there is a breeze in here

why hello there. i haven't written a post for this blog in a very long time, but that is because i haven't felt compelled to write a post about music for a while. until tonight that is, for 2 reasons: a) i FINALLY have internet at my flat, so can satisfy the urge when it needs to be done, and b) i saw a band tonight that reignited my passion for music.

the windy city

i first saw this band at their first gig last year december. good mates of mine, so thought i would pop by. it is incredible to see how far they have come in less than a year. after hounding the local music scene here in cape town for months, then deciding to venture across the seas to the little land down under (where they were very well received i hear), they have come back with a new confidence, energy and self assurance that i hadn't seen in them before.





incase you havent heard of this band, they are 3 absolutely gorgeous boys from cape town, who make music for the sheer love of it. their sound is described as 'ambient-indie-electro-rock' (i think, i don't really remember), but i would describe their sound as another kind of awesome. something soothing, different, quirky but with a sense of order and comfort in it.

we were given 2 sets from them tonight at the waiting room, their acoustic set (which had never been performed here on SA soil i hear), and their live set. and i was left speechless, with a giant cheesy grin on my face. who were these creatures who had matured so majestically in their sound and within themselves? i personally preferred the acoustic set because it seemed a lot more raw, and you could clearly hear the sweet smooth vocals of the lead singer adrian. you could see, and understand, the meticulousness in jean's guitar skills. and marco added the ambient groove that brought the whole thing together. the live set was also good, but i felt that the drums drowned out adrian's voice which is something that shouldn't be allowed. but a great show none the less.

if you ever get the chance to check them out, please do. you will be doing yourself a favour. i would suggest going for the more intimate location option if there is one, because that is where they really shine, but check them out whenever/wherever you can. if you can't get to a show, download their latest track for FREE. and we all know that things taste/feel better when they are free.

tried to upload their music video, featuring the uber fabulous kelly berold (who took that awesome picture of them, but i don't know how to add captions), but alas my computer keeps showing me flames. but it can be seen here

enjoy

x

can i have a little anthem with a side of butchered f&*% up

i am sure that you have all seen the ard matthews clip from supersport. the one where he 'sings' the national anthem? if not, have a look.

watching this clip was one of the most painful 2:15mins of my life. it was like watching a car crash where you don't like what you see, but you can't look away. let's discuss...

we as south africans are a very proud group of people. we are quick to judge and scrutinise our country, and more often than not, threaten to leave. but if one person takes one jab at our country, we are up in arms and are quick to defend our birthplace and our home. and having someone anally rape the national anthem is one of the deepest stabs to our belly.

yes, ard matthews made a complete fool of himself on national television, and i will be interested to see how his PR team handles this one. sex and drug scandals are easy to sort out, but this kind of shenanigan, not so much. but he highlighted a problem that a lot of south africans have, and that i have most definitely noticed growing up.

our national anthem is such an intricate part of our country's history. it was the first mark of democracy and equality. it signified us moving forward as one, and growing as a nation. i remember being in grade 1 in 1994, and having to learn how to draw the new south african flag, and learn the new anthem. it was the beginning of a new world. a world filled with growth and opportunity.

there are 4 verses in 4 different languages: xhosa, sesotho, afrikaans and english. we have a11 official languages, but to put all of them in a song would keep us singing for 3 hours straight; so we have 4. these are 4 important verses that every single south african should know, with no excuses. if you cant pronounce the words, thats okay, as long as you get the gist of it, and are still able to sing the entire song with pride. but the problem is that too many people don't know all 4 verses. they only know 2, namely english and afrikaans.

you have all heard it. when you are in a big stadium or hall, or even a bar, and everyone gets up to sing the anthem with their hands on their hearts. there are people singing, trying their best, but the minute 'uit die blou...' starts, the crowd erupts, and sings from a part of themselves that wasnt present at the beginning. suddenly the words to the song come back to them.

now this is just embarrassing. appalling in fact. it highlights the segregation that we are trying so hard to fight. i don't know if its a case of people not wanting or not willing to learn the whole anthem, but it just isnt right. i get upset about it, and i have black friends and white friends alike who are also insulted by this.

how is it that people don't know the anthem? are you no longer taught it at junior school? where is this falling off the map?

yes, ard matthews royally f&*%ed up, but he just highlighted a problem that a lot of people are experiencing, and that needs to be addressed. we should be proud of who we are, and how far we have come, and something as simple as not knowing the anthem is a slap to the face of millions.

