LIVAN

Livan
Background information
Origin London, England
Genres Alternative rock
Years active 2007 – present
Website www.livan.co.uk
Members Livan, Will Crewdson, Damon Wilson, John Robertson, David Ryder Prangley

LIVAN is a UK-based alternative rock trio founded by Greek-born singer Livan that also features guitarist Will Crewdson (Rachel Stamp, Malcolm McLaren and Johnette Napolitano) and drummer Damon Wilson (Ray Davies, Joss Stone). The band has toured with artists like Aerosmith, Alice Cooper and Peter Murphy among others.[1][2][3]

Greek-born Livan (aka Cosmas Livanos)[4] is the grandson of former Greek Prime Minister Panagiotis Kanellopoulos.

Members

Discography

Singles

Studio albums

Democr[i]cy

  • Released: 2008 [5]
  • Format: CD
  • Tracks: Life Is Smiling, Democricy, Once Again, No Mans Land, Crawl, If Only, If Jesus Lived Today, Undone, Stay Awake, Scars, Ride To Freedom

Happy Returns

  • Released: 2009 [6]
  • Format: CD
  • Tracks: King of the World, Happy Returns, Kiss and Tell, Where I Bleed, Shout, When the Lights Go Down, The Machine, Underground, Still Around, Ghost, Liberated Mr. Hyde

Off The Grid (EP)

  • Released: 2010 [7]
  • Format: CD
  • Tracks: Undead, Little White Lies, Meet Me On The Other Side, the Silence, Sad, King of the World, the Joker

Off The Grid (Extended)

  • Released: April 12, 2011[8]
  • Format: CD
  • Tracks: Undead, Little White Lies, Meet Me On The Other Side, the Silence, Sad, King of the World, the Joker, Where I Bleed, When The Lights Go Down, No Mans Land, Happy Returns

Beggars and Believers

  • Released: April 7, 2013[9]
  • Format: MP3
  • Label: Pumpkin Music
  • Tracks: Obsessed, Strange, She Walks in Beauty, The Waiting Game, Anarchy, War Paint, Carousel, Beggars and Believers, Darkness, End of the World

Reception

Michelle St. James (Shakefire.com) described LIVAN's music as "industrial pop punk/alt-rock" going on to say that it "sounds gritty, raw, and fun with crashing guitar and thumping bass lines".[10] Jack Feerick (Pop Dose) said that the "Happy Returns" album was "currently rockin’ my world down to a nub" and went onto to describe the title track as sounding like "the Kaiser Chiefs meets The The with vocals by a slumming Peter Murphy".[11] Rob Smy (Spinner) compared LIVAN to Placebo and Nine Inch Nails.[12] However, Patrick Slevin (Aquarian Weekly) described LIVAN's vocals as an "acquired taste".[13]

Writing for the Associated Press, critic Wayne Parry said "Livan defies easy categorization. His voice has the snarl of Johnny Rotten and the exaggerated bass of Iggy Pop. His shaved head evokes Rob Halford, and his stage presence evokes Freddie Mercury, clad one night in hot pink spandex and combat boots, the next in a leather fringed kilt. And he rocks."[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Livan will be the support act for the Aerosmith concert." (in Greek). Greece: MTV Greece. June 9, 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2011.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Parry, Wayne (April 8, 2011). "Four overlooked albums of 2011". Associated Press. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  3. ↑ Robinson, Mara (April 8, 2011). "Peter Murphy and Livan". Cleveland Free Press. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Profile / Life-story". celebuzz.com. July 2008.
  5. ↑ "Livan working with Kaiser Chiefs producer on album Democrisy". Daily Mirror. June 2, 2008. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
  6. ↑ Papapostolou, Anastasios (September 16, 2009). "A Greek Londoner with a Checkered Past Comes to Hollywood". Greek Reporter. Retrieved April 11, 2011.
  7. ↑ Thomas, Cody R (Mar 30, 2011). "Exclusive Premiere: Goth Rocker Livan’s New Song "Undead"". Revolver (magazine). Retrieved April 11, 2011.
  8. ↑ ASIN B004VKRCHE, Off The Grid @ Amazon
  9. ↑ ASIN B00C5ZUCBK, Beggars and Believers @ Amazon
  10. ↑ St. James, Michelle (August 26, 2009). "Livan: Happy Returns (2009)". ShakeFire.com. Retrieved April 11, 2011.
  11. ↑ Feerick, Jack (July 24, 2009). "How Bad Can It Be?: Livan, "Happy Returns"". Pop Dose. Retrieved April 11, 2011.
  12. ↑ Smy, Rob (September 25, 2009). "The Crap Stack: Livan, CIAM, Teenage Bottlerocket". Spinner. Retrieved April 11, 2011.
  13. ↑ Slevin, Patrick (September 21, 2009). "Livan — Happy Returns". The Aquarian Weekly. Retrieved May 7, 2011.

External links