I Dont Need Your Money, Believe Me

So there is this guy I know, Johnathan Jack Stokes Mellish. He lives around the corner from us and everyone now and again I arrive home to find him sitting mellow in our living room. What a good surprise it always is. Now ol' Mellish has a video camera and he digs to record footage and then bang it together into a piece. Sounds quite mish-mash, no? But somehow Johno manages to produce such effortless and appealing aesthetic in his work which I believe he achieves without trying at all.

On Monday Stokes Mellish rocked up at the Capital and told me about a video he recently made for Petite Noir, something he 'threw together on Saturday'. Amped, let's check it out...

What I love about this video is that it doesn't seem to have a time or place and there is no story line per se but it still flows with ease. Mellish has grabbed some footage and found his own rhythm within the images, lacing them over each other and flirting with different images and their common threads to build up to the beautiful snakey tongue climax. 

Over and above the entrancing visuals, I think there is something to be said regarding the notions of stigmas, race, culture, class and Western/European/First World ideologies. Now I don't for a second believe any of it was preempted from the directors side, but I don't believe this video would have the same allure to it if the characters portrayed in it were white trendoids. There is something, I can't place my thumb on it, that is very intriguing about seeing African blipsters in a very 1st world inspired piece - it says something about the Africanism of old and how it's losing its grip on the younger generations as we all slowly but surely find influence and inspiration not from looking back to our forefathers but rather looking outwards at what's happening in the rest of the global community.

PS: that was difficult to write/word correctly while bearing in mind how very iffy people get in SA when talking about race. I'm not casting shade, in case you weren't sure.

Misplaced Mixtapes: The Look Look

new music for you, with love, from me ♥ xoxo

its taken forever for mediafire to work with me so that's why you're getting your June mix at the beginning of July. no biggie.

also, this is a rather eclectic amalgamation of songs that i've enjoyed over the last month or so.

Misplaced Mixtapes presents...

The Look Look

01 Metronomy - The Look
02 The Antlers - French Exit
03 Ducktails - Killin The Vibe
04 Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
05 Black Joe Lewis &The Honeybears - Big Booty Woman
06 Shapes Have Fangs - Shapes Theme _ Only Blood
07 Tune-Yards - You Yes You
08 Toro y Moi - New Beat
09 SBTRKT - Wildfire ft. Drake and Little Dragon
10 The Weeknd - Glass Table Girls
11 Nicolaa Jar - Space Is Only Noise If You Can See
12 Mr. Little Jeans - The Suburbs (Arcade Fire Cover)
13 Jamie Woon - Night Air
14 Timber Timbre - Bad Ritual
15 Wild Beasts - Deeper
16 Holiday Murray - Antagonizer
17 Bon Iver - Towers
18 The Morning Benders - Lovefool (Cardigans cover)

make it mine!

Misplaced Mixtapes: March Forth

Hey y'allz!

Another mixtape for your listening pleasure. Some songs are new, some old, but all good.

Let a brother know if you like it, and if you do, pass it along to your friends.

click here to download March Forth

tracklisting

01 My Morning Jacket - Touch Me I'm Going To Scream, Pt. II

02 Gruff Rhys - Shark Ridden Waters

03 Voxtrot - Start of Something

04 Menomena - Dirty Cartoons

05 BRMC - Restless Sinner

06 Rodriguez - I Wonder

07 The Antlers - Bear

08 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Details of the War

09 Ada Richards - I'm Drunk And Real High

10 The National - Baby We'll Be Fine

11 Elbow - An Audience With The Pope

12 Madeleine Peyroux - Give Your Mama One Smile

13 OMD - VCR (The xx cover)

14 Architecture in Helsinki - Souvenirs

15 The Morning Benders - Lovefool (Cardigans cover)

16 The Decemberists - Red Right Ankle

17 Blk Jks - Tselane

18 Pink Mountaintops - While We Were Dreaming

19 kidofdoom - (hidden acoustic)

okiloveyoubyebye

LISTEN: Gruff Rhys - Shampoo Hotel

This is a blog post to inform you that you should listen to this album.

Don't make me sell it, just take my word.

Here is Gruff's Wikipedia and here is Gruff's www if you'd like to know more.

