New music: Jeremy Loops- Down South (Live)

Jeremy Loops opening for Xavier Rudd at Parklife Joburg.

It's been a wondrous year for Jeremy Loops so far. He opened for Australian musician Xavier Rudd in both Joburg and Cape Town, he nabbed the award for Best Solo Act at the MK Awards last Sunday and then, this week, he announced that he's off to tour the UK and the States in May. With every reason to be in a celebratory mood, Mr Loops decided to release his track, "Down South", for free. It was recorded live for Balcony TV in Joburg.

This one, he's going places alright.

Download "Down South" below.  



Watch "Down South" being played live at on Balcony TV.

 

What went down at the MK Awards

After watching the MK Awards from my not-so-comfy couch at home last year, I was mighty chuffed to get the chance to go this year's event which took place last night at the State Theatre in Pretoria. 

In case you missed it: the list of winners (and my two cents worth).

Bittereinder's Jaco van der Merwe and Straatligkinders frontman Bouwer Bosch hosted the awards, and their witty repartee was quite amusing to watch. Other presenters included last year's host, Jack Parow as well as Toya Delazey and Shane Durrant. I find the last one quite ironic, considering Desmond & The Tutus have been snubbed since their inception, but the audience burst out laughing each time Shane dryly read off the teleprompter, insuring that he quickly became not only a crowd favourite, but a Twitter favourite too.

Performances:

Bittereinder kicked things off with their performance of “Die Woud”, which featured Magdalene Minnaar’s chillingly ethereal vocals. Iso emerged from beneath the stage to perform a medley of sorts. It would simply be a crime not to mention the band’s meticulously styled hair in this here blog post, so there it is. Living up to the hype that has surrounded them, Afrikaans folk rock band, Spoegwolf, delivered a solid show. Tailor wowed everyone with another one of her intense performances while Van Coke Kartel once again proved why they are awards favourites. Jaco van der Merwe and Bouwer Bosch performed “Kanker”, a tribute to a friend who has just passed away from cancer. As winners of the Best Live Act category, Black Cat Bones ended things off, confirming that they are a live act to beat. Man, I’m so glad that these chaps have finally gotten the credit they deserve. 

Although I'm not entirely convinced of the merits of a viewer-voting system for an awards show, this year's MK Awards was well put together and heaps of fun. The Tomato watches we got as gifts were pretty rad too. 

Best Local Breakout Artists of 2012

Another list to add to your list of highly subjective year-end lists.

 

***

 

Jeremy Loops

 

Jeremy Loops at Park Acoustics                                 PHOTO: Christelle Duvenage

Why?
1. You can't help but feel genuinely happy when listening to Jeremy Loops and his magic loop pedal and guitar.

2. He's joined on stage by Jamie Faull and his saucy sax and Moteo Molecko spitting out powerful rhymes.

3. Mr Loops loves his fans, he really really does.

 

Where to find Jeremy Loops:
Twitter
Facebook
Soundcloud
 

 

Matthew Mole


Matthew Mole at Park Acoustics                                                                                             PHOTO: Christelle Duvenage







Why?
1) He wins Movember, hands down.
2. He's a tad goofy with his sometimes indecipherable sense of humour that comes through when he speaks to the audience.
3) You can see he really, really does love what he does.

Where to find Matthew Mole:
Twitter
Facebook
Soundcloud




Al Bairre

Al Bairre at Park Acoustics                                                                                                       PHOTO: Christelle Duvenage

Why?
1) They're cool kids without trying to be, and without provoking me to punch them in the stomach.
2) You can download their EP,When I Was Tall, for free over here. It's highly addictive and has been playing on repeat on my computer, in my car and most of all, in my head since I downloaded it a couple of weeks ago.
3) They have lyrics like: "All I ever wanted was to be imaginary/ I would hide under my bed with the monsters that were scary."

Where to find Al Bairre:
Twitter
Facebook
Soundcloud




The Dollfins

The Dollfins at Park Acoustics                                                                                                  PHOTO: Christelle Duvenage

Why?
1) They're one of the few female-fronted bands in South Africa that actually kick ass.
2) You can download their debut album for free over here.
3) They have nicknames like Fuck You, Bear Trap and Pussy Slap.
4) They're all ridiculously good looking.
4) They really don't give a flying anything about what you or anybody else thinks about them.

Where to find The Dollfins:
Twitter
Facebook
Soundcloud

Best. Lineup. Ever.

 Park Acoustics have outdone themselves with September's lineup. 

 Jeremy Loops, Ashtray Electric, Shortstraw, Beach Party and The Dollfins?

 It doesn't get much better than this.

Howling

Hello. Hi. This is a rad song. It's by Jeremy Loops and it's called Howling. Enjoy your Easter, ok? Bye.