South African Music Magazine
Sarah Jane Mary Hills (bassist of beloved Nineties SA outfit Sunways)’s debut solo album weaves a singular, subtly entrancing musical biome. Pretense and production sophistry is eschewed in favour of poetic storytelling and elegantly sparse arrangements – the songs are essentially tracks of Hills’ ethereal vocals and starry, lullabye guitar patterns, sympathetically augmented by Warrick Read More »
Once in a long while an album is released that sounds like nothing yet imagined in the vast, shimmering worlds of music. Sandro Perri’s ‘Impossible Spaces’ is such an album. Consisting of seven sonic dream-walks, the album reimagines music’s grammatic possibilities, without ever sounding like an experiment. Its phrases, the sleight-of-hand of its musical syntax, Read More »
It’s hard not to fall in love with Lucy Kruger’s voice. There’s just something so genuine and heartfelt about her lyrics and Dolores O’Riordan-meets-Sinéad O’Connor crooning that makes you feel like Cut Those Strings is a one-way-trip straight into the deepest, darkest corners of Lucy’s soul. Whilst the album is diverse and features a host Read More »
The Dirty Skirts – Lost in the Fall [4/5] When lead vocalist, Jeremy de Tolly, was interviewed by Muse Magazine he intimated that fans would be in for a surprise when Lost In the Fall dropped. He wasn’t lying. As a first test I played this, their 3rd album, to several knowledgeable SA music fans Read More »
Red Hot Chili Peppers – I’m with You [3/5] In the time since their last album, Stadium Arcadium, the Chili Peppers’ maverick guitarist and song-smith, John Frusciante waved goodbye and was replaced by Josh Klinghoffer, while bassist, Flea, studied music theory. I’m With You is a mixed bag of competent but tired funk grooves occasionally Read More »
Lenny Kravitz – Black & White [2/5] On Black & White America, Kravitz explores race issues to the happy bubblegum disco-funk sounds of his childhood. While Kravitz (who wears his influences liberally on his sleeve) has always sounded very retro, he has never before immersed himself in the sounds of one era so singularly and Read More »
Arcade Fire – The Suburbs [4/5] My first encounter with Arcade Fire this is. I relegated them to the sonic cataract of so many cleverly/arb-named Alternative/Modern Rock outfits circa, well, the latter 90’s up till now. I’m glad to admit I’ve been superficial in my rejection of bands who seemed all hype, glossy cover and Read More »
The Rescu [3/5] I read somewhere that The Rescu are a stadium rock band; that this is indeed the sound they are going for. It’s a somewhat bold attempt considering the opportunity to play a ‘stadium rock’ gig will be few and far between in South Africa. I’ve also heard (or read, I can’t remember) Read More »
Terminatryx – Remyx v1.0 [4/5] This record has been three years in the making – a complete suite of remixes of the band’s acclaimed eponymous debut – an ambitious project for any South African band, especially so in such a niche scene as the one that Terminatryx occupies. They’ve done an impressive job of pulling Read More »
Laurie Levine – Six Winters: Upcoming Launches in Pretoria and Johannesburg Laurie Levine`s new album “Six Winters” (Rhythm Records) has been receiving rewarding reviews since its release in August 2011. Producer Dan Roberts, who worked with Laurie on her previous album as well, found a balance between a contemporary sound and Laurie`s love of folk Read More »
