Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid-1980s, with its roots in Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s (Josef K and Orange Juice) and the dominant UK independent band of the mid-'80s, The Smiths. Indie pop was inspired by punk's DIY ethic and related ideologies, and it generated a thriving fanzine, label, and club and gig circuit. Indie pop differs from indie rock to the extent that it is more melodic, less abrasive, and relatively angst-free.^[1]

The term "indie" had been used for some time to describe artists on independent labels (and the labels themselves), but the key moment in the naming of "indie pop" as a genre was the release of NME's C86 tape in 1986.^[2] The compilation featured, among other artists, Primal Scream, The Pastels, and The Wedding Present, and "indie" quickly became shorthand for a genre whose defining conventions were identified as jangling guitars, a love of '60s pop, and melodic power pop song structures (the genre was initially dubbed "C86" after the tape itself).

In the mid to late '80s, indie pop was criticized for its associations with so-called "shambling" (a John Peel-coined description celebrating the self-conscious primitive approach of some of the music^[3]) and underachievement, but the C86 indie pop scene is now recognized as a pivotal moment for independent music in the UK,^[4] as is recognized in the subtitle of that compilation's 2006 extended reissue: CD86: 48 Tracks from the Birth of Indie Pop. Indie pop continues to have a strong following and inspire musicians, not just in the UK but around the world, with new bands, labels and clubs devoted to the sound.

Roots[link]

The birth of indie pop can be traced back to the post-punk explosion in limited-circulation photocopied fanzines, and small shop-based record labels such as London's Rough Trade Records and Glasgow's Postcard Records. The publication in Record Business magazine of the first weekly indie singles and album charts (for the week ending 19 January 1980) and the adoption of such charts in the UK music press stimulated activity. In order to reflect this, the British musical weekly New Musical Express released an era-defining compilation cassette called C81. This cassette featured a wide range of groups, reflecting the different approaches of the immediate post-punk era.

History[link]

NME followed up C81 with C86. Similarly designed to reflect the new music scene of the time in the UK, it is now seen as the birth of indie pop in the UK (the 2006 extended reissue CD86 is subtitled 48 Tracks from the Birth of Indie Pop). The UK music press was, in 1986, highly competitive, with four weekly papers documenting new bands and trends. The grouping of bands, often artificially, with an overarching label to heighten interest or sell copies, was commonplace. NME journalists of the period now agree that C86 was an example of this, but also a by-product of NME's "hip hop wars",^[5] a schism in the paper (and among readers) between enthusiasts of contemporary progressive black music (for example, by Public Enemy and Mantronix), and fans of guitar-based music, as represented on C86. C86 featured key early bands of the genre such as Primal Scream and The Pastels, but also included tracks by several more abrasive, "shambling" bands from the Ron Johnson label, who were atypical of the perceived C86 jangle pop aesthetic.

A link between C86 and unifying genre is commonly disputed by critics and the bands actually on the original compilation. Everett True, a writer for NME in the '80s under the name "The Legend!",^[6] has argued that "C86 didn't actually exist as a sound, or style. I find it weird, bordering on surreal, that people are starting to use it as a description again".^[7] Geoff Taylor, a member of the band Age of Chance, agreed: "We never considered ourselves part of any scene. I’m not sure that the public at large did either, to be honest. We were just an independent band around at that same time as the others."^[8] Bob Stanley, a Melody Maker journalist in the late 1980s and founding member of pop band Saint Etienne, acknowledges that participants at the time reacted against lazy labelling, but insists they shared an approach:

Of course the "scene", like any scene, barely existed. Like squabbling Marxist factions, groups who had much in common built up petty rivalries. The June Brides and the Jasmine Minks were the biggest names at Alan McGee's Living Room Club and couldn't stand the sight of each other. Only when the The Jesus and Mary Chain exploded and stole their two-headed crown did they realise they were basically soulmates.^[9]

Manic Street Preachers bassist Nicky Wire remembers that it was the bands' very independence that gave the scene coherence: "People were doing everything themselves - making their own records, doing the artwork, gluing the sleeves together, releasing them and sending them out, writing fanzines because the music press lost interest really quickly."^[10]

Many of the actual C86 bands distanced themselves from the scene cultivated around them by the UK music press - in its time, C86 became a pejorative term for its associations with so-called "shambling" (a John Peel-coined description celebrating the self-conscious primitive approach of some of the music^[11]) and underachievement.

