For obvious reasons, this has been a Skunk Anansie week on the iPod. But much like it’s perfectly acceptable to add a bit of solo Morten Harket to your a-ha, it’s equally reasonable to slip a bit of solo Skin in amidst the Skunk Anansie.
Here’s Lost Without You from her debut album Fleshwounds, and as heartbreak songs go, it’s actually fairly positive:
Yep. She seems to have got over that one pretty quickly.
Sorry for the poor video quality. It looks like EMI were still using VHS back in 2003.
Having increased the average age of the general population at Hudson’s Burger joint (the Claremont one) last week, and then attended a 21st birthday party on the weekend where we – once again – upped the average age a bit, we will be heading out to the Cloof Wine Estate this weekend for Rocking the Daisies.
At first, we thought that we weren’t going to be the oldest ones there, but then there were licencing issues (or… something) and suddenly, no under 18s are allowed. While this may seem to be a plus point on the whole mean age thing, what it actually means are fewer parents going along, and they were generally the ones who were our age.
It’s not like I care though. I quite like the fact that I was enjoying the headline act while the rest of the audience were still in nappies. And I. Cannot. Wait.
Of course, the old stuff is the stuff that everyone knows: Weak, Hedonism, Lately, Brazen, but the new stuff is every bit as good, as I mentioned here. They’re not past it. Really. And as ever, it’s overtly in-your-face political:
But that voice. Goosebumps, every time.
Skunk Anansie provided much of the soundtrack to my 1990s. Trips down to Uni in London took about one and a half albums each way. And then I remember watching my wife-to-be fly out of the country while Secretly completed my emotional destruction.
And yet, I’ve never seen them live. This weekend will be a big bucket list moment for me and I’m going to enjoy every single minute of it.
Incidentally, there’s an RTD app for your smartphone, which looks pretty good. Loads of information and some really neat features, like a GPS to find your tent and car. Here’s the link to the Android version, or scan this puppy (it’s not actually a puppy, obviously):
I like this, for obvious reasons.
But then I can hit that high note too.
What a charming sentiment.
Perhaps not, but it is a wonderfully powerful song, from Glasvegas:
The Scottish four-piece’s latest album Later…When The TV Turns To Static came out this week and is on the list to download this evening.
EDIT: And what sorcery is this? Their cover of Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime (Korgis, Yazz, Baby D) [soundcloud]
Incoming from Chrizane, who – as part of the You Magazine team – helped us out with the Rabbits For Nic appeal last year. Chrizane is now with Litnet and they are running a competition with Sanlam and MTV called Sing ‘it.
Sanlam and LitNet have just launched the third Sing ‘it lyric-writing competition, which invites South Africans aged 18 years and older with a passion for songwriting to submit their lyrics in a bid to win R50 000! And on top of that, lyricists will get the opportunity to see their lyrics turned into a song and music video that will be launched exclusively on MTV.
And they’ve got some amazing local artists involved as well: the acclaimed Blackbyrd, acapella specialists The Soil – freshly back from the Edinburgh Fringe, South Africa’s “Prince of Rap” AKA and Potch’s Christian Rockers Staatligkinders.
Here’s the plan: you write some lyrics (entries close 30th September), each band/artist will choose their favourite lyric from the pool of submissions then compose and record a song from it.
Then, the most popular of those songs will win the lyricist R50,000, plus a chance to star in the video.
And why? Litnet editor Etienne van Heerden:
We want to bring out the best in South African writers and that is why we dedicate our time to promoting lyric writing as a legitimate art form.
Anything that assists with pushing people to be creative and promotes literacy is good by me. Chrizane even suggested that I should enter, but I think I should probably stick to science. Safety first, hey?
More details on Sing ‘it via their Facebook page (22,000 likes, ne?) or on singit.co.za.