The Unkindness Of Ravens

Last Call For the River

2012-01-31T11:47:00.000-08:00

NEW SINGLE - LAST CALL FOR THE RIVER - FEATURING ON This is Fake DIY - ALBUM 'VIRUS' RELEASED MAY 2012

http://www.thisisfakediy.co.uk/articles/news/the-unkindness-of-ravens-release-new-track

JOIN OUR FAN PAGE:

http://www.facebook.com/theunkindnessofravens

LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-26T04:37:00.000-08:00

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU!

http://soundcloud.com/ravens/all-i-want-for-xmas-is-you

LIVE @ O2 Arena

2011-12-10T08:01:00.000-08:00

This was us @ the O2 Arena free stage 8 December before Brian Adams hit the main stage.

VK Test

2011-10-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

Ben and Nina interview each other one week after the release of their single VIRUS / VIPER

YOUR FAVOURITE:

RECORD

N: I don't have one.
B: Dirty - Sonic Youth - I don't care if it's their most commercial sounding

BAR

N: 8mm
B: 8mm, Berlin - like Catch in Shoreditch was in it's heyday

CIGARETTES

N: Players
B: Golden Virginia, licorice skins

SECRET WEAPON

N: M41A Pulse Rifle - from Alien
B: Electro-Harmonix

TELL ME ABOUT:

SEX

N: Violent
B: My inspiration

THE FUTURE

N: Dead
B: Things no longer have the value they deserve

FASHION

N: Black
B: Boots, tight jeans, killer leather jacket

BERLIN

N: Teeth
B: It gives me what I want

WHAT DO YOU:

HATE

N: Dictators
B: Society

LOVE

N: Mushy red cesspit covered in artificial sweeteners
B: Art that strives to be beautiful

NEED

N: Leather biker boots
B: The night

KNOW

N: Money kills
B: Hey Jude

YOUR BAND:

LIVE

N: Animal
B: The reason I exist

THE ALBUM

N: Deadly machine love
B: Last Call For The River is the song I've always wanted to write

VIPER VIDEO

N: Sex
B: The moment we distilled ourselves on film

UNPLUGGED

N: Human
B: We'll be putting out an acoustic EP shortly after the album

AA single VIRUS / VIPER out now on Sonic Fire Records

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/the-unkindness-of-ravens/id468436840

VIRUS video on NME.COM

2011-10-04T04:14:00.000-07:00

We are proud to announce that VIRUS is currently being showcased on NME.COM! We would love it if you could vote for it and comment after it. Your support is golden.

http://www.nmevideo.com/the-unkindness-of-ravens-virus

2011-10-02T23:40:00.000-07:00

Our latest double A side single VIRUS / VIPER is out now! VIRUS is the title track from our forthcoming debut LP. We recorded both tracks in our apartment in Berlin in January. You can get the tracks on iTunes or Bandcamp - the latter is cheaper and you can take a free download of the VIRUS - Ventenner remix while you're there. Please also check out the video to VIRUS - it's fighting it's way around the Contactmusic.com video chart right now and last night overtook Beyonce and Avril Lavigne for a while. That aside we've been enjoying regular radio play over at Amazing Radio and various internet stations while burning the oil finishing this album of ours. Here are some articles and interviews that have surfaced lately:

http://www.aaamusic.co.uk/2011/09/25/meet-the-unkindness-of-ravens-your-new-favourite-band/

http://www.artrocker.tv/tv/article/the-unkindness-of-ravens-virus

http://www.feveravenue.com/monday-music-musings-the-unkindness-of-ravens/

http://www.abadgeoffriendship.com/blog/entry/interview-the-unkindness-of-ravens

http://sourmashmusic.com/2011/09/20/the-sourmash-top-10-200911/

Thx for listening. Your support is gold. X

Bikini Kill

2011-09-11T08:23:00.000-07:00

Stills from next music video VIPER

London/England

2011-08-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

To everyone we know and love living in London and other parts of England, please be safe. This is a testing time and we worry sick for anyone in danger!

Please please be safe!

Love

Ravens

French Connection

2011-08-01T04:41:00.000-07:00

Guess what?

We have VIRUS on a French Connection video promo! Shot by talented Kelly Wolverella Mitchell!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spHfE01kw5k&feature=player_embedded

In Berlin for two months playing shows, editing our music video for VIRUS and working on our forthcoming double A single - VIRUS & VIPER.

Stay tuned for more fancy information!

In the Dark I am your Light

2011-07-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

In the dark
I am your light
from my fingertips
to your heart.

Days are running away and in less than a week we are to be in Berlin playing a few shows, editing our music video and over all soaking up Berlins atmosphere, to further fuel our empty tanks of inspiration.

We are romantic beings, living our lives out of a movie, but with eyes open. We are no fools in this world of fun and glamor and deception. The veils of satisfaction wrap their silky scarves around our flesh, tempting our souls to better things.

We grow only when we learn. And a lot of learning has been done.

Soon the days in London will draw to a close and the future days of Berlin will open.

I can't tell you
how much I love you,
to spare the words
their almost soulless meaning
as truth is in my heart
and in my eyes,
I look upon you
and without any
speech shared
you know exactly
what I mean.

I am the Dust, I Care so Much

2011-06-21T16:26:00.000-07:00

On Monday we had our video shoot for VIRUS the title track of our first forthcoming album. We were blessed with exquisite dancers, make up and hair artists, the best director of photography in London and a studio space that provided the perfect atmosphere to make our visions come true.

