Wednesday 30 June 2010

Example Live Review on Social Writers

"Last Thursday night at the world-famous Jazz Café saw UK rapper, Example, take to the stage in what was an exclusive free gig for fans.

Example, accompanied by his DJ and two back-up singers (who also doubled up as guitarists), performed a number of tracks both old and new. The big ones for the night were 'Watch The Sun Come Up' and his top ten hit, 'Won't Go Quietly'. Admittedly, it took a while for the show to get into the swing of things, but by about the third track, he almost definitely had the audience in the palm of his hands. Performance wise, no-one can say Example doesn't know how to get a crowd going; there wasn't a single moment where everyone wasn't jumping around and enjoying the good atmosphere!

Although not a ram-packed affair, the gig, which lasted nearly an hour, definitely surpassed all expectations. Following the show and prospect of a forthcoming single, it looks as though Example is one to look out for this coming Summer."

Click here to see the review on Social Writers

Basshunter's Big Brother Blog Part 3 on AOL TV!

"It looks like the next couple of weeks in the house are going to be really interesting given the romances and love triangles that are going on! I am sure after last night's show that Josie and John James are going to get it on, but does Nathan like Josie too? Will he get jealous? Can't wait to see what happens!

Also things are hotting up between Keeva and Shabby - even though Keeva has a boyfriend and says she doesn't want anything to happen there is clearly some sexual tension going on there - will she break Shabby's heart?

I missed the weekend show because I was travelling to the UK to perform my new single Saturday on Sunday's Big Brother's Little Brother - did anyone see me?

It was great fun meeting the crew and getting to walk round backstage...I even got to meet Zig and Zag - they are cool guys.

They wouldn't let me into the diary room though as there's really high security round the house! Oh well, maybe next time...."

Click here to see the feature on AOL TV

Monday 28 June 2010

Edei Live Review on Social Writers

Last week, UK singer Edei graced the stage at Charlotte Street Blues for a small-scale gig. The 21 year-old songstress formerly known as Emma Deigman, performed a number of songs including her debut single, 'In My Bed'.

A beautiful girl with an even more beautiful voice, she looked undoubtedly at home on the stage; and as a performer she wasn't that bad either.

Accompanied by a live band, whom were also amazing, the show had the potential to be a very intimate experience for attendees to really get a chnac to find out about Edei the performer. However, the hustle and bustle of the bar, unfortunately, spoiled this potential atmosphere.

Nonetheless, Edei still managed to put on a really good performance; definitely an artist to keep your eye out for.

Click here to see the full piece on Social Writers

Thursday 24 June 2010

Oxford Shakespeare Company present THE TEMPEST

Time Out Critics' Choice - "Smart, funny, reworking of Shakespeare's late play"

"There is a strong reliance on the skills of the actors and the illustrative quality of their costumes to establish the scene and fortunately both are first rate...The musical accompaniment is refreshing and innovative in the capable hands of composer Nick Lloyd Webber" The Stage (Read full review click here)

"overall, this is a thoroughly entertaining evening. It’s performed with brio and some humour by a hard-working cast: a perfect antidote to the World Cup." Whats On Stage

"Gordon presents it in a more sprightly fashion, with a touch of camp. It’s a fresh strategy, and the original score by Nick Lloyd Webber (son of Andrew) has a puckish quality" Evening Standard

Oxford Shakespeare Company present THE TEMPEST
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Mick Gordon
Musical direction by Nick Lloyd Webber

9th June – 30th August at: The Walks, Gray’s Inn, London;
Cornbury Park, Charlbury, Oxon;
Shakespeare House, Grendon Underwood, Aylesbury, Bucks;
The Observatory Garden, Greenwich Royal Park;
The Lamb and Flag Inn, Blagdon Hill, Taunton;
The Walled Garden, Wadham College, Oxford (in rep)
and East Front Gardens, Hampton Court Palace, London
Press night: 11th June, 7.30, The Walks, Gray’s Inn, Theobald’s Road, London

And
PRIVATE LIVES
By Noël Coward
Directed by Nick Green
At the Walled Garden, Wadham College, Oxford, in rep from 25th July – 20th August
Press night: 28th July, 7.30pm, Wadham College Gardens, Parks Road, Oxford

“The isle is full of noises, Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not”

The Oxford Shakespeare Company continues its tradition of producing theatre in remarkable places with a magical version with music of Shakespeare’s late, great Tempest this summer, in a variety of historic open air venues in London and Oxford. This marks the shared 400th anniversary of both the play and the founding of Wadham College, where the company began, and will be part of the college’s own celebrations. Directed by the celebrated director and writer Mick Gordon, who is himself a Wadham alumnus, the play will be given an original musical score by Nick Lloyd Webber.

Prospero’s island, filled with music and magic, sits at the heart of this in-the-round staging where the familiar themes of freedom, revenge and the redemptive power of love are handled with tongue-in-cheek wit. The songs and incidental music will be integral to the production and some unconventional cross casting will showcase the versatility of the talented cast and add an extra dimension to each character. The company can also be enjoyed in a short run of Noël Coward’s razor-sharp comedy of manners Private Lives, which will play in rep with The Tempest in Oxford, directed by company associate Nick Green.

The OSC has built on its original foundations as a regular summer presence in Wadham College Gardens and developed relationships with several spectacular parks, gardens and palaces over the last eight years, settings which add an extra, unique layer to their high quality productions. This year, they have added the wonderful Observatory Garden in Greenwich Royal Park to their growing portfolio of venues. Recent productions include Romeo and Juliet (2009), Twelfth Night (2008, Time Out Critics’ Choice) and Midsummer Night’s Dream (2007).

