Showing off their love for American honky tonk and the '50s rock & roll of Sun Records, the Hot Shots gave tribute to this sound throughout their home country of Japan. Their brand of old-school rockabilly and swank female vocals (courtesy of Chie Comeda) not only led to a huge local following -- even before the swing revival of 1998 -- but also prompted coverage in the V/Search Publishing book Swing! The New Retro Renaissance, where they shared the pages with the likes of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Royal Crown Revue. With all this attention, it wasn't long before American ears were turned on to the Hot Shots thanks in part to Dionysus Records, which released their debut, Wise Up, Watch Out, in 1999. ~ Mike DaRonco