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ARCTIC MONKEYS

MONKEYS TRUE TALES OF L.A

The Hives

Bongeziwe Mabandla

Gangs of Ballet SHANE COOPER | MAKE OVERS | FALLING MIRROR iTUNES ZA | DEREK GRIPPER

EDITION 27 | OCT/NOV ‘13 | Proud Supporters of SA Music!

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CONTRIBUTORS: Dave Mac, Thomas Whitebread, Terri Love, Johann M Smith, Bradley Love, Mickdotcom, Paul Blom, Alan Ratcliffe, Alistair Andrews, Kurt Slabbert, Damon Albetto, Jess Henson, Greg Bester, Salomie Haskins, Sergio Pereira, Nicolai Roos, Eliza Day, Kalin Pashaliev, Y’ael Shirley, Nick Matzukis and Kagiso Mnisi SALES & ADVERTISING ENQUIRES: Thomas Whitebread (021) 913 9443 / 8423 | 082 889 2047 Dave McKinley (021) 557 1549 | 084 209 0168

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From The Editor Better Red Than Ded - Aliens In The Rain Bongeziwe Mabandla's Fire On The Podium Arctic Monkeys - True Tales Of L.A. Derek Gripper - Music Beyond Six Strings, An Interview Roots And Branches - Shane Cooper's Oscillations Gangs Of Ballet - Raising The Barre Jezebel's Vpl: The Constant Changeling The Hives - Been Here Done That The Impact Of iTunes ZA Legends Of SA Music: Falling Mirror There Is No Second Start Indie Knows Best - An Interview With Make Overs Inside The Machine: Music News Classic Albums: Nirvana - Nevermind Eruption: The Not-So Weaker Sex Eruption Album Reviews New Albums Game Reviews Venue Guide & Live Events

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EDITOR’S NOTE | OCT/NOV ‘13 | Proud Supporters of SA Music!

INTERNATIONAL BANDS ON FESTIVAL LINE-UPS – DOES THE FAN HAVE THE POWER TO DECIDE?

ickelback to tour South Africa - it seems like a question to an answer no one really asked. The real question is: does any fan have the power to boycott an event by slandering it on social sites? Or better yet, get an act to tour here? The last few weeks have seen Nickelback being whipped publically on local Twitter feeds. No doubt the Canadian rock band is a soft target. They’re as vulnerable as a butterfly on a tramp stamp - from a YouTube video explaining that Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball is actually a Nickelback song, to being defined in the Urban Dictionary as “a type of excruciating pain affecting the entire head for several hours.” Big Concerts might have just opened the wrong can of worms. Apart from losing a few hundred brownie points, the trend (and admittedly, guilty fun) in #OWNING a band like Nickelback might just snowball from here on out. Which is fine, but it also paints us as a bunch of picky spoilt brats. But what else is there to do? What else indeed Big Concerts? One would think with the rising stocks of festivals in this rat race for our attention, organisers would play open cards and just ask us. A form linked in with prizes and ticket giveaways might work well as a valuable source for discovering the fans’ real heroes. And if we the fan don’t use it, we can be the one ridiculed as a cock-rock loving idiot. For the most part, it seems the driving factor for concert and festival organisers is envy. Whether the event is green, dusty or really alternative, no one can argue: we go where the international headliner is heavier, better and more loved. In this game it’s always a case of mine’s bigger than yours. The only thing organisers can really bet on is doubt and change. In the meantime, we fans can bet on being constantly surprised - even if the surprise is emotive cockrock that doesn’t exactly tickle our cool culture tit. The last thing we should do is shut up. It is important that we all set out to establish conversation - even if we do so with sharp tongues. Just remember, bands talk to other bands. A bad experience might go a far way. With that in mind: you have to wonder, is it that big a deal to Nickelback if they don’t come here? I’m sure there are several hundred thousand more arms elsewhere that will give them a warmer welcome. On a completely different note, I recently had the privilege of interviewing South African cult legends Falling Mirror (on page 22). Little did I know, that it would be the last interview that co-founder and guitarist Allan Faull would ever do before dying of a heart attack (you can read his full obituary on our site). For the purpose of integrity, I didn’t reedit the interview after hearing the tragic news. I believe it should be preserved as a snapshot. Having said that, Allan’s last quote - that involves smoking weed and listening to Eric Clapton - is a brilliant media exit. The last moment I remember with Allan is sharing my Aspen cigarettes with him in front of their manager’s garage door. He wanted me to explain the differences between Facebook and Twitter. After a dedicated effort, he replied: “Sjoe, you have to wonder where it’s all going.” We applaud you Allan. Thank you for the memories. Johann M Smith [Guest Editor]

WRITERS' OPINIONS DAVE MAC The best way for a fan... or more concisely, a music lover to vote is with their feet. If you don’t like a band then just don’t go. It is that simple. As for who gets brought out to play here, it’s a straight-forward case of economics dictated by whether the promoter feels he can fill a desired venue and make money. But it is also every person’s right to voice their opinion, distaste or otherwise on public forums and through social media if they want to. If you put yourself in the public realm you must be prepared to accept praise and ridicule in equal measures.

SERGIO PEREIRA Fans always have a choice. If you don’t like something, no-one is forcing you to go, or buy a ticket. Alternatively, there are ways of making suggestions to event organisers without being a total douchebag, too. Much like with anything in life, always act accordingly.

MICKDOTCOM Fans never have the power to decide, only the money. It's mere statistics - specifically, monetary statistics - that conduct which band goes where, for the most part. Only really, really special bands decide on behalf of their management (as opposed to the other way round) to visit financially unamazing countries like us and Kazakhstan. And good on 'em.

PAUL BLOM As a nation of complainers (exacerbated by social media soap boxes) you'll never satisfy everyone. In the past we've been deprived of international acts and we bitched and moaned about it. Now that more of them are coming, we're still complaining! Online polling may give you an idea of what people want, but it is still the promoter taking the financial risk, so naturally they'll focus on bands with a guaranteed following. If you hate Nickelback, don't go watch them!

ELIZA DAY South Africa should really just chill out. Nobody cares what the public thinks about anything; that's why we never had international artists coming here on the regular until a few years ago. Let them ALL come. It's not embarrassing that Nickelback want to come play here. What's embarrassing is when you went to a music festival pre-2007 and there were zero international bands interested in being there. Dissing anything on Facebook is bad form. I think apathy serves people far better. Facebook, glorious as it is, is hugely unhealthy and no debate there is worth 50 cyber cents.

words: Eliza Day | ALIENS IN THE RAIN | Better Red than Ded

ALIENS IN THE RAIN When was the last time you listened to music with someone or a bunch of friends just to be able to experience it together?

t’s been raining a lot in Cape Town and I guess that means a lot of us are inside, or running through the rain, headphones on and heads down. Doing our thing. Alone. Maybe it’s just me but when I was a kid, we used to stay inside and listen to music a lot. Together. When was the last time you listened to music with someone or a bunch of friends just to be able to experience it together? To maybe talk about it afterwards, have debates and discussions and just be a part of something bigger? There’s something to be said for the older dynamic of listening and sharing; it used to make music an occasion. Buy a record, hop on the phone, call some friends and get together for a real live, listening party complete with wine and good times. Now, it still feels good alone, but isolated. Music used to be a language, universal in how we appreciate it. The last time I listened to music that way, I was under the table with a reluctant partner, who didn’t get it, didn’t want to sing along; who didn’t want to communicate on a level that could have been better for us. Rock ‘n roll didn’t do the one thing it always has

done, it didn’t bring us together. That’s how it ends, I guess. And what’s with not sharing anymore? Have you seen these kids online, opening up elite little groups and selectively sharing the cool tunes? I spoke to a few of them and it’s because they don’t want it to get out, because then everyone will know about it and then it will lose its coolness. For real. What the fuck is that all about and since when was it a priority to not share the coolness, but to rather keep it hidden in your earphones to be relayed when you next talk to the ‘right people’. I remember hearing stories of Mick Jagger meeting Keith Richards on a train platform because he was holding a cool record under his arm. That conversation was where the most mind blowing, face melting rock ‘n roll was conceived; raw, real and right there in front of everyone on the floor of a train station. Ag, ja I guess I can see how easily contaminated things can get. If you watched Miley Cyrus grind a wrecking ball just once, you probably want nothing to do with the goddamned internet ever again. But real beauty just looks better amidst all the ugliness. And real relationships happen outside of yourself, outside of what you know;

because you share them and stuff and things and music explains all of that without you having to worry about finding the right words. I hate reggae but as people repeatedly tell me, Bob Marley solved some heavy political shit with his skank and jive. The guy was onto something, the same thing tribal people were onto when they decided music was a good thing to translate their requests to the ancestors. It transcends. It fixes and it heals. I vow the next time I meet a friend outside of this godforsaken office, to sit down and listen to something. I vow the next time I listen to something, to send it to someone else and then to talk about it. To break down this tower of Babel in the city of rain and secrets. To find something to talk about that is the pure, unrivalled interpretation of enjoying a moment of music, shared. It’s easy to disconnect, to plug in, be an alien in the rain, to lose the language of music. But, it’s not worth it. It’s been raining a lot in Cape Town and we’ve been doing our thing. Alone.

Feature | BONGEZIWE MABANDLA'S FIRE ON THE PODIUM | words: Kagiso Mnisi

"I think a lot about how we live lately, it kills me to think this is what we have settled for. My next album is going to be about these feelings.”

BONGEZIWE MABANDLA'S

FIRE ON THE PODIUM

way from the ululations and overt coverage of his neo-folk sounds, Bongeziwe Mabandla is also a deserving social commentator. But then again that is what the blues is about. Forms such as Maskandi or Mmino wa thaba as aptly translated by Tlokwe Sehume, always twist and turn around social discourse and the circumstances of a people. Mabandla's blues and concerns are conveyed in the single Freedom from his debut album, Umlilo. He ponders "what is freedom, if there's no freedom for everyone?" Bonge, as he is affectionately known by his tribesmen and women around Joburg and beyond, explains, "my work talks a lot about the social situation in our country. I did not intend for the album to be political I just wrote about my life. I wanted the songs to be inspirational." The usually street-smartly dressed Mabandla further unpacks the reluctance to be an official champion of the destitute "I wanted to talk about the things we all go through, and in that way it became political." With even more spirited conviction he states, "I think a lot about how we live lately, it kills me to think this is what we have settled for. My next album is going to be about these feelings. I think we should be fighting for a better life no matter what the cost." Mabandla grew up in rural Eastern Cape, Lady Grey, which he humbly says is "probably one of the smallest towns in South Africa." His baptism of fire in big

bad Joburg as a newcomer in search of a few nuggets came as a culture shock, "my first time in Joburg was strange; I remember having second thoughts two days after my arrival here." His wide eyed grin is accompanied by "I thought that it was a gross mistake and that maybe I should go back home." He however stuck it out and had a stint on the local soapie, Generations, as the ever exuberant extra at an ad agency within the storyline. His passion being song and not cooning on prime time TV, he then met 340ml's drummer Paulo Chibanga in 2008 at a tuck-shop in Melville while out to get bread. Talks with Chibanga led to Mabandla being signed under 340ml music and the EP version of Umlilo was released. Paying his dues in the scene, he would perform at most unlikely of haunts. The scribe recollects a performance alongside Boitumelo Molekane (Tumi and the Volume) in somebody's backyard in Rockville, Soweto. Joburg would later groom him into a guitar carrying vagabond as well as part of an irreverent circle that always chews on the city's political and art dynamics. "When I finished school I wanted to become a painter or actor, so I've always been into fine art," Bonge explains. "Artist Thabiso Sekgala became one of my closest friends when I got to Jozi." Speaking more about his allies he says, "I love Thabiso's work for its honesty in shedding light on the huge gap between the rich and the poor in this country. I

also love the pop art of Alphabet Zoo, they are on point when it comes to telling the story of the city in an exciting way." Bongeziwe's performances have grown to embody the reputation of rituals. In remembrance of a gig at Bassline where he opened for Vieux Farka Toure, his tiny frame stood firm on stage and from the first strumming of his beloved acoustic guitar, an ecstatic bewilderment enveloped the crowd. He was the shaman in command of a libation that evoked Umbholorho (Xhosa dance during weddings) in the adoring crowd. The feat synergised Mabandla's SA's state of affairs with Farka Toure's desert-rock-lament over his tumultuous home country, Mali. The well received Umlilo came with a set of challenges during its recording in that Mabandla “worked with a team that was busy with other projects and constantly toured" so he "had to stop recording then start again a lot." This he says, "was an incredibly slow process and draining most times." What kept him going was the belief and message in the project, ultimately his guiding light was the title of the project itself. He named it Umlilo after the title track: "The song became one of the most conceptually strong songs for us, it was a fitting title for the album. I wrote it for the fiery youth who keep the fires burning despite desperate times.” facebook.com/BongeziweMabandlaOfficial

Cover Feature | ARCTIC MONKEYS: TRUE TALES OF

L.A. | words: Johann M Smith | Photos: Zackery Michael

ARCTIC MONKEYS TRUE TALES OF L.A. I

n the history of recent rock ‘n’ roll, Arctic Monkeys have been a sure bet in terms of output. It goes without saying: if you’re fan, you’ve been getting your money’s worth. The 4-piece indie-rock lads’ exodus to L.A. and musical changeup - from drunk but defiant boys, to spiffy men who ask us why we only call when we’re high - might have pissed some of us off, but apart from a growing fondness for hip-hop and not being able to get a decent cup of tea, it’s been business as usual. And business has been good. Last month (15 September), their mysteriously titled new groover AM shot to number one on the official UK Album Charts and became the second fastest selling album of 2013 (at 157 000 copies), losing out only to the overly hyped Random Access Memories from French electronic duo Daft Punk (at 165 000). Not bad but perhaps a more pertinent fact is that the Arctic Monkeys have recently made history as the only independent group whose first five albums have gone to the top of the charts.

