Beatique

Author: Liz O.

  • Hercules and Love Affair Gives Classic Synthpop a Modern Twist on Danseur

    Hercules and Love Affair Danseur album cover
    Cover art for Danseur by Hercules and Love Affair

    Did you know that there’s a new album from Hercules and Love Affair out now? Neither did I. Hype surrounding Danseur has been scant, which is both a shame because it is a fantastic album. It’s also an album that can’t be described with whatever marketing buzzwords are trending this week, so I suppose the lack of buzz is to be expected. 

    For the uninitiated, Hercules and Love Affair is the project of DJ, musician and producer Andy Butler. Back in 2008, he unleashed a monster club hit, “Blind,” with Anohni on vocals. I’m hesitant to refer to the song as a banger because it’s pretty melancholy, but “Blind” still packs the floor nearly 20 years later. (In fact, I played it the night before writing this, and the night before that, in DJ sets.) In the years that have passed since then, Hercules and Love Affair has become synonymous with smart dance music over the course of five albums. Butler’s productions, which sit at the crossroads of disco, house and synthpop, are steeped in nightlife and LGBTQ+ culture For his sixth album, Danseur, Butler explicitly pays tribute to the queer club history. 

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  • That Cover of “The Whole of the Moon” + Club Underground Set List 9/11/26

    The Whole of the Moon cover by The Watergirls
    Cover of The Watergirls “The Whole of the Moon”

    There’s this cover of The Waterboys’ song “The Whole of the Moon” that I’ve been playing throughout the summer (if you see a “secret track IYIYK” on some set lists, that’s what it is) and a bunch of you have asked about it, so here are the details. (You can also hear the song on this month’s Beatique mix.) It’s a one-off project called The Watergirls featuring a bunch of different artists who came together to pay tribute to Keith McIvor, aka JD Twitch of Optimo, who died last year. The Watergirls was spearheaded by DJ/producer Teamy. Lead vocals are from Mhairi McClymont. James Murphy sings in his David Bowie voice on the bridge. DFA is releasing the single, the digital version of which is available now. You can pre-order the vinyl, like I did, which is out in October. All the links are here. Proceeds benefit Beatson Cancer Charity and Scottish Brain Tumor Research Centre of Excellence. 

    Set list from last night at Club Underground is below. New-ish stuff (released in the past two years) links back to previous mentions here. That’s all. See you back at Underground soon. 

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  • Haircut 100 Turns Up the Funk on First New Album in 40+ Years

    Haircut 100 Press photo by Andrew Cotterill
    (Photo: Andrew Cotterill)

    Back in June, Haircut 100 released Boxing the Compass, their first album in over 40 years. That decades-long gap between releases, though, wasn’t for a lack of trying. 

    “We played various festivals and a couple of gigs here and there and we always said, wouldn’t it be a shame if this didn’t lead to other things?” says bassist Les Nemes. “And it didn’t. It never did because we didn’t have any manager to get the momentum going and organize stuff.”

    Then, around the 40th anniversary of debut album Pelican West, Haircut 100 played London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Following the show, they linked up with manager Melvyn Taub. “He basically took over and everything that happened, even what’s happening now, I guess, in a way, is all down to Melvyn,” says Nemes. Sadly, Taub died in 2024. “He never really got to take it all the way through. So, everything we do, we do with Melvyn in mind. This is what Melvyn would have wanted.”

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  • Club Underground and Nocturno This Weekend + Bratmobile Live, A René Laloux Triple Feature and More

    Dearest party people, I have two DJ gigs this weekend and would love it if you stopped by one or both. On Friday, September 11, I’ll be in the DJ booth all night at Club Underground. No theme this week, just a killer mix of indie, Britpop, post-punk, synthpop and loads more. Take a peek at my set list from last month if you want an idea of what’s in store. Advance tickets are available now. Club Underground is at Grand Star Jazz Club in Chinatown. It’s a 21+ venue. Party starts at 9:30 p.m. 

    On Saturday, September 12, Klub Nocturno is back at Catch One for a full-venue takeover. I’m playing in The Strokes vs. Joy Division room, which will be indie and post-punk with some new wave and darkwave in the mix. It’s 18+ and advance tickets are available now. Party starts at 9:30 p.m.

    Keep reading for a few concerts, clubs and movie screening recommendations for the next week. 

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  • Hey, Nana, Let’s Go to the Mall

    Nana Apt 707 display at Little Tokyo Galleria 9/06/26 (Photo: Liz Ohanesian)
    The Nana Apartment 707 display for BKawaii’s market at Little Tokyo Galleria, Sunday, September 6. (Pic: Liz O.)

    On Sunday, Little Tokyo Galleria was bustling in a way that I had never seen before. Maybe it was the rain that fluctuated between a drizzly L.A. storm and a for real storm throughout the day. Maybe it was the combination of Labor Day Weekend and a Dodgers game that evening. IDK, but I like to think it was Nana. 