PS: The album is being released on Valentines Day. This is from me, to you, with all my love... mwa xoxo

Enjoy the whimsical video from the lead single 'Shark Ridden Waters' which 'features the genius French actor Roxane Mesquida and is a Godard inspired Mediterranean meditation by director Peter Gray, depicting a distracted man lost in a world of social networking.'

The full album is available for streaming below... have a wonderful day :)

DOWNLOAD: Stepdog - Amy After Dark EP

This band just seems to be on the up and up. They will be performing at RAMfest in early March, be sure to catch them live sometime.

Click here to download their debut EP and album artwork for free.

It's a similar sound to something like Tallest Man Alive and Bright Eyes. That kinda vibe... 

WATCH: Isochronous live in Berlin

Undoubtedly one of the best bands from South Africa. Them, and kidofdoom.

I watched both bands perform on Sunday at Kirstenbosch and I was once again filled with awe, admiration and respect for all members of both bands. These guys absolutely LOVE what they do and there is no pretense in their creation of sound for your enjoyment. I've never before seen people enjoy, sweat, beat and with all their senses feel the music they are making more than Richard and Ryk - during the kidofdoom set both of them were soaring in their own world. I can't explain; no one ever has or will be able to put words to a sound and atmosphere and feeling that is created by Isochronous and kidofdoom. It's all yours for the taking and interpretation, live more than anything else.

click here for pictures from the Kirstenbosch show

It is rumoured that Sunday was kidofdoom's last show. I sincerely hope, especially for the sake of those who haven't relished in their live sound, that this is not true. 'Cos we all know that a kidonshrooms loves kidofdoom :)

Misplaced Mixtapes: Summer Skin 2010

 

Like, who makes a mixtape and doesn't post it to their blog? Srsly? Srsly. (If you really want a reason read the post before this)

But that doesn't matter. Nothing does. Except that you download this mixtape before I drop the February mix on y'alls.

Click here to download the Summer Skin mixtape

01 Stornoway - Zorbing

02 North Highlands - Sugarlips

03 Holiday Murray - Jirey

04 Caribou - Odessa

05 Wavves - Mickey Mouse

06 Long Walks On The Beach - metaPhysical

07 The Holidays - Golden Sky

08 Surfer Blood - Neighbour Riffs

09 Foals - Blue Blood

10 Fool's Gold - Surprise Hotel

11 BLK JKS - Zol

12 New Holland - Transkei

13 Darwin Deez - Radar Detector

14 Jamaica - I Think I Like U 2

15 Kid Cudi, Beast Coast & Rostam - All Summer

16 LCD Soundsystem - Home

17 Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks

18 Eliza Doolittle - Money Box (Jamie XX Remix)

19 Avi Buffalo - Summer Cum

Happy listening. Spread the word far and wide, tell one and all, ie. re-tweet and post on facebook :)

kthxbye

Where The Fuck Have You Been?

Jissou, my last blog post was, like, ages ago!

I can't even begin to imagine how traumatised you must feel after popping into this address at least once a day and not finding an update. How have you lived with yourself? How have I lived with myself?

That's just the thing. I needed a hiatus. Like bands, you're nothing if you haven't worked so damn hard that you need a break from it all. That, and I didn't have the time. I've  changed my place of occupation from the MFM 92.6 Breakfast Show in Stellenbosch to the Lunch Show on 2oceansvibe Radio in Cape Town.  

I've also been uprooted from my place of living for the last 3 years and now live in a half-way house of sorts until I move at the end of the month to Observatory. I spent the last 3 years living in Big Pink with some of the best people alive on this planet - it started out with myself, Beer, Le-Roi, Bison, Porra and Basson, and since then we've had a whole bunch of gypsies in and out of the house... Maggie, Fred, Gerko and Mari have all graced Big Pink and there have been many a random drifter/band for a night or 2, including Christmas '08 and '09 that I spent with Tidal Waves eating their specialties and consuming bags of the good stuff. 

