GuerillaMusic

Fire-Flame...

2011-11-11T08:16:00.000+02:00

She's a snapshot of my inspiration, a laughter in the dark, a mystery to me, my honeybee. I love her I love her! She's my Woodstock Hippie, my lil' Phoenix. I couldn't be prouder of my Fire-Flame. =) A photographer, writer and make-up artist she's way ahead of her time and i'm constantly in awe. Love you Skomps.

This is her mind in music...

Lazing...

2011-11-02T08:23:00.000+02:00

Sometimes one needs to break away from the norm, to just chill or get a refreshed perspective on things. I'm feeling like that today. I feel like chilling at one of those decently dingy(don't know if there's such) local pubs in Mozambique, wearing just a light vest and some material around my waist over my glowing(from the humidity) body...just dancing. No stress, no pain...just joy. Here are my songs for the day. Enjoy.

Where did my childhoold go...

2011-10-25T16:21:00.000+02:00

I'm working my ass off right now, but in being so focussed on boring routine work there are thoughts flying through my head. I need to make earrings, miss my little sister, this song's so awesome(MGMT - Time to pretend), Can't wait to get home, I wonder what my parents are doing, should I call my dad, where's my niece what is she doing...

Then I get a silly song in my head...It loops and loops. What's this song that my mind is just so glued to? Danger...Can't say I know who sings it, but it's a song from Sesame Street. LOL!!!! Wait wait. Before you even think WTF, it's a really good song! Besides the fact that i'm a die hard 80s music fan, it's a song well put together. I then get worried about the kids now...What are they watching. Do they have catchy tunes to help them learn life lessons? What world is this that we're bringing OUR generations kids into...*sigh*

Then I sit back in think to myself...I had my childhood and a good one at that. Thanks Sesame...

#Love...Ramblings of the Heart

2011-10-13T08:54:00.002+02:00

A hellraiser in the time of war, a white flag surrendering to the inevitable, the first handshake with a glistening eye...syncopated heart beats, a heart-warming kiss, a blood-curdling scream, laughter and an ear nibbling gestures, simplicity in complexity or visa versa, my heart thrown in a meat grinder, can you see the pain in my eyes?

Growth or regression, truth or past stereotype, finger on his pulse, finger on her clit, tears that sear into the skin, jealousy or a misunderstanding, supression, sweaty dancing bodies in a dingy club in Havana, passionate arguments in a foreign language 'cause you can, "a self-inflicted prison", a stranger, sacrifice...compromise...Me?

In writing this, two songs keep looping and phasing in and out of each other.

24...

2011-09-21T07:49:00.001+02:00

"You're older than you once were but younger than you'll ever be".

*gasp*. This is a message I got from SANBS this morning and at first glance I thought to myself *in my aristocrat voice* "Well that's such an unfortunate thing to say". The more I read it over and over again, the more beautiful it became. Why? Because I know what i've been through and what i've overcome. I may not have much in materials, but i've gained knowledge over the years and best of all embraced wisdom. For me that's all enough.

It's funny. Today some people called, some didn't and had that been some years ago those who didn't call me would receive a lovely cold shoulder...but now i'm not even bothered. I live for more than to see the year pass, just so I can be flooded with calls and smses.

Like..I have this friend who doesn't believe in celebrating birthdays. It's something she's followed because of her religion since she was a child. Her not saying happy birthday didn't bother me one bit. There's so much more of her that I love than not. I'm so happy that she came when she did. I don't think I would've appreciated her as much as I do now.

Once you stop concentrating on things that don't matter, doors open. If you're too busy worrying about the fact that Mandz didn't call, then the whole world passes you by. I'm not saying that i'm totally ignorant of that day altogether, but...but I can save the streamers and balloons for another day.

With all that said, I'll always jam this song on my birthday no doubt! Made especially for me...and all the September 21st babies =)

ONE, TWO, ONE, TWO

2011-09-13T07:48:00.000+02:00

David Chislett is a writer, speaker, Music Consultant and a lot more. He's been in the South African Music Industry for the past two decades or so and like a lot of our Legends have gone through their own fair share of tarmac scrapes and 3rd degree burns that this Industry of ours has to offer. Luckily for him, he chose to get up and try again and that's why he IS who he is in the industry today.

