Who is Cevron? Who is the macho boygirl behind 8-bit city? Where does he/she get off telling me how I should present my blog? If you don't like it, stop reading it. "whateverthefuck you're trying to say"?Really Cevron aka Anonymous? Really? I don't have to write about any one thing, thats the beauty of one's own blog. It is personal, deal with it. It's an outlet. If you read the blurb next to my posts, you will see that.
Anyway, I am wasting my time talking to someone who hides behind a name. If you are wondering why I am venting, some blogger wrote something that annoyed me (strangely). It generally takes a lot more than a silly post to get my back up. Check it.
Another reason for the url change is that my name (Richard Cole King) is a lot easier to remember than Smack Talk My Bum. So, it makes sense for the people I meet.
There might be cash prizes for anyone who delivers me info about who cevron is. Truth.
Oh, and happy Halloween if you're into that type of thing.
I am not generally one for downloads on my blog, but it's rare to come across a "library" of good free music. My friend directed me to a list of download tunes. Here are a few of the ones I like.
So, there has been a lot of hype on the www about a little Australian band doing big things in Disco. Van She are from Sydney combining raw synth, in their earlier work, with more textured sounds of their newer stuff. From what I have heard of their music, it sounds very 80's, VERY 80's. So they got love for you if you were born (or lived) in the 80's, the 80's. Sorry. Have a listen. I found these downloadables on DISCODUST.
Otherwise check their Myspace for some more tunes. Also view their "Strangers" video below. I really like this song. They have also remixed a couple of well known artists like Feist and Klaxons. The Klaxons remix was done for the world renowned Kitsune Maison group. Nice.
Remember Inge (from Lark) played with KOBUS at The Assembly at the end of August? Well, she is coming back to Assembly to play with Lonesome Dave Ferguson this weekend. So, if you are into meaningful dark lyrics (Inge) and Americana blues (Ferguson), come down to the Assembly on Saturday night. I think it's going to be very interesting and experimental.
Desmond & the Tutus just posted this on their blog. I heard rumours, but now here it is from the horses mouth...
So as some of you may know, this French label called Tigersushi is releasing the Kiss You On The Cheek single. They sure are, and the vinyl was released this month along with the insanely awesome King Of Town remix and people all over the world are loving it.
"Hands down Desmond & The Tutus is the best band name I've heard in ages and, happily, this single 'Kiss You On The Cheek' is deserving of such a wonderfully monikered creator. It's unashamedly cheesy, sunshiny electronic house indie pop gear - with harmonicas and everything..."
And the nice guys at Tigersushi said this nice thing about us:
"Super friendly guys from Pretoria making African tinged post punk, like the Rapture in Tanzania."
Anyway, you can download the tracks at Beatport. Or order it directly from Tigersushi.
"adidas’ new “Flash” site lets visitors play photographer. a really cool novel idea. using a virtual camera, you can click your mouse and capture images from videos that feature models sporting the brand’s new fall/winter line.
each slow-motion clip has the models engaged in mundane activities such as pouring a glass of orange juice and blow drying their hair. the flash function of the camera, however, allows you to capture surreal, hi-res pics that make it feel like a real photo shoot. after you captured each image, you can save to an online catalogue and explore the new adidas gear further." [Excerpt from the World of Advertising.]
But why oh why am I writing about an advertising site? Well, firstly because its an amazing site. Secondly, three South Africans (at least) were involved in it. Lyall Coburn was the director and works for the agency, 180 Amsterdam and Leannie van der Vyver (originally from the Northern Suburbs) did the set design and styling. Also, Say Thank You aka Simon Ringrose aka Sibot did the music. South Africa represent! Very cool site indeed.
Last year I went to Germany and got to see Arctic Monkeys live in concert. What a show! Anyway, now I find out Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys front man) has joined forces with Miles Kane from The Little Frames and The Rascals. They call themselves The Last Shadow Puppets. From the little I have heard, I really like them and would like to see them perform sometime.
They have been touring Europe and are soon heading to the States. Fun fun.