And my room! Gawsh! My garage room was where it all happened... the amount of feet that passed through there, the amount of conversations until the early hours, the amount of bongs keeshed, the amount of music listened to, the amount of ideas dreamt and failures dealt with, the lovers and the friends and memories and the drawings on the floor carpet... That place was home for me, through and through. We were the best lives of our days...

But that's in the past and we're only moving forward... As soon as I am settled again (being displaced for months on end is awful, my belongings are in 3 different places and it blows) I will continue giving you, my beloved and treasured reader, everything and more that you need in life. That's right. And more...

Oh yes, if you are one of those people who works at a computer for most of their day, please, as Robbie Williams once sang, let me entertain you. Direct your browser to www.2oceansviberadio.com (via your browser or smart phone) and enjoy the wide arrange of music, interviews and competitions on the radio show that I host on 2OVfm.

Oh yes, I strongly recommend you follow me on Twitter. This is where I will share most links to items of interest instead of a blog post. It's micro-blogging, boet, join the party.

Let There Be Sound

What's going on with me?

Posting videos of babies?

Yes, it's happening. At least it's not cats.

Well, not entirely true. I may have recently enjoyed a spate of dramatic cats.

But get this. Fucking beaut dude. See how I swore and used 'dude' to lessen how soft I appear right now? Right on. 

Fucking beautiful bro.

PS: Click here to view my favourite 10 albums of 2010

Avontoer 5 - Viral Campaign

The end of the year brings with it the same as every year - drunk family, indulgent eating, punch ups and pistol whippings. Right? 

That happens in your famdamily too, right? 

RIGHT?!

Well if it doesn't, sorry for you, cos things must get boring. If your family doesn't put the fun in dysfunctional then sod off. 

But if that does ring a bell, run away from all the dramarama and jump aboard the Avontoer, now in its fifth year, and looking strong.

I have been on 2 Avontoere thus far, and let me just tell you... coast to coast, music, beach and sun - ultimo summer vibe.

The team behind Avontoer, DPK, have put together a couple of shorts for your delight, watch them below. Something tells me you'll enjoy them just that much more if you've had a run in with the Avontoer at some point in your life...

PS: Porra - if your career doesn't pan out how you plan, please go into acting? That was OUTSTANDING! :)

Pinky & The Brain Tongue Twister

Pinky and The Brain was a firm favourite of mine growing up. Even my moms dug it and joined me on the sofa when it aired.

I feel sorry for the kids of today. We had it good for viewing material. But I guess that's what every generation says.

Nonetheless, enjoy this...

Oh yes, remember you can download the podcast to my show on 2OVfm daily here.

"that's a beauty"

if there is anything i'd like to share after such a long stretch of not posting, it would be all encompassed in this.

the laughing heart


your life is your life
don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the watch.
there are ways out.
there is a light somewhere.
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods will offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can’t beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvelous
the gods wait to delight
in you.

@Charles Bukowski


oh - and you can browse some pictures from behind the scenes as the industry cats call it, off the music video i directed for New Holland's new single 'Transkei' - click here


also, for your listening pleasure, here are the podcasts from my show on 2oceansvibe Radio - click here if you like good music


kthxbye

ROUND-UP: Die Antwoord vs. Sean Metelerkamp

 Yo-Landi
this is a picture that my sister took
now its all over the interwebs
and it's her birthday today
happy birthday Squash :)

I know, right? This shit only happened like, yesterday, and already I'm claiming the 'round-up'. That's the way it is these days - in internet years (like dog years, only times a lot more) things become old and outdated within a matter of days. Sometimes even hours.

So, in case you've missed it, here are some pages you should browse...

Our guys over at WAA dropped the story on Thursday morning (here) that Die Antwoord kakked Sean out on FB, then soon followed with a rebuttle from Metelerkamp and his representatives (here) which was about the legalities and then today (here) Ninja replied to that with a letter that seems honest, written from at least a layer or 2 beneath the image/persona.




There is also this blog with the tagline "a re-deployed blog with views on Azania" - click here to read the in-depth piece.

The LA Times also interview Die Antwoord and Metelerkamp (seperately) and that is shared here.

Let's hope things are smoothed out nicely. At the end of the day, both Sean and Die Antwoord have benefitted from their collaboration together. Share a tjalla and zamalek and  it will be chilled.