Some months ago I got to meet this man at a workshop that was presented by him and M-Phazes at Moloko, Pretoria and my am I glad I went. There are so many intricacies in the Music industry as a whole already, but if you don't play your cards well here at home you will get swallowed right away!

ONE, TWO, ONE, TWO, David Chislett's current book which he's promoting, teaches us aspirant producers, singers, musicians, managers that there's an abundance of resources out there for us to not end up like our predecessors Mahlathini(of Mahlathini and the Mahotela Queens), Brenda Fassie to mention a couple. There's no way that you can be broke while information is made available to us. The book is a step-by-step guide and because it's conversational you don't get lost and bored thinking "Oh lord what's a term, i'll skip that" or "Oh I can't read through that Whoever vs Whoever". With that said it's advisable and vital that you back up reading this cool book, with formal Music Business training. You can NOT lose with knowledge.

He touches on everything from simple things we don't think about like Roles played by each musician in the band to Copyrights and so forth. The role of record labels is fast becoming null and void, so this book is perfect in giving you a kick-start to learning to DIY or go Indie.

I've posted a video from an interview he did on Etv's Sunrise Show, but there are many more videos like the King Pie Rockstar Rules. Check them out. You won't regret it!

Another year...No easier

2011-09-07T15:32:00.003+02:00

So I had this very very good friend... The brother that I never had. I only met him in my final two years of High school. I just didn't get him at first, but once we started talking we were so tight! The one thing(amongst many things) that connected us was our love for music. All music!!!! He was one of the very few people that understood what certain songs did to me and what I felt about certain Artists and genres and that's quite hard to come by. Well anyway it's his birthday and I thought I should just dedicate a song, to him, that both of us just couldn't live without!!! It's My my my by Armand van Helden.

Can't help but tear up whenever I listen to this song. It's the first time in 3 years after his death(which happened exactly a month from now) that I listen to this song. Wish me luck! Wow. Tearing up Just thinking of it.

http://soundcloud.com/pulze-artists/armand-van-helden-my-my-my

65 and Still counting...

2011-09-05T16:21:00.002+02:00

*singing* Happy brithday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday dear Farrokh Bulsara, Happy birthday to you!

Confused. It's Freddie Mercury's birthday today. Born on the spice island of Zanzibar, this man is/was yet another example next to Michael Jackson, Sophia Loren, Jack Black, Beyoncé, etc. of sheer Virgo Brilliance that this world is/has been blessed with. How cool are we all? Hahaha. Okay let me stop.

This man for me is just such a legend...and an underrated one at that. There's not a single gig or song that I can think of that was and is the epitome of his magnificence and pure genius. He may not be here, but his songs, voice and presence lives on with us all who grew up with the Queen records playing at home!

And here's a video made especially for what would've been his 65th b-day! Typical Freddie.

The Venda Era.

2011-08-31T16:27:00.002+02:00

I bet we all remember a time when the Vendas and Shangaans dominated the waves. Whether you were watching Ezimtoti on CCV via your Telefunken Telly or watching MusicTv on our Beloved BopTV via your Blaupunkt like you were the coolest dude in town, this was THAT stuff! Chimora, Dalom Kids, Penny Penny, Chicco Twala, etc. I loved the Venda Era, with their pop that had strong electro and gospel elements and I haven't stopped loving it 'til this day. The listening is a tad bit different now that you're older and understand english. lol!!!

Anyone who knows me will tell you that i'm such an 80s/90s girl when it comes to music...Anyone who loves the 80s/90s music era will enjoy this. Even if it's just for laughs, kick back and listen to this!

Memories in Keys

2011-08-25T08:04:00.003+02:00

Wow. So I scratched around in folders on my PC and Voila! I found some very short clips of a gig I (and my then band) did in Late 2008. Mawe2 and his band was also there.Check it out. Interesting...

In Plain Sight...

2011-08-23T16:49:00.003+02:00

I love reading about conspiracies. They get you think about what is, what you think should be and challenge you out of you mindset comfort of what you think you know...and that's why i'll briefly talk about the series "The Music Industry Exposed".