but hey, #imjussayin

rabi

embarking on a musical adventure

tomorrow i leave for australia, and many people have asked me why on earth i would want to go to australia. what am i going to do there? what do they even have to offer? and my answer is always the same, besides the blatantly obvious answer of 'sloring', but its to check out the insane music scene.

and with this, i have had people ask, 'music scene? seriously?', and i answer, 'yes, seriously'. because some of the most insane artists are from the oceanic region. as puse says to me all the time, 'its something in their water'. and it really is. so during my holiday time in the land down under, i am determined to see as many bands as possible, and expose myself to this special kind of art and talent, and regail all my tales to all of you.

so which bands have inspired me to make this move? well, obviously kylie minogue and olivia newton john. thats a definite given. but this list of artists include pendulum, guest vocals for zero 7, empire of the sun, AC/DC, INXS, natalie imbruglia (ha, those were the days) and more. ok, honestly, i only knew about 3 of those musos off the top of my head, google supplied the rest.

but the point is that australia is a mad creative export, and i hope to get my hands on some of this amazing product. i will try my best to keep the blog updated with the things i hear and see, but me sitting in an internet cafe typing, requires that i miss out on 15-30 minutes of exploration. hmmm, yeah, i dont think so.

as an aside, check out summadayze music festival happening in melbourne on the 1st. if i am able to get my grubby paws on some tickets, then i have to make my way there just to see pharell williams in le flesh. mmmmmm.

so, bon voyage to you all. have a mad new years, and i cant wait to share my musical journey with you all :)

what are you doing this weekend?

there is only one word to that question: SYNERGY!!! and if you are not there, then you clearly do not have your finger anywhere near the pulse of whats happening.

this is just a quick one. if im not chilling in the river, arbing around or drinking with all of you fine cats, this is where i will be (and where you should be too). some bands i do know, some bands i dont, but im not going to pull daisies stunts, im actually going to watch these bands because either they are brilliant, take me to a happy place, or have a hot lead singer/drummer/trumpet player ;)

FRIDAY

i have an all day workshop on friday so going to get to synergy late and miss a few peeps i wanted to jam with e.g. tommy gun at 6 in the electro tent. good luck, young cat! but after i arrive all flustered from sitting in afternoon traffic and watching the minutes where i am not sipping on a mojito go by, im going to get my shit together, crack open a black label and check these peeps out:

foto na dans at 9pm at the main stage. they should make for a spectacular performance, and i have yet to be disappointed by them. have heard good things about their new album, so keen to check it out. plus, we all know im a sucker for a brass instrument in a band!

thereafter its taxi violence, van coke and jax panik. im pretty indifferent as to whether or not i see these bands. i would really like to see jax though cos have never seen a performance. lets hope that i make it. yikes. someone told me that he hasnt done a live performance before/in a while, i dont know, so i guess it should all make for an interesting experience.

SATURDAY

today is the day where you will more than likely find me at the LMG stage. what they are offering is pure brilliance and good times. bone collectors, natasha meister, and we set sail are my must see bands, and should be yours too!!! i have a music crush on natasha meister and will be front and centre drooling and the musical brilliance. LMG are totally bringing it, and you will be a fool to not be at this stage with good people, good vibes and fucking fantastic music.

the only muso i will be jamming to at the main stage is napalma. saw them last year at daisies and at synergy, and i love them. always a treat. if you like 340ml, then this shit will blow you out of the water. was considering catching aking as loyalty memoribilia, but saw that mix n blend are playing at the same time in the electro tent, so that wasnt a hard choice.

i still have no idea who feeder are. and i dont really care.

gotta bounce early on sunday morning, but if for some reason im still kicking it around lunch time, then i will be checking out jack mantis band.

cool beans.

see all you fine individuals this weekend for some irie good vibes.

back to the time when music was alive

the blog is still under construction, but this just needs to be said.

spent a FABULOUS evening at studio 7 last night. honestly the best time i have ever had there. it may have been due to a combination of factors- no school to think about, not tired from a long day on campus, good people..um, ja, thats about it. or it also could have been about the music? i dont know. maybe al four? but was one of the most spectacular gig events i have been to in an age. perhaps ever. and i know i say this after every studio 7 gig, but i think this time its for real.

