Monday, 31 January 2011

Please vote for us!

Following what can only be described as a truly incredible 2010, Bestival kicks off 2011 with even more excitement, landing a shortlist nomination for the Shockwaves NME Awards. The Awards are all about proper music fans’ opinions, which makes them the most credible music awards around, so we need your support and love and, most importantly, your votes!

Rob da Bank says, "The Bestival family aren’t one to hanker after filling the mantelpiece with awards but the NME evidently know their onions and we're honoured to be up for this for the first time. I'll go and dust the mantelpiece."

Besti-vid of the week: Visions of Trees 'Sometimes It Kills'

Visions of Trees - Sometimes It Kills from lewiskylewhite on Vimeo.

We're big fans of pretty much everything wide-eyed London psych-pop duo Visions of Trees have done thus far, and their new video - a beautifully shot urban fantasy - is no exception. Check it out, and watch this lot touch the sky in 2011!

Thursday, 27 January 2011

Sound of Rum: Live Residency in London throughout February

Hear ye!  Hear ye!  February approacheth and we are happy to announce a month of very special gigs laid on to celebrate the forthcoming single 'Slow Slow' from our favourite new band Sound of Rum, signed to Sunday Best Recordings.  Sound of Rum are fronted by the critically acclaimed poet and rapper Kate Tempest, if you haven't discovered them yet check out the wicked live/animation vid for their new single here

The band has curated 4 nights, each Tuesday in February at the Old Queen's Head, Islington, not only to showcase their new album tracks in an intimate environment, but also show off the work of their seriously talented and esteemed pals, among them Jamie Woon, Polarbear, Scroobius Pip and loads more.  Come on down y'all...

Facebook Event Page here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=190034811007737 

1st Feb @ Old Queen's Head
Micachu (DJ set)
Sound of Rum
Kwake
Alabaster Deplume
TICKETS £5 from Ticketweb

8th Feb @ Old Queen's Head
Scroobius Pip
Sound of Rum
Crewdson
Byron Vincent
TICKETS £5 from Ticketweb

15th Feb @ Old Queen's Head
Rob da Bank
Jamie Woon (acoustic)
Sound of Rum
Polarbear
TICKETS £5 from Ticketweb

22nd Feb @ Old Queen's Head
Sound of Rum
Little Fish
Beans on Toast
Plaster of Paris
TICKETS £5 from Ticketweb

And keep your eyes peeled for the band's debut LP 'Balance', due out on April 25th through Sunday Best... Strong. myspace.com/soundofrumband

Besti-vid of the week: DJ Rashad & DJ Spinn 'Space Duke'

Get set for Bestival 2011 by checking out these amazing dance moves, footwork style, courtesy of Chi-town new kids on the block Rashad & Spinn!

Monday, 24 January 2011

Radio da Bank: Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer in session

Rob catches up with the Gentleman Rhymer about chap hop, pip-pip and all that.  Plus this week's Saturday Skank and Rob's Introducer are particularly special.

Checkout the tracklisting below and get yourselves over to bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank to listen again online to this show..

Chilly Gonzales — You Can Dance (Gemini Club Mix) - Phantasy Sounds
Lhas — Beaufords Justice - Vibrations
Crystal Fighters — At Home - Zirukulo
Yelle — Safari Disco Club - Recreation Centre
Golau Glau — Tiny Satellites - White
Cults — Go Outside - Columbia
Star Slinger — Remedy - Double Denim
Two Door Cinema Club — What You Know - Kitsune
Caitlin Rose — Own Side - Names Records
Julio Bashmore — Battle For Middle You - PRM Records
Teebs — Moments - Brainfeeder
Swimming — Sun In The Island - PVR Records

The Saturday Skank
Cham — Stronger (Feat.Bounty Killa and Mykal Rose) - Madhouse

Braids — Lemonade (Go Green Mix) - White

The 6 O Clock Snooze
Vondelpark — California Analog Dream - White

Breakage — Fighting Fire (Feat. Jess Mills) (Foamo Mix) - Digital Sound Boy
James Owen Fender — Everyday - Plumpton Presents

