The Letter B in The Alphabetical Encyclopedia of All That Is Hot In New Music

Christ that week flew past didn’t it… at this rate we’ll be at Z by Easter. Anyway i'll keep it brief cos im getting ready for an 11 hour flight with 2 kids – if the trip out here was anything to go by I’ll be grey, bald and 90 years old by tomorrow night. Why is it the majority of people on planes act like they’ve never seen a child on a plane before or heard a screaming baby? I’m gonna get a t-shirt made for flights with YES I HAVE CHILDREN on the front and DEAL WITH IT YOU ****ING FREAKS on the back. With no asterisks though. Maybe.

Anyway some great new and not so new bands, acts and tracks beginning with B in our Alphabetical Encyclopedia of All That Is Hot In New Music...

M.A.N.D.Y. Vs Booka Shade – Donut (Boy 8 Bit Mix) (Get Physical)

Stornoway (pictured) – I Saw You Blink (unsigned)

Trademark – Brand New (Truck)

Gonjasufi – Bharatatanym (Warp)

NB: if you're reading this on Facebook you'll need to click here to check the tracks out

;) Robby

Friendly Fires to headline Camp Bestival!

Just in people! Joining the myriad musical pleasures previously revealed we are ecstatic to announce that the gloriously groove-bound Friendly Fires will be headlining the main stage on Sunday night of this year’s Camp Bestival. Already nominated for two BRIT Awards in 2010, the much lauded three-piece will put the icing on the Lulworth cake with a sublime set of anthemic, disco-flecked dream-pop that is sure to illuminate their sheer mind-blowing greatness for all to see.

Hold on, there's more...timeless troubadour Marc Almond will be digging deep to give us all his solo and Soft Cell favourites. Dorset resident and quintessentially English firebrand Billy Bragg - whose previous Camp Bestival outing was nothing short of staggeringly good - will return for a rematch. The irrepressible Blockheads are chomping at the bit to ramp up the pub-funk for the Lulworth crowd, Chicago’s incredible Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are set to blow you away and Icebreaker featuring BJ Cole will perform Brian Eno’s 'Apollo'.

There’s also going to be the sunshine vibes of Sunday Best’s Lucky Elephant, kiddy-disco-punk from Kid Carpet, Leeds 9-piece Gentleman's Dub Club, the effervescent Pete & The Pirates, Israeli funksters The Apples, bluegrass tainted jazz from Nell Bryden Gallic electro-swingers Caravan Palace, live Jive from the The J-Cats alt-folk with The Boy Who Trapped The Sun, the exquisite Laura J Martin, Irish acoustic duo The Lost Brothers the euphoric Colourmusic and BBC Radio 2’s Folk Singer Of The Year Chris Wood.

Dancefloor pressure comes in the form of the queen of Radio 1’s Friday night output, Annie Mac, who brings her outstanding Presents night to Dorset’s picturesque surrounds. Other selectors lining up behind the ones and twos across the weekend will include the tea-loving eclecticism of the inimitable Mr Scruff, Grammy Award winning uber-producer and all-round maverick William Orbit, bass-wobbling deck technicians Jack Beats, God’s Jukebox genius Mark Lamarr, another Grammy winning producer this time in the form of Nigel Godrich, sub-bliss merchant Joy Orbison, the epic Jakwob, original jammer Mistajam and the effortlessly sultry sinewave siren Cooly G.

Cerebral indulgences are also well and truly catered for in the East Lulworth Literary Institute with The Hip-hop Shakespeare Company, featuring undiscovered young talent & big names from music, theatre and film, all performing a medley of songs inspired by reinterpreted scenes, themes and quotes from famous Shakespeare plays. There will also be OperaUpClose presenting an exclusive festival performance of their fantastic version of La Boheme.

The East Lulworth Literary Institute programme of enlightenment is taking shape nicely with the How To interview sessions, that will lay bare the mysterious world of the arts for all to see, gathering pace with some amazing new additions. Joining Andrea Arnold discussing How To be a film director and the august DJ Derek who will expand upon How To be DJ Derek, will be erstwhile Cocteau Twin and Bella Union big cheese Simon Raymonde who will be discussing How To run a record label, whilst mercurial pop architect William Orbit will both be discussing just How To be a record producer.

See you there!

www.campbestival.net
www.facebook.com/campbestival

Blast from the past part 2...The Human League!

How excited are we about the fact that The Human League are playing Camp Bestival this year? Er, very, very, very excited. Times a hundred.

So many classic tunes, so many classic videos, so much red lippy and, of course, an amazing slew of synth-pop at its very finest. Hailing from Sheffield, Phil Oakey and co. were responsible for one of the true breakthrough British sounds of the '80s. Yes, 'Don't You Want Me Baby' may prove to be their flagship sing-a-long festi fave forevermore but how cool is this, the video to their 1982 hit single 'Love Action'? 30 years on, the band are still in a League of their own...

Besti-mix 2: The Heatwave

It may be as cold as the Siberian peninsular come mid-Winter outside but don’t despair because our latest Besti-mix, a firing selection courtesy of London’s best dancehall deejay, is sure to warm up your cockles. Bringing some much-needed Caribbean rave spirit and funky bashment to our door, Gabriel Heatwave’s Besti-mix showcases the sound of Jamaican vocalists toasting, boasting and generally giving it the ‘large-one’ on a host of suitably bumpin’ UK house productions. Hold tight people, this one is heavy...

Besti-Mix 2: The Heatwave by Bestimix on Mixcloud

Download: Besti-mix 2: The Heatwave

Tracklisting:

01 Natalie Storm - Intro

02 Lady Chann / Sticky - Kill A Soundboy Fast (Heatwave Special) - Fugitive Riddim

03 Maxwell D / Sticky - Text Text Text - Fugitive Riddim

04 Warrior Queen / Lil Silva - Every Stiff John (Heatwave Special) - Nitro Riddim

05 Vybz Kartel / Lil Silva - Tek Buddy (DJ Shredah Refix) - Different Riddim

06 Vybz Kartel & Spice / Lil Silva - Ramping Shop (DJ Shredah Refix) - Different Riddim

07 Ms Dynamite / Sticky - Bad Gyal - Bad Gyal Riddim

08 Assassin / Sticky - Idiot Sound Dat (Heatwave Refix) - Bad Gyal Riddim

09 Natalie Storm / Footsteps - Play Di Ting (Heatwave Special) - Worker Riddim

10 YT / Footsteps - Innit (Heatwave Special) - Dirty Rag Riddim

11 Doctor / Crazy Cousinz - Go Down - Inflation Riddim

12 Aidonia / Crazy Cousinz - Bounce - Inflation Riddim

13 Maxwell D / Sticky - Bandolero - Jumeirah II Riddim

14 Natalie Storm / Sticky - Jumeirah (Heatwave Special) - Jumeirah Riddim

15 Bunji Garlin / Sticky - Fire Now (Mr Leub Refix) - Jumeirah Riddim

16 Lady Chann / Sticky - Run England - Jumeirah Riddim

17 Maxwell D / Sticky - Mad MD - Jumeirah Riddim

18 Mavado & Busy Signal / Vato Gonzalez - Badman Place (Heatwave Refix) - Badman Riddim

19 Riko Dan / Grievous Angel - Ice Rink (Heatwave VIP) - Ice Rink Riddim

20 Ninjaman & Bounty Killer / Mercurial Myrmidon - Bad Boy Nuh Cub Scout (Heatwave Refix) - Hey Bongo Riddim

21 Buju Banton / Mercurial Myrmidon - Batty Rider (Heatwave Refix) - Hey Bongo Riddim

22 Shabba Ranks / Mercurial Myrmidon - Ting A Ling (Heatwave Refix) - Hey Bongo Riddim

23 Buju Banton / Mercurial Myrmidon - Bogle (Heatwave Refix) - Hey Bongo Riddim

24 Shystie / Ill Blu - Pull It (Heatwave Special) - Pull It Riddim

25 Tifa / Sami Sanchez - Nuh Good (Heatwave Special) - Dirty Trumpet Riddim

26 Busy Signal / Sami Sanchez - Da Style Deh (Heatwave Refix) - Dirty Salsa Riddim

27 Rubi Dan / Perempay & DEE - Funky Dip (Heatwave Special) - Buss It Riddim

28 Busy Signal / Ill Blu - Step Out (Mosca Refix) - Frontline Riddim

29 Lady Chann / Warrior One - War - King Riddim

30 Mirikal / El-B - We Don't Play

31 Sean Paul / Hard House Banton - Temperature (Heatwave Refix) - Sirens Riddim

32 Stush / Hard House Banton - We Nuh Run - Sirens Riddim

33 Doctor - UK Funky Dancehall

Wayne Coyne on...the merits of psychedelia!

