Song Of The Week: Biffy Clyro - Stingin' Belle

Here it is folks; the first single off Biffy Clyro's (rumoured to be double-disc) album, Opposites - due for release on September 17th.

Hope you all enjoyed your day, snow 'n all!

Song Of The Week: LA.VI - Solitaire

This just happened. Cape Town indy/folk band, (and firm favourites of mine - I know I'm biased for obvious reasons) LA.VI, have just released their second single, Solitaire, off their upcoming 2013 album. And it's grand.



I particularly love how vocalist, Chantel Van T, experiments with her voice in this track. In fact, just in general, the song is beautifully put together, from a song-writing perspective down to the post production and mix (great job Monarch Mountain Records) and deserves a listen.

Song Of The Week: Sun-Do Q'lisi - Susan Sarandon

I posted about this group a while back and have since been tracking their moves with increasing interest. Sun-Do Q'lisi, the electronic/dance/I'm-not-actually-100%-sure-what-genre-they-are band from Cape Town, are definitely doing something fresh.

Apart from being on-trend and extremely well produced, their music is also incredibly unpredictable - a quality that's definitely lacking in most local music of late. Take a listen to their new EP, Susan Sarandon and let me know what you think in the comments below. Happy fucking Friday people!

Converse Announce Top 10 To #play100club

Remember this? Well, now this happened.

Voting opened at 13:00 today, which was over 30 minutes ago, so make it count. Click here and cast your vote. You can follow the conversation on Twitter @Converse_Africa and with the #Play100Club hashtag. Do it.

I Met The Walrus

I watched this video a while back (thanks @Ch0pp3r!) and have been meaning to blog it for ages. In a nutshell, it's an interview with John Lennon conducted by a 14-year old Beatles fanatic named Jerry Levitan. The clip uses the soundtrack from the original interview and is accompanied by animated visuals that delve deep into Lennon's thoughts and beliefs. It's a vivid insider's glimpse into the mind of one of the greatest musicians and thought provokers of our time. You are missing out if you haven't seen it. Go on.

 

Mind blown right? Please share this.

Bloc Party Headline Rocking The Daisies '12

It's confirmed. Bloc Party are headling Rocking the Daisies 2012! This follows in the wake of a number of international acts set to perform at venues and festivals across the country throughout the year - namely: Lady Gaga, The Darkness, Bullet for my Valentine, Eagles of Death Metal and Enter Shikari.

The four-piece band of Kele Okereke, Russell Lissack, Gordon Moakes and Matt Tong reunited, prompted by a creative impetus inspired by a dramatic year in world events, as well as a shared desire to rekindle their singular musical kinship. Their new project, ‘FOUR’, presents a band in the fullest sense of the word: lean, hungry, spirited and uncompromising, armed with a collection of songs as powerful and anthemic ever, as well as some of their most hard-hitting and visceral recordings to date. Daisies fans will get to watch this all unfold on the main stage at RTD 2012. Check out their album trailer and get amped:

Rocking the Daisies will take place from 4-7th October 2012 on Cloof Wine estate in Darling. Get your tickets NOW from here!

Like RTD on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

Get Out Of The Garage And Onto The Stage In London

So you're in a band, which means one of two things: you're either getting a little tired of playing the same old gigs in the same old venues to the same old people, or you're not gigging at all. Either way, Converse has got an offer that you should seriously consider. Seriously. 

Converse wants YOU to get out of the garage and be transported to the The 100 Club in London  to play an epic gig. And believe me, you want to play at this venue.

If you’re an unsigned band/artist, upload your best original song and a short bio via this Facebook app http://on.fb.me/getoutofthegarage. The judges - Zulu Boy, John Savage and Garick Williams - will then narrow down the entries to SA's top 10 unsigned artists. Converse will then showcase these acts on Facebook, where South Africa can vote for their favourites and have the chance to join their favourite band VIP style for the gig.

Follow the conversation on Twitter @Converse_Africa and with the #Play100Club hashtag. Entries close 8th of July and winners will be announced on August 6th 2012. Go, go, go!

Ticket Giveaway - The Plastics & Friends At Brass Bell

Next Saturday 30 June, SA's very own retro-pop rockers, The Plastics along with up-and-comers The Mysticcs and Them Birds will be making loud noises at the Brass Bell in Kalk Bay. I've got a double ticket to give away, so if you fancy yourself some Saturday-night delight, keep reading.

Rad poster, but I don't understand why the shark isn't drinking the whiskey... Regardless, to win a ticket and a +1 to this particularly groovy shindig, all you have to do is answer this question: if sharks had legs, what kind of jeans would they wear? Leave your contact details and answer in the comments below and I'll let you know if you've won. Sweeet.