For more information, visit The Oxford Shakespeare Company website here

Roll Deep "Green Light" Popjustice Song Of The Day

"When we made Roll Deep's 'Good Times' Song Of The Day back in the spring we wrote "there is a slim possibility that this might be one of the worst singles of 2010 but there's a similar-sized possibility that it might be one of the best". As it turned out, 'Good Times' established itself as a generation-defining piece of genius.

Now comes the follow-up. 'Green Light' is basically a complete mess and may well be the sound of British urban music having a total mental breakdown. WE LOVE IT"

Click here to see the feature on Popjustice

Example "Won't Go Quietly" Track by track interview

Monday 21 June 2010

The Example "Won't Go Quietly" Nando's Crawl - VENUES ANNOUNCED AND UK AUTUMN TOUR!!

To coincide with the release of Example's new album ‘Won’t Go Quietly’ today and to celebrate with his fans he’s arranged his very own crawl of selected Nando’s restaurants on the London Underground Circle line.

With his current single ‘Kickstarts’ going in at No.3 in the offical chart, a sell-out UK tour completed and major summer festival appearances to come, Example is about to embark on his biggest gig yet – at Nando’s!

The crawl will ‘kick start’ at 2pm at Nando’s on Clink Street (Cannon Street tube station) the restaurant is on the southbank just along from Tate Modern. The restaurants chosen are all on the circle line.

To eat Free Nando’s PERi-PERi chicken, get exclusive Example merchandise and have the chance to get your album signed by the man himself you’ll need an ‘exclusive wristband’. These can only be given at the restaurant during the performance time to those with the ’secret password’. To get the ‘secret password’ email us at pressoffice@nandos.co.uk

14:00 – 14:20 – NANDO’S CLINK ST Restaurant performance (Click for map)
225-227 Clink Street, London, SE1 9DG (Cannon Street Tube)


15:15 – 15:30 – NANDO’S COVENT GARDEN Restaurant performance (Click for map)
66-68 Chandos Place London WC2N 4HG (Embankment Tube)


16:30 – 16:45 – NANDO’S NOTTING HILL GATE Performance (Click for map)
58-60 Notting Hill Gate London W11 3TH (Notting Hill Tube)


18:00 – NANDO’S SPITTALFIELDS Performance (Click for map)
Unit 4 114-118 Commercial Street London E1 6NF (Liverpool Street Tube)


Example "Kickstarts" - No. 3 in this weeks chart:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9yGcKlYAiw

Example’s new album ‘Won’t Go Quietly’ is available to buy NOW : CLICK HERE

Check out @EXAMPLEyoutwit and @Nandos_Official on Twitter to get updates of the performances.
For more information http://www.trythisforexample.com or http://www.nandosblog.co.uk

Example has also announced a UK Autumn tour, dates are:

September 2010
Mon 27 Sheffield Academy 2
Tue 28 Glasgow ABC2
Wed 29 Manchester Academy 2

October 2010
Fri 01 Newcastle Academy
Sat 02 Leeds Academy
Mon 04 Liverpool Academy 2
Tue 05 Bristol O2 Academy
Wed 06 Exeter Lemon Grove
Fri 08 Bournemouth O2 Academy
Sat 09 Birmingham Academy 2
Mon 11 Nottingham Rock City
Tue 12 London Koko
Wed 13 Norwich UEA

Sourmash's excellent Example "Won't Go Quietly" Album Review

"As a new breed of British rappers comes through from all walks of life, there is this emergence of rhyme and rhythm that has been missing from the scene for a few years now. You have got Giggs, Professor Green, Tinie Tempah and the man who is releasing his debut album 'Won't Go Quietly', Example. Is he straight forward hip hop? Or is he cheesy house music? It's one of those music debates that will just go round in circles. One thing is for certain, Example, is keeping a once troubled UK scene fresh and alive with his care free beats and party time lyrics. There is no need for pigeon holing here, because if something is this good, you just want to enjoy it over and over again.

'From Space' is the album's opener and as I have mentioned previously, Example is a dab hand at mixing up genres to get to the finished result. A bit Dizzee and a touch of 99 Problems makes 'From Space' a stomping bass heavy guitar/synth gem. Title track and second single 'Won't Go Quietly' is the one that blew everything up for Example and is an instant dance floor classic. With lyrics such as 'Now I, Shouldn't be thinking it's over, instead I'm calling her over, now she's here she won't go quietly', throws up dilemmas of the young modern man and with an ounce of cocky swagger thrown in too. First single proper was the blissed out, Ibiza chill love song 'Watch The Sun Come Up'. Delivering brilliant euphoric sounds as you imagine yourself on a night out trying to the catch the eye of the hottest girl in the club. Example wistfully sums up mundane moments like that and make them rather magical and with a lot of heart..."

This isn't the full review, oh no - so click here to read it on Sourmash!

Example "Won't Go Quietly" Yahoo! 7/10 Album Review



"The West London rapper returns with a second album crammed with towering tunes and witty wordplay. The heroic title track is a standout, as is the triumphant electro surge of From Space and the enticing Watch The Sun Come Up. Something In The Water and Two Lives are also worth a listen, with the influence of Calvin Harris clear throughout.. But overall a sterling effort - Example certainly won't go quietly."

Click here to see the review on Yahoo!

Saturday 19 June 2010

Basshunter Featured On ElectroQueer

"I really do have a soft spot for Basshunter. Take a look at the video for his new single "Saturday" which sees the man who brought back techno transforming his sound to a more current electro-pop vibe. I'm quite pleased. It's the most mature sounding Basshunter has ever been and with this first single, I'm quite curious to see what his next album might sound like..."

Click here to see the feature on ElectroQueer

Friday 18 June 2010

Popjustice "The Example album: don't play quietly"



"The last 18 months have seen previously underground urban artistes express an unprecedented interest in pop while traditionally overground artists have continued to plunder supposedly credible styles and scenes.

