Here's a little twist on what I usually put on this page.
Manuvah to Land is this chilled out group from lovely Durbs playing relaxing, reggae-ish tunes that have got me thinking life's good. I've just stumbled upon them, but I had to get them up here instantly, they're that cool. The members are: Jason Graham on vocals and guitar, Durran Trevisan - guitar, Mike Roscoe on bass guitar and vocals and Grant Vd Linde on drums. They're still on their way to the top, but having played at Splashy this year they're definitely on the up and up. To listen to some tunes go to their Facebook page or Blogspot.
Wrestlerish
Yes, another South African act that has managed to move and stick with me! Wrestlerish are a four piece band with members Werner Olckers, Jacques Du Plessis, Gavin Flaks David Grevler. Their lyrics are profound, their music light, optimistic accoustic, and I am in love with Werner's voice.
Their album, The Rude Mechanical, is perfect for the afternoon trips I make from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, why? Because this album combined with the late afternoon sky, breeze and view produces a sound that in that instant makes me think, "man life is beautiful and good." Be sure to listen to Orphans, Oliver Tambourine and Maybe I Could (my ultimate favourite).
You can also check out more about Wrestlerish on Myspace.
Wrestlerish - The Rude Mechanical launch tour
Date: 08 May
Where: East London
Venue: Buccaneers
Contact: 0824946407
Wrestlerish - The Rude Mechanical launch tour
Date: 14 May
Where: Pinetown
Venue: Vmac's Roudhouse
Contact: 031 7021793
Wrestlerish - The Rude Mechanical launch tour
Date: 25 May (with New Holland)
Where: Stellenbosch
Venue: Aandklas
Cover: R30
Contact: 073 643 1801
Wrestlerish - The Rude Mechanical launch tour
Date: 26 May (with Heldervue)
Where: Somerset West
Venue: The Nameless Pub
Wrestlerish - The Rude Mechanical launch tour
Date: 27 May (with The Plastics)
Where: Cape Town
Venue: Zula Bar
Contact: 021 4242 442 or 072 861 4575/
www.zulabar.co.za
Wrestlerish - The Rude Mechanical launch tour
Date: 29 May (with aKING)
Where: Cape Town
Venue: Mercury Live
Contact: (021) 465-2106
Marina and the Diamonds
Marina Lambrini Diamandis is 25 years old, a Greek-Welsh songwriter who can certainly belt out an awesome tune. She was born in Wales and has been involved in music since she was young. She made her first few songs using Apple's Garage Band application, then looked on Gumtree to find someone to produce the album for her. This is how Marina and the Diamonds became a reality, she was soon spotted by an agent and booked for tours. Her album, The Family Jewels was released earlier this year and below you can take a gander at her single, "I'm not a robot." This girl has definitely got talent and is joining the network of talented divas emerging from the UK at the moment, woman who can REALLY sing!
Jean Morrison
Note-Scape Music and Jean Morrison have been working extremely hard over the past year promoting Jean's debut EP entitled FAWE which was successfully launched in August 2008 at The Dockyard Theatre in Durban to a capacity crowd. This inevitably led Jean to grace the covers of various magazines and newspapers, as well as embarking on his first national tour with former Stealing Love Jones bassist ‘Steve Murray'
Unlike many artists, Jean Morrison sees the bigger picture and takes full responsibility for the success or failure of his promising songwriting career. He seems to have a clearly mapped out path for where he ultimately wants to be and will let nothing stand in his way. This burning desire also erupts from deep within his music like the scorching magma from a volcano, and gracefully solidifies into ‘neo-acoustic romanticized ballroom rock".
Jean has an inventive and remarkable sound both in the ingenious arrangement put together by legendary producer Dave Birch, as well as a vocal that delicately brings Jeff Buckley to mind. It is in this magical recipe of innovative flair which will surrender all senses of your being to the artistry of this fine musician. It's no wonder why he was invited to support the likes of Stealing Love Jones, Josie Field and Farryl Purkiss.
Kim Clements
I was blown away by this girl's voice! I was even more blown away by the fact that she's South African and lives right down the road in Kloof. A Londoner by birth, Kim grew up in South Africa; singing from an early age in choirs and performing solo at eisteddfods.
After graduating high school Kim devoted more time to writing and recorded her songs with top South African producer Nic Fairclough. She then set off to London where she continued to write and record. Accompanied by her guitar, and often with other musicians, she performed in pubs and clubs around west London. With a desire for change Kim next headed to Chicago, and performed on the same bill as the Plain White Ts at the Hard Rock Hotel during the Lollapalooza festival. Now casting aside her earlier folksy flavour she has adopted a more strenuous and driven sound. She has assembled a backing band, which gives her more freedom to express herself vocally and perform to her eclectic tastes.
Her melody and use of expression stuns me as they seem to have technique that far exceed her years. Go onto Myspace for more info on this girl and if you can, listen to Space in Here, and tell me if it doesn't move you.
The XX
The xx are a three-piece band from Wandsworth, south west London, England, formed in 2005. The group's debut album, xx, was met with critical acclaim, with a "universal acclaim" ranking on Metacritic. It also ranked well on "best of the year" lists with Rolling Stone placing it at #9. They were placed at number 6 in the 2009 NME The Future 50 list.
To listen to this band is a pleasure to my ears; they somehow manage to combine softly spoken lyrics with a hypnotic beat, speaking with mellow,sound experience in love while still managing to maintain an optimistic theme in their music. Here is a video of their song (and my favourite),Crystalised. It's a slow starter, but trust me, listen to the end and you will love it.
