All Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band News
Keith TOTP announces second album and free download!
"Daddy! Get me a Keith!" - Artrocker Magazine
Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band
are back with a new album that's even more amazing than the last one! TOTP2 is a tongue-in-cheek journey about love, arrogance, petty jealousy, and being in an amazing band. It will be released digitally on 20th May and physically on 24th June via Corporate Records.
TOTP2 was recorded in the same live "one take only” scenario with it being rather hard getting all 27 musicians that feature on the album to make it into the studio at the same time being in different bands, touring or living in completely different countries altogether. Amongst the players on this second album are Charley Stone (The Famous Cocks, Joanne Joanne), Sarah Nixey (Black Box Recorder), Jimbob (Carter USM) Charlotte Hatherley (Ash), Johnny Fade (The Fades) and Eddie Argos (Art Brut), Luke Haines (The Auteurs), Simon and Julia Indelicate (The Indelicates).
The album track #ProperMusic is available to stream and download from the ABoF soundcloud page. Every quote spoken by Sarah Nixey, Jo Bevan (Desperate Journalist, Joanne Joanne) and Julia Indelicate in the song is an actual tweet from the Twitter hashtag #propermusic, which are both tragic and hilarious at the same time.
TOTP 2 opens with “Morrissey Will Never Forgive Me” - a song about being a young Morrissey fan and how Morrissey would be disappointed in the meat eating, beer drinking, non-virgin almost all Morrissey fans become when they grow older and start doing the opposite of a lot of the characters in Morrissey songs. Keith tells us: “The title is a play on the Morrissey song "I Have Forgiven Jesus" which either implies that I've done much worse things than he hated Jesus for in that song, or that I'm better than Jesus. Either is good.”
“Better Than Your Boyfriend” and “I’m Alone. You’re Alone. Let’s Be Alone Together” seem a little more personal but, as ever, tinged with Keith’s signature humour and catchy indie melodies.
Keith’s debut album Fuck You! I’m Keith Top Of The Pops received support from Artrocker Magazine, gaining a brilliant 5/5 plus many blogs and websites online. Keith plans to take TOTP2 on the road in May to support the album. Dates are below!
May 3rd - Cologne, Luxor with Art Brut
May 4th - Hamburg, Molotow with Art Brut<
May 6th - Berlin, Lido with Art Brut
May 7th Stuttgart, Schoken with Art Brut
May 8th - Munich, Atomic Cafe with Art Brut
May 16th - Brixton Windmill, London, with We Are The Physics
May 29th - Scala, London with Art Brut
The Blood Arm live review featured in This Is Fake DIY
We're pleased to say that The Blood Arm's album tour keeps picking up great press!
The latest to spread the word about the band's impressive live show are the folks at This Is Fake DIY, who proclaimed their performance at The Ruby Lounge in Manchester as "a mini-masterclass in showmanship and something that all up and coming bands should aspire to. . ."
The band's close friend, and fellow ABoF artist, Keith Top Of The Pops also got an honourable mention, as The Blood Arm kicked the night off as part of his Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band. It sound slike it was an amazing show, so be sure to check out the full review.
Download the free MP3 "Introducing Randy Newman", from Turn and Face Me, from the ABoF Soundcloud page.
The Blood Arm - Introducing Randy Newman by abadgeoffriendship
Check out the video to album track, "She's A Guillotine", over on the band's YouTube page.
Their album Turn And Face Me is out now on Pau! / Snowhite and is available to buy via iTunes.
Fuck You! I'm Keith Top Of The Pops is available to buy on CD, Vinyl and digitally from Corporate Records.
For more information about The Blood Arm or our PR services, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
The Blood Arm hit the UK!
The Blood Arm make their return to the venues of the UK this October for a ten date tour. These shows will give their UK fans the first chance to hear tracks from their recently released album Turn and Face Me and they kick-start their tour tonight in London!