When it goes wrong, or is done for the wrong reasons, it's a compromise and an embarrassment, but when it goes right it feels like the artist is putting their music there in the middle not because it feels like it should be there, but because that's where it makes most sense and sounds most brilliant. It worked when Rihanna homed in on dubstep for the brilliantly-realised gloompop extravaganza of 'Rated R' and it's worked just as well for Example, who's headed in the opposite direction with 'Won't Go Quietly'.

We first started hearing bits of 'Won't Go Quietly' last spring, and we were immediately taken with its big tunes, colourful ideas, ambitious tunes and unselfconscious style. It's a pop overhaul that moves Example's sound on from, but still makes sense in the context of, his first album - lest we forget, this was an album that sampled Kylie and The Carpenters. Everything's tighter, more confident and better: it feels like Example just 'gets it'. It will certainly lose Example a few of his original fans but those who are on Example's wavelength, and understood what he was trying to do on album one, will find plenty to enjoy. For his new fans (current single 'Kickstarts' is due to hit the Top 5 this weekend) 'Won't Go Quietly' will exceed expectations. From a Popjustice point of view, if you were launching a boyband in 2010 this is the exactly the album you'd want them to make. Clearly there is no higher compliment.

Here's a sort of megamix sampler thing that's been knocked together in - we suspect - eight minutes.

Click here to see this homepage feature on Popjustice!!!

Won't Go Quietly Album Mashup by Ministry of Sound

Example's "Last Ones Standing" is Popjustice's Song Of The Day!

"There are loads of great songs on the new Example album (we think there's a megamix going on the Popjustice front page later today, in fact) but this is one of our favourites - it's big, bold, and like the majority of this album it's just fantastically likeable, with a rather poignant, sentimental edge"

Click here to see this on Popjustice if you don't believe us. Example is also No. 1 in the Popjustice Almighty!

Sugarscape on Fugative "BACK OFF, HE'S OURS!"

"BACK OFF HE'S OURS. OK Scapers we’re concerned. We’ve been talking about Fugative for a few months now and we’ve always agreed he’s kind of cool and hot but a bit brrrap and we don't usually go for that.

But now we are going for it, we’re digging the brrrap – look we just said digging. We mean, we’re not going to go and wear that nasty medallion thing that he likes, but we are now playing his songs through choice and not because we are writing about them. The same thing happened with Bieber a while back.

Take a look at his latest vid for Bad Girl…



That was good wasn’t it?

We’re going to share something with you know, but only if you don’t judge us… At the end of the video we got really jealous and stopped liking the pretty girl. We want to fall into a swimming pool with Fugative.

Bad Girl is out July 25th. Are you beginning to get a bit weird and obsessed with Fugative too? Tell us what you think of the song…"

Click here to see the feature and read the comments!!

BBC review DRAKE "ranks with this years best"

"Drake is the Vampire Weekend of rap – he ticks all the wrong boxes, especially for a milieu that privileges poverty and strife. He’s a handsome 23-year-old ex-actor from an affluent background who has effortlessly achieved even greater wealth via music that utterly refuses to flaunt its street-tough credentials. More heinous still, Thank Me Later is virtually a concept album about the loneliness and lovelessness of the successful celebrity, a sort of sequel to Kanye West’s 808s and Heartbreak, only more audaciously dolorous because he’s only just started. In fact, as morose meditations on the miseries of fame go, it comes across like a rap version of Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories or Deconstructing Harry.

Aubrey Drake Graham doesn’t mean much in the UK, managing only a miserable number 123 for his first single Best I Ever Had late last year, but in the States he’s both cause celebre and bête noire. He’s had several chart hits while Thank Me Later – which features Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Mary J Blige, Kanye, Timbaland and his mentor Lil Wayne – has polarised the critics to the extent that its release prompted the Village Voice to run an article entitled Why You Hate Drake, And Why You’re Wrong About Hating Drake.

The reason for the extreme reactions is the relentless solipsism evidenced here –Pitchfork’s reviewer counted a record number of first-person pronouns for a rap album – and the sustained mood of self-pity. “What am I afraid of? / This is supposed to be what dreams are made of,” he asks on The Resistance, wondering, “Am I wrong for making light of my situation?” On Over he finds himself in a room with “way too many people... that I didn't know last year”, while on Cece’s Interlude he wishes he could go back to being a simple upper-middle-class undergrad: “I just want what I can’t have,” he sighs.

So much for the haters. Thank Me Later has been rapturously received for its edgily languid sonics. Kayne, Timbaland and Swizz Beatz contribute, but much comes courtesy of Canadians 40 and Boi-1da, who’ve created a striking dreamscape for Drake to wander with his nasal raps and saccharine croon. No wonder there are shout-outs to everyone from Sade to The xx and Neon Indian on the sleeve – the atmosphere of sumptuous somnolence is interrupted by unexpected drum detonations, guitar bursts and keyboard spikes. This is less chillwave than illwave; Karaoke and The Resistance are like the loveliest muzak, only tortured and twisted by Autechre.

And it never lets up. Credit to all concerned for maintaining it for a whole album, which, if you can buy into Drake’s rich-boy blues, ranks with the year’s best."

Click here to see Paul Lester's review of Drake's "Thank Me Later"

Thursday 17 June 2010

Basshunter on RWD :)

"The Swedish producer with a penchant for farting women returns with a slightly more mature (but not by much) sound..."
Click here to see the piece!!

Basshunter's Big Brother Blog on AOL TV!

Basshunter will be writing a weekly blog about the current and final series of Big Brother, exclusively for AOL TV

"Wow, what a start to Big Brother! I've been in the UK a lot this week doing promo so have been able to catch up on everything BB. It feels like such a long time since I was in CBB, but watching the opening night brought back all the memories of walking into the house at the start of the year! And what a way to start the show....the circus theme was quite weird, but watching the potential housemates discover they had become ACTUAL housemates was awesome!

