without Chuck’s help. It’s just something I’ll have to get used to, and you guys probably don’t care about that. Buy this album.

Also, while your at it go visit Chuck Ragan’s myspace page. There are a few of his new acoustic tracks available to stream. Sounds very different from HWM but I like what I’ve heard so far.

P.S Buy these cd’s so these guys can keep making great music. DO IT. Now. Seriously.