Benjamin Darvill
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Darvill known by his stage name
Son of Dave, is a Canadian
musician
and singer–songwriter
, based in the United Kingdom
. He was a member of folk rock band Crash Test Dummies
in which he played harmonica
, mandolin
, guitar
and percussion before going solo in 2000.
SOD was born in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
. He was inspired to learn the harmonica after hearing James Cotton
play in Winnipeg.
He moved to London
, England, in 1998 and lived there for several years. His 2000 album 01
, recorded in London, combined "aged blues with techno beats and everything in between". Reviewer Benoît Felten described it as "a mixture of modern R&B, hip-hop and electronics with an edge; it has a strong bluesy feeling".
His 2006 album 02
has been described as a mix of "cotton-pickin’ blues, vocalising beat-box, hard-breathing folk, steamy funk and even modern R&B".
In 2010, Son of Dave and his song "Revolution Town" were featured in a commercial for the search engine Bing. The commercial, using a first-person perspective, shows Son of Dave using Bing and his Windows-enabled
phone to travel to his own concert at the Someday Lounge in Portland, OR
.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Son of Dave, is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and singer–songwriter
Singer–songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, based in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He was a member of folk rock band Crash Test Dummies
Crash Test Dummies
The Crash Test Dummies is a Canadian folk rock/alternative rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, widely known for their 1993 single "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm".The band is most identifiable through Brad Roberts and his distinctive bass-baritone voice...
in which he played harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and percussion before going solo in 2000.
SOD was born in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. He was inspired to learn the harmonica after hearing James Cotton
James Cotton
James Cotton is an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, who has performed and recorded with many of the great blues artists of his time as well as with his own band.-Career:...
play in Winnipeg.
He moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England, in 1998 and lived there for several years. His 2000 album 01
01 (album)
-External links:*...
, recorded in London, combined "aged blues with techno beats and everything in between". Reviewer Benoît Felten described it as "a mixture of modern R&B, hip-hop and electronics with an edge; it has a strong bluesy feeling".
His 2006 album 02
02 (album)
02 is the third album by Son of Dave. It includes original songs and three covers of blues classics.-Track listing:-External links:*...
has been described as a mix of "cotton-pickin’ blues, vocalising beat-box, hard-breathing folk, steamy funk and even modern R&B".
In 2010, Son of Dave and his song "Revolution Town" were featured in a commercial for the search engine Bing. The commercial, using a first-person perspective, shows Son of Dave using Bing and his Windows-enabled
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...
phone to travel to his own concert at the Someday Lounge in Portland, OR
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
.
Discography
- B. Darvill's Wild West ShowB. Darvill's Wild West ShowB. Darvill's Wild West Show is the 1999 debut album by Son of Dave. This album was re-released at the end of 2008 by Kartel records.-Track listing:#Intro - 0:42#Only The Strong Survive - 4:32#Give It Up Old Joe - 2:55#In Love With The Future - 4:58...
(1999) - 0101 (album)-External links:*...
(2000) - 0202 (album)02 is the third album by Son of Dave. It includes original songs and three covers of blues classics.-Track listing:-External links:*...
(2006) - 0303 (Son of Dave album)-Singles:#"Old Times Were Good Times" with the B-side "So Good, So Wrong" released in March 2008.-External links:**...
(2008) - Shake A BoneShake a Bone-Track listing:#Rock & Roll talent Show - 1:46#Shake A Bone - 3:04#She Just Danced All Night - 2:52#Brokedown Lincoln - 3:07#Voodoo Doll - 3:09#Guilty - 3:49#Revolution Town - 3:39#Stiletto - 3:05#You All But Stay - 3:49#Undertaker - 2:27...
(2010)
External links
- Review of 'Ain't Going to Niketown' on the Daily Music Guide
- Son of Dave official website
- 2006 interview with Darvill at BluesinLondon.com