The Bloody Beetroots remix Tiga

So, by now, you should be in the know with regards to the happenings of International acts hitting our shores etc. The Bloody Beetroots are a dance duo from Italia and have remixed tunes from big acts like MSTRKRFT, The Kills, Timbaland etc. They have enjoyed the same stage as monstrous performers like Justice, Busy P and Steve Aoki.

Check out this remix of the tune, Mind Dimension by Tiga.

Sorry, I was asked to remove the song by Tiga. If you want it, email me.

They are performing in Cape Town on 6 March and Joburg on 7 March. This is one of those DO NOT MISS FOR ANYTHING events. Oh, and I reckon this event will sell out before the show, so buy your tickets online if you want to see the act.

Event Page (Cape Town)

Event Page (Joburg)

Bloody Beetroots Myspace

340ml

So, if you are one of the three people not going to Ramfest this weekend (which is going to be very sad to miss by the way), you should get down to Assembly and support the biggest Mozambiquan act around, 340ml. Saturday, February 28. It should be a really good show.

340ml myspace
Event page

Funny video of the day.

I am not sexist, but this is very funny. The music is pretty annoying though.

Kidofdoom and Ben Rausch team for RAMFEST

Kidofdoom and Ben Rausch (from Johnny Neon) will be doing the third instalment in their "Trajectory" series.

Basically the Trajectory shows are scored live by Kidofdoom (obviously) and then there's a rather abstract narrative told through the lighting of Peter Rodda and the visuals that Ben's keytar spits out.

The story of Trajectory III will be told through an astronaut's journal as he travels to, and explores a barren ice-planet called "Morgan 51".

The show will be performed live at Ramfest this Friday (27 Feb 09) at midnight on the main stage. if you're going to RAMFEST, this is a not to miss show.

Event Page

Here is a video clip from their second Trajectory at Earthdance with a teaser for number 3.


Do it.

Because photographers and bloggers are friends...

Photographers make the jobs of bloggers so very much easier. Sourcing quality pics is not always the most pleasant of tasks, but when a photographer who knows what he or she is doing takes photos and posts them on Facebook, Flickr, their own blog or a Google album, a blogger's work load is reduced.

A classic example of bad photography with a point and shoot is my Taxi Violence at Marshall Music post. I had no one to take pics, so I had to.

Anyway, so using photographer's pics is a two way street. Your blog looks great and people get to find out about a new photographer on the scene.

Zahra Robertson, a young girl from the hood spent all she had on a camera so she could make a name for herself in Cape Town's toughest industry. She has overcome many hardships to become one of the finest young artists from the ghetto. I have used her photographs, not because I like the child, but because they are good. [She also is quite delightful in small infrequent doses.] She has recently started a blog featuring her photography.

You would do well to check it out.

Zahra Robertson Photography

Taxi Violence, Francois and Inge collaborate

On Saturday, Taxi Violence performed at Marshall Music in Cape Town with guest performers Francois from Polisiekar and Inge from Lark.
The weird thing about the show was that is was in the morning, about 11am. The event was to celebrate LMG's birthday. LMG is a music magazine in Cape Town.
Hearing George and Inge perform was certainly a highlight for the 25 people that had gathered for the show. Francois was still pretty under the weather from whatever he had been up to until the wee hours of the morning. Fun times.
After the show I had a chat with Francois. He is very handsy, and does not like blogs, maybe thanks to a word or two from good old Luca.
Fun morning but it was sad that so few people turned up for the show.

Yours in musical......kidding.

The best night of our lives! (This is a late post)

Not really, but it was pretty much the best way to spend Valentine's day if there is no significant other.

Outfits ranged from awesome, to ordinary, to awful! Fun times. Check out the pics from the we are awesome kids.

Due to the 'free before 22h30' thing, by the time I arrived, it was packed. They must have done some seriously good marketing, it was the fullest I have seen Assembly in a long while!

Other than being Valentine's Day, crowds were drawn by yet another Z&G show at Assembly. The bizarrely diverse crowd mixed and mashed into a sea of colourful fruitfulness as Zebra & Giraffe played a punchy, energy filled set with lighting to match. (By fruitfulness I do not mean for a second procreation in the kissing booth.)

It was a winner of an evening that ended with the Wedding DJs playing a mix of of 90's pop and rock, from Michael Jackson to The Back Street Boys. It kinda worked.

What are your plans for Valentine's Day?

So tomorrow is one of the most commercialised days on the calender, when the price of a flower sky rockets and kids buy chocolates in the hope that they will find someone to share them with. If you are not fortunate enough to have someone to share your preverbial chocolates with, you should get down to Assembly for a wicked cool party. Zebra & Giraffe are playing a free show (before 22h30 is free, R30 thereafter) at this very themed out party.

This is the idea: come dressed in what you imagine you would wear to a Prom (formal dance) in the year 2035. Who knows, maybe you will get to be in a prestigious We-Are-Awesome photo album!

Other acts on the night include, Lonesome Dave Ferguson and the Wedding Djs.

For more info, click along to FUTURE PROM 2035

For more on Zebra & Giraffe click here.

Z&G Myspace

Simian Mobile Disco - Synthesise

New from Simian Mobile Disco:

Not bad, no Animal Collective, but not bad.

Animal Collective - My Girls

I have never really liked Animal Collective. Their sound has always been a little too bizarre for my taste.

After watching this video however, I am a changed man, so to speak. Best video of 2009 so far? It just might be.

Desmond pics etc.

Hey, so as you know by now Desmond & the Tutus have been touring Sweden and are now in the UK making South Africa proud. Here are a few pics of the boys in action in Sweden.
So, that's Sweden done. Next up, 5 amazing shows in the UK. Be sure to check them out if you live in London or Glascow (Scotland). For dates of shows, click along to their Myspace.

Photos by Kalle Josephson

Aking announce Cokefest appearance and tour dates

So, barring Oasis, the South African acts are more exciting for Cokefest than the International ones. What a load of tripe! Now that aKing have joined the bill for the Cape Town leg, I totally want to pay R600. Not. I like them, but please get some decent International acts.

Anyway, here are aKing's tour dates for the next while:

Date: 13 February –
Venue: UCT, Cape Town– MTV Campus Invasion

Date: 27 February – Ramfest
Venue: Nekkies, Worchester, C.T

Date: 12 March
Venue: MFM Rockshow, Stellenbosch

Date: 22 March
Venue: Kirstenbosch Gardens, C.T
Cover: R50 adults / R30 scholars
Other info: Collaboration with Ghetto Sound.

Date: 10 April
Venue: MK Kaktus Sessions, KKNK
Cover: R50

Date: 13 April Venue: COKEZERO Fest, Ostrich Farm, N7

Date: 17 April
Venue: Wilgenhof Carry 6, Stellenbosch

Date: 25 April
Venue: Ratanga Junction, C.T


The big one is obviously the Cokefest on 13 April. If you have R600 lying around and are not too sure what to do with it, spend it on seeing them on stage.

Nice.

Photo by Zahra Robertson

aKing's Fan Page

aKing's Myspace

NLR break up

Front man John Seth announced earlier today, that the New Loud Rockets have broken up. This comes three weeks after their last show and the dismissal of drummer, Phil Erasmus. [Now would be a good time to stream and view their first and last music video, Bleeding in a Cab as you sob through the rest of this post.]


The four remaining Rockets set out recently to find a replacement for Phil, but due to what they call "personal issues amongst us", Jadan has left the band. Anyway, read what Johnny boy had to say:

"dear friends and lovers

it is with a heavy heart that i announce that the economic unit once known as new loud rockets has come to an end.

i know. it's a kak one. sadly, due to personal issues amongst us, J-dog mccullough will no longer be with us and as such we are down to three dashing young men in search of musical glory.

however...worry not, dear friends, the end is not as nigh as one might have thought. we will persevere, possibly under a new name and most definitely with a fresh new approach. we've had many positive responses to our appeal for a drummer and we'd like to make it clear that you can expect a whole lot more from...new found prophets??? it's a band name i've been sitting on for months...no but seriously we'll think of something cool.

we'd like to thank all of you for your love and support over the past two years. we started this band as 5 clueless kids with nothing other than having some fun in mind, and it has grown into something beautiful and special that we all hold close to our hearts (and hopefully you do too :)

our first gig was in a very dingy club called lepht in front of maybe 30 of our dearest friends. What turned out to be our final one was in front of close to 700 of our dearest friends too. we love you all. thank you for being part of this journey with us. every word, every chord, every song came from a place of sincerity and honesty.

all of us have made some amazing friends, played with some incredible bands, and realized what in many ways were impossible dreams. for this we thank you. here is to the next chapter.

upwards
onwards and


love and rockets



P.S - we don't, and have never sounded like, the fucking strokes."

I think everyone has a favourite New Loud Rocket experience. Their Hidden Cellar show with Desmond was probably mine, or maybe, their video launch? Good times. For all the posts ever done by Smack Talk on NLR, click here.

The very Strokes influenced band played their last show at Assembly in January with The Plastics and Dear John Love Emma. What a rocker. RIP guys, RIP.
[Photos by Adriaan Louw and Zahra Robertson]

Metronomy gets housey!

Are DJs trying bridge the gap between gentle indie electro in a pure form and house electro? I think they might be. Remember the Metronomy post, Metronomy - A Thing For Me? I showed you this video.


Anyway, there have been one or two cool remixes done of the song. The other day, I was reading Electrotrash (as one does), and I saw another remix that they were raving about. It's a Blackout remix and is so unbelievably housey that I almost turned it off. But there is a bizarre attractive and moreish quality about it, like something you know you shouldn't have but still do. Give it a whirl. I sat one of my most hardened indie friends down and even she had to admit it had a little something something. Maybe the Tiger Tiger Djs will find it?

Enjoy:
Metronomy - A Thing For Me (Blackout remix)

Desmond and Z&G do Chew

So, I have been doing a bit of work for Chew Magazine of late. Fun times. There latest issue, called The Design Issue includes some exciting things on top of the small features on Desmond & the Tutus and Zebra & Giraffe. You can see the beautiful Inge Beckmann, some interesting astore clothing and a lot more. Click here to download the magazine now.
These are some of the pics from the night, not used by Chew Magazine. These are courtesy of the ever talented Zahra Robertson.

As you probably know, Desmond leave for Sweden tonight to start their Sweden/UK tour. All the best lads!

A date with Sweat.X

Remember the post entitled Sweat.X Return from Europe? Well, to catch them live in Cape Town, be sure to get down to Assembly on 7 February 09 for a great show.

Facebook invite

Isochronous anounce tour dates

So Isochronous are hitting the road again. They have played once before in CT at Assembly. I caught up with Rich a couple of weeks after the show. Click here for the interview. Also, click on the event in your area below.

19th February -Tings N Times - Pretoria


20th February - Back2Basix with Zebra & Giraffe! - Johannesburg


28th February - Ramfest - Worcester


4th March - Zula Sound Bar with Overgraze - Cape Town


6th March - Mercury Live with Ashtray Electric - Cape Town


7th March - Klein Libertas Theatre with Taxi Violence - Stellenbosch

Be sure to see them at at least one of the shows! If you live in the Cape Town area, you could see them as many as four times.