For a taster of what to expect on the tour, you can watch The Blood Arm's brand new live video for the track "She's A Guillotine".
Our very own Keith Top of the Pops & His Minor UK Indie All-Star Backing Band will be joining The Blood Arm on tour for all the dates apart from the 18th in London and the 19th in Windsor. Keith just released his debut album Fuck You! I'm Keith Top of the Pops which Artrocker Magazine hailed as their Album of the Month for September.
The Blood Arm UK Tour 2011
- 10th October - Windmill, London
- 11th October - Joiners Arms, Southampton
- 12th October - Lazy Genius Club Night @ Mojo, Liverpool
- 13th October - Ruby Lounge, Manchester
- 14th October - Captain Rest, Glasgow
- 15th October - The Hop, Wakefield
- 16th October - The Rainbow, Birmingham
- 17th October - Railway Inn, Winchester
- 18th October - Madame Jojo's, London Soho
- 19th October - FAT - Forget About Tomorrow, Windsor
Turn and Face Me's release earlier this summer saw reviewers everywhere making positive noises about the band's latest release. Uncut said the band "evoke a classic lineage of ramshackle boho party-rock" whilst WORD compared the band's chorus' to the similarly "lyrically smart" Arctic Monkeys.
Download the free MP3 "Introducing Randy Newman", from Turn and Face Me, from the ABoF Soundcloud page.
The Blood Arm - Introducing Randy Newman by abadgeoffriendship
Don't forget to also check out the video for "Relentless Love", also available on YouTube. This was the first single to be released from the album during the summer.
Keith Top Of The Pops featured on Barrygruff
We can't wait to catch Keith Top Of The Pops' live show on Monday, where he'll be supporting The Blood Arm at The Windmill in Brixton. In the meantime, we're happy to report that his debut album, Fuck You! I'm Keith Top Of The Pops, has been picked up by Barrygruff, who have written an introductory feature for their readers, and posted the album track "I Hate Your Band" on their site, which is available as a free download. Be sure to head over there and check it out.
Fuck You! I'm Keith Top Of The Pops is available to buy on CD, Vinyl and digitally from Corporate Records.
If you'd like more information about this, our PR services or anything else, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Keith Top Of The Pops album reviewed by Panic Dots.
The reviews just keep pouring in forKeith Top Of The Pops' debut album, Fuck You! I'm Keith Top Of The Pops.
Panic Dots were than a little bit impressed by the album, giving it 4 stars, and marvelling in Keith ability to create amazing songs out of chaos. Check out the full review.
You can listen to "I Hate Your Band", a track taken from Keith's album, on the ABoF SoundCloud page.
Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band - I Hate Your Band by abadgeoffriendship
Fuck You! I'm Keith Top Of The Pops is available to buy on CD, Vinyl and digitally from Corporate Records.
If you'd like more information about this, our PR services or anything else, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Keith TOTP interviewed by Gaydar Nation.
Keith Top Of The Pops is touring at the moment, sharing his unique approach to live performance with our European neighbours, and introducing them to his fantastic debut album, Fuck You! I'm Keith Top Of The Pops.
Gaydar Nation managed to catch the man himself for a quick Q and A session, quizzing him on his fantasy gig, the perfect night out, and why his two rules of performance (no rehearsals, no soundchecks) are so important to him. Head over there and check it out.
You can listen to "I Hate Your Band", a track taken from Keith's album, on the ABoF SoundCloud page.
Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band - I Hate Your Band by abadgeoffriendship
Fuck You! I'm Keith Top Of The Pops is available to buy on CD, Vinyl and digitally from Corporate Records.
If you'd like more information about this, our PR services or anything else, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Keith TOTP interviewed by Artrocker Magazine (online).
Keith Top Of The Pops is busy touring Europe with The Blood Arm at the moment, pimping his debut album, Fuck You! I'm Keith Top Of The Pops.
