Lately this summer it seems to be extra warm, this is in part probably due to global warming, but it may also be from Hot Chip being so fucking hot right now.  I recently witnessed them at the Pitchfork Music Festival, (see video below) and yes there were many good acts at the fest—among my favorites were Purity Ring, Youth Lagoon and Nicolas Jaar—but none stood out to me and made the whole place dance with excitement like these electronic vets did.  It was the only time it felt like other much larger, crazier festivals I’ve been to; festivals where the entire crowd were bouncing up and down, people tribal dancing in mud circles, energy levels soaring to the heavens.

That is kind of what In Our Heads is about I think: creating music that not only makes people get up and dance uncontrollably, but also fills our heads with grander ideas while lifting our spirits to some other world.  It takes the infectious grooves of songs like “Ready for the Floor” and “Shake a Fist”  from 2008′s Made In The Dark, and combines them with the more serious tone and subject matter of love and the meaning of life from the last album, One Life Stand.  But what In Our Heads does best is combine the joy and happiness of dance music with the love and devotion that the ’90s electronic music culture had.

It seemed like at times in the past, the so-called “rave” culture was more of a sanctuary for celebration of life, love and friends, while the new wave of  “dubstep” seems to be more about getting fucked up to distorted bass-heavy sounds.  While this may just be the result of looking back ten years through rose-tinted glasses, it seems pretty clear that there is little dance music today that has any kind of real perspective—probably because this wave is still in it’s infancy.  But Hot Chip have been defining this genre for almost a decade and their age and wisdom have helped them make this amazing album, which at times almost feels religious, not in the sitting in church falling asleep while praying kind of way, but in the way that makes you want to get up and sing and dance and be thankful to be alive.  And really which would you rather be doing to stay happy in the heat?  Me personally, I’ll be over here dancing to this album, looking up at the sky.

Along with this release and all the touring they are doing, they have been exploding all over the place with amazing videos and announcements like possibly making the opening music for Table Tennis in the upcoming Olympics, and headlining the SS Coachella cruise ship.  So check some songs and the incredible videos below and try to see this tour I promise you’ll have a spiritual experience.

Hot Chip – “Flutes”  (My personal favorite from the album)

This is a nice Major Lazer remix of “Look At Where We Are”

 Here you can download the BBC Radio 1 Mix that they did a month ago.

And nothing says summer like skateboarding, surfing, and an epic bagpipe solo.

This ones a bit trippy but well worth a visit.

Also, ere’s the entire 2012 Pitchfork Music Festival roundup video (which I think is probably better than reading my opinions); check for Hot Chip around the 5:55 mark.