Check out this live performance from The White Rabbit Cabaret in Indianapolis. Awesome.

Singer/frontman Oliver Hopkins and guitarist Duncan Kissinger from Hotfox took a minute to answer a few questions so we could all get to know this talented group of guys from Bloomington, Indiana a little better.

Another big congrats to the guys for winning this year’s Battle of the Bands. We can’t wait to see them in Austin!

Q: So, you’re our winners. You made it. Did you guys think you had a good chance when you entered this crazy thing?

A: We had no expectations at first but as time went on, we saw our chances get better from 1 in 50 to 1 in 10.

Q: Where does the name Hotfox come from?

A: An outlaw in an old spaghetti western film.

Q: How do you describe your music to someone that hasn’t heard you before?

A: It’s melodic, dynamic, and noisy. It’s what you get when you mix sugar, spice, everything nice, and chemical Y.

Q: What’s in store for Hotfox this year? Do you guys have some short term goals? How about long term?

A: Right now we’re working on our second record with Tyler Watkins (of Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s) so that’s our immediate focus. We’re looking to get on the road this summer and tour behind it.

Q: Has the band or anyone in the band been down to SXSW before?

A: Nope, it’s the first time for all of us. We’re very anxious/excited but hoping to make the most of it.

Q: Who are you most excited to see in Austin this year?

A: Built to Spill and Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s.

Q: Do you guys know any other bands heading down for the festival?

A: We played with Margot last winter and Tyler, their bassist, produced our record.

Q: You guys are from Bloomington, Indiana along with the winners of our first Battle of the Bands competition, The Broderick: Do they put something in the water down there? What’s with all of the great music coming from that town?

A: The Broderick are solid dudes. It’s gotta be the water. The scene in Bloomington is killer.

Q: Do you have a favorite place to play? How about a favorite band to play with?

A: Our house in Bloomington has an odd split-level living room that makes for a solid stage. The Earth House in Indianapolis has a great vibe and a great team working there. Be Here Now in Muncie (Indiana) has the coolest lights we’ve played with. The Bonesetters, The Broderick, and The Calumet Reel are great bands to play with and we try to play with them whenever we can.

Q: If you could go out on the road with any band today, who would it be and why?

A: The Bonesetters. They tell great stories and make better music.

Q: If you could ask one question of any artist, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you ask?

A: I’d ask Picasso what he thinks of Tyler (Watkins), the Creator.

Q: Are you guys pumped to play SXSW?

A: Indubitably.

We’re proud to announce that Bloomington, Indiana based rockers Hotfox are the winners of our 4th annual Battle of the Bands competition!

The guys were picked out of over 800 artists to enter the second round of the contest in which they competed against 50 other acts in a public voting period. At the end of the public voting period, Hotfox moved on to the final round by being voted into the top 10 artists. From the top 10, a panel of judges from JanSport and Sonicbids hand selected Hotfox as their favorite.

The guys will be heading down to SXSW to play the Official Sonicbids Showcase presented by JanSport on Friday, March 16th. In the meantime, check out “Mountain Tiger” from the band’s debut LP, You, Me, and the Monster, released last summer on Roaring Colonel Records (which happens to be the record label arm of My Old Kentucky Blog.) The disc was produced by Tyler Watkins of Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s and the band is currently working with Watkins on a follow up.

mountain tiger by hotfoxtheband

Check back tomorrow for an exclusive Q&A with Hotfox frontman Oliver Hopkins!

Take a listen and have a great weekend!

Alabama Shakes – Hold On by ATO Records (@atorecords)

That’s right, after staying away from music videos for the first 15 or so years of the bands career, Wilco has kicked out their second video to support last year’s The Whole Love. The new video for “Dawned On Me” (one of our favorite’s from The Whole Love) delivers in true Wilco fashion: it’s as far from expected as possible.

Check it out.

Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming was released last October and covers an expansive 22 tracks and the two discs cover everything from 80’s pop hooks to epic movie score orchestration. M83 is mainly the project of French musician Anthony Gonzales and features a cast of supporting musicians, including his brother Yann Gonzales, singer/keyboardist Morgan Kibby and Drummer Loic Maurin. Gonzales’ style touches on My Bloody Valentine shoegaze while embodying dramatic and often times orchestral instrumentation that includes classic synthesizer and drum machine sounds.

You can check out some of the tracks here on Soundcloud

We’ll be announcing our winner February 1st right here and via Facebook.

In addition to loads of JanSport gear, the winning act will receive and all expenses paid trip for the group down to this year’s SXSW in Austin, Texas and will perform at the official Sonicbids showcase, presented by JanSport.

We’ll be announcing our top ten by the end of the week and the winner will be announced February first.

You only have until the end of the day tomorrow to vote, so get to it!

If you don’t manage to get one, don’t worry, there’s always other options…