“When you've put a lot of hard work into something, you just want to get it out there and start playing songs...” With those stats and a second headlining slot at the most recent Glastonbury in mind: can the Arctic Monkeys still be bigger? According to guitarist Jamie Cook, yes. “If you look at U2 and Coldplay we’re still relatively small, I suppose.” he explains humbly. “It was really something special being asked to headline Glastonbury again though. That festival is a benchmark.” The Arctic Monkeys have done its fair share of benchmarking. They’re often credited as being the first band to take that bold step and gain public attention through the internet. How has it affected the band’s ideals? Jamie isn’t fazed. He simply says they did it because “we didn’t really have much else to do at the time.”

Arctic Monkeys don’t seem to be resting on their laurels as modern rock pioneers though. When speaking about the new album, Jamie sounds as ambitious as ever. And the focus is where it should be, the music and the fans. “When you’ve put a lot of hard work into something, you just want to get it out there and start playing songs. We just hope people like AM, because we’re just really chuffed and want to start playing [the] tunes.” The James Ford [Simian Mobile Disco] produced AM can be described as a curveball, one that is being hailed by reviewers the world over. Earlier this year, frontman Alex Turner described the new offering as ‘having a Dr Dre beat that they gave an Ike Turner bowl-cut and sent galloping across the desert on a Stratocaster.’ Weird as it may seem, the proof is in the pudding (especially Alex’s lyrics, that is if you trust Pitchfork relating it to the quality rhymes of Drake). America and its hip-hop have no doubt broadened their horizons and given them a new world of music to excavate.

9 A real Englishman no doubt would. The question however, on every South African indie fan’s lips: are they coming here? Jamie says he knows about Skunk Anansie’s tour of SA and that “they’re a great Rock ‘n Roll band, very entertaining as well. And yeah, we got to meet them a few times at festivals.” When pushed to reveal any hard facts, he says “we’d love to. I don’t know why we’ve never made it down there before. I suppose when the album comes out our touring plans will be sorted… yeah we’d definitely love to come out to South Africa and play some gigs, it’d be amazing. Really amazing.”

“I got the new Ghostface Killah the other day and I really like it; it’s one of the best hip hop albums I’ve heard in a while,” confesses Jamie half-guilty while laughing, “I don’t actually listen to that much hip-hop,” he quickly adds. Having recorded all three of their last albums in L.A., the paradise city seems to have become a working HQ rather than a home for the band. Jamie explains the magic. “It’s a great a place to record - there are so many studios to choose from over here to make music.” And naturally, a new country comes with new friends. Queens of The Stone Age frontman Josh Homme [who coproduced 2009's Humbug for them] lent some of his operatic style vocals on their track Knee Socks. Jamie recalls the experience. “Working with someone like that you just learn so much. Especially from someone who has a way of doing something you’d never thought of. And it

was a massive learning curve. The more you can learn from people like him, and become friends with, the better you’re off.” The Queens of Stone Age’s recent cover of AM single Why’d you only ever phone me when you’re high? makes it seem like the friendship has been set in stone. Having said that, The Arctic Monkeys have not forgotten some of their English friends. Making an appearance on AM, is former Coral lead guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones, as well Elvis Costello drummer Pete Thomas. Naturally, having left home has meant leaving comfortable daily creature habits. “The tea’s a bit dodgy over here,” pokes Jamie. “We have to take some with us in our suitcase when we fly back from England. There’s some great bars though - lots and lots of great bars, and some good old rock ‘n’ roll bars. You know what I mean?”

Since forming 11 years ago, the Arctic Monkeys have released 5 albums most of which featured bold steps in new directions. With that in mind, SA might be just the next exotic location where they find a source of inspiration. Perhaps their highest achievement is that they’ve re-introduced us to the old notion that you can grow old with the band you grew up with. The harsher critic might scorn them for changing musically and stylistically [especially their sense of fashion, from hooded jerseys to snazzy suits]. But with age, comes change. Can you really blame them for dressing a bit more formal? The hip-hop aspect, might still be a mystery. If the rock purist has any doubt, he need not look further than the words of punk poet John Cooper Clarke on the last track on AM; I Wanna Be Yours. Perhaps all that the pale indie boys ever needed was a darker shade of groove. We’ve no doubt come a far way since the “Fake Tales of San Francisco.” The new Arctic Monkeys AM album is available now. Read the album review on Pg. 34, it’s a winner.

Q ‘n A | DEREK GRIPPER: MUSIC BEYOND SIX STRINGS, AN INTERVIEW

| words: Mickdotcom

What is the most spiritual form of music, or specific composition, you know? It’s all pretty out there. I love one musician playing one instrument and really going deep. Keith Jarrett's two hour piano improvs; Toumani's early kora work; Gismonti playing piano for ten minutes solid; Anoura Brahem just playing the oud solo.. I have a strong bias towards the individual exploring… although groups do amazing things too… but somehow one person playing… this does it for me.

Photo: Christoph Lenz

DEREK GRIPPER MUSIC BEYOND SIX STRINGS, AN INTERVIEW GUITAR VIRTUOSO TALKS ABOUT HIS GROUND BREAKING ALBUM ‘ONE NIGHT ON EARTH', HIS LOVE FOR SOLOS AND BEING BOOKED BY JOHN WILLIAMS...

erek Gripper’s always been a highly active musician constantly studying, researching region-specific genre dialects, workshopping, gigging, recording, and above all collaborating - but in the past year things have truly begun to take flight for the brilliant guitarist. Gripper’s currently touring the world following the release of his widely and deeply acclaimed One Night on Earth album, a collection of kora music (21string African harp) arranged for six string guitar. We sat down in Cyberia to chat about his musical paths; sonic epiphanies; and being invited to join THE legend of classical guitar, John Williams, onstage in London next year... You’re regarded by many in the know as a master musician. Which guitarists inspired you on your journey? I scoured the planet for many years to find inspiring musicians who played my instrument. I have many influences, but not many of them were guitarists. I studied with the wonderful Brazilian duo of Sergio and Odair Assad and they had a huge influence on how I play the guitar. But it was when I discovered Egberto Gismonti that I really felt that here was somebody who played the guitar like I wanted it to be heard. Much later on I started actually playing interpretations of

his music. You can hear some of these on The Sound of Water. What recording/ musician made you realize you’ve been bitten by the sonic bug? Toumani Diabaté's Kaira - his debut album, solo kora (21 string harp). I listened to this album non-stop for ten years before I recorded it in a new version on One Night on Earth. But earlier than that would be the discovery of Led Zeppelin… this is when I realised music could do anything. Many professional guitarists hit a kind of musical epiphany when they first experience playing outside of the pedestrian 4/4 rhythm signature. Do you recall specific experiences playing live over the years that have taken you elsewhere? Many. I remember floating above myself while performing a viola solo in a band I used to play in as a student (Gilgamesh). Playing with Alex van Heerden [Benguela] recording Sagtevlei, and composing together over the years… total communication, total musical connection, and a space completely free of doubt. As for escaping 4/4… well a year in India with Indian percussionists knocked that out of me early in my twenties… there's no going back after that.

Tell us about the upcoming John Williams gig/s. How did you feel when you got the news, and how did it come about? I recently made an album of interpretations of Malian kora music called One Night on Earth. It’s a pretty breakthrough album for me because it brings some of Africa's absolutely most fabulous solo instrumental music onto the guitar. So I have created an entirely new genre of guitar music… or a new repertoire for classical guitar. John Williams has always been a great fan of African music, and as a guitarist has even explored the music of the kora. So when he heard the album he wrote to me that he'd listened to it three times through and was blown away. He immediately booked me for this new concert series at the Globe. I'm doing the first half and he's doing the second. It’s an amazing opportunity to share the stage with certainly the most recorded classical guitarist ever, and one of guitar's greatest legends. It’s a pretty crazy break. I got the mail while I was driving. I was waiting to get a WiFi signal with the computer open on the passenger seat (I live in CT's only no internet zone) and suddenly I look to my left and see the subject line pop up: ‘Performing with John Williams at Shakespeare's Globe’. I stopped the car and sat very quietly for a while before I opened the mail. Gripper’s quietly astonishing One Night on Earth is available at all discerning music shops, and at www.derekgripper.com

Q ‘n A | ROOTS AND BRANCHES - SHANE COOPER'S OSCILLATIONS | words: Mickdotcom

ROOTS AND BRANCHES

SHANE COOPER'S OSCILLATIONS “IF THERE IS A STRONG CHEMISTRY AMONGST THE PLAYERS, THEN A VERY EXCITING MUSICAL CONVERSATION CAN TAKE PLACE.”

hane Cooper is ridiculously busy. When not composing, he's co-conspiring new music with pretty much the cream of the crop of brilliant and risk-taking local musicians - guitar whizz Reza Khota? Check. Shining pianist Kyle Shepherd? Check. Kesivan Naidoo and Jonno Sweetman? Check. Cooper seems to pop up everywhere an elastic, innovative bassist is needed. This year, the 27 year old received two significant nods - named ‘Young Artist of The Year 2013’ by Standard Bank, and listed in Mail & Guardian’s ‘200 Young South Africans 2013’, all without having (at the time) an album out under his name! Impressive stuff. Shane, “I felt very honoured to get the recognition. I've never really tried to win awards for music or enter contests for music, so it was great to be recognised.” Cooper's move from home town Port Elizabeth to Cape Town for musical studies was timeous. By 2006 the Cape Town scenes had become increasingly more open-minded and risk hungry. It had started a year or so before with Righard Kapp's short-lived 'One Minute Trolley Dash' label, which, amongst others, had released the first The Wild Eyes album, and Ross Campbell's 'Open Records' label, which brought out works by Alex Van Heerden, Derek Gripper, Benguela and Brendon Bussy. These independent labels didn't last long, but were indicative of a new generation of auteuristic and experimental artists and groups. By 2006 Cooper was waist deep in it all, playing with virtuoso percussionist Kesivan Naidoo's spontaneous funk outfit Babu, and experimental fusion band Closet Snare, amongst others. You've worked with a ridiculous array of talented SA artists. Do you improvise in most of the outfits you play with? What

worlds, that's why my electronic music is more set, it gives me that kind of release.” What was it like playing in one of Zim Ngqawana's last ensembles? “It was amazing to play with Zim. He wrote really powerful music, and gave so much energy to his performances. We never had setlists or planned which songs we were gonna play at the shows; Zim wanted to let the music flow more freely. I always had this crazy adrenaline buzz at shows because of that. You have to put a lot of trust in each other when you do that on stage, and I was really fortunate to play with such amazing guys in the rhythm section - Nduduzo Makhathini (piano) and Ayanda Sikade (drums).”

are the different rewards between improvising and playing more formal compositions? “At the moment all of the groups I play bass in have a lot of improvisation in the music. I love the energy that a group gets to delve into when that freedom is part of the performance. If there is a strong chemistry amongst the players, then a very exciting musical conversation can take place. The songs take on the personalities of the different players, which can push them beyond the composer’s original ideas. There's an element of danger in that which feels exciting to me. However, I also love playing songs that are set and don't have that element in the performance. Writing a song that is crafted to move the listener in a certain way is an art form, and then delivering that song in the right way to a crowd feels great. I went to watch the Deftones in Cape Town recently, and the show was incredible, I didn't need to hear improvisation at all. So I love both

Having written songs since high school, Cooper’s focus in Cape Town shifted to honing his bass and collaborative musicianship, though his composing found an outlet through his funklectronica project, Card On Spokes. This year sees him unveiling his debut album as composer and leader, Oscillations. “[…] in the last 2 years, all of the collaborative bands I was in either broke up or I left them. I needed a new place to put that energy, so starting my own quintet was a great way to channel my ideas, and be able to craft all the repertoire.” What's coming up for the Shane Cooper Quintet? “I'm busy writing music for our next album, which I'm hoping to record in about a year's time. We also have shows on 11 and 12 October with Swedish musician Nils Berg (of The Stoner) appearing with us at The Mahogany Room.” Find out more about Shane Cooper here: shanecoopermusic.com Check our review of Oscillations on page 35.