Wayne Coyne, bearded spiritual guru of evergreen Bestival faves the Flaming Lips, takes time out from grooving around the world naked in his plastic bubble to explain the benefits of expanding your mind, out-performing hurricanes and, well, doing whatever the hell you damn well please…

"I grew up in the Sixties. My brothers were older than me, and they basically wanted to be Hell’s Angels, and spent all their time listening to The Byrds and The Beatles. The whole counterculture thing seemed totally idyllic, even though I didn’t yet really understand what it was.

"As I grew to comprehend it properly, it became even more appealing: I mean, what could be better than hanging out with your friends and having your minds blown, exploring your inner world or worlds? Of course, when I was older I became more aware of the negative aspects of taking drugs, but that awareness really came only after I understood the positive aspects - I think I got it the right way round. It seems to me nothing could be more beautiful than using music to help you explore yourself, your inner life, and to do so in the company of people who are interested, adventurous and passionate.

"By the time I came of age, punk happened, and that was the culture I immersed myself in. To me, punk wasn’t an anathema to psychedelia; it was its continuation. Punk and psychedelia seemed to share a guiding principle, namely: you can do whatever the hell you want. Paint your face green, dress as a woman, whatever…

I think it’s fair to say you can expect a psychedelic experience from the Flaming Lips. You know, among other things I tend to climb inside a giant bubble and float over the crowd. If you’re willing to get into that and give into that, if you’re willing to accept the strange reality of me singing our songs from a floating bubble that’s hovering above you, then it’s probably safe to say you’re happy to enter into some kind of psychedelic experience."

Radio da Bank: High Contrast hosts and Samuel & The Dragon are in session

High Contrast sits in for Rob da Bank this week (& next) with his own two-hour eclectic mix of music, featuring Samuel & The Dragon in session at Maida Vale.

Check out the tracklisting below and get yourselves over to bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank to listen again online at any time this week...

TRACKLISTING: SATURDAY 23RD JANUARY 2010
Tiësto - Kaleidoscope (High Contrast Remix) - Musical Freedom
Distorted Minds - T-10 (Gangsta Mix) - Kaos
Sébastien Tellier - L'Amour Et Al Violence (Floating Points) - Lucky Number

Samuel & The Dragon Session - Part 1
Samuel & The Dragon - Diamonds On A Boat

Drake - Fear - Universal Motown
The Chantays - Pipeline - Repertoire
Siriusmo - High Together - Kitsuné
Claude VonStroke - Aundy - Dirty Bird
Breakage & Threshold - If - White
Vampire Weekend - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa - XL
Florence - Drumming Song (Seiji Remix) - Moshi Moshi
The Mar-Keys - Last Night - Stax
Simian Mobile Disco - Cruel Intentions (Joker Remix) - Wichita
Ken Nordine - Outer Space - Hip-O Select
Sub Focus - Could This Be Real - Ram
Brookes Brothers & Danny Byrd - Paper Chase - Breakbeat Kaos
Nu:Tone - Hyper Hyper - Hospital
MJ Cole - Sincere (Logistics Remix) - White
Muffler - Kolga - White
St. Vincent - Actor Out Of Work - 4AD
Four Tet - Love Cry (Joy Orbison Remix) - Domino

Samuel & The Dragon Session - Part 2
Samuel & The Dragon - Firelight
Samuel & The Dragon - Golden Heart

Faithless - Sun To Me (Emalkay Remix) - Nate's Tunes
Major Lazer - Hold The Line - Scientific Remix
Delphic - Doubt (Riton Remix) - Chimeric
Charlotte Gainsbourg - Heaven Can Wait - Because Music
Adele - Hometown Glory (High Contrast Mix) - XL
Diplo & Laidback Luke - Hey (Sidney Samson Mix) - Southern Fried
The Apples - Killing In The Name Of - Freestyle Records
Sidney Samson - Riverside

Listen again online all week at bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank

GUESTS COMING UP SOON ON THE SHOW:
Penguin Prison
Sparrow & Workshop
Local Natives
Memory Tapes
Holly Miranda
Soft Pack
Cherbourg
Devendra Banhart

The Letter A in The Alphabetical Encyclopedia of All That Is Hot In New Music

Ok here's the news. I'm on holiday on a near paradisical desert island with the family da Bank, on the pretext of having a bit of family time and 'chilling out'. Naturally instead I'm frantic with worry about locking in the last acts for Camp Bestival and Bestival, scouring festival websites for latest gossip and listening to new mp3s clogging up the inbox that I've sworn to the wife I'd ignore for ten days.

Why am I in an air conditioned darkened hotel room when its 85 degrees outside and the sea's the colour of a pearl? So I can send you this, the first in our Alphabetical Encyclopedia of All That Is Hot In New Music... one letter a week... 4 or 5 great tunes for your earlugs.