After Artrocker Magazine named his debut "Album Of The Month", they managed to catch up with him for an interview on their official website. As you might expect from a man with such a colourful album title, it's a really entertaining read, and you can also stream, and download, the free album track "I Hate Your Band".
Watch this space for more news about the debut album, and Keith TOTP's upcoming tour.
If you'd like more information about this, our PR services or anything else, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
AAA Music review Keith Top Of The Pops’ debut album.
The reviews for Keith Top Of The Pops' amazing debut album, Fuck You! I'm Keith Top Of The Pops, are still coming in thick and fast.
AAA Music threw their hat into the ring this week, giving the album a great write up, and comparing Keith's vocal stylings to Mr E from The Eels. Be sure to check out the full review.
Listen to, and download, the album track "I Hate Your Band" over on the ABoF SoundCloud page.
Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band - I Hate Your Band by abadgeoffriendship
Watch this space for more news about the debut album, and Keith TOTP's upcoming tour.
Keith Top Of The Pops featured on FAME Magazine.
More press for Keith Top Of The Pops' cracking debut album, Fuck You! I'm Keith Top Of The Pops, has just arrived at ABoF HQ.
FAME Magazine have posted a feature on their site, giving their readers a comprehensive biography on the man himself, and they're also sharing a free album track - "I Hate Your Band". Be sure to head over there and check it out.
Watch this space for more news about the debut album, and Keith TOTP's upcoming tour.
Keith TOTP debut album reviewed by There Goes The Fear
The reviews just keep on pouring in for Keith Top Of The Pops' cracking debut album Fuck You! I'm Keith Top Of The Pops.
The latest to get their hands on the album are the folks over at There Goes The Fear, who enjoyed it so much they awarded it a fantastic 8/10! In particular, they fell in love with the track, "I Hate Your Band". Be sure to head over there to read the full review.
Listen to, and download, the album track "I Hate Your Band" over on the ABoF SoundCloud page.
Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band - I Hate Your Band by abadgeoffriendship
Watch this space for more news about the debut album, and Keith TOTP's upcoming tour.
Keith Top Of The Pops’ album reviewed by Indiependent
Another day, another fantastic review for Keith Top Of The Pops' debut album Fuck You! I'm Keith Top Of The Pops.
Indiependents got their hands on a promo copy of the album, and were extremely impressed with what they heard, enjoying Keith's leanings towards "infectious, glam rock, stomping melodies". Be sure to check out the full review.
Listen to, and download, the album track "I Hate Your Band" over on the ABoF SoundCloud page.
Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band - I Hate Your Band by abadgeoffriendship
Watch this space for more news about the debut album, and Keith TOTP's upcoming tour.
“The Coming of Keith” - Keith Top of the Tops is Artrocker’s “Album of the Month”!
Our friends at Artocker Magazine have made Keith Top of the Pops & His Minor UK Indie All-Star Backing Band's debut album Fuck You I'm Keith Top of the Pops their Album of the Month in this month's issue of the magazine (issue 114, out now!).
The album gets a stellar 5 stars. That's full marks for our Keith and well deserved we say!
The album track "I Hate Your Band" is free to download from our Soundcloud page.
Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band - I Hate Your Band by abadgeoffriendship
If you'd like more information about this, our PR services or anything else, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Keith TOTP free MP3 featured on Indiependents.
Keith Top Of The Pops' debut album, Fuck You! I'm Keith Top Of The Pops has already sent ripples through the press, both online and print.
The latest to come to our attention comes courtesy of Indiependents, who are sharing the free album track, "I Hate Your Band", with all of their readers. If you haven't had a chance to listen to it yet, head over there now - it's just the thing to cheer you up on a Monday!
Watch this space for more news about the debut album, and Keith TOTP's upcoming tour.
Hello September: News from ABoF HQ!
Festival season is done and dusted, the wellies are being put away for another year and we're looking forward to a very busy September here at ABoF HQ.
