Jarvis Cocker breathes new life into William Blake's 'London' in this amazing animation by the good folks at 21cc.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/poetryseason/poets/william_blake.shtml

Students from Kingston College worked with 21cc to create this animation to accompany Jarvis Cocker's reading of London by William Blake, recorded as the Book at Bedtime for Rob da Bank's BBC Radio 1 show and Poetry Season.

;)

Rob da Bank has announced a new twist to his long-term residency at the legendary Fabric club in London. Rob has hosted Sunday Best events in room three from long before the launch of his Bestival festivals, but on Friday June 5 starts a new chapter at his favoured London club by bringing the Rob da Bank & Friends concept to Fabric's live Room Two space at Fabric Live.

The first date features live performances from Beardyman, new Sunday Best signings Lemonade, and Tim Exile. DJ sets are provided by L-Vis 1990, and Rob will play a few sets throughout the course of the evening, which runs from 10pm until 6am.

Rob states: "In my humble opinion Fabric is still the best club in London and possibly the UK, with amazing sound and the best line-ups so I'm honoured to  be taking over Room 2 with my crazy mates!"

Also in appearance in other rooms that night are Sinden, Duke Dumont, new BBC Radio 1 In New DJs We Trust signing Toddla T, Riotous Rockers and Alvin C.

Tickets: £13 (£10 students & fabricfirst)
Advance tickets: www.ticketweb.co.uk

More info: www.fabriclondon.com

The second Rob da Bank & Friends event at Fabric live is Friday October 2.

www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=63018241037
www.twitter.com/robdabank

Ebony Bones, dan le sac join Passion Pit and Rob da Bank on UK tour

Official blurb below:

PASSION Pit have been announced as headliner on the first Rob da Bank & Friends UK tour. The hotly-tipped US band have been championed by Rob da Bank on his BBC Radio 1 show of the same name and have emerged as one of the 'most likely to' acts of 2009. These dates will be the first opportunity to see Passion Pit on tour supporting the release of their debut record.

  The tour, which takes place in May, will include a special London date at legendary club Heaven, as well as regional shows in Manchester, Sheffield, Bristol and Southampton, Rob da Bank's hometown.

  Speaking about the tour, Rob da Bank states: "I'm delighted to be taking Passion Pit out on the road for my Rob da Bank & Friends tour. They are my top tip for 2009 and I have been playing them on BBC Radio 1 for months. And after seeing them at CMJ last year, I can safely say this will be a rare opportunity to see them playing in small venues in this country."

  Michael Angelakos from the band said of the tour: "We are thrilled to be headlining the Rob da Bank & Friends tour.  Rob has been such a huge supporter early on for the band and we are excited to be sharing the same stage with him." Passion Pit's debut album, "Manners", is out May 18 on Columbia UK / Frenckiss. Passion Pit will also perform at Rob da Bank's Bestival festival on the Isle of Wight on September 11.

  The live support act on the tour is Ebony Bones, the red-hot signing to Rob's own Sunday Best record label. The artist, descrbibed by the NME as 'the alchemical result of setting MIA and Santogold on fire" and "Screamin' Jay Hawkins at the Rio Carnival", sees her first single out on the label in May, titled, "The Musik". Rob da Bank will DJ at every date, along with Sunday Best label signing dan le sac, whose DJ sets are becoming more and more in-demand whilst him and partner Scroobius Pip write their second album for the label.

ROB DA BANK & FRIENDS full tour dates in May:

09 Dublin Trinity Ball (not including Passion Pit / www.trinityball.ie)
11 Manchester MOHO (0844.477.5775, www.ticketmaster.co.uk)
12 Sheffield The Leadmill (0870.010.4555, www.ticketweb.co.uk)
13 London Heaven (0844.576.5483, www.livenation.co.uk)
14 Southampton Orange Rooms (0238.063.2601, www.livenation.co.uk/Southampton
16 Bristol O2 Academy (08700.600.100, www.ticketweb.co.uk) (including DJ Yoda and DJ Derek)

Passion Pit also play Brighton's Great Escape festival on May 15.

 www.myspace.com/passionpitjams
 www.myspace.com/ebonybones
 www.myspace.com/lesacvspip

Rob da Bank has compiled the latest in the Sci-Fi Lo-Fi series - a spin-off of Soma Records' Sci-Fi Hi-Fi mix compilation series which commenced with Andrew Weatherall providing a twisted mix of psychedelic rockabilly, garage rock, post-punk and dance rock to an incredible reception and was followed by Damian Lazarus who provided a dark mix of twisted pop and leftfield electronica.

With Vol. 3 Rob delights with an educational, historical and chronological compilation of Shoegazing 1985 - 2007.

