During this time she was very much involved in the London music scene and worked alongside Charles Hayward (The Heat) for a stint and was also picked up by The Orb’s Alex Patterson who produced a version of her song ‘Tiny Snatch of Daylight’.

Continuing on with her tuneful edification, Lyndsey continued to conduct musical experimentation and also begun to play the bass guitar. Further inspired, by a Juana Molina concert, she purchased herself a loop station. This enabled he to find a perfect blend for live improvisations, pre-recorded sounds and songs.

Currently she’s involved in the solo project under her own name and is also part of accordion-acoustic driven duo ‘Wooden Dresses’ which has involved collaborations with Sheila Chipperfield (ex Elastica), Rae Spoon and Cindy Wonderful (Scream Club).

From acoustic to accosted Lyndsey provides those all inspiring Poll 13 answers.

The album I live my life by…
Belle & Sebastian, Tiger Milk

The song I wish I had written…
Party GAMES by Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight

The song I’m glad I didn’t write…
The Birdie Song

If I could stalk one celebrity rock star…
PJ Harvey

If I could resurrect one rock star it would be…
Freddie Mercury

Celebrity Death Match Opponent…
Kid Rock

My best gig ever…
Pixies in Bristol ‘89ish

If I could get one band to cover one song…
Iron & Wine sings ‘I see a darkness’ [Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy]

If I could wipe a music genre off the face of the earth…
Christian Rock

The first record I ever bought…
Ottawan, Disco

On my ipod/mp3/walkman device right now…
La Roux, Bulletproof

Superpower I wish I had…
flying

Does your musical style influence your underwear?
no

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More info: www.lyndseycockwell.com

You can pick them up here!

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More info: http://www.rueroyalemusic.com

The latest release ‘Revisitation’ comes as a double CD compilation album celebrating 20 years contribution to floor stomping. It contains many classic early tracks such as ‘Gulf Breeze’. I write that longing to dig out the old vinyl!

In 2008 Joie Hinton left the band leaving Pepler to continue the legacy as a solo project. Merv graces UPFRONT with a response to the all important Q10.

1. How did you get started?
My fire’s were lit when I used to spend school lunchtimes in the music room playing around on a Korg MS 10..loads of silly wobbling sounds not unlike the early Dr Who episodes! Eat Static started after I met Joie and we discovered we shared the same passion for silly synth noises and acid..

2. What ingredients do you need to mix together to produce the recipe of your sound?
Take a good dollop of bass, sprinkle with acidic herbs, a pinch of humour, season with lashings of foreign spices..

3. Did your first gig make you hungry for more?
In a way, though it was pretty difficult getting all those analogue synths to behave and stay in tune amongst the sweaty punters..I remember one of the Atari computers crashing once and having to play the bass drum and bass live! Mixmaster Morris was on hand to mix some weirdness over the top to ease the pain..funny, a punter said afterwards it was the best gig he had seen us do…and he had been to over 20..

4. What’s the biggest ‘cock up’ to date?
Well the last answer was a pretty bad one… prob the worst was when we flew to Australia to play at a solar eclipse in the desert… we had no working visa’s and we got ditched to immigration by a rival promoter… we got there and spent 2 hours in prison before being sent straight back home… they did give us a bowl of cornflakes mind!

5. What is it that inspires you to make your music/sound?
I still always feel like a kid in a sweet shop when I start a tune… so many possibilities to explore..I guess I am influenced by the old and new..my childhood definitely comes through as my favourite shows were the bleep soaked Sci-Fi series’ of the early 70’s..plus some punkiness of the early 80’s,the dark edge… and also modern day stuff… I listen to so many types of music… mainly world, middle eastern, African..

6. What would be the icing on the cake?
Finishing interviews? Oh, a lorry turning up at my house with all the old glorious analogue synths that were around when I was a mere child… maybe delivered by Joanna Lumley, in a red lotus soft top, holding an ice cold Mojito!

7. How will you be remembered? (what will make you vintage?)
After 20 years (yes, it’s my 20th THIS year!) I think I am already qualifying for vintage!

Probably remembered as ”That mad bastard that refused to stop playing childish silly dance music and get a proper job..” but he made a lot of people smile..”