Airhead and James Blake - Lock In The Lion (Brainmath)

Feelin' sleepy? You soon will be. This is why the UK's always been the best place for new electronica. Out now.

Archie Bronson Outfit - Shark's Tooth (Domino)

From their album called Coconut all this talk of tropical fruit and sharks makes me think Archie and pals have been to this island i'm on. And in fact a foot long shark did swim past me yesterday making me turn the water brown behind my shorts. Irrelevant to this tune maybe but equally as invigorating. Single out 22nd Feb, album out 1st March.

Andrew Thomas - Clouds Across Face (Kompakt)

From Kompakt's ace Pop Ambient series keeping the beatless revolution alive. Out now.

Annie - Don't Stop (Totally / Smalltown Supersound)

I've been a fan of my favourite Norwegian pop princess (pictured) for a decade now and she's still rockin it with this melodic workout. Out now.

NB: if you're reading this on Facebook you'll need to click here to check the tracks out

:) Robby

Blast from the past part 1...Ragga Twins' classic jungle biz!

After reducing Bestival's Rizla stage to a sea of smiling faces and partying loons last September, one of the acts we're most excited about bringing to Camp Bestival 2010 are the undisputed, legendary kings of bad-boy jungle and hyper-kinetic jump-up beats, the Ragga Twins.

To get an idea of just how darn lively and altogether excellent their Camp Bestival show is gonna be, check the vid above (click here if you are reading this on Facebook), shot on the cheap but perfectly catching the raw energy of the Hackney duo's rave classic 'Hooligan 69'.

Check back for more golden oldies in our 'Blast from the past' series...

Besti-mix 1: Rob da Bank

As you might have gathered, we love listening to new music almost as much as dancing to it, which is why we’re starting a new DJ mix series that showcases the taste-making skills of party-starting Bestival selectors past, present and future. Somewhat cunningly, we’ve called it Besti-mix. And every Wednesday you’ll be able to download the latest in our weekly series right here for absolutely nowt, keeping the spirit of Bestival alive 365.

So, who better to kick things off than the Lord of the Dance himself, his right honourable hippy Mr Rob da Bank with a typically eclectic selection that first graced the cover of Mixmag last year but makes its online debut on Besti-blog - spanning Animal Collective’s blissful pop, 808 State’s classic acid house and Zomby’s brain-scrambling future dubstep, plus an exclusive Rob da Bank remix of MGMT, we reckon you’re going to enjoy this!

Besti-Mix 01: Rob Da Bank by Bestimix on Mixcloud

Download: Besti-mix 1: Rob da Bank

Tracklisting:
01 Animal Collective - My Girls
02 Passion Pit - The Reeling (Rob da Bank Remix)
03 Lemonade - Big Weekend (Sunday Best Remix)
04 MGMT - Kids (Rob da Bank Remix)
05 Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Bournemouth
06 Feadz Feat MC Wesley - Subiu Desceu
07 808 State - Pacific 202
08 Man Like Me - London Town (Foamo Mix)
09 AC Slater - Jack Got Jacked (Jack Beats Remix)
10 Zomby - Float
11 Underworld - To Heal
12 Underworld - Dark & Long
13 Jonny L & Horx - 18 Years
14 Crystal Fighters - Xtatic Truth (L-VIS 1990 Mix)
15 Marc Romboy - Sunburst (Alex Kid Mix)
16 DJ Zinc - Super Sharp Shooter

Increase The Peace vol 3

Our new digital compilation Sunday Best: Increase The Peace Vol 3 has, much like its predecessors, been designed to showcase the latest and greatest cuts from our Sunday Best record label, plus a few gems from our back catalogue, and all at a bargain price (£4.49!) to help you get a real flavour of what we're all about.

So don't be shy, head over to your fav download store now (scroll down for some direct links) and you'll have these amazing tracks caressing your ear lobes and soothing your soul in no time at all. And all for less than a fiver!

1/ Lucky Elephant - Edgar
2/ Lazyboy - Police Dogs Bonfire (Reverso 68 remix)
3/ Bastila - Ghosts
4/ Lemonade - Big Weekend (Delorean remix)
5/ Dub Pistols ft. Lindy Layton & Rodney P - I'm In Love
6/ Ebony Bones - The Muzik (Sunday Best remix)
7/ Grand National - Talk Amongst Yourselves
8/ Sportsday Megaphone - Meet Me In the Middle (David E. Sugar remix)
9/ dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip - Waiting for the Beat to Kick in…
10/ Lemonade - Bliss Out (Gold Panda remix)
11/ Lucky Elephant - When You Fall To Earth (Local League of Pacifists Edit)

Increase The Peace Vol 3 is available from all digital download stores, including these ones:

iTunes /// AmazonMP3 /// Juno /// 7digital

Our previous Increase The Peace compilations (Vols 1 & 2) are available to download too, also at ridiculously cheap prices, and also from your fav download store.