Feature | GANGS OF BALLET: RAISING THE BARRE | words: Sergio Pereira | Photo: Ravi Panchia

GANGS OF BALLET RAISING THE BARRE

t’s difficult to believe that Gangs of Ballet has only been around since April 2011 - especially considering their burgeoning list of astonishing achievements. From chart-topping singles, to MK Awards, to opening for Switchfoot and Civil Twilight, the Durban band has stormed the local music scene and taken over the airwaves with their delectable brand of melodious rock. However, their biggest triumph - or at least the one most spoken about - is their debut album, yes/no/grey, which went to #1 on iTunes twelve hours after it was released for pre-ordering. Vocalist/guitarist, Brad Klynsmith discusses the moment that the band received the good news. “Our label manager gave us a call at 12:30 - like twelve hours later, literally - and we were all standing around the cellphone and just screaming. We couldn’t believe it; we couldn’t even ever dream of doing it. It’s our debut album, and to have an actual response for a debut is more than we could ever ask for.” Judging by the hype machine and success of their eponymous 2012 EP, the band shouldn’t have been too surprised that their follow-up was bound to go down the same road - lest we forget: the EP did spawn radio smash-hits, and left fans begging for more. Brad reveals why they recorded an EP first, instead of an LP. “Initially, we weren’t sure we had anything; it was literally a side-project that we were dabbling in. We were

“WE WANT TO AIM TO BECOME THE SIZE OF THE PARLOTONES...” practising and giving it some horns, but we weren’t really sure if we had anything. The initial thought was: let’s do an EP and stick our toes in the water, and see if there’s any response. Then, other things started opening up; different tracks got different traction... So, it actually took us awhile before we had run out of tracks off the EP and thought about doing an album.” As Gangs of Ballet gains more momentum and public interest, there’s always a fear of overexposure. Is this something that weighs on their minds? “I don’t think so, at this point. We’re in Durban - we’re not in Cape Town or Johannesburg - so we’re a little bit out of the main scene. Whenever we get to a city, or have something that we can publicise, we do; it actually feels like it goes in waves with us,” Brad says. “We’re very, very careful of oversaturating our market; even in our hometown, we’ll only play two shows, so that every time we play, people aren’t bored or tired of us. At this point, we’re still trying to crack it, so as much media as we can get feels necessary. If we find that we’ve found traction and lost some momentum, we’ll pull back a little bit. [However, at this stage,] it’s our debut album - not our second or third - and we really want to [leave] our mark on South Africa.”

Many might say that the band has already left its mark - perhaps, it’s even close to hitting the proverbial glass ceiling so early on. “I think we still have a lot of room ahead of us. I don’t think we’re actually that big, if I’m honest,” Brad confesses. “We’ve had some good media attention, which we’re so grateful for - but as far as becoming a major headlining band, we aren’t headlining all the major festivals, and that’s still a place we need to go to. We haven’t really toured the whole of South Africa yet - we’ve done all the majors - but we still need to get around. In such a small rock genre, we want to aim to become the size of the Parlotones, so there’s still a lot of growth that we can do. We’re really willing to put in the hard work to do it... And it won’t be too long before we head overseas.” Ah, the overseas topic; it was bound to come up. As a final thought, Brad wraps up the conversation by discussing Gang of Ballet’s international plans. “We’re really keen to get overseas before we even crack it in South Africa. We’ve spent a lot of time asking bigger bands about their strategy, story, and journey, and trying to learn from the guys who’ve gone before us. I think getting overseas as soon as you can is a good move.” Facebook.com/GangsBallet Check our album review on pg. 34

jezebel's VPL | THE CONSTANT CHANGELING | words: © jezebel contact: hellojezebel@gmail.com

jezebel’s VPL THE CONSTANT CHANGELING

ameron Sean Davey is not affected by energy drinks, caffeinated ones or compliments. He is not hiding anything either, despite that midnight fringe that passes for a veil around his crown. But he’s also quiet, contemplative and cautious, so you may have to lean in to learn how the hottest (and youngest) new band on the psych rock scene gets the goods.

Image: ©Amelia Lovell Photography | amelialovell@gmail.com

Let’s start with the guesswork. Would you decode “jezebel’s VPL”? Vision, passion, lyrics? A good way to go into the void. Speaking of which, song writing: how do you go about it? Often Noah [Swinney Bass/Vocals] or I will come up with something at home by ourselves and then introduce it to the band. Recently we’ve realised that the best tactic to writing music is if we just improvise it with the band. How do you kick start the process if, say, you’re all having a bum day? A bad band day. You just get through it. I don’t think there’s a way you can really ensure it’s going to be a good one, you just have to accept it. That’s very Zen. Do you ever sing? I’ve never been much of a singer. I’ve given it a shot, written some stuff, but it’s never been natural. I’ve always been a guitarist. I want to learn more about the guitar. You’re self-taught. You’d probably balk at heavy theory lessons. Maybe you need a mentor. Johnny Greenwood. Is that a bit ambitious?

Anything is possible, not everything is available. Do you think you’d be able to separate your admiration for him from your dedication to music? I think so. Already all my heroes are mentoring me in a way. I listen to their stuff and try and understand where they’re coming from. With Radiohead it’s hard to understand how they do what they do - how they structure their material. I try to find patterns. They’re on another whole level. Jack White is another of my heroes, and great as he is, it’s a lot of blues influence and just rough guitar. It’s amazing, yet it’s understandable.

I like soundtracks because they’re less obvious, more abstracted, and I feel a range of emotions they have to cover so many parts of a story. That’s the material that makes me want to create art of my own. Bateleur is one: cinematic, unravelling, unfolding. Blk Jks is another: they’re calamitous but there’s also a certain simplicity through their music, like a strong, deep river. And Changeling. First time I heard your music, I saw all these pictures landscapes - in my head. Maybe what Radiohead’s listening in for is not the melody but the spaces around it when they compose. There is so much space in their sound. With our songs, people get bored if we do a lot of quiet stuff. It would be nice to not have that as a barrier shaping our music.

Don’t you think at a certain point you also have to carve your audience and expect things of it? I feel like pop culture is a bitch, and if we don’t contribute creatively, humanity on the whole will be lost to it. But it takes courage. You have to be willing to be unpopular and happy with your work. It would be really nice to strike a balance, but ultimately I would rather not have any fans and write music that I like. Does Changeling draw landscapes in your eyelids like it does mine? Then you have your very own ‘psychedelic companion’. Watch out for Cameron’s solo stuff, too, sometime before he disappears to the foothills of the Himalaya…

BAND Q ‘n A | THE HIVES: BEEN HERE DONE THAT

| words: Johann M Smith

“BEING IN A ROOM WITH PEOPLE SHARING THE SAME TASTE IN MUSIC AND COMING TOGETHER AS ONE FORCE WHERE THE ONLY GOAL IS TO PARTY THE NIGHT TO PIECES. IT’S HARD TO BEAT THAT...”

THE HIVES BEEN HERE DONE THAT

y the time you read this, The Hives will have rocked South Africa alongside Skunk Anansie and Alt-J at this year’s In The City and Rocking The Daisies. In comparison to their headlining contemporaries, the Swedish 5-piece garage monster is altogether harder, faster and louder. And much weirder. From being sued, to stomach surgeries, to playing alongside Pink and having ninjas for roadies, god only knows what they got up to while visiting wild Africa. We sat down with guitarist Nick Arson a week before their set and dug up some facts. Most South Africans will agree: The Swedish love Africa. It’s what we can gather from the tourists anyway. How do you feel about us? I’ve never been to Africa so this will be an exciting first. I come with punk rock and an open mind. I’m sure I will love it. How was it opening up for Pink recently? And why was the road crew dressed in ninja gear? It was a hoot. Arenas filled to the max with people, who for the most part, may had never heard nor seen us live. We love to do stuff like that to keep our tools sharp. I love playing to our own fans as well, but it’s always fun to try and win over a room full of people who have never heard you. We’ve also noticed

from our extensive touring experience, that the ninja is a hard worker and also has the agile qualities needed to roadie for The Hives. [Laughs] Sadly, you’ve experienced some tough times in the last few years. From being sued, to stomach surgeries, to cutting tendons, to the whole debacle with Tambourine Studios and The Cardigans. Are things looking up again? And how’s the medical recovery been? The medical recovery is better than the Tambourine and Cardigans parody. It's a bit of a shithole to be in, but we are in full belief that the courts and the police will soon see the true story here and put the responsible people behind bars.

anecdote and what is rock ‘n’ roll everyday life, I never know. You’ve been rocking for 20 years. In your experience, what’s the secret to growing old in rock ‘n’ roll? Growing up to be better, I suppose or at least trying to. We always try to evolve and always try to do something new. We’re always curious to explore, as opposed to becoming stagnant. And we understand and respect the difference between what we like to be and what we are. Also with live shows, if you consider every show as the last one your band will ever play, it really keeps you young. Drained and tired yes, but mostly young.

Last year Eagles of Death Metal came here. You’ve played with them. Is it true what they say about Jesse “The Devil” Hughes, that he’s a crazy rocker on stage, backstage and beyond? Ah the sweet Eagles of Death Metal. We ‘heart’ them beyond all boundaries. The devil is a crazy rocker indeed - as with everything in rock ‘n’ roll the rumours are true.

Of course, as you have explained you feel invincible on stage. After all these years, do The Hives prefer stadiums or intimate stages? Smaller shows are my favourite. Being in a room with people sharing the same taste in music and coming together as one force where the only goal is to party the night to pieces. It’s hard to beat that sweat, blood, ringing ears and smiling faces. That feeling is the best!

Care to share any recent rock ‘n’ roll anecdotes of your own? We recently made it up to funky Claude’s [Nobs] house in Montreux and jammed a tune on Freddie Mercury’s piano - we also played with The Stooges on the same trip. I dunno, the days are a blur and what people would consider an

In many ways what The Strokes were to indie, The White Stripes to blues, The Hives are to the garage revival. What do you think is the next step in music? Hives world domination, if we haven’t already done that. I don't read the papers much but I’m sure we already conquered the world at least once.

Special Feature | THE IMPACT OF ITUNES ZA | words: Sergio Pereira

THE IMPACT OF iTUNES ZA “I think the reason that there is so much attention and focus on the iTunes chart is that we finally have a credible, real-time sales based chart, which cannot be hyped or manipulated in anyway...”

ven though digital music stores have been around in South Africa for several years now, many will cite the 4th of December 2012 as the day that truly changed and shaped the future of purchasing digital music, locally; it was the day that iTunes was launched in our country (yes, we do realise that many people were utilising other methods to access the store, but this was the day that it was made officially available).