In 2004 the UK-focused Rough Trade Shops compilation Indiepop Vol. 1 effectively documented the history of the sound acknowledging that it pre- and post-dated 1986.

Influences[link]

In his book Time Travel, pop historian Jon Savage traced the musical origins of C86 and indie pop to the Velvet Underground's eponymous third album. Power pop was a significant influence, as was punk and post-punk. Catchy power pop melodies made the Ramones and the Buzzcocks the most identifiable punk influences. Before the last and main influence on C86 and indie pop - The Smiths - the bands of Glasgow's post-punk independent Postcard label had some influence: Josef K and Orange Juice (along with contemporaries The Fire Engines). Other possible musical antecedents included The Television Personalities and the Swell Maps.

The inspiration of punk's DIY ethic manifested itself, too, in fanzines from the period. Significant titles from the period were: Kevin Pearce's Hungry Beat!, John Robb and Mark Tilton's Rox, and Everett True's The Legend! Other titles included: Pure Popcorn, Baby Honey, Simply Thrilled and Are You Scared To Get Happy? The fanzines often featured flexi discs of bands associated with C86.

The jangle pop indie sensibility with which C86 became synonymous began to be applied to bands who had not appeared on the tape. Some influenced by the compilation and later associated with it had yet to emerge in 1986, such as Talulah Gosh and Razorcuts. The UK label Sarah Records, which released its first record in 1987, embraced the perceived jangly indie pop sensibility in such a way that it - and its most popular bands, The Field Mice and Heavenly - could be seen as typical proponents.

The movement continued to hold sway into the 1990s. Scenes developed in the United States, particularly around labels such as K Records and Slumberland Records. Bands of the US riot grrrl movement acknowledged a debt to C86, and Scottish band Belle and Sebastian recognized its influence.

In the United States, the terms "twee",^[12] "twee pop" and "cutie" (all pejorative terms in the UK) have been adopted retrospectively to describe some examples of indie pop, owing to what has been called the genre's "revolt into childhood".^[13]

In the mid-2000s, London clubs such as How Does it Feel to be Loved?^[14] continue to air tracks from C86, and Sweden has increased its export of indie pop through Labrador Records.^[15]

See also[link]

• List of indie pop artists
• Indie rock
• DIY ethic
• John Peel
• Fanzine

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Abebe, Nitsuh [1], Pitchfork Media, 24 October 2005
• Bladh, Krister Everything went Pop!, C86 and more, A wave and its rise and wake (pdf) 2005
• "Fire Escape Talking","Anoraky in the UK,C86, the punk that refuses to die" ("Fire Escape Talking blog", 7 July 2006)
• Fitchett, Alastair, C86 (Tangents Blog, 25 July 2005)
• Hann, Michael Fey City Rollers (The Guardian, 13 October 2004)
• Pearce, Kevin A Different Story; The Ballad of the June Brides(Tangents, March 2001)
• Reynolds, Simon Rip It Up and Start Again: Post Punk 1978-1984 (Faber and Faber, 2005) ISBN 0-571-21569-6
• Reynolds, Simon The C86 Indie Scene is back (Time Out, 23 Oct 2006)
• Rogers, Jude Smells like Indie Spirit (The Observer, 8 July 2007)
• Stanley, Bob, Where were you in C86? (The Times 20 October 2006)
• True, Everett C86 Q&A(Plan B Blog 22 July 2005)
• Wire, Nicky The Birth of Uncool(The Guardian, 25 October 2006)

External links[link]

• TweeNet - Indiepop Reference Web site

Look up pop in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Pop may refer to:

Music and dance[link]

• Pop music, a musical genre
• Pop!, a UK pop group
• Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
• PoP!, the fictional band in Music and Lyrics
• Pop (U2 album)
• Pop (Mao Abe album)
• Pop (Gas album)
• Pop (Same Difference album)
• Pop (Joachim Witt album)
• "Pop" (song), by 'N Sync
• Popping, a style of dance

People[link]

