Is it reasonable that I think of HEARTSREVOLUTION as a product that was brought to market after Crystal Castles kind of carved out the niche for people to be into ‘electro-bands that consist of a male and a female’? I remember after Ladytron was a hit, there was kind of a supersaturated market of ‘electro bands with female lead singers that sang about the night/drugs/sex/etc.’ Now I think Crystal Castles has kind of inspired a tolerable mini-renaissance for this type of act.
I have haven’t really listened to Heartsrevolution very extensively, but I think they are probably one of the most [highly documented] bands not named “JUSTICE” in party pics over the past 6 months. People who seem to know a lot about electronic music are pretty high on the remixes of their songs.
1. Which do u like more, hoodies, or masks?
Hearts Revolution might have given up the mask thing, or only used it for promo pix. However, Crystal Castles have somehow managed to transition from the ‘angsty, dark teenager’ hoodie aesthetic, over to the ‘we are in a touring electro-band’ aesthetic.
When will GAP make a hoodie ad-campaign and utilize Crystal Castles?
EDGE: CRYSTAL CASTLES
2. Who has better t-shirts/design visuals?
There’s no way Crystal Castles can win this category after coming under so much scrutiny for ’stealing’ the Chanel logo and their Madonna artwork.
The Choosing Your Own Adventure vision test t-shirt may or may not be one of the most memorable t-shirt metaphors of 2008.
EDGE: HEARTS REVOLUTION
3. Which female singer does a better job of applying eye makeup?
Alice from CC applies a heavy coat of black eyeliner, but the pink mask effect might put the HEARTSREV broad over the edge. Do yall think Alice was a Graveyard Girl in HS?
[image by SharkVsBear]
Edge: Hearts Revolution
4. Which band is more cryptic without being too annoying?
Do you know any one that actually knows the lyrics to Crystal Castles songs, and sings along while they drive their Volkswagon? I think it’s pretty interesting how CC managed to make songs that ’sound interesting’ enough to distract people from having lyrical expectations. It’s like they have three or four ‘distinct synths’ that they just stuck to using.
On the other hand, one of the most memorable lines of HEARTSREVOLUTION’s proudest song is
‘foxes and bunnes/fire and snow/we are all just lost/don’t which way to go.’ Maybe I’d like it more if it was 10x more distorted, and I couldn’t quite understand what they were saying.
HUGE EDGE: Crystal Castles
5. Which male member of the band does a better job of pretending to do something while playing live?
I’ve read on a lot of internet message board blog rumormills that Ethan from Crystal Castles is great at chilling on stage. The secret is that your body needs to crouch over your gear so that your body forms an angle that is smaller than 135 degrees. The closer to 90 degrees, the better.
Here’s the Heartsrevolution guy
I don’t really have an issue with people who ‘don’t play instruments live.’ We can’t all be as charming as Dan Deacon.
Edge: TOSS UP
6. Which band is more likely to have a song featuring Cory Kennedy?
Oh. HEARTSREVOLUTION already did that? Cory Kennedy can do everything!
HUGE EDGE: Heartsrevolush
7. Which is more likely to be driving an ice cream truck in 2 years after the implosion of the ‘blog house’ genre, and every one is into lofi and acoustic post-existential music?
Since Heartsrevolution is apparently more of a ‘lifestyle brand’ than a band, and they already have job experience driving ice cream trucks, we can assume that they have a head start on getting back into the truck again. However, Crystal Castles could always be the creepy van-with-no-windows that drives around your neighborhood selling only ice cream sandwiches and push pops.
SLIGHT EDGE: Hearts Revolution
8. Which 1 is better?
It’s tough to really say. Every1 prefers different stuff. We’re all different, so maybe we should just all unite, and have a good time, and be friends with every one. Let’s build a scene that’s all about positivity, and stuff like having fun and partying and stuff like that.
EDGE: It depends on what ur in2
[MP3s]
HEARTSREVOLUTION Prism Effect (feat. Cory Kennedy)
HEARTSREVOLUTION C.Y.O.A.
Crystal Castles Vs. Health Crimewave
Was “Crimewave” the first Health song that u ever heard?
Myspaces
http://www.myspace.com/crystalcastles
http://www.myspace.com/HEARTSREVOLUTION
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IAmCarles.com
49 Comments
all of the above..
CC
final score:
cc 400
hr 23
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crystal castles > heartsrevolution
heartsrev has not made any remixes!! I basically live off of cc remixes. cc/ethan’s got skillz
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the heartsrevolution guy is a model in comparison to the cc guy.