The Raven's team is growing with people from all over London and even the world who have talent and ambition, a nurturing soul and who love to be part of great projects.

It's made us become more aware, that what begins as a seed in your mind can grow, if you allow it to, into something greater than you would have ever expected with the right people involved. But to get there, two main ingredients are needed - imagination and common sense.

As artists one is always graduating from one project to the next, gracefully moving on upward. Before you know it, you'll look back and think - MAN I did ALL of THAT?!

Yup. Because you cared so much and did whatever it took to get there, with a little bit of thought and a hell lot of passion.

Yea - we are a small band and a smaller label. But it's not about the short cut on how to get to your goal, it's the journey, the length of its path, the obstacles you gotta find ways to overcome, the love you share along the way and the hunger that never ceases to stop.

Creation began with God (or so I'm told by religious fanatics, God's just a symbol in this blog, we ain't religious by traditional standards) and now WE are the creators and masters of our own universes. Real conquerors began small, convincing people one by one of their beliefs, until they had an army of believers behind them, who fought tooth and nail for their leader. Those who became leaders always started with one pure thought; that thing they believed in most and never gave up on until somehow others believed in them also. Real artists who begin small, last forever, because once you plant a seed, it can only ever grow on, forever.

Thank you for being part of our music, our videos, our photo shoots, our press and our supporters.

Without any of you, we would merely be two people making noise without an audience.

Peace!

Bleed from Within

2011-06-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

"... strip me from (beastly) bear (animal) skin, I have waited for so long, strip me from my breaths of death, I curdle you from within... " - N.W.

What can I say, but holy fuck it's real. That's right. The life we breath right now in this moment is realer than the skinny ass from some headless chicken waiting to be fried into a nugget and later chowed down by some fat freak who doesn't think any further than his own beluga blubbering flesh of existence... Oh wait, that's pretty real as well.

Lets count the ways shall we? The Unkindness of Ravens are a two piece electro rock band formerly formed in London. One dude's English and drop dead handsome, the other is a chick from somewhere in Europe who can speak a coupla languages and can't decide wether to be brunette or blond. Either way, these two sexy beasts are horny for music, girls and playing live shows. They want to do nothing more than to be creative every single day, for the rest of their lives, playing music, selling music, having sex with music and surrounding themselves with like minded people so that together, with this little growing empire, they can create the tsunami, stone cold kids have been waiting for.

We all like the thought of being saved either by Prince Charming, health insurance, a steady job whatever... As we grow older and the cynism grows like warts on the end of a junkies nose, we come to realize that really, we are all alone and we gotta fend and "save" ourselves - or else I'd like to think Jesus would have returned a long fucking time ago to "save us"...

That's the thing about Jesus, if there's anything we can learn from him - he literally sacrificed his life for what he believed in. He believed so hard, he got the ax, because he showed the world a different way, he actually had the balls of steel to say "yo fuckers, there are other ways to live your petty life, do it, don't be afraid, and stop being sheep!".

Yea - I don't wanna be hung for my beliefs and Ravens ain't interested in changing the world, but what we ARE interested in is NOT to be afraid, be confident and comfortable in who we are, loyal to our principles and not get bullied into anything we don't want to do.

It's a longer, less taken path in what we do and there's no rule book to guide us but the loins of our instincts (and vice versa).

We aim to set an example that anything's fucking possible.

And we hope you live your life by that motto as well!

Peace!

Sex, Blood and Rock n Roll

2011-05-22T05:22:00.000-07:00

It's Friday night and us Ravens trash the stage with distorted bass lines and vitalized screams. My seizure moves ripple through my body, creating electronic visualized cyber punkness. Ben's losing his shit, smashing Bloody Mary with a mixture of violence and lustful strokes, hitting her metallic pulsing strings as if his life depended on it.

We make contact.

Her head stock smashes into my brow.

The warmth of blood bubbles down the bridge of my nose.

Finally we are free.

Free to be what we want to be.

Real artists.

We sweat.

We suffer.

We bleed.

We love.

If we didn't do what we do, there would be no point of our existence.

Thank you for your support.

Come on, Arise

2011-04-25T02:03:00.000-07:00

Now let me see... It's coming up to the end of our third month since we've been back to London... Something like that anyway and all I can say is, it feels like FOREVER. Not that time has stood still, but the days, if they're not broken up with gigs and other work; they're spent in the studio tearing our hair out.

You think with every new record we make, we would be a little bit closer to making it easier for ourselves. But no. With every new record, comes new equipment and new plug-ins and new ideas and new everything... So no matter what happens, art will always stay challenging, it will continuously have obstacles to over come and questions to be figured out. And why shouldn't it be challenging? If art were easy, everyone would be doing it and art would cease to have its unique quality... (this applies to artists with integrity, you know who you are!)

So where are we at? Our album's coming out... We began with June as the release date, then we moved it back to July and now we believe we can definitely make it for August. What we tend to do is set ourselves some pretty impossible deadlines. We don't think they're impossible until we get down and start doing the work. As creators, the biggest learning lesson is time and how to use it wisely. The minute the time surrounding us feels more like pressure rather than a gift, we crumble and all of a sudden things begin to look like an impossible task. The journey in making this record has taught us a lot about its technology, its sound and most importantly its discipline and sacrifice that time allows for us to measure our success by.

