We talked to lead guitarist Ben Phillips from London alt-indie quartet Ambassadors of Morrocco, chatting about how the band formed, secret Star Wars obsessions, Wikipedia, the MP3 generation, winding each other up and plans for their very promisng future. (click for more)
NEMI VOLUME3 - REVIEW:
Nemi is big in Europe and the strip form of her stories, which we are most familiar with currently appears daily in Metro across 16 major cities. Her first volume has reprinted multiple times, and this is the third volume of tales and tribulations of the heart breaking, straight talking 21st century gothic girl about town......(click for more)
LIVE REVIEW:
(Alt Indie)Hecuba @ Madame Jo Jo's
There’s something unnerving about the two figures in film student black on the stage at Madame Jo Jo’s, yet it’s convinced Bat for Lashes and Devendra Banhart to ask them on tour. Hecuba reside in LA, but take their moniker from a mythical Grecian queen......
(click for more)
CLASSICS REVIEW:(Graphic Novels)
Mark Richards returns to one of his favourites Graphic Novels…Midnight Nation by J. Michael Straczynski. Running over 12-issues from 2000-2002, this 2003 collection centres on Lieutenant David Gray, a forlorn and disillusioned detective working for the LAPD.... (click for more)
At LF we bring you some of the hottest authors of the moment and continueing in this grand tradition our own XO Gavin O'Reilly caught up with British comic book author, computer games and music journalist Kieron Gillen. Chatting to the man of the moment about his work with Steven Sanders on new ongoing Marvel Comics series S.W.O.R.D and his work with J. Michael Straczynski on the new Thor series!
Lex Records CEO Tom Brown took time out with LF to discuss the hip-hop label's incredible lineup, along with it's beginnings at Warp Records, its independence and the future it faces as an independent label in a digital world...
COMEDY
DC got the rare chance to talk to the IT Crowd star and musician Matt Berry about his latest album Witchazel and all things comedy.
Kim Newman is an English journalist, film critic, and fiction writer with an incredible specialist knowledge of film and more specifically horror. He has won the Bram Stoker Award, the International Horror Guild Award, and the BSFA award. The novelist and all round genius invited Dan Marner from Liberation Frequency to his home to discuss providing the foreword to the The Vampire Archives (the most complete volume of vampire tales ever published) plus providing us with an incredible audio journey into all things horror. We've captured the full journey in three unforgetable podcasts, click below to listen to the master of horror that is Kim Newman!
It's rare for a new band to really grab you hard by the short a curlies and demand your attention. Talented Welsh four-piece The Promises do just that, with their brand of acoustically inspired alt pop. We spoke to the band themselves to find out more about their music, their influences and plans for the future. (click for more)
GRAPHIC NOVELS:
Point Blank (Prelude to Sleeper) &
Sleeper Season One
by Ed Brubaker and Colin Wilson
Before I go into a more in-depth review of these two books I feel I have to comment on the fact that “Prelude to Sleeper” as a strap-line doesn’t do Point Blank justice at all. It implies that it is nothing more than a setting of the scene, a teaser if you will..... (click for more)
INTERVIEW:(Comics/Books)
From sign language interpreter, photographer, to comics artist, Gavin O'Reilly had the rare opportunity to talk to acclaimed web comics creator and published artist/author Howard Hardiman, the genius behind Cute But Sad Comics. (click for more)
FEATURE: (Comedy)
Holy crap, here's one for the ladies and all you Conchord's fans, DC had the honour of chatting to the legendary Arj Barker - aka Dave, about the second series of FOC, his stand up, rapping, and how he keeps his bangs down in the morning! (click for more)
DC's TOP 5 - current ROCK/INDIE tracks:
1) Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks - On many people's lists as the album of 2009 (Vekatemist) this is one of many reasons why that accolade has been banded about. A mesmerizingly beautiful slice of indie pop.
2) Them Crooked Vultures - No One Loves Me and Neither Do I - In this track the ultimate rock super group deliver one of the hardest hitting riff middle-sections that you'll ever hear, leaving you constantly waiting for the rhythm change to hit you like a sledge hammer.
3) Alice in Chains - Lesson Learned - The album 'Black Gives Way To Blue' - marked the reformation of one of the most important rock acts of my generation. Thankfully whilst never forgotten, Cantrell and co have managed to move on from Layne Stayley's tragic death by delivering one of the best rock albums of 2009.
4) Blackroc -Telling Me Things (feat Rza) - the concept of bluesy rock group The Black Keys - teaming up with the cream of hip-hop is pretty bizaare yet thankfully they pull it off!