8. Describe your music as if it were a fine wine.
Full bodied, deep red, the dark stone fruit flavours of techno given extra complexity by underlying flavours of acidicness, yet soft leading to a whole experience on the palate..drink at maximum sweaty temperature..

9. AfterMint! Does your musical style influence your underwear?
Not lately, but maybe the one’s my mother in law buys would..

10. Digestive! What do you know about Luxembourg?
Ginger nut! Oh does that place REALLY exist? I have driven round it, through it, over it, next to it…and still never noticed..

More info: www.eatstatic.co.uk

In musical terms, Iceland is probably still best known for its 1980s export, the Sugarcubes, featuring pop oddity Bjork. In recent years, Sigur Rós (pronounced See’er Rose) have been adding their name to the list of famous Icelandic exports with their freaky trip rock featuring songs with lyrics comprised of a language they made up themselves. While this might not leap out as a PR and marketing man’s dream job, add in the fact that the songs seldom fall short of the 6 or 7minute mark, making any radio plugging tasks nothing short of a nightmare.

Nightmare is a word I stumbled upon more than a few times while doing my research before we met Sigur Rós. They are notoriously monosyllabic and extremely introverted in their approach to selling themselves. Interviews often degenerate into yes/no sessions. As I pondered what to ask, it dawned on me that with my reasonably strong west coast Scottish accent where people often misunderstand me was I really the best person to interview Sigur Rós? Probably not, but interesting, well, hopefully it would be….

From the bare-footed stage performances to the fact the ‘Jonsi’ (singer/guitarist) plays the guitar using a violin bow, nothing seemed remotely standard about Sigur Rós. The violin bow had me thinking of Led Zeppelin but there is no standard guitar rock to be found. The eccentric singing style and tripped out whale like sounds had me thinking Radiohead but it’s typically slightly less intense and, as Liam Gallagher one described Thom Yorke as a “googly eyed little fucker”, with Sigur Rós, thankfully there are no “googly eyes” on display.

As you can imagine, the amount of contradiction with an act this untypical is quite impressive, relentless in their refusal to change or play the corporate rock game, they are actually signed to a major label. Even more impressive is the dismissiveness about their collective output. “Our songs are about nothing,” they proclaim. The complete lack of desire to succeed has seen them cut their touring from the long gruelling schedules normally associated with bands at this level down to 3 and 6 week stints. Commercial success, or fringe amounts of it, found its way to Sigur Rós with their most accessible album to date, Takk. While many bigger names in music are waxing lyrical about the genius in their soundscapes – supposedly Chris Martin of Coldplay had their records playing in the background while wife Gwyneth Paltrow gave birth – the commercial radio station still seemed nothing short of sceptical.

After many years of making music, there was perhaps a definite intention to make the 2005 ‘Takk’ album more accessible if not commercial, Sigur Rós disagreed choosing to employ the ‘natural progression’ argument. They later followed up with the 2008 ‘Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust’ which was well received. Currently we eagerly await the release, reportedly sometime next year, of their latest effort which they announced at the end of May had finished recording.

We met up with Sigur Rós to discuss life on the road, life off the road, imploding band stories, flirtations with fame and a desire to be awkward in the face of stardom. Here is what they had to say…

Eddie Leonard: Seeing as you’re far better known now than when you started out, is there more pressure to make an album a specific way. Is there a difference in being popular from trying to become popular?
Sigur Rós: No not really. Who do you mean from?

Is there more from yourselves, pressure in the group?
No, no, not really

What about pressure from major labels. You do have a major label deal in the USA?
No, no, we wouldn’t have signed for this label if that were the case. EMI knew what they were going into with us, so it’s just the same.

In previous years you seemed to have spent a long time touring compared to now, although you say it’s because of people having families. Is there also an element of not being too close together for too long to minimise tension in the band?
All about the families, yes. We try to keep it as short as we can, but still economically ok.

Yeah, short touring becomes more costly, how do you balance this?
We just try to make it all work out?

So you have a large merchandising stall, then?
Ha ha, yes yes, we try…

Does the shorter touring help keep you settled into life in Iceland? It must be very different from the quiet life when you’re on the road?
Yeah, eh, on the road there is the lifestyle, we just try to get into it, other times we just relax and don’t do anything, you know?

How do you combat the radio play problem? Would you do shorter songs?
Now is the first time we’re getting radio play actually, mainly in the UK, but not too much. Yeah we have problems but you can’t think about that too much….

Is it deliberately anti-commercial?
No no we just do the music like it is. Be adventurous.

So have you ever tried to make a 3-minute pop song?
No no we don’t really try to do anything. We just see what happens.

Do you still say that your songs “are about nothing”?
I like the idea that people connect to the music and think about things but no, the songs are not about this; we all have our own ideas.

What about people’s perceptions of the songs? Do you ever laugh at what some people think the songs are about?
No ‘cus they are about nothing, so it is only people’s ideas.

Do you ever write negative or angry songs then?
No, no we just always see what happens. I think when we write music we have to get into a certain state of mind you know? It’s very hard to pinpoint an exact emotion, it’s always open.

You are quite famous for one-word answers, so if you could choose one word what would it be after a bad interview?
Probably ‘tired’ you know?

What about after a good show, how would you sum that up in one word?
Oh, energetic probably, ‘good’.

What about people leaving your show early, what word would you have for them?
I don’t know, eh…

Do you wonder what they think?
I don’t really see anything. I’m concentrating.

More info www.sigur-ros.co.uk | www.myspace.com/sigurros

‘Shelly’, along with their kick drum, shakers and guitar resulted from a decision to jack in the ‘normal’ life and become a full-time band. Married couple Ruth & Brookln Dekker moved out, sold up and hit the road. That was back just in March 2008. They forged forward scheduling a 20 date European tour which boasted sell out concerts in Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.

Brookln, the ‘US’ component of the duo, grew up in St Louis whilst Ruth, the UK element, heralds from the Midlands county Staffordshire. They met when Ruth was state-side, later marrying and setting up home in Chicago. Their name ‘Rue Royale’ comes from a road in the Chicago suburbs.

The first fruits of their labour was in the form of their 2006 EP, ‘The Search For Where to Go’, and has since been followed up by their debut album at the start of 2008 – the self titled Rue Royale. If you are lucky you may still be able to get a handmade/hand stitched copy from their website. (BUY THE CD HERE BEFORE IT SELLS OUT)

Tour dates, which have seen them previously play in the historic Sturmglocke squat site in Hanover to an intimate house show in rural Yorkshire, Rue Royale have shows up until December. Catch them in a town near you soon!

Here Brookln tells all on the UPFRONT Q10 interview.

1.How did you get started?
In 2005/2006 I was in a rock ‘n roll band in Chicago called Trevorside and the band was coming to an end. After rehearsal one night I came home to Ruth and was venting about it all and we ended up writing a song together (Even In The Darkness). It was the first time we had ever tried writing together and we really liked the tune. We recorded a quick demo of it and sent it around to our friends and everyone seemed to be quite positive about it and encouraged us to continue writing together. We did and in about a month’s time we had 5 songs written for our first recording together ‘The Search For Where To Go’ EP.

2.What ingredients do you need to mix together to produce the recipe of your sound? 
Well, when we started writing our first batch of songs together we lived in a flat in Chicago with a grumpy (I’m being kind:)) upstairs neighbour. She was hateful to us often and so in an effort not to disturb her, when we played music, we did so very quietly. We also found that getting the mood right in the room with some candles and little light was inspiring and ushered us into a creative space. Hence the ‘candle-lit, hushed sound’ of Rue Royale. Funny thing is, we don’t live anywhere near that crazy neighbour anymore but we still have had to rehearse/write with the ‘hushed’ sound as last year we sold all of our stuff and moved in with friends and family so that we could afford to tour more and focus on the band full time. So living in other people’s home we still find ourselves whisper-rehearsing.

3.Did your first gig make you hungry for more?
Our first gig was hands down our worst performance ever. In fact, I was so discouraged that I said I wouldn’t play another show. Fortunately, I had already had a second show booked and wanted to honour that. The second show was a huge leap forward and therefore we decided to march on…

4.What’s the biggest ‘cock up’ to date?
They are countless and too many to rate best or worst. I screw up all the time. I think that’s part of the charm of our band. We don’t pretend to be anything we are not. We’re a family and a band. Therefore we are very comfortable with each other and are more free to try new things. Unfortunately most of those end up as ‘cock-ups’

5.What is it that inspires you to make your music/sound?
I’m not sure if it’s inspiration or necessity. What I mean is that when I’m not making music or being creative I tend to get a bit down and depressed. It’s just something I have to do. As far as lyrics go, we tend to draw on past experience and inner monologues. You know, like questions we all have about life and stuff. We’re not really trying to change the world, maybe just bring attention to the beauty that’s already there, even if the beauty is in unanswered questions.