• Iggy Pop, musician
• Iulian Pop, Romanian mayor of Cluj
• Gregg Popovich, National Basketball Association head coach
• Pop Chalee, also known as Merina Lujan (1906–1993), American painter, muralist, performer and singer
• Pop Corkhill (1858-1921), American Major League Baseball (MLB) player
• Pop Dillon (1873-1931), American MLB player
• Pop Foster (1878-1944), American MLB player
• Pop Gates (1917-1999), American basketball player and Harlem Globetrotters coach
• Pop Ivy (1916-2003), American football player and coach
• Pop Levi, English singer, musician, record producer and filmmaker
• Pop Robson (born 1945), English footballer
• Pop Schriver (1865-1932), American MLB catcher
• Pop Smith (1856-1927), Canadian MLB player
• Pop Snyder (1854-1924), American MLB player, manager and umpire
• Pop Tate (baseball) (1860-1932), American MLB player
• Glenn Scobey Warner (1871-1954), American football player and coach better known as Pop Warner
• Pop Williams (1874-1959), American MLB pitcher

Sports and games[link]

• Pop (professional wrestling)
• Pop (video game)
• Pokémon Organized Play, a trading card and figure organization
• Prince of Persia

Computing and technology[link]

• Package on package, a circuit packaging technique
• Parallel Ocean Program, an ocean circulation model
• Partial-order planning, an algorithm
• Point of Presence, a demarcation point between communications entities
• Post Office Protocol, an Internet e-mail protocol
• An operation of a stack data structure

Media and publications[link]

• Pop (UK TV channel), a UK channel
• Pop (fashion magazine), a British fashion magazine
• Pop Magazine (Australia), a sports magazine
• Pop (Swedish magazine)
• POP TV, a Slovenian television network
• Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, a medical journal

Places[link]

• Pop River (Jijia), Romania
• Pop River (Sadu), Romania
• Puerto Plata Airport, IATA code POP
• Poppleton railway station, station code POP
• Pacific Ocean Park, an amusement park

Other uses[link]

• Eton Society, an organization at Eton College, nicknamed "Pop"
• Pay on production
• Plaster of Paris
• Persistent organic pollutant, an organic compound resistant to degradation
• Pop art, a visual art movement
• Pop culture, the mainstream phenomena of a society
• Pop, another term for soft drinks
• Population, the collection of humans or organisms in a given area
• Probability of precipitation, a weather forecasting measure
• Problem-oriented policing, a policing strategy
• Process Oriented Psychology
• Progestogen only pill, a contraceptive
• Point of Purchase used often in retail
• Proof-of-payment, a fare collection approach

See also[link]

• Pops (disambiguation)
• PoP (disambiguation)
• Popping (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

The Bird and the Bee
The Bird and the Bee performing at The Bell House in Brooklyn, New York City on March 6, 2009. Greg Kurstin (left) and Inara George (right)
Background information
Origin	Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres	Indie pop, synthpop, psychedelic pop, shoegaze
Years active	2006–present
Labels	Metro Blue, Blue Note
Associated acts	Geggy Tah
Website	www.thebirdandthebee.com
Members
Greg Kurstin Inara George

The Bird and the Bee is an American indie pop musical duo from Los Angeles, California, consisting of musicians Inara George ("the bird") and Greg Kurstin ("the bee"). Kurstin, a producer and keyboardist who has worked with artists such as Lily Allen, Kylie Minogue, Little Boots, Ladyhawke, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Beck, Barenaked Ladies, The Flaming Lips and Red Hot Chili Peppers, is also a member of the band Geggy Tah. George and Kurstin met while the two were working on her debut album and they decided to collaborate on a jazz-influenced electropop project. Their debut EP, Again and Again and Again and Again, was released on October 31, 2006, followed by their self-titled debut album on January 23, 2007.

