The Fabulous LoLo

"Magnetics Compass" by bperusse@montrealgazette.com
There was a touch of nostalgia in the air on Monday when Lorraine Muller, frontperson and lead vocalist of Lo and the Magnetics - accompanied by the group's keyboard and sax player, Dan Meier - showed up at The Gazette wearing a Kingpins T-shirt.
During the Kingpins' 10-year ride, Muller sang and played sax for the legendary local ska-rockers. When they broke up two years ago, she was the only original Kingpin left in the lineup.
During the decade of the Kingpins, Muller became one of the Montreal music scene's cult heroes. "... We created a really wonderful, vibrant ska scene here in Montreal."
The group's pop side had gently and gradually overpowered its ska foundation by the time the final Kingpins release, Plan of Action, came out in 2000. As a result, it segues smoothly into the exquisite hook-filled songs on Lo and the Magnetics' 2004 debut album, A Part. Both discs would be right down the alley of any New Wave child who was weaned on Blondie, early Elvis Costello, the Police and the English Beat.
In fact, the Kingpins name was still being used up to the mastering stage of the Magnetics album, Muller said.
"People should be nostalgic for the Kingpins," she said. "I have a love and respect for everything we ever did. But it was time to admit that these four guys playing in a band with me were not the Kingpins. I wanted to tell the musicians involved in creating Lo and the Magnetics that they're a band - something special. The music dictated the change."
The group - Muller, Meier, bassist and co-producer Mitch Girio, guitarist Chris Raz and drummer Mike G - recently released a remastered version of A Part, with dramatic sound improvement, and wrapped its first video, for Pull it all Apart.
Meier was hired in 2002 for a Kingpins tour of Europe and Canada. He was on board when the new formation played a free concert - as the Kingpins - the following year, rocking a Montreal International Jazz Festival crowd estimated at 30,000 or more.
"The new band members were playing in somebody else's shoes, with a very strong identity that we had to fit," Meier said. "But we were encouraged to express our own personalities, and it seemed obvious that something had changed." That musical evolution needed to be recognized, Muller said.
Ska's distinctive off-the-beat shuffle - the hyperactive father of rocksteady and reggae - can still be heard in most Lo and the Magnetics songs, but no veteran scenester skanking on the dance floor could have anticipated the string section that wraps around Muller's voice in Come on, Bring it Home. This could be merely the beginning.
According to Meier, songs are still being rearranged in live Magnetics shows. "We do have ska elements, but in the same way that the Police had ska elements," he said. "It's getting more and more pop - in a British way. Here, pop doesn't have the same connotations as in Europe. It can be a bit negative. But for me, pop is very positive. The Beatles are pop - and if that's pop, I don't mind being pop."
Staying open to change is nothing new to Muller - it goes back to the Kingpins' early days. "We always wanted to try different things..."
FULL STORY AVAILABLE ON MAGNETICS OFFICIAL WEBSITE www.loandthemagnetics.com - Montreal Gazette

With legendary guitarist Lynn Taitt in tow, Lorraine Muller delivered a tribute to Jamaica's rocksteady years, roughly 1966 to 1968. Also backed by a seven-piece band that included drummer Mike G. of her regular group, Lo and the Magnetics, Muller paid sweet and heartfelt tribute to the music that bridged ska and reggae and usually delivered better melodies than either. Bottom line: Muller an company's killer one-hour performance, dubbed The Fabulous LoLo sings Rocksteady, was a festival highlight so far. Covers of classics by sadly departed genre icons like Phyllis Dillon and the great Desmond Dekker were among the magnets that drew serious skanking - modified for rocksteady's less frenetic rhythm - to the front of the Samsung stage. And let's not forget Taitt's solos, which were wonderfully nuts. Man, no wonder the La Ronde fireworks started going lighting up the sky during the 10 p.m. set. - The Montreal Gazette - Bernard Perusse

Montreals’ pop group Lo and the Magnetics will hold their official launching March 11 at café Campus. Formerly known as The Kingpins, the group’s energetic singer and four musicians produce incredible sounds not to be missed! - Montreal Scope Magazine

