Justin Hawkins’ post-Darkness project Hot Leg has its first album, Red Light Fever, coming out next month. The album cover above is, I guess, supposed to set the tone for the album—you know, it’s going to be like the Darkness, but without all the crazy space-alien stuff, and maybe with Hawkins wearing glasses that make him look like he could be in the background of a Cobrasnake pic? Whether or not this cover was designed for its possible American release to have some sort of attendant Wal-Mart-related “oh no, female skin!” controversy depends on both whether the album ever comes out here and whether the big bad Bentonvillians will be selling CDs at all on that fateful date, but for now, feel free to enjoy this clip that captures a 20-foot rendering of the cover, if only because it’s set to what seems to be the band’s funk-o-metal cover of the Pointer Sisters’ “Automatic”:

See what I mean about the glasses?

Red Light Fever Artwork [Hot Leg's MySpace Blog; HT Nicholas E.]

I love the first Darkness album, though I recognize you may not. But either way, it’s been hard not to feel a little embarrassed for Justin Hawkins, who quit the band as a way of maintaining his sobriety, launched a number of ill-conceived musical flops (solo album, World Cup song, failed Eurovision entry), and is now all-but-forgotten in America. Which is why you might approach his new project, Hot Leg, with some trepidation. Fear not! Or, at least, only fear for 1:17 of the song “Trojan Guitar,” at which point a ridiculous but wholly appropriate voice snottily parodies Britpop. After a long solo, it goes all-acoustic, with Hawkins deploying every register of his voice, and when the band crashes back in, well, it got me. The breadth here is wider than mere glam-metal, and though that should be horrifying, it seems to work. [YouTube]

One of my favorite albums of 2005 was the Darkness’ unheralded One Way Ticket To Hell…And Back. With the help of Roy Thomas Baker, the band had finally constructed an entire album of ridonkulous pop-metal moments–but it was tossed aside with minimum publicity thanks to internal meltdowns and label indifference. Since leaving the band in 2006, screaming mimi Justin Hawkins announced a solo album, Panther (now scrapped), and released the song “Do It In The Dark” as a free download to promote energy conservation. But now he has a new band, Hot Leg, and they have an album in the can and a tour kicking off next month.

This astonishing mega-tour begins on August 6th at London’s Proud Galleries, hits the Birmingham Barfly on the 7th, takes in the Manchester Roadhouse on the 8th before the explosive Glasgow King Tuts finale on the 9th. Tickets are expected to sell like hot cakes, so click on the link from our myspace profile to get yours!

To celebrate, we’re giving away ‘Heroes’, a live favourite of the future that will NOT appear on the Leg’s long player. You can download it as a free MP3. All we ask in return is that you provide a genuine email address. Then we can keep you abreast of the Leg’s future activities. Click on the link from our myspace profile to get yours!

Meanwhile, the first Hot Leg music album is now complete and it is absolutely stunning. The album is as yet untitled but don’t worry, you’ll be the first to know. We’re aiming for a release later this year on Barbecue Rock Records.

“Heroes” is pretty good for a non-album promotional MP3, and this behind-the-scenes clip is equally promising.

Still, Hawkins has a lot to live up to. Could anyone top this?

The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins Forms Hot Leg Band [Angry Ape]
Hot Leg [MySpace]
The Darkness – I Believe In A Thing Called Love [YouTube]
Hot Leg Video Diary: Episode 1 [YouTube]
The Darkness – Girlfriend [YouTube]