Since it's the start of the month, we thought we'd send a little update about what we've been working on over the summer and what we have to look forward to. If you've any questions about what you read below, please get in touch: info@abadgeoffriendship.
Free MP3s can always be downloaded from our Soundcloud page and any other information you need about the artists, labels and other companies we work with can be found on our official website. Thanks for reading - we hope you have a great month ahead!
Last.fm's Ghostpoet Pop-Session
It's no secret that we've been working with Last.fm this summer to help create online buzz and PR around their partnership with HP, promoting "The Power of Sound". HP and Last.fm’s partnership celebrates the Beats audio technology that comes with HP Premium PC, laptop and tablet devices through a series of live music events and artist interviews, curated by Last.fm.
The partnership kicked-off with a number of pop-up acoustic gigs which took place around London. The first two were a big success; Slow Club enchanted fans and passers by alike in Soho Square and The Boxer Rebellion got the tourists clapping along on Carnaby Street.
Ghostpoet was the latest to get the pop-up session treatment, playing to a packed-out crown at The Big Chill Bar on Brick Lane in August. The video of the session is available to watch now on Last.fm's YouTube channel.
For the latest news on the partnership, special giveaways and unique content, check out HP's Facebook and Twitter pages.
September Releases
We've lots of different releases out this month from post-rock to folk and straight-up indie, check them out below...
Copenhagen post-rockers, The Shaking Sensations, initially formed to escape the confines of their small, desolate and windy town in western Denmark. Little did they know, that in doing so, the five-piece would build a reputation that would see them join a group of up-and-coming post-rock bands following in the footsteps of heavyweights like Mogwai and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Their debut album East of Youth will make you fall in love with post-rock all over again as they add a new energy and reinvigorate the post-rock genre.East of Youth is out September 12th on Pad & Pen Records. Download the album track "Glass Wings" HERE.
Following on from the success of their UK tour, and their previous single, Hopscotch Machine Gun Madness, Reading-based A Genuine Freakshow are back with the third single - the double A-side Our Bodies / New Houses. Fresh from their Reading and Leeds Festival performances, the guys are also about to embark upon a UK tour to support the release.The band are also giving away a four track sampler taken from their album Oftentimes. Just visit their official website and enter your details.
Our Bodies / New Houses is out on Peartree Records on 26th September 2011.
After building up a stellar reputation among fellow musicians while touring Europe and the US, Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band is releasing his debut album - Fuck You! I'm Keith Top Of The Pops. Keith has attracted a fantastic line up of musicians to record alongside him, including Dyan Valdes of The Blood Arm, Fruitbat and Jimbob from Carter USM, Keith Murray and Chris Cain from We Are Scientists and Ian Catstiltskin, Eddie Argos and Jasper Future from Art Brut. As a result, the sound is a collection of wonderfully chaotic freeform rock tunes that sound like a cross between The Fall and Half Man Half Biscuit, with more bitter and twisted undertones.Fuck You! I'm Keith Top Of The Pops is out on Corporate Records on 26th September 2011. The album track "I Hate Your Band" is available to download HERE.
Sweet Baboo is Stephen Black, a native of the North Wales countryside and a single-minded, idiosyncratic, contrary singer-songwriter who possesses an ear for a sparkling melody, a restless soul, and a gift for a deft lyrical turn; from darkly funny to piercingly tender, twinklingly boastful to deliciously self-deprecating. Following the release of his third album, I'm a Dancer/Songs About Sleeping, Black has returned in 2011 with his latest EP - Girl Under A Tree.Black's productivity is all the more remarkable given his extra-curricular activities, which have seen him working with an ever-growing array of musicians. This year alone Black has played on albums by Cate Le Bon, Slow Club and H. Hawkline, and has been a regular part of the touring line-ups for all three bands.
Girl Under A Tree will be released via Shape Records on 19th Sept 2011 on limited 10” white vinyl / download. Download the EP track "The Day I Lost My Voice" HERE.
The summer that was…
Our biggest successes this summer have been two bands that couldn't be more different - The Blood Arm and Knifeworld.
The Blood Arm returned with their second album Turn And Face Me. Although some reviews were mixed, the general vibe from the press was of admiration and respect for the band who clearly wrote their songs with a nod back to greats such as Dexys Midnight Runners, Elvis Costello And The Attractions and Adam And The Ants.Uncut said the band evoked "a classic lineage of ramshackle boho party-rock", whilst WORD called their sound "a good one". Even punk rock magazine Big Cheese picked up on the album saying that the music "will undoubtedly get you out of your seat".
Meanwhile, Knifeworld rocked the alternative press with the release of their EP Dear Lord, No Deal. The band featured in magazines Classic Rock Prog and Rock A Rolla plus alternative music and culture website The Quietus.
The reviews also poured in with Rock Sound picking up on frontman Kavus Torabi's unique songwriting mentioning that "you won't forget him in a hurry". The aforementioned Classic Rock Prog, always big supporters of the band called the EP "a jazzy workout; a rapid metronymic group vocal; a pause for quiet reflection; an ambitious psychedelic wash of melodies…". Quite a description there and we whole heartedly agree!
And the rest…
Congratulations for making it this far and thanks for reading… so what else have we been up to?
Well, for starters we've also been working with vintage recording studio An Endless Room. The studio currently has a competition on MTV UK's website to win free studio time. The busy folks at Endless HQ are also planning a regular podcast which will feature special guests talking about music, the studio, their own projects and also tinkering about on some of An Endless Room's weird and wonderful equipment. We'll have more updates on that soon.
Paul ABoF also wrote an article recently for This Is Fake DIY's blog. The blog had a feature running called "The Beautiful Game" and Paul was asked to write something about Celtic FC.
Claire ABoF is still busy writing and drawing webcomics in her spare time. The webcomic series "Socially Inept" is currently being published by our friends over at The 405, whilst The Cyclopes (an ode to the X-Men) is being published on Beyond Comic Books.
Super assistant Ed has been frustratingly trying to pass his driving test all month. You can read about it on the ABoF blog. Let's wish him the best of luck!
Keith Top of the Pops: Good Vibes Online!
Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band have caused quite a fair bit of online curiosity with many websites featuring the free MP3 -I Hate Your Band from the forthcoming album Fuck You! I'm Keith Top of the Pops, which is out September 26th. This is just the start too, as magazines such as Artrocker and Vive Le Rock have confirmed reviews in upcoming issues as well.
Blogs such as Mad Mackerel, Echoes and Dust and Snob's Music have featured the band, including a link to the aforementioned MP3. Music website AAA Music have also done a big feature on the forthcoming album.
If you can't see the waveform for the album track "I Hate Your Band" below, then check it out on the ABoF SoundCloud page.
Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band - I Hate Your Band by abadgeoffriendship
Geeks.co.uk review Keith TOTP album track - I Hate Your Band
Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band have impressed yet another onine publication with a "bawdy" and "clamourous" track off his debut album -I Hate Your Band.
Geeks.co.uk had a listen to the song, and gave their readers a bit of a track breakdown, throwing in some history about the band's inception, the overall sound and they've even gone so far as to construct an acronym for them - KTOTPAHMUICASBB. We'll see what Keith says, but we'll probably stick to using the full name. Check out the full article over on their site.
If you can't see the waveform for the album track "I Hate Your Band" below, then check it out on the ABoF SoundCloud page.
Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band - I Hate Your Band by abadgeoffriendship
Keep your eyes peeled for more news about the debut album, and Keith TOTP's upcoming tour.
Introducing… Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band!
After building up a stellar reputation among fellow musicians while touring Europe and the US, Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band are releasing their debut album - Fuck You! I'm Keith Top Of The Pops.