Our destiny? Berlin in mid July for about two months. Maybe we'll be able to go to a lake, bath in the steam of summer, play a few shows in and around the city and over all show off a product we sweated over.

It's not easy being a creator. Many trials have to be made before you come out with the perfect vision you've had in mind. My advice though is, keep it simple, don't over-think and if you cease having fun with it, then you're doing something wrong.

Be Punk and be Free.

Let there be Light

2011-03-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

Us Ravens have been back in London nearly two months, although at the rate we've been working and getting things done, it feels like we've been in the smog for much longer.

Having blown up a few gigs here and there, we can safely say, we're feeling pretty damn confident. The album's working its ass off trying to sound and be the love child it deserves to be and we're pretty much around the clock either mixing or arranging our next set of gigs for this summer's LP 'Virus' tour.

We're aiming to hit the road for July and August and strongly thinking of officially moving down to Berlin when the summer leaves turn brown and fall like broken memories to the ground.

Have a read on our latest live reviews. It's always a pleasure to read great writing with awesome taste in music.

Artrocker:
http://www.artrocker.tv/live/article/the-unkindness-of-ravens-the-rhythm-factory-london

Call of the Wyld:
http://callofthewyld.blogspot.com/2011/03/volitains-cold-in-berlin-unkindness-of.html

BBC America:
http://blogs.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2011/02/01/music-roundup-the-go-team-revives-their-pop-party-mix/

Our next show - we will be supporting Joana and the Wolf @ 229 Club 7 April.

See you there and remember be punk and be free!

Berlin Photos

2011-02-13T10:33:00.000-08:00

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=624611&id=603410330&l=9de335bfe9

London Calling

2011-02-11T06:28:00.001-08:00

Us Ravens have now been in London for a week now, had our first back to London show last night @ Rhythm Factory. Twas a killer show, scooped some brains with feedback and pretty much left to-become-fans with jaws dropped. Yup. We can't help but be a bit weird and freaky. It's in our nature to just let the animal from within tear shit up and unleash all that anger that most folks seem to repress. It's healthy to be angry, especially if it's that kind of anger that involves great change. And I get angry because the London music scene is on the decline. Promoters aren't doing what they're meant to do; promote. Instead it's left up to the bands to bring people... So how the fuck are you ever gonna play to a new crowed? Plug your music inside the vulnerable brains of the youth?

Here's the secret ingredient on how to become a raped musician by the raping music industry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pehHOqx7JXg&feature=player_embedded

Anyway, us Ravens have been laboring behind computers and mixing desks for the past week, mixing this beautiful love child of an Album and organizing tours/festivals in the next few months.

Yea.

So

We'll

Keep

You

Posted.

London in Berlin

2011-01-20T03:30:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting on the sofa in our flat/studio in the center of Berlin feeling content. This is why I lifted my laptop onto my lap (no pun intended) looking out the window and thinking peacefully how I will miss this city that I've had the fortune to get to know, even if a month is rather brief. I shouldn't get too ahead of myself, because our time here isn't up yet, but my heart feels full with the good work we've been producing and the shows we played and have yet to play thus far have been spectacular.

As artists, we're always trying to push ourselves outside our comfort zones, challenge our spirit in order to attain purity and push boundaries. I believe this is very important that as artists, you're constantly evolving and feeding that hungry passion. And by keeping things interesting, you must constantly produce work, even if it's "shit", this "shit" work is what helps you find the essence that makes your niche unique and spectacular.

Thomas Edison, founder of the light bulb, was supposedly asked by a reporter what it felt like to experience 1,000 failures when trying to create the light bulb. To that Edison replied "I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb."

We came to Berlin for many reasons, one was we got bored of London's music scene, another reason was we wanted to experience a new city and get fresh inspiration and the last reason was to see how our music would translate to the Berliners. Although I think London respects our work, most are just not fully into it (yet), maybe that's to due with a cultural difference in style, sound and attitude... Let me put it this way, Berlin is open for anything and they're ready to take new artists by the horns and they follow through with their curiosity.

I think as artists, it's just as important to evolve your art as it is to take the appropriate steps to find your audience, even if that means moving countries. Thing is, if we are serious in making this band our number one job, then we gotta go where the money and the interest is. But don't confuse that with being part of a scene because Ravens will never be part of a scene unless a scene develops around them. We won't actively go out there and try and belong to a group in order to have our audience already there for us. We're way to versatile and really, for us it's not about that, it's about our creations and anyone can follow us from where ever they're from. Ravens are pretty much from everywhere anyway and our influences are mixed up so our sound will always surprise you. No one will ever be able to peg us down because the genre we've created doesn't have a name yet, but I'm sure some journalist will one day come alone and name us something that will stick...

We're our own genre, scene, style and sound.

Daytime begins after midnight

2011-01-12T03:09:00.000-08:00

It's been a little over one week in Berlin and already we feel at home here. Yea, there's been talks of relocating down here, but we still got some things to sort out before we can turn that into a reality. There's something in this city that no other city has anymore, Freedom. Not only can you smoke in bars still, but people genuinely don't give a shit pretty much about anything besides politics.

