Exclusive Footage Of Lumina's New Video

Hey, remember earlier in the year when I talked about Lumina? Well exciting things are afoot for the Horrors/ Ipso Facto spin off.

Aside from supporting Muse on tour with The Horrors Faris has found the time to direct a video for the Lumina cover of Black Lips 'I'll Be With You'.

Thanks to VBS.tv and Vodafone360 you can go behind the scenes of the Lumina shoot and see Faris (Badwan, one half of Lumina with Cherish Kaya formerly of the now defunct Ipso Facto)'s ideas for the video, how it came about and a sneak preiew of the stunning video itself.

To watch the rest of the video visit http://heroes.vodafone360.com/

To watch interviews, previews and more see below.

MP3: Lumina- 'I'll Be With You'

Read More »»

Free MP3: Lumina- 'I'll Be With You'

"Lumina started as something I was messing around with at home - I'd been getting really fixated on making electronic recordings that sounded human and warm, all the sounds were made with synths,"

The result is this Black Lips cover, set to feature as a b-side to the forthcoming Lips single 'Drugs'. Teaming up with ex-Ipso Facto and sometime member of Florence's Machine Cherish Kaya the track is an eery drone with a hypnotic understatement. To download it for free click the link below.

Lumina- 'I'll Be With You'

ALSO- New Horrors video action

Read More »»

Tell me that you love me more...

Festivals. They're great but there's just not enough of them. Every weekend for 3 months is all well and good but I want a warm £4 cider and to see bands who would struggle to fill a Barfly every single day of the week. In two years time the whole of Britain will be covered by a tent and you will be handed a time sheet with your whole Summer's schedule on- mark my words. The times will be scheduled to change too. Make sure you pack the wet wipes.

One day festivals where you can leave your house (not tent) and go home (not to a tent) after the bands end make for a pretty sweet deal however. So this Sunday if you're in the Shoreditch area then why not pop along to 1234 and see the best East London has to offer? Yeah OK I don't know why The Rakes are headlining either BUT look further down the bill and there's plenty of treats. Including:

Hatcham Social playing the 'hits' from their underrated album 'You Dig The Tunnel...' including single of the year contender 'Murder In The Dark'

Patrick Wolf who is fresh from being SNUBBED by the Mercury judges yet again this week. Apprently he is working on a dance/ R'n'B album with Groove Armada. Hopefully he will air some Mutya Buena esque new songs during his set.

Ox. Eagle. Lion. Man will be plying their theatric Nick Cave homage in the afternoon. Always a fantastic live band OELM have been far to quiet this year probably due to Fred presenting on MTV2 and posing for pictures like this.

I'm also hoping to catch Televised Crimewave, Crystal Fighters and Lion Club. Tim Burgess will also be there still trying to convince the world he isn't 42.

Picture- http://www.flickr.com/photos/devleppard/

Read More »»

Liverpool Sound City- Friday

///Gigwise///

Worst thing about festivals, be it in a field or a city, is band clashes. Forget your tent collapsing or giant queues the realisation that you can't see your two favourite acts of the moment as they are on stage at the same time as each other is a killer blow. Sadly that happens tonight as Leeds thrash heroes Pulled Apart By Horses are on at Korova at the same times as Patrick Wolf plays the University. Decisions, decisions.

Opting for The Bachelor extraordinaire Patrick Wolf means sadly missing PABH on the Gigwise stage- reports all round confirm we missed an amazing show. Mr Wolf however was spectacular (LINK) and ended at a convenient time to grab a taxi and make the beginning of Gigwise's headline act Ipso Facto. Playing to a healthy crowd (including Steven and Laura-Mary of Blood Red Shoes) they race through their set with buoyed with the confidence of a band fresh from supporting Last Shadow Puppets and Magazine in large halls, filtering that size performance into a small room such as this is an impressive sight. Critics dismiss them as style over substance but what they are missing about Ipso Facto is that the two are inextricably linked. Their black and white look works as the backdrop for their gothic pop hits such as 'Balderdash' and 'Harmonise' perfectly. Occasionally their monochrome turns monotone but 'Six and Three Quarters' proves that this band haven't quite said all they have to offer yet.

One girl who could do to keep her mouth closed is Chew Lips singer Tigs. The electro three piece play a late set at the Barfly and largely impress with their bleep-pop leanings and forceful beats. However their frontwoman's attitude throughout is ripe with disdain and arrogance. "You can sing along if you want to, it's what most people do" she says before 'Toro'. It's a shame really as the bands songs themselves are fantastic: new wave pop mixed with emotive electronics making for excellent bed partners and, like Metronomy yesterday, Chew Lips have the art of writing a memorable hook down to a fine art. None more so on the set closer 'Solo'- a contender for single of the year already, it sounds superb, however as soon as Tigs finishes her vocal she drops the mic and walks off stage leaving her band to finish the show somewhat ironically, solo. In some acts this type of behaviour is exciting and rebellious, this evening however it just came across as ungrateful.

Read More »»