Jul 09 2008
Hot Box - The Histone Code EP
Hot Box
The Histone Code EP
Self-Released; 2008
It’s always refreshing to hear new voices from women in rock, women who remind us that it is possible to be strong and self-assured yet decidedly feminine in the music they make. While there might be a place for both the bitchy and syrupy-sweet songs that tend to make up the bulk of musical material supposedly for women, there is a time and place for songs that express honest portrayals of female realities with music that complements those often frustrating emotions. And that’s what Hot Box, a raw indie rock band fresh out of Boston, does so well. Fronted by two neuroscience lab rats (Danielle on guitar/vocals and Amanda on bass), this purposely rough-around-the-edges three-piece channels a curiously brave mixture of early Liz Phair (her blatant honesty, not her sexual histrionics) with the melancholy tones of mid-era Pedro The Lion (complete with Danielle’s take on Bazan’s ability to not quite hit the pitch straight on). “Misery” and “An Overcast Day” are highlights of Hot Box’s debut EP, entitled The Histone Code, as they mourn the loss of a lover, but do so with a pathos and perspective that only comes with age and maturity. So, while songs about guys by girls might be overly familiar territory, the musical and lyrical angles taken by Hot Box makes them a welcome addition to the pantheon of women who rock.