After almost a decade together, pin-by-pin the Kingpins have vanished, leaving Montrealers with nothing but a “sweet and beautiful memory” as described by Lorraine Muller, who, in the end, was the last pin standing. However, for every door that closes, another one opens and Lo and the Magnetics, Muller’s latest incarnation, have come-a-knocking.“It’s all been an evolution,” she says, describing her past eleven years in the Montreal music scene, and evolved she has. Muller began as alto sax player back in ’94 when the Kingpins originally formed.Over time however, as priorities shifted and members left the seminal group to go on to side projects and begin other careers, she eventually found herself in the position of front woman. As members left one by one, a little part of the band left with each of them, leaving Lo in a position where she felt she could honour the original band no longer. “I see the Lorraine from the Kingpins as a departure point. I see Plan of Action as my debut as a singer,” says Muller, in reference to the last recording she made under her last incarnation. However, “it was time for the end of that chapter.”Picked it up, picked it up. After a long and arduous process of writing what she calls a “very introspective album,” she and her new band have created an entirely new product of which they are only too proud. The new sound is a poppier, feminine fusion of pop, electro, and retro 80’s complemented by the horns and occasional up-beats of traditional ska. Lorraine also can’t stop beaming about the current group of musicians she is playing with that she claims just about came “falling from the sky” on to her lap. Though they all seem to be at the right place and right time together, what thrills her most about her mates is that “we are all at the same level.” And being up to par is an impressive feat in this crowd considering her lineage of a music degree specializing in opera, production credits all around town and her seasoned experience in the business. A Part, Lo and the Magnetics’ first official recording was launched at a small media/friends & family gathering last November, just before the album hit the stores, though the first real home show is not until later this month. All of this is strategic, of course, and essential to defining their new image. Says Muller, “if you do a show as “formerly The Kingpins” then you are going to get a bunch of curious Kingpins fans, but if you send the music out there, you let people know that it’s good.” - Nightlife Magazine, Montreal

After almost a decade together, pin-by-pin the Kingpins have vanished, leaving Montrealers with nothing but a “sweet and beautiful memory” as described by Lorraine Muller, who, in the end, was the last pin standing. However, for every door that closes, another one opens and Lo and the Magnetics, Muller’s latest incarnation, have come-a-knocking.“It’s all been an evolution,” she says, describing her past eleven years in the Montreal music scene, and evolved she has. Muller began as alto sax player back in ’94 when the Kingpins originally formed.Over time however, as priorities shifted and members left the seminal group to go on to side projects and begin other careers, she eventually found herself in the position of front woman. As members left one by one, a little part of the band left with each of them, leaving Lo in a position where she felt she could honour the original band no longer. “I see the Lorraine from the Kingpins as a departure point. I see Plan of Action as my debut as a singer,” says Muller, in reference to the last recording she made under her last incarnation. However, “it was time for the end of that chapter.”Picked it up, picked it up. After a long and arduous process of writing what she calls a “very introspective album,” she and her new band have created an entirely new product of which they are only too proud. The new sound is a poppier, feminine fusion of pop, electro, and retro 80’s complemented by the horns and occasional up-beats of traditional ska. Lorraine also can’t stop beaming about the current group of musicians she is playing with that she claims just about came “falling from the sky” on to her lap. Though they all seem to be at the right place and right time together, what thrills her most about her mates is that “we are all at the same level.” And being up to par is an impressive feat in this crowd considering her lineage of a music degree specializing in opera, production credits all around town and her seasoned experience in the business. A Part, Lo and the Magnetics’ first official recording was launched at a small media/friends & family gathering last November, just before the album hit the stores, though the first real home show is not until later this month. All of this is strategic, of course, and essential to defining their new image. Says Muller, “if you do a show as “formerly The Kingpins” then you are going to get a bunch of curious Kingpins fans, but if you send the music out there, you let people know that it’s good.” - Nightlife Magazine, Montreal