Night time in this city begins after midnight, which at first took us a coupla days/nights to get used to as everything in London shuts around 2am unless you're lucky to find a genuine dingy bar that remains open till 4am. This time change of nocturnal activities actually proves to do us well, because this essentially means our days are technically longer if you get my drift. So we manage to get a shit load more done to which we then around 1am still go out for a night cap.

And another thing, people in Berlin actually give a shit if you're the band playing that night. The sound engineer's and the bands are polite and genuine. None of this faux-ego that folks in London seem to like to put on, pretending they're all kul and edgy. I'm telling you, the real 'edgy' is here in Berlin. Our first gig here was in some underground grotto hidden behind other derelict warehouses where only the headlights of a car could help you find the way to get there.

I'm telling you, if you want the real shit, not this dressed-up-try-hard-BS you get in other cities, COME to Berlin! You'll genuinely feel like a human being who still has a brain and can make your own decision without some 'scene' doing it for you. Once you're in Berlin, you'll feel something that you thought was once lost or robbed from you, that true sense of Freedom, that feeling that the world really is your oyster. That true sense of 'I can do whatever I want' is here in the air and we breath it everyday and it fills our guts with inspiration.

And no one's even gonna try and stop us!

Wilkommen in Deutschland

2010-12-31T00:49:00.000-08:00

Surrounding us at the moment is snow, horses, giant cats and wild dogs. Two hours outside of Berlin, us Ravens are gearing up for our intense month ahead. On top of recording and writing and designing and having a few visitors, we've booked six shows. One show we're excited about since it's something we've never done is a massive outdoor live show right under the Brandenburger Tor, where we will be supporting a demonstration against genetically modified food...

Our TUORavens career got me quite nostalgic in these last few days. Maybe it's something to do with the cosy snow outside and the time to fill with not much more than my thoughts that I've come to remind myself of all of our successes. It's just been a little over two years when Ravens came together rehearsed a few songs and had our first gig... And now, here we are, in Germany, getting ready to try out a few scenes in Berlin and recording our Album.

Can life get any better?

What's quite astounding as well when I look at our journey; we originally started off as a band, creating innovative music in search for labels to sign us and make our dreams come true. Eventually we decided no one could do it better than us. And that's been our attitude ever since. It's a way to help with our self preservation, so that when we do work with other people, they will be the right ones, the ones who get what we're about. We are more than just a band now, we're a record label, producing our own records, being our own managers and soon we will be signing other bands that we believe in.

We're a business.

We're a creative business.

So yea, we won't get too ahead of ourselves just yet, but just enough to outsmart everyone else...

Step On It

2010-12-23T15:50:00.000-08:00

I slam the back doors of the van. Turn the key, hit the gas, drive this shit south. Our equipment is on it's way to Berlin. We won't be far behind. Gotta rip this Christmas thing up first but, you know, we deserve a little calm before the storm. Gonna drown in red wine awhile before leaving this blown out speaker of a year for dust. In two weeks time we'll be holed up in our Berlin apartment burning harddrives with noise, and sailing down streets that promise new ways to frame our souls. On the sixth of June 2011 our album will be hanging in the sky and it will be dripping with a sense of wonder that I still can't shake, a desire to live and love better than what I see around me in anticipation of adventures that no one can promise but I know are there, because they're staring straight back. We're gonna make the best record in town, pure and simple. Have a great Christmas everyone, we can't wait to have a ball with you in the new year. X.

DIY with Quality

2010-12-16T05:58:00.000-08:00

Ravens were asked to be a guest blogger on ABOF (A Badge of Friendship) blogsite. We shed some light on the realities on what's it like to be in a DIY band and running an Indie Label. Happy Reading!

http://www.abadgeoffriendship.com/blog/entry/guest-blog-the-unkindness-of-ravens

NYLON

2010-12-13T09:51:00.000-08:00

Check out our video 'I Used to be so Pretty' on NYLON blogsite. Please leave a comment! Sticky love!

http://nylonmag.com/nylonblogs/blog/2010/12/09/music-video-the-unkindness-of-ravens/

voice on the verge #56: the unkindness of ravens

2010-12-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

voice on the verge #56: the unkindness of ravens

"I Used To Be So Pretty" EP OUT NOW

2010-11-29T03:51:00.000-08:00

We are excited to announce that our latest record "I Used To Be So Pretty" is out today. This EP features four new 'techno-grunge' tracks including 'Prototype', the video to which went live last week. This record is available on iTunes and all of the usual digital retailers, however we are supporting a new platform called Bandcamp which will soon become the future of digital distribution and we recommend you buy it from them. Reason? We control the prices and we are selling our records cheaper than iTunes and everyone else, but the big thing is QUALITY - you can chose to download music from Bandcamp in any digital format you can think of. Please give our record a spin and if you're into it, buy it, and play it LOUD. Check out Nina's beautiful artwork too. Thanks for listening.

Ben & Nina x

Bandcamp: http://theunkindnessofravens.bandcamp.com/

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/i-used-to-be-so-pretty-ep/id406208519

Cool things that have been happening!

2010-11-26T10:40:00.001-08:00

Check out our New Music Video PROTOTYPE and the zines it's been published on!