The band were formed by chance during an Art Brut show at The Knitting Factory in New York, when the support act pulled out at the last minute, and Keith and two members of the headline act joined forces to play some of Keith's songs. Since then, the band has existed in a constant state of flux, with band members often being recruited a few minutes before the show, and numbers ranging from just Keith and a drummer to 24 musicians, and a brass section, sharing the stage!
The band live by two rules - no rehearsals and no soundchecks - to ensure that every song they play sounds different every time. This novel approach is applied to the track listing on Fuck You! I'm Keith Top Of The Pops, as they were arranged based on the songs' first ever performance.
If you can't see the waveform for the album track "I Hate Your Band" below, then check it out on the ABoF SoundCloud page.
Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band - I Hate Your Band by abadgeoffriendship
Keith has also attracted a fantastic line up of musicians to record alongside him, including Dyan Valdes of The Blood Arm, Fruitbat and Jimbob from Carter USM, Keith Murray and Chris Cain from We Are Scientists and Ian Catstiltskin, Eddie Argos and Jasper Future from Art Brut. As a result, the sound is a collection of wonderfully chaotic freeform rock tunes that sound like a cross between The Fall and Half Man Half Biscuit, with more bitter and twisted undertones.
With an album tour due in September, Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band, are sure to ruffle some feathers in the UK Indie music scene over the coming months.
Fuck You! I'm Keith Top Of The Pops will be released via Corporate Records on 26th September 2011.
It will be available on CD, MP3 and Vinyl.
A Badge of Friendship: News Round-Up!
Another busy week here at ABoF HQ. With a steady stream of press for our bands as ever and Last.fm's last pop-up session set for next week, here's our little round-up of what's been going down before we kick back and enjoy the weekend!Ghostpoet to perform Last.fm pop-up session!
Barclaycard Mercury Prize nominee Ghostpoet (aka Obaro Ejimiwe) is set to play Last.fm's last pop-up session of the summer on Monday, August 22nd at the Big Chill Bar on Brick Lane. Make sure you're there at 8pm to witness this much hyped, intimate set.
Our bands rock!
This month's issue of Rock Sound magazine features both The Blood Arm and Indian Red Lopez.
The Blood Arm were positively compared to not just The Strokes, but also Franz Ferdinand, whilst Indian Red Lopez were hailed for their "understated charm".
A Genuine Freakshow found their forthcoming double A-side single, Our Bodies / New Houses already picking up some good press well ahead of it's September 26th release date. AAA Music and Fame Magazine were the first to get on board and spread the news about the release and the four track sampler from their debut album Oftentimes that the band are currently giving away via their official website.
New to the roster, Keith Top of the Pop & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band have already confirmed a lead album review for their debut Fuck You! I'm Keith Top of the Pops in next month's Artrocker plus Popmatters had already said some great things about it too.
Blog love!
It's also worth keeping an eye on the ABoF blog. This week, Ed had a mini rant about chatty gig goers. We also checked in with Punk Rock Ist Nicht Tot", who made our Blog of the Week.
Get in touch!
We're always happy to receive emails about our bands or enquiries about our PR and event management services. If you'd like to get in touch, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
We're also on Facebook and Twitter - make sure you find us and keep up to date with all the latest news and natterings!
Keith TOTP reviewed by PopMatters
Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band has just picked up a great review for his/their debut album - Fuck You! I'm Keith Top Of The Pops.
PopMatters reviewed the album, awarding it 8 out of ten stars, and giving their readers a pretty exhaustive breakdown of the songs on the album. Be sure to check it out.
If you can't see the waveform for the album track "I Hate Your Band" below, then check it out on the ABoF SoundCloud page.
Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band - I Hate Your Band by abadgeoffriendship
With an album tour due in September, Keith Top Of The Pops & His Minor UK Indie Celebrity All-Star Backing Band, are sure to ruffle some feathers in the UK Indie music scene over the coming months.