So there.

Meet...Andrew Maxwell

Andrew Maxwell's anarchic comedy is a thing of rare beauty and genuine hilarity. His infamous Fullmooners show - a riotous whirlwind of the worlds top comedians and artists brought together by the power of the moon and a damn good drink - is a perennial favourite with us, and you, which is why we've invited him back to perform at Camp Bestival 2010.

Comedians that have appeared as part of the Fullmooners in the past read like a who's who of the comedy world from Jimmy Carr to Ed Byrne, Brendan Burns to Glenn Wool and you can expect that high standard to continue as Maxwell's Full Mooners hit Camp Bestival this July. So, without further ado, meet the man himself...

How do you tell a joke?
"I don't f**kin' know! I suppose it's all about getting to the funny bit as fast as possible, brevity being the source of wit and all that. I mean, there's no clown academy; comedy is the last true meritocracy, the last place that you can do whatever you want. 90% of all successful actors have sucked figurative cock, but you can be the biggest diva-prick and if you bring the house down, you're getting booked again. Being a comedian has nothing to do with being ballsy – it's something you have to do, something that you have no choice over."

How do you deal with hecklers?
"Most of them die a death pretty quick – it's the most impressive feat of over-optimism you can imagine, trying to be funnier than a man with a light and microphone who does it for a living. I've been doing this all my adult life – I started when I was 17, when I came fourth of five in a comedy competition – and the thing is, you don't get better, you just loosen up and get more mellow."

What's the funniest reaction you've ever had?
"I did this one gig in one of the Gulf States, in the ex-pat compound, and these Arab guys came over and asked me if I wanted to go party with them. I was just getting pissed and lonely, so I thought, aye, okay…later, as I began to sober up, I felt a little worried. I mean, one white guy in a car full of Arabs, with no keys or wallet, outside of the secure compound...to a paranoid man, it may seem a little "Kidnappy". Then the driver turns around to me and, seeing my fear, says, 'Do not worry Andrew. We are not like Al-Qaeda or any of them. We are homosexuals.' The fact is that you can make anything funny, it's just got to be true.”

Radio da Bank: Sparrow and the Workshop & The Antlers in session

This week's Rob da Bank leftfield show on Radio One includes live session tracks from Sparrow and the Workshop (pictured) and The Antlers.

Check out the tracklisting below and get yourselves over to bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank to listen again online at any time this week...
  
TRACKLISTING: SATURDAY 16TH JANUARY 2010
Moneyshot — Too Ruffneck For Crows - Solid Steel
The Ting Tings — Great DJ (Acid Girls Mix) - Columbia
Delphic — Halcyon - Chimeric Records
Orange Juice — Rip It Up (Mr Wyse Mix) - Postcard Records

SPARROW AND THE WORKSHOP MAIDA VALE SESSION - PART 1
Sparrow and the Workshop — Into The Wild - Distiller Records

Mosca — Square One (L-Vis 1990 Mix) - Herb Recordings
Telefon Tel Aviv — Immolate Yourself (Thomas Muller Burning Man Remix) - B Pitch Control
OK Go — This Too Shall Pass - Capitol
Miike Snow — Silvia (Savage Skulls Remix) - Columbia

THE ANTLERS MAIDA VALE SESSION
The Antlers — Silvia - Frenchkiss

The Shoes — People Movin (Siriusmo Mix) - 50 Bones
The Kissaway Trail — Sdp - Bella Union
Au Revoir Simone — Take Me As I Am (Max Cooper Remix) - Moshi Moshi
The Drums — Lets Go Surfing - Moshi Moshi
Calvin Harris — You Used To Hold Me (Nero Remix) - Columbia
Slugabed — Goulash - Planet Moo
Dave Dark and the Sharks — Large Hadron Kaleidoscope - Criminal Recordz
Marvin Gaye Vs Pixies — Get It On My Mind (DJ Zebra Mix) - White Label

SPARROW AND THE WORKSHOP MAIDA VALE SESSION - PART 2
Sparrow and the Workshop — A Horses Grin - Distiller Records
Sparrow and the Workshop — Crystals - Distiller Records