Deep Impact All the big-time local music industry players are in unison; there has been a significant jump in online music sales since the introduction of iTunes. In fact, the “iTunes impact” has been so tremendous and forceful to the extent that it has changed the entire landscape of the industry in less than a year of operation. Spiro Damaskinos, Sony Music Africa's Director of EDM/African A&R and Marketing, says the spike in online sales has been “dramatic” since the launch in December, and he finds it “very encouraging.” Concurring, Mubanga Malama, Universal Music Africa’s Digital Key Account Manager, also adds that “iTunes has become the third biggest music retail store,” and subsequently forced other retailers to change their business models to follow suit. Warner Music South Africa’s Marketing Director, Adrian King,

declares that it has grown to the point where Warner is now doing more business on a monthly basis with iTunes than it is with the whole of Look & Listen, arguably one of the top two traditional music retailers in the country. Apart from the majors, the indies are also feeling the love for/from iTunes. Karl Anderson, the head of Just Music, says that iTunes has extended the reach of local music, by allowing for fans from around the world to purchase South African artists’ music undoubtedly, elevating local music onto the global platform with the rest of the world.

The Game Changer Okay, so while everyone is singing its praises and benefits, there’s one question that’s begging to be

answered: why didn’t the other digital stores, such as Ovi Music, have as much an impact or success like iTunes has? Anderson says, “With the greatest of respect, most of the digital services that have launched in SA over the past 10 years have all crashed and burned spectacularly. This has been due to a variety of reasons. Some because they didn’t have the range of catalogue needed, some because they were run by people who didn’t have the necessary music industry experience or skills to run the services, and others because their ‘brands’ just weren’t cool enough to gain an audience, and their sites were impossible to navigate. Bandwidth speeds and the cost of broadband in SA have also been a major obstacle to the growth of the digital market.

“ITunes has been a huge game changer for us in South Africa. For the first time, fans have access to all the music they want to buy at the click of a button. We already have a superior market share on iTunes over traditional retail, as fans can now easily find our artists’ music on the store. At this rate, iTunes will be our biggest account over the next 6 to 12 months.” While believing it certainly was a game changer, King thinks that iTunes could’ve had even more of an impact had it arrived earlier. “If it had come earlier, it would’ve changed the game even more; it would’ve moved the needle more than it has. I think a lot of people, who wanted music digitally and weren’t satisfied with local services up until then, moved towards [illegal downloads] - and maybe will be a bit hard to get back, [since] they’ve gone the illegitimate route. So, it could’ve been even bigger had it come in earlier, such as two or three years ago. That said, it has changed our game entirely on many levels.”

Chart Action Fascinatingly, the introduction of iTunes has also ushered in a newfound emphasis on charts. Suddenly, every press release is mentioning iTunes

positions, and artists, such as Matthew Mole (first local artist to enter iTunes chart at #1) and Gangs of Ballet (their album, yes/no/grey, went to #1 on the iTunes SA Album Sales Chart 12 hours after it was released for pre-ordering), have built solid publicity campaigns on the back of their remarkable iTunes achievements. Considering how important charts are in other countries, it’s surprising why South Africa has never caught onto this trend until now. Anderson explains why. “I think the reason that there is so much attention and focus on the iTunes chart is that we finally have a credible, real-time sales based chart, which cannot be hyped or manipulated in anyway. This allows any artist, irrespective of whether they are signed to a major or indie, to reach the top of the charts.” King adds, “There wasn’t a chart as reactive as iTunes. On iTunes, I can see the day an album is released, what it’s doing, and I can [check] every 20 minutes and see how it moves; we see the value of our marketing activity as it happens. Also, iTunes is relevant now, and if you get #1 on iTunes like Matthew Mole did, you can shout about it through the media, because the media wants to write about it. Suddenly, you have a compelling story that you can tell everyone else, and keep it at #1 on iTunes.”

Damaskinos believes that charts have always been important, but that iTunes charts really signify the people’s choices. “There has always been an emphasis on charts; whether it be radio or retail, charts have always played a role. The difference that iTunes charts play is that they are live, so you can see what people are buying in real-time. That’s why there’s a big emphasis on the iTunes charts as you can see what people are really into, as they are voting with their purchase.”

Future So, undeniably, the “iTunes impact” has created ripples and waves throughout the local music industry, and will probably continue to do so for a while. However, its biggest challenge will be the same one that its international counterparts are experiencing, which is to sustain their growth and longevity, while simultaneously fighting off the unrelenting assault from music streaming services (globally, iTunes has felt a pinch due to the soaring popularity of the likes of Deezer and Spotify). Nonetheless, it’s evident that South Africa is finally embracing the digital movement in all its glory - and whether you like it or not, this also results in one more nail into the coffin of the good old fashion CD.

Legends of SA Music | FALLING MIRROR: THERE IS NO SECOND START | words: Johann M Smith

“Once I smoked weed and listened to Eric Clapton I just went for it.”

FALLING MIRROR

THERE IS NO SECOND START

n the landscape of South African rock stardom lays a vast desert called obscurity. Those who survive either end up in a Huisgenoot retrospective or, if you’re lucky, the heavenly cradle of local music - that elusive echelon known as cult status. If a certain Venom0ZA’s YouTube comments (like most of the other fan comments) on the music video Johnny Calls The Chemist is anything to go by, cult status is exactly what Falling Mirror have achieved. And now they’re back. But a comeback is often a feeble ride, because it treads on our dreams. Memory is often the preferred choice. Thankfully, this story starts with good news: the reunion isn’t ironic or nostalgic, there’s actually a lot riding on it. “We’ve never actually been a band, we just kinda did recordings and said cheers,” laughs drummer Patrick Humphreys on discussing how it feels to be jamming together again. All three of the original members are sitting inside their manager Sam’s plush studio garage loft, located in misty upper reaches of Cape Town’s Oranjezicht. Next to Patrick is bluesman and guitarist Allan Faull and next to him is singer and loquacious frontman Nielen Mirror. We’re all sitting on different couches. Apparently, there’s a new album on the way. “We’re probably going to call it Perceptions because this album is a series of snapshots. And it’s also one of the songs” says Nielen. “It looks like we might only do eight songs. There’s also a strong a possibility that we might be going to L.A. to do three songs with

Kevin Shirley.” Significantly, Nielen refers to Shirley as being ‘on the top there with Dr Dre.’ The frontman admits to listening and reading everything - from Eminem to Hitler. Their connection to Shirley, the renowned American-based South African producer is through band friend Tully McCully, who is currently working on their album at the soon-to-be demolished, Spaced-Out Studios. His name pops up continuously in conversation. Suffice to say, he’s become the band’s second ear. The band and Tully, like many critics, agree that the magic behind Falling Mirror is Nielen Mirror’s ability to write stories. Nielen explains that as a songwriter he likes to create character and interaction on a small level. “For instance, take ‘Girl of Fashion’, it’s a portraiture of a person and their environment,” he says. But as everyone who ever really loved Falling Mirror knows, Nielen has been a hot subject under the microscope of public scrutiny. The band doesn’t appear ashamed of the homeless life Nielen has lived. They often refer, half-jokingly, to the time when Nielen was still “under the tree.” His unforgiving life is actually the crux of how the band got back together again. They wanted to get Nielen off the streets. And on top of that, Allan came baring his own set of semi-financial dire straits. But it’s not all about the money. Their mutual expression of being horribly cheated, says it all. As the Falling Mirror history teaches us, the band never became famous because as their spark began taking flame in 1979, Thabo Mbeki

called in from overseas and a new ban was placed on Apartheid South Africa by the [then] National party government, which didn’t allow for the export of local culture, like music. Allan sums up his lifestyle: “In many ways I regret going into music, but I had no option. Once I smoked weed and listened to Eric Clapton I just went for it. And I don’t recommend drugs. We just had to get out of it. Out of a robotic culture that forced us into something that we weren't,” he says, referring to the Nationalist Party apartheid era. Naturally there are fears. Just like any band that started yesterday, they’re nervous. They might not have a regime against them, but they do have a new digital world to venture into. Twitter is still something of a mystery, but their Facebook is being well-looked after. At least this time around the band have all the necessary essentials and a few extras: a manager with a fantastic loft and a few dozen connections in the world of showbiz, Tully, maybe Shirley, a new documentary currently being recorded about them, a rehearsal space and of course, the coveted award of cult status. Nielen concludes; “doubt is going to happen and people will tell you anything. But you have to think about what you want to think. And the rest is all a matter of where to from here.” And Patrick nails it: “We’re in a launch position for things to happen.” Perhaps there is no second start in life, perhaps there is only now. Facebook.com/FallingMirror

Feature | INDIE KNOWS BEST: AN INTERVIEW WITH MAKE OVERS | words: Yelena Calavera

INDIE KNOWS BEST

AN INTERVIEW WITH MAKE OVERS Yelena Calavera chats to Pretoria-based noise rock duo Make Overs about indie labels, their US tour and the spirit of live music

ake Overs pick me up from the Gautrain station in Hatfield and take me back with them to their home at the KRNGY Logo headquarters. They’ve converted the front room into a recording studio, from which they’ve self-released numerous albums since mid-2010. The cabinets are filled with vinyl, the walls with eccentric artworks. We sit down together around a tiny table and descend into a world of cigarette-sharing and musing about the making of wild, evocative music. Make Overs is Andreas Schönfeldt (guitar and vocals) and Martinique Pelser (drums and vocals). Their music is a melding of frantic outbursts and gentle, trance inducing grooves. They’ve released tracks with Chicago-based record label Hozac and with Angry Africa Records and Roasting Records in Cape Town. They’re infamous for wild shows which get crowds into a moshing, crowd-surfing frenzy. The band has been defying the unspoken laws of the music industry since their inception. Without the constraint of a specific genre, or a clamouring-to-get-to-the-top attitude, their music traverses the whole spectrum of expression. They’ve refused invitations to join major South African labels, saying that they’d rather stay out of debt and hold on to their publishing rights. Their determination to self-release and record live, un-manipulated tracks has come under vicious comment from others. Even so, they’ve achieved much acclaim even without commercial backing. Make Overs has gigged and toured extensively both locally and internationally. Earlier this year, the pair was invited to play at Hozac Records’ Blackout Festival in Chicago. And get this: they self-funded their US tour with money they’d saved up to get married… “What advice would you give to bands starting out?” I ask. “Just believe in yourself, keep doing it and doing it well. Put a lot of yourself into it and it will pay off eventually,” says Martinique.

WHY INDIE LABELS KNOW BEST When I ask them why they’d turned down those record deals, they explain that big labels are not only exploitative but also lack passion. “We feel that the major labels are a dead end. You have more space to work with if you work independently,” elaborates Andreas. “Big labels have no foresight or love for it. Wherever the money’s going, they’ll be there. Indie labels don’t do that.” As a musician with a long term career in mind, it seems, according to the duo that you’re better off trusting an indie label or self-releasing. Make Overs has just finished recording their 7th album and it’s working for them! Their own imprint, the KRNGY Logo, has come a long way since its humble beginnings and is still growing. Andreas explains how it originated. “I used to make CD-Rs of this band I had, Revenge Radio… We’d leave them in public bathrooms or between piles of clothing at Mr. Price. So you’d just find these odd CD-Rs in all these odd, totally random places.” [laughs].

MAKE OVERS 2013 US TOUR In 2013, Make Overs played shows in Chicago, Detroit and New York. One of the best things about the tour for them was getting the chance to make friends with some of their all-time heroes. They hand me a photo of the two of them in a taco joint in Detroit, wearing

sombreros and eating tacos made for them by Timmy Vulgar. “It’s so uncool in every way. It’s not a black and white photo with us standing against a garage door smoking, with our hair all messy. We’re geeks all the way out,” Martinique laughs. I find myself thinking, ‘you’ve got to love how down-to-earth these kids are.’

MAKE OVERS LIVE One night, a guy came up to Martinique and tried to give her a tooth he’d knocked out during the show. “Thank you. This is what happens during your shows,” he’d said. “I’m so sorry,” she’d replied. “No! THAT is a show!” I ask them about their unconventional approach. “We don’t believe in industry standards,” Andreas replies. “For example, a song can be incredibly shit and recorded incredibly well. Or a song can be incredibly good and recorded incredibly shit and we’d rather go for the latter.” Anything is possible when you’re driven, passionate and fiercely autonomous. Take a page out of Make Overs’ book and do things your own way. Screw the scene. Find them on Facebook: search ‘Make Overs’.

Music News | INSIDE THE MACHINE | words: Johann M Smith

Inside the MACHINE KINGS OF LEON AND THEIR NEW MECHANICAL BULL

ate last month saw the release of the sixth Kings of Leon album, the number One iTunes chart topper Mechanical Bull. No doubt, the 4-piece Southern arena rockers have left us with a few questions since their Dallas show in mid-2011, when frontman Caleb stormed offstage. In a recent interview with the Metro about their fallout, the Followills - Caleb (singer guitarist), Matthew (guitarist) Nathan (drummer), Jared (bassist) - admitted that making their previous album, Come Around Sunday, was just not fun. Quoting Matthew: “We were in a tiny studio in New York, there was too much alcohol around all day - I’m just glad we made it back together.” According to bassist, Jared, making their new 11-tracker Mechanical Bull was not only fun, but also a time for camaraderie. “[It’s] the most immature album we’ve ever made.” He explains that there was no tension this time ‘round, and that the studio was full of practical jokes with

“fake rats and gun caps popping everywhere.” Interestingly, Mechanical Bull has its roots in South Africa. The initial songs that set the tone, were written by Caleb in a hotel room, when the band toured here late-2011. Naturally Caleb and Nathan becoming fathers of baby daughters since, has also had valuable impact on the songwriting... For the recording process, the band found solidarity by purchasing a building that used to be a paint factory in a neighborhood Nathan dubbed “the Hell’s Kitchen of Nashville.” They first started using the space only for rehearsals. But after a few weeks they phoned up longtime producer, Angelo Petraglia, to say “We’re gonna do the album here.” “He was like, ‘no way we’ll never be ready in time,’” explains Caleb. “We were like, ‘we’re doing it here.’” So when they started on the new album nothing was set up yet; they still had to convert the space into a legitimate studio. “It was like our little clubhouse” says Caleb. “The first month working in there, we didn’t even have furniture. It was the Wild

West - an open frontier. There was no right way or wrong way to do it, because it was the first record we’d done in there. But we did it, and honest to god it was so much fun.” Nathan adds that “what it looks like now compared to what it was, I would never have dreamed it. It’s still only 50 percent done. The fact that we made our album there and it sounds as good as it does sonically is a miracle.” The album took a total of eight weeks to record with producer Petraglia and engineer James Brown. During which time the band confess to realising that all they needed was a little break. “It reminded us that we’re blessed to get to do what we do for a living,” explains Nathan. “It also reminded us of the type of music we can make when we’re all in the right headspace. Kings of Leon making a fun record, that’s what we are. That’s what made our fans fall in love with us in the first place.” Check out our review on Pg. 34

27 Photo: Eduan Kitching

Wolmer Bush Lounge. Organisers are currently requesting interested bands and artists to submit their info as soon as possible. Bands can check out the link http://metal4africa.com/2014submissions/ for more info. Artists can email a short bio and 2 sample pictures of their art to emalyth.events@gmail.com with the subject line ‘Arts Expo 6 artist submission.’ FOR MORE: Search FB events.

An Artist’s Impression

ACADEMY OF SOUND ENGINEERING'S GRAND NEW STUDIOS SET TO OPEN IN 2014 Academy of Sound Engineering in Johannesburg has proudly announced that they’re in the final stages of building a brand new studio training complex which will add to its current facilities in the SABC, Auckland Park. When asked about the new improvements that ASE is adding to enhance the student experience, George Hattingh, Marketing Manager and lecturer said: “It’s the only non-retro fitted 5.1 surround studios in Africa (i.e. designed and constructed from the ground up in 5.1 configuration with proper acoustic treatment. Every other studio claiming to be 5.1 surround was not designed as such, but is usually an older rectangular room with 5 speakers. ASE’s new studios have been designed and purpose-built around the new technology. This makes them unique in Africa.” New features include a 64-seater film mixing theatre, an orchestral studio and two other state of the art recording studios – including the only non-retro fitted 5.1 surround studios in Africa. Says Hattingh, “there is no other studio complex like this in South Africa, even commercial nor is there such a studio training complex in Africa.” The new facility – located at 82 Richmond Avenue, Auckland Park immediately opposite the Radio Park Entrance of the SABC where their existing facilities are – will be completed in January 2014. FOR MORE: ase.co.za

MATHEW MOLE FRIEND JORDI BAGS GET OUT THE GARAGE COMP

2013 HORRORFEST ANNOUNCED The annual Cape Town and Joburg Horrorfest will be entering its 9th instalment from 30 October till 8 November. Organisers have once more promised a weird and wonderful line-up of rare classic films, sneak previews, short films and premiers from around the globe. And that the highly popular Rocky Horror Picture Show might also make a shocking glam comeback… FOR MORE: www.horrorfest.info

Planning for the 6th Emalyth Arts Expo has commenced. The event showcases popular local alternative bands and art exhibits by young and rising talents. Dates have been set for 31January to 2 February 2014, at Pretoria North’s

Following two months of nail-biting, Converse proudly announced this year’s Get Out The Garage winner. The competition that grants one lucky band/artist a coveted slot at London’s 100 Club, saw a whopping 314 acts slashed down to a lean 10 by judges Catherine Grenfell, Reason and Jon Savage - who handed the responsibilities over to fans who voted online. At the end, singersongwriter Jordi won. He reportedly thanked last year’s winner Matthew Mole (who he has played with in a band) as being his inspiration. FOR MORE: followjordi.com

FALLING MIRROR GUITARIST ALLAN FAULL DIES

GRESHAM RECORDS RELEASE NOSTALGIC PRIME CIRCLE ANNIVERSARY ALBUM EMALYTH ARTS EXPO 6 - UNLEASH THE BEAST

on iTunes. FOR MORE: primecircle.co.za

David Gresham Records are celebrating a decade of Prime Circle with an exclusive 10th anniversary edition of the band’s debut Gold seller Hello Crazy World. The 2-disc album will include braai-time delights such as Same Goes For You, My Inspiration and Let Me Go, as well as acoustic renditions of popular favourites and a surprising Café Afrique Remix. The album is available physically and digitally

Co-founder and guitarist of Falling Mirror, Allan Faull, died last month of a heart attack. Speaking to band manager Sam Hendrikse: “Alan died in [Spaced Out] studios whist the band was recording their new album. Allan was in the booth and felt a little uncomfortable and asked to take a quick break. He came back to listen to a playback, and was strumming his guitar - really in his element - a minute later he suffered from a heart attack. Forty minutes later he was declared dead.” Allan Faull leaves behind his band mates and guitar. “I packed away his Fender, it was one of those moments in life” said Sam. “Thankfully, he died in a place he felt comfortable doing what he loves - playing music. If only we could all say the same thing.” FOR MORE: fallingmirror.com/

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Classic Albums | NIRVANA - NEVERMIND | words: Mickdotcom

NIRVANA NEVERMIND

irvana’s Nevermind [1991] is one of those rarest creatures in the cultural landscapes of popular music. It hit at the exact right time; contained, through some obscure design, the perfect alignment of elements to facilitate becoming at once emblematically representative of the tiny sub-culture it represented [and would refashion] and capturing the attention of mass culture. It was an enigma. And it kinda came out of nowhere.

THE ANIMALS I’VE TRAPPED, HAVE ALL BECOME MY PETS. When Nirvana signed to major label Geffen in 1991, they were still widely unknown, all but confined to the Seattle scene where the likes of The Screaming Trees, Mudhoney and Sonic Youth had haphazardly founded the frazzled, morose noise rebellion that would be coined Grunge. Bassist Krist Novoselic credits drummer Dave Grohl’s joining of the band as having cemented their future sound. Moving away from Sub Pop label debut, 1989’s dark, sludgy Bleach, the band began exploring a simpler, more accessible sound. Novoselic’s bass approach seemed styled on his physical gait - all slackjawed lumbering - adding a nice, fat looseness to the song structures, while Dave Grohl’s technical proficiency and gleefully aggressive drumming kept things propulsively tight.

Producer Butch Vig’s crystal clear rendering of the distorted guitars was gorgeously muddied by Cobain’s insistently incoherent drawls and howls, rendering the lyrics even more mysterious and esoteric than they already were. To add to the lyrical ambiguity, the liner notes were composed of only fragments of the recorded lyrics, along with a mash-up poem containing unused lyric snippets.

“... BEFORE ‘NEVERMIND’ THE BABY BOOMER GENERATION AND WALL STREET RECORD SALES...” Cobain’s lyrics were presented with the irrational, seductive logic of dreams incongruent scenes and images curling and transforming into one another with the autonomous momentum of the subconscious.

SHEEP. What made Nevermind such a phenomenal success was a combination of the quiet/loud dynamic it employed throughout - appropriated from The Pixies, Nevermind popularized it to such an extent that it became the signature for Nineties Alternative Rock entire (The Smashing Pumpkins, The Breeders, early Radiohead, amongst dozens of other bands, would adopt it ad nausea) - and Cobain’s intensely emotive delivery and sentiments. The album was unabashedly teenage in its claustrophobia, melancholy

and outsider status. The awkwardness of physical transformations outside one’s control; feeling increasingly at odds with the menacingly rigid and self-confident grown-up world; the angst and hunger of young love with its bright highs and sudden, devastating collapses. An entire generation of teens and discontent young adults latched on to it, to such an extent that it signaled a demographic revolution of sorts - before Nevermind the Baby Boomer generation and Wall street defined record sales; now scruffy ‘every day is laundry day’ kids were effecting change. Nevermind also showcased Cobain’s undeniable gift for simplistic, hauntingly beautiful melody whilst obvious on aching ballads like Something in The Way, it is also the reason why hugely distorted tracks like the instantly anthemic Smells Like Teen Spirit would be covered by an eclectic array of artists, into an elaborate range of styles - Tori Amos, Jazz trio The Bad Plus, avant Hip-Hop crew The Robert Glasper Experiment, our own experimental Carlo Mombelli Trio, and various others. Nevermind was originally to be entitled Sheep, via Cobain’s typically cynical anticipation of masses of people buying the album to follow trends rather than for its own sake. The record was much bigger than its three architects becoming a cultural icon, a marker of Zeitgeist - and its overwhelming popularity, with the attendant flood-light media scrutiny, would mark the eventual derailment of the band, and, singularly, Cobain. “He’s the one/ who likes/ all our pretty songs/ and he/ likes to sing along/ and he/ likes to shoot his guns/ But he/ knows not what it means/ knows not what it means..” These lines eerily anticipated the case of some idiot college jock who would date-rape a woman, while singing Nevermind track Polly. Nirvana - its messy, fragile, darkly poetic soul (i.e. Cobain’s) could never translate into mainstream grammar or sensibility. Mistranslation was inevitable. What strikes me, on re-listening to these songs after more than a decade, outside of how un-dated they sound, is how short they are - most of the tracks clock in under three-and-a-half minutes; many are punk-sized (two to two-and-ahalf minutes long). The songs communicate themselves so intensely that they feel robust, almost epic in emotional 'scape. Nevermind defined a generation. A tragic, unexpectedly complex classic.

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PEARL JAM TO RELEASE ‘LIGHTNING BOLT' ALBUM THIS OCTOBER

ollowing several weeks of teasing song titles, animated shorts and illustrations on Twitter, 90’s grunge favourites Pearl Jam are set to release their tenth studio offering, Lightning Bolt, this October 15th on the band’s own Monkeywrench Records. It will be the Seattle survivors’ first release since their well-received Backspacer in 2009. In 2011, Pearl Jam celebrated their 20th anniversary with a special concert weekend at Alpine Valley, WI followed by the release of Cameron

SYNERGY LIVE IS IMMINENT Synergy Live is back this summer. Organisers of the annual 3 day music festival - running from Friday 29 November till Sunday 1 December at Theewaterskloof - are once again promising a host of top headline international acts and more than 100 South African bands, live acts, comedians and electronic artists. Synergy Live 2013 will feature 4 music areas - The Main Stage, Electronic Stage, Beach Bar and the newly introduced Freestyle Stage which sees music, art, comedy and live performance being combined in one big mash-up. As

Crowe’s film, Pearl Jam Twenty, along with an accompanying book and soundtrack of the same name. When asked to comment on Lightning Bolt, guitarist Mike McCready called it “experimental” and explained that there is a Pink Floyd vibe and a punk rock edge about it. The 12 tracker will include recently released single and video Mind Your Manners, and Future Days, which debuted at their July 19 concert at the Wrigley Field Show. Also making an appearance is an Eddie Vedder track from

of going to print, the official line-up names were still to be announced. But considering last year’s success with stellar act Prodigy, they’ve got a lot to live up to and we have a lot to look forward to. Other attractions include The Fairground (featuring carnival rides from all over the country); The Market Place (a food court with a festival flair); a Merchandise Tent; and a Camp Site Village - amongst many others. Limited early bird tickets are currently on sale at R430 at outlets and 450 at Webtickets. Other tickets include the 3 Day Full Weekend (R550 at outlets / R590 at Webtickets / R620 at

his solo effort Ukulele Songs. The album sees the veteran quintet working once more with long-time producer Brendan O’Brien (Black Crowes, Rage Against The Machine, Bruce Springsteen). Speaking to Billboard, the experienced O’Brien said of Lightning Bolt: “I think it’s a great representation of their work right now. If you like Pearl Jam, you’ll love this. And if you haven’t listened to them in a while, it's going to bring you in. That’s the whole idea.” Furthermore, Pearl Jam have also announced a two-leg, 24-date tour of North American. The first leg kicks-off on October 11th in Pittsburgh and wraps in New Orleans with the band's previously announced headlining performance at Voodoo Music + Arts Experience during the weekend of November 1st. The second leg of the tour starts on November 15th in Dallas and end on December 6th in the band’s hometown of Seattle. We can only hope that the legendary grunge favourites decide to throw in a 3rd leg and make it to South Africa. Local fans can show their love by becoming a member of Pearl Jam’s official fan club organisation - Ten Club. Born from the remains of the Mother Love Bone Earth Affair - the Ten Club was started by Pearl Jam in 1990 as a way for the band to give back to their fans and create a community around Pearl Jam's music. Run entirely in-house since its inception, Ten Club has a staff of seven individuals dedicated to the care of the band's most devoted fans. Members are served with an annual magazine, monthly newsletter, vinyl single and priority ticketing for $20 (digital) or $40 (analog). Pre-orders for Lightning Bolt are now available on the band’s website and via iTunes. FOR MORE: pearljam.com

the door); and the 2 Day ticket for Saturday and Sunday (R500 Webtickets and at the door). Fans can also rent out camper cans for R150. FOR MORE: synergylive.co.za

Eruption | THE NOT-SO WEAKER SEX | words: Paul Blom

THE NOT-SO WEAKER SEX PAUL BLOM UNRAVELS THE WORLD OF WOMEN IN METAL

here would we be without women? I love it when the ladies excel in all sectors, adding a more refined approach to male expectation. But not all share my sentiments, an ingrained male sense of superiority resulting in an emasculating inferiority complex… Being in a Metal-linked band with a female vocalist for the last decade, I’ve wanted to explore this in an SA context for a while. So, I consulted a few of SA’s first ladies of various Metal extractions: Sonja Ruppersberg (Terminatryx), Heike Langhans (aka Lorelei, who relocated to Sweden to join Draconian), Chantel Smit (Cold Hand Chemistry) and Lilitu Caprinae (Theatre Runs Red). Past female-linked local Metal bands have been sparse (like Axe and Misery).

Lilitu Caprinae (Theatre Runs Red) Since we (Terminatryx) formed, the female-fronted Metal acts have been few and far between, some including Junkyard Lipstick, Fragmented Children, the aforementioned ladies’ bands and

(Heike’s former group) Inferium. While rare in SA, internationally these bands are commonplace. Here, far too often female Metal musicians are relegated as a novelty act, instead of serious bands. “Many Metalheads disregard female vocals,” Heike remarks, “but in the European Metal scene it doesn’t seem like female-linked bands have a harder time gaining traction.” Chantel concurs: “We have a short supply of female-fronted Metal bands. Overseas they are major crowd-pullers.“ “As a woman,” Sonja remarks, “you have to work harder than the guys, because you not only get judged on your ability, but also on your looks - and proving you can match the men.” From Lilitu’s more extreme genre position she’s encountered less opposition: “Maybe because I dress like a dude on stage! But I’ve experienced the patronizing: ‘you're pretty good for a girl!’” We know boys go a bit silly in the cranium when faced with a woman, let alone one exuding a sense of power - which could result in impulsive resistance and more scrutiny. “When you are being put on the proverbial pedestal to your gender,” Heike explains, “there's very little room for error as people can be unforgiving to substantiate their 'anti-female' standpoints. Thankfully there are people who are very endearing.” While we may believe we live in a world of equality without divisions, unfortunately that utopia is unfulfilled. Perpetuating patriarchal, male-oriented society structures dominating most communities found its way into all sectors, including music. That opposition can deter many entering the fray.

Chantel Smit (Cold Hand Chemistry) Ground-breaking ladies from Suzi Quatro and Wendy O. Williams, to Doro and Angela Gossow broke the stigma. Denying the input women can have in the Alternative realm is simply backwards. They are more than just eye candy and too many ridicule their presence in the scene. “The most blatant thing anyone has ever said to me,” Chantel exclaims, “was that girls can’t be musicians!” Heike found “some men believe they know more about music, but I've put a fair share of them in their place!” Sonja recalls: “At a show I was told by another band member to go to Idols as I am clearly in the wrong place after kicking their asses live, at least he was man enough to apologise!” While Metal is instantly shoved to the sideline as too inaccessible, mainstreamers publicly act like slags and strippers to draw attention, embarrassing their gender… “It aggravates me to the edge of the universe!” Heike fumes. “I find it frustrating to see how certain women will exploit their sexuality to gain interest. It feels like it gives all of us a bad name. We are not spectacles.”

Heike Langhans (aka Lorelei)

like girls crying every time a Metal can do is encourage people to broaden band misses an opportunity(!)” their horizons and expand their musical I’ve always felt that an already dimensions. “As a sub-culture within a marginalized and ostracized sub-culture,” Sonja concludes, “it is an Alternative culture should be unified expensive exercise and takes dedication in its ideals. Alas! The wider to maintain, but somebody has to do acceptance of women in this maleit…” dominated genre and the scene as a Chantel assesses that “we need to whole, still has a way to go. Chantel create our own opportunities, and as feels that “the local industry doesn’t fans be where it matters most - in the really understand Metal - it’s crazy!” moshpit with us!” Heike points out the European In Lilitu’s opinion, “all is not advantages: “There are better hopeless. While small, we’re a venues, bigger festivals, better passionate Metal scene with so many promotion and cheaper travelling good bands.” costs. Metal is a part of European And Heike has witnessed that “the culture in a big way - the same can’t attitudes of people within the scene play be said about SA. Sure, the scene is a giant role. I've seen my fair share of fierce and tight, but in Europe all hostility and negativity. Until people start music genres are considered respecting one another more and help important. each other to make the scene better, “I’ve found that there is more nothing will change.” camaraderie in the European Metal So, time to embrace Metal and its scene. Unfortunately I've seen too vibrant facets as a whole, and unite in its much bickering between SA bands.” glory, as divided we shall fall. While it has proven tough to make your mark as a woman in Metal, all isn’t lost. “I have always terminatryx.com been comfortable in the company of facebook.com/HeikeLanghansOfficial men,” Sonja points out, “although I’m a coldhandchemistry.blogspot.com real girly-girl. It has given me a thick skin facebook.com/pages/Theatre-Runs-Red and my band mates are always protective of me. It gives me a sense of For an extended version of this piece, power and authority on stage and I like head to www.museonline.co.za to represent for the ladies.” Lilitu reckons: “Female-Metal can be an attraction because it’s uncommon, making for an interesting show!” For Heike “Personally, the advantage is knowing that I'm the difference to the band. I bring a different element that would not be there otherwise.” We may feel Metal rules the universe, but as a minority genre, here in Africa it’s even more concentrated. So, why do it? “I like a challenge!” Sonja exclaims. “For me it’s part of cultivating Alternative culture.” Heike feels “There’s something special to me about organized chaos and creating harmony in what is perceived as 'harsh' by some.” How do we remedy the Sonja Ruppersberg (Terminatryx) local Metal situation? All I

Band Info:

Sonja agrees: “It is easy to exploit sex and sexuality, but also cheap. I like to incorporate a subtle, dark sense of sexuality. It distinguishes me from those acts.” Lilitu: “This pisses me off. Sex sells and it infuriates me how blind the masses are. Very sad and very fake.” I believe in balance. Men can have a softer side, and women have the right to get intense. The assumption that only men can Rock is a broken archaic sexist record stuck in the Stone Age. Women have proven themselves, with notable acts emerging like The Great Kat, L7, Kitty, Lacuna Coil, Genitorurers, Arch Enemy, Otep, IWrestledABearOnce, Evanescence, Nightwish, Sarah Jezebel Deva… A quick search will reveal a multitude of bands around the globe, but few on home soil, where those have a harder time making their mark. “It is tougher - to a point,” Lilitu concedes, “but a couple years back you really had to prove yourself to gain respect as a musician.” Heike has found Europe to have evolved past that: “I haven’t encountered that. Somehow when there is a female involved, people show a general curiosity and it generates more hype.” Chantel adds, “We need positive support and [to] change perceptions about Metal - It won’t happen if we act

About Paul Blom: With a strong leaning towards all things Alternative, for decades Paul has been involved with music, movies, gaming and writing. Bands have included V.O.D (Voice Of Destruction), F8, K.O.B.U.S., The Makabra Ensemble and Terminatryx. Movie productions include short films, music videos, DVD releases, and half a dozen film festivals. Entertainment writing on music, movies and gaming kicked off in '97 for a wide range of publications, plus the creation of various web portals like Flamedrop.com. His work is far from done here. Have some SA Metal news to share? Email Paul: EruptionMuse@gmail.com

ERUPTION ALBUM REVIEWS | Reviewed by Paul Blom

ERUPTION Album Reviews FEATURED

REVIEW GWAR Battle Maximus Long before bands like Lordi made their mark, Gwar was destroying planets and enslaving humans, surpassing the easily dismissed horror-charactercostume novelty act band label by proving they kick Godzilla’s ass with their supercool music, totally crazy stage shows (which I’ve been lucky to experience in London in the mid-90s), and a consistent output of releases that keeps evolving the Gwar mythology with fantastical tales of epic battles with eternal enemies. With Battle Maximus, the scum dogs of the universe return for total annihilation! (In the wake of a tragedy). With thirteen albums and almost two-dozen video / live / movie releases under their gory codpiece belts, nothing can stop the raging Antarctic gods of rock, not even death. Guitarist Flattus Maximus (Cory Smoot) died in 2011 of coronary issues, his character retired out of respect. Never lacking in inspiration for wild storylines attached to their albums, tours and movies, it is both a tribute to Cory’s legacy and part of a search for his worthy replacement, via the Battle Maximus combat trial - Pustulus Maximus heeding the call and reigning supreme. This album lacks in very little as the great Gwar sound is better than ever, an amalgamation of all the best bits of Thrash-, Shock- and Death Metal, with a Hardcore / Punk undercurrent, all meshed with subjects of death, destruction, global domination, and yes, loads of black humour, obscenity and all the ingredients that got the PMRCs left eye twitching. What’s not to love?! Dare you challenge the mighty Gwar?!

GARY NUMAN Splinter (Songs From A Broken Mind) A New-Wave / Electro-Pop artist reviewed in the Eruption section I hear you ask? If you heard the first Ministry album, you’d never have thought they’d end up ferocious Industrial-Metal icons. Even though Numan’s legendary synth-laden music was very much pop based, it always had dark undertones, and

his work influenced the likes of modern Alternative / Industrial-Rock legends Trent Reznor and Marilyn Manson. Across the years Numan’s music attained a much harder Industrial edge and Darkwave mood, and with this he delivers an amazing album that any Nine Inch Nails fan could easily slip into. Infectious metallic, distorted rhythms and darkly irresistible moods are fused with melody and Numan’s still very much intact signature voice. His aversion to religion has always been a part of his outspoken character and a history of depression spawned this trip through such an interior. Produced with Ade Fenton, the album also features NIN guitarist Robin Finck. Having toured with Reznor, now sharing a distribution label with Marilyn Manson, a double-header tour of Numan & Manson would be quite something.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD Hail To The King Extreme Metal aficionados may not consider Avenged Sevenfold as high on their priority lists (unless it’s time to chill), but for those who prefer a more accessible brand of Metal, Avenged Sevenfold are doing just fine. Where I detected hints of Slayer and Metallica in their previous offering, here the latter’s influence seems stronger than ever (with some songs almost sounding too close for comfort). But, on top of that, besides what can only be deemed Metalballads, you even get a track which is highly reminiscent of Guns N’ Roses (including M. Shadows’ vocal delivery, although it’s not all out blatant Axl). Interestingly the same day I made these observations, I heard about Machine Head’s Rob Flynn making a stab at this being a “covers album”… But, with significant sales and number 1 spots on Billboard and other charts, I’m sure the band is not complaining at all. On their previous albums Avenged Sevenfold was not afraid of speed - so whether it is part of growing older, The Rev no longer with them, or maturing in your music which results in toning it down, or perhaps to seek a wider audience - here the fast thrash tempos are virtually discarded in favour of a mid-paced groove. In conclusion, Hail To The King is an album that’ll certainly reach a broader audience with its palatable Metal sound, evidenced already by the success it is garnering.

QUEENSRŸCH For over 30 years Queensrÿche has been a respected band on the Hard Rock / Metal scene (and like many bands from the ‘80s era, I still have their seminal concept album Operation: Mindcrime on vinyl). Switching vocalists after such a long history could be unsettling to avid fans who’d stuck with the band for all this time. But it looks as though the gap Geoff Tate has left, got filled comfortably by Todd La Torre, rejuvenating the band as is so often the case with a personnel change. That classic, melodic, traditional Metal vocal coupled with well-crafted, crisp and cleanly produced songs that carry a force without attempting to be heavier or faster than they need to be, sits well. With this new self-titled album the Seattle band looks like they’ve certainly re-emerged as esteemed pioneers that are far from over, and I’m always curious to know how many new fans established groups like this pick up with each new release. I can certainly recommend it to someone solidly wedged into one type of extreme Metal genre to lend a bit of mind expansion to their collection with something a bit different.

FINNTROLL Blodsvept These Nordic upstarts have hit their sixth album and return to their blackened roots with the Euro folk influence remaining a heavy presence. Amid the extreme vocals, the melody inherent in the music fuses brilliantly. The music has an inherent humour and upbeat nature to it, exuding a party mood and can act as a soundtrack for up-tempo drinking songs. With members from bands like Impaled Nazarene and Rapture, what started out as a bit of fun has turned into a forerunner in their genre, incorporating brass instruments, traditional sounds (and even banjos!) with ease. What makes Finntroll succeed in their madness is the fact that they don’t take themselves too seriously, but deliver it with total conviction and accuracy. With no English vocals, it is probably better that your mother only hears much of their words in Swedish! So, raise your ale horn (whether it contains beer or lemonade) and feel the Metal!

DA - Damon Albetto | MD - Mickdotcom | JS - Johann M Smith | SO - Sean Olsen

ALBUM REVIEWS

Album Reviews ARCTIC MONKEYS - AM

t may just be a coincidence, but the title of Arctic Monkeys’ latest release seems perfectly penned to capture the mood and themes of their 5th album. It all takes place in the early hours of the morning, where Alex Turner blurs the lines between love and lust. For the last year the boys from Sheffield have been living in L.A and while Turner’s Yorkshire accent is still strong, the trans-Atlantic influence is unmistakably evident. Citing hip hop and R&B artists like Dr Dre and Aaliyah, along with Black Sabbath as influences (and remarkably making it work), Arctic Monkeys may have just released one of the sexiest rock albums in a very long time.

Kings of Leon Mechanical Bull The so-called original Kings of Leon fan will be pleased to know the Followills have returned to their pre Sex On Fire days with Mechanical Bull. The new album, a number 1 iTunes hitter, harks back to their sophomore 2004 offering Aha Shake Heartbreak. Recorded at their very own Nashville studios, the 4 piece Southern rockers have no doubt found themselves again. From starting track Supersoaker, featuring that much loved token KOL bass groove; to track 4, Beautiful War, a slow-stretch arena crooner (which interestingly was written the same weekend as Use Somebody from their 2008 album); to the upbeat snare snapping of track 5, Temple. Admittedly, the 11 tracker lacks that youthful injection (think The Bucket) we’ve come to expect. Fortunately, they make up for it with maturity. Throughout there’s a sense that Kings of Leon have really grown up. Additional tracks on the deluxe thirteen track Mechanical Bull, includes the guitar swinging Work On Me and the aptly titled Last Mile Home - in which Caleb sings rather hauntingly: “Things are always better / When we're all together / I'm tripping on the last mile home.” By the look of things, this is certainly not their last. And if it was, this would be a memorable exit. | JS

Franz Ferdinand Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action Franz Ferdinand are up to their sleazy old tricks again, writing tunes that flirt frivolously with a heady mix of lager lout rock and dance ethos. Opener - and I guess what could be called the album title track, Right Action, is a big boisterous number. I can just see lead singer, Alex Kaprano strutting like a peacock on heat to this one. Evil Eye almost instantly reminds me of Inxs at their prime. It’s another party anthem for sure. Love Illumination is straight up rock ‘n roll but with the quirky Franz Ferdinand stamp on it. Stand on the Horizon is a more pop/soul rendition, whilst Fresh Strawberries is perhaps a little Beatle’esque for me and these two tracks along with Bullet are all fairly disposable. Treason! Animals has some good hooks but also continues in a similar vein to the previous 3 tracks. The last three songs, The Universe Expanded, Brief Encounters and Goodbye Lovers & Friends are all strong, solid numbers though. Franz Ferdinand return almost as if nothing’s changed in the world of music. They sound the same, albeit with a 2013 production value, 1 or 2 new tricks up their sleeve, but still, thankfully, with their quirky side very much intact. | DA

MORE REVIEWS ONLINE: www.museonline.co.za

Seamlessly blending 70’s vintage rock riffs with notable R&B falsetto’s and Dre-styled grooves, songs like Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High? and One For the Road make you want to simultaneously rock out and nod your head while cruising the streets in a lowrider. With AM, the Monkeys have reached a new level in their alreadyphenomenal career. They’ve navigated the music industry better than most, made some very bold moves along the way and will now enter the history books as one of Britain’s greatest bands. | SO

Gangs of Ballet yes/no/grey. This is the auspicious and precocious debut offering from Durban experimental rockers Gangs of Ballet. As you might recall, the album shot to number 1 on iTunes SA Album Sales Chart in less than 12 hours after its release. Universal Music definitely made the right call in signing the ever rising four-piece, who have climbed into our conscious with their mannish hipsterisms and pop appeal. Lyrically the theme of yes/no/grey. is an emotional attempt at understanding the micro-management of life choices, and ultimately realising you’ll always be left with more questions. Basically, there’s a yes and no and a grey to everything. Track 9 Imagine says it best: “Look at us all, never fight / Never fall, never fake / We have all we need / But oh no we don’t forget to take.” It’s smart without being oh-so clever. Under and throughout in all eleven tracks there is a distinct sense they’ve invested time into stitching the pieces together - from the piano driven pop friendly Hello Sweet World (track 3), to the slow crooning swinger Can’t Do This On My Own (track 6). On the down side, yes/no/grey. can very easily be overlooked in an ever growing sea of modern alternative rock bands. This album is good proof their talents far outweigh their contemporaries, but they still have to hit their niche. Thankfully, Brad Klynsmith’s singing accent is as proudly South African as his surname. | JS

ALBUM REVIEWS

DA - Damon Albetto | MD - Mickdotcom | JS - Johann M Smith | SO - Sean Olsen

Goo Goo Dolls Magnetic I know that packed away in a box somewhere amongst all my CDs from the 90’s I’ll find a Goo Goo Dolls album. The band has been around since 1985 - that’s 27 years dude! What’s probably even more impressive is that almost three decades later they’re still signed to a major label (Warner) and still cranking out albums, although ten albums (Magnetic being their 10th) is hardly a prolific output. But yet here they are still going strong... well kinda strong. Not much has changed from my memories of the band except they’ve moved even closer to middle-ofthe-road radio rock. Look, Magnetic is straight up pop rock with big boisterous choruses and melodic verses. It’s a tried and tested formula - the stuff that A&R guys have been lapping up for years. But even radio rock can have some edge to it; Goo Goo Dolls are having none of that. This is as safe as houses - a collection of eleven innocuous, pop-rock by numbers stuff. But hey, they’ve been doing it for 27 years and clearly have a fan base so what do I know? | DA

Gerald Clark Follow The River The bushy-headed singer-songwriter is back. The differences between Gerald’s previous offering Black Water and his latest offering Follow The River, is all in the name. The former was Elmore James soaked Chicago blues, whereas the latter is optimistic and adventurous - much to the dismay of the die-hard rock fan. The new 11 track album seeks a wider audience with soulful rich pop - think Jack Johnson combined with Dave Mathews. Mr. Clark no doubt has the ability to pull on the heart strings of commercial radio. A good example being track 3, Maybe I’m a Fool - a worthy laid back swinger with a funky percussive groove. But things take a turn for the worse on track 5 - There She Goes, an anthemic beat driven number which just doesn’t suit Clark’s usual calm demeanour. Redemption comes in the form of track 10 - Set Me Loose, when the Stellenbosch guitar hero reminds us of the magic of keeping it simple and stupid: “Set me loose, set me on fire, set me free / I don’t want to be the man / You think I ought to

be / Give me time, give me space / I don’t want to face this.” How truly delightful. This is Clark at his most vulnerable and most joyful yet. He’s ready to move on, question is: are you? | JS

The Civil Wars [Self-titled] It’s always a sign of bad things to come when a band goes on a hiatus early in their career especially if it’s due to “internal discord and irreconcilable differences.” But here we are with their brand new self-titled sophomore offering, almost a year since the aforementioned quote was posted on The Civil Wars’ wall. To make matters worse, the American duo have a lot to live up to considering their previous (debut) album grabbed two Grammy Awards. From starting track The One That Got Away they grasp their hearts tightly around folk-rock and all its glory. Joy Williams’ voice glides over the tingling guitars and the opening words “I never meant to get us in this deep / I never meant for this to mean a thing… I wish that you were the one that got away.” Whether there’s an encoded message regarding their split, you decide. The definitive highlights on this 12-tracker is no doubt the country blues crooner Devil’s Backbone about a bad boy love affair, and Disarm with its quiet acoustic dream-like state. It’s a pity that Joy over swallows her consonants, as a result what could have been a comprehensible and beautiful purr is often a hollow hillbilly howl - which admittedly has its moments. | JS

Nine Inch Nails Hesitation Marks Trent Reznor is a legend. And legends are great at inspiring others and sometimes, as is the case with Hesitation Marks, they’re even able to inspire themselves. There’s a sense here that Reznor has drawn much of his influence from flipping back through his very own discography and tapping into the defining elements of NIN’s earlier work like Pretty Hate Machine. After the much-publicized feud with their record label 20 years ago for refusing to make another synthpop record, Hesitation Marks is both the most ‘synthy’ and the most ‘poppy’ album

they’ve made since then. The beats and programming are considerably modern by the sheer fact that they’re retro. Like today’s crop of Hip-Hop producers, Reznor relies on classic 808 drum machines and mono synths to lay down some of their most danceable tracks ever. Hand claps and 4/4 house hats sit seamlessly with darker, industrial numbers. And right in the middle of it all Reznor sings, “I’ve survived everything/I am free” on what is one of the most surprisingly uplifting pop-punk songs in the entire Nine Inch Nails collection. It’s this phrase that sub-consciously permeates the album, like he’s reached the point where he’s writing songs for the enjoyment of it and not solely out of a necessity to therapeutically excise his demons, like the earlier days. | SO

