Laura Marling to play Camp Bestival 2011!

We are jumping for joy that we can announce a very special guest appearance from multi-award winner Laura Marling at Camp Bestival 2011.
 
Says Rob da Bank: "Laura Marling has been a Bestival and Camp Bestival favourite from the start of her amazingly fruitful career! We absolutely can’t say enough good things about her song writing and incredible live shows, so I'm chuffed she's coming back to Camp Bestival for a rare festival show headlining the Big Top".
 
Currently enjoying an enviable winning streak, Laura Marling’s mantelpiece must be straining under the weight of her music industry backed BRIT for Best Female Solo Artist and her public-voted Shockwaves NME Award for Best Solo Artist. 

Her beguiling set in the shadow of Lulworth Castle in 2009 was one of the event’s highlights, so we can’t wait for Laura to return to Camp Bestival for a rare festival appearance headlining the Big Top on Saturday night following Mark Ronson and Business Intl’s main stage show.

Can Camp Bestival get any better?

da bank's tunes of the week!

More Rob da Bank 'Tunes of the Day'  for your ear drums, coming right up. Join Rob on Twitter or Facebook, click 'follow' or 'like' if you want to receive his daily musical tip-offs as they come each day, in real time...

Monday 21st February
Very excited about this lady headlining Camp Bestival on Friday night

Tuesday 22nd February
Call the RSPCA Dog is Dead....top band, top tune of the day... 

Wednesday 23rd February
Metronomy at their ruddy finest pushing the boundaries of electronic pop indie to the max!

Thursday 24th February
Check JFB’s gigantic Dubstep mix of Beardyman’s new single ‘Where Does Your Mind Go?’ Hold tight!

Friday 25th February
Bobby mcferrin's son is a legend in his own right after hearing his debut for flying lotus' label

David Lynch: Deluxe Vinyl & CD Editions

Responsible for such iconic films as Eraserhead, Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet and the cult TV series Twin Peaks, film maker and visual artist David Lynch is one of the most important directors of the modern era. Now aged 64, the man whose name has become a byword for the unorthodox and avant-garde has now launched a new chapter in his career, releasing an electronic record through our very own independent record label, Sunday Best Recordings.

Working closely with renowned designer Vaughan Oliver (The Pixies, Cocteau Twins) a stunning vinyl edition of David Lynch's new double A-side, 'Good Day Today' / 'I Know' has been crafted to the very highest standards by The Vinyl Factory. Housed in a bespoke triple gatefold sleeve, this deluxe special edition includes two 180-gram heavyweight vinyl records, comprising David Lynch's original tracks plus exclusive remixes by Underworld, Boys Noize, Simon Ratcliffe (Basement Jaxx), Sasha, Jon Hopkins, Diskjokke and more, pressed on the iconic EMI 1400 press. Plus there is an exclusive fine art print, by Vaughan Oliver and Marc Atkins, and a CD, containing the original tracks and remixes plus an exclusive bonus remix by Skream.

Available to order from The Vinyl Factory now

There's also a Deluxe CD edition available with intricate, unfolding packaging conceived and designed by Vaughan Oliver & Marc Atkins. The CD features all the remixes from the vinyl package plus an exclusive Sunday Best Slow Motion Waltz Remix and also contains an exclusive artwork postcard by Vaughan Oliver & Marc Atkins.

Available now via Amazon and HMV

And if exquisite packaging just ain't your thing, there's also a download-only version available via iTunes with an exclusive bonus dan le sac remix!

Cut Your Own Vinyl!

He may only be just out of school shorts but Lewis Durham - of everyone's favourite Sunday Best-signed swingin' rock'n'roll trio Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - is already a recording legend in the making and he's currently winning plaudits from the likes of Primal Scream and Jarvis Cocker, both of whom have already dropped into the customized 8-track Analog recording studio he is currently running in a Soho art gallery.

In an age of tinny digital downloads this is, you must admit, pretty darn cool. Even cooler is the fact that you can book a 30-minute recording session where Lewis will cut one of your songs 'direct-to-disc' which you can take away with you.