so, whiskey, a comfy couch, some good people and the blues. the musical era of all musical era. the grooves and lyrics that have catapulted and influenced every musical genre thereafter (and if you dont agree, then get off my blog site). a man by the name of Gerald James Clark was jamming some original tunes from various genres, but with that same underlying blues feel. he came with a sweet, smooth raspy voice that completed the set and the mood, and transported you to a different time and place. i wasnt in a living room. i wasnt here. i wasnt even me. i was a part of the music.

thereafter a incredible young lady by the name of natasha meister rocked out on the electric guitar. wow wow wee wah! i fell in love. i literally could not take my eyes off this chic. such amazing talent, and a beautiful voice. every lyric and note wasnt played in vain, and you could feel and hear the emotion behind everything she said. this was music in its original form. the kind that cant be tainted, and that we so rarely get the opportunity to experience.

they then joined forces and played some classics for us. never having jammed together, you would have thought otherwise. in fact, you would have believed that they came out of the same womb rocking it out on their guitars in perfect unison and harmony. these two worlds and vibes colliding to give us something new, fresh and just a little bit incredible.

has an accordian ever been cool? no, right? i mean, what do you think of when you think of an accordian? not every accordian will have a bottle of richelieu inside. but some contain a little bit of magic. yes. i promise you, thats what i saw yesterday.magic. and not that harry potter kind of bullshit. the real kind. the kind that moves you, and makes you question your belief in reality and the accordian. a gentleman by the name of domenico giuliano benigno made this happen (i think he is also in jack mantis band cos he looked eerily familiar). i literally found love. no lies.

so we have an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar, an accordian and a dream.

ah, im still reeling. studio 7, thank you.

(natasha meister is the only one with a fanpage, thats why i havent done links to the others *sad face* )

under construction

this is just a note to say that this blog will be man down for a while. im currently not too happy with it, as im not sure of the direction i am taking with it, and to be frank, im not stoked with the whole layout and shit. so im shutting this bitch down until i know what to do with her. its not fair to the blog, or to those 11 followers (athankyou!) if im writing absolute crap about nothing in particular in relation to SA music.

so let me take this badboy into the back room, and spend some time with it. perhaps with a whiteboard marker and some cheese, and hopefully inspiration will come in some form or another that will bring you a new and improved tambourine popeye.

but i have recently acquired a camera (not a hipster one with 5million gizmos, gadgets and flashes, just a regular mainstream one that i can actually work), so at least there will be socially revelant pics on board.

but if for some obscure reason you are craving a dosage of the atrocities i comment on in everyday life and within this muddled up brain, then check #imjussayin or find me anywhere they have red wine.

stay tuned for further updates :)

somewhere beyond the sea...

last night assembly brought us the RTD after party. i dont know why they had to hide behind the veil of the daisies, but whatever. the night was still an awesome vibe #goodtimes (i recently received a tutorial on twitter language, and cant get enough of the '#' symbol-even though i use it on the #imjussayin blog. but the love of the # has been reignited. stay tuned for the introduction of @, but i think we are still a while away from that).

i missed jakkals ONCE AGAIN!!! tck, i think you guys need to start later, cos i will never be there on time if you're on at the likes of 9.30. once again, a million apologies for missing it...again. next time i will arrive at sunset and wait with a sign like a crazed fan. that ok?

but the issue that i wanted to address here is that of we set sail. the issue? they are awesome. so awesome in fact, that its an issue. you see what i am saying? the 20-million piece band put on a stellar show, and they are a band that i have been meaning to watch for some time now. last night presented itself with an opportunity.

they are completely instrumental, and it works for them. i have mentioned before my thing with instrumental bands i.e. kidofdoom, and i think they are amazing in that they can still portray a story and emotions without the use of emotive lyrics. its a feat that i think very few bands can achieve. i am one about the music, where some are about the lyrics. i like the way it speaks to me, and the freedom to interpret it in any way that i want. we set sail offered me that freedom last night.

instead of a lead singer, they have a lead trumpet player. and again, we know how i heart brass instruments in bands. and that seems to be the main vessel for communication. i dig it. jazz infused rock. different. interesting. something i can myself growing to love. and they play with such passion, because without the use of words, the passion has to be portrayed in other ways. rock stars to the full.

they dont play music for the sake of it being music. they play it for a purpose. a purpose you yourself can decide.

cant wait to jump aboard again. SYNERGY! do yourselves a favour, and come play.