YOUTUBE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAx4Ljk1HYM

CLASH:
http://www.clashmusic.com/feature/the-unkindness-of-ravens-prototype

Reviews on Buzzin and Bearded Magazine:

BUZZIN:
http://www.buzzinmusicblog.co.uk/the-unkindness-of-ravens-debut-ep-i-used-to-be-so-pretty-videos-and-mp3-download/3581

BEARDED MAG:
http://www.beardedmagazine.com/eps/article/the-unkindness-of-ravens-i-used-to-be-so-pretty-sonic-fire

Also get your free download of PROTOTYPE from NYLON MAGAZINE NY:

http://nylonmag.com/nylonblogs/blog/2010/10/28/free-music-the-unkindness-of-ravens/

And from time to time you can catch our tunes on a Friday night on AMAZING RADIO:

http://amazingradio.co.uk/

STICKY LOVE!

www.theunkindnessofravens.com

Note To Self

2010-11-11T05:23:00.000-08:00

The digital age has killed my attention span. And yours. So I'll keep this brief. I'm gonna rescue my attention span, and watch as the real world and my real desires come back into focus. From now on in everytime I check out a band's song online I'm gonna listen to the whole thing because you know, some people take a lot of pride in writing middle 8s and outros. I'm not gonna check my emails when presented with a couple of inconvenient minutes waiting, queuing, when I'm bored on a bus, when my girl's at the bar. I'm not gonna hang around on Facebook waiting for nothing to happen or wonder why the hell when people eventually reply to my emails they don't actually answer the things I asked them. I'm gonna look out the window and let my mind go, I'm gonna fix a lyric, remember who my favorite painters are, take a breath and trace the air, remember all the things I used to cook, think about the first time she took off her dress, wonder how the hell we evolved to be able to construct these buildings around us, write the first and last line to a book... I'm gonna remember that I'm intelligent and that I'm gonna die and that if I'm gonna be remembered as a great songwriter I better pick up my guitar more often. I'm gonna go listen to a record in it's entirity and think about how cool it is that those tracks are in that order, how amazing it is that a couple of circular vibrating pieces of cardboard attached to magnets inside wooden boxes inject rock'n'roll into my veins and make me wanna grab my girl and give her the attention she deserves. I need to give my mind the attention it deserves. Thanks for listening.

Berlin Berlin

2010-09-23T01:42:00.000-07:00

The developments in our musical career as a band from the future are growing into something fast and furious, but slow enough to enjoy every single moment with a bleeding kiss.

Sometimes when I look into your eyes I can't help myself but get lost in dreams I've wanted to turn real and share together with you. So much do I fall inside you, I wear your skin like a coat and my insides turn to a milky mush.

The EP 'I Used to be so Pretty' is happily uploaded onto our myspace player. It's official release will be November Twenty 9. So grab it on iTunes for you to own.

Our EP launch party will take place 23 October at The Roadtrip bar (downstairs in the Workshop) on Old Street. There will be an array of other Bands playing on the night of industrial and electro genre. All this followed by our EP tour in November round the UK.

Something we're very excited about, we'll be heading to Berlin for one month in January to finish writing and recording our Album. This will be a fine break from London, giving us some breathing space, some adventure and all round excitement and inspiration.

Love is in the air for us Ravens. We can't seem to help but find love in every corner of our lives. This is how we believe the world will forever go round.

And to the NME dude who said Rock n Roll was dead - I hope you didn't write that for the money because you don't know what you're talking about!

The Space You Begin

2010-08-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

Somewhere I end and you begin. Bound by noise, attracted by purity, addicted to the details no one else has found no one will ever look at you the way I do and I don't need no one else to look at me again. I unplug myself from the machine I use to set fire to myself, I'm done burning tonight. I need to plug myself back into you but you're caressing that place on the map that gave you to the world and so I kick back and think of you and light another cigarette and fall some more into my lake of wonder for you that was once a drop, one day an ocean, and you know I don't ever want to see the shore. I swallow and tease my lungs with the idea of filling them with water I hear it's the most pleasurable way to go I don't know whether the idea is to swim or drown I guess you only keep afloat if you need rescuing huh. I become light. The echoes of my alternative realities get softer by the drop they know they can't compete anymore, there is no more temptation left, I have cut myself out and you have cut yourself in. Light becomes me. Somewhere I end, it's the space you begin.

Faster

2010-07-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

It's getting hot in here. The sound is dripping from the walls like the sweat that lies drying in your bed. Red hot distortion for your red hot lips. I drive this sound thru the air and thru the walls of this studio and into the streets that frame the things I tell you when we wake, weaving our souls closer and closer until you know who I am and still you beg me, for more, until the sound falls from the sky and into the sea and thru the streets that frame the things I will tell you tomorrow. I drive this sound so fast I want to burn the air into submission and make it promise to never leave your lungs. We are made of glass but I will hold us to the sky and never let go. I drive the sound faster. It's getting hot in here. You tell me you own everything you touch. I smile. You own me.

'White Road' Single gets positive responses!

2010-06-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends!

'White Road' video and single seems to be getting quite the response. Check out the latest news on the following sites:

http://www.artrocker.tv/videos/article/the-unkindness-of-ravens-white-road

http://www.artrocker.tv/singles/article/artrocker-magazines-single-reviews-for-the-week-commencing-june-7th

http://www.thefourohfive.com/articles/3077

http://www.clashmusic.com/feature/the-unkindness-of-ravens-white-road

Thank you for all your love and support!

Love,

Nina & Ben

The Unkindness of Ravens

www.myspace.com/theunkindnessofravens

www.twitter.com/tuoravens

NEWS NEWS NEWS!

2010-06-05T04:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends!

Got some hot news from the block!

Our most expensive low-budget video 'White Road' has been featured on the CLASH magazine website and the Panic Dots music website.

Check the links here:

http://www.clashmusic.com/feature/the-unkindness-of-ravens-white-road

http://panicdots.com/2010/06/video-the-unkindness-of-ravens-white-road/

A quick reminder that our 3rd ever single 'White Road' will be out 7 June on iTunes along with a FREE track 'Red Sun' which you can download from the X-player on our myspace. For as little as 79cents this little gem could be yours. If you want a physical copy for just 1.50quid (British Pounds) - mail us. Postage will be included in the price!

And tonight we're celebrating our forthcoming 'White Road' single with a gig @ Tommy Flynns in Camden! That place gets packed with all sorts of goodness on a Saturday night, so come down and join the fun with some live music and sweaty beers!

Sticky Love,

Nina & Ben Raven

Watch us - www.youtube.com/tuoravens

Hear us - www.myspace.com/theunkindnessofravens

Latest Review on single DEAD AIR!

2010-05-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

Check this out! Review on DEAD AIR!

http://stereokill.net/2010/05/the-unkindness-of-ravens/

We want MORE reviews on our single! Please send them over to us either via comments on this page, myspace, your blogs!

The more reviews we get the more we know what people think!

It's important to get feedback. This helps us grow as artists!

Love,

The Unkindness of Ravens

Dead Air single Reviews!

2010-05-04T04:46:00.000-07:00

http://www.artrocker.tv/singles/article/artrocker-magazines-single-reviews-for-the-week-commencing-may-3rd

Above is the link to our first spotted review on Dead Air. The more we find, the more I will ad to this blog.

Don't forget our FREE track of LIFT, downloadable on our myspace page. Share it with friends and play this baby LOUD!

Sticky Love,

Nina

The Unkindness Of Ravens

www.myspace.com/theunkindnessofravens

Also, be first to find out the latest news on: www.twitter.com/tuoravens

DEAD AIR video in ARTROCKER and CLASH!

2010-04-28T07:15:00.001-07:00

Our awesome no-budget, heart felt video DEAD AIR made it to Artrocker and Clash:

http://www.artrocker.tv/videos/article/the-unkindness-of-ravens-dead-air

http://www.clashmusic.com/feature/the-unkindness-of-ravens-dead-air

Thanks goes out to our trusty partners in crime Carly Seller and Noel Faucett. Both are professional photographers with a unique sense of visual style.

Noel is keeping his work hidden from the world at the moment, so once I get a web address from him I'll be sure to show off his work. In order to get a taste of what he's capable of for the moment, pay attention to the projections in the film, 95% of them were his. Pay especially close to the rich black and white film noir imageries...

Carly on the other hand has photographic style that carries a unique taste in attention to groundbreaking detail. Whilst most will miss it, she captures it, with a blend of angles thought out sensitively. This young lady has a fascination with birds (perfect for us, fate has brought us together after all) and her work you can discover here:

http://www.carlyseller.com/

We are using one of her images for the WHITE ROAD single due out in June.

Love,

Nina & Ben

The Unkindness Of Ravens

CLICK HERE TO RATE THIS VIDEO

2010-04-28T00:55:00.000-07:00

The Unkindness of Ravens DEAD AIR video!

CLICK HERE TO RATE THIS VIDEO

DEAD AIR VIDEO and CREDENTIALS

2010-04-21T03:53:00.001-07:00

Hello Raven Lovers!

The latest update on our progress in bringing out FIVE singles in FIVE months starting 3rd May with DEAD AIR is underway. In my hands I hold a demo copy of DEAD AIR and WHITE ROAD. Yay!

I'm going to take the time in this update to thank those who have been helping us out in our journey of bringing The Unkindness Of Ravens music to life:

* Let's start from the beginning: Roi Driscoll has helped design flyers, demo sleeves, given suggestions for websites, thank you for your continuous help and support. As a graphic designer Roi instinctively understood our aesthetic and did some great work- so if you're ever interested in using his services, check out his work here: http://www.roidriscoll.com

* Next up are our two very trusty partners in crime - Thank you to Noel Faucett and Carly Seller, both are creative photographers who have donated their time to work on the DEAD AIR video. Taking them up on the challenge, we roamed the cold nocturnal streets of London, with not much of a plan, but the hunger for adventure, filming intriguing spots and miming to an invisible rendition of 'Dead Air'. We are also using one of Carly's images for the sleeve of 'White Road'. To discover her fabulous work please check her website here - http://www.carlyseller.com

Last but not least, thank you's go out to family and friends who have been supportive in our need to make groundbreaking noise with their honest opinions, patience for the late nights and the understanding that we need to do what we do or else there is no life.

Love,

Nina & Ben

The Unkindness of Ravens

FOLLOW TUOR NOW:

www.twitter.com/tuoravens

OFFICIAL TUOR SITE:

www.theunkindnessofravens.com

ARTROCKER MAY ISSUE

2010-04-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

So It seems we're in the ARTROCKER May issue in the new blood section, page 15, in the bottom right hand corner. How cute!

Here's what's been said -

"The Unkindness of Ravens release their new single on 3 May and plan to release one single a month until August... now that's what we call music! Good work, chaps. Genuine contenders for being one of the best underground electro bands out there at the moment, they're a band that will be on the lips and in the ears of all music fans by the end of the year. Check out 'Dead Air', which is the first of the five planned releases..."