In the wake of the vicious (untrue) rumours that Daft Punk were coming to SA next year I have found myself listening to a lot more of the helmeted French duo. Andrew showed me this fan video that makes me so happy. I hope it does the same for you. Give it some time.
Unfortunately, Carles thought it would be cute to post a cover of this video.
How different is Arcade from Prom Night? Besides being older and more experienced, are there differences? I think so. Here are just a few differences I noted by attending both parties. Click on the picture to enlarge. Am I horribly wrong? I don't mind being wrong.
With the economic uncertainties of the last couple of weeks people have had to tighten their ‘going out belts’ and pick very selectively which parties to attend. This weekend was a good example of that.
The venue was Mercury, the party was Dance Lessons. The well advertised event featured the big draw card in Unit.R. They went on at about 11.30 and played (for me) the worst set I have ever seen them play! They were boring and unprofessional. I feel the freedom to say that, because I have heard them on a number of occasions when they have made me dance and get my sweat on. Other than that, the evening showcased outstanding acts from djs Tommy Gun and Dario (Fiction residents).
True to their promises, the ladies from Prom Night delivered. With streamers from the ceiling and quality djs churning out sweet melodies, a night like this could not be found elsewhere in Cape Town. For the small crowd that assembled for the evening it was a blast. We danced stupidly while wearing or using some of hundreds of ribbons that were made for the event. The goodness Cupcakes also provided a very necessary sugar high to help people let loose.
It is trusted as the word spreads about the awesomeness and uniqueness of this party and as the economy stables, more people will flock to this event to share cake and show off some unique tackie squeaking.
To find out when the next party will be, join the Facebook group called Prom Night and be the first to get info about proceedings.
[The attention to detail did not go unnoticed]
AN ASIDE: I cannot pinpoint the last time I went to Mercury, but the place is looking so much better. Gone are the days when I can’t tell what the floor is made of. They have transformed the hole into something cleaner and presentable.
Remember this? It's tomorrow. Click on the poster for more details. It's going to be Deee............... wait for it................. lightful! Delightful.
Do it! Do it Now! Be there or be....... Blaire! My goodness. My brain is fried. I had an exam. Forgive me.
Coldplay are releasing again. This time just an EP. They say it'll be out between 21-25 November 2008 depending where you live. So it'll probably be here next year some time, just before they release something else. The EP cover looks similar to the album cover. Maybe it's meant to. :)
Viva La Vida was a very successful releasewithLost! going to number one in the States. Some liked to slate it saying it sounded the same as X & Y and others that came before that, but thats nonsense (in my humble opinion). They have a style of music that is unique to any band, and so they will keep in that, but Viva is not a re-churned out version of Parachutes.
So you may or may not have heard of the A Cross the Universe tour that Justice have just done. They are now putting together the DVD for release of the shows etc that they have performed. The poster is weird and aspects of this [TEASER] are WILDLY INAPPROPRIATE but the rest of it makes me excited for the DVD.
Friday night saw Joburg newbies Zebra & Giraffe play with The Dirty Skirts at The Assembly. The Dirty Skirts seem to have this sad habit of getting the guest bands to play first, so that by the time they come on stage the crowd is warmed up. Etiquette says they should let the guests go last. Oh well.Moving along. Z&G were fantastic. It was their first show in Cape Town (the closest they had come previously was Stellenbosch) and they really impressed! You would never think it, but they have only been performing as a band for about 2 months! Front man Gregg recorded their album by himself before he formed the band. Talented bugger. They have a really good sound, mixing conventional alternative rock with Franz Ferdinand type beats [on occasions]. (Thats a personal, rough overview opinion of Z&G's sound).Dirty Skirts followed. Enough said. If you like them and want to read something nice about them, hop along to 8-bit.
I had enough when the dumbass MC came on stage and said I looked like Schalk Burger and must be Afrikaans. Over it. Click here to see a Z&G video that will blow your mind. It's called, The Knife.