6.What would be the icing on the cake?
Being in a band with best friend and lover is icing and cake:)

7.How will you be remembered? (what will make you vintage?)
That’s a funny question. I don’t think I’ve ever thought of it before in the context of our band. I’d like to think people will appreciate our honesty and hope. We are what we are whether it sells records or not.

8.Describe your music as if it were a fine wine.
Like a deep velvety robe, with suppleness, grace and charm, that stands alone.

9.AfterMint! Does your musical style influence your underwear?
Not at all. My mood and the amount of walking I’m planning to do in a given day do.

10. Digestive! What do you know about Luxembourg?
Regretfully, I don’t know much about Luxembourg. We’ve played in Luxembourg City twice and Differdange once. I do know this: Luxembourg is a gorgeous country with an interesting history (dating back to Roman times, right?) and we’re looking forward to going back to play/visit (and hopefully learn more about the country) this autumn. Anyone want to give us a tour when we’re there?

More info www.rueroyalemusic.com | www.myspace.com/rueroyale

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NEXT GIGS

27 Aug – NBI, Berlin [DE]
28 Aug – Hasenschaukel, Hamburg [DE]
29 Aug – Motoki Wohnzimmer, Köln [DE]
30 Aug – Hafen 2, Offenbach [DE]
31 Aug – House Show w/ The Black Atlantic, Leeuwarden [NL]
01 Sep – House Show w/ The Black Atlantic, Zwolle [NL]
02 Sep – House Show w/ The Black Atlantic, Deventer [NL]
03 Sep – House Show w/ The Black Atlantic, Amersfoort [NL]
04 Sep – House Show w/ The Black Atlantic, Rotterdam [NL]
05 Sep – House Show w/ The Black Atlantic, Westland [NL]
06 Sep – Media Art Festival, Leeuwarden [NL]
07 Sep – House Show w/ The Black Atlantic, Amsterdam [NL]
08 Sep – House Show w/ The Black Atlantic, Leiden [NL]
09 Sep – House Show w/ The Black Atlantic, Enschede [NL]
10 Sep – Exhaus, Trier [DE]
11 Sep – Autre Part, Differdange [LU]
13 Sep – Kinky Star, Gent [BE]
14 Sep – Drugstore, Lille [FR]
19 Sep – Incubate, Tilburg [NL]
20 Sep -  Het Podium, Lazy Sunday Live Hoogeveen [NL]
01 Oct – Platform (@ the Old Post Office) Shrewsbury [UK]
04 Oct – Katie Fitzgerald’s Stourbridge [UK]
18 Oct – The Robin Hood Sherwood [UK]
21 Oct – Harpurs Cellar Bar, Bedford [UK]
25 Oct -  Lee Rosy’s Tea, Nottingham [UK]
16 Dec – Lee Rosy’s Tea, Nottingham [UK]

By 2008 Peter was in Wales, UK recording his first full album ‘Dust, Doors & Debts’. His music has best been described as ‘Grunge Folk’ – raw emotive vocals laid over acoustic guitar. 2009 he has so far released the EP ‘Veer’ and has a number of tour dates in Europe and the US from September. UPFRONT caught up with him on the Q10

1.How did you get started?
I started as a solo singer songwriter, in May of 2005 with my first EP release, ‘A Year Worth Forgetting’. After having been in numerous bands in Boston during my years at Berklee, I decided honestly to not have to deal with ego in other singers. I felt that if I could handle all duties, meaning lyrics, vocals, guitar, composition, and performance why not go solo. This way I can only blame myself for the outcome, and doing so became a singer by default. I was always a songwriter, first and foremost, and I fee in that capacity lies my strength as a communicator.

