Benjamin Shaw is an English-Canadian musician and artist based in

Melbourne, Australia Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung/ or ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second most-populous city in Australia, after Sydney. The city's name generally refers to a metropolitan area also known ...

. He has recorded for a number of different labels but is a mainstay of Audio Antihero records. He also uses the monickers of Guppy and Megadead.

Biography

Benjamin Shaw released his debut EP "I Got the Pox, the Pox is What I Got" in October 2009 on Audio Antihero which saw airplay from

BBC 6 Music BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It primarily plays a wide range of alternative music, from established and emerging artists and bands. In 2002 it was the first national music radio station t ...

on the Tom Ravenscroft,

Gideon Coe Gideon Jon Quantrill Coe (born 22 September 1967) is a radio DJ, presenter, sportscaster, voiceover artist and journalist. Early career He began his broadcasting career in 1976 as a child presenter on the BBC One TV programme '' Why Don't You? ...

Steve Lamacq Stephen Paul Lamacq (born 16 October 1964), sometimes known by his nickname Lammo (given to him by John Peel), is an English disc jockey, currently working with BBC Radio 6 Music. Lamacq was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire ( ...

, Jon Holmes and

Tom Robinson Living people Thomas Giles Robinson (born 1 June 1950) is a British singer, bassist, radio presenter and long-time LGBT rights activist, best known for the hits " Glad to Be Gay", " 2-4-6-8 Motorway", and "Don't Take No for an Answer", with hi ...

shows and positive reviews from publications such as The Skinny, The 405, The Music Fix,

This Is Fake DIY ''DIY'' is a United Kingdom-based music publication, in print and online. Its free print edition is released monthly with a physical circulation of 40,000 in UK venues, clubs and shops. DIY Magazine ''DIY'' was launched in 2002 by then-editor ...

Clash Music ''Clash'' is a Music magazine, music and fashion magazine and website based in the United Kingdom. It is published four times a year by Music Republic Ltd, whose predecessor Clash Music Ltd went into liquidation. The magazine won awards includin ...

and

The Line of Best Fit ''The Line of Best Fit'' is an independent online magazine based in London, concentrating on new music. It publishes independent music reviews, features, interview, and media. Founded by Richard Thane in February 2007 and currently edited by P ...

who remarked "If you think you've heard the like of Benjamin Shaw before, think again. TLOBF recommended.". In October 2011 it was announced on sites like Drowned in Sound, Bearded and This Is Fake DIY that he would be releasing first album, ''There's Always Hope, There's Always Cabernet''. He began promoting the album with a series of sessions for the likes of The Fly, The 405,

, Triple R, The Line Of Best Fit, Dandelion Radio and

Resonance FM Resonance 104.4 FM is a London based non-profit community radio station specialising in the arts run by the London Musicians' Collective (LMC). The station is staffed by two permanent staff members, including Chief Executive Officer Peter Lance ...

. The debut LP ''There's Always Hope, There's Always Cabernet'' was released on 21 November to positive reviews. Drowned in Sound called it "superb,"

remarked that Shaw was "an outcast, a loner, a maverick and a freak. All of these are compliments," The Line of Best Fit claimed "you wouldn't want everyone (or anyone else) to sound to like Benjamin Shaw but I'm delighted someone does," Is This Music? awarded it 4/5 and called it "one of the better records of the year" and

MusicOMH ''MusicOMH'' (stylized as ''musicOMH'') is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History ''MusicOMH'' was founded an ...

gave it 4/5 and hailed it as a "truly special album." Album tracks "The Birds Chirp & The Sun Shines" and "Interview" were given multiple plays on the Tom Ravenscroft and Gideon Coe BBC 6 Music shows, as were the album's first single "Somewhere Over the M6" and its B-side "Pig". Shaw has played around the UK, Europe and Australia with artists such as

Darren Hayman Darren Hayman (born 1 December 1970) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the writer, lead singer, and guitarist in Hefner. Since Hefner disbanded in 2002, Hayman has embarked on a prolific solo career releasing ...

Tom Paley Allan Thomas Paley (March 19, 1928 – September 30, 2017) was an American guitarist, banjo and fiddle player. He was best known for his work with the New Lost City Ramblers in the 1950s and 1960s. Biography Paley was born on March 19, 1928, and ...

( New Lost City Ramblers), Jack Hayter (Ex- Hefner), Neil Pennycook (

Meursault Meursault () is a Communes of France, commune in the Côte-d'Or Departments of France, department and region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. Etymology The oldest attested form of the toponym Meursault dates from 1094, as ''Mura ...

), Extradition Order, Paul Hawkins & The Awkward Silences, Runaround Kids, Little Red and

The Owl Service ''The Owl Service'' is a low fantasy novel for young adults by Alan Garner, published by Collins in 1967. Set in modern Wales, it is an adaptation of the story of the mythical Welsh woman Blodeuwedd, an "expression of the myth" in the autho ...

. Shaw has also seen endorsements from Nic Dalton of

The Lemonheads The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily, and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member. After their initial punk-influenced releases and tours as an indep ...

. During a radio interview on 12 August 2012, Audio Antihero founder Jamie Halliday revealed that Benjamin Shaw was working on new material for a future release with the label. The first piece of new material to surface was the "T'ra F'now" instrumental on the Audio Antihero produced "Hüsker Doo-wop" Charity EP to raise money to repair damages to independent music organisations in New York following

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as Superstorm Sandy) was an extremely large and devastating tropical cyclone which ravaged the Caribbean and the coastal Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States in late ...

. Shaw followed up his contribution to this charity EP with "This Christmas (I Just Want to be Left Alone)," a collaborative Christmas single with Fighting Kites to raise money for Shelter, Shaw also directed the music video. The single benefited from critical praise from online press and radio and saw support from Tom Robinson, Bush Radio, Jon Solomon's WPRB show and

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

. On 14 January, it was announced that Benjamin Shaw would releasing a new instrumental record entitled ''Summer in the Box Room'' on the Glass Reservoir label in February 2013. Two tracks from the record were premiered by Robert Rotifer on 4FM and GoldFlakePaint praised it as a "special kind of dour musical genius." Tom Ravenscroft also aired tracks from the release on his

BBC Radio 6 Music BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It primarily plays a wide range of alternative music, from established and emerging artists and bands. In 2002 it was the first national music radio station t ...

show. Benjamin Shaw sometimes performs live with Neil Debnam (Fighting Kites/Broken Shoulder) and Kay Ishikawa (

Comet Gain Comet Gain are a British indie pop band, formed by singer-songwriter and guitarist David Christian (aka David Feck/Charlie Damage) in 1992, with musical influences including post-punk and northern soul. Pitchfork (website), Pitchfork called the ...

) as Benjamin Shaw Band.

Discography

Albums, EPs and compilations

*''I Got the Pox, the Pox is What I Got EP'' ( Audio Antihero, 2009) *''Rumfucker'' (Self-Release, 2010 / Rumfucker Recordings, 2016) *''There's Always Hope, There's Always Cabernet'' (Audio Antihero, 2011) *''Summer in the Box Room'' (Glass Reservoir, 2013) *''Goodbye, Cagoule World'' (Audio Antihero, 2014) *''Guppy'' (Kirigirisu Recordings, 2015) *''One Day We'll Laugh About All This'' (Self-Released, 2016) as Guppy *''Megadead'' (Audio Antihero / Kirigirsu Recordings, 2018) *''Exciting Opportunities: A Collection of Sadness and Singles'' (Audio Antihero / Old Money Records, 2019) *''Should've Stayed at Home: A Collection of Oddities and Outtakes'' (Audio Antihero / Old Money Records, 2019) *''Live at donaufestival'' (Audio Antihero, 2019) *''I Got the Pox, the Pox is What I Got (Remastered & Expanded)'' (Audio Antihero / Old Money Records, 2020) *''There's Always Hope, There's Always Cabernet (Remastered & Expanded)'' (Audio Antihero / Old Money Records, 2020) *''Screams, Banging, etc'' (Self-Released, 2020) as Megadead *''Audio Visual Metro Computers'' (Self-Released, 2020) as Megadead *''31 Songs About Murder'' (Self-Released, 2021) as Megadead *''Authentic Country Music'' (Self-Released, 2021) as Megadead *''Tragedy, Doom & So On'' (Hand Drawn Hand, 2022) as Megadead *''Passive Listening / Doom Scrolling'' (Self-Released, 2023) as Megadead

Sessions

*''I Got the Pox, the Pox is What I Got – EP'' (Audio Antihero, 2009) *'' WVUM Sessions'' – Split with Broken Shoulder (BarelyOut Recordings, 2011) *'' Dandelion Session'' (BarelyOut Recordings, 2011) *''The Shuttleworth Sessions'' (Self-Release, 2012) *''The Waiting Room Session'' (BarelyOut Recordings, 2014) *''Dandelion Sessions'' (BarelyOut Recordings, 2014)

Singles

*"When I Fell Over in the City" / "The Carpeteer" (Audio Antihero, 2011) *"Somewhere Over the M6" (Audio Antihero, 2011) *"This Christmas (I Just Want to be Left Alone)" with Fighting Kites ( Fika Recordings, 2011 / Audio Antihero, 2012) *"The Birds Chirp & The Sun Shines" (Audio Antihero, 2012) *"Goodbye, Kagoul World" (Audio Antihero, 2014) *"You & Me – EP" split with Jack Hayter,

Cloud In meteorology, a cloud is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of miniature liquid droplets, frozen crystals, or other particles, suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or similar space. Water or various other chemicals may ...

and Broken Shoulder (Audio Antihero, 2014) *"Terrible Feelings!" (Audio Antihero / Kirigirsu Recordings, 2018) *"A Brand New Day (Live at Donaufestival)" (Audio Antihero, 2019) *"Sad Dog Waiting for Pizza" (Self-Released, 2021) as Megadead *"It Goes / It Gone"(Self-Released, 2021) as Megadead *"Country" (Self-Released, 2021) as Megadead

Compilation appearances

*''Cigarettes & Eggnog'' ( HI54LOFI, 2009) – contributes "It's Christmas Time (For God's Sake)" ( Nosferatu D2 cover) and hidden track *''Show Me A Word That Rhymes With Pavement'' ( Filthy Little Angels, 2010) – contributes "Starlings of the Slipstream" ( Pavement cover) *'' Bob Hope would – for Japan'' (Audio Antihero, 2011) – contributes "Kick The Dog" (Demo) / "When I Fell Over in the City" (Alt. Mix) and "Pig" + Artwork *'' Some.Alternate.Universe – for FSID'' (Audio Antihero, 2012) – contributes "Long Ago & Oh So Far Away" + Artwork *'' Audio Antihero's Commercial Suicide Sampler'' (Audio Antihero, 2012) – contributes "How To Test The Depth of a Well" + Artwork *''The Hüsker Doo-wop EP'' for New York (Audio Antihero/Hear It For NY, 2012) – contributes "T'ra F'now" *''Into The Light: Volume Two'' for

Pussy Riot Pussy Riot is a Feminism in Russia, Russian feminist protest and performance art group based in Moscow that became popular for its provocative punk rock music which later turned into a more accessible style. Founded in the fall of 2011 by the th ...

(Unwashed Territories, 2012) – contributes "This Christmas (I Just Want to be Left Alone)" with Fighting Kites *''I Love You & Stuff'' (HI54LOFI, 2013) – contributes "Internet Girlfriend" *''Audio Antihero Presents: "REGAL VS STEAMBOAT" for Rape Crisis'' (Audio Antihero, 2013) – contributes "Goodbye, Cagoule World (Live)" + Artwork *''Five Long Years'' - (Audio Antihero, 2014) - contributes "Goodbye, Kagoul World" / "Hello Sunshine" (Hidden) + Artwork *''New Emperors'' - (My Little Empire Records, 2015) - contributes "You & Me" *''an electrical storm'' - (Aetheric Records, 2015) - contributes "Le Pleasure Beach" *''BERN YR IDOLS (

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...

benefit compilation'' (Audio Antihero, 2016) - contributes "How to Test the Depth of a Well (Triple R Session)" + Artwork + Mastering *''Audio Antihero Presents: "Unpresidented Jams" for SPLC & NILC'' - (Audio Antihero, 2017) - contributes "Hole" + Additional Mastering + Additional Design *''The Desperation Club - A Cloud Tribute Compilation'' - (Audio Antihero, 2018) - contributes "Trees All Right" + Mastering (Tracks 2-35) *''Fall 2018'' - (Z Tapes, 2018) - contributes "Kick the Dog" *''Elder Statesman: Nine Long Years of Audio Antihero Records'' (Audio Antihero, 2019) - contributes "You & Me" + Artwork * Fighting Kites - ''Mustard After Dinner - An Anthology of Fighting Kites'' (Audio Antihero / Old Money Records, 2019) - contributes "This Christmas" (I Just Want to Be Left Alone) + Mastering *''Vessels IX'' (Future Astronauts, 2021) - contributes "Tragedy, Doom & So On" *''From the River to the Sea: The Horrible Truth About Palestine - a Fundraiser for the United Palestinian Appeal'' (Audio Antihero, 2021) - contributes "Chief of the Dead" / "Dead Kennedys" (with Broken Broken Bastard) + Artwork + Mastering

Other credits

* Jack Hayter – ''Sucky Tart'' (Audio Antihero, 2011) – Artwork + Mastering *Broken Shoulder – ''Broken Shoulderrr'' (Audio Antihero, 2011) – Mastering *Wartgore Hellsnicker – ''Moderate Rock'' (Audio Antihero, 2011) – Artwork + Mastering * Paul Hawkins & The Awkward Silences – ''The Wrong Life'' (Audio Antihero, 2011) – Artwork * Fighting Kites & Broken Shoulder – ''Split'' (Audio Antihero, 2011) – Mastering (Tracks 5-7) *Paul Hawkins & The Awkward Silences – ''You Can't Make Somebody Love You / Of Course I Stole The Train'' (Audio Antihero, 2011) – Artwork *Broken Shoulder – ''Stiller Nite'' (Audio Antihero / Fika Recordings Calendar, 2011) – Artwork + Mastering * Nosferatu D2 – ''It's Christmas Time (For God's Sake)'' (Audio Antihero / Fika Recordings Calendar, 2011) – Artwork *Broken Shoulder – ''The Tape of Disquiet'' ( Tape Your Mouth, 2012) – Mastering *Jack Hayter – ''The Shackleton'' (Audio Antihero, 2012) – Artwork + Mastering *Broken Shoulder – ''Holloway Exit Music / Fun Juice'' ( Deathbomb Arc, 2012) – Mastering *Nosferatu D2 – ''Live at the Spitz'' (Audio Antihero/BarelyOut Recordings, 2012) – Remastering *Broken Shoulder – ''Crow Versus Crow session'' (BarelyOut Recordings, 2012) – Mastering *D.E.A.D. – ''S.T.I.L.L. D.E.A.D.'' ( GM Sounds, 2012) – Artwork *a Singer of Songs – ''There is a Home for You'' ( HI54LOFI, 2013) – Artwork *Jack Hayter – ''Quotes'' (Audio Antihero, 2013) – Artwork *Me and the Horse I Rode In On - ''Driving Home for Christmas'' (Self-Release, 2014) - Artwork *Broken Shoulder - ''300 Bicycle Seats'' (Kirigirisu Recordings, 2014) - Mastering *

Frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

– ''Judy Garland'' (Audio Antihero, 2015) – Artwork *Me and the Horse I Rode In On - ''When You're Down'' (EardrumsPop, 2015) - Artwork *Frog – ''Kind of Blah'' (Audio Antihero, 2015) – Artwork *Frog – ''Photograph'' (Audio Antihero, 2015) – Design + Mastering (Track 2) *Nosferatu D2 – ''Older, Wiser, Sadder EP'' (Audio Antihero, 2015) – Design + Remastering *Frog – ''Catchyalater'' (Audio Antihero, 2016) – Remixer (Track 4) + Mastering (Tracks 3 & 4) *Charles Griffin Gibson – ''People'' (Self-Release, 2016) - Remastering *Charles Griffin Gibson – ''Pictures'' (Self-Release, 2016) - Remastering *CHUCK - ''My Band Is a Computer'' (Audio Antihero / Old Money Records) - Mastering *Broken Shoulder - ''Hashiridase'' (Kirigirisu Recordings, 2016) - Mastering * Magana - ''Inches Apart'' (Audio Antihero, 2017) - Remixer (Track 3) + Mastering (Tracks 2 & 3) *CHUCK - ''New Yorker'' (Audio Antihero, 2017) - Mastering *CHUCK - ''Cherry Tree'' (Audio Antihero, 2017) - Mastering *CHUCK - ''Frankenstein Songs for the Grocery Store'' (Audio Antihero, 2017) - Mastering *Max García Conover - ''Motorhome'' (Son Canciones, 2017) - Mastering *Magana - ''Oceans'' (Audio Antihero, 2017) - Mastering *CHUCK - ''Happy Birthday'' (Audio Antihero, 2017) - Remixer (Track 3) + Mastering *Cloud - ''Wildfire'' (Audio Antihero, 2018) - Mastering (Track 2) *Cloud - ''Two Hands Bound'' (Audio Antihero, 2018) - Mastering (Track 2) *Cloud - ''Me, Her & Lavender'' (Audio Antihero, 2018) - Mastering (Track 2) *Frog - ''Something to Hide'' (Audio Antihero, 2018) - Artwork *Frog - ''American'' (Audio Antihero, 2018) - Artwork *Frog - ''Bones'' (Audio Antihero, 2018) - Artwork *Frog - ''Whatever We Probably Already Had It'' (Audio Antihero, 2018) - Artwork *Nipped in the Bud - ''Fed Up With It'' (Kirigirisu Recordings, 2018) - Mastering *Atlanta Dream Season - ''Party in the Hospital / Great'' (The Popside, 2018) - Artwork *Frog - ''God Once Loved a Woman'' (Audio Antihero, 2019) - Artwork *Tempertwig - ''Comfort Blanket / Everything Can Be Derailed'' (Audio Antihero / Randy Sadage Records, 2019) - Artwork + Mastering *Tempertwig - ''This Means Everything / Randy Sadage Records, This Means Don't a Thing'' (Audio Antihero, 2019) - Artwork + Mastering *Tempertwig - ''Apricot'' (Audio Antihero / Randy Sadage Records, 2019) - Artwork + Mastering *Tempertwig - ''FAKE NOSTALGIA: An Anthology of Broken Stuff'' (Audio Antihero / Randy Sadage Records, 2019) - Artwork + Mastering *Tempertwig - ''Films Without Plotlines EP'' (Audio Antihero / Randy Sadage Records, 2019) - Artwork + Mastering *Frog - ''Black Friday'' (Audio Antihero / Tape Wormies, 2019) - Artwork *Frog - ''It's Something I Do'' (Audio Antihero / Tape Wormies, 2019) - Artwork *Frog - ''Count Bateman'' (Audio Antihero / Tape Wormies, 2019) - Artwork *Broken Shoulder - ''Shark Islands: A Broken Shoulder Archipelago'' (Audio Antihero / Old Money Records, 2019) - Artwork + Mastering *Atlanta Dream Season - ''Green Means Stop'' (The Popside, 2020) - Remixer (Track 1) *CHUCK – ''Nothing Matters to Me Now'' (Audio Antihero / Old Money Records, 2024) - Mastering *My Best Unbeaten Brother – ''Time on Our Hands, Spider-Man – Single'' (Audio Antihero, 2024) - Mastering *My Best Unbeaten Brother – ''Extraordinary Times – Single'' (Audio Antihero, 2024) - Mastering *My Best Unbeaten Brother – ''Blues Fatigue – Single'' (Audio Antihero, 2024) - Mastering *My Best Unbeaten Brother – ''Pessimistic Pizza'' (Audio Antihero, 2024) - Mastering

References

External links

Benjamin Shaw official siteBenjamin Shaw's BBC profile

Benjamin Shaw's Last.FM profileBenjamin Shaw's TLOBF profileBenjamin Shaw interview with This Is Fake DIY405 Focus Session
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaw, Benjamin Year of birth missing (living people) Living people English rock musicians English folk musicians