5) Fear Factory - Industrial Discipline- Fear Factory have joined Soundgarden, AIC, RATM and Faith No More by reforming to continue the 90s rock/metal revival. New album Mechanize is more akin to FFs early90s material, brutal, uncompromising industrial metal.
Imran’s current top 5 SOUL tracks:
1) Lee Fields & The Expressions - Ladies 'My World' going that extra mile to secure the glorious tag of LF's SOUL album of the year. Fields backed himself with a veritable dream tream in the Expressions (which consist of members of the Dap Kings, The Budos Band and Antibalas). 'Ladies' just pips 'My World is Empty' to the post in our number slot in December!
3) Breakestra - Posed to Be (featuring Chali 2na, Mixmaster Wolf & DJ Dusk) LA funk band Breakestra also made a welcome return this year, and this release continues in the same vein as 'Hit the Floor' did. Uptempo funk numbers litter this release, but for our chart, we've opted for the hip-hop collaboration with Chali 2na, who recreates the magic from their last hook-up from Breakestra's debut.
4) Fat Freddy's Drop - Boondigga It was a thrill to see the return of the New Zealand band, as their luxurious music continues to dabble into the realms of dub, reggae and electronic music. Amongst an album of treasures, it's 'Boondigga' that soars high.
5) Eric Roberson - Wanna Believe it Again (featuring Wayna) Everyone's favourite independent soul artist returned with 'Music Fan First' in 2009, continuing his relationship with Dome Records; and accompanied by longtime friend and collaborator, Wayna, Roberson delivers with an uptempo number capturing the essence of those feel-good Michael Jackson floor-fillers.
Múm Interview
To promote their new album 'Sing Along To Songs You Don't Know', innovative Icelandic etherealists Múm recently played a packed-to-capacity and rapturously received preview show at Notting Hill's ornate Tabernacle (right on the edge of Powis Square, setting of classic Brit psychedelic gangster movie Performance, fact fans). We sent Lee Hutchison and a cameraman down there to film the gig, the morning after which Lee met the band's core duo of Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason and Gunnar Örn TynesTo discuss their development as a group, their national identity, their unusual recording methods and the scintillating topic of Iceland's recent financial collapse.No seriously, these guys can discuss any subject with wit, articulacy and charm.....have a look (click left to view - please allow a few seconds to load).
INTERVIEW: (Rock/Hardcore)
Lostprophets & Bullet for My Valentine helped establish Wales as a fertile breeding ground for new rock acts. Merthyr Tydfil five-piece
The Blackout continue this rich bloodline. DC caught up with co-frontman Gavin Butler to talk tours, being drunk for three days straight, labels, Jason Perry, albums and inspiratiions and much more. (click for feature)
INTERVIEW:(Hard Rock)
Yogi Lonich, the former Buck Cherry guitarist and a noted solo artist, in his own right has a CV that reads like the premier division of musical acts, as well as being part of Chris Cornell's backing band the legend also fronts the hi-adrenaline rock outfit Run Through The Desert, Sean O'Neill talked to the man himself. (click for more)
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INTERVIEW: (Rock/Hardcore)
Front man Tom Lacey’s searing vocals could puncture a hole in the heart of any young fan, yet he concedes he’s only as rock and roll as tea with three sugars. Siobhan Rooney caught up with The Ghost of a Thousand singer to find out more about the band, including signing for Epitaj, getting stain removal advice from Tom Wait, working with legendary producer Pelle Gunnerfeldt and backstage mischief. (click for more)
FEATURE:
(Indie/Pop/Alt)
Rotheram was the location for a celebration of twenty years of the legendary label that gave us Aphex Twin, Nightmares On Wax, LFO, Boards of Canada to name but a few of the elecletic beat-smiths and pioneering dance artists the labe;l has produced over the last twenty years!. (click for article)
GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: Tank Girl Three (Remastered)
A chain smoking, swearing, violent, tank driving, mutated kangaroo shagging, partially dressed girl who's an outlaw in post apocalyptic Australia. That's the premise for Tank Girl and with that set up comes the marmite effect, you will either love it or hate it because just like the film released in 1995 Tank Girl is very hit and miss.......(click for more)
Gun slinging, tough talking, loose living sons of bitches. That is the cast of characters that would shoot you and trade you for gold from them there mountains, as soon as they would greet you. Jonah Hex: Bullets Don’t Lie, collects issues 31-39 of the DC monthly series......(click for more)