2.What ingredients do you need to mix together to produce the recipe of your sound?
Environment, mood, some rifts which lead to answers through songs to questions in my life. My Martin guitar, perhaps the ocean, or woods, and solitude. Thinking of the past, as I write my future.

3.Did your first gig make you hungry for more?
Ironically my first gig, was the start of my first NW Tour. I literally played my first show ever as a solo artist on May 26th of 2005, in Berkeley California, than got in my car and toured all the way to Seattle. Yes it made me hungry for non stop touring, and thankfully is still with me today, as far as a hunger and need to live it as much as possible on the road.

4.What’s the biggest ‘cock up’ to date?
I assume “Cock Up” means screw up ? hoping. To stay in the realms of political correctness of course.

Usually musically speaking I don’t really screw up honestly. As for other parts of my career, well…..I would have to say financially and planning touring and releases, and things of that nature, have led on occasion to mishaps along the way. I would never say a blatant “cock up” happened, however plans changed, people came and went, and so did record labels, managers, booking firms, and fans. All part of learning what is and is not important in the music business. Words are used so often by companies to inflate what they do, or don’t do usually that they seem to prey on a musicians sensitivity in their own careers professionally. I feel this is the crux of most mishaps I have had to endure in my 4 year time frame as a solo artist.

5.What is it that inspires you to make your music/sound?
A need to be heard, when in the past I was never allowed to speak my mind. I don’t do this through words, literally I do this through the entire song subject and what it is trying to get across to the listener. I think pain, loss, expectation, selfless-ness, and of course improvement are the factors that go into my song writing.

6.What would be the icing on the cake?
I would not have to book a single show, worry about distribution, press, or radio help, and mostly I would have touring cycles set 6 months out, where I would not have time to worry about finances since at that level everything would be handled by companies. I am getting real close to attaining all of this, I feel its all within my grasp this coming year in 2010 with this upcoming sophomore full length release that will be internationally released in conjunction by 3 separate record labels. The US, UK, and Europe will all have a taste of my music this coming year.

7.How will you be remembered? (what will make you vintage?
Personally, I don’t sit back and wait for anyone to do things on my behalf both in my personal life, and professional career. I assume I will be remembered for my DIY mentality, and for one way or another getting it done time in and time again regardless of what pitfalls I had to step over.

Musically, I hope to be remembered as something completely individual, original, and genuine. I hope that one day underground songwriters on the indie level as I am, are given a fair shot to compete on the world stage musically. Its my wish and hope that the music lives on of course, and its my hope that someday, regardless if its in 10 years from today, or 100 years from today, that I will be an influence and importance to a niche group of people who look at music in a deeper, harder light than that of the masses of this world.

8.Describe your music as if it were a fine wine.
I used to work in a Wine company in SF, lets see what I remember…..

A smooth red wine like a Merlot with hints of nut flavour to add grit to a otherwise perfect aftertaste.

9.AfterMint! Does your musical style influence your underwear?
No comment. I don’t wear any!

10.Digestive! What do you know about Luxembourg?
I know that its strong enough financially to be its own entity, I also know its got really nice people who live there, as I do have some fans in that area of Europe. I know its positioning perfectly between France, Germany, Brussels, and the Netherlands. I also know that one day it would be great to do some shows there.

Find out more: http://peterkasen.wordpress.com & www.myspace.com/petermatthewkasen

Mar and Rah Dulok, the founder of this quirky bunch, played their first gig at a birthday party a few years ago. In fact, the party that inspired the band’s outfit never really stopped; the loud power trio (by loud we also refer to their instruments …but not primarily) took their sporty grooves to many prestigious festivals and almost every hipster bar in East London.

Then it would seem the Duloks gave their sweaty-sweatbands time to dry, but only to enforce some structural changes afterwhich the band released their Mini LP ‘Children of the Sea’.

The sound of the Duloks is very stripped down (no pun…oh whatever) – there’s drums and keys and of course Rah’s strong voice which reaches Barry Whitesque lows in ‘Bad Vegetarian’.  The melodies are elaborate but catchy. ‘Love Lorn Unicorn’ and ‘Gonna Follow Your Star Trail’ are what we Luxembourgers would call an earworm.

This September, The Duloks will play again at Bestival, which is probably one of the – you guessed it – BEST festival in western Eurasia. This year’s line-up includes Kraftwerk, PJ Harvey, Massive Attack, MGMT and many more.

