Category Archives: Music

Music is the food that feeds our soul. Here I discuss thoughts, ideas and virtually anything about music, performance and listening.

Musicians know how to promote

Posted on with No Comments

When making observations, I make a point of looking at and learning from both positive and negative observations… taking the lessons and learning from them. I also quite enjoy relating one industry to another, taking a lesson or observation from a certain industry and applying it to another. Today’s topic is around promotion, pushing your brand and creating public awareness around what you’re trying to achieve. Much of this, I’ve observed and learned through the music industry.

In the music industry, there are many layers. The layer I’ll be focussing on here is that of the independent artists. The guys who run their own show and manage themselves and everything that goes along with being in a band or performing as a solo artist.

Continue reading →

South African bands and why they rock

Posted on with No Comments

I love South African music. There’s something unique about the South African music industry, the culture behind the bands and the unique dedication and passion with which musicians and industry folks go about things. I’ve been listening to some really excellent South African bands lately and the other way, while in the car, it occurred to me that the band I was listening to released the album almost 6 years ago. Despite having released subsequent albums and having grown astoundingly as a band, the album I had on still sounded amazing. This notion lead me to the topic of this blog post- bands I’ll most likely still be listening to in 10 years time and why.

A few months ago, I posed the question of “is it the bands or the musicians?“- this question repeats itself here. It is said that a song, when played in a particular context, can trigger memories and feelings from a point in your history. Below is a list of several South African bands, what they do and what they mean to me. These are just some of the bands that have fueled my love for South African music. If you haven’t heard of several of them, I recommend you try and check them out (well, those that are still around). Let’s kick things off, shall we? In no particular order… Continue reading →

Does pop music have a “sell by” date?

Posted on with No Comments

Pop music, generally accepted as music that is geared towards being popular with a mass market, flows consistently like a running river. New artists arrive on the scene at a steady pace, and existing artists tend to slide to the other end of the conveyer belt into a “what are they up to since their career ‘ended’?” kind of section.

There are, however, artists that seem to stick around longer than the average.
Continue reading →

5+ (more) South African bands you may (or may not) have heard

Posted on with 1 Comment

Following on from my first list, I’ve continued by compiling a list of a few more awesome South African bands, past and present.

We have so many amazingly talented bands and musicians in South Africa, it’s not easy to keep this list short. Here are a few South African bands that I’ve enjoyed listening to.

Rambling Bones

This acoustic project, staring Jay Bones (front man of Jo’burg ska/punk legends, Fuzigish) and Kustom Kev on congas, percussion and glokenspiel, these layed back tunes are perfect for a fun evening out or a relaxed evening at home by the fire. Elements of Bones’ ska/punk roots are audible in several tracks.

Check out Rambling Bones at: http://www.ramblingbones.com

Continue reading →

It’s never too late to pick up a musical instrument

Posted on with 2 Comments

It really never is too late.

I’ve heard the following from so many people; “I can’t play guitar” or “I’m not musical enough” or “Piano just seems too… too difficult”. The above are all incorrect.

Playing a musical instrument, the way I see it, requires the 4 P’s: Patience, Persistance, Practice and Passion. These four elements should point one in the right direction for learning to play a musical instrument.  Let me explain.
Continue reading →

Is it the band or the musicians?

Posted on with 3 Comments

I got to thinking the other day about bands and musicians, particularly in the South African music industry. Locally, it’s quite common for musicians to play in more than one band, usually varying in genre. Over the last few years, I’ve found that with certain musicians, whatever band they perform in, I enjoy the music. Whether it’s the vocal, the songwriting or the playing style of the musician, there’s usually that “X-factor” somewhere.

This brings me to the question; “is it the band or the musicians?”

</end_random_thought>

… but which guitar?

Posted on with 4 Comments

My first electric guitar: a classic Washburn BT-3, black with a white scratchplate. It resembles the Fender Stratocaster shape, with a more rounded body and 3 pegs on either side of the headstock, instead of Fender’s single line of 6 (this is a blog post all on it’s own… how does tuning one string and simultaniously detuning the next a good thing?). This guitar feels amazing, plays beautifully and has been a great companion to me over the last just over a decade or so. This brings me to the topic of this post: the search for a second guitar. Which guitar to choose?

It’s interesting how, over time, one becomes very comfortable with one’s guitar… so much so that I’m tempted to look in the same range for a second guitar, as I love the Washburn. Floor salesmen usually ask what style you will be playing on the guitar… but what if you play a variety of different styles?

Continue reading →