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i had heard a few health songs before so that’s why when CC came out with crimewave i wuz all lyke: DID HEALTH GO ELECTRO ON US?
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http://www.myspace.com/spiritual_medium
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^^^[steben, 18, male, heartsrev myspace cmmnter, amanda lepore lookalike & self-facilitated entrepreneur] wrth blggng abt?
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hearts revolution play this week in chicago. i will let you know.
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look at us. we’re with fucking deers. cause deers aint been played out enough. cause deers haven’t been orgy-fied by every cokeluvr in la. cause i didnt go to a tattoo shop opening last night in oakland and this guy got a tattoo of a deer. the mothers of all exploited deers are crying all over the world. i declare we make the next hipster animal the possum. it’s more appropriate.
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Crystal Castles are 100% better than Hearts Revolution. I listen to the Crystal Castles disc on repeat.
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I want a Leo DiCap tshirt
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Ha! Less than 135 degrees. Genius.
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they should all jst get along
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I know the lyrics to CC songs, am i cool yet?
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i have that heartsrevolution t shirt.
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Heartsrevolution is shit.
Crystal Castles is THE shit.
The keyword is all that matters, here.
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i bet the heartsrevolution broad took off her mask cuz she realized she is pretty cute
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I hope HRO goes down in history as being greater than Johnathan Swift.
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Crystal Castles is way better than the shit HEARTSREVOLUTION puts out. For reals.
I can listen to crystal castles longer, after listening to cyoa twice i had to turn that shit off. I think CC has more synthy layers, emotional depth, and all their remixes are spektacular. although they kind of suck live (Ethan stands completely still, while Alice falls down a lot). The only real performers in that group are the strobes
—I think HEARTSREVOLUTION is featured in NYLON this month= DON’T
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//////////Reply by caswell
//////////Posted November 20th, 2008 at 9:46 am
@Anonymous, totally true.
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Um The Knife wins when it comes to male + female electro bands that wear masks.
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i have both shirts, i’m so conflicted.
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You actually had the opportunity to make a statement at the end, and instead settled with “It depends on what ur in2″???
That’s the equivalent of a Rolling Stone 3 star review.
For Shame!
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i got a bomb pop from the ice cream man (some black ladies) two days ago
gotta luv summer
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Crystal Castles, although criminals, have an emotional depth to their music which is really addicting and charming.
HeartsRevolution are awful copyists.
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‘lifestyle brand’
I read that somewhere else too..
=
lame
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i am so cool i dont even know who these bands are!
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i agree with Musak-mhm. the Knife wins. neither band mentioned comes close.
i prefer CC but only by a slight edge. they should combine forces and become CrystalREVOLUTION imo.
the only thing better than a girl who can’t sing and a guy who fakes it live, is two girls who can’t sing and two guys that fake it live.
History proved this with ABBA and then again with Ace of Base.
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heartsrev ftw.
and i’m from toronto.
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Heartsrevolution. Crystal Castles just sound like noise.
Although they were on Skins once, so UK hipsters are masturbating over them.
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as far as I’m aware, HR don’t steal music, unlike CC
It’s all outlined in this healthy pamphlet, I mean forum.
http://www.8bitcollective.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=4417&p=1
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^ EXACTLY. Crystal Castles are moronic, no-talent plagiarists:
http://createdigitalmusic.com/2008/05/05/chiptune-music-theft-continues-crystal-castles-abuses-creative-commons-license
You can tell just by this and the whole Madonna art controversy that they have no scruples whatsoever. They’re not in it for the music, they’re brats who want to be famous.
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I think CC chick is a robot or a zombie or some other inhuman evil thing. Or just CONSTANTLY on crack. She also kind of looks like this guy I know who has ADHD and a speech impediment. Heartsrev guy is definitely breaking the 135 degrees rule.
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Crystal Castles are theives and yet I can’t stop listening to them. On fucking repeat. Best music ever or this year.
Heartsrev is really embarassing. I’m embarassed for them.
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it is so funny that we are talking about two groups who actually do something…when we are doing nothing but talking about what they “are?” or “are not?” doing.
when push comes to shove they are both doing what they want to do and not worried about what the fuck we think…i think that is the strongest comparison between the two bands.
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I have to agree…
CC have some great songs but they have been alot around longer…and everyone seems to like their music but hate them as people
..They fuck over everyone and are total liars about everything from their music to their artwork to their names!?!
Hearts CYOA video was awesome! and so is all of their vinyl..
At the end of the day that makes them posers and un-original..I went to school with “Alice” and her fucking name is Margaret Osborn! How rock star is that!
And Ethin Death or Ethan Kath is fucking Claudio of Kill Cheerleader. WTF!