1.How did you get started?
Rah Dulok - That’s definitely a Mar Dulok question – it was all her fault coming over to the UK! …she’s the Chief Dulok

Mar Dulok - I had an eletronic drum kit and missed making silly music with my Ewok (old band) buddies in Vancouver… so I asked my flatmate who played keyboard if she wanted to start an Ewoks rip off band called the Duloks. We advertised for a girl singer with BALLS on myspace and Mira was the most threatening / keen one. She threatened to beat me up if I didn’t let her join. It was quite scary. Our first ‘practice’ was us gossiping about boys the whole time… to the frustration of all our keyboard players we haven’t gotten that much better. 80% gossiping / 20% music playing. Oops!

Abi Dulok - I didn’t exist in those days.

2.What ingredients do you need to mix together to produce the recipe of your sound?
Rah Dulok - we mix the majesty of rock, the fantasy of roll, the ticking of the clock, the wailing of the soul! Follow the Spinal Tap recipe (we are so devoted to the Tap we’ve run thru six keyboard players!) and you won’t fail.

Abi Dulok - (keyboard player!) Yes. I’ve only got 38 days left on my shift before number 7 comes to take over…
 
Mar Dulok - A healthy portion of inside jokes is very key.

3.Did your first gig make you hungry for more?
Rah Dulok - totally, it was a long long LONG time ago for me now, and I was covered head to toe in glitter and was just 18 – the Duloks first show was for Mar Dulok’s birthday and was so much fun. That was the first taste of Dulok Live stuff and it’s been like heroin ever since then!

Abi Dulok - ….Mira obviously hasn’t done her heroin research properly, coz ir’s really not as good as it’s made out to be…

Mar Dulok - My first gig ever was when I was 18 as well! But the Duloks first show led to EVERYTHING else… we got booked to play the next weekend at another birthday. Our following gigs were all booked based on photos from the first gig as well. Promoters were like “if you dress like that you can play my club !!!”

4.What’s the biggest ‘cock up’ to date?
Rah Dulok - I’d have to say it’s getting romantically involved with people who work with us Duloks! Mar Dulok warns me EVERY time and now I am banned. It’s a good rule. It saves EMBARRASMENT!

Mar Dulok - Hahaha yeah I agree with Mira. Letting Mira cross band stuff and pleasure is NOT a good idea.

Abi Dulok - I read that as “biggest ‘cock’ up to date”. No comment. I am a lesbian.

5.What is it that inspires you to make your music/sound?
Rah Dulok - At first it was the silliness and making people laugh..now it’s the storytelling and the funtimes…It’s pretty awesome to be able to tell fantastical stories and write our own history
   
Mar Dulok - I do it cos I love playing and meeting new people. I’m inspired to be in a band by all the fun travels and party times. I formed the band with out stringed instruments to be a bit different and now to prove you can have a punk crazy attitude without having to be a dude with a guitar in an anarchy t-shirt. That’s conforming to me. We’re still out on the edge and that’s why we don’t fit in to a lot of stuff.

6.What would be the icing on the cake?
Abi Dulok - Chocolate.

Rah Dulok - The West Coast tour on a Nightliner tourbus with a hot tub and Ashton Kutcher’s support band travelling with us.

Mar Dulok - Japan! Or any country outside of North America / Europe would excite me to tour as I’ve only been to those continents before. The truth is it’s all icing on the cake for me. I love touring ANYWHERE but especially to NEW countries like Luxembourg!

7.How will you be remembered? (what will make you vintage?)
Rah Dulok - I think we’ll be remembered for our short shorts, our fancy dress, our silly videos and our chaotic, stupid live shows.

Mar Dulok - Definitely the shorts and socks. Also we’re known for Star Trail and an obsession with the sea.

8.Describe your music as if it were a fine wine.
Rah Dulok - I’m pretty sure we’d be a cheeky rose – blushing and super alcoholic. I would rather that we were a mojito tho’, sugar sweet, sharp as lime and super refreshing

Mar Dulok - I think we’re probably more like a Lambrini or something. I’m gonna describe us a Buck’s Fizz, 2 very different drinks coming together to make a one yummy drink. Mira & I have completely different musical taste but together it works.