So yea, please check out Dead Air, and once it's available to buy, you'll get a free goody with it, that's the plan anyway, since it seems giving away music from time to time makes you a bit popular...

Whoever wrote the review, thank you very much, and please, who are you? We would like to take you out for a drink and have a good ol chin wag on music and the over all starving artistry of making a living in this business...

Sticky love for you all!

Nina & Ben

The Unkindness of Ravens

www.myspace.com/theunkindnessofravens

Love the Courtney and Love thy self

2010-03-30T04:43:00.000-07:00

The first time I heard 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' I think it was in that moment I lost my innocence. Hole who? Oh yea the woman with big red lips rolling around with her guitar, yea, I dig her stuff, but nothing gets my heart pumping like Nirvana.

Dedicating your love to a band is like that t-shirt you've had since you were 17 and it's full of holes, washed out, smells funny, but hey, you can't throw it out, it's too comfortable and great memories are attached to it. Those are the kind of bands you'll always stay loyal to, because they were there for you for the better and the worse of times in your life. It took me some years to properly appreciate Hole, but maybe it took me that long because I let Nirvana overshadow them until one day I said enough is enough and opened my mind. Now that Hole's reappeared in my life, I can't get enough. Back then I listened to the pain and anger coming from Cobain's mouth and it felt good to know there was someone out there who felt the same things I felt. Hole's got it as well.

Music either grows with you, or you have to catch up to it.

But this isn't really about my undying love for the early 90's grunge, punk, rock bands. This is about the Love. The Courtney Love. A woman that I've recently begun to fully appreciate. I must hand it to her. The woman's a survivor. I think that's pretty priceless for a woman like Courtney to have been able to stay afloat for so long in a ruthless world of flesh eating journalists and tabloid-run countries. Back then I'd been dubious about Courtney Love's behavior in the public eye and her somewhat seemingly addiction to fame (amongst other things.) But then again, who am I to judge? I'm older now, wiser and have a greater understanding of people, to say the least, I've been blinded more by the tabloids than by her music... Good or Bad for someone's career?

They say it's better to have bad press than no press at all. Obviously Hole didn't suffer any severe downfalls due to poor media interpretation. Pretty much on the contrary. In other words, whatever Courtney Love managed to display in the public eye was irrelevant to the bands success. Because great music lives forever! Amen!

The reason why I've taken the time to write about this is because I found an interview with Love on the Alan Carr Show and the woman's beyond fucking cool, a force of nature greater than any hurricane Katrina. At this point we can't deny that the media's influence could somewhat have mis-guided us fickle beings.

Note to self - don't listen to the BS other people say, create your own opinion, it helps the brain grow! And if the music's good, so is the rest!

After all, Great Music Never Dies.

Peace!

INTERVIEW with TUORavens

2010-03-21T04:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Music Lover!

The latest news on our progress; please check out an interview conducted by Panic Dots -

http://panicdots.com/2010/03/hot-dots-the-unkindness-of-ravens/#more-4076

All answers are in there! It's a treat!

Sticky love,

The Unkindness of Ravens

https://twitter.com/TUoRavens

www.youtube.com/TUORavens

DEAD AIR single May 3 2010

2010-02-18T10:36:00.001-08:00

Since entering the womb of the devil and sucking the blood of knowledge TUORavens are coming out with another single, one of five to be released over the next five months, starting May 3 of this year.

The challenge so far has been producing our singles. Creating and writing songs has its challenges, but they come from somewhere within, a voice wanting out, needing to be heard. However, when it comes to producing your single on your own terms and yet still be able to take enough steps back to listen if it's 110 %, can be of great challenge. I say, once you think you got the mix down, play it on as many hi-fi systems you can, and listen for glitches, anything out of ordinary, be honest with what you hear, and make them right. Most of the time it's trial and error but you get there in the end.

TUORavens are trying to pull off the punk DIY ethos, we are our own label, Sonic Fire Records, which basically is a small company consisting of Nina Wagner and Ben Raine and some honest friends who are happy to listen to our work and give us constructive opinions on how to make things better. In todays time, DIY is the way to go. We are not only the creators of our works of art, we are also our own accountants, managers, promoters, producers - building an empire of skills that I am sure will always come in handy. Be ready to do the research, eventually it comes with the territory anyway, and you'll become an artist of knowledge.

TUORavens have the courage to climb the rocky mountains least taken. This takes persistence and discipline. In the beginning more money will always go into a business you believe worth while investing in. However, with the right mind set and a product worth selling, eventually money should come back. But ladies and gents, for money to fill the empty pot has to be decided by the public and if the public doesn't care for your product, then things can get difficult. So everything in life should be done for the love of it. With any business, things take time to grow and unfold in the palm of your hand, and like any child needing nurturing and care, everything takes time to grow.

Next up is our next single - DEAD AIR - to be released May 3 of this year. Very exciting indeed. We're working with a top PR company, one I believe to speak the good ol Ravens language and help us promote the life out of our work. Check out Badge of Friendship if you're searching for some music promotion. I promise you, these people stick to their words, and there's just not enough of those kinds of folks in this world.

Stay honest and true to yourself and all good things shall follow!

Currently figuring out the music video for DEAD AIR - tricky task - so any suggestions please shoot them this way.