"My teenage years were spent wholeheartedly gazing at my shoes feeling sorry for my pubescent self and immersing my ears in the murky, ethereal, beautifully soupy sound of the bands assembled here. Listening back to these bands and tracks makes me feel recklessly alive in troubled times! It's an honour to be part of this series following the huge critical acclaim awarded to Andrew Weatherall. And for me, this was the obvious musical period that inspired me the most in my formative years." Rob explains.

And with sleeve notes penned by Editorial Director of NME and Uncut, Steve Sutherland (a 4200-word account of the history of Shoegaze), Sci-Fi Lo-Fi Vol. 3 proves to be as informative as it is an enjoyable listening experience.

It must be said that Shoegazing owes a huge debt to East Kilbride's The Jesus And Mary Chain so it is only fitting that the compilation opens with the instantly recognisable 'Just Like Honey'. They rescued British music in the mid-80s from a deluge of pop carbon copies with a refreshing, innovative new sound of haunting feedback and ethereal vocals. And from this a new scene was soon born.  Acts such as Ride, Lush, Chapterhouse and Slowdive all followed in the successive years with a mutual support for one and other and all with the same timid, shy on-stage (non-)presence, and hedonistic party attitude off-stage. Shoegaze continued wowing crowds until Brit-pop's insurgence stabbed it in the side and left it for dead in the mid-90s. And so it was until about 2004 when acts like Ulrich Schnauss, M83 and Boards of Canada merged shoegaze with electronica to bring it right back, albeit with an evolved sound and new technology. Rob da Bank showcases the scene perfectly with this brilliant compilation and Sutherland's sleeve notes add beautifully to this incredible celebration.

Pre-order - Play.com (out 16/03/2009)

Tracklisting:
1.    The Jesus & Mary Chain – Just Like Honey
2.    Ultra Vivid Scene – Mercy Seat
3.    Dinosaur Jr. – Freak Scene
4.    Pale Saints – Sight Of You
5.    Ride – Nowhere
6.    Spiritualized – If I Were With Her Now
7.    Chapterhouse – Pearl
8.    Slowdive – When The Sun Hits
9.    Lush – Sweetness & Light
10.  Boards Of Canada – Zoetrope
11.  Ulrich Schnauss – On My Own (Robin Guthrie Mix)
12.  M83 – Teen Angst
13.  Cocteau Twins – Cherry Coloured Funk (Seefeel Mix)
14.  Maps – You Don't Know Her Name
15.  Dean & Britta – White Horses

Hey Y'all and Happy New Year!

Hope you're not too cold or lost ya job and that you're looking forward Besti and Camp Bestival! Line up announcements coming soon...

If you've got a coupla hours free this week please check out my tips show for 2009 ... obviously some/all of these will make an appearance at one or both Bestivals this year.

And there's also a cracking session from Chairlift and world exclusive new Animal Collective tune ... oh and my Rob da Bank and Friends show with Antony Hegarty from Antony and the Johnsons is pretty good too!

Enjoy by clicking here 'til Sunday: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank

;) Robby


Tracklisting: Rob da Bank's Tips For 2009

Zomby - 'Float'
The Futureheads - 'I Wouldn't Be Like This (Andy George Mix)'
Golden Silvers - 'Another Universe'
Blue Roses - 'Doubtful Comforts'
Passion Pit - 'Cuddle Fuddle'
Titus Andronicus - 'Titus Andronicus'
Kid Cudi - 'Day N Nite (Crookers Remix)'

Chairlift in session:
'Somewhere Around Here'

La Roux - 'In For The Kill'
Little Boots - 'Meddle (Toddla T Mix)'
Solid Gold - 'Get Over It'
Turbowolf - 'Ghost Hunt'

Exclusive First Play:
Animal Collective - 'My Girls'

Joker - 'Digidesign'
Reso - 'If Ya Can't Beat 'Em'
Starkey - 'Pressure'
Ohbijou - 'Black Ice'
School Of Seven Bells - 'Half Asleep'
Duke Dumont - 'When I Hear Music'
Frankmusik - '3 Little Words'
Magic Magic - 'Sleepy Lion'
Ou Est La Swimming Pool - 'These New Knights'
Very Be Careful - 'Sebastianis'
Sound Of Rum - 'Icarus'
Pearl & The Puppets - 'Honey, Where Did We Go Wrong'
Alela Diane - 'The Pirate's Gospel'

Chairlift in session:
'Garbage'
'Make Your Mind Up'

Crystal Stilts - 'Converging In The Quiet'
The Big Pink - 'Too Young To Love'
Apes & Androids - 'Radio (Lucky Hipster Remix)'
Marina & The Diamonds - 'Mowgli's Road'
Fever Ray - 'If I Had A Heart'
Hockey - 'Work'
Joe Gideon & The Shark - 'DOL'
Little Death - 'The Slow Yes'
Bon Iver - 'Re: Stacks'