Poor Mario though! being selected at random and then being forced to wear the mole suit can't have been the best way to start your Big Brother experience, but Mario's 'impossible' challenge definitely kept me gripped! Seeing the tree of a temptation back took me back to CBB when I was set my task which I refused – and we all remember the consequences!!"

This is just an extract, read the full feature on AOL TV here

Meanwhile, Basshunter's new single "Saturday", released 18th July has been added to the Radio One C List!!

GuilFest 2010 : The South, The Delays, Hazel O'Connor, Ruarri Joseph & More!

THE SOUTH (FORMERLY THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH), THE DELAYS, HAZEL O'CONNOR & THE BLUJA PROJECT, JAPANESE VOYEURS, EAST STRIKE WEST, REDWOOD, RUARRI JOSEPH and a whole host of other confirmations for this year's festival! (Click here for the full line up)

The South (formerly The Beautiful South) are confirmed to perform on the Main Stage at GuilFest 2010 on Friday 16th July. The Beautiful South existed from 1989-2007 and during this period enjoyed constant success in the UK and abroad. The band hit the UK top 10 many times, with their hits of Little Time, Song For Whoever, Old Red eyes is Back, 36D, Rotterdam, Don’t Marry Her, and Perfect 10 amongst others. During this time the band sold a whopping 15 million albums! Fast forward to February 2009 - Dave Hemingway(vox), Alison Wheeler (vox)and David Stead (drums)decided to hook up with former players Damon Butcher (keys), Gaz Birtles(sax) Tony Robinson(trumpet) and recruited Phil Barton(guitar) and Steve Nutter(bass) to help out. 2010 sees The South touring again playing all their old hits as well as a few new numbers, and organisers are delighted to welcome them to GuilFest for the first time.

English Indie rockers, The Delays will be taking to The Good Time Guide Stage on Sunday 18th July. Since their second single, Hey Girl in 2003, The Delays have successfully hit the UK top 40 with every subsequent release, with 3 critically acclaimed albums and six singles. Famous for their combination of guitar, synths, and Greg Gilbert's distinctive falsetto vocals, the band have consistently remained popular in the UK indie scene, and in 2008 were recipients of The Writers Award at The Mag Awards. Their appearance at GuilFest coincides with the release of their brand new album “Star Tiger, Star Ariel”, due for release next week.

Award winning singer / songwriter Hazel O'Connor teams up with legendary performers saxophonist The Bluja Project (Clare Hirst and pianist/vocalist Sarah Fisher) to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the iconic film Breaking Glass. Appearing in the penultimate slot on The Good Time Guide Stage on Saturday 17th July, he trio will perform a mixture of O'Connor Breaking Glass originals alongside timeless classics such as D-Day and Will You as well as a hunting version of Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars. This superb blend of the three voices is sure to add a sweet touch of class to their vibrant performance.

Just confirmed for The Rock Sound Cave are London based grunge revival quintet Japanese Voyeurs on Saturday 17th July and post rockers East Strike West on Sunday 18th July; While on the Main Stage local heroes Redwood and singer/songwriter Ruarri Joseph are confirmed for Friday 16th July.

There are a whole host of new confirmations for The Funky End Dance Tent. Performing on Friday 16th July are Jason Chance & Rob Loco, Ben Pineapple, Stunners International, Holly Bee, Jonny Luv, and Hutchinson Bros; while on Saturday Upside HiFi featuring Kashmir and Knati P are confirmed to open the stage. On Sunday, DJ Mystery, the101connection and Diversion Tactics have been added to the line up.

The Surrey Advertiser Stage sees new confirmations from Via The Void and Retrace on Saturday 17th July, and The Racquets and Guildford Vox Choir on Sunday 18th July; Whilst The Palace Stage features Andrew Morris on Friday, The Zone and This Vintage Fall on Saturday, as well as 33 Revolutions, who will be performing on Sunday.

This year you can catch possibly the most eclectic line up ever at GuilFest, with a fine mix of some of the best live music, comedy and theatre you could possibly hope to see at a festival! All around the site this year you will find pockets of brilliance, with new and exciting areas such as The Ceroc Dance Tent, and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage Cafe & workshops, combined with GuilFest favourites such as the 70s Disco, Farmer Giles Barndance, The Backline Live Acoustic Lounge and much more!

All this, combined with impromptu street performances, magicians, food and drink from around the world, great stalls, cocktail bars, The Pimm’s Bus and our MASSIVE 150’ bar, goes to create one of the most laid back and friendly vibes of any festival ever. There is even Guildford Lido for outdoor swimming and showers, and Guildford Spectrum leisure centre for indoor swimming and various other activities right next door!

Remember! Campsite opens @ 10am Thursday morning, main site opens 10am Friday Morning. Make sure you’re in the campsite on Thursday night for our special pre-festival bar and disco!

Tickets still available but selling fast! – Buy now to avoid disappointment at: www.guilfest.co.uk or call 0871 230 1106

Wednesday 16 June 2010

Example Chats To I Like Music

"Rapper Example's second single opened with the refrain "you can't rap, you're white and you're from Fulham," a sentiment that he has consistently been proving wrong since first coming to the attention of mainstream music media in 2006. With his second album, Won't Go Quietly, available now and packed with big name collaborators, his ascent to the mainstream seems assured.

I Like Music spoke with Example about his hectic touring schedule, working with a bevy of producers on his new material, songwriting, and his plans to headline Glastonbury.

"I Like Music because…it's what I live for." EXAMPLE

ILM: What do look forward to the most about playing live, how has your live show developed over the last few years?

