Essential track: Hot As Sun, 'Desert Song'

Essential track: Hot As Sun, ‘Desert Song’

By Randall Roberts, Los Angeles Times Pop Music Critic

June 7, 2013 11:51 AM PT

Los Angeles trio Hot As Sun released its full-length debut, “Night Time Sound Desire,” in the spring, and despite being ignored by a certain monolithic indie rock site that often makes or breaks young, innovative pop, rock and electronic acts, the record has been flowing into discerning eardrums and generating much affection. The group recently inked a booking deal with hotshot agency Windish, has been getting ink and airplay from KCRW-FM (89.9), and even licensed a track for an episode of “Glee.”

The group -- Jamie Jackson, Deborah Stoll and Waz -- first made a dent in 2011 with its catchy debut single and fantastic video for “Come Come,” a crawling, synth-dance ode to ambivalent desire featuring an earworm melody and Jackson’s breathy delivery. They signed a deal with Canadian imprint Last Gang and, after an equally smart and catchy EP (and a trippy rendition of Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher”), released “Night Time Sound Desire” at the end of March.

Since then, the record’s been on regular rotation on many never-ending cruises through L.A., and that seems to be a consensus. I’ve turned on a dozen friends and colleagues to the record, and keep getting appreciative response.

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The album kicks off with analog handclaps, and immediately spins into a girl-group-suggestive cycle of verses, choruses, humming organs and dance-friendly beats that doesn’t end until the last note.

Hot As Sun is performing a free outdoor concert in Pasadena on Saturday night as part of KCRW’s Summer Nights series, and has just released a free download of one of the danciest songs on “Night Time,” called “Desert Song.” The track is a bit of an outlier -- most aren’t as commercially inclined as this one -- but the variety is part of the album’s charm.

Listen below, and for further pleasure visit the band’s beefy Soundcloud page, which offers a stream of the full album, a remix of “Come Come” featuring rapper Freddie Gibbs and the cover of “Hot for Teacher,” among many others.