Saint Dragon at the Roxy

Caught Saint Dragon at the Roxy in Melville last night. I have been friends with the core members (the brothers Cunha) Justin and Paul for many years so this might be a bit biased. Saint Dragon are a pop-punk, college rock/geek rock band who hail from Springs on the East Rand of Johannesburg. They sound similar to bands like Weezer and Jimmy Eat World. The band has been going for many years but has recently found itself in limbo with the departure of two members. They have since reformed with a new line-up. Last night the band introduced two new members (on drums and rhythm guitar). The set was not bad, considering the recent introduction of the new recruits. They performed mostly original material but included two covers – Good Charlotte’s Girls and Boys and Blink 182’s Dammit. Unfortunately, the sound let the band down, as is what often happens at Roxy’s. But I believe once the band has sorted out their new ‘teething’ problems they will once again be a force to reckon with.

Check out Saint Dragon’s site. I recommend you download one or two of their tracks (especially Nintendo and Hello Goodbye and the Nintendo video – it’s classic). These guys have had some succes on the Powerzone MP3 download charts (you can download their tracks here too).

Saint Dragon were followed by a cover band called Ball Sack, and I have to say it takes quite a ball sack to open up with The Darkness’s I believe in a Thing Called Love. The rest of their set was as dubious as their name suggests.

Harris Tweed high fashion

Originally published in the Saturday Star, 7 October 2006
Harris Tweed
The Younger
There is a track on this album, called Ode to confusion, that must be one of the most pleasant and original ditties I’ve heard in ages. It is such a clever composition that I venture to say it may even be worth buying this album purely for this track. I guarantee you’ll love it. This song really does stand out, but the rest of the album is also worthy of praise. Joburg based chief Harris Tweed song writer and vocalist Cherilyn Macneil, along with Darryl Torr, has presented an enjoyable, soulful and heartfelt album. Harris Tweed covers a wide variety of styles from thoughtful pop to more sincere ivory tinkering ballads. Macneil’s voice is excellent and original providing an agreeable variation from the many South African female vocalists annoyingly attempting to emulate Karma of Henry Ate. The production is of international quality, and should hopefully earn this local songbird some international recognition.

Limp effort from Morningwood

Originally published in the Saturday Star, 7 October 2006
Morningwood
Morningwood
Uh-oh, we’re in trouble – this is Shampoo reincarnate. Remember Shampoo? The painfully produced, made-for-a-target-market Brit-pop girl duo from about 10 years ago? No? Well, you should, because those kinds of mistakes should never be repeated. Yet they are. Here we have the strikingly similar and dubiously titled Morningwood. This band is packaged as a New York rock outfit with sex appeal, courtesy of 23 year old singer Chantal Claret. Claret is admittedly quite sassy, and flaunts her ‘talents’ by apparently stripping during live performances. I suppose it’s the only way to get audiences to attend her shows, because nobody in their right mind would actually pay to listen to her music. Morningwood resort to cheap tricks such as blatantly ripping off Nirvana and Pixies bass riffs, then raunchily spelling out words, cheer leader style, in their choruses. This is a limp effort.

Velve only warming up

Originally published in the Saturday Star, 30 September 2006
Velve
Selling Skin
For South African nu-metal / rock fans life is about to get a lot more interesting. Cape based band Velve has released their debut album, and it’s wicked, in every sense of the word. This release is of a high standard and it surpasses many rock releases issued this year, including those by international artists. The song-writing is strong and original. The compositions are complex, with the musicianship capably handling the intricacies, from quieter tracks, to more brutal ones. A great deal of attention has been concentrated on perfecting a pro-guitar sound, and this is backed up by some excellent drumming. The vocals are good. I really enjoyed the tracks Burned, Overpass (which should easily get radio play) and Bleed. The presentation of this album is also world class. For a debut album to eschew such maturity and scope is a sign that this band has what it takes to go far.

Clap Your Hands Say nay

Originally published in the Saturday Star, 30 September 2006
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
This band is genuinely alternative indie-rock. If you enjoy bands like the Arcade Fire and Pavement then this will probably appeal to you. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s debut album is original, often not following clichéd verse/chorus structures. The production is lo-fi, and unpolished, just the way indie fans like it. This band has been raved about by the alternative press, but if alternative culture is not for you, steer clear of this album. Vocalist Alec Ounsworth has the kind of voice that could send shivers down your spine, in a nails-across-a-chalkboard sort of way. His tenor is similar to that of the front-men of the Violent Femmes and The Pixies, yet he has taken the high pitched, whiny, nasal yelp to the extreme, which, should you have sensitive ears, will almost certainly put you off. The album is good, but only for fans of the genre.

