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here's the website if yr REALLY that curious....

My Love Affair with Hercules

Alright you guys, this is a big one, I'm serious about this y'all...if you don't want to get down with these guys then you just don't want to get down at all, and you DEFINITELY don't want to get down with Tenderlegs, cause we dig it- deep. It's Hercules and Love Affair, of course, here to save the world just as the greek hero once sought out to hundreds of years ago, but only this time around this change will [hopefully] effect the music industry. A sound so precious and professionally comprised can only be created and mastered by a group of individuals all equally talented and equipped with only the keenest sense for luxurious sound...CHECK. Andy Butler( successful DJ), Nomi, Kim Ann Foxman, & lead vocalist Antony Hegarty(Antony and the Johnsons). A group of people all so talented and successful that it seemed almost as mythological as the bands origins, and only expected for them to come together and form Hercules and Love Affair. Antony Hegarty, who has been one of my favorite singer and songwritters, not only with his own band - Antony and the Johnsons, but also and more so I loved his work with another one of my long time favorite bands, Cocorosie, whom Nomi has also worked with, and both have toured with. Antony's also worked and toured with artists such as Bjork, Lou Reed, Devendra Banhart, & Rufus Wainwright. As so much of the band is affiliated with Cocorosie, I wonder if a collaboration can be predicted? Also, one of the freakfolk sisters, Bianca Cassidy, can be spotted in H&LA new video for their song 'Time Will'.





I first heard about this band in February, before their album came out in March. I was so hyped about it, and I was dancing for days as H&LA gained more & more plays in my itunes. When I went out to nightclubs, I would request them(and of course I requested 'Blind', hoping some people would know the song), but the DJ who was usually spinning some tedious Crookers mix, looked at me like I was crazy...little did he know. But months have past now and people are starting to get hip to the sensation. I had been wanting to blog about them for sooo long now, but sat on it for ages because I grew such a liking for this band that I couldn't even form the words to describe them! Since then I have told all of my family about this band(my dad has since bought the album for himself) and pretty much all of my friends have discovered the band through me, but despite my own exploitation campaign that I've seemed to have set up, they have earned tremendous praise and dare I say, worship, from every self-ran blog and music savvy critic on the net. Pitchfork, notorious for being one of the less generous music critics on the inter-web, gave them an almost unheard of 9.1 for their debut album and it was also mentioned in Perez Hilton that the musical genius Elton John said that he loved him some Hercules and Love Affair.


The band is signed to DFA, which makes sense considering anything DFA related is pure GOLD. The Album is produced by Andy Butler and coproduced by Tim Goldsworthy, who was originally a drummer for UNKLE, whom DJ Shadow was once apart of as well. To make a VERY broad generalization, the bands sound is vintage 70's traditional, mixed with late 80's gay disco, and a beautiful architectural roman undertone in all 10 songs, but appears stronger in some tracks than others. Songs like "Athene", comprised of smooth jazz riffs while staying constant and steady for all 4 minutes while Kim Ann Foxman sings beautifully about the goddess of wisdom.

mp3: Hercules and Love Affair - This is My Love [Zshare]
mp3: Hercules and Love Affair - Athene [Zshare]

Others like "Hercules Theme" contain more distinct funk sounds and pitches of high and low energy, which all conclude to the songs unbelievable climax built up by a trumpet solo leading off into a cluster of diverse and beautiful blasting trumpets and horns which makes the journey that this song embarks on evident. This band is one that has easily became one of my favorites, and quite obviously the album of the year. I thank you for reading and don't forget to tell them what you think of their music on their myspace and you can pick up the album off their website or off itunes. I will also have their remixes up within the week. Enjoy and enlighten yourself!


mp3: Hercules and Love Affair - Blind [Zshare]
mp3: Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules Theme [Zshare]
mp3: Hercules and Love Affair - Roar [Zshare]

The Black ghosts - new LP

Theres probably not much I can say about the UK based duo The Black Ghosts that hasn't already been said. Since they formed in 2006 they have been bombed with loads of respect, praise, and approval from virtually every angle of the blog-net and effortlessly have become one of this years internet buzz bands. The two discovered each other over the internet and hadn't actually met until after they had worked on numerous projects together. Now your feeling a little better about your myspace boyfriend in Minnesota aren't you?