Abi Dulok - or a Bacardi Breezer.

9.AfterMint! Does your musical style influence your underwear?
Rah Dulok - I’m all about cute shorty style panties that make no visible lines under my short shorts! So in that aspect yes – my style defines my underwear preference!

Abi Dulok - No. My favourite foods influence my underwear. I wear pants made out of pizza, tied together with strawberry laces.

Mar Dulok - Well our stage gear is the american apparel short shorts… but the truth is I was wearing those before we started the band and I do wear AA little boys y-fronts for girls. So yeah. I dress like a Dulok at ALL times even under my jeans.

10.Digestive! What do you know about Luxembourg?
Rah Dulok - Here are my impressions of Luxembourg:
1. Lots of hills. Steep uphill walking!
2.  Beautiful views
3. Good times when the absinthe is flowing..!
4. There are lots of different languages spoken there

Mar Dulok - It’s very small.

I kissed a banker from there once but he wasn’t a very good kisser . I’ve never been but I’ve always wanted to visit because it doesn’t seem like a place thaaaat many people go to and I like those kinds of places.

Abi Dulok - The capital of Luxembourg is Luxembourg. That’s about it. I won the Geography prize in Year 10, but I hadn’t been out of the country until The Duloks took me to Germany in February!

More info: www.myspace.com/theduloks

Starting out dj’ing, playing old krautrock, italo disco, Bowie, Iggy and a few smatterings of Hip Hop they found themselves un-easing the Berliners with an inconsistent BPM. They further sought an electronic music they liked but were at a loss – so as many bands begin they decided that they could do it better and the way they liked it… et voila  – Thieves Like Us was born.

Currently resident in Paris,  Thieves Like Us  are Pontus Berghe [drums] , Bjorn Berglund [keyboards] and Andy Grier [vocals]. Their first album ‘Play Music’ was written, recorded and mixed all over the place; New York, Berlin, Vienna, London, Rio De Janeiro and Stockholm. They claim the album is mostly about love gone wrong [Drugs In My Body, Lady] and identity problems [Program of The First Part, Headlong Into Night]. Relate we can!

UPFRONT Online managed to get a response to the Q10 with threats of permanent residence in Luxembourg!

1.How did you get started?
It was only Bjorn and I in the first eight months…  We were spending too much time getting drunk day and night in Berlin; we thought all the other bands were total shit; they had too much attitude and couldn’t write tunes!

Berlin – a hundred idiots on stage wearing trash clothing and a drum machine full of presets.  We had enough – so we bought some equipment and started writing songs. We phoned Pontus, our drummer and asked him to come down from Stockholm to participate.

2.What ingredients do you need to mix together to produce the recipe of your sound?
Heartache, spite, and malice plus some classic European cinema;

3.Did your first gig make you hungry for more?
No it was frightening and not loud enough.

4.What’s the biggest ‘cock up’ to date?
I do not understand this question.

5.What is it that inspires you to make your music/sound?
The music is personal, autobiographical, it is cathartic and therapeutic, it is the only thing we can do in this world.

6.What would be the icing on the cake?
A moderate pay check to buy some new equipment.

7.How will you be remembered? (what will make you vintage?)
We are square pegs, you cannot classify us, you can not call us Swedish, you can not call us American – we are homeless, without roots!

8.Describe your music as if it were a fine wine.
I don’t drink alcohol anymore, so I couldn’t make an accurate comparison to wine.

9.AfterMint! Does your musical style influence your underwear?
We need a moderate pay check to buy some new underwear.

10. Digestive! What do you know about Luxembourg?
Nothing, I always missed it on geography exams in the States. But, hey AMERICANS DO NOT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN Switzerland and Sweden!

More info: www.thieves-like-us.com

The collaboration was one of a natural progression, as was the sound – but fining tuning the songs, that took some time. They worked with producer Ben Kerstenin in three different studios over the summer of 2007. “We wanted to mess around with as many unorthodox instruments and sounds as we could,” says Mat. Across the album’s eleven tracks, you’ll hear trombone and Flugelhorn, violin and pedal steel guitar – and some timbres trickier to identify. Slide guitars were rubbed with violin bows, cellos plucked to create bass lines. “At one point, we put a mic on a ukulele and played it through every effects pedal in the place.”

