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Introducing… Dave Hill
"They didn't break the mould when they made Dave Hill. There was no mould, just God poking at putty flesh till he had created one of the funniest, craziest, visionaries, it will ever be your pleasure to encounter." - Graham Norton
Comedian, writer and musician Dave Hill's Tasteful Nudes... and Other Misguided Attempts at Personal Growth and Validation goes on sale on 22nd October 2012 in the UK via Bellykids. The book is a collection of essays of Dave’s experiences and he hopes that maybe, like he did, you could take away some life lessons from them. It's already received rave reviews in the US from VICE, The New York Observer, NYLON and The Onion A.V Club.His collection of mind-blowing (and mildly superlative) essays recollect real life experiences of a grown man who hasn't borrowed money from any of his family members in a seriously long time. Some of these experiences include:
* How Dave accidentally arranged a lunch date with a high-end prostitute or became an unwitting accomplice to the theft of three hundred pounds of meat
* The highs (and mostly lows) of coming to a party dressed as Santa Claus
* What it's really like to live in the Hotel Chelsea
* How to rock
* The life changing experience of losing your innocence to a Japanese toilet
* How not saying “no” can lead to a very awkward afternoon listening to Maureen McGovern with a priest and your parents and your mum's friends
Nearly every page is packed with red-hot action, startling emotion and borderline futuristic insights all delivered in scorching and largely grammatically correct verse. Let's face it, Dave wrote this book mainly to make people laugh and maybe touch a few hearts. And if it ends up leading to sex for him, well that's just a bonus.
Dave even wrote a song about the book, you can watch it now on YouTube.
But, who the hell is DAVE HILL??
Dave Hill is a comedian, writer, musician, and man-about-town originally from Cleveland but now living in New York City in an apartment all by himself because he is a grown man. He has written for The New York Times, Salon, The Huffington Post, NY Daily News, Guitar World and a bunch of other people, too. He is a regular contributor to public radio’s This American Life and has also appeared on Comedy Central, BBC America, MTV, and Adult Swim and is a regular host on HBO and Cinemax. Dave stages his own chat variety show, The Dave Hill Explosion, at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatres in New York and Los Angeles, and also in London, wherever it is tolerated. Dave plays in several rock bands including Diamondsnake with Moby and Rival Schools' Walter Schreifels. Dave also smells really nice - ask anyone.
Dave Hill's latest podcast - Dave Hill's Podcasting Incident - featuring Simon Amstell can be heard via his official website.
If you'd like to see Dave in the flesh, he'll be in the UK this October!
Dave Hill UK dates
Oct. 5, Glee, Oxford
Oct. 12, Leicester Square, London
Oct. 13, Leicester Square, London<
Oct. 18, Glee, Birminghan
Oct. 19, Glee, Nottingham
Oct. 20, Glee, Cardiff
Oct. 22, Deansway's, London
Last.fm Originals to Release Noisettes and Minus the Bear Sessions!
Last.fm is a global source for music, featuring content from over 20 million artists and allowing users to discover more music to love through its personal recommendations and passionate community of music fans. Now they are showcasing a new feature that shines a light on original programming features and intimate artist experiences: Last.fm Originals.
The latest sessions on Last.fm Originals will be indie pop band the Noisettes who are about to release their next album Contact. The band have already had great success with their debut album Wild Young Hearts in 2009 selling 300,00 in the UK alone and featured their No.2 smash “Don’t Upset the Rhythm” and top 20 “Never Forget You”.
Noisettes have built an astonishing devoted following thanks to their enthralling performances and style - unconventional, fierce and daring, their energy is reminiscent of the true, legendary artists of the past, leading to them being described 'the best live band in Britain' by the Guardian last year. They are a perfect fit for the Originals sessions, which will see the band perform an intimate set for Last.fm along with an exclusive interview. The Noisettes session is set to go live on August 27th 2012.
Following shortly after and proving Last.fm are diverse and on the pulse as ever, Seattle based alt-rockers Minus The Bear have recorded a very special sessions for music fans, which comes just in time for the release of their latest album Infinity Overhead, out September 3rd 2012.
Since forming in Seattle in 2001, Minus The Bear has worked relentlessly over the past decade to build a large and devoted following worldwide with consistent releases and a non-stop touring regimen. With a back-catalogue that has seen them sell over 300,000 records, the band has played countless sold out tours throughout the world, in addition to unforgettable performances at huge US festivals, including Bonnaroo, Coachella, Lollapalooza and Sasquatch!.
Building on the huge success of Last.fm’s Originals sessions in the US, Last.fm HQ in London is embarking on a series of filmed sessions showcasing emerging and established artists. Last.fm’s Originals sessions are curated based on member listening data (‘scrobbles’), Hype Charts and label/artist partnerships. Shot in a number of diverse and visually compelling locations, they aim to reflect the personality of their showcased acts, as well as telling the story of their Last.fm journey through appropriate song choices. Last.fm UK’s first few Originals sessions with Bastille and Keaton Henson are live now.
Vigo Thieves Release Teaser Trailer for ‘Forever’...
Vigo Thieves return with an exclusive teaser trailer of their brand new single, Forever.The video, starring Jody Latham of Shameless and Eastenders fame, is due for release on 28th August with the official single release slated for 10th September.