Alt-J An Awesome Wave [2 CD Limited Tour Edition] In early 2012 Alt J released An Awesome Wave and they’ve been riding that awesome wave ever since. Their ability to bend a multitude of genres into unique yet intelligent artpop has seen them garner CD1 great acclaim in the last year, winning the Mercury Prize and playing most of the worlds’ major festivals (including Rocking The Daisies. Here we CD2 have a 2 disc Limited Tour Edition, with disc 1 being the brilliant original album release and disc 2 a collection of exclusive live tracks, acoustic versions and remixes. Disc 1 is still where it’s all at, with tracks like Breezeblocks, Tessellate and Matilda examples of beautifully crafted pop songs and numbers like Fitzpleasure, Dissolve Me and Interlude 1 expressing their quirkier, idiosyncratic side. The 2nd disc, however, is a bit of a hit-and-miss exercise. With the exception of Tessellate, the live tracks fall flat and lack energy. The acoustic reworkings are satisfying in their simplicity, but mainly because it gives existing fans some additional material to tide them over until their follow up album. There are some pretty decent remixes but the truth is by the 5th version of Fitzpleasure it just gets irritating. For those new to Alt J, don’t bother with the 2nd disc. Existing fan(atics ) can bother if they really want to. | SO

35 Dave Matthews Band Away From The World After a familiar, inauspicious start, the Dave Matthews Band’s latest album, Away From The World finds fresh oxygen in the tellingly titled The Riff, which intriguingly builds around an acoustic, prog-ish, vaguely Celtic riff, which slowly expands to un-leash the song into a soaring anthem fueled by exuberantly electric guitar solo/ accompaniment. The Dave Matthews Band know their audience, and excitingly combine their signature waltzes and accessible polyrhythms with new stylistic elements, keeping things at once familiar and surprising. Belly Full is a lovely vignette, a gentle, concise love letter, while If Only is a daydreaming romantic stroll, meandering through shifting valleys of styles and registers - from barnyard jangles through frolicking acoustic Rock, to sunlit Jazzy stanzas. The album rounds up with the band’s much beloved rhythm-centric blow-outs: Rooftop recalling their most exciting arena stompers, a surefire crowd rocker; Snow Outside a layered delight of textures; and finally Drunken Soldier, another epic tune, moving through much of the band’s stylistic history - from tipsy shuffle to giddy acoustic riffery and potently phrased swagger. A fitting addition to their talented back catalogue, the limited edition includes exclusive live (re)versions and extended explorations of selected studio cuts. The perfect collection to whet tongues for their Seffrican tour come November! | MD

The 1975 [Self titled] This debut fulllength release from British alternative rock band, The 1975 follows hot on the heels of their four EPs: Facedown, Sex, Music for Cars and IV which have all caused a suitable stir of anticipation amongst fans. Whilst they are essentially a pop band disguised as alternative rock, it’s fair to say that theirs is a sound that flits between the basics of guitar, bass and drums but with synth melodies abounding throughout. Whilst the album has plenty variety there are two significant threads that stand out; It’s a very 80’s nuwave/pop sound and all the songs seem to have been written in an uplifting major key. Three tracks from their EPs have also been re-recorded and included namely, The City, Sex and Chocolate, the latter sounding very 80’s boy bandish to be honest. But therein lies some of the charm of The 1975. They’re not afraid to try different things, a good example being the glitchy Menswear. Aside from the piano

driven ballad Is There Someone Who Can Watch You which is a little deeper than the rest, this is essentially airbrushed radio altpop that is just a little too glossy to be taken that seriously. The teens will love it I am sure. | DA

Shane Cooper Oscillations Widely sought-after bassist Shane Cooper, a frequent presence on Cape Town stages wherever an envelope-pushing group appears - collaborator with a range of talents, from contemporary Jazz adventurers Kyle Shepherd, Reza Khota, Kesivan Naidoo, Jonno Sweetman and Buddy Wells, to legends like Louis Moholo and Zim Ngqawana, and electric outfits Babu and Closet Snare - has brought out his debut as bandleader, ‘Oscillations.’ Sonically situated in acoustic/semi-acoustic Jazz instrumentation, ‘Oscillations’s compositions occasionally venture into atmospheres and styles not associated with this frame. Dead Letters is an especially enticing piece, all languorous rhythms slow loping bass and lagging drums, with Reza Khota's reverbed guitar adding to the misty atmosphere - the piece’s romantic, daydreaming melodic theme guiding the instruments. Gorgeously understated. At the album's close the same composition is re-imagined, with more detailed instrumental contours and close-ups. The Herdsman is another stand-out track, kicking off deliciously with rhythmic handclaps and oriental chimes goading the perky bass plucks along until the song opens up into full arrangement. Drop Down - Deconstruct kicks things into near HipHop realms of rhythm, with a funky retro melody that recalls Thelonious Monk in a cheerful Spring mood, then slips into near prog-rock riffage; all executed with a sense of cool decorum on the acoustic instruments. The piece slickly slips into new masks/veils with each movement – an elegant, sonic chameleon. An album at once sophisticated, romantic and playful. | MD

Half Moon Run Dark Eyes Half Moon Run is Canada’s answer to Alt-J. Sounds a bit simplistic right? Particularly since they don’t actually sound or attempt to sound like Alt-J. It’s just that this ‘awesome wave’ [pun intended] of delicate, sensitive indie rock/folk music with complex rhythms that is so prevalent right now, really does seem to hit all the right notes circa 2013. The story goes that this quartet

hardly knew each other before recording this album and even now do not ‘hang out.’ There’s nothing about Dark Eyes that would suggest this. These are accomplished songs that ebb and flow. Witness the beautiful Losing the War, a rendition the late great Jeff Buckley would no doubt have been impressed by with its emotive qualities. Dark Eyes is folky when it needs to be, bluesy at just the right times and a healthy dose of indie rock when a bit of up tempo grooves are required. Lead singer, Devon Portielje’s vocal register astonishes at times as the band eases effortlessly from a sometimes Radiohead type sound to Alt-J to José González and other of their contemporaries. But they’re no copycats; just an eclectic and interesting bunch of musos making thoughtful, sensitive music. Highly recommended. | DA

London Grammar If You Wait London Grammar is an interesting outfit. The trio comprise of three students from Nottingham University who only started performing together in 2009 and released their first EP: Metal & Dust in February this year. Comprising of Hannah Reid on vocals, Dan Rothman (guitars) and Multi-instrumentalist Dot Major (keyboard, djembe, drums) the hype behind the band has been palpable in the UK as they emerged strong contenders for the Mercury Prize - even before their album dropped. If You Wait is an ambitious effort, the fact that it’s a double disc a clear indication of the rich resource of creativity that flows from this young group. Reid’s voice is without doubt the major component to their sound. Not to diminish the music though - it has been thoughtfully crafted with all the subtleties and nuances that a delicate beautiful voice like Reid’s needs. Look, If You Wait is not going to get you jumping up and down; it’s largely a down tempo electronica-meets-pop affair but the depth and emotion in both the music and Reid’s voice is so intimate and intense it will leave you both elevated and pensive almost all at once. At their best Reid sounds likes Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac) but then sometimes a little too ‘Enya like’ for my taste too. Nonetheless this is an incredible, absorbing album and his highly recommended. | DA

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GAME REVIEWS | Reviewed by Paul Blom

GAME REVIEWS X Box 360 DISHONORED This first-person action-adventure game adds stealth elements which prevents an all out mad-dash, thus adding different textures and levels of intensity and suspense. The city of Dunwall is an industrial landscape stricken with a rat plague. You are Corvo, the Lord Protector of the Empress, who is framed for her murder. You take justice into your own hands to have those responsible pay, and find her kidnapped daughter. With traitors and allies to contend with, your weapons include swords and pistols, explosives (with upgrading, purchasing options). But, you can also access supernatural powers with purchased bone charms (allowing everything like rat possession, teleportation and time bending). In this steam-punk flavoured era where old and new collide, scenes play out at a variety of locations like the royal palace, prison, sewers, back streets, a pub (where you get mission objectives) and other textured terrain. Your actions (including the use of force or not), interactions with other characters and choices throughout the game determine the outcome. This may be difficult for some, but the option to complete the game without killing any of the non-player characters makes for quite a challenge. As the world of cinema integrates more with that of the gaming world, here actors supplying voices include Susan Sarandon, Chloë Grace Moretz, Brad Dourif, John Slattery, Carrie Fisher and Michael Madsen. (18 restriction) 8/10

METRO 2033 Before sinking your teeth into the new Metro: Last Light, you can grab this first person shooter / survival horror games predecessor, Metro 2033, to pre-empt what’s led to the sequel, and get an idea

of what you’re in for. It is post-apocalyptic Moscow and you are up against both hostile humans and mutants (people and animals exposed to radiation across 20 years). Set (mostly) in the creepy subway system where survivors retreated (and a new generation born underground), the dark, gloomy, treacherous metro tunnels act as both home and battleground as the mutant attacks increase (with a new breed, The Dark Ones making their appearance, the already dire situation getting worse). When things get too dark, your flashlight or night vision goggles (once you get access to it), is essential, just like the need for your gasmask when exposed (reliant on a filter time limit). Without ammunition, you’re doomed this is a scarcity, so you not only have to shoot carefully, but also search for every spare bullet you can find (high quality military-grade ammo actually becoming currency with which to buy and upgrade weapons and other essentials). The action can get intense and creepy, and depending on your choices in the game, will result in two ending options. Some negative points include confined spaces that can get disorientating and sometimes there are too many different secondary characters dialogue muddle over one another. 7/10

TRUTH OR LIES There is no shortage of shoot-em-up, racing or football games. That’s why it’s so cool when gaming developers go beyond the obvious, and also incorporate peripheral accessories that can tend to gather dust. Here the X Box microphones used for singing games like Lips get utilised in an innovative home polygraph scenario! While some boy- & girlfriends of less truthful persuasions may sweat a bit around the collar at the thought of being exposed, it is geared for fun, and won’t exactly nail you. At the

For more gaming reviews, Check out www.flamedrop.com beginning you need to calibrate your voice with actual truthful responses and lies but things are not always detected accurately. While the game tries to keep things light and entertaining, some may lose interest quickly, especially if the system is not spot-on with response detection, or questions don’t get meaty enough. For the latter however, a mode allows for your own questions but with the not-quite-accurate system, you’re never really sure... So, if the singing game's tunes have been repeated to death, maybe this could amuse up to 8 people at a party for a while but don’t expect too many shocking revelations. 5/10

All Platforms LEGO HARRY POTTER: Years 1 4 Every few years a new troupe of kids get to access the fantasy world of Harry Potter via Rowlings books, the equally popular movies, and of course the video games. For those youngsters who love their Lego (or anyone who cherishes a flashback to their childhood), this game takes them through the locations and narrative moments of the first four books, in Lego form (as we’ve seen with everything from Star Wars to Indiana Jones). This fun excursion gives the gamer access to more than a hundred and sixty playable characters (from the obvious trio of Harry, Hermione and Ron, to all the known and less prominent ones) and takes you through the famous Hogwarts wizard school, the Forbidden Forest and many other famous locations. Cast spells, fight the foes, unlock levels and additional players, and yes, play Quidditch! With one or two player options, two people can also co-op. A cool take on a cultural phenomenon (but only for the over 7s). 7/10

NATIONAL GIG GUIDE

Natasha Meister Trio, Crimson House Blues, Boulevard Blues with Guest Dan Shout (Sax), Paul Campbell (Hammond) & Mad Mouth Mike | R60 | 12H30 - 18H30 | Phone Hillcrest on 021 976 4959

Tribute | Rob Thompson Blues Rock Trio | CT | 8:00 | R40 | Rob Thompson (Guitar & Vocals), Michael McAuley (Bass Guitar) & Marcel Christie (Drums) | www.facebook.com/events/1415921251954713/

Fri 18 Oct | Music & Dining with Guy Buttery | Moyo Zoo Lake, 1 Prince of Whales | JHB | 19:00 | R100 | Webtickets.co.za

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