The first time I watched this series I was a bit skeptic, but then you think about America's history and position in the world and say "You know what? It's pretty possible". They have the power to control us without us even knowing or realising it BECAUSE of this. Okay enough about a streak that could lead us to a political uproar. Once you've pushed aside the fact that this series was written by a Muslim(or several Muslims who might have their alterior motives in running it), you will start to open your mind and eyes about what may be happening in the international world of music and how it could be use as a medium to convey malevolent messages to us the audience. I love it for the question mark that it presents to you. Whether it's based upon fact or opinion, it's something to look at and use as a tool to broaden your perspective.

I personally DON'T like watching pop videos because I don't like Pop music(which is said to be riddled with these Satanic/Masonic undertones) and I always steer away from anything Pop. Pop crowds, Pop mentality, Pop music...yeah you got me. Love Electro and Synthpop though. LOL!

Okay let me not steer away from the topic. The thing is though, I don't know if it's my over-observant nautre, but I find this series also a bit dangerous in that once one knows of all the signs, you can become obsessed(i'm just thinking if I were to do it) with trying to find those signs in every single image and THAT obsession could in turn go reversed-psychology on you and have you zoning in and who knows how that will work out for a person.

Anyway whether you hate Those-whose-collective-name-we-shall-not-say or you're someone that's just intrigued by these kind of things, it's something that wouldn't be too bad to check out.

www.theindustryexposed.com/

Thanks for reminding me Betz =*

When real music saves the day

2011-08-17T16:31:00.003+02:00

Every once in a while we all get to taste something fresh amongst this pollution in the South African Music Industry and whoever that entity is makes Lemonade out of the Lemon that is "Those who sleep on the job". Unfortunately though, we get so used to listening to this sh** that when good music comes it flies right past our heads. We've become so content in rolling in what Lame-Os have to offer, but turn around and say "There's no more good music you know" like those Block/Chillin-on-the-corner Nukkaz that say "Snitches get stitches" when tasked with being a witness to one of their boys being popped by some dude. We are the masses that went from listening to Classics to those who accept any hogwash that comes our way. Why is this if we've got an abundance of Eargasmic pieces being pumped out studios and being posted on the net everyday? Can't we choose for ourselves anymore to be different and say "Screw you! Go marinade in your Rebecca Black and I'm going to listen to SBTRKT".

No answer? You're probably still secretly yearning to be saved. Probably means you haven't fully gone to the Dark Side(lol. excuse the cliché). Maybe this is a chance for me to rescue you from the Demons, that have ridden the soundwaves that lead to your ears, and revive your proper musical taste by gooi-ing you with a link to a flippen awesome Mixtape. If you haven't heard about Skool of Hip Hop aka SK Dub from the Free State, you better stop what you're doing and BE IN THE KNOW! SK Dub is an 8-Man collective...From the Free State *salute*... and exactly what SA Hip Hop needs at this moment. Dudes are serious about this ish right now and ain't about to back down to the fairy dust "Emcees" sprinkle over their ish to make it more ...palatable to the masses. Who says we want palatable?! Huh?! Power to the dudes that KNOW what we want and keep bringing it just like that!

Oh by the way, this mixtape shot to nearly 3000 downloads in less than 24 hours... WHAT?! If there's anyone that can say that they've done this, i'll back down, but 'til then lap this up.

Intellectually fools will get dropped...

http://www.mediafire.com/?yn3sbe8u535harz

Rap vs Hip Hop

2011-08-12T08:52:00.000+02:00

What's Rap? What's Hip Hop? It's the same thing isn't it? WRONG!!!! Don't ever let an Emcee hear you say something like this. You'll be cooked alive! I don't want to stay too long on this topic, but here goes. My understanding...

Rap is simply poetry over rhythm. Yes it's a corny thing that I say Poetry over Rhythm seeing Rap stands for Rhythm and Poetry. It's A-B-Cs like "The Cat sat on the mat" and then elaborating on that story. Having said that i'm not dumbing down the genre 'cause there are some really great Rap songs out there. Off the top of my head Domino's Sweet Potato Pie, a song that'll kick-start a party anytime, and Classic Crossroads by Bone Thugs and Harmony that'll have you reminiscing about everything! Rap is ...a subgenre of Hip Hop. Classic Rapper? Tupac. He was The Master of Rap.