Studio Guest Mr.B The Gentleman Rhymer
Mr.B The Gentleman Rhymer — Songs For Acid Edward (Live studio track)
Mr.B The Gentleman Rhymer — Hail The Chap - Grot

PJ Harvey — Words That Maketh Murder - Island
Rizzle Kicks — Down With The Trumpets - White

Rob Da Bank’s BBC Intro-Juicer
Foxx Bandits — Gold Dresses - White

Bag Raiders — Snakecharmer - Modular Records

Rob da Bank’s Best Record In The World . . . Probably, For This Morning . . .
James Blake — The Wilhelm Scream - Atlas

Alex Winston — Locomotive - White
Elephants — Ants - Memphis Industries
Darwin Deez — Bad Day - Lucky Number
The Black Keys — Tighten Up - V2

Besti-mix voted one of Mixcloud's most popular mix series of the year!

The good folk at Mixcloud have tallied up all the votes (thanks to everyone who voted for us!), plays and favorites, across all the Cloudcasts and Cloudcasters from the last year, to find out the very best of 2010 on Mixcloud. And guess what? Our very own Besti-mix series rocked in at a splendidly respectable 25!

"Zero 7, The Nextmen, Phat Phil Cooper, Greg Wilson, the list goes on of the finest DJs who have contributed to the Bestimix series," reckoned Mixcloud. "Representing the best of Sunday Best and Bestival there's even a mix by some guy called Rob da Bank."

Our Besti-mix series is set to return soon, bigger, bolder and downright more brilliant (we hope!) than ever...watch this space!

Friday, 21 January 2011

da bank's tunes of the week!

We're now fully into the swing of 2011 and snr da Bank keeps 'em fresh 'Tunes of the Week' coming . For those of you that haven't been keeping up, don't fret peeps, you get another chance right here!

Rob has been Tweeting and Facebooking his juicy 'Tunes of the Day' for these few months (& for ever more, in theory). So click on these here links - Twitter / Facebook - and please 'follow' and 'like' away to ensure you receive your daily dose of musical wisdom and top tips from the brain of el Banko.

Monday 17th January
Chilly Gonzales 'You Can Dance (Gemini Club Remix)'
More piano magic from my man Chilly Gonzales

Tuesday 18th January
Star Slinger 'Remedy' (Double Denim Records)
Star Slinger is the grandmaster of new Hip Pop Electronica...check this beauty

Wednesday 19th January
Visons of Trees vs TLC 'NO FLAG NO SCRUBS'
Hot new indie act revamp an R n B classic

Thursday 20th January
Breakage 'Fighting Fire' (Digital Soundboy)
Big tune from the bwoy Breakage. check it

Wednesday, 19 January 2011

FACT mix: Optimo

“I’d say this mix is beatless rather than ambient as a definition of ambient is ‘a background music without rhythmic elements'," reckons JD Twitch of Optimo about the latest mix installment he's created for our friends at FACT magazine.

"Several of the tracks are definitely rhythmic in that they pulse or move forward without the need of a kick drum to propel them. In the early 90s, for a few years, along with some friends I used to run a Sunday evening soiree called Sonora that focussed on this kind of music.

"We had Autechre, Zoviet France, Move D and a host of other artists play live sets and Richie Hawtin, Andrew Weatherall and Mixmaster Morris came and played beatless sets of music. Some of these selections are tracks that were big favourites then – Mixmaster Morris introduced me to Conrad Schnitzler – the other tracks are simply eternal favourites that always transport me to another place.”

Tuesday, 18 January 2011

White Wedding w/Rob da Bank!

As regulars to the barmy madcap jamboree we call Bestival we know, we love giving you Bestivalites the chance to dress up, and you rarely let us down! Which is why we expect nothing less than some truly amazing extravagant outfits at this Saturday's brilliant White Wedding party, when our host with the most, Snr Rob da Bank, will be throwing down a truly mind-bending, body-popping wedding set to end all wedding sets.

White Wedding have provided the suitably bonkers wedding reception for all the lovers, friends and ramshackle romantics that have taken it upon themselves to get hitched at Bestival's Big Love Inflatable Church.

