If anything hot levels is detrimental to your results. Try doing a track start to finish lower, monitoring lower, only pushing the levels of the monitors for a reference of low end and balance at louder volumes. Then take it back down to a soft level. The lower you mix at the more balance you end up getting I find.
I mix at volumes where people would consider the track a few seconds away from fading out entirely. I balance instruments and effects this way, then I whack it up to say 80dBSPL see how it all sits, make minor adjustments, and lower it back down again. Constantly flicking between the two to get the right sound. Before I think I am done I play it back at a very specific fletcher-munson curve level on full range speakers, and listen throughout. Make adjustments as necessary. You will get a better balance doing something similar to this. The results speak for themselves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq10PhUG9VQ
This is not my work, it is just a very good example of recording levels and monitoring levels to create such good balance between instruments.
For some reason you get weird looks tracking between -18 to -12dBFS, you get weird looks for monitoring at low volumes, you get weird looks for mixing with plenty of headroom left. Send it to a good mastering house and they love you.
I have one major rule that will never be broken in my studio "I point blankly refuse to track, mix or master hot for non artistic reasons". If a record label approaches, I will point them towards that notice, it is then up to them.
Artists take convincing that recording lower makes a louder record. It does seem very backward, but its just how it works. Artists shouldn't have an opinion on how to do MY job. I don't go to restaurants telling the chef how to make me bolognese, so why the hell should an artist have any say in the matter? We are professionals doing our job, this sort of behaviour is not accepted anywhere else, so why is it so freely observed in music? I am not talking about artistic decisions, that is entirely down to the artist, or if they ask for options then I will gladly give them some, otherwise it is entirely their session. But I do not appreciate being told how to do my job, I make this very clear before sessions, I think it provides a mutual respect between you the recording engineer, and the artist(s).
Too many artists think they know better, one told me to "record hotter to use all of the bits". That is when I decided to make it abundantly clear before sessions that I am doing my job, they do theirs. Sufficed to say this guy ended up taking up a lot of time to convince. He got offended at first. We are still brilliant friends to this day.
I may sound a little harsh. I assure you I do it in a polite and understanding way. Set up some professional boundaries, your work will benefit, and the session will run smoother.