Free Music Friday! Foreigner's in America: Philly Special Edition!!!

I've got a really special Free Music Friday for you this week.

In this special "Foreigner's in America" edition, I'm happy to share with you EPs by two of the three awesome bands we shared the basement with when we played in Philadelphia's Sprinkle Kingdom. The night really was a highlight of our tour of the States (for the full story head here then here then here), thanks mostly to the awesome kids of Philly, but also thanks to the totally rad music they make. At the time we played with the Skateboards and Bonjour, neither band had recorded a song. Now, a little more than a year later i'm really happy to be able to share the debut EPs of both bands with you now!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

SKATEBOARDS

BAD DAD'S DOIN' BAD DAD THINGS

For fans of:

8-bit tinged instrumental super-power pop, Fang Island, Anamanaguchi, Pizza, Dads & X-treme extremities!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

BONJOUR

MOTIVATIONAL SUICIDE

For fans of:

Noodley guitars and screamy bliss, The Kinsela-rock-family-tree, Revolution Summer, Algernon Cadwallader, taking emo back!

You are invited! Exhibition Thursday!

Hi Joburg! This evening there are going to be some nice exhibitions in you!

First, SMAC favourite Jean de Wet is up from Cape Town, doing a solo show at Wolves. This is gonna be amazing.

RSVP here!

And while you're in the hood for that, come by Mooks, have a drink and say hi to me while I customise sneakers. Feiyue are throwing a little wrap up party for the Shapes campaign they invited me to do a canvas for a couple weeks back! All four of the pieces made during the campaign will be on display, plus all four of us artists will be customising sneakers. And there will be good music. And free drinks. So basically it's gonna be cool.

RSVP here!

Hooray for Humans: New Make Overs album has four covers!

As I hope you're aware; Make Overs are awesome. You may also be aware that the band are releasing their second album this Friday. What you may not yet know, is that "...by natural selection" will feature no less than four interchangeable covers, illustrated by the holy hand of Andreas. Check it out!

I can't wait to get my hands on one of these babies. Personally I'll be going with the astronaut cover and dog cover! "Make Overs by natural selection" is launching this Friday at Shiva's rock. The excellent Skyline on Fire and my cinema rock squad will also be kicking out the jams to celebrate it's release. You should join us!

Days like Television vs America!

The world is only a few weeks away from the impending assault of Johnny Foreigner vs Everything, Jo Fo's 3rd proper album!

In the lead-up to the release, the band have set up a youtube channel where they're slowly releasing a tidal wave of videos. 6 videos have been released so far, and today I'd like to share two of them, cut from bits of our 2010 tour of The States.

First, here's a clip from the end of our second set at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in New York, which was quite possibly our best show of the tour.

And then here's us in high spirits, singing in a trailer park, having just taken a chunk of our RV's roof off.

Free Music Friday! Yo Grapes - Dehydration!

Free Music Friday regular Yo Grapes is back with yet another free to download new song, "Dehydration"! I have been a massive fan of all the songs The grapes have released so far, but I think it's safe to say this latest one could be my favourite since their debut hit "Outside". Dehydration by Yo Grapes

Don't forget to catch Yo Grapes live (in person!) at Kitchener's next Thursday!

You are invited! September!

RSVP here!

Days like Television: Fire through the window - Succubus

Discovering this little gem came as quite a shock to me. Not only is it a really fun, cool video, but this song just made my day. It's exactly the kind of thing I wish there was more of in this country, people playing guitars, girls singing and fun times being enjoyed by everyone involved. The track is the third single from Fire through the Window's second album, "All these people are golden". It was released last year, but somehow totally flew under my radar. Needless to say, after listening to this song 20 times I went here to rectify this great mistake, ordered myself a copy of the album and one of the lovely shirts Hruki have made for the band. Aaaaaanyway, may I now present to you the awesomness that is Succubus!

You are invited! Yo Grapes & Ampersand broaden a new sound!

SMAC BFFs Broaden a New Sound are launching a new series of Thursday night gigs at Kitchener's. For the first of these new nights they're hosting geriatric acoustic soloist Ampersand and fresh-faced new kid's on the block, Yo Grapes. This is gonna be a good one!

RSVP here!

Jo Fo Euro. Intermission: The Juneypics pt.2

You are invited: Make Overs launch "...by natural selection".

Pretoria's most prolific noise art label KRNGY are set to make their next release, a brand new full length from guitar/drum super-duo, Make Overs. The band's debut made my top ten local releases of last year and I'm pretty sure their sophomore effort will be making an appearance on my 2011 list. Basically, I'm expecting this album to be pretty awesome.

To celebrate the release of their 2nd album the band are throwing a launch at Shiva's on the 23rd of this month. What's more, they've invited mantra pop pioneers A Skyline on Fire to join them, as well as my own cinema-rock assault-squad Eyes Like Mirrors. I can't wait for this!

RSVP here!

vampire9000 - Colours EP is out!

Of any free music I've posted up on this blog, nothing has made me quite as happy as what I'm about to share with you now;

For your listening pleasure, I'm proud to link you to the 2nd release by my little record label SMACM, "Colours EP" by vampire9000!

As SMACM's next release after my own band's "Crusades EP", I'm obviously pretty damn enthusiastic about the three songs that make up V9K's "Colours", but I'd like to take a moment to explain why "pretty damn enthusiastic" doesn't even explain how excited I am to be releasing this EP.

Vampire9000 is the solo project of man caled Christian Henn. I first met Christian in the streets of Pretoria back in 2002. Christian and I immediately became super-friends and with our other new-best-friend Maaike Bakker a little gang was born that, almost a decade later, I still hold close to my heart as some of my dearest friends. Right from when I first met him, Christian was hands down the most dedicated and passionate musician I had ever met. And while Chrisitian's talent and commitment to music should have seen him blowing people's minds ever since then, he was always his harshest critic and his ridiculously high standards meant none of his musical creations ever left the front door of his home.

All that changed back in 2009 when Maaike threw a little illustration exhibition called City Slickers. She invited Christian to play some music on the night and, opting to try make simplified pop music, vampire9000 was born. Recruiting Hanre Malherbe on drums and myself on visuals, vampire9000 made it's debut on the 13th of August 2009. The band made it's return at our Dynamo Halloween party. And while Hanre departed for asian adventure Christian kept The Vampire alive, heading into Benjamin Studio to record with Pretorian electronic legend Jacob Israel. It's been a long ride, over the past year and a bit full of adventures, from banjo-related injuries, to vamp putting finishing touches on the EP to Maaike blowing us all away with the artwork she created for it to now, the 9th day of the 9th month where you can click here download this three song labour of love.

But with all the personal back-stories aside, when it comes down to it Colours is just a fantastic creature. Three songs that go so far beyond what we've come to expect from South African music. Songs that are overflowing with creativity, enthusiasm and joy. And what's most exciting of all, this is just the start; we've got great plans for where this project will be going and I couldn't be happier to have all of you along for the ride!

So if you haven't done it yet:

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

VAMPIRE9000'S

COLOURS EP

Days Like Television: Jo Fo vs Euro

We do this all the time: She Vox!

Hi5's "She Vox"

Kitchener's, Johannesburg

Sat 8 Aug 2011