History[link]

According to their Myspace page, "Greg and Inara met a few years ago. Discovered a common love of jazz standards... nerded out for a couple of hours playing every song they knew... and then wrote and recorded a record together."^[1] That record was the four-track EP Again and Again and Again and Again, released on October 31, 2006 by Blue Note Records.^[2] The EP includes the single "Fucking Boyfriend", which topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart on the issue dated December 2, 2006.^[3]

The duo's self-titled debut studio album, The Bird And The Bee was released on January 23, 2007^[2] to positive reviews; Allmusic described it as "irresistible" and "charming and delightful at every turn".^[4]

Summer of 2007 saw the band touring as the opening act for English singer Lily Allen,^[5] while their music was heard twice that year in the ABC drama series Grey's Anatomy, with "Again & Again" featured in the April 26 episode titled "Desire", and "Polite Dance Song" featured in the October 25 episode "Haunt You Every Day";^[6] the former was also included on the third volume of the show's soundtrack.^[7] With the holiday season came additional exposure for the group, when Apple Inc.'s iTunes Store chose "Carol of the Bells" to be the featured "Free Single of the Week" for the week of November 27.

In 2008 the duo's third EP One Too Many Hearts was released exclusively in digital format on February 12, 2008 to coincide with Valentine's Day. The four-song collection featured a rendition of the 1920s standard "Tonight You Belong to Me".^[8]

The Bird and the Bee appeared repeatedly on TV and in films during 2008, with "Fucking Boyfriend" appearing in the film Forgetting Sarah Marshall and "How Deep Is Your Love" included in the film adaptation of Sex and the City and VH1 promos for their reality show lineup.^[9] On July 8 a performance recorded at Pearl Concert Theater in Las Vegas was released as a digital EP titled Live from Las Vegas at the Palms, including live versions of "Again & Again" (Bossa Nova Version), "Fucking Boyfriend", "Autumn Leaves", "Man", and "Preparedness".^[2]

In 2009 the Bird and the Bee marked the release of their second studio album, Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future, with two national television appearances: January 26 on NBC's The Tonight Show and February 4 on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live!.^[10] Following its January 27 release, the album debuted atop Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart on sales of 5,000 copies.^[11] In support of the album, the duo embarked on a ten-date US tour, which kicked off at The Casbah in San Diego on February 5, 2009 and ended at Carnegie Hall in New York City on March 7.^[10] On March 14, The Bird and the Bee performed at the Tricot Showroom in Los Angeles as part of a FMLY show.^[12]

On March 23, 2010, the band released Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates, an album of Hall & Oates cover songs.^[13]

"What's in the Middle" was featured in the thirteenth episode of the fifth season of Bones. "4th of July" was featured in the Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! episode titled "Larry". Their song "Diamond Dave" appeared in Judd Apatow's 2009 film Funny People.

The Bird and the Bee announced on their official Facebook page on September 26, 2011 that they were no longer signed to Blue Note Records. They also stated, "We don't have an exact release date for the album yet, but it'll most likely be early 2012."^[14] On November 18, 2011, the duo released a digital-only Christmas single titled "Wishes" through their website.^[15]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Extended plays[link]

Singles[link]

Other charted songs[link]

Other appearances[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Photo feature in Spin
• Interview in Spin

Francesca Battistelli
Background information
Birth name	Francesca Battistelli[1]
Born	(1985-05-18) May 18, 1985 (age 27)
Origin	New York City, New York, USA
Genres	CCM, pop, soul
Occupations	Singer, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Fervent, Warner Bros.
Website	www.francescamusic.com

Francesca Battistelli (born May 18, 1985) is an American Christian musician from New York City, New York.^[2] She was originally an independent artist and had released an independent album, Just a Breath, in 2004. Her first studio album on Fervent Records, My Paper Heart, was released on July 22, 2008. Her first single, "I'm Letting Go", was released to radio stations in spring of 2008 and has charted on national Christian CHR charts since then. The song was the 16th most played song of 2008 on Christian radio stations according to R&R magazine.^[3] Battistelli received her first Grammy Award nomination in 2009, for Best Gospel Performance with her single, "Free to Be Me".

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Battistelli was born on May 18, 1985 in New York City.^[2][4] She grew up in a musical family with both of her parents involved in musical theatre.^[5] "There was just something about live theater—especially musical theater—that has always resonated with me" she said.^[6] She "knew that she was going to spend her life performing" after seeing a performance of the musical The Secret Garden on Broadway at the age of six.^[5] "So I thought that was it. I was going to be Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden."^[7]

When she was 15, however, she became a member of the Orlando, Florida all-girl mainstream pop group Bella. The group's touring performances included singing and dancing, which were "two things I loved", she said.^[7] After the group disbanded, Battistelli picked up the guitar and began writing songs.