THE SUNRISE TUNE
AK Kids — Klitzing - Black Acre

Yeti Lane — First Rate Pretender (North Atlantic Oscillation Mix) - Sonic Cathedral
Sub Focus — Could This Be Real - RAM Records
The Big Pink — Velvet - 4AD
Layo & Bushwacka! — Deep South - End Recordings
Tinashe — Mayday - Island Records
Marina and The Diamonds — Hollywood - 679 Recordings
Vampire Weekend — Run - XL

Rob da Bank presents BBC Radio 1's leftfield show, an eclectic two-hour mix of music from the UK and beyond broadcast every week from 5 to 7am on Saturday mornings.

Listen again online all week at bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank

Watch Rob rock Bestival 2009!

Check it out on this player or head over to be-at.tv to watch it from 4 different angles, all at the same time!

You'll also find other sets from Bestival 09 there, including Tom Middleton, Derrick Carter, A Skills, Grooverider, Krafty Kuts and Jaymo & Andy George... be-at.tv

Want to be the Besti movie star ever?

Ever wanted to be in the movies? Well, now's your chance people! This summer the Videopia crew are bringing their makeshift movie set to Bestival and Camp Bestival, where they’ll be recruiting Besti revellers to star in live remakes of Hollywood classics. Think Son of Rambow or Be Kind Rewind, with you in the starring role. The miniature masterpieces will then be uploaded onto the Videopia website so you can show off your new found fame to your friends and your newly acquired adoring fan-base.

Before then though, we want you to vote for the movie that you would most like to be remade - take your pick from the following films, and email us - besti-blog[at]bestival.net - with your favourite!

Films for Camp Bestival
Alice in Wonderland
Bugsy Malone
Mary Poppins
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
The Wizard of Oz

Films for Bestival
Batman
Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Edward Scissorhands
Lord of the Rings
The Never Ending Story
The Princess Bride

In the future all kids will be doing this by the age of 5...

NB: if you're reading this on Facebook you'll need to click here to check this video out

4 bands beginning with W

Ok so while we get things started over here at Besti-blog we’re just picking letters at random as tunes come in for our A-Z of new bands to check. But we will be doing a proper A-Z soon … once we can get out the bloody door without a shovel and a bag of salt.

However 4 bands beginning with W (actually not true, just four bands/tunes with the letter W in there somewhere) step up today...

1) Worship – yes the lazy journalist in me says Thom Yorke vocals but what production and on a snowy day with blinding white everywhere and a need for some musical warmth this is our cup of cocoa... myspace.com/worshipuk

2) The Lonely Forest – We Sing In Time
Indie smasher from Anacortes, Washington which sounds like a made up place. Beautiful though!


3) Freelance Whales (pictured) – Kilojoules
Picked at random from a frigging brill album of winners. Everyones a winner, roll up, roll up, scream if you want to go weirder.


4) Wax Tailor - Que Sera
Jeepers and i've just found another cracking W. Good looking vid too... youtube.com/watch?v=WEi9ZQrEjr8

NB: if you're reading this on Facebook you'll need to click here to check the tracks out

;) Robby

Dressing up...with Florence & The Machine

As you may have noticed, we love a bit of fancy dress here at Bestival HQ. But although we consider ourselves well schooled in the sartorial arts one can always look better, which is why we're always on the look out for dressing up tips from the great and the good. With her theatrical live shows and flamboyant pop songs, Florence Welch wasn't just 2009's most charismatic pop star but also it's nattiest dresser! So, before deciding on your outfit for our festivals this summer, go with the Flo'...

"I try and make my look a mix between gothic drama, and disco heathen, and wayward soul sister,", Florence tells us. "I always want to wear something with movement in it that I can play around with on stage, something that’s full of drama. I like the clothes to be expressive too. I buy them from charity shops, vintage shops, markets and festivals. I think you should just try and have fun, don't take yourself to seriously, and trawl through as many charity shops as possible!

"I’ve always been excited by dressing up. My mother and father always pretty much let me dress however I wanted, and they always encouraged me to follow my instincts. A lot of my childhood was spent listening to the Rolling Stones, the Velvet Underground and The Smiths. Me and my little sister would always dress up together to play imaginary games, witches and stuff, and then when I was older I spent a lot of time dressing up to go to clubs and parties with my friends.



"There was always a massively creative scene in Camberwell because of the art college - there would always be gigs in random places like car parks or old warehouses, there was such a visceral energy to those kind of shows that always inspired me, gig, performance, art - it all rolled into one!