Hip Hop is all about lyrical prowess. Punchlines, figures of speech, wit, content, flow, delivery...it's a serious art! English class all over again, without the Lame English teacher who doesn't have an imagination to really drive the magic, that English can bring, through to you. I can think of countless songs that are seriously awesome!!!! Hip Hop is huge. It's a lifestyle. I'm not going to go to deep into this 'cause I KNOW it's quite a controversial one. Classic Emcee? Biggie. Every dude out there will tell you, that He was THAT dude.

Still not catching on? Listen to the two tracks I've posted...If after that you STILL don't get it, try listening to Notorious Thugs by Biggie and Bone Thugs and Harmony. Biggie murks dudes by using their distinct flow to do his sh**. You can clearly hear the difference between Rap and Hip Hop here.

Well this was just me saying what I understand about the two. What do you think?

Not a Cover-up Story...

2011-08-04T07:14:00.000+02:00

Now before you think that this is a lesson or a stork-came-down-and-brought-you-to-us fib story you tell to a kid, read on because I guarantee you it's not even close...or maybe it is in that this "The Bird and The Bee" have given birth to awesome "Twinkle Music" as I'd like to call it. They, Inara George(The Bird) and Greg Kurstin(The Bee) are a synthpop duo from Los Angeles and have been around for a while. They're soooooooooo great! You'll be hooked on every song from album to album, in listening to their songs, from F***ing Boyfriend and Love letter to Japan to their renditions of I can't go for that and Don't stop the music and this I promise you! They've definitely booked themselves a nice comfy space in my Classics section. =). Check the video for the live Love letter to Japan. Thanks Melz =*

You can also check out tracks and remixes on http://www.soundcloud.com/

Ladies of Note...

2011-08-03T12:45:00.000+02:00

So dear ol' William Shakespeare said "Two women placed together makes cold weather"...Sorry Billy. That doesn't apply here. Miss Nthabi is from Soweto and has been rapping for years and years. She's evolved from being just the battle chick Nthabi 'cause as she says: "I'm not in that cypher and battle headspace at the moment and would like to challenge myself further". Then we have an amazing songbird, Maleh(singer on Dj Kent's Hit track, Fallin) from Lesotho who's voice is just magical. Ahem. Maleh, I(and plenty other people) am patiently waiting for your Début album. Please just listen and judge for yourself. The song is entitled "Fly". It's taken from Miss Nthabi's album "Welcome to Me". Enjoy! =)

http://soundcloud.com/petrolbomb/miss-nthabi-ft-maleh-fly

Jonny Joburg and the Spaza Shop Boys

2011-08-02T15:56:00.000+02:00

So I was lamping rotten on the couch one Sunday morning and watched Shiz Niz as usual. Boom Pow, Swag got plastered all over my screen when I saw these two dudes ripping the in-house stage. Jonny Joburg is a breath of fresh air real talk and Spaza shop guy was also just adding lekker spice to this Meal of a Song I devoured!!!! What's sad though is that these people have been around since 2009. How come i've never heard of them? Maybe i've just been chilling in the wrong places. *ponders, shrugs*. Apparently they also performed at Back to the City in Jozi and tore everything apart! Where was I mara heh? Check this song out. It's just too nice *Oprah's voice* and it's downloadable! I hope these guys really push their product even harder! I certainly want more.

http://soundcloud.com/search?q%5Bfulltext%5D=Jonny+joburg

Now Now

2011-07-28T10:24:00.000+02:00

This is an indie rock band from Minneapolis that I came across while doing one of my random browses. I love electro-synth, ethereal-type music...Man I love music and this track right here(Jesus Camp Remix), taken from the "Neighbors: The Remixes" album, is just too awesome to not share. Enjoy!

http://nownowband.com/

http://soundcloud.com/nownowmusic/now-now-jesus-camp-remix

Star-struck,Struck Stars and Forever 27 Club

2011-07-26T16:15:00.000+02:00

Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones, Jim Morrison...Names not only ringing with talent, but ones synonymous with tragedy. They also belong to "The 27 Club", "Club 27" or "Forever 27 Club", an exclusive club that houses only irreplaceable stars that have fallen victim to the "Dead at 27" curse.

