MySpace Trawl – Son Of Dave
Then buzz it up
April 4th, 2008 at 13:00 by Matthew Laidlow
Taking two things and putting them together can sometimes produce differing results.
Once upon a time back in 1762, the Earl of Sandwich couldn’t be bothered to get off his fat arse to get a snack whilst gambling. He ordered a minion to get some food for him. Taking two bits of bread and jamming in some beef, he created the sandwich. Those things put together worked. But many things don’t. Water and electricity and technology and women are just some of the others that fail badly.Music is also full of things that shouldn’t work, but oddly do. This week’s artist is a shining example of this. Going under the name Son Of Dave, Benjamin Darvill, formally of Canadian folk rock act Crash Test Dummies effortlessly combines blues with a spot of beat boxing. Lovely.
The traditionally stereotyped view on blues music is that it is only enjoyed by the older generation who would have sat in smoke-filled bars, enjoying slow hazy guitar riffs over a whisky or two. Well, they can still do this, but not thanks to patronising government legislation that wraps us all firmly in cotton wool. What’s next? Banning glass from serving pints in?
At the moment, the one man band ethos is extremely popular amongst young bandwagon hopping folk. From Sea Sick Steve’s performance on Jools Holland, to David Ford to our already trawled Thomas Truax, people seem to be digging this sound. However, it is more a captivating live performance that draws people towards these artists rather than anything recorded. In a bit of unrequested PR plugging, Son Of Dave has a new record coming out on Monday. Or if you’re reading this late, April 7.
We’d like you to sample some of the tasty new tracks on offer, and a few of his yet-to-be classics from yesteryear. Then you’ll hopefully go and see him when he extensively tours the UK. Tell him hecklerspray sent you. Though you might get a bit of a blank response if you do that.
Older tracks like Goddamn have a toe-stomping beat over a distorted and fuzzy melody. Even though you probably won't the words, it’s strong enough to get anyone in some sort of singing mood, although the drunker you are, the easier this might be.
We also mentioned that Son Of Dave manages to effectively combine beatboxing with the old style blues sound. Whilst it is physically impossible to describe, we are happy to say that there are a few videos on his page with him doing so. As he creates the beat, it is sampled, fed back and broadcast with harmonics and vocals all being added. It makes for an awesome listen.
From O2’s album (No not a tribute to the shite phone operator), the brilliant Devil Take My Soul is available to listen to. This song introduced us to the brilliance of Son Of Dave and we invested in his entire discography afterwards. This is a soulful hit that was a smash in the underground music scene but annoyingly missed by the consumer-driven masses. With guest vocals from Martina Topley Bird, the long time collaborator with trip-hop artist Tricky, it makes for a monster of a song. Go and buy it!
Read more:
