Nokia 5530 XpressMusic Review.

2009 was the year of broken Blackberries, exploding iPhones and as always, impregnable Nokia’s. Just like any other year. Except, I had the 5530 XpressMusic phone to review until 2010; that and testing out the then recently launched Nokia Music Store – now the Ovi Music Store.  I had just reviewed the 5800 XpressMusic and while both phones are similar in looks, the 5530 is a lightweight albeit study phone that can withstand all that was thrown at it. Almost literally.

It’s a sleek looking phone with a flawless display – unless in the direct sunlight.  The phone works with both a stylus and touch typing which for is the best of both, making it extremely versatile for any user. Think alphanumeric keypad and a QWERTY keyboard. Oh and it boasts handwriting recognition, something which was rather fun to use.

The battery life is, as per usual, nothing short of phenomenal. The 4GB memory card is a treat, catering for all of your music needs. Think 12,000 of your favourite music tracks or loads of videos and photos stored away. The 27 hours of music playback isn’t too bad either, it’s great in fact and handy for long trips as I found out.

As for the Ovi Music Store,  Ovi Music Unlimited is a music lover’s heaven..  Over 5 million tracks. For free download. I was like a kid in candy store. For an entire year. One simply has to try it to understand how amazing it is. The DRM is a niggling issue but has been removed on the tracks you buy.

As for the useful little features, on the home screen, you can display you 20 top contacts with their thumbnail image and conversation history – which was rather handy for all speedy conversations via sms. The built-in Wireless LAN was fantastic and kept me connected everywhere I went.  The web browser is great but I’m an Opera Mini fan so I switched to it after just a few weeks.

I tried my best to find fault with the phone and the only puzzling feature I could find with the phone was the keylock slider switch on the side, which rattled constantly. Other than that, it served every possible purpose in the usual impeccable Nokia fashion. The Nokia 5530 Xpress Music was there through everything, the good, the bad and the even better times.

It’s not just a phone. It is a lifestyle.

MK Award Nominees. 2011.

Thirteen MK Awards categories and 61 nominees were announced live on Studio1 on MK last night for the 2011 Mk Awards. 61 very worthy nominees. Oh and pencil this in, the 2011 MK Awards will be hosted at the CTICC in Cape Town on 26 February 2011.

The nominees are:

1) Best Video
Crash Car Burn for Under a falling sky
Die Antwoord for Enter the Ninja
Jack Parow feat Francois van Coke for Dans dans dans
Mr. X feat Die Heuwels Fantasties for Hyg Duiwel
The Parlotones for Stars fall down
Zebra & Giraffe for The inside

This is terrible category. Why? Because I want Z&G, Die Heuwels, Jack Parow and Die Antwoord to win. Sigh.

2) Best Group
Crash Car Burn for Twisted
Locnville for 6 Second poison
Die Heuwels Fantasties for Doodgewone aand
Zebra & Giraffe for The inside
Van Coke Kartel for Voor ons stof word

Here we go again. Van Coke, Die Heuwels and Z&G all have my vote.

3) Best Solo
Bobby van Jaarsveld for Net for jou
Farryl Purkiss for Kissing devils on the cheek
Jack Parow for Cooler as ekke
Vaughan Gardiner for For jou
Jax Panik feat HC for Get up (if you’re hot)

If Bobby van Jaarsveld wins this South African music is doomed. Just putting it out there. Jack Parow should get it because Jax feat HC isn’t really a solo now is it?

4) Best SFX/Animation
Hikatori for Johnson hates me
Hog Hoggidy Hog for Sherry Anne
Mr. X feat Die Heuwels Fantasties for Hyg duiwel
The Parlotones for Stars fall down
Zebra & Giraffe for The inside

Finally! A category where is there only one strong contender and I’m not torn to pieces.  Die Heuwels should take it. Amazing music video!

5) Best Newcomer
Die Tuindwergies for Kopskudkinders
Wrestlerish for Oliver Tambourine
Alleen na Desember for 3hoekige 4kant
Dance, you’re on fire for Blockade
The Pixie Bennet band for Edge of the line

Now here’s a tough one. It’s between Wrestlerish and Dance You’re On Fire. Love them both to bits.

6) Best Feat/Colab
Dans Republic (Foto na Dans en Flash Republic) for Afrikaans
Jack Parow feat Francois van Coke for Dans dans dans
Jax Panik feat HC for Get up (if you’re hot)
Louise Carver feat Zulu Boy for Warrior
Monique & Snotkop for Ek val vir jou

Why are Monique & Snotkop featured? Why? Anyway, lets get down to business. Jack Parow, Jax or Dans Republic all have done some pretty awesome collabs.

7) POP
Monique & Snotkop for Ek val vir jou
Snotkop for Dalk ‘n ses
Lianie May & Jay for Toe stop my hart
Bobby van Jaarsveld for Spieeltjie
Nicholis Louw for Nommer asseblief

8 ) Neon
Flash Republic for In the name of dance
Mr. X feat Die Heuwels Fantasties for Hyg duiwel
Jax Panik feat HC for Get up (if you’re hot)
Yesterdays Pupil for Mechanisms of the universe
Locnville for Love rush

Neon? Again I am horribly indecisive. All of them. That should be allowed.

9) Best International Hit
30 Seconds to Mars for Kings & Queens
B.O.B feat Haley Williams for Airplanes
Eminem feat Rihanna for Love the way you lie
Katy Perry feat Snoop Dogg for California gurls
Lady Gaga for Bad romance

The Gags! Hands down. But Riri and Em will probably take it.

