Cold Warpin’ is so hot right now

Cheryl Hann, Staff Contributor

If you’ve been following the local music scene, chances are you’ve already heard of the Cold Warps, the bubblegum punk outfit fronted by Paul Hammond (Sharp Like Knives, Yo Rodeo). The band, which has been garnering a lot of attention for their wonderfully accessible live show, features Dominique Taylor (Juan Love) on guitar, Ryan Allen (XenvisionX) on bass and Lance Purcell (A History Of) on drums.
Born in basements and living rooms, the Cold Warps carry a house party mentality in their back pocket. “We like to try and make every show feel like a house show,” says Hammond. “It’s more fun if (the band and crowd) can go wild together. Like we’re throwing a party, more so than performing a set.”
If that’s the Cold Warps’ mission statement, I feel safe saying mission accomplished. The Cold Warps put on a show that feels like those great parties where you’re just drunk enough. That cute girl is there, and she’s pointing to a sign that says “Prepare Hips: Shaking Imminent.” The Cold Warps’ power chord-driven power-punk is like tea with three lumps of sugar: sweet and stimulating.
“(It’s) ‘60s pop, but played like The Ramones,” says Hammond. “Fun to listen to, fun to play, fun to watch.”
It is for precisely these reasons that the Cold Warps have quickly become one of the most talked about new bands in Halifax. I asked Hammond what he thought of the band’s apiarian (bee-like, buzz, get it?) status.
“I think we were all surprised about how much talk we were getting and how well received we were after only playing once or twice,” he says. “It really makes you want to push harder, to validate the buzz. It would be pretty crummy to play a few shows, get people really pumped and then just ride that out with the same five songs for a year and a half.”
But, if you were stuck listening to five songs for a year and a half, the ones on the Cold Warps’ 11-minute debut wouldn’t be the worst. The band’s first EP, which is the perfect length – “just enough time that you can’t get sick of it,” Hammond jokes – is available on cassette for $5. Or, if you’re broke (see also: lazy), you can download it for free from Hot Money Records.
“We want everyone to hear these songs, so we’re encouraging people to just download them and tell their friends to do the same,” says Hammond.
The tape may be short, but it definitely packs a punch. It punches with a clenched fist made of Ray Davies chord progressions and Dee Dee Ramone time signatures. Pow! Right in the kisser! The tape opens with “Hang Up On You.” A song with a recipe: one part lyrics, two parts hip-swiveling satisfaction – a great way to start the short tape. The next three songs are equally wonderful, but they all build up to “Science Fiction”. If your roommate wanders in during this song, I guarantee he or she will ask, “Who’s this?” followed closely by, “Can we go see them right now?” The song is barely two minutes long, but it’s loaded up with the best things. “Werewolves covered in slime,” “creatures coming out of walls,” “dudes with nothing for a face,” not to mention at least two separate references to the X-Files.
So keep your eyes peeled for the Cold Warps’ shows. They’re a great place to get hot and sweaty this winter. “Other than that, we’re just focusing on writing more songs,” Hammond says. “We’re going to approach that differently than any of us have ever done before. We’d like to release lots and lots of singles, just a few songs at a time, but hopefully frequently. The goal is to just keep people excited, and wanting more.”

If you want more, download the Cold Warps’ EP at www.hotmoneyrecords.com/ songs/coldwarps.zip. Or, check out their MySpace for shows.