So, what are you waiting for? Check out the Riflemaker Gallery website for more details and book yourselves a slot!

Besti-vid of the week: Radiohead 'Lotus Flower'

As you might of heard, Radiohead released a new album last Friday, and a video of Thom Yorke throwing shapes wearing a hat for their new song 'Lotus Flower'. Simple but effective, it is - we think you'll agree - rather good...

Radio da Bank: PJ Harvey live in session!!!

On Saturday's Radio 1 show, PJ Harvey performs a magnificent live session at the legendary Maida Vale Studios. Rob and Polly Jean Harvey also catch up about her new album 'Let England Shake', the process of song writing and recording in a church in Dorset. Plus all of Rob's usual weird and wonderful shenanigans.

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

Wolfram feat Hercules & Love Affair — Fireworks - Permanent Vacation
Sinden & SBTRKT — Seekwal - Grizzly
S-X — Wooo Ridim - Butterz
Trophy Wife — The Quiet Earth - Moshi Moshi
Kyla La Grange — Walk Through Walls - Noir
A.N.R. — Stay Kids - Piccadilly Records
Double 99 — RIP Groove Bootleg - Ice Cream
MGMT — Siberian Beaks (Ed Banger ALL Stars Mix) - Binary Entertainment

PJ Harvey Maida Vale Session
PJ Harvey — The Words That Maketh Murder - Island

Pete & The Pirates — Come To The Bar - Stolen Recordings

Saturday Skank
Nirobi — Your Failure’s Gone To Your Head - Tru Thoughts

The xx — Crystalised (Jamie Jones Booty Remix) - Young Turks

6 O’Clock Snooze
Cats Eyes — Not A Friend - Monotalk

Fritz and Lang — The Past (Feadz Mix) - White
Kito — Sweet Talk - Disfigured Dubz

PJ Harvey Maida Vale Session
PJ Harvey — Bitter Branches - Island
PJ Harvey — Written On The Forehead - Island

Royalty — Royalty - Five Easy Pieces
The Phantom Band — Everybody Knows It’s True - Chemikal Underground Records
Taylor McFerrin — Place In My Heart (Ft. Ryat) - Brainfeeder

Rob’s 'Intro-Ducer’
Out Like A Lion — Little Bit Of Love - White

Caribou — Odessa - City Slang

Greatest Record In The World Right Now… Possibly, Well At Least For This Morning… Maybe
Alexander — Truth

D1 — Bleeps to Broadway - Dub Police
Spark — Crave (MNEK’s Floor Owner Mix) - 679
Johnny Flynn — Churlish May - Transgressive
Arcade Fire — City With No Children - Mercury 

Camp Bestival 2011: Blondie, Mark Ronson, Katy B, The Correspondents and more!

Blurring the lines between the Great British summer holiday and a fun-filled festival frolic, we're tickled properly pink to say that Camp Bestival returns to Dorset’s idyllic Jurassic coast for our fourth festi-holiday, all set in the enchanting surrounds of Lulworth Castle, from July 28th to 31st. And boy do we have a breath-taking feast of treats lined up for your delectation!

Spread across the Castle Field, Kids Garden, Big Top, Bollywood, Black Dahlia, East Lulworth Literary Institute, Freestyle Sports Park and more, this year will be even more jam-packed with entertainment, from stellar musical morsels and cultural delights to mind-melting sideshow attractions and lashings of family fun, including over 100 Free Things For Kids To Do.
 
Festival-goers will be pleased to know we’ve listened to them and will be opening up campsites on Thursday now - Woo-hoo! We're now a '4-day' festi-holiday! A Thursday Camping Ticket will need to be purchased, which go on sale today in addition to a normal Weekend Camping ticket from the usual outlets.

"This year's Camp Bestival is going to be the best ever - we've geared up Lulworth Castle to be a total festi-holiday experience, bringing back the spirit of the Great British Camping holiday with bells on," says Camp Bestival curator Rob da Bank. "All this plus headline performances from Blondie and Mark Ronson, the return of the legend that is Mr Tumble - and even Sooty, Sweep and Soo are back to bring a bit of nostalgia to the weekend. We can't wait here at Camp Besti HQ, so get your medieval costume in the bag and we’ll see you at the end of July to kick of the school summer holidays in style! Hi De Hi."
 
Fronted by one of the world’s most iconic pop stars, Blondie are the first headliners out of the bag for Camp Bestival 2011 topping the bill on Friday night. With an almost endless canon of chart storming hits including ‘Rapture’, ‘Hanging on the Telephone’, ‘Heart of Glass’ and ‘Maria’ spanning their 30 year career, Blondie will, without doubt, be the sing-a-long highlight of the weekend. 

Mark Ronson and The Business Intl, who are currently riding a wave of love for the acclaimed ‘Record Collection’ album, which spawned the singles ‘Bang Bang Bang’, ‘The Bike Song’ and the sublime ‘Somebody To Love Me’, will be headlining the Saturday night at our Dorset jamboree. So, expect a cavalcade of top-drawer turns as the master himself performs his genre-defying alchemy. And we’ve still got one more headliner to announce which we’re really excited about, keep checking www.campbestival.net for more info.
 
A crowd-rocker par excellence, slapstick superstar Mr Tumble will be returning to his favourite festival for the third year running! One of the indisputable highlights of Camp Bestivals-past, Mr Tumble has caused paroxysms of pleasure every time he’s set foot on Camp Bestival’s main stage, entertaining one and all in his joyously inimitable style.
 
The first wave of live acts joining our two announced headliners will include the recently reformed House of Pain who are sure to make you jump around, Sheffield funksters ABC, the hotly tipped Claire Maguire, dubstep’s first lady Katy B, the irresistibly kooky Eliza Doolittle, the one and only Cuban Brothers whose side-splitting soul and cheeky repartee are not to be missed, plus there’ll be beatbox genius and all-round top bloke Beardyman and swing hip-hoppers The Correspondents.

Bestival comes to Koko!

It’s been nearly six whole months since we partied like our lives depended on it in a field on the Isle of Wight and we’re having withdrawal symptoms! So we’re gonna do what we know best - throw a huge party, probably the Best-est of the year so far!

"We're coming back to Koko, our adopted London home for our annual one off Bestival bash," says our man and curator of the evening Rob da Bank. "We don't do parties by half so expect a shedload of dressing up, bands and DJs playing folk to laser techno and a few surprises along the way. Come on and Koko!

Save the date - March 19 - because this is going to be an amazing no-holds-barred rave-up of gargantuan proportions. We have some very special guests to announce and, of course, it’s going to be fancy dress, the theme of which is a closely guarded secret because it’s going to be our Bestival theme too, so keep your eyes peeled for our announcement on that at the end of the month!

Avoid disappointment people and book yer tickets here.

da bank's tunes of the week!

Willkommen! Snr da bank keeps the ball rolling with his 'Tunes of the day'. For those of you that haven't been keeping up, don't fret peeps, you get another chance right here!  Join Rob on Twitter or Facebook, click 'follow' or 'like' and you'll suddenly find yourself receiving a daily dose of musical wisdom and top tips from the brain of el Banko...

Monday 14th February
Sod Valentines day... Let's have some glacial synth action instead from Royalty...

Tuesday 15th February
This record doesn't sound like it came out of Watford... (sorry Watford) Kyla la Grange we salute u!

Wednesday 16th February
Hot as **** rapper, Tyler The Creator, swears ****ing a lot..be warned...

Thursday 17th February
Oh crikey this makes me wanna dance around in a spangly leotard... beware.  Wolfram feat. Hercules & Love Affair

Friday 18th February
I love a bit of raw indie as much as the next hippy... Love the bloc party vibe too of Secret Rivals

dan le Sac x David Lynch

Yesterday we made the seemingly impossible seem possible by offering you lot a chance to remix David Lynch, and have the results released by your very own Sunday Best...

Well, if you're still scratching your head in search of inspiration then let dan le sac lead the way. Le sacster's audio-visual remix of the legendary silver-haired Tinseltown icon's 'I Know' track was made by remixing other people's videos of the same song, mashing up no less than eight different vids!

You can get hold of ‘I Know (dan le sac doesn’t remix)’ exclusively here on iTunes
 

We want you to remix David Lynch!

Starting today, Beatport and Sunday Best are giving you lot the chance to remix legendary film director and Sunday Best artiste David Lynch's recently released track 'Good Day Today', joining an all-star line up of producers including Underworld, Skream, Sasha, Boys Noize, Diskjokke, Jon Hopkins and dan le sac, who have also remixed the single.  The winner will have their remix officially released on Sunday Best.

Beatport users will be able to download parts of Lynch’s "Good Day Today", remix it, and upload their finished track to Beatportal. The voting phase will begin on February 22, when the public will vote for their favorite remixes by “spinning” them.

The finalists will be divided into 2 categories; 10 user voted (based on the highest number of spins) and 10 management selections (picked by Sunday Best’s label staff). From these 20 nominees, David Lynch and Sunday Best Recordings will choose their favorite winning remix to be announced March 22nd, 2011, to be released on Sunday Best Records as well as receive the grand prize package.

For more info check here

Radio da Bank: Chilly Gonzales live in session

On Saturday's Radio 1 show, Rob had a beautiful Maida Vale Session from Chilly Gonzales. Chilly also talked about his new album Ivory Tower, how to become a musical genius and what its like living you're life like you're in a movie.  Plus Rob delivered the usual goodness of the Saturday Skank, 6 O'clock Snooze and the Morning Muddle.

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

Yes Wizard — Elephant & Castle - White
Canblaster — Clockworks - Electric Friends Records
Dorian Concept — Her Tears Taste Like Pears - Ninja Tunes
Tom The Lion — Assurance - Theatre Records
Monky — Potato Dolphins - White
Darwin Deez — Pure Imagination - Lucky Number
Coki — Boomba - Tempa
George Duke — I Love You More - Epic Records

Chilly Gonzales Interview

Chilly Gonzales Maida Vale Session
Chilly Gonzales — Richard Strauss/Knight Moves - Mercury

Unknown Mortal Orchestra — How Can U Love Me - The Sounds of Sweet Nothing
Noah and the Whale Noah and the Whale — L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. (Fake Blood Remix) - Mercury

Saturday Skank
Mele — Mugged - Grizzly

James Blake — A Case of You - Maida Vale Session Track

6 O’Clock Snooze
Phil Kieran — Le Carrousel - Phil Kieran Recordings

Filthy Dukes — Machine Clap - Kill Em All
YAAKS — Hrhrhythm - White

Exclusive First Play
King Creosote and Jon Hopkins — Bats In The Attic - Domino

Dom — Bowl Cut - Aislyn Mix

Chilly Gonzales Interview

Chilly Gonzales Maida Vale Session 
Chilly Gonzales — You Can Dance - Mercury
Chilly Gonzales — The Grudge - Mercury

Crystal Fighters — At Home - Zirkulo

Rob’s Intro-Ducer
Ed Sheeran — You Need Me, I Don’t Need You - Atlantic

Jessie Ware and Sampha — Valentine - Young Turks

Greatest Record In The World Right Now…Possibly, Well At Least For This Morning…Maybe
Various Cruelties — If It Wasn’t For You - White

Zoo Kid — Baby Blue - White
Cut Copy — Corner Of The Sky - Modular

da bank's tunes of the week!

Here's last week's bundle of Rob da Bank 'Tunes of the Day' - taken from his daily tweets.  If you want to start receiving these as they come, join Rob on Twitter or Facebook and click 'follow' / 'like'.  Get da Bank's ace music tip-offs in real time, every day...

Monday 7th February
My favourite Scandinavian electronic friend chugs along behind one of best vocals I've heard in 2011 - Asteroids 'The Distance [Diskjokke Remix]'

Tuesday 8th February
Flame haired young scoundrel who sings, beat boxes & plays guitar all at the same time - Ed Sheeran @TweamSheeran

Wednesday 9th February
Check this track Various Cruelties 'If It Wasn't For You'

Thursday 10th February
I was asked to dance in this video but politely declined... ace tune tho! @TDCinemaClub

Friday 11th February
Can't wait to see this live @PJHarveyUK 'The Last Living Rose'

Rob da Bank to host UK's Official Independent Chart Podcast!

We're not ones to blow our own trumpet here at Bestival HQ but there are occasions when something so spine-ticklingly exciting happens that we honestly can't help ourselves. And, dear reader, today is one of those occasions...

Our very own Lord of the Dance, Snr Rob da Bank is to become the face of The Official Independent Chart Podcast! Having pioneered the project alongside his manager Ben Turner, the free monthly show will shine a much-needed light on the UK's vibrant indie chart - under's Rob's ever-eclectic steer the show will feature interviews from independent label icons, new music and acoustic sessions and much more.

Guests for the first installment - which you can hear tomorrow, Tuesday 15 February, right here - are music producer and Mute Records founder, Daniel Miller, an exclusive performance from British beatbox genius Beardyman plus a live acoustic performance by Erol Alkan-championed wunderkind Connan Mockasin.
 


The podcast will be partnered exclusively by The Guardian and supported through their twitter feed, as well as being supported by Music Week, which publishes the Official Independent Charts every week.
 
Video content from the performances and interviews will also appear alongside the main podcast. The show plans to go fortnightly within six months.
 


“Looking back over the last 30 years of the Independent Chart makes me very nearly weep with how much good music I’ve lived through," says Rob, "and the most fantastic part is that it’s still going, we've all just forgotten it’s there, so I'm very proud to be drawing attention back to what I’ve always passionately believed in - independent music made by independent musicians for an independent label! Long live the Independent Chart!”




You have to see this!

On April 18, one of the world's premier sound artist and all-round synapse-frazzling genius Ryoji Ikeda will bring hi sub-frequencies and mind-melting audio-visual project datamatics (ver.2.0) to London's Barbican. For a taster check the vid above or click here

“Using pure data as a source for sound and visuals, datamatics combines abstract and mimetic presentations of matter, time and space to create a powerful multi-sensory experience," reckons Ikeda. And who are we mere mortals to argue?

Besti-vid of the week: How to Dress Well 'Lover's Start'

Dream pop, post-pop, hypnagogic pop - call it what you will, but the recent wave of oft-brilliant bedroom electronica being made by American producers like Ducktails, Washed Out and now How To Dress Well is some of the best new music out there, and the vids are pretty out there too - with shades of Reggie Perrin, the latter's 'Lover's Start' is a mesmerising gem. Check it out!

da bank's tunes of the week!

Yo! Here are Rob da Bank's five 'Tunes of the Day' from this week. If you want to start receiving these as they come, join Rob on Twitter or Facebook and click 'follow' / 'like'.  High end tuneage coming your way, each and every day...

Monday 31st January
The Belgians strike gold again with this rolling disco number: Adele 'Rolling in the Deep [Villa Remix]

Tuesday 1st February
Simply the best debut of the year from Senor Blake...heartbreakingly good

Wednesday 2nd February
Fleet Foxes seem obsessed with wintry tales but who are we to complain when its as good as this?

Thursday 3rd February
Best listening position: lying down, lights out. Alice Gun 'Not Made for this World'

Friday 4th February
Here you go.. David's Lyre 'In arms’ the single. Check it

Sunday Best & Mighty Mouse present HMV Next Big Thing this Sat!

This Saturday Sunday Best team up with Mighty Mouse to present a night of hot new music as part of HMV's Next Big Thing. Showcasing the finest new talent for 2011, the evening will play host to two of our latest Sunday Best artists David E. Sugar and Sound of Rum.


David E. Sugar is regarded by his peers as one of the most creative artists around, a gifted singer, songwriter, producer and DJ, he has firmly cemented himself as one of the most promising talents on the UK underground.

Sound Of Rum will begin the night with their infectious melodies and soul jarring lyrics, which has gained them fans including Roots Manuva and Scroobius Pip. Born out of a squat part in Peckham in 2008, Sound Of Rum are set to release the first single to come from their debut album ‘Balance’ out on Sunday Best Recordings. Sound Of Rum take inspiration from the worlds of music, philosophy, politic and literature, drawing influence from Bob Dylan to Mos Def, Nina Simone and GZA.