The band have had a fantastic year to date, with the successful release of their Heart and Soul (Part 1) EP. Gaining support from the likes of Classic Rock Magazine, The 405, The Daily Record, Drowned In Sound Scotland, BBC Radio 1 Scotland and Clyde 1fm. Vigo Thieves have soared as the momentum has built throughout the year.
The single Heartbeats attracted over 50,000 viewers on Youtube, leading to the track being chosen as the soundtrack to the T in the Park announcement film. An appearance at T in the Park on the BBC Introducing Stage saw a huge crowd gather as the boys rocked their first appearance at a major summer festival.
Heartbeats is available to download free from the A Badge of Friendship Soundcloud page.
The interest continued with the release of a second single from the EP, She’s On Fire, which pulled in 45,000 hits and cemented Vigo Thieves position as one of the up and coming bands currently performing in the UK.
Three sold out shows in Glasgow quickly followed, with the last show at The Art School selling out six weeks in advance!
The release of Forever will see a new cycle in the bands relentless desire to rise through the ranks, and into the consciousness of the mainstream music buying public. With a UK tour starting in September centred around the release of Forever and a stylish video starring a British TV favourite means that Vigo Thieves will finish 2012 as they started it.
Tour Dates
- 24/08 Ironwork, Inverness
- 12/09 Death2Disco, Notting Hill Arts Club
- 16/09 EH1 Live Festival, Edinburgh
- 22/09 Classic Grand, Glasgow
- 23/09 Ashton Crawl, Glasgow
Introducing… Death Rattle
Death Rattle are Helen and Chris Hamilton - an enigmatic, dark electro duo based in London. Their debut EP HE&I (‘He & I’) is due for release via Frontal Noize on October 15th 2012.
Much of the EP was written shortly after their previous alt grunge band - That Mouth - abruptly disbanded. In need of a completely fresh start, the pair followed a new direction musically, going away for a month to write and record something that refleced their darkening and more melancholic tastes with the band citing influence from Depeche Mode's Violater, Fever Ray and NIN. The resulting sound of Death Rattle's debut is one that stands up strongly on its own.
From start to finish, HE&I sends shivers down your spine. Like a sensual futuristic android, Helen's dark and droning vocal harmonies create a robotic feel to ‘The Dig’ with Chris's beats akin to a mechanical heart thumping underneath - this is Death Rattle’s war cry and signature style. Increasing the tempo, ‘Do As You Please’ follows perfectly with the band’s bold, tribal-esque beats playing a big part once more behind Helen's dark and evocative lyrics. Although the duo keep their signature beats and mesmerising vocals consistent, they present many more layers to unravel as the last three tracks unfold. ‘Fixer’ is the dark, mutated lovechild of Sleigh Bells and Friendly Fires - beguiling and rebellious with an enticingly memorable chorus. ‘Mouse Chorus’ slows the pace to a gentle hypnotic canter and their fifth and final track ‘Sorry For Your Loss’, seems the perfect end to such a mesmerising journey.
The video for 'The Dig' is available to watch on Death Rattle's YouTube page.
You can also download 'The Dig' from Death Rattle's Soundcloud page.
Helen and Chris are a mysterious duo, amalgamating their identities completely within their music and image - they are one unit with their imagery, videos and music working together symbiotically. It was this unique and bold outlook that caught the eyes and ears of European label Frontal Noize and after just two months of writing music together, Death Rattle were offered a deal. Since the signing, the band have been working hard on the live circuit playing Brainchild Festival (Reading), Swanfest (Ipswich), Via Ventosa Festival (Holland) as well as a gig held in an old prison in Leeuwarden, Holland.
Death Rattle’s first release HE&I, is a fascinating and daring debut and an exciting glimpse of what’s in store as the pair prepare for a UK and European tour later this year and a debut album release in 2013.
Introducing… Damian Cox
Canadian born and bred, Damian Cox is an amalgam of music combined with science and a geographical wanderlust.
As time progressed, Cox's love of science and his desire to improve the world’s state of health lead the way - taking him on journeys most people can only dream about, to the most far flung places on the globe. Vast musical and lifestyle influences continue to contribute to Damian's approach to life ‐ eastern philosophy and practices, with cultural observation becoming dominant factors.
Damian first enjoyed success in pop/ska bands in Vancouver, where he met and recorded with members of the Bryan Adams band and platinum selling band The Odds (also Warren Zevon's touring band), becoming firm mates along the way ‐ indeed, The Odds play on Damian’s forthcoming double A side release - Freaks / Dying With Buddy Holly.
The track "Freaks" is available to stream and download now via the A Badge of Friendship Soundcloud page.
This double A side release was co-produced by Keith Wilkinson (ex-Squeeze) and mixed by John Cornfield (Muse, Razorlight, Supergrass, Oasis). Cox is influenced by "the best of every genre and every decade" he says from Deep Purple to Led Zeppelin to Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson and beyond.
Cox has since relocated to the UK. Whilst his research into health continues, he simultaneously embraces his love of music and intelligent, thought provoking and often humorous lyrics. Although he's busy traveling the world, he writes his songs on his journeys - these ideas come to him randomly, he calls them "transmissions" - "I don't sit there laboriously trying to create a song; as I say someone else transmits them to me. Maybe it's aliens!"
The track "Freaks" is available as a free download via the A Badge of Friendship's Soundcloud. Although Damian likes to leave his songs open to interpretation he says that "Freaks" is "the fine line between genius and madness."
You can read about Damian's weird and wonderful journeys on his blog - Coxplorations.