Songs like Repetition Kills You and I Don't Know push them in a more post rock feel with lighter beats and heavy bass. No matter what they can't really escape being a synth-electro pop band, as sinister as they may try to make themselves out to be. They gained high appeal last year with their amazing singles Face and Anyway You Chose To Give It, and a barrage of great remixes from artists such as The Teenagers, Kissy Sell Out, Diplo, Emperor Machine, and Switch gave them a ton of notoriety, fan base, and lots of club plays. I'm not the biggest fan of most of their songs, don't get me wrong they are great at what they do, but what they do I don't find too great. I do love last years singles though, and I am a huge fan of their song Something New, it plays non-stop in my itunes. But if your into all that pop electro, post rock dub ish, then enjoy the MPfreezies! Don't forget to hit up their myspace(link above) and show some love! Their self titled debut album is set to release July 8, but you can preorder it at their labels site for just 10 bucks!


mp3: The Black Ghosts - Repetition Kills You [Zshare]
mp3: The Black Ghosts - Repetition Kills You(Diplo Remix) [Zshare]
mp3: The Black Ghosts - Repetition Kills You(Emperor Machine Vocal Mix) [Zshare]

mp3: The Black Ghosts - Face [Zshare]
mp3: The Black Ghosts - Face(The Teenagers Remix) [Zshare]
mp3: The Black Ghosts - Face(Kissy Sellout Remix) [Zshare]

& the rest
mp3: The Black Ghosts - Tears From A Gun [Zshare]
mp3: The Black Ghosts - I Don't Know [Zshare]
mp3: The Black Ghosts vs Lindstrom - Something New(I feel space version) (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) [Zshare]

edscissorz

Yes, yes. I went to Electric Daisy Carnival.

My good friend Justin took me, and we endeavored on our first rave together.. but, I'm glad that of all raves to go to, I went to EDC. It was full of eclectic music (as well as people) but of course with your expected cliche "raver" scene as well. All the stages had wierd ass names like the "cosmic meadow" or the "kinetic field" or "neon garden" and "bass pod"... don't ask... I didn't.

I also got my 'raver' name from some asian kid with dreadlocks who was rolling. His name was Bryce (or hypno-something or other, as he's known in the 'rave world') and he looked me over and gave me the name Violet! Isn't that awesome!!!??? And he gave me one of his little candy bracelets... it said "glow". haha. 

At some point during the night, Justin and I heard some strange voice coming from one of the stages, so we went to find out what it was. Turns out it was Rabbit in the Moon, whom I've actually never heard of before that night. They did this extravagant performance of David Bowie's "Lets Dance". It was intense to say the least..

Anyways, I think the place I was posted up at the most was the reggae ice cream truck next to the house of mirrors. It just felt like home to me, and there was hardly anyone in that area, so I could actually DANCE. Yet, there was this mexican break dancer who was so intimidating that I couldn't get up to dance...

Eventually they bumped Prince's "Erotic City" and I just couldn't help myself. He actually cleared the floor for me and watched me do my thing. I ended up drawing a crowd and getting a lot of testosterone-driven attention.


Well, don't want to bore you with a ton of pictures of raver nazis. All in all, it was a good experience... that I highly doubt I'll have another one just like it....because I don't plan on going to raves any time soon....




-still glowing,
c. urchin

MR. BRAINWASH

Hopefully you don't miss the Mr. Brainwash exhibit. I don't want to spoil it with too many pics if you plan on going, but I'll tease you a bit ;) Chances are you've seen some of his posters up around Hollywood (the warhol-esque ones). Recently Mr. Brainwash took over an old CBS TV studio and turned the whole building (from the walls to the ceilings) into a piece of art. It was a nice change of pace from the typical art gallery with blank walls and the art on 'display'. Every where you looked was art and expression.After following Bansky around to make an OBEY documentary on graffiti art, MBW got inspired himself and decided to make his own accumulation of pop culture through every medium including...

...large free standing pieces,

(giant stack of books)

(12 ft. take out bag)

...paintings,

...even poked fun at classical art

(this bitch is on her apple, if you can't tell)

(This one gets me every time haha)

& these were actually made out of broken vinyls

...prints,

...barcode prints,

...even rooms themselves were stading pieces of art!

...there's also a section upstairs with cages filled with the most bizzare things,

(doesn't this bear look like a recovering heroin addict?)

(the best room of all was clearly the one covered in stuffed animals)

I rly just wanted to jump in and swim around...

Here is what Banksy has to say about MBW:

Mr. Brainwash or MBW is the moniker of an eccentric French filmmaker.

MBW has spent the last nine years attempting to make the ultimate documentary about graffiti art. But whilst filming many of the world’s most renowned street artists at work MBW began putting his camera aside and making art of his own. He has graduated from a few hand drawn stickers to giant billboard sized paste-ups, eventually becoming one of the most prolific street artists in California.

MBW does not fit the stereotype of your average street vandal. His artistic process chiefly consists of throwing random modern cultural icons into a blender and turning it up to eleven. The results are by turns profound, provocative and inspirational.

“Life is beautiful” is the first exhibition ever mounted by Mr Brainwash. It takes place in a former Hollywood studio complex and will feature over three hundred paintings, sculptures and prints alongside an installation made from 100,000 shoes and a life-size re-creation of Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawks”.

“Mr. Brainwash is a force of nature, he’s a phenomenon. And I don't mean that in a good way.”
- Banksy

The exhibit ends June 29th, so don't miss it!! Admission is free, so you have no excuse! Not to mention Roscoe's is right there on the next block if you want some grub  ;)

6121 W Sunset Blvd. 1-9 pm

artfully yours,

c. urch