10) Best Campus Hit
Wrestlerish for Oliver Tamborine nominated by KovsieFm
Jack Parow for Cooler as ekke nominated by MatieFm
Dans Dans Lisa for Sing in Skaamte nominated by PukFm
Straatligkinders for Hande wat dra nominated by TuksFm
Die Antwoord for Enter the Ninja nominated by UJFm

Jack Parow or Die Antwoord. That is all.

11) Best International Breakthrough Act
Prime Circle for Breathing
Locnville for There
Die Antwoord for Enter the Ninja
Jack Parow for Cooler as ekke
The Parlotones for Life’s design

Is this a joke? Obviously Die Antwoord will get it. Or they should get it based on this year.

12) PORNSTER
Lianie May for Honey honey
Nicholis Louw for Water jou mond
Will Mono for Seks for plesier
Snotkop for Parapapa
Ray Dylan for Stout

Will Mono. No contest.

13) Best Live Act
The public are invited to nominate any bands for the Best Live Act category by going to the MK website , MXit, the MK mobi-site or by SMSing ‘Live’ followed by the name of the band to 33693. SMSes cost R1.50 and no free SMSes apply.

The Best Live Act will win a Hyundai H-1 van while the public who vote for their favourite nominees stand the chance of winning a Hyundai i10.  Visit MK on Facebook.

You decide!

xx

yours in musical madness

Van Coke Kartel. Ondier Kom! video launch.

Midweek parties are always fun and when you bring Van Coke Kartel into the mix you know it’s going to be a good one.

For example take their video launch for ‘Ondier Kom!’ on the 7^th of December at the Grand Daddy Hotel. It’s an early one, a little sunset acoustic performance with a little bit Jager and a new music video thrown in for your enjoyment. Oh and did I mention there is no cover charge? It’s free. All you have to do is email your name and your guest’s names to  riana.wiechers@telkomsa.net. Could it be any simpler? I think not.

xx

yours in musical madness

Die Heuwels Fantasties. Noorderlig.

So Die Heuwels Fantasties released the video for one of my favourite songs, ‘Noorderlig’. Say thank you to the animators and illustrators at AM I Collective who worked on this baby for 8 months straight. So yes, it’s almost like a real baby. Except, it’s not.

Meet Earth. Only a million years in the future with global warming having taken effect. It’s all rather Daft Punk esque. Throughout there are references from their previous videos, with the station, the solitary car, the boat and the broody mountain shots. Or so it feels. I also love the little touches like the Casio watch and the Raybans constantly found on Pierre. Oh and how could I forget the Francois van Coke, Wynand Myburgh, Laudo Liebenberg and Jack Parow cameos?

It’s a phenomenal video and if it isn’t exciting enough, there is a graphic novel and feature film in the works. Amazing. I know.

xx

yours in musical madness

Kings Of Leon tour. South Africa. 2011.

So there have been rumours of a decidedly exciting nature going around for the past few weeks. You know the sort, Kings Of Leon and a South African tour. Today those rumours were proven true.

Yes, you read that correctly. The Nashville natives will be touring here in 2011. Dates and other rather important details will be announced tomorrow. For now, you South African folk can be excited at this news.

I might just do a little jig. A happy dance if you will. I’ve been waiting a good few years for this one and I’m all too eager for it! Are you?

Here’s a little update for you lovelies. The concerts will take place on the 24th of March at the Cape Town Stadium and on the 27th of March at the FNB stadium.  Ticket prices for Kings of Leon (presented by Nokia and 5FM) are now: Golden Circle R590. General Field Standing  R390. Seated from R215. Oh and tickets go on sale from 9am on Saturday through Computicket.

Time for another update. The KOL tour has been postponed until November – read more here.

xx
yours in musical madness

Double Whammy. Robots With Rayguns Style.

It’s about time I served you a double whammy of some phenomenal remixes. For your downloading pleasure of course. This tasty treat is a double dose of Robots With Rayguns mixed in with two rather formidable acts.

Robots With Rayguns remixed The Dirty Disco’s ‘Storyteller’. My favourite American and my favourite Brits. What a combo. Lucas took The Dirty Disco’s eccentric style and added his signature 80’s feel to it. It’s simply magical.

Then we have another remix – however one with a completely different sort of artist than heard before. Nicki Minaj. I tentatively  listened to “Massive Attack’ after listening to it a few times and I can safely  say it is possibly the worst song I’ve heard in my entire life.  This further proves Lucas’s genius. He’s taken a song that’s hard to swallow and hardly bearable and turned it into a gem. I adore it!

Both remixes are wholly different yet show off Lucas’s range brilliantly. What do you think?

xx
yours in musical madness

Synergy. Ginger Flash Mob.

Are you a Ginger – a purebred and pedigree one of course?  Do you like one of the biggest festivals in South Africa – Synergy? Taking place at the Boschendal estate in the Franschhoek winelands from November 26 to 28, featuring the likes of Jax Panik, Goldfish, Die Heuwels Fantasties, aKing and much more! Do you want to be a part of a Ginger Flash Mob? And mostly importantly do you want free tickets to the festival?

If you answered yes to any of these questions you might want to email your photo and contact details to heartgingers@gmail.com they’ll give you a ticket, transport there and back, as well as food and drinks.

There aren’t many times when I’d like to be a Ginger but this is one of them!

xx

yours in musical madness

Phfat. The Big Five.

This looks like fun right? A bunch of crazy animal suits and few Blue Steel poses later, I give you the video for Phfat’s new video ‘The Big Five’, which was directed and produced by Rio Allen. It’s crazy and catchy and very cool, much like Phfat themselves in fact.

What do you think of it? Awesome? Or not so awesome?

xx
yours in musical madness