Interesting rock chronicle

Originally published in the Saturday Star, 16 September 2006
Various Artists
Teen Spirit 3
This is an interesting compilation because it covers such a wide variety of rock’s sub-genres. There are punk-pop bands, grunge bands, nu-metal bands, Brit-pop bands, industrial bands and rock ’n roll bands all thrown into this double disk release. Among others, Nickelback, Limp Bizkit, Live, Coldplay, Blink 182, Stereophonics, Weezer, The Bravery and The Verve all feature providing an interesting cross-section of the different nuances of rock music. The selections highlight good songs by bands who are accomplished within their niches. Furthermore, the series includes music from different eras, going back about 12 years, noting how rock has evolved. At a party Teen Spirit 3 should cater to most people’s tastes. There are some well known dancefloor stompers included like Marilyn Manson’s Sweet Dreams and Bloodhound Gang’s Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo, and there are a few lesser known gems like End of Fashion’s O Yeah just to keep things exciting.

Yorke sans Radiohead

Originally published in the Saturday Star, 16 September 2006
Thom Yorke
The Eraser
Thom Yorke’s debut solo album continues in very much the same vein perpetrated by Radiohead’s Kid A. Gone are the days of rocking out to The Bends or OK Computer. This album is made up of twitchy electronica and laptop beats. It differs from the rest of Radiohead’s work in that where one would expect the band to take the songs to a climax, Yorke prefers to let his compositions play out across a horizontal plain. The atmosphere is tense, and the music stark. This allows much more focus on Yorke’s vocal delivery and lyrical content. Yorke is in the same mindset as on Paraniod Android, but instead of focussing his paranoia on society at large, he rather targets an individual, perhaps a failed romance. The Eraser is a good release and it’s interesting to note what Yorke would get up to sans Radiohead, but his magnum opus it is not.

The Hellphones are wicked

Originally published in the Saturday Star, 9 September 2006
The Hellphones
This Is How
This is how it’s done. In just over a year, The Hellphones’ rise to fame has been meteoric. This East Rand based quintet exploded onto the scene in 2005 winning a local battle-of-the-bands competition with their brand of high-energy / maximum-decibel performances. In very much the same vein as their live act, this album goes ballistic on your eardrums unleashing a hellishly high-quality rawk ’n roll. In musical style, the band heavily reference The Beatles, yet similar to The Hives, inject a solid dose of adrenalin straight to the aorta. Vocalist Tenn Elliot has to be commended for a fantastically raucous vocal performance. Though in the first listen one might be overpowered by the sheer force of The Hellphones’, the subtlety of their musical genius exposes itself over time. The compositions are excellent, the guitar licks spot on, and the backing vocals pure brilliance. Listen to The Hellphones, they’re wicked.

Chaplin strikes a wrong chord

Originally published in the Saturday Star, 2 September 2006
Blondie Chaplin
Between Us
Blondie Chaplin is a Durbanite who has had much success performing with various Rock ’n Roll Hall of Fame artists. He first gained international notoriety through a stint with the Beach Boys as a singer / guitarist. Since then he has performed with the likes of, among others, The Band and Bonnie Raitt. Chaplin is currently touring with The Rolling Stones as a backing vocalist and occasional guitarist. Though his CV may be prolific this solo effort fails to live up to Chaplin’s stature. There are, however, some very nice songs on Between Us. Hurricane, an acoustic up-beat folksy number, and Mother Smother, an acoustic ballad, are two highlights, but the majority of the melodies tend to all sound too similar. Chaplin performs with sincerity, yet I don’t think his chord changes are quite in all the right places. It is not an unpleasant album, yet not one that I would rush out to buy.

I wanna be an Arckey

Originally published in the Saturday Star, 26 August 2006
Arctic Monkeys
Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
Thanks to media hype, and the release of many of their demos over the Internet, the Arctic Monkeys were the biggest band in the UK before this, their debut album, was even released. A cocky arrogance saw the band giving their songs away for free and snubbing record labels. This was a brave move from a bunch of teens from Sheffield, England, who were not really offering anything new to the post-punk revival, and who tightly niche their lyrics around their British lives. With the release of this album, however, they have proved they have enough clout to live up to the hype. The music is performed with much energy and enthusiasm, which shows that the band is having fun, and which subsequently rubs off on the listener. The lyrics are smart, and belie the band’s youth. There is something exciting about this band that sees past all of their tomfoolery, and so should you.