Anybody else in love with this? It only took one listen for me.
I could see this making its way up my top 20 list quite rapidly.
They sound like Battles went back in time to the 70s, added a second drummer, and were trying to end the war between disco and punk by appeasing both parties.
Not all those who wander are lost.
Posts: 232 | Location: Portland, OR | Registered: 20 February 2006
"That's the name of the band; don't tell me to stop being vulgar!
Their new album from this year, LP, is so freaking addictive. It reminds me of the new Battles album except more synth-heavy. One of the interesting things about the band is their only use of computers is in the recording process. Holy Fuck prefer to use the more challenging route of creating the synths and sounds using hardware (i.e. Analog Synths, Guitars, random objects; from their myspace head line: "find something in the trash, plug it in") rather than softsynths.
They have a very heavy, defined rhythm section- via percussion and bass- making their experimental very danceable and fun. The mixture of pulsing synths, drum rolls, and drones make for an interesting combination.
If you're into Post-rock, Kraut Rock, Battles, Trans-Am, or are looking to find some music that is very different yet still has some mainstream appeal, check out Holy Fuck."
This album is very good, not too far off from Battles, but I like this album more. Somehow, even though they tend to be heavier on the synthesizer, they sound more human than Battles.
Super album in my opinion, I find it more enjoyable than the new "battles" album, while we were on the topic.
I also think "Royal Gregory" is my favorite track, I've been streaming the songs on their myspace profile and I'm pretty sure I will be picking this one up.
I effing love this record. P4k's 7.9 was really mean, this album just gets me moving and grooving. And I agree that it's more enjoyable than Mirrored. My favourite track would have to be Lovely Allen, that track has soundtrack licensing all over it.
** Update: Thanks CouldBAnyone: I thought the p4k review was 7.4, I just fixed it.
i've been listening to these guys for the past year and a half after seeing them open for wolf parade in baltimore. they're by far the best live show i've ever seen. the fact that they don't use laptops and used about 30 different little toy synthesizers the first time i saw them was pretty great.
i've never really seen them use two drummers (as stated above) in the sense that their live show doesn't employ two drummers at once. however, they have two guys that play on their recordings. from what i've seen the few shows i've been to, the drummer and bassist really watch each other most of the time, reading cues from one another, allowing for a loose translation of their studio recordings. after asking one of the guys in the band how much they actually improvise, he said that it's more a jazz improv approach where they play a lot of themes and keep it loose so that parts can be fleshed out (or shortened) to whatever they're feeling. it's a really cool approach. i don't know if comparing them to battles is really appropriate...even though a good bit of it is electronic/dance-based, they don't really have the math rock sound (and even hip hop) of battles. holy fuck blends together various electronic genres (and they do it very well). also, they're drummers are very different, with stanier from battles having much more of a power approach (note that he does a lot more single shot hits on the hi hat). whereas the drummer(s) from holy fuck do a lot more fills and rolls, often with a jazzier style (although it is powerful as well).
i love their first album, and i love their EP. i haven't picked up the newest album yet, but i can't wait to hear it (although a few of the songs come from their EP).
i guess the one thing that both battles and holy fuck definitely have in common is that they both make me want to boogie like no other bands out there. they both do more with electronic and dance music than so many other bands like lcd soundsystem, !!!, and various others could ever accomplish, in my opinion. those bands are fun and all, but they're not pushing any boundaries.
I like the majority of this record, and feel that pfork's 7.9 was quite appropriate, as the whole thing is not completely stellar but tracks like "Lovely Allen" and "Pulse" demonstrate the heights that I believe Holy Fuck may rise to in the future.
I definitely prefer Mirrored over this record, but it isn't surprising. Battles craft tightly-wound and perfectly executed compositions, whereas Holy Fuck seem to prefer to ride a specific groove. I think this is why Holy Fuck's album doesn't outright stun me like Mirrored does. Hell, even "Leyendecker" proves that Battles can stomp out a sweet groove better than anyone (including Holy Fuck..bless their hearts and terrible band name).