Musical career[link]

As an independent artist in 2004, Battistelli released her debut album, Just a Breath. In early 2008, she released the I'm Letting Go EP exclusively through iTunes on Fervent Records which contains four songs, including the title track. All four songs were included on her first major label studio album, My Paper Heart, which was released on July 22, 2008.^[8] The album was produced by Dove Award-winning producer Ian Eskelin, and was published through Word Distribution.^[6] Her first radio single, "I'm Letting Go", was released in spring 2008. The song had reached into the top 20 on R&R's Christian CHR charts by May 30, 2008.^[9] In early July 2008, the song reached No. 10 on Christian CHR charts.^[10] My Paper Heart debuted at No. 1 on iTunes in July and was in the top 10 Christian albums for 4 weeks.

The song "Free to Be Me", which received a Grammy nomination in 2009, was partially inspired when she backed her car into a lawyer's car, resulting in the line "'cause I got a couple dents in my fender".^{[citation needed]}

Battistelli began a period of touring in the U.S. during early 2008, playing solo concerts as well as performing with fellow Fervent Records band Big Daddy Weave.^[11] She performed at several Christian music festivals during mid-2008, such as Spirit West Coast in California and Alive Fest.^[5][11] In late 2008, she guested on a tour with Aaron Shust and NewSong.

Her debut single "I'm Letting Go" reached No. 3 on R&R's Christian CHR and AC charts during mid to late 2008. Her next single, "Free to Be Me", reached No. 1 on the R&R Christian CHR format in March 2009, and has held the top position for 9 consecutive weeks through the beginning of May.^[10]

Battistelli joined TobyMac, Hawk Nelson, Brandon Heath and others on the Winter Jam 2009 tour, the nation's largest annual Christian music tour, which ran from January through March 2009.^[12] On November 23, 2009, Battistelli's song "It's Your Life" was featured on the series finale of Jon & Kate Plus 8 and The Biggest Loser, is realized on the same day the EP of "It's Your Life" on iTunes USA that contains all the singles from that album and a special version of "It's Your Life Dented Fender Session". "It's Your Life" peaked at Top 200 iTunes USA and join the No. 46 positions and No. 29 on iTunes Canada. It was also used in the film Soul Surfer.

Battistelli toured on Winter Jam again for 2011 and released a second studio album, Hundred More Years, on March 1, 2011. The album was preceded by the release of a single, "This is the Stuff", in early 2011 followed in July by "Motion of Mercy".

Style[link]

Battistelli's music is the mix of several different genre labels. A reviewer once said that "Battistelli's soulful piano-pop sound resembles a blend of her music interests—jazz, rock, gospel and R&B."^[13] Battistelli stated that when she first began writing music, "I really longed to bring something authentic to the [Christian music] scene that even non-Christians could listen to."^[7]

Francesca's track "Blue Sky" featured on the Hollister Playlist for December 2009.

Personal life[link]

This biographical section needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (April 2012)

Battistelli married percussionist Matthew Goodwin on August 27, 2009 in Nashville. The couple's son, Matthew Elijah, was born on September 22, 2010. In December of 2011, Battistelli announced via twitter that their second child was on the way.

Discography[link]

• Hundred More Years also charted on Billboard Digital Albums peaking at No. 21.

Singles[link]

• "I'm Letting Go" – also peaked No. 10 on national Christian CHR charts, including the top 3 on R&R magazine^[16]
• "Free to Be Me" – also peaked No. 1 on R&R's Christian CHR format for seven consecutive weeks; US Bubbling Under Hot 100 No. 17 ^[10]
• "It's Your Life" - also peaked No. 95 US Billboard Hot 100^[17]
• "Lead Me to the Cross" - iTunes Single
• "This Is The Stuff" - also peaked No. 15 US Bubbling Under Hot 100
• "Motion of Mercy"

Compilation Contributions[link]

• Be Born In Me (Mary) - Music Inspired by the Story (EMI Christian Music 2011)

Music videos[link]

