Low-five alive

>> Garage rockers Shitt Hottt on
handjobs, hobos and hope for Hogtown

GET A GRIP: Shitt Hottt

by JOHNSON CUMMINS

Not to toot any kind of regional party-favour horns here, but let’s call a spade a spade. Toronto has always lived in the shadow of la belle province when it comes to getting down and letting backbones slide. Toronto quartet Shitt Hottt, though, is challenging their city’s sourpuss, party-poopin’ reputation by bringing the dance party wherever they go. The band’s brilliantly titled debut record, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Shitt Hottt, is a rump-shakin’ garage rocker chock full of soul handclaps, tambourine smackin’, testifying shrieks of glee and a cheap organ grating some serious cheese. The thing just begs to be cranked up to 10. The Mirror traded e-mails with Shitt Hottt’s singer/organist Sarah Kirkpatrick and bassist Ryan Halpenny to get the lowdown on their Hogtown turnaround.

Mirror: Toronto has a pretty stuffy reputation. Does the city really have a stick permanently stuck up its ass?

Ryan Halpenny: It’s sad that we have this stodgy reputation—though not as bad as Ottawa, hoooo boy!—but we do like to get liquored up and break stuff as much as our Québécois friends. A Toronto reviewer actually once mistook us for “party-starting ringers who snuck in from Montreal.” Contrary to popular belief, there are lots of hot girls ’n’ guys in Toronto, they just don’t dress as well as in Montreal. It’s no secret that Toronto has lead feet, but that’s been changing a lot lately. I think Toronto is finally realizing that they can make their night a whole lot more amazing if they rock out.

M: On this first record, you take a look at Tony Danza’s foot fetish on “Tony Danza Dancetravaganza,” while tackling more weighty subject matter like birth control in “Pull Out” and the importance of proper female hygiene in “Boxxx Damage.” What subjects will you be addressing on your soon to be released follow-up?

Sarah Kirkpatrick: I think the new songs are true to Shitt Hottt form, in terms of lyrical content. You can still expect to hear songs about boys, doin’ it, wearing good outfits and dancing around. We have a song called “Loverboy” that’s basically about dressing up pretty, going for a drive and giving a guy a “low-five,” if yaknowuddimean. There’s also some spelling and clapping in there too—what more could you ask for?

RH: There’s also “8 Arms,” which is actually kind of about the same thing as “Loverboy.” It’s an eight-armed handjob from the whole band, plus, we’re also moving in other directions on songs like “Hobo Storm,” which is about hobos dancing—I think. Hobos are definitely the new pirates/robots/ninjas/monkeys. Or maybe the old, whichever.

M: You’ll be pulling into town with Toronto party titans the Midways. What can Montreal expect from this Toronto tag-team dance party?

SK: It’s impossible to keep still while the Midways are playing. Andrea [Higgins, drums/vocals] and I go to a lot of their shows and typically make fools of ourselves when they’re playing. We’ll be hard to miss on the dancefloor when they play.

RH: People coming down to the show can expect tambourines, shaking around, skirts, nice shoes, good hair, a flubbed solo—from each of us—maybe a nice tie and matching slacks, probably more tambourine, some heckling, lots of laughter and cowbell. Lots of cowbell.

With the Midways and
the Walnut Kids at l’Escogriffe on
Saturday, Feb. 2, 9 p.m., $6