Gothic Theatre
Hot IQs
In 2004, indie rock trio Hot IQs reached the summit of the Denver underground music community, breaking the top five of Denver Post’s annual Underground Bands poll —right behind national act Dressy Bessy. Also in 2004, Hot IQs were nominated as the Best Pop Band in Denver by the Westword. Hot IQs debut album An Argument Between The Brain & Feet was released Oct 25, 2004 (Morning After Records), which has been lauded critically and continues to rise on the CMJ Charts (currently Number 75).
In early 2003, the band that began as a simultaneous twinkle in the eyes of former college radio DJs, Eli Mishkin (lead vocals, guitar) and Elaine Acosta (drums), has turned into what critics have dubbed “pure pop pleasure.” An exhaustive search of highway truck stops and Arbys yielded bassist Bryan Feuchtinger, completing the distinctive sound of the young indie rock band.
Blend classic pop, fuzzed-out rock, and hints of lounge — not to mention the distinctive sounds of acts found on Factory Records circa 1980s — and you have Denver’s premier rockers, Hot IQs. With a sound that cites influences from Joy Division, the Pixies to Archers of Loaf, and possibly the Holiday Inn Lounge Singers’ Association of America, Hot IQs put the indie-rock chocolate in your disco peanut butter.
Blessed with dynamic songwriting, spine-tingling hooks, and a rhythm section that thunders with danceable, almost tribal beats, Hot IQs have quickly amassed an army of “too cool for school” indie minions in tight pants (a group which grew larger on the band’s recent West Coast tour). Credit their engaging and passionate live show, their show-stopping good looks, or their attractively large brains (ahem) for their quick and ever-growing success.
To date, Hot IQs have shared the stage with: The Thermals, AC Newman, Rogue Wave, Crooked Fingers, the Delgados, the Sleepy Jackson, Nada Surf, OZMA, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Black Lipstick, On the Speakers, Dressy Bessy, Centro-Matic, White Light Motorcade.
