Say hello to Kev Nish, Prohgress, J-Splif, and DJ Virman or Far East Movement as they are known. This foursome take electro hip hop to another level. They’ve supported the likes of Robyn and Kelis and have opened for Lady Gaga on the Japanese leg of The Monster Ball Tour. Not too shabby for the Los Angeles natives.
They recently released their new album Free Wired and as a treat their single “Don’t Look Now – feat. Keri Hilson is free on MySpace. It’s a guaranteed hit and it looks as if their new album is set to propel Far East Movement into new territory. Enjoy it!
Alisa Apps is one brave girl. Why you ask? This singer – who has yet to release an album – has challenged Lady Gaga to a$1 million televised sing off to take place at either Madison Square Garden in New York or London’s O2 Arena. Clearly she’s trying for her 15 minutes of fame and it wouldn’t be such a bad idea, if Gaga a) couldn’t sing or b) if she decided to take her up on the challenge. Personally I think it’d be a brilliant way for Gaga to silence her critics and for what’s-her-name to stop all her speculation.
So Rocking The Daisies just wiped out about half my weekend in the only way it could, that of total unadulterated awesomeness packaged neatly into Saturday and some of Sunday – but more on that will be revealed in the next few days on the Nokia Ringaz Blog. In the meantime never fear, the weekend’s craziness will continue at Assembly on Saturday with an afterparty that is sure to be in keeping with this weekend festivities.
Expect some new up-and-coming bands including Jakkals, Holiday Murray and more, as well a host of DJ’s like Funafuji and Haasbroek to keep you rocking into the early hours of the morning.
The plus side for all who went to Rocking The Daisies? It’s free for the first 750 of you, so keep the Rocking the Daisies 2010 Festival t-shirts and those wristbands of yours on hand – no cellotape necessary. For the rest of you folks it’s only R30 entry which is cheap as chips and leaves you with no excuse not to go.
Lucas Patrick Smith, aka Robots With Rayguns has done it again. Or rather has stuck to what he’s always done; that is to make spectacular, well crafted remixes . This time he’s taken Rihanna’s ‘Only Girl’ and has added a dollop of 80’s goodness and mixed it in with his usual charm, resulting in a song which is undoubtedly better than the original. As per usual you can download the remix for free here. It’s fantastic, I know.
The Plastics burst onto the scene in 2007 with their debut EP ‘The Plastics’ and ‘KissThe Plastics’followed the next year. Flash forward to 2010, the year the changed it all. Enter their debut album, Shark.
The album’s packing is the first indication of a new and inspired band. Eye catching and intriguing it immediately draws you and shows off a rather interesting side to the band.
They worked with renowned producer Gordon Raphael – who is best known for his work with The Strokes – and who lent a polished feel to their album. ‘Shark’ introduces listeners a more mature and well crafted sound since the earlier days. Think indie rock with a showy feel. Think hipster meets mass appeal. The band has clearly grown comfortable and know what works for them, an infectious indie rock sound that is refreshing as it is engaging.
You’ll love ‘Shark’ for the retrospective feel and somewhat melancholy lyrics, all brought together by their quirky, fun and catchy sound.
Standout tracks: ‘Stereo Kids’, ‘Caves’, ‘By Hook or By Crook’ and ‘Those 3 Words’.
It’s not often I get excited over merchandise but Hannah Morrison’s designs for Joel Zimmerman – aka Deadmau5 – are just the kind that get to me. The hand-drawn illustrations are intricate and interesting but are also subtle and rather stylish.
Joel Zimmerman regularly wore Hannah’s first design and demand meant that a new range was quickly asked for. And Hannah delivered, with the new Chainmau5, Cheekymau5 and Spikeymau5 design. Look and sound good? I know. You can find the boutique range here.
I’ve always been a sucker for British rappers and N- Dubz is one such guilty pleasure. Meet Dappy, Tulisa and Fazer. Over the last four years, London born N-Dubz have instinctively tapped into the zeitgeist of youth. The band has had an unprecedented impact on modern British street culture. They are, in fact, nothing short of a phenomenon.
One million album sales later, this super group are back. Their new single ‘Best Behaviour’ has been called “a street-smart anthem…an anthem which once again resonates with the band’s army of devotees. Punchy pop hooks flow over electronic synths and gritty urban beats, securing ‘Best Behaviour’ as yet another modern pop giant that is sure to score the band one of their biggest hits to date.”
The N-Dubz takeover looks certain to continue, they have spent the last few months working in the USA with such musical greats as Jim Jonsin (Beyoncé, Lil Wayne, T.I) FreeSchool (Black Eyed Peas) and the Runners (Usher) and the band has signed a major US record deal with Mercury/Island Def Jam.
N-Dubz have definitely proven that nothing can hold them back, they are a band at the top of their game!
So Rocking The Daises is just around the corner, from the 8th until the 10th in fact. If you didn’t know about the drool worthy line up featuring the likes of Boo! Zebra and Giraffe, Springbok Nude Girls, Taxi Violence and more, with New Young Pony thrown in to the mix for good measure now you do. If you didn’t know that as always, the festival will be held in an environmentally and socially responsible manner and that Nokia have come on board, sponsoring the festival, showcasing their newly named Ovi Music Store now you do.
As an added environmental bonus you can recycle your cellphones and their accessories at Rocking The Daisies. Yes, you read that correctly, you can recycle your cellphones at the Nokia collection points and for every 20 phones or accessories collected, Nokia will plant a tree. Now if that doesn’t appeal to the hippy /global warming fighter in you I don’t know what will.
It’s all just too exciting! If all goes well I’ll hopefully be seeing you there.
Oh and if you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, get them here.
Musical Mover & Shaker! 