This willingness to improvise even gave birth to a new song in the studio, the instrumental ‘Breezy No Breezy,’ a curious amalgamation of rock, jazz, and dub reggae. “That one was written and recorded in about an hour,” Brooke remembers, smiling. “It was the last day of recording, and we had a little extra time left.” They took all their favourite oddball sounds featured throughout the making of The Grand Archives, and condensed their charms into a single track.

The band brings together old pals – in that they all knew each other – singer/guitarist Mat Brooke, [previously– Band of Horses, Carissa’s Wierd], drummer Curtis Hall [The Jeunes], bassist Jeff Montano [The New Mexicans], and guitarist/keyboard player Ron Lewis [Ghost Stories] and finally guitarist Thomas Wright – who graciously answered the Poll13 under the influence of absinthe, which may explain the obsession with P!nk…

The album I live my life by…
P!nk ‘I’m coming out’

The song I wish I had written…
Allstate Commercial Jingle ‘We Bring Good Things to Life’

The song I’m glad I didn’t write…
Kiss ‘Beth’

If I could stalk one celebrity rock star…
Michael Jackson

If I could resurrect one rock star it would be…
John Lennon

Celebrity Death Match Opponent…
Mickey Rouke

My best gig ever…
Working at a gas station

If I could get one band to cover one song…
Grateful Dead to cover P!nk’s ‘I’m Coming Out’

If I could wipe a music genre off the face of the earth…
Indie Rock

The first record I ever bought…
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Soundtrack

On my ipod/mp3/walkman device right now…
>no batteries<

Superpower I wish I had…
The ability to stop crying!

Does your musical style influence your underwear?
If I wore any, no!

Zeimet started on course to electronic production back in 2003 under the name ‘Gosplan’. This humble beginning reflected the minimal influences of Autechre, Aphex Twin and LFO. The ‘Gosplan’ sound was harsh, fuzzy and acid drenched!

A few EP/LP releases later Zeimet took direction with a new course and changed his music persona to ‘Fracture’ (Which is a reference to a track/video clip of British pioneers of shoegaze/electronica – Seefeel).

Airy synths, noisy guitars, off the wall sounds, buried pop melodies and layers of effects are all common ground for ‘Fracture’. The new addition of the guitar from Laas envelope the noisy kraut and indie-rock influences and add an incandescent appeal to their live performances.

Fracture’s, just recently, latest release ‘we dare you, wonder’ is available in all good local outlets or contact the record label. You can check out a review from our good friend Pascal at Disagreement here. UPFRONT Online got Zeimet Q10 responsive!

1. How did you get started?
When I noticed that making music can be far more satisfying than just consuming it passively.

2. What ingredients do you need to mix together to produce the recipe of your sound?
The love to get lost in sonic details and fuzzy guitar sounds, the passion of experimentation through non-verbal musical communication and a big portion of rock n’roll attitude

3. Did your first gig make you hungry for more?
Not really. Playing in front of a bunch of uninterested students was like cooking a pepper t-bone steak for your vegan grandma.

4. What’s the biggest ‘cock up’ to date?
During a live-gig at the Mudam [Museum], a 50-year old visitor of a Hermès-powered video installation approached asking “could you play some Jean-Michel Jarre too?”

5. What is it that inspires you to make your music/sound?
People, social and musical interaction, haunting landscapes, good rock concerts and loops of all kind. I think repetition can transform the ugliest noise into music, even though it might sound rudimental.

6. What would be the icing on the cake?
Playing on the My Bloody Valentine-curated ATP Festival or performing on a dusty underground party in the Casemattes [Luxembourg Historical network of tunnels].

7. How will you be remembered? (what will make you vintage?)
2 guys desperately believing in rock music, with computers. It’s all about willpower and perseverance

8. Describe your music as if it were a fine wine.
I think our music might be like a Porto. Quite strong in taste, not always accessible – but in the right temperature and setting…

9. AfterMint! Does your musical style influence your underwear?
Of course, we just wear pink on stage.

10. Digestive! What keeps you in Luxembourg?
The belief that someday the gigs of local independent bands will attract not only their peers.

More info: www.myspace.com/justafracture | www.schnurstrax.net