Thursday, June 25, 2009

In your next ISSUE of Rolling Stone Magazine...

Just a few hours ago, I was tweeting about the overrated hotness of the Jonas Borthers [as well s Megan Fox, but that’s another story]. Moments later, while prepping my show in studio, I discover that the Jo Bros have made it onto the cover of next month’s Rolling Stone magazine!
Like, oh my effing god! Can you believe it?! Well, actually… I guess it’s not all that unexpected. They have taken the world by storm, and not only its prepubescent female population. And in the same way that I was honest with myself about Miley Cyrus, I can say some positive things about the Jo Bros.
Here are a few points to mention:
Kevin, aware of what the haters are saying, cuts to the chase. He tells all of those ‘true rockers’ that “you would take advantage of those platforms too”, if you were in a band like this. Deny it all you will; I would not sell my soul to pop music! But I would trade it in for a lambo, global fame and near-incredible swag, lifestyle and money. Like Kev said, you do what you have to do. Which is why my radio show plays Britney Spears, Simple Plan and Asher Roth, rather than Kings of Leon, The Clash and Bob Dylan.
Nick, also referred to as Mr President, got to meet Barack Obama recently. Hey, what else is there to do when the White House daughters, like the rest of the girly population, have a crush on the boy? [Btw, Michelle and Barack e-mail me now and then. True story.]
Joe understands that with great popularity comes great hating too. He says he does not demand respect. He also very candidly stated that they don’t care what age group they attract [although I am sure they would prefer it if there following was a little more Playboy Mansion, a little less Hannah Montanna], because they’re doing it for the love of music. Awwwwwwwww! And according to him, the Jo Bros don’t care whether you like their music or not [fair enough, we can’t all like the same thing], and that they don’t need us to like their music. Well, that’s not entirely true now, is it?
So there you have it. The Jo Bros are making it bigger every day, and I wrote a blog post on them. A moment of silence, please…
I want one. The car, I mean.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

This is going to legen...

...and the 'dary' will only be coming in one month!
I turn 21 this year. And, as much as I love my brother and sister, they were never the most social of people, so I figured at least one of my parents' kids should throw a big bash for the big two one! And me being who I am and doing [loving] what I do, I figured it would have to be a gig of sorts.
So on 21 July we will be hosting a do at Aandklas, at Stellenbosch. I have a list of all my friends who get in for free, but anyone can come [at a cover charge of R20]. First up will be 3rd World Spectator, followed by Ashtray Electric and we're working on getting a cool DJ in to keep us dancing into the early hours of the next morning.
The evening kicks off at 19h00 for my guests to join me for champagne, speeches and embarrassing photos. Clue: I used to have hair down to my knees, I used to get a little tipsy at night and I used to dance in a Christian group called Gospel Kidz [with a Z, yes.]!
Be there, it is going to be grand! So grand, that I will be putting in leave for the next day so that, instead of getting up at 4.30am, I will be going to bed at 6.
See you there? I think so. You know you love me. Thanks to Byron Rode for the pony!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

The Best Day of Every Year, since 1988...

...is 9 August. This is the day on which I was born almost 21 years ago, in Benoni. It also happens to be a public holiday in South Africa [National Women's Day] so at school I was free to have sleepovers and now I am free to be as hungover as can be post-birthday-festivities. Last year I spent my birthday at Oppikoppi and it was awesome! [Well, the bits I can remember anyway]. Those memories, combined with me and Irish not quite making it to Easter Oppikoppi this year, made me determined to attend Oppikoppi August this year which once again falls on my birthday!
I stumbled across a festival happening abroad on the same dates as Oppikoppi. It's called Lollapalooza, and I am very jealous. Bands playing include The Decemberists, Kings Of Leon ,Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, The Virgins, Arctic Monkeys, TV On The Radio, Ben Harper, Beastie Boys, Constantines, Animal Collective, Friendly Fires, Kaiser Chiefs, Band of Horses, Cold War Kids, Ra Ra Riot, The Killers and Vampire Weekend. Have you ever seen such a mind-blowing line-up?! I doubt it. I would donate almost-vital body parts to attend this with a few friends. But back tp Oppikoppi. Ok, so maybe this one won't boast chart-topping international acts. But the line-up is still tray exciting! Bands like Tidal Waves, Van Coke Kartel, Gerald Clark, Taxi Violence, Jack Parow, Fokofpolisiekar, Heuwels Fantasties, Wrestlerish, Ashtray Electric, Zebra and Giraffe, aKing, Albert Frost... Ok, I'm running out of breath! But you get the picture. So I will be jetting up with my fabulous partner in crime, The Nash, in August. Some family time at home for birthday celebrations, and then it's even further North to team up with Irish for a weekend I doubt I will forget anytime soon. It is going to be epic, and this time sans the seemingly endless drive across the country. Oh,and on the topic of birthdays and parties, I am having a separate party. Couple of bands, much champagne and many great memories. It's at Aandklas, in Stellenbosch, on the 21st of July, and everyone is invited!
See you there?
Oppikoppi 2008

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Collected Memories: Skinny Love

Today, I gave up a very big part of my life. [No, Mum, I have not quit smoking.]
I sold my pony. Well, he's a horse, the size of a giraffe [almost] but pony is just so much more endearing, no? I started riding when I was eight years old, which makes this my thirteenth year. Some of my fondest memories lie in my horseriding career, some of my best friends were made through it, and of course some of my worst injuries... There's not much to say, it is one of the most difficult things I have had to do on my life, and the only time I have stopped crying so far is when I have been on air and I have to be totally bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and loving life. But I fully intend to someday have my own horse[s] again, even if I don't ride competitively. I also intend to keep in touch with Danzig, and maybe someday I will buy im back. No, seriously...
I went through a lot with this one. He was sold behind my back two years ago, I had to steal him, hide him and smuggle him to Stellenbosch. When I bought him he had had very little training other than racing [Google him, you'll see!] so I taught him almost everything from scratch. We have come second at Western Province Championships by one point, and he has once nearly killed me.
But I have to let go, I know that. And that's what this period in our lives is all about. As we move from teens to twenties and older, our friends will graduate, move around the country after a decent first first job, people we know will move abroad, start their own families and form a new life on a totally different road to the footpath we walked hand-in-hand as kids. Change is inevitable, but we can choose to be adult about it and see the good, as well as the realistic. It's not all bad, this next phase, but it is very different. Brace yourself, expect some knocks [and I'm not talking the showjumping kind], but let's keep on smiling. Amidst recessions, goodbyes, addictions and deaths, I try decide what I dream, and my dreams involve big plans with a sprinkling of My Little Pony, candy-cane trees and heart-shaped balloons. Thank you to Irish for stunning photos, that make my bawl my eyes out everytime I see them.
I tell my love to wreck it all
Cut out all the ropes and let me fall
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Right in the moment this order's tall
I told you to be patient
I told you to be fine
I told you to be balanced
I told you to be kind
In the morning I'll be with you
But it will be a different "kind"
-Bon Iver, Skinny Love

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

It's coming: New Lottery Tickets

In my week off, I have little to do. I am off work, exams are over and so the only things I 'have' to do are 1. watch Gossip Girl 2. Irish. Wait, that wasn't supposed to come out that way...
Back to the point. Lottery Tickets drummer James Regout [Big Machine for me (Tiny Machine)- it's a long story involving my somethingth birthday and Stroh Rum which, as it turns out, I can take better than Senor Stroh himself!] gave me a little sneak peak of a new Lottery Tickets track, to appear on their new EP, coming your way soon!
Turkish Surf has an indie-bop-beat to it, with quitar work that is undoubtedly 'them'. It is more complex than anything we have heard from the band before, and while it is unlike their usual stuff it never suggests anyone but The Lottery Tickets is behind this.
I expect this will become a hit for fans, something the can squeek some takkie to at gigs. Having gotten this excited over an unfinished recording bodes well for the new material, and I look forward to hearing what the band comes up with. I have a feeling it will far surpass anything they have offered before...

Sunday, June 7, 2009

The things we do...

... to get the perfect shot. Below is a picture of Irish at Vrede Fest. Featuring bands like Tidal Waves and Fokofpolisiekar, it happened yesterday at Emmerentia Dam and I had to miss it due to exams. Thank you kindly, English 318. Anyway the point of this is showing what photographers [the real kind] will do to get that perfect shot. In fact. I guess anyone who is serious about what they do and/or love, will go to almost any length for it. We have to, it's what sets us apart from the rest. I hope the pictures he got were jaw-droppers. I can barely hug the guy he's in so much pain! Keep an eye on his blog for them. Until then, keep doing what you do best, if you put enough in people will start to notice.
Photo by Marius van Wyk
Twist, twist
Twist, for Ice-Cream
C'mon dance, Misdirection
You can take new nicks for Blue Jeans
But it's 3, or it's dead. Aww
We are trapped, keep it violent
I need tape, for perfection
Mr. you're on fire Mr.
No sir I'm okay
Mr. you're on fire Mr.
No sir I'm okay
Mr. you're on fire Mr.
No sir I'm okay
Mr. you're on fire Mr.
No sir I'm okay......
-Yeah yeah yeahs, Mr You're On Fire, Mr

Friday, June 5, 2009

Thieve: Last Day December

Because why?

Because we-are-awesome.com. It must be mentioned that WE were photo of the week last week. No surprises, though. the [slightly frigthened-looking] boy is Richard Cole King and the wonderful blonde thing is The Nash. Killer team!

Pink Electric Musical Ponies

Have you listened to Die Vraagstuk by Die Heuwels Fantasties featuring Jack Parow? Well, listen to it [again] and listen for a keyword in the spoken intro. Are you catching on? Make sure you keep an eye out for RĂ«enboogperde. Their 'fans' on Facebook seem generally confused, but some are on the right track. Did you know that both Pierre Greeff [Die Heuwels Fantasties/Lukraaketaar] and Hunter Kennedy [Fokofpolisiekar/aKing/Die Heuwels Fantasties] both have girlfriends called Jani Coetzee? And did you know that said Jani's are quite well-endowed in the musical department? Well, now you know. And they might just be teaming up for a little electro project themselves, and with the boys to help them plus having listened to Jani [Pierre's one] jam with Johnny [de Ridder, Die Heuwels Fantasties/Fokofpolisiekar], I am excited. You should be, too.

Friday's Fictionary: Take 7

I have two exams to go: Mandarin and English, today and tomorrow respectively. If you have been wondering, this is partly the reason this here blog has been on the quiet side. But tomorrow afternoon, when I walk out of that lecture hall, I am driving straight to Nash's house with a bottle of red wine, from where we will head off to the Bellville house for some good vibes. I cannot wait, hence today's FF:
Lush Flush. n. The rosy hue one gets in one's cheeks after too many glasses of wine. Photo by Liam Lynch

Thursday, June 4, 2009

And you thought the Cape Town scene was incestuous...

Say what you will, Miley Cyrus is one successful pubescent lady! And she has a tour coming up soon. Her opening act? None other than Metro Station, her brother [Tracy Cyrus]'s band! And for all of those bands knocking her... You should probably stop, you may find a throng of angry pre-teens coming after you! I am not such a fan, but whilst doing the MFM Breakfast Power Hour last year with now-GoodHopeFM presenter Stephanie Bee, she made a valid point regarding her being such a huge Miley fan. When we were young, our 'rolemodels' were pretty damn awful! For example:
1. The Spice Girls. Scary all-round, they dressed like tranis [perhaps that's where Nicole Whatsherface got it from] and danced like sluts. Plus, besides for the odd sweet song like Mama, their lyrics were hardly easy to relate to at that age. 'Tell me what you want, what you really really want...' At that age I just wanted a pony! Oh, wait... I already had one. But you get my point! I can proudly say I NEVER went through the Spice Girls phase, and I never owned those hideous shoes. *shudder*. 2. Britney Spears. What started out as a pretty blonde girl in a school outfit that was bordering on slutty dress-up, but kind of cute, turned into a scarier version with songs like 'Slave 4 U' and recently had kids with world's sleaziest guy, lost them to said guy, had a breakdown and got really fat. She also remained on the chubby side for her much-awaited comeback. What a letdown. 3. Christina Aguilera. The girl has a voice on her, sure, but she did have her scary moments. Take the video for Fighter, for example. Creepy! Maybe it's just my fear of moths, but you must agree the once-innocent blondie had some freaky times. And the list goes on...
So here's a girl who writes [some of] her own music, loves her family and writes about boys being stupid [they were back then, they still are now. Note: boys, not men!] and awkward moments growing up. Personally, I'd much rather have the hypothetical children I am unlikely to someday have listen to Hannah Montana than The Pussycat Dolls [by the way, WHY not just name the 'group' A Pussycat Doll? It's all Nicole anyway. Same with Destuny's Child- more accurate: Beyonce's children.]
So there you have it. Yup, I wrote an entire blogpost about Miley Cyrus. Drink it in, I cannot foresee a repeat in the near future.

Collected Memories: Spectacular Views

A week ago, I moved. Again. This after my first house this year burnt down in January. The last one was a stunning place, and despite relief to be far away from the evil witch I lived with, I will miss the wooden floors, the high ceilings, the attic and, of course, that window. I’ll also miss my neighbour [who is very possible a ghost] who played that very loud classical music every night. Then again, there are many things I won’t miss, like how cold the place was, the old-fashioned plumbing and, of course, my housemate.
The new place is your average student apartment. My room is much smaller and it’s all very basic but I can fit a double bed into my room and my new flatmate is very sweet and easy to live with [she sleeps most of the time]. She also won’t have a problem with Irish staying seeing as her boyfriend pretty much lives with us.
It was another layer to all that was going wrong bit by bit. The proverbial cherry on top of a cake of misfortune, if you will. But despite the build-up, the stress, the screaming [sorry, Rudi, for screaming in your house before even saying hello], shit coffee, too few hours in a day and not having enough shoe space, I am happy. I got to thinking about next year a bit. A while ago, the plan was always set in stone: Journalism honours at Stellenbosch. But now, I am faced with a myriad of options and the decision depends not only on which opportunity comes along. It’s a difficult choice, and possibilities I never thought I’d consider are swimming around in my head like lazy fish refusing to go with the flow. I love Stellenbosch and I love Cape Town even more, but if you’re serious about something sacrifices must be made. And I am my own proof that happiness in a place depends on what you make of it for yourself. Comfort zones and safe havens are not physical places. You may feel more at ease in certain places, but it’s all about what’s in your head.
So here’s to change. Here’s to being unsettled and having the earth shift beneath your feet. Here’s to new views, mental of otherwise. And here’s to embracing adjustments in life, and still coming out on top.
You never knew why it felt so good
In the strangest of places-
Like in waiting rooms, and long lines that made you late,
And mall parking lots on holiday.
There are no bad words for the coast today,
When we hold our breath until nothing’s left,
It all starts to fade.
We can see the stars from where the birds make their homes,
Staring back at us.
Indifferent, but distanced perfectly, projected endlessly
It’s so fucking beautiful.
There are no better words for the coast today.
Then you ask what’s a palisade
And if we’re too late for happiness.
-Rilo Kiley, Spectacular Views