Holy Fuck is an electronic group originally from Toronto, Canada. The group consists of four members, Brian Borcherdt (keyboards, effects), Graham Walsh (keyboards, effects), Matt McQuaid (bass), and Matt Schulz (drums).  The group has been around since 2004, playing such festivals as Coachella, Vegoose, SXSW, and Lollapalooza. They’ve toured with Wolf Parade and M.I.A., to name a few, and they released their first album “Holy Fuck” in 2005, and the second, “LP” in 2007. They have received countless awards, honors, and recognition, and their music can be heard on Comedy Central’s “Kenny vs. Spenny.” Borcherdt released his solo album “Coyotes” in 2008, with one of the tracks appearing on the TV show “Breaking Bad.”

Holy Fuck makes great music. I’m not usually a fan of the mostly instrumental bands, let alone lyrics-less electronic, dance music at that, however this band really impressed me.  When researching them more, I learned that they use several instruments and “non-instruments” to create their sound, i.e. toy keyboards, a 35 mm film synchronizer, and toy phaser guns, and they strive to avoid using laptops and programmed back tracks. The result is a full, upbeat, crazy dance feel without the negative trance/techno side effects.

A fairly diverse crowd filled in by the time Holy Fuck took the stage. Borcherdt & Wells had their tables set up facing each other, with McQuaid and Schulz playing behind them. Borcherdt & Wells were bent over creating their sound effects, while rocking out at the same time. The crowd was dancing and very into the show, and I could hear people around me commenting on how certain songs were their favorite, etc.  Occasionally Borcherdt would scream some incomprehensible words into the mic, making the audience roar with approval. Some songs were funky, some song had a rolling, running beat, while others almost had a fast paced two-step quality. The name has gotten Holy Fuck into some controversy, but if you are able to get past that, you’ll find a rare gem in this band.