Holy Fuck
From the very beginning, Holy Fuck has defied categorization. The Canadian group has been called everything from electronica to psychedelic rock, with no label managing to properly blanket the band’s untamed sound. But then again, that’s what happens when a band builds its reputation on the spirit of improvisation. Though they have released three albums; Holy Fuck (CAN – Dependent Music, 2005), LP (US – XL Recordings / UK – Young Turks, 2007), and u>Latin (US – XL Recordings / UK – Young Turks, 2010), playing live is where they really won people over and how they made a name for themselves. This feat is truly impressive considering the rumor for years was that they didn’t even practice. Instead the band was said to hit the stage counting solely on instinct, trusting that the noises they produced would come together to form something greater than the sum of its parts. The results may have been ragged and feral, but they were always intensely satisfying. (More …)
The xx
Settle down, lean in close and cock your ear because if you don’t, you won’t be able to catch a word of what the xx are telling you. The soft-spoken, black-clad foursome sit in London’s empty Institute of Contemporary Arts bar, utterly devoid of rock star swagger. There will be no grandiose statements of genius. Apparently no thought has been given to world domination and a future of excess, glitz and glamor seems unlikely. What these shy 19-year-old South Londoners seem the most excited about is unleashing their newly-wrapped, eponymous debut album out on XL offshoot Young Turks in July. (More …)