Relive the memories or make new ones as the party moves to London's 229 Venue this Saturday, 22nd January, offering two rooms of pure wedding bliss, with resident DJ Otis Wedding and his sidekick, Page Boy George plus the blubbing bridesmaids causing no end of mayhem with their 'wedding show'. Not forgetting musical roulette, cheap cava, the throwing of the bouquet, first dances and best dressed guest competition!

The challenge has been set people - we want to see your most outrageous wedding
outfits ever!  

Monday, 17 January 2011

Radio da Bank: Star Slinger joins Rob for a chat

Star Slinger aka Darren Williams joined Rob in the studio. They talked instrumental hip hop, making music in bed and the burgeoning Coventry beats scene.

Checkout the tracklisting below and get yourselves over to bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank to listen again online to this show...

Bag Raiders - Snake Charmer - Modular
Todska - Cowboy
Hercules and Love Affair — My House - Moshi Moshi 
Rainbow Arabia — Without You - Kompakt
Suddenly Sunshine — Summer Days (Isan Mix) - Sonic Cathedral
Tom Tom Club — Genius Of Love (Pinker Tone Remix) - Island
Mickey Pearce — What’s Mickey Talkin’ About (Ft. Ms Dynamite ) - White
Mind Vortex — Onslaught - RAM
Isloee — Takktell - Pamper Records
Mogwai — Mexican Grand Prix - Rock Action Records

Saturday Skank
Henry & Louis — Everyman Differnet (Mungos Hi Fi Mix) - Scotch Bonnet
Claude VonStroke — Aundy - Dirtybird

Six O’Clock Snooze 
Echo Park — The One - White

French Horn Rebellion — What I Want - Once Upon A Time
Emalkay — Crusader - Dub Police

Star Slinger Interview 
Star Slinger — Dutchie Courage - Mexican Summer
Teams V Star Slinger — Punch Drunk Love - Mexican Summer

Beat Connection — Silver Screen (Young Montana Remix) - Tender Age
Magnetic Man — Getting Nowhere Ft. John Legend (Skream Mix) - Columbia
The Go! Team — Buy Nothing Day (Chad Valley Remix) - Memphis Industries

The Intro-Juicer
Dog is Dead — Young - White

Toro Y Moi — Still Sound - Carpark Records
Photek — Avalanche - Photek Productions
Visions of Trees vs TLC — No Flag/Scrubs - White

Robs Best and Probably Greatest Record In The World Right Now,…Possibly…Well at Least For This Morning…Maybe
Foster the People — Helena Beat - White

Creep — Days (Azari & III Remix) - Young Turks
Breakage — Fighting Fire (Ft. Jess Mills) - White
Adele — Rolling In The Deep
MGMT — Kids

Friday, 14 January 2011

da bank's tunes of the week!

In the second installment of Tunes of the Day for 2011, da Bank brings another set of whoppers.

Rob has been Tweeting and Facebooking his juicy 'Tunes of the Day' for these few months (& for ever more, in theory). So click on these here links - Twitter / Facebook - and please 'follow' and 'like' away to ensure you receive your daily dose of musical wisdom and top tips from the brain of el Banko.

Monday 10th January 2011
Chali 2na & Rusko 'Gadget Go Go'
The return of Jurassic 5's chali 2na! Bass provided by Rusko. Bosh.

Tuesday 11th January 2011
Mums of Death 'Golden Axe'
Tune of the day - check the bonkers vid or it

Wednesday 12th January 2011
Rainbow Arabia 'Without You' (Kompakt)
Beautiful new direction for the Kompakt label

Thursday 13th January 2011
Soulwax 'Toomanydrums'
me tune of the day is the insane Soulwax number

Friday 14th January 2011
Bag Raiders 'Snake Charmer' (Modular Records)
Check it

Wednesday, 12 January 2011

Radio da Bank: Niki & The Dove + Yeasayer session tracks and new tunes galore for 2011...

Welcome one and all to Rob's first Radio 1 show of 2011! This one's a blinder. Rob's got all sorts of treats for you from all corners of the musical spectrum.

He takes a look back at some of last year's best Maida Vale Sessions, the 6 O'Clock Snooze, Saturday Skank and his Greatest Record.  Plus he adds two new features for your listening pleasure (hooray! we hear you cry), Rob's Early Morning Muddle to give your braincells an early-doors exercise and also Rob's Intro-Juicer which gives a nod, in Rob's own special way, to some of the great bands and artists coming through BBC Introducing.