I had a chat with Darren Leader (Z&G drummer) and turns out he used to play for Harris Tweed (Dear Reader). Use it, don't use it. I thought that was interesting. Expect a Members interview with him soon.
So, rumours are running rampant on Facebook. Daft Punk are coming to SA to play a once off show at Kirstenbosch in February 2009. As of yet, I have found no literature to support this claim, but it would be cool. I messaged the guy who started the invite craze on FB and he sent me this:
"Hey Richard
I work for a media and events company called SBA2 and we have been given the info that you can see. The legal boys told us what links we could and couldn't put up and then big concerts put it together.Basically we were given the contract to make some hype about the concert and preceding the actual announcement, all we do is use every "unofficial" media source we can find to get the talk about the concert up in order to build hype before the actual announcement. Its a technique we call sink media, we basically let old fashioned word on the street to build up an event. The rumours as to whether it is or isn't happening all help.As you know, facebook is a very usefull tool for sink media and this is just one of our mediums. Another would be paying a person to phone into a popular radio station and simply ask if the concert is happening, it all builds hype. Even if people dont belive it, it will keep their ears tuned to the idea and if one person talks about it, it spreads!Due to the huge success of the David Guetta concert which we helped promote in this way, we are doing this in a similar fashion with some changes ofcourse.From what i have been told, the announcement will e made 62 days before the actual concert and for the first 31 days after the announcement all people will be able to do is book the right to a ticket and in the 31 days before the concert people can actually buy tickets. Again, these are all hype techniques, organisers know that this concert will be a sell out so they can use creative media techniques to enhance it!
See you at the concert Richard!
Guy Manning
SBA2"
So I don't know anymore. I asked him for a website to show some credibility, but he hasn't as yet got back to me. Time will tell I guess. Is Kirstenbosch not a strange place for a Daft Punk concert?If you want to speak directly to Guy, you can click here and message him.
If you were unfortunate to miss out last time, you have another chance! Albeit in Stellenbosch. Yes thats correct friends. Nigel James Moore is not quite ready to leave, and so he has got his man friends (Dave, Steve and Tim) together for one last shindig. It's all going down on Thursday night at the Rock Room on Dorp Street. Get there early and have some dinner in Stellies. Should be wicked. On top of this exciting news, the lads from the Pretty Blue Guns have agreed to come along and play an unplugged set for us. Fun times. If you were at the Waiting Room, you will remember Andre from the Pretty Blue Guns. He was the bloke who played the Harmonica. No doubt he will be show face in both acts.
[The kids from Pretty Blue Guns]
[Fun times with Nigel Moore and friends at Waiting Room]
If you missed out and would like to read about what happened last time and see some pics, click here.
If you would like to hear a little more of his music before deciding, click here. [Bare in mind, he sounds much better live.]
Ty Ty, one of my childhood friends and team member of the organising committee (sounds official) of Arcade, one of Cape Town's biggest parties and I had a chat. We have been meaning to put together this interview for months. We finally did, and I got to ask him a little about Arcade. Have a read. His answers are in Italics.
Who came up with the idea of Arcade? What inspired the idea and the name?
About a year ago there was an old man, smoking a hash pipe, in a parking lot, with no parked cars in it. We just happened to be driving by, and he waved us down with his one good eye and hobbled to the car. In this moment a flash of light came from the sky and struck the car and the guy who happened to have just one eye. It was in this moment, that our destiny became clear to us. A message from the heavens was sent to us...that message was bright. It said fight the light and dance all night!
What is Arcade and what are you trying to achieve through it?
Arcade is a monthly night of electro mental madness, people dress up to the theme that is selected for the month and come get wikey wikey. We see arcade being the first party on the moon were everyone gets a free pair of LED crocs.
[I am sorry he said crocs. This interview should be called on account of bad language. But I am gracious.]
What kind of people are you trying to attract with Arcade?
All creatures that like to go bump in the night!
What aspect of Arcade do you think attracts people? The theme? The music? The profile?
The whole package we reckon, there is something tasty for everyone to treat on.