Sticky Love,

The Unkindness of Ravens

www.theunkindnessofravens.com

www.myspace.com/theunkindnessofravens

'Accelerator' Single Release

2009-10-11T05:57:00.000-07:00

Rising from an underground lair, the future of sound bursts through the enigma of complex distortion - The Unkindness of Ravens celebrate their single at The Last Days of Decadence, Shorditch, London.

Thank you friends, family, fans and new-be Ravens for your support! It is you that helps give creativity a life form, otherwise our creations are hanging in the wind.

Please further watch out for gigs and nights that we will be putting on ourselves - especially look out for 31.10.09, our label, Sonic Fire, will be hosting a fine art and music night, it will be great to have you down and support our artistic cause.

Sticky love,

Ben & Nina
The Unkindness of Ravens

Illegal File Sharing

2009-10-03T05:05:00.000-07:00

Below is an open letter to a certain individual who believes illegal file sharing is beneficial for artists and found Lily Allen's crusade to be "mindless jibberish". Below is our response:

Dear Dan,

Thank you for your comments. However, it would seem you have commited the unforgivable error of speaking from a position of utter ignorance. Although we would hardly consider ourselves a fan of Lilly Allen's music, her latest crusade is actually a worth while cause. What do you do for a living Dan? Whatever your occupation, I'm willing to wager that if the vast majority of people could obtain your services/product for free, you'd probably have a few complaints.

But let's have a look at the points you've raised. You cite free distribution, minimal production costs and unprecedented free marketing as advantages of file sharing. Firstly, distribution of music ceased to be a roadblock for bands and labels alike when broadband became commonplace. In terms of minimal production costs, we find the insuation that music is any cheaper to produce rather insulting. We still spend hours, days and weeks writing, recording, mixing AND mastering our music.

Additionally there are design considerations for record covers, which take a vast amount of time and care to produce. Then there are the rehearsals (inc. finding and paying for rehearsal space), hours spent booking gigs, money spent on lighting/musical equipment etc, travel costs, outfits, promotional material (inc. design AND printing), PR fees, T-shirt design and printing, CD production and printing costs - the list is endless. So exactly how are our production costs "minimal"? As a band and an independent label, all this money invested in our music comes from our own pockets. Surely it's reasonable to expect at least to break even.

And so to "unprecedented free marketing". Your argument pre-supposes that everyone who owns a copy of a record then follows a band and comes to live shows as paying customers. The reality of the situation is that it is notoriously difficult to get people to come to gigs on a regular basis. The new financial model brought about by file sharing means that the only real form of revenue for a band, and indeed a label is touring and live shows. Established bands with a pre-existing fan base are managing to survive (notice how expensive gigs are these days?) but for "fledgling" bands it is incredibly difficult to get a foothold on the ladder.

One result from the "unprecedented free marketing" of file sharing which would be incredibly valuable to a young band would be a healthy mailing list in return for all the plundered music. However when Radiohead released an album online, the minimum cost was an email address. This excessive pricing structure forced many "fans" to download the record illegally on file sharing networks. We will ignore the debate around 62% of users reportedly chose to pay nothing for the record. Radiohead deny that figure, but have not released any firm data in response, adding only that around that period they made a ton of money. We think it's fair to presume that when you're famous enough to sell a deluxe version of your record for 50 quid a pop, you can take a loss on a few downloads.

When you give something away, you de-value it, but most bands aren't even being given the choice. Their music is being taken. Any way you decide to look at that, it's theft. The increase in availability of home recording equipment means that there are more and more bands competing for less and less money in an industry brought to its knees by good old fashioned piracy. But although it's easy to watch the corporations burn for years of greed, in the end music lovers suffer because the talent isn't getting the chance to develop. When people say music should be free, they should willing to provide their livelihood free of charge.

At Sonic Fire we believe that a label is nothing more than a way of putting great bands in great company. We want to create a roster of fine musical talent and support their development in any way we can. File sharing is effectively discouraging talent and crippling the independent labels that would otherwise champion them.

Regarding the website (www.theunkindnessofravens.com), thank you for the feedback. We are thrilled that it acts as an effective filtering device to root out those of sub-standard intelligence.

Kind regards,

Ben & Nina
The Unkindness of Ravens

(This response can be further found on our myspace.com/theunkindnessofravens and to view Dan's argument go to: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=47745836767)

2009-09-19T15:22:00.000-07:00

You hear that? Fireworks outside. Looks like we're back in that cool season of fucking off the pretend summer, where the cool shit really happens, when the rain outside your window rarely finds you alone, and Halloween grins like the best day you ever seen.

It's raining outside. Autumn is the most romantic season I know. I got a bottle of red, the back door is open, there's rain in my ear. If you're reading this you're reading our first Unkindess Of Ravens blog. Thanks. We're gonna fill this space with the shit we get up to, where we don't have to worry about striking poses and all that.

So our first record comes out 12th October. It seems like a long time coming, but you know what, we only been together 11 months so what the fuck - we're wrapped in a mystery of what the hell is going to happen. Our launch party is on Friday Oct 9th at The Last Days Of Decadence in Shoreditch - venue of our first ever show. We want you to be there, it's gonna be a fucking ball. We got electro bands supporting, burlesque dancers filling the spaces in between.. we know how to treat you right ;)

We'd love to see you at the Last Days.. you are the sun X