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BENJAMIN PROSSER
Benjamin Prosser was born in Wiltshire in 1974. He started recording at the age of 12 using two tape recorders to double and triple track instrumentals using organ, piano and drums. After studying painting he moved to london in 1998 and formed folk hollering with school friend Mark Arend creating a warped, stompy blues, recording an ep at Toe Rag Studios in 2000 (which was subsequently never released) and playing shows with many underground bands including Reverend Pike, Penny Dreadful, The Tasty Ones, Angel Racing Food and The Gossip. During this period he also founded The Coffin Press specialising in underground/dole poetry publishing six of his own books (Fire Animals, For the Fallen, The Sandman is Coming, The Cunt of Hope, Fear of Women, 27 Reasons To Hate Me) and two by others whilst reading his work around London. After folk hollering split he formed the painting group The TAP ('They're All Prostitutes') Collective ('for those who sign on and make art') centred around a south London homeless drop-in shelter where he volunteered running arts workshops. Benjamin curated several exhibitions of paintings, prints and drawings there. The TAP Collective recorded an lp 'old wood, new fire' in early 2002 and this was released along with his first solo compilation lp 'The Cunt of Hope' on his own imprint Black Spot Records. A further LP 'In Her Arms Again' was compiled but due to lack of funds was never released. Benjamin moved to Barcelona in 2002 and spent 6 months making paintings and collages exhibiting them at Granja de Gava in the Ravel district of the city. After moving back to London he formed a short lived duo Jamboree, playing shows with The Parkinsons, Archie Bronson Outfit and Kramer among others. Finding this a dispiriting experience Benjamin decided to return to making music alone. 'The Cunt of Hope' was re-named 'Blues for Harpo' and reissued on Sexton Ming's Rim Records in 2004 getting a lot of airplay on Irwin Chusid's (author of 'music in the key of z') show on WFMU in the USA whilst an early version of 'Killing Flaw' was used in the Australian film 'Playing with Piranhas.' After many years without or in part-time work he decided to seek full-time employment. He now works at a hostel in New Cross London specialising in the rehabilitaion of mentally disordered offenders and shows his art work at the Kiroh Gallery Edinburgh.
www.myspace.com/benjaminprosser

MR DAVID VINER
This is not "garage blues", "nu blues", or even "contemporary blues" - it is just blues and folk music - as beautiful and simple and perfect as it can be played. It's Mr. David Viner - a gaunt young man in a cheap suit, possessor of a worldly knowledge beyond his years, and a heart of stone.
One misty morning a real bluesman and his bluesmen friends were staggering along the banks of the Mississippi river on their way back from a drinking/jammin'/bluesy session at their local bar when they stumbled upon a basket with a tiny pink skinny baby inside. The note attached told them to look after the infant 'David' and to bring him up as they would their own. The real bluesman knelt down and put his hand in the basket. Just as he did this the baby grabbed his finger and started topick away at it, like you would a guitar. Not any guitar. No sir. This be a blues guitar. The real bluesman hooted and howled proclaiming how this child will be a born bluesman. "We'll name him 'Viner', theres no name finer!" So they picked him up, and took him back to the condo where they all lived. They made a bed for him in one of their draws where he slept 'till he was ten. By then he had mastered the Blues and was drinkin' boob scotch mornin and night to keep his music real gritty sounding. But he spoke with an English accent and the bluesmen could never understand how he got it, so he decided to travel to london because there weren't many bluesmen there and Mississippi was getting over run with 'em. So there he stayed like a street urchin living off his busking tips until a band from Detroit called the Von Bondies needed a guy to sell their tour merchandise. So David said he would because he turned out to be a nice guy like that. He would play his guitar for them too, which they liked a whole lot. One day they asked him if he would want to play for the crowd before they went on. David accepted this invitation, and asked Carrie, who is the super lovely bassist with the band, if she would mind making him some boob scotch for his performances. But he would have to observe the process to make sure she was doing it right. Sadly Carrie declined his request and said she'd "kick his ass" if he ever tried to pull that one again. After this David learned to sing and play his guitar on regular scotch. Even though really he should drink bourbon, it's better.
www.mrdavidviner.com

THE LAST TOWN CHORUS
The Last Town Chorus "She sings like an angel and plays lap steel guitar like the Devil. Audio Narcotics." (Village Voice) The Last Town Chorus is a revolving ensemble led by Megan Hickey, and whose live performances range from solo sets to large ensembles that feature collaborators from pop, classical, and rock worlds. "The Last Town Chorus is the only choir consisting of one voice -- and it belongs to Brooklyn's Megan Hickey, who croons languidly while her idiosyncratic lap steel guitar yawns and stretches seductively. Megan's music is spatial, unhurried, and tinged with sorrow. She proves you don't have to play loud and fast to be heard."
(Irwin Chusid, WFMU)
"Dont feel bad if you walk away a little slackjawed after seeing Last Town Chorus for the first time. Its hard not to. The Brooklyn act is fronted by Megan Hickey, whose cover-girl looks fall completely out of context with her instrument of choice: lap steel (and a cheap, 60-year-old one at that). However unlikely the combination, Hickey is not just convincing, but utterly spellbinding as she sits at the lip of the stage, eyes closed, drenching her songs of heartbreak and city life with bottomless longing. It just sounds like I feel, she says of the lap steel, which she uses to send us floating in space or rolling down an endless big-sky highway. Her delay-rich style veers into both avant Americana and the ethereal, recalling Beth Orton and Hope Sandoval. Its an unlikely path for a Pittsburgh girl who grew up on the likes of Yaz and Erasure (shes even recorded glacial covers of Bowies Modern Love and Culture Clubs Do You Really Want to Hurt Me.). A former bandmate introduced her to the lap steel a few years ago, and her life hasnt been the same since: It was like magic in my living room.
Relix Magazine, US (August 2005)
www.thelasttownchorus

BRIAN OLIVE
www.myspace.com/brian42olive

JACOB FLETCHER
Jacob Fletcher Started song writing in Manchester in 2002 under the wings of I Am Kloot, Elbow & Indigo Jones. He then formed Grand transmitter in 2003. Upon releasing critically acclaimed debut “Under the Wheel” Tours followed with Spiritualized & Keane & a performance on the Glastonbury John Peel Stage! Jacob started performing under his own name releasing “All the dead roads to the kingdom” with members of Ladytron & the Earlies contributing Synth and string arrangements. The Album was written & recorded on Journeys down highway 61 in the US and in Eastern Europe & Russia! Time out described it as “Rich, Fine solo song craft” & “Art Blues” Jacob & his band (Rich Watts, Tess Oakley, Sarah Wain & Nick Foot, known as the Mini Orchestra) are starting work on the second LP & playing out live!
www.myspace.com/jacobfletcher




FITZ 001. The Tap Collective/Benjamin Prosser -SOLD OUT
FITZ 002. Mr David Viner - SOLD OUT
FITZ 003. The Last Town Chorus - SOLD OUT
FITZ 004. Brian Olive - available
FITZ 005. Jacob Fletcher - available
FITZ 006. Black Acid - drops 24TH March 08

CLICK HERE TO PRE ORDER BLACK ACID: F.U.R. / GLITTER IN THE GUTTER
LTD EDITION 7” FROM ON THE FRINGE RECORDS

CLICK HERE TO PRE ORDER BLACK ACID: F.U.R. / GLITTER IN THE GUTTER
LTD EDITION 7” FROM ROUGH TRADE


Fitzrovian Phonographic
5 Little Portland Street
Fitzrovia
London
W1