See you there!

Budge over Beardyman, Rastamouse and his beatboxing crew are here!

Ross Allen's Meltdown: Good records are not a guarantee of success, but they do make a good show

Welcome along - here we are again with another installment of the Meltdown missive...

Download show / Stream show

Tracklist for 31st January 2011

John Barry - Midnight Cowboy - EMI/Manhattan CD (from the album Midnight Cowboy OST)
Gil Scott Heron - I'll Take Care Of You (JAmie XX Remix) - XL download
Nick Coleman - The City I Love - Haul Music download
Freak Seven - Nano Kids - Rush Hour download
Funky Stepz - Fuller - Hyperdub download
Moodymann - Sexy Muthafucker (Juan Atkins Remix) - KDJ 12"
Model 500 - OFI (Space Dimension Controller Remix) - R&S download
Geiom - Ceramist - download
Silkie vs Boris - ??? - CDR
Total Science feat Riya - Redlines (Break Remix) - Critical CDR
Asides - One DJ - Clearskyz Recordings 12"
Enei, Eastcolours & Noel - Cracker - Critical CDR
Chase n Status feat Liam Bailey - Blind Faith (Loadstar Remix) - Mercury download

Hour 2

Selah Wadeda - Your Gonna Miss My Lovin' - white label 7"
Jackie Mittoo - Disco Jack - Pressure Sounds 7"
Claus Ogerman - Right Now - RCA LP (from the album Watusi Trumpets)
Cal Tjader & Eddie Palmieri - Los Jibaros - Verve LP (from the album El Sonido Nuevo)
Mel Torme - Secret Agent Man - CBS LP (from the album Right Now!)
Sammy Salvo - Mushroom Cloud - Oxford American CD (from the compilation Alabama)
Les Luminanas - Down Underground - Trouble In MInd CD
PJ Harvey - The Last Living Rose - Island CD (from the album Let England Shake)
Boz Scaggs - Hercules - CBS LP (from the album Slow Dancer)
Georgia Anna Muldrow - Lil Layers - Mello Music Records (from the album Vwueto)
Quincy Jones - Secret Garden (Silkie Remix) - CDR
Quincy Jones feat Mary J BLige & Q Tip - Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me - Qwest CD (from the album Soul Bossa Nostra)
P Diddy feat Mary J Blige - Someone To Love Remix - CDR
EVM - DNA - Meltdown Music Recordings CDR (from the Groove Content EP)
Alex Clare - Relax - CDR
James Blake - To Care Like You - A&M CD (from the album Music)

To start there was the sad news that the legendary composer and film score writer John Barry (pictured above, with Jane Birkin) sadly passed away on Sunday evening.

Mainly known for his Bond soundtracks but also writer of the Ipcress file, Zulu, The Knack, Dances With Wolves, Body Heat, The Cotton Club and Midnight Cowboy amongst others. I had to play something and what better way to start than with the iconic harmonica sound of Midnight Cowboy - easing us in and him out. If you are only familiar with the Bond stuff you should check out his other bits as they have a very distinctive sound that throws back to the jazz era - they are cool basically...

We Love Libraries

da bank's tunes of the week!

Here's a little round up of Rob da Bank's 'Tunes of the Day' from the last week of January. If you want to receive these regular musical tip-offs as they come, join Rob on Twitter or Facebook and 'follow' / 'like' your way to happiness - guaranteeing you quality upfront tuneage and daily musical joy, in manageable bite-sized chunks.

Monday 24th January
Is this Ireland's answer to Bon Iver? I know not but I love it

Tuesday 25th January
Darwin Deez has wrong hair (says he with the 80s ponytail!) but his Willy Wonka mixtape is incredible

Wednesday 26th January
Golau Glau - welsh eccentric pop that sits in your ear for days like a blob of loveable wax

Thursday 27th January
The Go! Team are back and firing....the hairy genius of Star Slinger makes it even shinier!

Friday 28th Janurary
Sophie Barker has sung with many acts most notably Zero 7. Here she strips away the support act & does it herself beautifully!