Monday, May 30, 2011

Dead Hot Workshop-Karma Covered Apple

Dead Hot Workshop are the kings of the Tempe music scene. In the 90's when bands like Gin Blossoms, The Refreshments, The Pistoleros, and others were beginning to boom and Tempe looked like it was the next Athens, GA. Dead Hot Workshop was the band all other Tempe bands wanted to be like (The Refreshments even referenced them in the lyric, "We can all wear ripped up clothes and pretend that we are Dead Hot Workshop" from the song "Down Together"). Through choice or fate, Dead Hot Workshop never got a deal with a major label. They have put out a few albums over the years, all of which are cult classics, especially in Arizona. Karma Covered Apple is not as highly regarded as 1001 or River Otis, but it's still a very good document of a band that was good enough to make it but just didn't. If you're a fan of 90's alternative, Dead Hot Workshop might be just the ticket for you. They rock, they have smart lyrics, and they do exactly what they want with their music because they don't have anybody to tell them anything different. I met Dead Hot Workshop twice and hung out with them once. They're a great bunch of guys and it's either a shame or their choice that they didn't make it bigger (I've heard both stories). Dead Hot Workshop stories can be the stuff of legend, so I don't know what to believe other than the fact that they rock. Side Note: The picture is not of the actual CD cover art. I couldn't find the cover art online, so I whipped up a lazy approximation. I actually like mine better.

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