For whatever reason PUMA hosted a Holiday Mixer at Los Globos last night. The oversized sneakers strewn about the venue and marketing ploy aside, it was a great excuse to put together an amazing lineup of some seriously talented local acts thanks to our friends at BuzzBands LA. The highlight for me was the synth-pop set from Hot As Sun. The band has been holed up in the studio this year working on their debut full length album with an expected March 2013 release date on Last Gang Records. So, it was a real treat to see them at their best presenting all this wonderful, new material. Between the yelling through the checkered megaphone, the line dance break in the middle of “Dahance to the Beat,” and the truly impressive pipes on lead singer/frontwoman Jamie Jackson, this cold December night was one worth trekking out into. Firmly rooted in modern electro-pop, yet tinged with 60s girl group vibes, and British-inspired trip-hop beats, Hot As Sun’s songs transfix, and make it impossible to stand still. Throughout their set the room erupted in jubilant dancing, which usually sends awkward chills down my spine, but not this time. Maybe it was the PUMA sweatbands everyone was wearing, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that Olivia Newton-John’s disco spirit was alive inside Jackson and spilling out into the crowd. In the best way. – Jacqueline Caruso