Example: Well, over the last two years I've done about 400 gigs! On top of that, in the last month I've done 20 gigs. You get on tour and do all these gigs, which you get really hyped up for, and then you come off stage and people are like "you've gotta go to bed now," but I'm on this natural high from the show. You can imagine the buzz you get up there; it's like winning an Olympic gold medal every time you perform to a thousand people and they all go nuts. Sometimes, even if I've come off stage at eleven I can't get to sleep until one. I might have to start getting valium!

ILM: Out of all of those shows you've done, what have been some of the highlights?

Example: For this tour in particular Bristol was great. It was a massive venue, which I didn't expect to sell out. Manchester was brilliant. There was a poor young girl carried out on a stretcher from heat exhaustion. When I got off stage my jeans were stuck to my legs it was so sweaty! Highlights over the last few years have included Wireless Festival last year, which I'm looking forward to playing again this year, Ibiza Rocks supporting Dizzee, Glastonbury three years ago. I've been lucky enough to travel all over Europe. I just can't wait to play a gig in Australia!"

Click here to read the full interview with Example on I Like Music

Blues And Soul Review EDEI's In My Bed

21-year-old Londoner Edei releases her rather catchy little pop vignette through Alma Recordings and a fine ditty it is too. Classy Soulful Pop not a million miles away from the same territory Rox,VV Brown or even Girls Aloud inhabit.A driving Motownish beat reminiscent of 'You Can't Hurry Love' sees this jaunty organ groove based number sounding very perky indeed and Edei is very easy on the eye too! This songstress,seems to know the script and exudes confidence and backs it up to with a fine vocal delivery that shows off her undoubted talents. Lady Gaga watch out this girl is frightfully good!

Click here to see the review on Blues And Soul

Gigwise Review Drake's Thank Me Later 'One Of The Debut Albums Of The Year"

Actor turned rapper Drake’s first album proper sees the Toronto native flitting between champagne egotism and introspective self-doubt in a way that can only be described as post-Kanye. Taking West’s ‘808’s and Heartbreak’ as a blueprint, Drake adds his own spin on things looking at life from the view of a young buck climbing the ladder of success as opposed to one already at the top looking out. The results are positive with Drake standing head and shoulders above the competition, and establishing ‘Thank Me Later’ as one of the debut albums of the year.

The firepower around Drake is as enviable as it is prestigious. Alicia Keys joins him on album opener ‘Fireworks’, a track that gossip hounds will tell you is about the time Drake got caught in a romantic episode with Rihanna. “What happened between us that night it always seems to trouble me” he spits, clearly confused at the fact he got played when, as he is so keen to tell us throughout, he is usually the player. Keys lifts the track with a chorus that, whilst not quite ‘Empire Of The State’ level, is one that she can line alongside ‘Fallin’ and ‘No One’ as one of the best.

Click here to read the full review on Gigwise (this is just an extract)

Drake's "Thank Me Later" Reviewed on Brit Asian




"Drake releases his much anticipated debut album ‘Thank Me Later’ which is greeted with a solid track list with the ‘best of the best’ features on the record from Alicia Keys to Jay-Z.

Fans that were expecting material similar to ‘Drake’s ‘Forever’ record will be disappointed as the rapper/singer opted for a more mellow, laid back body of work. This however should not put off fans, male or female, as the album is a solid piece of work not just geared around stand out singles - it’s a full flowing animal!

Drake showcases his talent as a singer and rapper throughout the album as he goes toe-toe with Alicia Keys in the mellow intro, ‘Fireworks’ where Drake apparently talks about his brief relationship with R&B singer Rihanna.

Some of Drake’s best rap based records on the album include the collaboration with the upcoming female rapper Nicki Minaj in ‘Up All Night’ where both artists spit nicely over a potent beat fit enough for the likes of any ‘Mobb Deep’ record!

Drake brings along Young Jeezy on ‘Unforgettable’, which is one of the best tracks on ‘Thank Me Later’. The mix of Drake’s soft rapping and singing with Young Jeezy’s husky rap/chorus works to a tee!"

Read the full review (this is just a snippet) on Brit Asian here

Example's MTV Live Sessions

Example performed 5 tracks from his album "Won't Go Quietly" for MTV, including current single "Kickstarts", "Won't Go Quietly" and "Watch The Sun Come Up".

Click here to watch "Kickstarts" on MTV.co.uk

Digital Spy "Example hosts album launch at Nandos"

"Example has revealed that he held five album launch parties, each at a different branch of Nandos.

The rapper, who is currently battling it out with Dizzee Rascal and James Corden for a place at number one on the singles chart with 'Kickstarts', admitted that he is a fan of the restaurant after they invented a discount card especially for him.

He told the Daily Star: "I'll play acoustic sets in five Nando’s restaurants on the Circle Line. We’ll do Notting Hill in west London and end up in Spitalfields, East London.

"Despite what people claim, Nando’s don’t sponsor me. But they did invent their Black Card for me after I mentioned them five times on my first album.

"They used to give me vouchers but it got out of hand - I had about 100, so they created the card. I got one for Dizzee and Tinchy too."

Example releases Won't Go Quietly on June 20."

Click here to see the feature on Digital Spy

Skiddmark Meet Chicane's Nick Bracegirdle




Skiddmark Magazine flew out to the French Alps to meet Chicane's Nick Bracegirdle, and talk about music (Chicane's new album Giants) and cars (Nick's RS4)

"I’m in the car with 39 year old Nick Bracegirdle, the brainchild of the band Chicane, all round petrolhead plus similarly large and cheeky character as Piquet. For those of you who don’t know Nick, you’ll definitely have heard his work. His first major release and hit was “Offshore” which has now become one of the most memorable songs in modern dance music, having been used by numerous television programmes as tranquil mood setting music.