    The Little Tokyo Galleria is a very small, quiet indoor mall on the edge of the neighborhood that borders the Arts District and Skid Row. Outside of a grocery store and Daiso, it’s best known locally for Max Karaoke Studio and the bowling alley XLanes. On the weekends, though, the second floor of the three-story building hosts marketplaces that are similar to the artist alleys at fan conventions. People sell anime-related fan art, cute jewelry and accessories, plus vintage clothes, at stalls that are set up throughout the common area. On this particular Sunday, a group called Bkawaii organized a market inspired by the manga (and anime) Nana called Apt. 707. 

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  • Coyote vs. ACME: We’re All Sisyphus

    In 1990, “Coyote vs. ACME,” a satirical essay by Ian Frazier,first appeared in The New Yorker. Written as an opening statement in Wile E. Coyote’s case against the fictional ACME, the essay documents injuries the cartoon predator suffered as a result of using the corporation’s shoddy products while relentlessly pursuing Road Runner in vain. More than 30 years later, right around the time that the word “enshittification” entered our lexicon, Coyote vs. ACME was adapted as a live-action animated feature with an expanded plot digging into corporate conspiracy and an overarching theme that the system is designed to keep the little guy locked into failure. Then the studio shelved the film as a “tax write-off.” 

    But, a lot of people wouldn’t shut up about Coyote vs. ACME, so, almost three years after it was nearly killed, the movie finally opened on the big screen. I saw it last week and am writing to urge you now to see Coyote vs. ACME while it’s still in theaters, not so much because of the story behind the film, but because of the story in it. 

    The premise of the film is that Wile E. Coyote decides to sue ACME because he keeps getting injured using their products. He goes to an attorney, Kevin Avery (Will Forte), who prefers to settle cases instead of having to go up against slick, corporate attorneys in court. But, after Mr. Coyote tears up a settlement offer, that’s what happens. Then, Coyote’s team catches wind of something called the Sisyphus Project. 

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  • Lia Braswell: The Drummer Takes Center Stage

    Lia Braswell promo photo
    Lia Braswell (photo: James Duran)

    Lia Braswell is center stage at Slipper Clutch, a barrage of multi-colored, psychedelic lights washing over her white outfit. Flanked by a guitarist and a bassist, the L.A.-based drummer and singer plays with all the energy of the lunar eclipse that passed shortly before her set began. By the time she bursts into new single, “If Not for the Chaos,” Braswell is both banging out the rhythm and belting the lyrics with full force. It’s intense. 

    Braswell plays live often, but, typically, not for her own project. Just days earlier, she returned to L.A. from a whirlwind trip to England, where she drummed for two Chelsea Wolfe shows. Later this month, she’ll head out on Wolfe’s U.S. tour before joining up with She Wants Revenge to drum on their European jaunt. 

    “I haven’t been playing a lot of solo shows recently,” Braswell said when we connected for a video call earlier that week. “Just getting my bearings around these songs that I’ve written live has been really fun, but also intimidating because I’m in charge of all of it, as opposed to working for somebody else.”

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  • Indie Rock Shows, Movie Screenings and More Happening Labor Day Weekend

    Healing Gems live at Gloria Molina Grand Park for the 2024 Fourth of July Block Party (Photo: Liz Ohanesian)
    Healing Gems plays Sid the Cat Auditorium on Sunday, September 6. (Pic: Liz O.)

    The only rule I have for this blog is that whatever I write about has to be to my tastes. In the professional writing I do, I have to tailor what I write about to stuff that normal people like. Here, I can write about whatever the hell I like and recommend whatever I want. That is why, even though it’s Labor Day Weekend, I am not recommending any pool parties. I love swimming, but hate pool parties. If that’s what you want, look around elsewhere for recommendations. Here, you’ll get mostly concerts and movie screenings.

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  • Beatique Mix: September 2026

    Beatique September 2026 Cover

    It’s a rare feat for me to actually have the monthly mix ready on the first of the month, but this is one of those occasions. You can listen to to the September 2026 edition of Beatique on Mixcloud or via the embed below. It’s about an hour and sixteen minutes this time around and features a ton of new music, including songs from Olivia Rodrigo, Fontaines D.C., Slayyyter and a whole lot more. Track list with a few notes are below the embed. Thanks for listening. 

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  • Echo Park Rising, German Punk and More Happening This Weekend

    Nolune live at Echo Park Rising outside of Bar Henry, September 9, 2023 Photo by Liz Ohanesian
    Nolune live outside of Bar Henry for Echo Park Rising 2023. (Pic: Liz O.)

    It’s another busy, and scorching hot, weekend here in Los Angeles. Echo Park Rising is happening at various venues in the neighborhood from Friday, August 28, through Sunday, August 30. Plus, Goethe-Institut is celebrating 50 years of punk, Son Rompe Pera is playing a free show and lots more. Keep reading for my recommendations. 

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