Hot Rod Circuit

Hot Rod Circuit: Sorry About TomorrowSorry About Tomorrow (2002)
Vagrant Records

Reviewer Rating: 3

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Contributed by: maverickScott
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Published on April 5th 2002Hot Rod Circuit. I booked these guys a show 3 years ago in Belvidere, IL when they toured with the Jazz June. Virtually no one came [which is typical of the Rockford-area scene], but the show was one of my most favorite that I had ever booked. I was excited to see HRC live, as their booking agent.

Hot Rod Circuit. I booked these guys a show 3 years ago in Belvidere, IL when they toured with the Jazz June. Virtually no one came [which is typical of the Rockford-area scene], but the show was one of my most favorite that I had ever booked. I was excited to see HRC live, as their booking agent had sent me a dubbed tape of their first EP and I loved it. I told all my friends that this band would be huge someday. So after Last Summer [the best band to have ever been on Drive Thru Records] played and wowed me [and about the 6 other people in the room], HRC set up and proceeded to rock it like there was no tomorrow. The Jazz June paled in comparision. I wish I would have kept in contact with the HRC boys because I really liked them, but I figured I would realistically never hear from them again, even though they had that "sound of tomorrow."

It's 3 years later and Hot Rod Circuit is big. they're not *huge,* but they're on their way. In that three year span, the band put out 2 full length albums on Triple Crown Records, gaining a good-sized fanbase with each one. After nonstop touring with pretty much everyone, Vagrant Records took notice, signed them, and threw them onto the Vagrant America tour, gaining them almost instant popularity. Nowadays the Jazz June would kill to open for them, I think. I'm happy for these guys, but I just wish this album lived up to their potential.

Don't get me entirely wrong: it's a good album. "Radiation Suit" is about as classic as HRC can get, and "Consumed By Laziness" shows that the band can slow down the tempo without losing some of their nearly-patented punk-meets-emo-and-they-get-into-a-drunken-brawl sound. The music is solid and well recorded, and the lyrics are still fairly good [they've never really been a strong point in the band], but it seems like the energy is lacking throughout the whole album. Not many songs do much to jump out at you - Andy's voice sounds *way* too polished for this type of music [especially in the "Pharmacist" - what is this, a New Found Glory b-side?], and Casey, while being a crazy motherfucker of a guitarist, sounds like he's using the same eccentric riffs over and over again. The album falls into the category of glorified background music - sure, it's good, and when you pay attention to it, you enjoy it, but that's just the thing - when you *don't* pay attention to it, you tend to enjoy it even more. It takes no effort to swallow this album. The big question is, will it leave a bad taste afterwards? I'm still not sure. While I'm deciding, I'll put their first EP back in and listen to HRC rock out like I know they could back in the day.

MP3
Radiation Suit

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

Anonymous (March 18, 2003)

this album is more mellow than the others. but it aint bad.

Anonymous (April 9, 2002)

haha, yeah, rockford area shows do suck.....i wish i liked decent music then, i'd have been there

Anonymous (April 8, 2002)

this album is pretty good, but after a couple of listens, the only song i found to stick out was 'at natures mercy' nothing like irish car bomb or power of vitimins on this. alot of the songs are slower compared to 'if i knew now..' and 'if it's cool with you...'

Anonymous (April 8, 2002)

I love Hot Rod Circuit, i love them so much my son was born to there music. It was realy intersting to see the faces of the nurses when they heard them on the cd player while he was bieng born. I think that there first Ep and If I knew What I Knew Then were there best stuff. The last 2 albums have been kinda a disapointment. Ive expected more but maybe thats why ive been disapointed. There last two albums have just sounded like every one else trying to push out emo cd's. Maybe they will do something better there next CD.

Anonymous (April 6, 2002)

no doubt about it, see this band live. there albums are consistently missing something, and then they find it on the next album, but lose something else. someday they may put out that perfect record, but for maximum, you should just position yourself right by the stage, bootleg the set, and listen to the best versions of all their best songs when you get home...

Matt81 (April 6, 2002)

i love hot rod circuit, but unfortunatly, this album did not meet my expectations. it sounded too generic and too poppy. i liked "If It's Cool With You" much better. the lead guitar was much more interesting and the sound was harder than this new album. with this album, i become bored after the 3rd song or so. still a good band however...

Anonymous (April 5, 2002)

I wish you coulda posted a song I hadn't already heard...

Anonymous (April 5, 2002)

This album rocks!! I think this is more poppy and more rock than their last efforts, but in my mind its a step up. I just saw them at the quest in minneapolis, and boy do they rock! I used to go to the good ol' foxfire all the time too... I saw animal chin, the hippos, flipsyde, and the stereo as well as many other sweet bands at the FF. Back to HRC, if you're into feel good pop-rock, this album will knock your socks off. Give it a listen!

Wyld_Stallyns_Rule (April 5, 2002)

These guys kicked ass back in the day when they played at the foxfire(RIP) in Minneapolis all the time. 'If I knew then' is a great album, but I knew they'd go down hill when they signed to vagrant. It's a good album, but more of a download it rather than pay $16 for it good. If I see 'em live, I'll pick the disc up.