The Sahara Hotnights took the stage at Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey around 10:30 p.m., kicking off their blistering 30-minute set with "Who Do You Dance For?," the first track off the band's third and latest full-length album, "Kiss & Tell." They blazed through nearly all of their hits, including the absurdly catchy "Hot Night Crash," (the first single off "Kiss & Tell), the high-octane and anthemic "Alright, Alright" and "On Top of Your World," as well as the ethereal garage rock homage "Quite A Feeling."
The show at Maxwell's is one of many solo concerts the Sahara Hotnights will be performing all over the country on their current tour with Phantom Planet.
"I like playing to younger people, 'cause they enjoy the music so much. This tour is just a good opportunity to do our own shows in between [main dates] especially for college students," guitarist Jennie Asplund said.
Indeed, opportunity abounds for these four young hippest-of-the-hip Swedish imports. The band, which just completed a tour with The Hives, is now being distributed in the states by label giant RCA Records. "Kiss & Tell" is one of the great pop-rock masterpieces of 2004, and singer/guitarist Maria Andersson is dating The Hives's superstar frontman Howlin' Pelle Almqvist.
Perhaps most importantly, though, the Sahara Hotnights represent the future of the all-female rock band. The Hotnights, rounded out by Asplund's younger sister, bassist Johanna, and drummer Josephine Forsman, are something incredibly rare: a girl rock band that actually rocks.
As for their sound, think a danceable combination of '70s power-pop vocals, raw 80s punk guitar, gorgeously layered harmonies and some of the catchiest hooks ever written . . . and you won't be far off.
"I guess I'm really excited when I see a good female band because there aren't that many," Asplund said, adding, "But I'm always excited when I see a good band."
Her comments are indicative of the band's mindset. While the Sahara Hotnights' gender may set them apart in a field dominated by male bands and fans, they don't feel that the difference is a significant one. "We've never compared ourselves to other females. We've always compared ourselves to other bands, not just female bands. But it's always been an issue for us, and we've always tried to work against it," Asplund said. "We've always listened to male bands, especially at the start. And I guess we just try to be like everybody else," she said.
Asplund believes there is nothing fundamentally different about male and female bands. "[The dynamic of a band] doesn't have to do with gender at all, but rather the relationships the band members have with each other. So it's the same deal for everyone, really, regardless of sex. Everyone's fighting against the same everything," she said.
The Hotnights, she said, have never wanted any of the special treatment that comes from being a female band. "Some bands really do get shows simply because they're girls, and I guess that's what it was like for us in the beginning," she confessed. "I think people make it really easy for [girl bands] because the only thing they feel they can compare them to are other female artists. And that's really boring because there aren't that many to choose from."
In an age when so many female pop stars are sexual icons, unfortunately, it often seems as though success for the female artist is linked to explicit stage shows, revealing clothes and suggestive songs. Even The Donnas, another successful contemporary female rock band to whom the Sahara Hotnights are often unfairly compared, write songs with titles such as "Do You Wanna Hit It?" and "Take Me To The Backseat."
The Hotnights, on the other hand, just want to rock.
"We thought about [gender] more before, but that's because everybody asked about it. A long time ago people thought it was more different than it is now. That's what all our older interviews were about," Asplund said.
Although the band by no means lacks sex appeal, they simply choose to put the music first. "Some female artists have to [depend on sex appeal] because they don't have anything else. But it's the same with male artists. There's no exception there," she added. Of course, the Hotnights have plenty of style to back up their substance. Of all the hip new rock bands, they are one of the chicest, classiest and coolest, proving that a well-dressed female rock star doesn't have to be a skanky one.
By insisting that gender shouldn't be used to classify bands, the Hotnights have created a model from which all rock bands, regardless of sex, should take a cue. Not only have they retained their dignity through their rise to popularity, they've done it with panache and elegance. They've refused to give in to music industry norms, created a sound all their own and become one of the greatest rock bands to emerge over the past few years. "I don't think you need sex appeal [to succeed]. I think we're a damn good live band, and we write damn good songs," Asplund said.
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