"My first record was a pretty ramshackle affair, half done in a friends bedroom, half in a synagog, half in a old school gym, some of it recorded with metal, some with madness, some with drink, and some in sadness. My music spans a lot of genres so I suppose it’s quite difficult to define!"

Radio da Bank: Four Tet & The Antlers in session

Rob da Bank presents BBC Radio 1's leftfield show, an eclectic two-hour mix of music from the UK and beyond broadcast every week from 5 to 7am on Saturday mornings.

This week's show includes live session tracks from Four Tet (pictured) and The Antlers.

Check out the tracklistings below and listen again online all week at bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank
   
TRACKLISTING: SATURDAY 9TH JANUARY 2010
Crookers featuring Miike Snow - Remedy
Minimal Elvis - Fever - White Label
MJ Cole - Sincere (Mumdance Mix) - White Label

Four Tet - Sing (Maida Vale Session)

Julie Andrews & Moondog & Martyn Green - Favourite Nursery Rhymes - White Label
Bullion - Say Goodbye To What - One Handed Music
Pixies - Where Is My Mind (Bassnectar Mix) - Amorphous Music
Yeasayer - Ambling Alps (Memory Tapes Mix) - Mute
L-Vis 1990 - The Bird - White
XX - VCR (Mathew Dear Mix) - White
Richard Wagner - Ride of The Valkyries - EMI
Owl City - Fireflys (Marlow Mix) - Island
Primary One - It Starts - White Label
Jay-Z - Empire State of Mind (DC Breaks Mix) - White
Hot Chip - One Life Stand - Parlophone
Simian Mobile Disco - Cruel Intentions (Joker Remix) - Wichita
Erland & The Carnival - Love Is A Killing Thing - Full Time Hobby

The Antlers - 'Thirteen' (Maida Vale Session)

In Flagranti - Brash & Bolder - Codek
The Vanish - Hold On - Eye Industries
Olo Worms - Back From England - Fence Records
Sortstuff & Hyetal - Ice Cream - White
Broken Bells - High Road - Columbia
ASkillz - Tip Up Your Cup - White
Massive Attack - Saturday Come Slow - Virgin
Phoenix - 1901 - V2
Ellie Goulding - Under The Sheets (Jakwob Mix) - Neon Gold

listen again online all week at bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank

GUESTS COMING UP SOON ON THE SHOW:
Penguin Prison
Sparrow & Workshop
Samuel & The Dragon
Local Natives
Memory Tapes
Holly Miranda
Soft Pack
Cherbourg
Devendra Banhart

Run da Bank... Run!

Why am I doing the London Marathon?  I don't know. Maybe because i'm having a mid-thirties crisis and need to get fit? Maybe because my third child will arrive a few weeks afterwards and i wont even have time to clean my teeth let alone run 26 miles? Maybe because i've never run over Tower Bridge next to a man in a diving suit and a lady dressed up as a dolphin? Maybe because my friends at Oxfam asked me and it's a great cause? Or maybe it's just another thing ticked off life's long list of MUST DO's?

Whatever the reason I feel compelled to raise as much dough as possible so please give generously, or whatever you can afford, via justgiving.co.uk/robdabank

Muchos gracias!

Rob da Bank

Imagine if it snowed for Bestival...

This is the Isle of Wight today!

The xx: Art of Noise

Deep in a subterranean Soho gallery whose white floors were covered in hundreds of lit candles, last night one of our favourite bands The xx launched their new art show. And it was pretty darn cool...

The band have teamed up with celebrated music video director Saam Farahmand for a unique audio-visual collaboration. xx: A Sculpture of the Album, which takes place at The Vinyl Factory in Soho until Tuesday.

The sculpture utilises film, light and sound via three specially created audio-visual units (each unit representing one member of the band with a mix of exclusively filmed footage and mixed sound), and every visitor will enjoy a totally unique experience of xx.

It's the realisation of a plan Saam has been formulating for some time, and he plans to extend it to other artists and albums in the future. “Music videos are a 2D visual interpretation of a song," he says. "We are interested in creating spaces that exist as a 3D physical interpretation of a song or an album, and that is what we have created for the album xx. It shares sensibilities with art installations but it should not be considered in this context - it is in essence a physical music video, a looping shrine to the album that you cannot compress, send or turn off."

Admission is free, so be sure to check it out!

Bands whose names begin with Y

Jesus H Christ there must be something in the water of bands whose names begin with Y. Someone must have dropped some kind of psychedelic magical shizzle into the toilet cistern when no-one was looking and turned the water ultra-violent.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, I do admit I feel a bit strange today. Anyroad get your ears around these cracking 3 records by Y groups...