The Voice of Youth Launch At The Assembly

New youth culture magazine on the block, LIVE, is going to be mixing it up at The Assembly's SYNW (tonight) to celebrate the launch of their brand new mobile site. 

The boring, talky stuff is all going down in the early evening, so pull in at 21:00 for the regular See You Next Wednesday student night -- with a twist. LIVE Mag are bringing the swag.

• Street-style photo booth: strike a pose/pout with style and get featured in LIVE Mag Issue 4.
• SYNW-style snaps: if the roaming photographer digs your vaaaib, you could be featured in Issue 4’s fashion piece.
• Falko graffiti art: watch as the maestro of caricatures creates a new masterpiece before your blurry eyes. 
• Awewolves VJs: mesmerising VJ talents; aweh. 
• Street-culture inspiration: a skateboard art exhibition from Verb and KFD.

LIVE Mag is credible content created by the very audience who consume it. Think: music, fashion, celebrities, sports, culture -- seen from the angle of mainstream youth: school leavers, varsity students and young professionals. A collection of thoughts and opinions in one neat package.

So, See You Next Wednesday tonight?

Yes Sir! Mister Music Video

This has been a long time coming... Team Machine is bringing hardcore back - but in a completely new way - pioneering an original and approachable take on this mostly misinterpreted genre of music. They prove, without a doubt, that you don't need to dress up like Goths or dabble in modern vampirism in order to slot into the heavy niche; you just need to play heavy music. YS!MM's debut music video, Cold Rush Song, dropped this morning at about... well, one minute ago. It's all kinds of rad and you'd be a fucking idiot if you didn't check it out.

If you'd like to see them in action, they're playing with Beach Party at Kimberly Hotel on the 22 June. Click on the event flier and join the Facebook Event.

What do you think of the video? 

Stop Being So Bored, Bassists

This video is brilliant. If you're in a band, or friends with anyone in a band, some of the points made in this video will be instantly relatable. Basically, it's a motivational talk for bassists, encouraging them to stop looking so bored on stage. My favourite parts include "what if we're talking to the drummer about what we're gonna do after the show when the singer and guitarist are off having sex with groupies", and "no matter how simple and repetitive the bass part is, don't just sit there and check your cell phone okay?". Enjoy.

Hey?!

Song Of The Week: Jack White - Love Interruption

What is there to say about Jack White that has not already been said? The man is a legend. Even his blood takes special care to make room for the volume of music that courses through his blue veins. He is the preacher who speaks the truth of Rock & Roll - dirty, raw and natural, like its roots. The song below is off his new solo album, Blunderbuss, and it has friday written all over it.

Have a rock & roll weekend.

Song Of The Week: Sun-Do Q'lisi - Azamah-oh-ohh

If you haven't heard of Sun-Do Q'lisi, you are missing out. Apart from having one of the hardest names to pronounce in the scene, they also make good music. Nay: great. This video surfaced yesterday, after which I suffered a few self-inflicted kicks to the shins because I missed the show. No worries though, they're jamming at Zula next Tuesday. Don't miss it!

Here's one of their recorded tunes. Written in the key of goodness.



Absolutely perfect for a 4/20 Friday. Enjoy the weekend folks!

The Return Of The D

More talented than The Beatles, Stones and Zeppelin combined. That's right, Tenacious D is back. And they haven't lost their funny.

Check out their epic comeback video below, starring the usual collection of celebri-Ds. And also Val Kilmer for some reason...

Below is their first single off the new album, Rize of the Fenix.

Happy Tuesday!

Allée Bleue Sunday Jam [Video]

We joined De-Wet Nagel from My Darkest Diary - along with his new singer, Sheena Banks - at Allée Bleue Wine Estate on Sunday for a bit of a jam. It was a relaxed atmosphere; great wine and great food. Perfect for a Sunday brunch with family or friends, with unobtrusive acoustic music as ambience. I made this short video using iMovie for iPad, so it's not amazing - but I'll get there.

Song Of The Week: Bicycle Thief - Goodbye Ian Curtis

Bicycle Thief is a Capetonian band who could easily be mistaken for an international. I mean this in the best way possible. Take a listen to the first single off their new EP, Ammunition. You can also download it for free.

I'll be doing a full review of Ammunition, so be sure to check back for the scoop. In the mean time, follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

There And Bach Again

I can't believe I haven't posted about this yet. I have been a foolish, foolish Frost. About a month ago, local songwriting mastermind - Julian Bach - and myself, decided to hit the Garden Route in hopes of catching some fresh coastal air, some waves (even though I don't/can't surf -- but I can jump around like an idiot in the break water) and possibly some STDs.