What makes Arcade different from other parties like Daydream Nation and the like?
Arcade is a year old...so we have been around for some time. The recipe of love, dedication, sweat, tears, stinky pits and a phenomenal team separates Arcade from any other party.
How was last week’s Arcade at Mercury?
Banging,bitching,crunking,funking,thumping,loving and hugging. Each Arcade just gets bigger and bigger we running out of gaps on the dancefloor.
You recently had an Arcade party at Bang Bang. How was that? Is that a venue you would like to use into the future?
The party at bang bang was supa stylin, we had an amazing turn out and a flippen rad response. The beauty of arcade is that it is mobile. We are trying to change the taboos associated to certain venues and make people understand that it doesn’t matter where you are if you are surrounded by bitchyin music and a dedicated crowd.
We mobile baby, mobile!
Do you have any thoughts about taking Arcade on tour like SovereignAcademy or something like that?
We would love to take arcade all over the world, smack us up.
Anything you would like to add?
Without our people and the dedication arcade is merely just a name. Arcade town is a love town.
So if you would like more info on Arcade, you can check out their FB group and join it to get invites to the bash.
So Louise Day, the name familiar? She is a singer performer, and now has a band. They are pretty awesome. If you give them a chance, you will like them too. They are playing at The Cape Farm House on Saturday afternoon. It is certainly worth a visit. They are really good and are trying to get on the list to play at the Virgin Festival in December which would be fantastic for them and the festival. If you are keen you can click here and have a listen to their music and vote for them to play.
So, in just two days (depending on when you read this) Zebra & Giraffe will play at The Assembly with The Dirty Skirts and dj Lapse. It's is going to be awesome. Zebra & Giraffe are kinda new to Cape Town (not being from around here), only playing one or two shows in and around the Mother City before this Friday. Z&G did a tour recently with Harris Tweed that brought them as far south as Stellenbosch. Check out their insane video! It's called The Knife.
For more info on Friday night check out the invite! Also listen to their music on Myspace and become a fan! Their website provides a lot of info if you are interested further.
See you there Cape Town!
Oh and it's recently confirmed that they will be playing at the Virgin Festival. Pretty cool.
So, next up in our prestigious Members' series is Richard Brokensha from Pretoria. He is a member of two awesome bands up there. Kidofdoom and Isochronous. Isochronous recently played a couple gigs in Cape Town for the first time. They rocked out and stole fans. Check my review of the gig.
He plays guitar and lead vocals for Isochronous and he plays guitar and synth for Kidofdoom.
How long have you been playing music?
10 years
What was the first instrument you played?
Piano
How many instruments can you play now?
I can play 8 instruments. They are; Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano, Voice, Trumpet, Cautro, Accordian.
What do you do with your life when you are not making music?
I'm always making music, but I usually chill with my girlfriend, or fly fish when I have a break, which isn’t often.
What are you hoping to achieve with the release of the Isochronous album?
A new look on music and a deeper meaning and understanding from the public towards rock music.
Not many people know or will ever know how it feels to play in a band, let alone two bands. How does it feel to be a part of two successful bands?
It is quite an overwhelming sensation, especially the feeling while performing; both bands have quite a different aura to each other and they allow me to express different parts of my personality accordingly.
Is it difficult at times?
It can be quite difficult, I don’t get much time to spend with my friends and family and focusing on my studies whilst playing all the time is quite intense, but it's my love for the music that keeps me going,
If Isochronous could tour the world with one International act, who would it be?
Mew, because they are probably the most unique and intelligent rock bands at the moment
What are you listening to (music wise) at the moment?
Quite a bit of Electronica, like Telepopmusiek and Lamb, but I always return to Mew and Jeff Buckley.
Where do you find most of your inspiration for your song writing?
Inspiration comes from within my soul and mind. I try dig deep into my sub conscious and accept certain things about myself to allow my relationships and understanding of life to be enhanced, then I try write it in a way that allows the normal person on the street to relate to the lyrics. Marko also writes a lot of the lyrics.
Why has it taken so long for Isochronous to get down to Cape Town when Kidofdoom has been down quite a few times in the last year?
We have been creating a professional performance and felt that the time is right now.
Would you agree with people when they say Isochronous has at times hints of a Kidofdoom sound?
The only reason for this is because I am in both bands and aspects of my expression will surely come out in the music. It’s like a person’s accent when speaking a language. When you speak to different people your accent still remains the same.
So you may have noticed that blogging has slowed a little. This is due to the reality of exams. Sad but true. I will try post as often as possible though. But in truth, rather quality than quantity hey? I hate blogging about nothing or reading blogs about nothing. Bums me out.
So Coldplay seem to be the band I want to write about most these days. Maybe because they are continually churning out new stuff. They debuted a new song the other night in Antwerp, Belgium. Not just that, it features a guest performance from Albert Hammond Jr. (Strokes) on electric. Pretty awesome. The song is called Glass of Water. Coldplay put a sniput up on their site for us to view. I found this video of the full song shot with a hand held, so the quality isn't great, but the song is and you get to see more of Albert.
So two young UCT students are throwing a party. Not just any party I may add. The lovely ladies from Prom Night are throwing a Dance Lessons themed party at Mercury Live on 17 October 2008. It all begun like this...
"Once upon a time in Cape Town, Jeans and Jacket went dancing. They loved dancing so much that they decided to make their very own dance party. With the help of the Good Time Monster, PROM NIGHT was born. If dancing is what you're into, put on your mom's disco pants and come play with us."
I got that off the Prom Night Blog. It is in serious need of some updating, but yeah.
It should be loads of fun, with the promises of cup cakes. I am convinced. What a draw card. Oh wait, there is more. (I should be a sales guy.) Once inside, you will get to see the band, Unit.R and djs, Dario and Tommy Gun (Tuesday night Fiction djs). Pretty cool party just before the long exam slug (for some of us). Then summer holidays! Yes please.
So as keen as you should be from reading my inspiring post, check out the FB group to receive future invites; and the invite for this party.
If you are a delinquent and cannot follow links, here is a contact number. 0724829913
So I know I posted something about this video last month when it officially came out, but now it's available on Youtube and I want it on my blog. If you haven't seen it, it's pretty cool. The video is a live performance at one of those massive indoor venues in America. The Americans love this song. It was even the number one song in America for a while. True story. It's called Lost! and it's by Coldplay (of course).
With ridiculous fuel prices but at the same time the urge to move forward (technologically), is this the future of transport? I ask with tears in my eyes! How badly do you want to give this a go?? Imagine having a blow out?
So this weekend it looks as though there will be no one in town....AT ALL! What with two big festival type things (Rocking the Daisies and Alien Safari) going down on one weekend, it seems unlikely that there will be much to do in the mother city. This is true. If you are one of the unlucky ones staying behind, I suggest a movie or poker night. When was the last time you had one of those? For me, it was ages. They are totally underrated. As far as movies go, I suggest 21 or Iron Man. Both clever, interesting movies. Best chick flick around has to be P.s. I Love You or the one where the kid follows the music to find his parents. I can't remember the name. I don't know if that qualifies as a chick flick, but its awesome nevertheless. Anyway, should you be at a lose end on Saturday night, you could pop down to Daydream Nation at the Assembly and see the other poor sods who aren't away. It was pretty large last time. Otherwise, I suggest, a Movie Night (the sequel!!). Could be fun.
Because this is remotely music related, I felt the freedom to share it. Check out the link for some fun and then share it with loved ones. Consider it a gift from me to you. Click here!
So, the only place to be on a Tuesday night used to be Fiction for the indie/electro free entrance late start "UNTAMED YOUTH" awesome night. What are people doing instead with their Tuesday nights? Half price movies? Because, the music hasn't deterriorated. Resident djs Tommy Gun and Dario are still "bustin' the lekker tunes China". No really, it's still has to be the place to go out to on a Tuesday.