Lithuanian Review (translated by the author) on ORE.LT by Domas in December 2004
Answer honestly, why do you like music? Yes, especially for those special moments, when you hear a song, memorize its melody and get interested in an artist. It happened to you, didn't it? Something similar is with Canadians Lo & the Magnetics - unknown title, first song and you know - this band has soOomething. Actually, this band isn't new – Phoenix arose from ashes of the most loved ska band in Canada the Kingpins. Reasons of popularity - creativity and voice of vocalist Lorraine Muller (especially when she sings in French...). That charms in debut record of Lo & the Magnetics, combining pop-ska of '80s, sounds from '60s and melodic punkrock. Feminists might get angry, but bands with female vocals (or bass player, guitar player, ok ok, even keyboard player) have more chances to be noticed. That doesn't mean these bands play worse; nice sounds just fit with nice views :) Lo & the Magnetics just finished European tour, playing in Germany, Holland, Czech, Slovenia, France. I dare to guess that the band will become "top" amongst alternative crowd not only over the Atlantic, but in Europe also. Because melodic ska cake is seasoned with modern keyboards and even string instruments, stuffed with tasty instrumentals and creamed with Lorraine voice. You liked this album? Try these: Blondie; Madness; No Doubt; Cardigans; Dance Hall Crashers - ORE.LT (Lithuania)

Formerly of Canada's The Kinpgins, Lorraine's latest outing is with her new act The Magnetics, and any fans of her previous band - or indeed new punters - will be pleased to know, she's still makes some cracking ska records. Kicking off with Insult & Battery the tempo continues to flow with Fool on Impact, the first of a few songs that musically at least remind me of early Madness album tracks with their arrangement, which is a compliment - honest! Interspersed with a few abstract 'tunes' there are 17 original tracks on here, of which it must be said it's hard to pick a favourite. Pull it All Apart is another well-written tune which like many on here benefits from great lyrics, Top 5 a bit of a foot tapper, Never Let You Down picking up the pace even further and possibly contradicting the 'ska-pop' moniker I was about to bestow this album. That's another compliment by the way, one which judging by the success Lo has had in her native Canada and even mainland Europe she will appreciate. Sadly the UK ska scene is such that this album, distributed in Europe by Grover Records of Germany, may take some tracking down, but when you do I think you'll like it. What taking ska into the mainstream could be like if only the majors had balls. - Scootering Mag - UK May 2005

Formerly of Canada's The Kinpgins, Lorraine's latest outing is with her new act The Magnetics, and any fans of her previous band - or indeed new punters - will be pleased to know, she's still makes some cracking ska records. Kicking off with Insult & Battery the tempo continues to flow with Fool on Impact, the first of a few songs that musically at least remind me of early Madness album tracks with their arrangement, which is a compliment - honest! Interspersed with a few abstract 'tunes' there are 17 original tracks on here, of which it must be said it's hard to pick a favourite. Pull it All Apart is another well-written tune which like many on here benefits from great lyrics, Top 5 a bit of a foot tapper, Never Let You Down picking up the pace even further and possibly contradicting the 'ska-pop' moniker I was about to bestow this album. That's another compliment by the way, one which judging by the success Lo has had in her native Canada and even mainland Europe she will appreciate. Sadly the UK ska scene is such that this album, distributed in Europe by Grover Records of Germany, may take some tracking down, but when you do I think you'll like it. What taking ska into the mainstream could be like if only the majors had balls. - Scootering Mag - UK May 2005

Lo And The Magnetics are off to a great start with A Part, their first post-Kingpins album, now with half the ska. Under their new guise, the quintet’s more open-ended sound combines The Kingpins’ latter-day new wave direction with infusions of jazz, dub and ballroom balladry, which is where their set began.
Grand entrances are rare in indie rock, but for their first proper hometown gig, Lo And The Magnetics (and a guest string quartet) assumed their positions backlit, with an imposing ambient soundtrack rumbling out of the PA. Singer Lorraine "Lo" Muller appeared last, evoking David Lynch’s star chanteuse Julee Cruise with her platinum hair, cherry-red Chinese dress, blue backdrop and a melancholy tune called "Come On Bring It Home," a dramatic intro heightened all the more by a halo of swirling lights.
The pace picked up quick with "Sooner Of Later," bringing the skankers to the dancefloor.
Recalling the likes of Elvis Costello, The English Beat and Blondie — the resemblance between Muller and Debbie Harry doesn’t end at hair colour — the band’s lively and amicable stage presence, not to mention rock-solid sound and lighting, made the show a hit from top to bottom. From knees-up ska-pop ditties like "Insult And Battery" to sleek, urban stoner jams like "Out" to a cover of Indochine’s pop masterpiece "L’Aventurier" (the only number from the Kingpins era) to the synth-pop pulse of "Tachée," the band continues to surprise. By show’s end, if not right from the start, the gratitude Muller expressed to the crowd "for trying something new" was most certainly reciprocated.
http://www.chartattack.com/DAMN/2005/03/1512.cfm - Chart Magazine - March 15th, 2005