So, with considerable help and networking assistance from local folk legend, Heather Waters, we lined up some gigs in George/Plett/Knysna, packed our bags, and hit the road. Within the first few minutes of arriving at our first destination - Misty Meadows outside George - we had learnt the entire beer-making process and were sampling a sprinkling of the native brew.

We played the first night of the Misty Meadows Beer Festival, as well as the second day, then headed out towards Plettenberg Bay. We had a show booked with Heather Waters at Surf Cafe - so we set up camp at the always awesome Starling Village and made our way to the venue. (This entire paragraph almost rhymed kinda).

Surf Cafe was... well I don't know. We definitely had tequila. All of the tequila. And when I woke up the next morning I was sandwiched between Heather and roadie Michelle in the back of a VW Combi. On top of that, no one seemed to recall where exactly Julian had disappeared to. We found him roaming around town - delirious and frantic after an intense sleepover at a Brazilian bartender's place. It was a good night... I've been told.

So to add a healthy twist to our extremely confused and hungover morning, Julian and I took an unintended 2-hour hike to a secluded beach that forms part of the magnificently beautiful Robberg Nature Reserve in Plett. After swimming on both sides of what appeared to be a strip of beach that extended far out into the sea, we made our way back to the car and headed to Knysna for a gig at Quay 4.

After finishing up at Quay 4, we were seriously considering driving back to Somerset West... But it was around 1am and it had just begun to storm - so instead - we packed up our things, found a local backpackers (evidently the last backpackers with an available room in Knysna) and made our way over there expecting the worst.

What became of the night is something for the grandchildren one day. We ended up getting drunk with a Capetonian girl with a heavy lisp, a travelling German student who'd just finished his masters in physics, and a seemingly immortal British gentleman who hadn't used a telephone in 16 years.

In the morning, we awoke early, packed our things and hit the road before anyone could remind us of our behaviour the night before. The road home was long, hot and tiring - and we arrived back in Scummerset West already missing the greenery of the lush Garden Route and the relaxed good nature of the coastal folk. There's something magical about being a musician and getting to go on holidays like these - where you end up arriving home with more money than you left with - having had the time of your life. I urge you to try it sometime.

Plett: we'll be bach.

Mister & Misread: The Beginning

Here’s a quick update on all things Mister & Misread.

M&M are proud to be working alongside Sovereign Entertainment (Ash, The Black Hotels, Wonderboom, The Parlotones). They have taken us under their wing and are assisting us in delivering the best music possible – from us to you. We’re enormously excited to be working with such an esteemed brand in the industry – both in SA and internationally – and look forward to the future with enthusiasm and exhilaration!

M&M recently recorded our first demo at Sound & Motion studios, Cape Town. Silver Linings is available for streaming from our SoundCloud  as well as on our Facebook Page. Let us know what you think!

Silver Linings by mrandmisread

M&M gigs for the coming months include but are not limited to:

• 22nd November | &Union (#tuesonfire) | Acoustic Act
• 26th November | Synergy Live Festival (LMG Stage) | Boschendal Wine Estate, Franschhoek
• 2nd December | Bright Street Summer Festival | Somerset West

FB Events will be created shortly to help ya’ll remember what’s up!

Lastly, we’d like to say thanks to a few people that helped us get where we are in such a short space of time:

Chris Captivate from Purple Cow, Tecla Ciolfi and Mike Smith from YourLMG, Corne Geyer from Sovereign Entertainment, Metoikus Cadmus of CADMUS Studios, Tiffany Cuff from Radio Helderberg 93.6fm, Karen Rykaart, Mark Swemmer from the Nameless Pub, Megan Douglas from Mango, our friends and family - and every other person who was involved in getting Mister & Misread to where we are today.

We honestly love you all!
Mister & Misread x

Studio Diary [Day 1]

I'm in the studio with Heather Waters this week tracking six songs for her new album. Here are some photos from last night. Much fun was had - you can tell because I'm rocking a tambourine.

Later.

Kristyn Rohm And I Get Our Mumford On

If you follow me on Twitter, you will have read about the mini-music video Kristyn and I shot on Monday 6th June, in Durbanville. The shoot was a lot of fun and I'm pretty damn happy with the result (even though this song has been YouTube covered to death). Big up to Etienne Janse Van Rensburg, the man behind the camera (and concept), as well as Killian Pond, the brains behind the set design and lighting. Check the video out below:

We will be working towards an original recording before the end of the month, followed closely by another video sometime next month. Until then, we could really use your help with name ideas. Leave suggestions in the comment section below the post. Peace!