• "Free to Be Me
• "Beautiful, Beautiful"
• "This is the Stuff"

Awards[link]

GMA Dove Awards[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website

Andrew Hansen
Andrew Hansen
Birth name	Andrew John Hansen
Born	(1974-09-18) 18 September 1974 (age 37)
Medium	Print, television, radio and stage
Nationality	Australian
Years active	1999–present
Genres	Satirical and musical comedy
Notable works and roles	The Chaser The Chaser Decides (2001, 2004, 2007) CNNNN (2002–2003) Cirque du Chaser (2005) The Chaser's War On Everything (2006–2009) The Chaser's Age Of Terror Variety Hour (2008) Yes We Canberra! (2010) The Blow Parade (2010) The Hamster Wheel (2011)
Website	www.chaser.com.au
AFI Awards
Best Performance In Television Comedy (2006)

Andrew John Hansen (born 18 September 1974)^[1] is an Australian comedian and musician, best known for being a member of satirical team The Chaser. As a member of The Chaser, Hansen's television work includes co-writing and appearing in ABC Television shows CNNNN (2002–2003), The Chaser Decides (2004, 2007), Chaser News Alert (2005), The Chaser's War On Everything (2006–07, 2009), Yes We Canberra! (2010), and The Hamster Wheel (2011). He has also co-written and performed in The Chaser's stage shows, Cirque du Chaser (2005) and The Chaser's Age of Terror Variety Hour (2008). With Chaser colleague Chris Taylor, Hansen starred in a scripted radio comedy series on triple j titled The Blow Parade, which was released on CD and through iTunes Store Australia.^[2]

Early life[link]

Hansen was School Captain of the The Hills Grammar School in Kenthurst, New South Wales and is a graduate of the University of Sydney with honours in Australian literature^[3] and Australian history.^[4]

In 1995 he appeared as a subject in Simon Target's documentary Uni about three students studying at the University of Sydney (Hansen later satirised Target in CNNNN where he played the network's British correspondent who was also called Simon Target). Soon-to-be fellow Chaser member Charles Firth was one of the other two students featured.^[5] During the documentary it was revealed that Hansen suffered from clinical depression while attending the university.^[6]

The Chaser[link]

CNNNN[link]

Hansen starred in The Chaser's satirical American news show CNNNN as the leader of the "newsband". He was also characters Rudi J Blass, director of "Newstainment", and Simon Target, an English reporter. Hansen's performance in the first season of CNNNN earned him the Australian Comedy Award for Outstanding Television Newcomer.^[7]

The Chaser's War on Everything[link]

Hansen has been a regular writer and performer on The Chaser's War on Everything since the pilot episode. He is particularly known for composing and performing songs on the program. He is also known for his character pieces, which include Scenes from the Life of the Crazy Warehouse Guy, The Surprise Spruiker, Clive the Slightly Too-Loud Commuter, and Mr. Ten Questions. In the second part of the first season and the whole of the second and third, Andrew sported a different hairstyle every week. He has said that he likes to look entertaining with his clothes and his hair.

Hansen is a pianist and guitarist and in addition to his songwriting, Hansen composed the show's theme music, which received the APRA-AGSC Screen Music Award for Best Television Theme (2006).^[8]

In The Chaser's War on Everything DVD Volume 2's commentary, Hansen revealed that he is a fan of computer games and Doctor Who. This may have sparked the inspiration for one of his songs sung on The Chaser's War on Everything Season 1, about Doctor Who. It is also stated on the commentary that about 3/4 of the Doctor Who props in the video clip were supplied by Andrew himself. On the Season 2 Volume 1 commentary, it was revealed jokingly that Hansen is a huge fan of U2, which is why he chose not to imitate lead singer Bono during a sketch. This allegation was possibly tongue-in-cheek, as Hansen did make fun of Bono by playing a Bono-like character in his radio show The Blow Parade.

For Season 1 of the program, he received the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Performance in Television Comedy (2006).