Checkout the tracklisting below and get yourselves over to bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank to listen again online to this show...

Doorly & Jaguar Skills - Double Dutchie - Pigeonhole This
Shortstuff's Imaginary Friend feat Wiley - Mickey Pearce - Blunted Robots
Emalkay - Crusader - Dub Police
Chali 2na - Go Go Gadget - Decon
Nu:Tone & Logistics - Bleeper - Hospital
Photek - 101 - White
Adele - Rolling In The Deep (Jamie XX Remix) - XL

MAIDA VALE SESSION FROM 2010
Niki & The Dove - DJ, Ease My Mind

Trojan Soundsystem vs Toddla T - My God

ROB'S EARLY MORNING MUDDLE
Foamo and Randomer - Back In The Game - Fat! Records

SATURDAY SKANK
Prince Far I - Yes Yes Yes (Errol Holt 12" Inch Mix) - Blood & Fire

Talib Kweli - Cold Rain - Duck Down

6 O'CLOCK SNOOZE
Lanterns on the Lake - Lungs Quicken - Bella Union

Florence and The Machine - You Got The Love (Lee Mortimer Mix) - White
Breakage feat. Jess Mills - Fighting Fire - Digital Soundboy
Pete & The Pirates - Winter - Stolen
Two Wounded Birds - My Lonesome (Psychemagik's Night Patrol Mix) - Holiday

MAIDA VALE SESSION FROM 2010
Yeasayer - Ambling Alp

Star Slinger - Copulate

THE INTRO-JUICER
Dry The River - New Ceremony - Transgressive

Does It Offend You, Yeah? - The Monkeys Are Coming - Virgin

ROB'S BEST AND IMPROBABLY GREATEST RECORD IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW…
POSSIBLY… WELL AT LEAST FOR THIS MORNING… MAYBE

Cassius - I Love You So (Skream Remix) - Ed Banger

Chilly Gonzales - You Can Dance - Gentle Threat
Chromeo - Hot Mess (Duck Sauce) - Back Yard

Tuesday, 11 January 2011

Sunday Best presents 'Increase The Peace Vol 4'

It’s been a while since we unleashed one of our cut price ‘Increase The Peace’ digital compilation. Crazy really as we’ve put out an incredible amount and range of great music during these past 11 months. But with our latest comp, released next Monday, Jan 17th, we've more than made up for it… 14 tracks for the ultra-bargain price of £4.49!

With these 14 tracks we aim to give you a heady flavour of what we’ve been up to in 2010, alongside a little snapshot into years gone by with a few gems from our back catalogue, plus an exclusive track.

So there’s some hot-off-the-press bits like ‘Paganini Rocks’ by Robortom (AKA Rob da Bank & Tom Middleton) feat. Au Revoir Simone, ‘Fingers On The Button’ by David E. Sugar plus the first offering from David’s new side project Wish and the incredible ‘Pater One’. dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip appear twice with album beaut ‘Snob’ and the dubstep-dancefloor-destroyer that is the Doctor P remix of ‘Sick Tonight’.

Dub Pistols and Rodney P rolled up a fat one earlier this year with ‘Ganja’ but this skanking NICE UP refix is exclusive to this comp. 2010’s delights also featured include ‘Something New’ by the Faroe Islands’ The Ghost and ‘Hacienda’ by the mysterious Trenchman.

But ignore at your peril the gems from previous years featured here. The mighty Hot Chip pop up with their remix of Max Sedgley’s ‘Slowly’, Ed Banger’s Vicarious Bliss created one of our favourite ever remixes for Daisy Daisy’s ‘Michelle Plays Ping Pong’ (check how it builds into a low slung bass monster!), the Frisvold & Lindbæk remix of Lemonade’s ‘Bliss Out’ is just sublime and Fear of Theydon’s collaboration with The Mount Cherries shows why his debut album for us in 2011 is one to keep a watchful eye out for. Oh and it all ends with one of our favourite cuts from the Lucky Elephant album. Watch out for new material from them in 2011 too.