Nick followed this up in 1999 with “Saltwater,” another song you’ll instantly remember featuring the sweeping vocals of Clannad’s Moya Brennan, before collaborating shortly afterwards with Bryan Adams on the #1 smash hit “Don’t Give Up.” As testament to Chicane’s range of quality tracks, the Best Of went Gold to add to the other hundreds of thousands of records Nick has sold down the years"

Read the full interview on Skiddmark here.

Tuesday 15 June 2010

The Example "Won't Go Quietly" Nando's Crawl!!
















On Tuesday 22nd June Example will be celebrating the release of his brand new album ‘Won’t Go Quietly’ in style with a treat for fans, friends and chicken lovers alike with his very own crawl of selected Nando’s restaurants on the London Underground Circle line.

With his current single ‘Kickstarts’ at No.2 in the midweek chart, a sell-out UK tour completed and major summer festival appearances to come, Example is about to embark on his biggest gig yet – at the home of legendary PERi-PERi chicken restaurant, Nando’s.

Huge Nando’s fan Example will be giving back the PERi-PERi love to his favourite chicken brand and his fans by doing exclusive acoustic performances in specially selected Nando’s restaurants.

From 2pm Example will be paying a visit to four ‘to be announced’ restaurants of Nando’s on the circle line and performing live tracks from his album. Free Nando’s PERi-PERi chicken will be available for Example fans who will also be able to pick up exclusive Example merchandise and have the chance to get their albums signed by the man himself.

Locations and special guests will be announced via Twitter (@EXAMPLEyoutwit and @Nandos_Official) and FourSquare where fans will be given a secret password that will earn them an exclusive wristband, access to the gig and free Nando’s chicken.

For more information go to www.trythisforexample.com or www.nandosblog.co.uk

Example’s new album ‘Won’t Go Quietly’ will be available to buy on 20th June 2010, the new single 'Kickstarts' is OUT NOW, and available to download here.

For more information please get in touch!

Alt Sounds Double Page Feature on GuilFest!!

Alt Sounds have written a huge feature on GuilFest, including details of the bands that aren't headlining;

"Award winning family festival GuilFest, now in it's 19th year, features a line up more vibrant and eclectic than ever before! Established legends are joined by rising stars as more names are added to the 3 day festival with camping, set in the idyllic grounds of Stoke Park, Guildford.

Organisers are delighted to announce the latest additions to this year's line up are LEVEL 42, 10cc, The BLOCKHEADS and THE BLACKOUT, who join the already announced Orbital, The Human League, Status Quo, N – Dubz, Just Jack, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Hawkwind, Hadouken! and Chase and Status (DJ set)"

Click here to read about the headliners on Alt Sounds, and here to read about the other bands

GuilFest – the award winning, quintessential English Family Festival. The perfect place to enjoy 3 sunny days of music, fun and laughter. Tickets are available now! Call Seetickets on 0871 230 1106 or see the website at www.guilfest.co.uk for full details.

The Sun : Example Kickstarts Single - Video Exclusive




The Sun Online feature Example's behind the scenes video as an exclusive, currently on the music homepage. Kickstarts, out this week looks likely to be his first top 5 hit!

EXAMPLE reckons he has sexy co-stars in his video because his face 'isn't interesting enough.'
The Brit rapper makes the claim as he mucks about on the set of his Kickstarts promo in our exclusive behind the scenes video.

Explaining a split screen shot the Londoner joke: "The reason we're doing split screen is because my face isn't interesting enough on its own.

"So if you have me on one side and a fit bird on the other the viewers won't be put off my face and will be forced to watch the gorgeous girl."

Kickstarts is only released today but is already tailing KYLIE in the iTunes chart, at number 4.
The single will be followed by the release of the album, Won't Go Quietly, on June 20.

See the feature on The Sun Online here

Download "Kickstarts" from iTunes here

Thursday 10 June 2010

The Pub Landlord's Southbank Jukebox For War Child!!


THE PUB LANDLORD’S SOUTHBANK JUKEBOX

Tuesday July 27, 2010, Royal Festival Hall, London

AL MURRAY, THE PUB LANDLORD; MADNESS; JASON MANFORD; plus special guests for War Child

War Child are proud to present ‘The Pub Landlord’s Southbank Jukebox’ a unique night of legendary British comedy and music, hosted and headlined by multi award-winning Al Murray, The Pub Landlord.

The Pub Landlord has selected a line-up of ‘top turns’ for the ultimate British night out. The People’s Publican will be joined by the nation’s finest music and comedy – for one night of the best entertainment you could find in any venue.

For his ‘Southbank Jukebox’, The Pub Landlord has recruited one of the most legendary names in British music: Madness, and one of Britain’s biggest comedy stars, Jason Manford. One further top musical turn will be announced soon.

Madness are one of Britain’s most successful ever pop acts with 17 top ten singles, and 214 weeks in the charts in the 1980s, their album ‘The Liberty Of Norton Folgate’ was one of 2009’s most acclaimed albums.

Jason Manford is 2010’s hottest comic star, the new host of ‘The One Show’, a captain on Channel 4’s ‘8 Out Of Ten Cats’ and a major stand-up talent, he headlined the O2 Arena earlier this year.

The event will take place at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Tuesday July 27th, tickets are priced at £30 and £35 and will be on sale from 10am Thursday June 10th. Tickets are available from www.southbankcentre.co.uk and www.seetickets.com. All profits go to War Child.

Al Murray, The Pub Landlord says: “Join me for a night of top British entertainment on London’s Southbank with cast iron classic hit machine Madness. Who knows, maybe we’ll have won the World Cup by then? Or we’ll still be drowning our sorrows!”

Madness say: “"Madness are very proud to be able to support War Child. These kids are in circumstances no one should ever find themselves in and if we can help in any way then that sure is something"

Ben Knowles, Music Director of War Child says: “Not only will this be an evening of entertainment with a difference, but it is a night that can make a life-changing difference to children in war zones around the world.”

The funds raised will directly support War Child’s work with children suffering from the most brutal effects of war in the world’s harshest war zones. Child soldiers, child-led families, street children and child prisoners in Iraq, Afghanistan, DR Congo and Uganda.

War Child have a proud and unique history with music and of high profile events. They have brought unique line-ups together on the same stage from U2, Brian Eno and Pavarotti in 1997; Pet Shop Boys, Lily Allen, Keane and Peter Kaye in 2008; and last year Coldplay, The Killers, Gary Barlow and Bono at their annual post-Brits show.

About War Child
War Child is an international charity, founded in 1993 in response to the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. A UN award winning charity, War Child currently works in some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones including Iraq, Afghanistan, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. War Child aims to protect children who are hit hardest by war and its consequences including street children, child soldiers and children in prison.

War Child is a UK registered charity number 1071659.

War Child looks forward to a world in which the lives of children are no longer torn apart by war.

GuilFest 2010 : Featuring Peppa Pig and Barney!!!

More GuilFest 2010 news, with a special treat for the younger festival goers!

For great fun with your family this summer, make sure you get down to GuilFest 2010 on the 16th, 17th, and 18th of July. The festival is now but a few weeks away and organisers have plenty in store to keep you and the rest of your family entertained all weekend long! Voted the UK's best family festival at the UK festival awards, GuilFest is known throughout the land for its fantastic and eclectic music line ups, hilarious comedians, great theatre, food and drink, as well as its dedication to making sure younger visitors have a wonderful time, with the amazing KidZone featuring all manner of wonderful performances, shows, fun, and games.

This year, GuilFest's KidZone has two very special guests! On Saturday 17th July, children's favourite PEPPA PIG will be appearing; while on Sunday 18th July, that loveable purple dinosaur, BARNEY will be around! Both Peppa Pig and Barney will be meeting and greeting visitors at various intervals throughout the day they are at the festival.

Here are just some of the reasons why GuilFest is so great for families with children; not only does GuilFest offer free access to children Under 12, but also reduced ticket prices for Under 16’s!!. This year as well as Peppa Pig and Barney, the Kidzone features all manner of wonderful shows and rides:

Kicking off on Friday, with a daring stunt by Kwabana Lindsay – as he plays the fiddle, whilst walking a slackwire towering above The KidZone's Big Top! You can also catch PeteZa the one man circus doing a kids cabaret show! On Saturday, you can catch The Pirate Fairies, hilarious clowns Big Foot and Furry Foot, the fantastic Fezheads, Theatre Des Bicyclettes, an evening fire show from Maxfire & Justin, CrowZone's Dancing Skeletons, Jo Dragon and Norman The Gnome! Finally, on Sunday you can see the amazing Booster Cushion Theatre Company performing Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Ickle Pigs As well as Doctor Palfi, The UK African Acrobats Experience, John Row, and (the now famous) fancy dress parade around the festival!

On top of all this there are games and activities all over the Kidzone to be enjoyed by all, including:

Jans Blackboard Van. The return.. paint the van, play with an assortment of creative goodies. Dance the can can.
Daemon or Doppelganger, based in beautiful new Indian tent, model yourself in clay. (funded by Guildford Arts Development) .
Bigtopmania’s Crazy Bikes, ride them if you can.
Furry Foot’s Musical Emporium. Bash the symbols, play the bells.
Bigtopmania’s Crazy Inflatables. Watch out they attack you.
Festival Sticker Arts returns where you can make literally anything from stickers!!
Also Circus Skills, from trying to tight rope to hanging on a Trapeze to flipping on a trampete, then hula hoops, diabolos, juggling and plate spinning.
Toddlers under 5s tent. With lots of safe play for them too!
Hair Braiding, temporary tattoos, face painting. Ice creams!
Reasons to be Cheerful Crafts. Create your costume for Sunday's Parade! Theme: ROBOTS!!!


For the digitally minded amongst you, the EA Games Area is packed with the latest console games for those kids (and big kids!) who can't go without for a whole weekend!

GuilFest also hosts hundreds of stalls offering a wide range of services and goodies, from fashion and craft to massages and bubble swords! Moreover, there will be an extensive variety of stalls filled with deliciously scrumptious food from light bites to any continental delicacy you can imagine. Even when it comes to beverages GuilFest has a broad selection on offer from Fairtrade Coffee to smoothies, and a late licensed Massive 150ft bar and Calypso Cocktail bars .

If you want to relax and enjoy the arts, you could pop into our Man In The Moon Theatre Tent, which will be showcasing entertaining productions by fine actors, or you may prefer to drop into our eFestivals Cosmic Comedy Lounge to get your annual 'Comedy Fix'!

GuilFest is known for its huge variety of music – this year, headlining the festival on the main stage, are Orbital, The Human League, and Status Quo, whilst elsewhere on the site you can catch acts as diverse as N-Dubz, Hawkwind, Tinie Tempah, The Blackout, Dreadzone, Level42, The King Blues and many more. Checkout the website at http://www.guilfest.co.uk for full details. Other attractions at GuilFest include the 70s Disco, the brand new Ceroc Dance Tent, Farmer Giles Barndance (featuring a live ceilidh band), Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstalls River Cottage Cafe, The Unison Zone and lots more besides.

Don't forget! Right next door to the GuilFest site is Guildford Lido – a beautiful 1930s 50m swimming pool, set in picturesque rolling green hills. So remember to bring your swimming togs! Also next door is Guildford Spectrum, one of the top leisure centres in the country with a great variety of activities including ten pin bowling and Ice skating, amongst many others.

Tickets are on sale now! Get them from http://www.guilfest.co.uk or by calling Seetickets on 0871 230 1106

Wednesday 9 June 2010

Edei Featured On ElectroQueer!

