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]