Former Kingpins Lorraine Muller has revamped her ska-pop quintet and has reinvented them to great effect! Every one of these seventeen tracks is a blast and is stay-in-your-head catchy. An element of traditional ska is still apparent, however the direction is a fusion of 60’s garage and pop with a hardcore injection of new wave. Ultimately the sound has been feminised and it really, really works! Some of the magic can be attributed to legendary producer Mitch Gírio of King Apparatus fame, but the credit mainly goes to the sheer song writing talent of Muller. (Amy German) - Nightlife Magazine, Montreal

If you need some light for dark autumn days, you should listen to LO and The Magnetics! But who is LO? LO is Lorraine Muller, ex-Kingpins, female singer of this wonderful Canadian band, whose voice is unmistakable. After release of the album in the end of October the band will tour Europe for more than a month and will present the brand new repertoire...more details will follow soon! - Lawless Records webzine

If you need some light for dark autumn days, you should listen to LO and The Magnetics! But who is LO? LO is Lorraine Muller, ex-Kingpins, female singer of this wonderful Canadian band, whose voice is unmistakable. After release of the album in the end of October the band will tour Europe for more than a month and will present the brand new repertoire...more details will follow soon! - Lawless Records webzine

For the longest time there had been no news out of The Kingpins camp. Then the band came to town and announced they were breaking up....which really meant ditching The Kingpins moniker and coming back as Lo and the Magnetics. Their debut album has dropped and I can't begin to tell you how stellar it is. Think Elvis Costello during the "Get Happy" era with a female vocalist. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I enjoy this new incarnation ten times better than I ever liked the Kingpins....and I loved the Kingpins...Mitch Girio wrote the majority of the album and some old faves are here as well as some kickin' new tracks. Standout songs : Insult and Battery, Fool On Impact, This Town's Unbearable, Party Of One, Shipwrecked Heart, Never Let You Down. Besides the stellar track listing the production is super solid. I can't put it better than simply saying the album sounds cool. A must have. Really....change your Christmas lists and add this disc...you'll thank me for it. Jerry Two Tone (Posted 2004-12-02) - 4th Wave - online e-zine

The classic clean break - this is effectively the Kingpins, or rather, where last remaining original Kingpin Lorraine Muller, saxophonist and exceptional singer, had been taking what was once Montreal's premier roots-ska band. Leaving the name, the Stomp Records nest and the old-school style behind, Muller strikes a balance between the refined, high-end ska-pop of the English Beat and the cushy, emotive new wave of Indochine. The latter is particularly evident on the French-language track "Tachée." There is one sweet nod to the classic Jamaican sound on "Shipwrecked Heart," but this is largely an eminently '80s effort. In this particular case, I mean that as a compliment. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) - Montreal Mirror Magazine

The classic clean break - this is effectively the Kingpins, or rather, where last remaining original Kingpin Lorraine Muller, saxophonist and exceptional singer, had been taking what was once Montreal's premier roots-ska band. Leaving the name, the Stomp Records nest and the old-school style behind, Muller strikes a balance between the refined, high-end ska-pop of the English Beat and the cushy, emotive new wave of Indochine. The latter is particularly evident on the French-language track "Tachée." There is one sweet nod to the classic Jamaican sound on "Shipwrecked Heart," but this is largely an eminently '80s effort. In this particular case, I mean that as a compliment. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) - Montreal Mirror Magazine