Welcome to the SMACM label stable!

There's plenty to be excited about in 2012, including a Martin Scorsese kid's movie, Mass Effect 3 & the world not ending! Over at the SMACM stable it's not too different, especially with the way this year has been kicking off. We've got hopes and dreams of a split release with KRNGY, unveiling Lavaman, launching a killer web site designed by Nanna and seeing full length albums from Vampire9000 and Eye Like Mirrors. While I'm holding thumbs that all these dreams will come to pass, we're gonna have to wait a while to see them happen, but there are three things definitely going down soon and getting us incredibly excited for the imediate future of So Many Animal Calls Music. Over the next while we'll be putting out recordings from 3 very different acts, who all share a common trait of pure, un-brideled awesomeness; may I now present to you the latest additions to the SMACM stable!

PETITE NOIR!

Petite Noir is the solo project of Yannick "Iamwaves" Ilunga, an over-achiving busy body and a perfect fit for SMACM and our "just go out and do shit" attitude. Yannick's distinctive voice should be familiar to most of you as the lovely set of pipes behind Cape Town's Popskarr, easily one the best (if not the best) live dance act the country has to offer. He's also a part of globe-trotting style collective Capital of Cool. Releasing his debut solo EP "Masion Noir", independantly last year, we're super excited to be joining him in spreading the Noir gospel with our release of his second EP "Till we Ghosts"! While still in production, it's safe to say I can't wait for this one, just going on the first single "The Dance". If you're not feeling the same after hearing this then i think you may have misplaced your soul:

GREENISFORTURBO!

Following on with the "catch-up on putting out great unreleased music from 6 years ago" agenda we started with last year's release of Martianmartian, we can't wait to put out Greenisforturbo's "GIFT". They were one of the cornerstones of the incredible creative community that exploded out of pretoria between 2005 and 6, shone with a blinding bright light and then burnt out, with barely a trace left by the end of 08. Greenisforturbo join Mogwai and Los Campesinos as one of the only band that have moved me to tears when seeing them live. I'll write heaps of history and gushing praise for what they were when we do put GIFT out, for now let me say it'll be a little milestone for the label as our first full length release! It'll also be presented in a massive package that will, hopefully, stand up as ridiculously extensive document of just what this lost gem of a band were.

WHITNEY NICOLAAS HERMINGSTEAD ØLOFAN RëENEN!

Whitney Nicolaas Hermingstead Ølofan Rëenen, or Nicolaas van Reenen as his mom calls him, is the latest in this string of wild stallions to join the SMACM stable. Best known for playing half the incredible guitar-lines with Bateleur and all of them for Spoek Mathambo, Nic has also been busy crafting strange little genre-defying ditties of instrumental brilliance. We'll be releasing his debut EP, Wrestlemania shortly (most probably while Nic is touring the states with Spoek and before his return to SA and the release of Bateleur's highly anticipated second EP). Need some proof on that sweeping "brilliance" statement - how's this?

Hooray for Humans! So many good recordings on the way!

For me, 2010 has been rather slow so far as good new recordings by local artists go. But it's looking like that's just gonna be the case for the first half of the year. Or considering it is already into August, maybe I should say the first 7 twelfths. From projects that have just been unveiled, to full albums just waiting to break out into the real world, here's my shortlist of reasons to be excited about South African music for the rest of 2010

Us Kids Know:

I've written a bunch about UKK's ambitious and unique 2nd release "Problems". While the important part (the music) has been finished for months, Problems still isn't available because of delays in getting the t-shirts made. But the tapes are all recorded and ready to ship out, it's just a matter of time till you have problems and solutions in your ears. And knowing The Kids' high-energy, DIY work ethic I wouldn't be surprised if they release even more new music before the year's over.

The Plastics:

Maybe this is no longer an upcoming release by this point - it may already be out there, but either way I'm damn excited because I know there's a shark that's gonna get me. "Shark" is the first full length release by Cape Town rock upstarts The Plastics, and judging by the first single Caves, it's gonna be a good one.

Sticky Antlers:

Of everything on this little list, this could be the record I'm most excited to get my hands on. "Tupperware Tombstone" (the band's 4th album in under 3 years!) drops next Friday. While it'll be a happy day for fans of the Pretoria noise terrorist, it'll also be a sad one. The album launch on the 26th will also mark the bands 2nd last live performance. The PTA launch the next night will mark the final show. But while The Antlers will sadly be bringing the project to a close, don't despair because just around the corner there's...

Make-Overs:

From "If you are what you eat I could be you by tomorrow" to "Poodle Piss" to "Sticky Antlers", since 2004, Andreas and Martinique have created 3 fully fledged bands. That's excluding numerous side ventures and solo projects. Now before the Antlers have even played their last show, the dynamic duo are already hard at work cultivating their next band, the aptly titled "Make-Overs". I'm not sure if they'll have an album out so soon after Tupperware Tombstone. But, with a 16 track reel to reel tape machine, their own record label and mountains of enthusiasm I'd be surprised if we don't at least get a 4 track EP out of Make-Overs before the year is up.

The Lottery Tickets:

I raved about The Lottery Tickets after I first saw them this February. A couple weeks back I heard the good news that their debut album is in the bag - it's just a matter of time till it's out there and making all of our lives better.