Tracklisting:

David E. Sugar – Fingers On The Button
Dub Pistols – Ganja (NICE UP! refix)
Robortom feat. Au Revoir Simone – Paganini Rocks
dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip - Sick Tonight (Doctor P remix)
Trenchman – Hacienda
The Mount Cherries vs. Fear of Theydon – Disxotek Suixide
Wish – Pater One
Max Sedgley - Slowly (Hot Chip remix)
dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip - Snob
Daisy Daisy – Michelle Plays Ping Pong (Vicarious Bliss remix)
David E. Sugar – Flea Market (Third Party remix)
The Ghost – Something New
Lemonade – Bliss Out (Frisvold & Lindbæk remix)
Lucky Elephant – Call It The End (The Beginning)

Monday, 10 January 2011

Besti vid of the week: Hercules & Love Affair 'My House'

Yes, they're back! Trailblazing their new album (out next month), 'My House' just adds a little more spice to an already tasty recipe - a dash of old-school house, liberal sprinkling of exuberant disco and plenty of screaming queens as only NYC club collective and Camp Bestival faves Hercules & Love Affair can do...

Friday, 7 January 2011

da bank's tunes of the week!

As we roll into the new year, Snr da Bank keeps the ball moving with some fresh 'Tunes of the Week'. For those of you that haven't been keeping up, don't fret peeps, you get another chance right here!

Rob has been Tweeting and Facebooking his juicy 'Tunes of the Day' for these few months (& for ever more, in theory). So click on these here links - Twitter / Facebook - and please 'follow' and 'like' away to ensure you receive your daily dose of musical wisdom and top tips from the brain of el Banko.

Wednesday 5th January 2011
Photex '101' (Chrysalis)
First Tune of the day for 2011! Photex '101' http://photek.fm/

Thursday 6th January 2011
Pete and The Pirates 'Winter 1' (Stolen Recordings)
Tune of the day Thursday - download here for free

Friday 7th January 2011
DMX Krew 'The Game Rmx Master' (Permanent Vacation)
Welcome back electro wunderkind DMX Crew with this beauty

Hear new Jamie xx 'piano house' anthem

Oh yes...we like!

Wednesday, 5 January 2011

Download new Madvillain, Dam Funk and James Pants tracks!

San Fran-based Stones Throw was one of our favourite independent labels of 2010, releasing a slew of amazing music old and new from the likes of Veronica Vasicka's Minimal Wave, James Pants, Dam Funk and many more. And they're kicking off 2011 in a similar pulse-quickening vein...

Label founder Peanut Butter Wolf has done a 50 minute mix of forthcoming Stones Throw material for the label’s podcast series which includes two new Madvillain tracks, two new Dam-Funk tracks, new James Pants and more. And quite frankly, that's more than sufficient to keep us smiling through work on the first week of Jan!

Download [via iTunes]: Stones Throw podcast 64

Tracklist:

Madvillain: Avalanche & Victory Lap

Madlib: Two from Rock Konducta

MED: Even Though & Play with You

Dam-Funk feat. GT: Rest in Peace

Dam-Funk: I Wanna Do Some Things Wit U

Steve Arrington: Good Feeling & Higher

Jonti Dan AKA Danimals: Hornets Nest & Christmas Worm

The Stepkids: Shadows on Behalf & La La

James Pants: Kathleen & Beta

Vex Ruffin: Walking Sideways & Avalanche

Myron & E: Let Me See You Do It & On Broadway

CX Kidtronik feat. Jon Wayne: The Buddykrak

CX Kidtronik feat. 4 5th: She’s A Murderer

J. Rocc: Rocchead’s Delight & Supersound

Anika: Terry & No One’s There

Mayer Hawthorne: Drums (Demo)

Bryant K Steward: Daisy’s Grow

Unknown Artist: Same Thing Tomorrow

Tuesday, 4 January 2011

Klaxons' cat scoops best cover art of 2010!

We're hoping that our rather stunning David Lynch album cover art wins this in 2011, but for now let's celebrate the justifiably brilliant cover to Klaxons' 'Surfing The Void', which has scooped Art Vinyl's prize for best cover of 2010.

The cat in the spacesuit beat off other Top 10 entries by Caribou, MGMT, Flying Lotus and more...