Love of Diagrams

by Heather Phares
A trio with a fiery, angular sound that recalls post-punk greats like Siouxsie and the Banshees and Pylon, the Melbourne, Australia-based trio Love of Diagrams feature vocalist/bassist Antonia Sellbach, guitarist/vocalist Luke Horton, and drummer Monika Fikerle (who also played with the Bites, Sea Scouts, the Grimm, and Jihad Against America). After forming in 2001, Love of Diagrams made a name for themselves with their kinetic live act and consistent touring, supporting Sonic Youth, Electrelane, the Rogers Sisters, Stereolab, and other like-minded bands. The band signed to Australian indie label Unstable Ape and released its debut album, The Target Is You, in 2003. Two years later, the We Got Communication EP arrived and featured the song "No Way Out," which was issued as a 7" in the U.K. on Passport, and also appeared on an episode of The O.C. during its final season. Love of Diagrams also played the U.S. in 2005, first at the South by Southwest festival and again at the end of the year. On each trip to the States, the band logged time with producer Bob Weston at Chicago's Electrical Audio studio. They signed with Matador Records in 2006 and released their final Unstable Ape work, the Love of Diagrams EP, that fall. Matador issued another self-titled EP early in 2007 in anticipation of Love of Diagrams' second album, Mosaic, which arrived that spring.