PS: This is also interesting - click here.
PPS: As you can see, nothing is new.

WATCH: Kanye West - Runanay (Full Film)

Kanye West can pull some real dick vibes (but then again we all do - he's just in the spotlight) but then he can come pull a fast one and redeem himself. Well, in my books at least.

Kanyeezy has used 9 of his songs in a 34min film that depicts Kanye's character falling in love with a half-human half-phoenix character.

The film, much like the video for 'Power', portrays many symbolic references which seems to have created a bit of debate on the interwebs. Google at will.

Click here to watch the film

WATCH: Fokofpolisiekar Van Pretoria (Pt. II)

I dropped the first pearl on you a couple of months back and if you haven't yet had a laugh, then click here to catch up on some great local satire.

When you're done, watch the second installment below - class. You may even see a few of the characters from the Cape version of Fokofpolisiekar.

2010 - 2011 Kirstenbosch Summer Concerts Line-Up

nothing wrong with that

I had a ball of a time at some of the shows from earlier this year, with Goldfish, Ashtray Electric & Pretty Blue Guns and aKING putting on shows of the highest calibre.

I'm very much excited to catch kidofdoom in February 2011 - yowza!

21 Nov – 17:30     Just Jinjer    
28 Nov – 17:30     TKZee with Khuli Chana
05 Dec – 17:30     Mango Groove
12 Dec – 17:30     Freshlyground
26 Dec – 17:30     Civil Twilight
02 Jan – 17:30     Prime Circle
09 Jan – 17:30     The Parlotones
16 Jan – 17:30     Jack Parow & Francois van Coke
23 Jan – 17:30     Farryl Purkiss, Dan Patlansky, Inge Beckman
30 Jan – 17:30     Lira
06 Feb – 17:30     Isochronus and Kidofdoom
13 Feb – 17:30     Zebra & Giraffe
20 Feb – 17:30     Jesse Clegg    
27 Feb – 17:30     Loyiso and Chad Saaiman
06 Mar – 17:30     Goldfish
13 Mar – 17:30     Jamali
20 Mar – 17:30     RJ Benjamin
27 Mar – 17:30     The Cape Philharmonic Orchestra
03 Apr – 17:30     aKING

Click here to book tickets.

WATCH: 2011 TED Prize Winner - JR

No matter your taste in anything from music to how many sugars you have in your tea, you HAVE to watch this video. Please.

I'm not saying anything else. Just please enjoy and be wildly inspired to do, to create anything, to take action, to make pretty.

Click here to see what a pioneer, dreamer and all-round inspirational guy like JR does.

WATCH: Powerthirst!

Thursday are normally the bleakest of all days of the week.

So let's start it off with a good ol' lag shall we? Enjoy this hilarious video, from 2007 - eons ago in internet-years.

PS: Oh yes, Pretty Blue Guns are having a jamski (premiering some new songs) at Bohemia tonight. If you can't join the fun, be sure to listen to 5fm tonight between 9 - 10pm when the Guns and New Holland will perform an acoustic set on-air on a live broadcast from Stellenbosch.

WATCH: 2oceansvibe Sunset (Double Rainbow Spoof)

So surely you're aware of Yosemite Bear?

Double Rainbow?

No? Jeez, bru. Keep up with the rest of the world and watch this before moving on...

...

Done?

Ja, something quite incredible, I know. For a while there you wanted to BE Yosemite Bear.

Now over to Mark from pharside.co.uk, who has been "tormented" by Seth's sunset Tweets decided to spoof ol' Yosemite Bear's video...

Enjoy.

LISTEN: Bittereinde - A Tale of Three Cities

Bittereinde
"dit klink soos rap maar dit voel soos afrikaans"

Told you the hip hop won't stop.

This new venture from producer and drummer Peach van Pletzen sees him get white-boy ghetto alongside Jaco van der Merwe and local creative director Louis Minnaar.

This song, featuring Jack Parow and Tumi Molekane, is exactly what the title suggests. I hope you understand Afrikaans to appreciate the full value of the verses.

As an aside - it's quite interesting to see what 3 guys in a similar age-group from different parts (012, 011, 021) of the country choose to rap about.