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crystal castles wins by a landslide..HR is good too..but i just cant get into any HR songs the same way as i get addicted to everything that CC touches..
and i really dont care if crystal castles sampled an 8 bit song 4 years ago..put it on youtube and turned it into gold..everyone expirements with music and sampling..why are there so many haters in this world? timbaland sampled courtship dating for Ayo tech..you dont see crystal castles crying like babies..they probably like the song and realize its for the greater good..atleast theres a decent hip hop song out now.
..and from what i read..according to anyone that actually goes to a crystal castles show..ethan and alice are the nicest people ever..you dont get over 100000 friends on myspace from being a dick
its too bad only the dicks go out of their way to post shit about people they hate..but i guess thats life..you never see good/loving stories on the news..its always about murder and hatred
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so true, 8 bit kids are hilariouz
gee I wonder why nobody listens to them and they’re upset,…it’s unlistenable.
none of the songs they are bitchiin about are even throwaways for CC. yeah, right. 8bit kids are responsible for Crimewave? no Vanished? no Courtship? no Reckless? no…just old crap they were messing around with.
those 8bits and madonna guy dream of getng this much attention on their art by themselves. ha
Heartsr revolution arent so bad, but CC win
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I WONDER WHO WOULD WIN IF HEARTS REVOLUTION MADE 8BIT MUSIC.
JUST BECAUSE THEY BOTH HAVE A GIRL AND A BOY DOESNT MEEN SHIT.
THEY ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF MUSICS.
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i like crystal castles… but as far as their image… uh has nobody ever seen adult?!?! boy girl electropunk… faces are covered on the albums…. yupp
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I am a very old man and, I’ve seen then come and go. HEARTSREVOLUTION is a very fun live band and I predict that their current perception amongst the near mainstream CC crowd will alter slightly as they grow older and become more emotionally diverse and mature, gaining a newfound respect for the strengths of a band rather than its weaknesses, which every band has!
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well its annoying to find out who is > than the other. especially fot the 4th part. ( where the conclusion is UNTRUE imo)
also, i thought knife kickstarted (indirectly) “‘electro bands with female lead singers that sang about the night/drugs/sex/etc.’ not CC, although they are cool too.
btw imho,the fact that HR is a ‘lifestyle brand’ than a band (which CC wasnt able to pull off in any way); thats a HUGE EDGE,
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I love them both to pieces.
They have a similar sound which I LOVE.
Some CC songs I get bored of after a little while and they’re a bit repetitive. But HR are the same…
Digial suicide lullaby + love and caring = WIN
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are we totally positive that cc and hr aren’t secretly the same people, two different bands?
if not, they are the most amazing dopplegangers i’ve ever seen.
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the knife owns all girl + guy combo electronic acts.
plus they are darker, musically they a miles ahead, their art work is by far a lot more interesting and creative and besides the other 2 even thoguh i like cc the knife could come back in 5 years time and sell out a show while the other two will struggle for exposure. my last point about the knife is also that they don’t care about exposure as well.
knife wins.
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http://heartschallenger.blogspot.com/
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you know what i dont think it matters there both good but heartsrevolution has a message they want to put out in the world and crystal castals just want to sing because they like it
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heartsrevolution is a New York-based band, described by NME as “the model for the modern pop group. One day all bands will be like this”[1] The band is a boy/girl combo cryptically going by the names of “Ben” and “Lo” (real names Ben Pollock and Leyla Safai respectively) . They are also joined by a live drummer who is known as “Prince Terrence”. HEARTSREVOLUTION were featured in the NME “top 50 bands, artists and innovators driving music forward” at number 36. The band relies on unusual modes of transport to all of their concerts and in April 2008 mounted an ice cream van for their first tour of the UK.[2] [3]. They have so far released a 12″ called “Ultraviolence”, an EP entitled “Switchblade”, a split 6″ along with Crystal Castles”[4] and another EP – “C.Y.O.A.” 12″. They also more recently had one of their songs “Dance Till Dawn” featured on the CW show Gossip Girl.[5]
[edit]
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crystal castles are cool and have created something to believe in and the chaos around them is interesting and makes people take notice. if they just wanna be famous like some people are giving them shit for on here, then they’re doing ok. they made a great record, if some of it was stolen or sampled illegally, who cares? it still took someone creative to put this together and make crystal castles what they are. HeartsRev are rubbish, they have none of the character in their music or identity that crystal castles do.
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Love both of em , but prefer HEARTREVOLUTION over CC anytime… they make me go into visual/music extasis
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heartsrevolution yalllzz you know you love them
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