I took a gander down there with two friends the other night after the Nigel Moore gig and something died a little inside me when I saw so few people there.
If siff Monday Madness at Mercury can week after week be packed with school kids, then we should be able to find music lovers to come to Fiction, surely? Bring it back to life, tell your friends! Summer is coming and the evenings are warmer. If you need to be energised for a Tuesday night watched this video. It will blow your mind.
I was chatting to my cousin in Australia earlier and he was telling me about bands to look out for, and he mentioned Lykke Li. Sounds Japanese. She's not. She is a lovely sounding chicky from Sweden. She grew up all over the world, from Sweden to Morrocco and even India, before she went to the States to record her first album. She is really good and would win my "band of the week" award if I had such a thing. But I don't. I found a free song for download called Dance Dance Dance and another on her website calledTonight. If you like Feist and Regina Spektor you will enjoy meeting Li (real name).
Sounds like Unit.R but way better. Hey Champ are a Chicago based indie/electro band. Not huge yet, but they might get there. They have a couple of cool tunes. You can download their one song called Cold Dust here! I found this video interesting, it's a cover (if you like) of Justice's Let there be Light.
Check out their Myspace for more interesting songs.
Thank you Asian Dan for pointing this one out to me.
Not a new band or anything, but I really enjoy them. There videos are pretty hard to track down. I found this one. Pretty average though. [Apparently it's just a fan video though.]
Ethan Kath formed the one man band in 2003. In 2005 Alice Glass joined him. They released their first full length album earlier this year. It's pretty awesome. Check out their Myspace and their FB Fan Page. Founding member Ethan is also responsible for the wicked huge remixes for Bloc Party's Hunting for Witches and the Klaxons' Atlantis to Interzone.
Last night was a haze of Royale burgers, red wine, smoke and melodic music. I think a fair sum up of the evening’s music was experimental. Experimental in the good sense. Nigel Moore produced an session of music at the Waiting Room that was totally unusual for the once was indie rocker. He played with a band of boys that assisted him every now and then to make the musical extravaganza more than just the Nigel Moore show. With a performance or three from Pretty Blue Guns front man on the harmonica and bass and electric guitar from Dave and Steve from the New Loud Rockets the evening could only go one way. Tim King on the drums made his debut on the Cape Town music scene with the beats and riffs of an experienced performer.
After playing all the songs in their repertoire the three f’s (family, fans and friends) relentlessly begged for more. But they had no more. And so, (not reluctantly you understand) Nigel and band played one of the songs again. Each person in the band got pressured into a solo before the set was over.
It turned out to be a super evening. Some have said that Nigel’s voice does not suite this genre of music. Others say it’s new and revolutionary. His voice is certainly not “melodic” or “beautiful” but definitely goes with his personality. Rough around the edges and not backward at going forwards. He is a good song writer though. Being somewhat of a song writer myself, I was impressed with his lyrics and music.
He launched his EP last night as well. I have no idea where you can get it, but if you look at the fan page and contact him through that, I am sure you could organise.
Nigel James Moore Steven Huson 'busting' one of his solos (New Loud Rockets) Andre (Pretty Blue Guns) sucking and blowing David Huson (New Loud Rockets) New comer Tim King (Looking for a band)
So now he is off to London for a break and then to NZ to meet up with his family where he will live indefinitely.
I love music, and most things that relate to music. I also enjoy writing. So I have decided to create an amalgamation of my interests. Therefore, Smack Talk serves to entertain, create awareness and be an outlet for my interests.
If you have a band and would like to be seen, known and loved, you can email me. richardcoleking[at]gmail[dot]com
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Who is Cevron? Who is the macho boygirl behind 8-bit city? Where does he/she get off telling me how I should present my blog? If you don't like it, stop reading it. "whateverthefuck you're trying to say"? Really Cevron aka Anonymous? Really? I don't have to write about any one thing, thats the beauty of one's own blog. It is personal, deal with it. It's an outlet. If you read the blurb next to my posts, you will see that.
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