Ampersand:

Joburg's wildest acoustic anarchist Ampersand has been working all year on the follow up to his debut album, "This is not a Drill". Initially recording and producing the album himself, Warren's since started over from scratch, now collaborating with former Shadow Club bassist, lof-fi enthusiast and general nice guy Alex. Hopefully this album will be out there by the end of the year - it's gonna be pretty damn cool.

Isochronous:

Isochronous recently headed down to Cape Town to record their second electric album. Based on the new songs the band have been performing since their self titled debut came out two years back, I think it's safe to say this sophomore effort is gonna be fantastic.

Vampire 9000:

Of our whole extended family of bands and musicians, if only one person could have been born to create rock and roll it's Chrisitan Henn. How come the 26 year old multi-instrumentalist hasn't officially released anything yet? Because he's been working his fingers to the bone, honing his formidable arsenal of skills. Over the past few months he's been recording demos for the debut album of his math-pop-danceant-garde, Vampire 9000. Now he's headed into the studio with the esteemed Jacob Israel to begin recording the album proper. Expect to be wonderfully horrified.

Popskarr:

At the very least we're sure to see at least another single and a remix or two, but personally I'm holding thumbs that these kids are gonna pull an album out the hat before the year's up.

A Skyline on Fire:

The album is recorded, mixed and mastered. It's a ticking time-bomb waiting to explode out into the world.

Yo! Grapes:

Desmond and The Tutus drummer Craig has recently unveiled a totally dreamy new project called "Yo! Grapes". He's already released this must-download track and word on the street is more awesomeness is on the way! Yay!

Green Is For Turbo:

Hey, a dude's gotta dream right?

We do this all the time: Discotheque

DISCOTHEQUE - 16 JULY 2010- THE ASSEMBLY, CAPE TOWN Check out the full gallery here
All photos by Adriaan Louw

Good weekend. Popskarr and The Blueberry Balsamics

On Thursday night Anja and I got dropped off at a station in Sandton. We took the Gautrain to the airport. It was pretty damn cool.

From the airport we took a plane to Cape Town. On the flight I read Grant Morrison's "We3" - a comic I've been wanting to get my paws on for ages. Anja has this "best of American comics" anthology. It's full of exerts from all the "best" comics of some year. In it there's this image of a cat dog and rabbit in power armour. Needless to say when I saw this for the first time i totally freaked out and was like - "I need this comic!!!" I ordered it a few weeks back and finally had it to read on the plane. It's a really fantastic little story and pretty incredibly told through some insane illustration. But it's sad. Super, super sad. By the time our plane landed I was massively depressed. Anja told me everything would be okay because the pets in my comic weren't real and in a while I'd be able to play with real animals. As usual Anja was totally right and, half an hour later, walking around with her awesome cat "Savage" in my arms I was feeling a whole bunch better.

On Friday we ran errands and ate pizza and read more comics about cute animals killing stuff. In the evening we went out for dinner to celebrate her dad's birthday. It was really cool, although I had to leave early for my set at Assembly. I couldn't be too sad about leaving dinner early considering I was heading through to play a set at one of my absolute favourite venues ever.

My set started out pretty slow. 9PM in Cape Town is after all the equivalent of 7PM in Jozi. Still I had a great time, spinning some slow disco and jumping off the stage every 5 minutes for a quick high five and hug from an old friend or two. by the end of my set it was a different story and there was a great little dancefloor grooving out with me. My set was followed up by Popskarr, a rather young band who for the past few months I've been dying to see. Thier live show was great. Other than a touch of live bass it was just vocals over Lapse's dreamy, thumpy, synthy awesomeness. Honestly I'd never seen anything quite like it before, and enjoying it amounts the Discotheque's receptive crowd was really great. After The Assembly party we ganged up with our dear dear friends Jean, Ashleigh, Jaco and Lindi. We drank more strawberry and lime margaritas than we should have because on Saturday morning we both felt pretty horrible. But one shower and some Mouse Gaurd later I was feeling much better. We drove through to the little wine-farming town of Franschhoek. As a town founded by french people, Franschhoek was in the middle of Bastille Vees, a little festival celebrating the storming of the Bastille in The French Revolution. We didn't really experience the festival any further than driving through it and seeing loads of people in berets. What we did do, is watch a fantastic sunset. And then things got silly. Beyond the great setting and new friends and supergood food, the night was made most awesome because it featured my alien brother Ryk. The next morning we headed through to a little wine farm on the way to Stellenbosch. More great food and family time. In the evening we hit a new spot in Cape town called Van Hunks. Cool little restaurant. Even cooler Jeaneman, Dom, Ash, Sophia, Marc and Lorainne to hang out with.

On Monday, before we had to fly back home Anja and I went to watch Toy Story 3 which we totally loved. Aterwards we rode in one of those 90ies hydrolic simulator things. Remember those? We did a space rollercoaster one. Pretty damn sweet. Then we did some shopping and bought iced coffees and drooled over all the cool Toy Story merch in Toys R Us.

And then we clumb into a steel tube with wings and flew back to our hood. Woooooo!

Days like Television: Popskarr - Tonight

When on when will these dudes get up to Joburg?