Hercules and Love Affair

I've definitely been slacking on my blogging this week, but I have to pay the bills somehow right? Anyway, someone at work mentioned Hercules and Love Affair to me the other day and I had somehow missed them completely. The record is a recommended staff pick from the folks at Waterloo, so you know it's been getting some blog-hype already. Hercules and Love Affair is a project from Brooklyn-based DJ Andy Butler featuring Nomi, Kim Ann Foxman and Antony Hegarty. I'm not really sure who Nomi or Kim Ann Foxman are but I know Antony Hegarty. Hegarty is the lead vocalist for Antony & the Johnsons, a New York-based cabaret/lounge-style piano group.

I had the chance to see Antony & the Johnsons a few years ago at Boston's, Paradise Rock Club, and the show was pretty awesome. My only negative comment about it was that Antony Hegarty sings with very little effort, so the song moments that I thought would be heart-wrenching were just easily reached notes for Hegarty. This Hercules and Love Affair record is a completely different tone for Hegarty's voice but it matches up beautifully.

The sound is disco, with a more modern, urban edge the mix of Antony Hegarty's androgynous vocals make the songs haunting and somehow European-sounding. I suppose it's no coincidence that most of the tour dates for this band are in Europe. In fact they only have 4 U.S. dates listed on their MySpace.

Now I'm not entirely sure the Mp3 below will work for everyone but you should definitely try it out. See there is a "Free" Mp3 posted on the official EMI Chrysalis site for the band but the deal is you have to sign up for a mailing list. However I have taken the liberty of doing that for you to fetch this link:

Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules' Theme

Video and more after the jump...


I didn't mention above but Hercules is on DFA records, which gives them some serious cred. DFA is James Murphy's dance label based in New York, Murphy is the brains behind LCD Soundsystem. I caught LCD Soundsystem at Boston's, now defunct, Avalon and it was one of the most surprisingly awesome shows of my life. See I was trying to catch M.I.A. who was just opening for LCD Soundsystem, I only heard her do two songs, then LCD came out and just blew everyone away. Their live band syncopation is an undeniably ass-shaking, good time.

Here's a vid from Hercules and Love Affair:

Hercules and Love Affair - You Belong video via YouTube


Hercules and Love Affair - Blind video via YouTube

Oh NO! More videos!!


Antony & the Johnsons - Hope There's Someone video via YouTube


LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends video via YouTube

No Age/Abe Vigoda

Noise is back y'all! That's right people tonight is the night to drag your drunk ass to Emo's Inside to check out some L.A. noise-punk. No Age, Abe Vigoda, and Infinite Body are live and direct from the I-10. Bring your open mind, and your earplugs 'cause Emo's Inside is always dangerous to your delicate auditory senses, but tonight they are doing a showcase of what the kids in L.A. are listening to. More specifically the kids who frequent tiny, all-ages, L.A. club, the Smell. This club has churned out so many buzzy bands this year that some journalists are using the term "Smell Sound". How awesome is that?

No the "smell sound" is not some really bad acid trip, at least not exclusively, it refers to artists like Mika Miko, HEALTH, Abe Vigoda, and No Age who all play the Smell. This whole movement has even been featured on that old stalwart of cool, MTV, marking the official death of the whole scene and sound. Just kidding John Norris, you're still relevant and young-looking :-)

I caught No Age at SXSW, you may have noticed the pictures in my little slide show over there ------------------------------------->. To be honest, the music is really not my style so I haven't even listened to Nouns but I will tell you that seeing them live was awesome. Same goes for HEALTH, they put all their energy out to the crowd, as they thrash and jump and drink and scream. In other words this is going to be a bad ass show to catch at Emo's Jr, expect lots of sweating, lots of screaming, maybe some "moshing" or whatever they call it now. In other words a really fun, loud, visceral, rock 'n roll experience. Tickets for tonight's show are only $8, and Sparks is only $3.50 once you're inside. Emo's is all-ages so bring your under-age girlfriend we won't tell.

No Age - Eraser (Repost)

More review, Music, and Videos after the jump...


I should also mention that just because I haven 't listened to Nouns yet doesn't mean I won't gush about it later. It has been on a lot of lists already this year and you can expect it to make a lot of year-end lists as well. Also, I am a huge fan of Radiohead and Jonny was spotted wearing a No Age T on one of Radiohead's webcasts.


No Age - Eraser video via YouTube.


Abe Vigoda - All Night and Day video via YouTube