For long this curse has followed the greatest prodigies of rock culture and dying at the peak of your career or passing on at 27 having lived your life on the pulse of bleeding guitar riffs, gut-splitting drum solos and enchanting vocals, would automatically earn you a nice spot in "Club 27".

Freaky Tah, though, of Legendary Hip Hop group "Lost Boyz" also died at the Rock Star age of 27. Hip Hop fans and Emcees alike, all over the world, suffered a huge uppercut in waking to such news.

12 Years later, just when we think we can debunk the Myth, on the other side of the world Saturn Returns and scoops Amy Winehouse...Another legend gone too soon!!!!

A friend of mine felt like crying at the thought of her being gone...Couldn't and still can't believe it...Like she lost a friend. She then understood how I felt when I caught sight of "Zim Ngqawana dies at 52". It's an over-whelming sense of loss as if you personally knew the person and when you look at "Club 27", they were people that were so honest, open and human with their music that you can't help but feel broken. You feel even closer to them because they(away from their rockstar titles)are/were such poignant people and for someone to just expose that side of theirs is/was more sincere...Like a friend.

So I say cheers to friends. Those who were there in the beginning, who are still here physically and in spirit. I dedicate the only song that was looping in my mind as I wrote this. "Crazy" by Aerosmith
http://soundcloud.com/itdesign/aerosmith-crazy

World of Unknowns

2011-07-20T11:05:00.000+02:00

I'm experiencing two worlds right now...as I type this post. One: The world where i'm sitting on my ass the whole day doing absolutely nothing(and when I say nothing I mean boring routine sh** that's turning my brain into a pure pasty mass of mash) and the other is where i'm entering into a world I don't know. Blogging!!

So many explanations, DOs and Don'ts, topics and themes that come with Blogs and just when you think your ideas are the freshest on this Planet, chocbuns' blogspot has had your ideas(plus some spice) working on a perfectly designed Blog...for 5 years already! *reprimands herself* "You're not so cool now are you Tshegwi". Then you go back to the drawing board and draw up nothing but doodles.

So hard isn't it? This drawing board business can really play with your emotions. I mean i've been sitting in this chair for about a year and a half...Wait actually i've moved three times. Yeah who's the boss now?! Ag who am I kidding. It still doesn't change the fact that i've been here doing heaps of chicken scrap work for peanuts. So how can I brainstorm if this place is made up of programmed machines and i've become one of them. I've gone through every emotion possible even the ones they don't tell you about in the Cosmo Mag, cried, howled and almost opened my own "Fight Club" on people's faces, but haven't been able to inspire fireworks of notions to spew from my head.

Uuurrrrgh frustrations. Anyway. Then a very good friend of mine sent me a link to a fashion blog which, after the first glance, we were glued to forever. That blog led us to another blog and that one led us to another then all of a sudden we were addicted to the blog world. Awesomeness!!! Don't know why it took so long for us to get on this gravy train.

Really thinking about blogging got me so excited but I think I was just that. Excited! All I could hear in my head was a distant sitar reminiscent of the 60s/70s era in the US playing in my head. All I could see in my head was a Guru looking dude beckoning me to run in the fields with him. *abrupt stop to my playing record*. Okaaaaaayyyyy!!! A sign perhaps?

I then decided to make a conscious decision to think(Mouthful huh? Yes. for some of us we HAVE to make a conscious decision to think. lol) and as i'm sniffing the Honeydew scent off my lips I go "Oh my gwaaaaaash. That's it!!". I begin to dream about it. I smile to myself in the shower and giggle like a madman and think "Wow i'm brilliant! Suck on that chocbuns!". *she then goes into a one-buttock playing position playing a classical piece on her imaginary piano*. Ahhhhhhhh Peace...

Sometimes you just have to step away from the screen, the ever-ringing telephone, the rehearsed lines. At times you need someone to just send you a link for fun. Sometimes you need to just not give a hoot about the fact that you're still at work writing this blog and that you could get busted *whistles and checks for wandering eyes* ...to realise your full potential if you placed yourself in a world unknown.

Thanks Melz :*