The Eulogy Song[link]

The most controversial song that Hansen has performed was The Eulogy Song, which was originally written for Chris Taylor's play Dead Caesar, with music by Hansen and lyrics by Taylor. On 17 October 2007 episode of The War, Hansen performed the song which satirised the lives of several deceased celebrities, including Peter Brock, Stan Zemanek, Princess Diana, Donald Bradman, Steve Irwin, John Lennon, Jeff Buckley and Kerry Packer, expressing the view that people with flaws during life are often disproportionately hailed as "top blokes" after death. The song became the target of significant media attention,^[9] with several radio and television personalities saying the song was in "bad taste", and both the then Prime Minister of Australia John Howard and then Leader of the Opposition Kevin Rudd expressing negative views.^[10]

Stage Shows[link]

Hansen co-wrote and appeared in the live show Cirque du Chaser, which toured Australia in 2005.

Hansen composed and performed the music for the Sydney Theatre Company's 2007 musical comedy Dead Caesar, which was written by Chaser colleague Chris Taylor. He also played the roles of Marc Antony and Lucius.^[11] The Eulogy Song was originally written for and performed during this play.

In 2008, Hansen toured Australia with The Chaser's second stage show, The Chaser's Age of Terror Variety Hour.^[12]

In October 2009, Hansen hosted The Goodies: Before, During and After, a live show by British comedy trio The Goodies at Sydney's Riverside Theatre (Parramatta) and at the World's Funniest Island comedy festival.^[13] The show involved Hansen interviewing Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden, as well as performing a Goodies song with them.

In 2011, Hansen joined various combinations of The Chaser team's members for a series of live shows in Sydney entitled The Chaser's Empty Vessel.^[14]

Other productions[link]

Hansen was the guitarist and one of the vocalists for independent Sydney band The Fantastic Leslie. The Fantastic Leslie was composed of Cameron Bruce, Tom Gleeson, James Fletcher and Hansen. In July 1999 the band released their 6-track EP A Tiny Mark which was distributed through MGM Distribution.^[15][16] He was also a member of independent alternative band Mending.^[17]

Hansen co-wrote the short film Garbage Man with Charles Firth and British comedian Henry Naylor. It was a Tropfest finalist in 2005 and a prizewinner at Germany's Ohne Kohle festival.^[18] Hansen has also been known to feature on the musical comedy circuit, including a recorded performance of one of his more famous songs, 'I Wish I Was A Scottish Stand-Up Comedian', for the Laugh-A-Poolooza 2006 DVD release.

Hansen has had writer/performer contributions to the Nine Network's Comedy Inc. and the ABC's My Favourite Album. He also does the voice-over for the ABC's First Tuesday Book Club^[19] and has voiced the ABC's Media Watch. He composed the music for Nickelodeon's Sarvo and Napman, and songs for the Sesame Street character Ollie.^[20] Hansen appeared and presented at the 2007 MTV Australia Awards and the 2007 ARIA Music Awards. Also that year, he made a guest appearance on Nine's The Nation.^[21] In 2008, he appeared in a sketch on SBS's Newstopia, as well as an episode of the Australian gaming TV show Good Game on the ABC, challenging the hosts to a 'Roffle Cup'.^[22] He also made an appearance as a guest host on the program in 2010, filling in for host Steven O'Donnell ^[23] and again in 2011 filling in for host Stephanie Bendixsen. In 2009, he made guest appearances on Network Ten's Rove and Good News Week.^[24] He appeared again on Good News Week in 2010, this time with Chris Taylor, in the guise of characters from their radio show The Blow Parade.^[25] The same year, he was a guest on Top Gear Australia, where he drove deliberately slowly around the celebrity track for humorous effect.^[26]

Hansen was the host of Strictly Speaking, a speechmaking competition series, which aired on ABC1 in 2010.^[27]

He composed the music for and starred in The Blow Parade, a scripted radio comedy series he made with Chris Taylor.^[28] It premiered on triple j on 28 April 2010. The series was released on CD and through the iTunes Store with bonus tracks.^[29] This album won the 2010 ARIA Award for Best Comedy Release.^[30]

He played the character 'Dex' in the 3D movie Sanctum, produced by James Cameron and released in 2011.

See also[link]

	Book: The Chaser
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Andrew Hansen on Twitter
• Andrew Hansen at the Internet Movie Database
• Andrew Hansen on Last.fm
• Andrew Hansen at TV.com

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