Benjamin Shaw's PR Queen, Stacey Walton's sponsored run

Now that Benjamin Shaw is a megastar with songs on the internet radio and reviews on the internet magazines we've decided to hire him PR. We scored Stacey Walton of The Art Of..., the agency behind the likes of Los Campesinos!, Yuck, Mogwai, Copy Haho, Go! Team, Sparky Deathcab, Gruff Rhys, Perfume Genius, yadda yadda (sorry guys, I hope you won't mind taking the backseat just this once...but Ben's a rocking machine).

Anyway, when she isn't making AAH filthy rich, she's running for charity. Particularly the Nicola Murray Foundation for ovarian cancer, for which she has a sponsored run on the 4th of September. As a wee Scot, long distance running isn't necessarily her speciality...but she's gone to war on this and will doubtlessly prevail.

You can and should donate a little or a lot to her JustGiving page:

http://www.justgiving.com/Stacey-Walton

Do something good. Even I donated a bit and I'm a total dick.

Jamie - Audio Antihero: Specialists in Commercial Suicide

www.audioantihero.com

Loveliest thing to happen since starting this crummy record label

Between losing money, selling no records, getting ignored by every DJ and writer EVER and generally having to be nice to people like Benjamin Shaw...there's also VERY VERY VERY VERY lovely things that happen. This is one of them...

Recently I received a parcel in the post from Wonderwoman (aka Joy) containing this:

A handmade Nosferatu D2 tote bag just for me! And what does that little note say I hear you ask? It says:

"Jamie, thanks for having a proper good record label :)"

Isn't that the nicest thing in the world?

The bag's a pretty incredible reproduction of David Broadbent's design and the detail on the belt buckle and walkman brings a huge smile to my face.

Given that this stupid label was started around Nosferatu D2 in October 2009, it's truly quite heartening and touching that the record still means enough people to spend time and imagination on it. The 2011 EP series, despite being something I'm very proud of, hasn't generated a lot of sales, even by AAH standards - but I'm learning this year to take pleasure from how much any one Audio Antihero record can mean to any one fan, rather than how many people I can convince to put down their £3.49.

Of course I hope one day I can sell a few more copies of things, not even in the profit range, just enough for my hugely deserving roster to get a little credit (and I want chicks and glory...and to quit my job)...but in the meantime, I'm just delighted that here and there I've made a few folk happy and they've more than returned the favour.

Thanks folks, thanks Joy.

Rumour has it that I might meet Joy at our Audio Antihero's 2nd Birthday Gig/Benjamin Shaw's album launch on November 25th and if so, she's going to get such a hug/high-five (whichever she'd prefer).

I leave you with Nosferatu D2' "we're gonna walk around this city with our headphones on to block out the noise" (AAH001)

Never Say DIY!

Jamie - Audio Antihero: Specialists in Commercial Suicide

www.audioantihero.com

P.S this isn't realllyyyy a thinly veiled request for you guys to do more nice things for me but do feel free!

Hawkwind Duvall's "Album Of The Week" - Runaround Kids

Don't call it a comeback!

It's me! The cacti with the black tie and Audio Antihero Vice President (and Operations Manager) Mr. Hawkind Duvall!

My very own Album Of The Week is: Runaround Kids - Linked Arms (Philophobia, 2011)

These guys are from Wakefield, I don't know where that is but Jamie tells me "it might as well be a fucking desert" so I reckon we'd get on. This sounds a bit like all those girly boo-hoo records Jamie likes so much (Get Up Kids, Johnny Foreigner, Los Campesinos!, Neil Diamond, etc) but younger, louder and catchier.

I'm down with it.

They're sentimental little tykes though...seriously guys, 'WE DON'T LOVE THESE HOES'.

8/10

Here's a video of them playing with a dog: