L-Mo

L-Mo is a singer songwriter that sweats! Not the most flattering description I grant you but it does in some way describe the energy that L-Mo channels into his performance. He finished his set sweating and out of breath, no mean feat for someone that did not get up from their chair! A certain level of open-mindedness is required when watching L-Mo perform and I know that the quirkiness will put some people off. I however love his music - it's refreshing and bold and I definitely think that he deserves his G.I.G.S top 12 status! Influences such as Xavier Rudd and G-Love can be detected but he has created his own brand of music that combines beat boxing, singing and some extraordinary vocal noises. L-Mo is a talent indeed and plays effortlessly and graciously and has provided me with bad-day music. That is, if I have had a rubbish day at work or an argument with a friend, I know that I could put on L-Mo, which would if anything cheer me up and put a great big smile on my face! - G.I.G.S online reviewers

"Then a newcomer to the Leeds scene making waves at present: the crazed, beat-boxing, bird-noising, funkoustickery of L-Mo. He won't be everyone's cup of tea, but that won't bother him: his music is packed with the joy that only comes from not giving a sh*t."

- Sandman Magazine

After a couple of listens to tracks from L-Mo there's one over-riding feeling in this reviewer's head, and a smile on his face. These are songs that catch you by surprise, and like an upbeat friend fill you with cheer just by their presence. Given that I've spent years imagining different tortures to be meted out to the banal Bobby McFerrin for his atrocious 'Don't worry, be happy' - a song that makes me anxious from its overbearingly twee opening through to its interminable fade out - it's no small thing.

There's an interesting dual direction going on here. On the one hand the songs are all, without exception, nice - and that's not damning with faint praise; they don't roar or rage, nor do they outstay their welcome. There are great choruses, memorable lines, and foot-tapping beats. In short, they're all well-groomed and presentable. But, at the same time there's something decidely unpredictable going on, with interesting sounds and beat-boxing thrown into the mix. It's a sound that's all their own, and which they rightly describes as "upbeat adrenaline fueled anti-folk"

Contagious puts it well, hard as it is to resist. It starts with a soft almost crooning intro, before quickly breaking into something more interesting. We have an acoustic guitar leading things on, but it leaps and lurches dismissing any suggestion of singer-songwriter lyrical excess syndrome. Here's the truth - so many 'singer-songwriters' are blessed (if they're lucky) with a decent voice, some good lines, and an inability to play more than three chords in turn. If they could do more, we wouldn't feel the need to qualify things more than just 'songwriter'. It's not a problem that L-Mo faces.

Remember to Forget has enough musical twists and turns to keep anyone on their toes and yet retains a theme throughout meaning it's far more than just a whigged-out impro session. Deeply impressive. - ThreeMonkeysOnline

'Got Gumption?' is the debut album release by L-Mo; jaggedly acoustic, obtusely nu-folk, pointedly alternative, 'Got Gumption?' rides the currents of several popular genre by dipping into eddy's, surfing the bore and plunging to the depths of the forms, scouring for and picking up the flotsam and jetsam normally ignored by the less adventurous artists.

L-Mo is unique in their style and distinctive in their sound; their fusion music calls on many modernistic influences and years of intercontinental travel allow them to delve knowingly into many of the 'ethnic' nuances experienced. Their music is not so much 'tribal' as a result but it does appear to utilise many of the more unusual time-signatures and quite a few instrumental variations taken from those travels. From the many 'folk' forms and numerous dynamic concurrencies L-Mo has shaped their quirky but very mature acoustic music into something that's kinda trans-Atlantic, innovative and toe-tappingly infectious.

L-Mo is described in his press pack as, 'upbeat adrenaline fueled acoustic mayhem' and that sums them up pretty well; nothing they do here is really conventional and yet they manages to pull it all together and make it work. their seemingly natural bent for musical originality has allowed L-Mo to bring experimentation and expression together into a carefully assembled album of tasty songs delivered with tangible commitment. 'Got Gumption?' by L-Mo may not be exactly 'instant', it does take a couple of plays to really start to get his 'groove' but, once you're there, the rewards are many and the extra time it takes to find the buzz is well worth it!

'Got Gumption?' by L-Mo is acoustic originality at its contemporary best. L-Mo fills their musical cup to overflowing; there's much to admire here and loads to enjoy - the initial 'trip' is interesting if slightly obtuse but, give it a chance, find its heart, and you'll start feeling the addiction kicking in! 'Got Gumption?' by L-Mo is different, clever and extremely worthy. Spend time with L-mo and 'Got Gumption?' and the bigger picture comes shining through such that it'll become a must-play album when you want to listen to something that's slightly more challenging but extremely refreshing and rewarding.
- ToxicPete.co.uk

L-Mo performed next, now a band with Phil on Bass Guitar and Guv (Simon) on drums. Funky foot tapping bass and drums, induced a head nodding body moving audience. Broken guitar string was simply an excuse for bass and drum jam. L-Mo undaunted as the band played on- one of those moments in a live performance.
This was the first outing for L-Mo the Band.
Woolly Hatted to start, dynamic voice harmony, melodic riffs and guitar harmonics, from explosive to soft expressions, gasps and squeals, shouts and cheers from the audience. Accentuated by bass and drums strong beats which emphasized and pushed. L-Mo oozing personality an exuberant performance, the guys really looked like they were enjoying their music.
Look out for L-Mo the band they are going to be a force on the music scene. - YorkshireGigGuide.co.uk

L-Mo are cutting a bit of a reputation for themselves especially within their adopted home city of Leeds. That success though looks like it could break out further now, with the imminent release of their debut album Got Gumption?.

Sound wise in the main, it’s a fusion of vocals and acoustic guitar in the mould of Jack Johnson mixed with Jamie-T and added into that is some rather nifty beat boxing. The majority of the tracks fly by with a sense of fun and are underpinned by funky rhythms.

Songs like Contagious, Simple Living, Too Bad and Classicbox show the sound of an artist that people aren’t going to be able to ignore for long.
- The Beat Surrenders

L-Mo elevate the venue back into a party mood after Pilla's sobering atmosphere, despite apparently being a man down this evening. Beat-box flavoured feel good tunes are the staple of L-Mo, who seem to take their cues from the likes of Red Hot Chilli Peppers and the reggae-light Jack Johnson. Lots of bopping around stage ensues as L-mo shift through their rhythmical mix of funk and high energy acoustic finger picking. Singer Luke has obviously honed a proficient vocal style that at times borders on a mellow R'n'B croon, all the while beaming cheeky charisma. Despite the demanding, technical nature of the music, the band retain a loose, fun feeling and manage to look like they are having a great time. - Leeds Music Scene

The band's sound is truly unique. Their brand of alternative acoustic laced with a healthy dose of funk and reggae works insanely well and Luke's vocal style is among the most intriguing I have ever heard. He staggers the rhythm, drawing the listener in and his melodies jump around in pitch. He has obviously taken a lot of time over his voice - each note seems contrived and perfectly placed to achieve a certain effect. He uses loud and soft syllables in each line that makes the vocal seem off-kilt but also adds to the funk. By not sticking on the beat, the band manage to accentuate where the beat is and succeed in making you want not only to tap your foot, but to shake your ass. Indeed, many of the crowd who apparently didn't know L-Mo before tonight were doing just that. - Leeds Music Scene