Yeasayer – Ambling Alp (Memory Tapes mix)
The far out folky dudes are about to go radio rental with this addictive brew. Their website's worth checking too for some fish-eyed nudie strangeness... amblingalp.com


Yeti Lane – First-Rate Pretender (North Atlantic Oscillation Mix)
Signed to ace shoegazey label Sonic Cathedral. Say no more.


Well actually its just 2 records isn’t it but lets sling in a cracking Marvin Gaye versus the Pixies booty while we’re at it cos Gaye has a Y in it … and its bloody ace. Thanks to our man Kaptin at Chrome Kids for this ‘un. Should have called it the Gaye Pixie mix tho surely?

Marvin Gaye versus the Pixies – Get It On My Mind (DJ Zebra Mash)


NB: if you're reading this on Facebook you'll need to click here to check the tracks out

;) Robby

Imagine a song... that really reached out and touched kids

Bestival and Camp Bestival favs (and sunday best recordings artists!) dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip return this year with a cracking new album The Logic of Chance (out 14th march).

it's preceded by the anthemic single Get Better (out 1st march) - an appeal by the duo for positivity, responsibility and self-education. Check it and the Errors remix out on the player below...

NB. if you're reading this on facebook you'll need to click here to check the tracks out

other remixes will come courtesy of 2 Bears (featuring Joe Goddard), Jakwob, Villa and Sunday Best.

more info, pre-order links and a long list of live dates at www.lesacvspip.co.uk

Meet...Lee 'Scratch' Perry

Bestival live favourite and all-round musical legend Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry will be bringing his space-reggae vibes to Camp Bestival 2010, so we thought it about time you knew a little bit more about the madcap visionary himself.

Lee 'Scratch' Perry is a mass of contradictions. A devout Rastafarian who believes in extraterrestrials, Perry has proclaimed his children ‘angels’ in the biblical sense and has advocated black supremacy while living with his wealthy European wife in Switzerland. He is also one of the few creative forces in popular music to truly deserve the title of living legend and his contribution to Jamaican music is immeasurable.

Perry’s ceaseless creativity has resulted in some of the most startling and original sounds ever created in reggae, and the uniqueness of his vision has found resonance in music forms around the world. He was actively involved in every major change of style in Jamaican music from the pre-ska days before independence to the ‘golden age’ of roots reggae at the end of the 1970s, until a drastic personal metamorphosis resulted in the emergence of startling new personae and lengthy periods of residence abroad.

Later projects have continued to be marked by the individualism that has always set his material apart—as heard on the track ‘Penguin’ that Perry cut a few years back with Rob da Bank and Dan Carey (aka Lazyboy) —though Perry’s focus has largely shifted from the determined logos of the production sphere to the arcane chaos of performance and spectacle.

We asked Lee 'Scratch' Perry's personal ‘ghost writer’ - and legendary reggae expert - David Katz, who has witnessed plenty of the man’s unfathomable actions, to regale us with 10 classic Perry 'moments' to give us a fuller understanding of his unique vision:

1. After conflict with his peers in 1978, Perry re-cementing the walkway in front of his studio “so that only new clean footsteps should pass through.”
2. Before dismantling the same studio in 1979, Perry covered all walls with the letter X; he then began worshipping bananas.
3. Relocating to New York circa 1980, Perry travelled with a pirate’s chest he claimed would kill anyone who looked in it; inside was a large stone, children’s toys, bags of dirt and various liquids.
4. Receiving a $25,000 cheque from Island records to help rebuild his studio, Perry spent the money on an antique silverware set, “because silver represent immortality.”
5. When Perry found former protégé Bunny Wailer at Dynamic Sound studio in 1982, he lit a fire before the studio door to express his displeasure.
6. In 1983, Perry threw the equipment and instruments of his abandoned studio into a septic tank; the studio was then destroyed by fire.
7. Resurfacing in London in 1984, Perry told neo-ska band Bad Manners they would have to change their name to Good Manners if they wanted to work with him.
8. During a 1986 recording session, Perry sipped petrol and blackcurrant after running out of rum.
9. When asked by Gatwick immigration officials in 1987 how long he intended to remain in Britain, Perry replied: “Could be a day, could be a thousand years.”
10. After a 1997 bust-up with his current wife (wed in a Hare Krishna temple), Perry went to stay with producer Adrian Sherwood; unhappy with the furniture arrangements, he promptly buried Sherwood’s television.