"Having toured with Girls Aloud last year, newcomer Edei is getting ready to burst onto the UK music scene with her fun and slightly quirky video to "In My Bed" that you can watch right here. Influenced by Christina Aguilera, Michael Jackson andJustin Timberlake, 21 year-oldEdei has her sights set on the fame that those iconic stars have achieved and she's got a killer team behind her that have worked with the likes of Joss Stone, Tina Turner andWestlife.

All in all - "In My Bed" is a fun tune - catchy and spunky and if you really like the current work of Eliza Doolittle and Pixie Lott, then Edei could be your cup of tea. She's got a great voice, she's stunning and "In My Bed" is a great launch track for her...let's see how she fares..."

Click here to see the feature on the fabulousElectroQueer!

Basshunter IS BACK!

New Single "Saturday" already played on Scott Mills's Floorfillers and the 5:19 show had its video premier yesterday all over MSN.

Here's the some more info, and the newly uploaded video, which shows off Jonas's new look!

Basshunter "Saturday" Released 11th July

The world’s most in-demand pop/dance superstar is back with a bang this Summer! Fresh from reaching the finals of Celebrity Big Brother (watched by a staggering 8 Million viewers) a sell out US tour and tallying up an impressive 1.6 million sales across his two album campaigns, Basshunter is set to take over the charts yet again, but this time with a brand new twist!

The amazing new single ‘Saturday’ showcases a slick, polished and grown up sound which is set to take the Swedish star to the higher regions of the charts throughout the world all over again! The super sexy & glossy video clip, shot in LA, shows off a brand new look for Jonas. Directed by alex herron (the man behind the recent Taio Cruz videos), shot by Ketil Dietrichson (Lady Gaga ‘Poker Face’) & choreographed by Madonna’s Mihran Kirakosian, the team behind the brand new clip is world renowned.

Jonas says: "Since Celebrity Big Brother it's been very exciting working on my new sound and it was great to try out a new look at the video shoot in LA’. Previous videos have been an online phenomenon, amassing well over 200 million views with ‘Now You’re Gone’ being in the top 5 most watched videos on all time in the UK. Musically Basshunter has enjoyed massive success as a platinum selling artist reaching number one on both the UK singles & album charts. Smash hit singles have included ‘Now You’re Gone’, ‘All I Ever Wanted’, ‘Angel In The Night’ & ‘Every Morning’.

Working on his third album, following on from ‘Now You’re Gone – The Album’ & ‘Bass Generation’, Basshunter is ready to be the star of the Summer with ‘Saturday’ released July 11th.

Tuesday 8 June 2010

iKid Featured On YouTube Homepage!

One of this years unofficial world cup songs in the shape of 8 year old iKid aka Luke, the song features Tears for Fears hit 'Shout' and was recorded way before Dizzee Rascal & James Cordon's version!

Currently featured on the YouTube Music Homepage, as part of Spotlight Tuesday! The track is available to download from iTunes right now, just click here

Friday 4 June 2010

Amy Wadge Reviewed On God Is In The TV

"Amy Wadge is simply a great tunesmith. And a tunesmith of great simplicity, at that. “Hold Me” - a teaser from the forthcoming album of the Welsh/Bristolian singer-songwriter - begins primitively as a downbeat folksy lament, driven by the leisurely summer’s day rhythm of basic acoustic strumming, quietly plodding bass and understated drums. The charming simplicity of the instrumentation is tied well with Wadge’s pastoral vocal, a vocal that possesses the duality of sounding both fractured and on the cusp of wavering through broken emotion, yet also strong, composed and completely empowered at the forefront of the song. From the humble beginnings of the tranquil verse emerges a grand statement of hummable melody as the chorus ascends. Distinct and catchy enough to be a refrain in a chart ballad, Wadge proves here that she can do both sentimental folk and pop balladeering equally emotively."

Read the full review on God Is In The TV here

Digital Spy Interview Example

"Having scored a top ten hit back in January with 'Won't Go Quietly', and collaborated with the likes of Calvin Harris and Chase & Status on his upcoming album, 2010 is ripe for Example's taking. As he prepares to release new single 'Kickstarts', we met up with the rapper - real name Elliot Gleave - to find out what that album's got to offer us.

Are you pleased with the response to 'Kickstarts' so far?
"I suppose the best you can hope for is radio play - and we've got plenty of that! The second thing is having a well-received video on YouTube and TV. As my tour continues, more and more people in the audience seem to know the words to the song, so it does seem to be catching on."

You worked on the track with drum 'n' bass producer Sub Focus - was it difficult making a radio-friendly song with him?
"We actually made the song together quite recently. He gave me the beats in December, we recorded it in January and finished it in February. I've known him for a few years, and despite what you may think, he loves pop. The reason he's so successful is that he makes accessible drum 'n' bass music that's well-produced and melodic. I can't give him enough praise to be honest! What he's done on 'Kickstarts' is to give a hardcore club edge to a lyrically poppy single."

Are you hoping it will out-perform 'Won't Go Quietly'?
"The signs are good and the vibe from everyone is that it should and will do better, but it's important for me not to write songs with the intention of them getting to number one. When it comes to singles, there's far too much pressure put on having number ones or top tens. On the other hand, I made my album with the hope of getting to number one, because I want my music to reach as many people as possible."

How does this album compare to your last?
"I didn't really know what I was doing on the last album – it was so disjointed. I think it had a little cult following because of that. In terms of my identity though, a lot of the subjects on that album don't really apply to me anymore. Before I kept thinking, 'Oh, how can I be controversial?', but I've now realised that wasn't really me, and my new album feels a lot more personal. The fact that it's electro and dance-based as opposed to hip-hop is something that's happened naturall"

Click here to read the full interview on Digital Spy.

Example's single "Kickstarts" is released on 13th June - Pre-order it from iTunes here