New Singer Joins The Sixth Sense

Cordelia is a young, up-and-coming singer and songwriter. She was born in Fochville and grew up in Carletonville. Her parents have supported her from an early age and had ensured her love for music. Her dad's love for the guitar and songwriting had a big influence on her own passion for music.

Cordelia has always had the desire to give hope and make a difference, and her biggest wish is to prove that dreams do come true. "It's not where you're from," she says, "but where you're going."

Her own dreams include a platinum CD and to perform at the annual Huisgenoot Skouspel concert. To sing her own songs on stage is a huge achievement and as a married lady it's only fair that love (for her husband, family and friends) is her biggest inspiration for writing lyrics.

Cordelia is a great fan of the outdoors, American Country music, beautiful clothes and fast cars, and she likes to sit down to a nice plate of pasta or pizza. Vegetables are not on top of her list and neither is haughtiness. "We're all human," she explains.

Cordelia's star is rapidly on the rise and from day one her motto has been, "Work hard and never stop dreaming." Her debut album Die Beste, is available at all leading music stores.

Videos That Make Me Happy

Hey peeps!

Happy Friday!

So, to get your music-filled weekend started...

I've already posted two of my favourite music videos by local artists (Die Heuwels Fantasties and Easy Tiger), and thought I might as well share the rest with you. These bands offer music of outstanding quality and here are some (if I had to list them all I'd sit here until at least mid-March) of the reasons why I will support our bands to the end...

You & I - aKING

This is about as soppy as my music video collection gets (not that you can call these rockers soppy - anything but!). Don't get me wrong; I still think their 2008 video for Safe As Houses was a lot better in terms of concept, but hearing this song makes me swoon, so you can only imagine what the video does to me.

The Knife - Zebra & Giraffe

This video graced the Number One spot on MK's Top 10 music video list for a couple of weeks. Need I say more?

Los My - Winterstasie

Seriously; have you SEEN this video? The resemblence between myself and a yawning bush baby the first time I saw it, was uncanny! The dark feeling and innocence (well, kind of) of the kid paired with the stunning location (you HAVE to visit the old hall beneath Joburg Park Station... OMW!) were enough to grip me from beginning to end. (The good looking band members have nothing to do with my decision.)

Center Of Gravity - Voodoo Child

This was the first music video shoot I had to cover for people magazine and the whole experience is something that will stay with me forever. Watching the guys do what they love from the break of dawn until late at night and then finally seeing the end product, was a bucketfull of awesomeness.

Enter The Ninja - Die Antwoord

Come on, man! It's Daai Entward! They may not have the most child friendly lyrics, but this video is just too cool. Yes. Kief.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

Have a great weekend!

Izzy
xxx

Another Favourite

Some good music to get you in the weekend mood!

If You're Happy And You Know It...

...then show it! How, you may ask? By supporting local music, of course!

Please don't spend another weekend doing nothing? Come on, I'm sure all of us are younger than 90 (if you aren't, you still have no excuse!) and seriously - nothing rocks more than rounding your friends up for a night filled with good music!

Some ideas:

Thursday, January 27
What's Up: Easy Tiger
Where: Voodoo Lounge, Linksfield, Johannesburg

What's Up: Foto Na Dans
Where: PUK Amphitheatre, Potchefstroom

What's Up: Snotkop
Where: Firkin, Centurion, Pretoria

What's Up: Captain Stu
Where: Zula Bar, Cape Town
Line-up: Includes The Car Boot Vendors

Friday, January 28
What's Up: Die See
Where: Steak & Ale, Centurion, Pretoria
Line-up: Includes Brixton Moord En Roof Orkes

What's Up: Juggernaught
Where: The Black Dahlia, Boksburg, Johannesburg

What's Up: Arno Carstens & The New Porns
Where: Tanz Cafe, Fourways, Johannesburg

What's Up: Desmond & The Tutus
Where: Hotbox Studios, Hatfield, Pretoria
Line-up: Includes Tidal Waves and Foto Na Dans

What's Up: Son Of A Thousand Blues
Where: The Bohemian, Richmond, Johannesburg

Saturday, January 29
What's Up: Nicholis Louw
Where: D'Aria Wine Estate, Cape Town
Line-up: Includes Ray Dylan

What's Up: Stompdraai
Where: Firkin, Centurion, Pretoria

What's Up: We Shall Embrace
Where: Sundowners, Alberton, Johannesburg
Line-up: Includes Deity's Muse and Kill The Messenger

What's Up: Louise Carver
Where: Tanz Cafe, Fourways, Johannesburg

What's Up: Fuzigish
Where: Tings an' Times, Hatfield, Pretoria

Sunday, January 30
What's Up: Imogen Heap
Where: Emperors Palace, Kempton Park, Johannesburg

Have an awesome weekend!

Izzy
xxx

MR CAT & THE JACKAL Album Launch Postponed

Hello friends!

Some sad news... See below press release.

Ladees and Jentelmen,

Like a disapointing pres releece marred with speling erors, we regret to inform you that MR CAT & THE JACKAL's albem luanch has been posponed...AGIAN.

This wil bee the fuorth tyme. Our ship seems too be leaking - exciting, yes - but dangeruos.

Please dont thimk of this as a iritatingly slow download, but rather as a long shot where the dog refuses to bark at the rihgt time at the end. (Yes, we can cut that in, but thats not how we rol.)

Sins & Siren Songs will be relaesed, with the Oracle's blessing, hopefully in mid-March 2011.

Wishing you prosperous winds,
Mr Cat & The Jackal

But the show must go on, and although the album launch is postponed, Mr Cat & The Jackal will still be launching their brand new music video for the first single off Sins & Siren Songs, namely The Devil Always Wants To Dance, at Klein Libertas Theatre in Stellenbosch on February 11.

Bummer, but you know what they say; all good things are worth waiting for!

Save The Date

Artist Q&A: Greg Carlin

Zebra & Giraffe's second full-length album, The Inside, was released in September last year and was received with rave reviews in the local industry. This time around the guys wanted to prove that they could produce an even better album than Collected Memories (their award-winning debut album released in 2008) and all their hard work has definitely paid off.

I caught up with songwriter, frontman and guitarist Greg Carlin for a quick chat about band life.

I recall attending the launch of Collected Memories at the Military Museum in 2008. What has since happened in the world of Zebra & Giraffe?
Ummm, quite a lot! In 2009 we won a SAMA and an MTV Africa Music Award. We also got to play with the Killers which was amazing! 2010 was mostly spent writing and recording our second album, The Inside. We also got to go overseas to mix the album with Cenzo Townsend who has mixed everybody from U2 to Florence & The Machine.

What would you say was the highlight of 2010 - personal and professional?
Completing a second album, with a band this time, was really both a professional and personal achievement for me. I was always worried about going back into the studio; worried if I'd be able to write more songs and whether I'd be able to write with other people... But it all worked out quite well, I think! I'm really happy with how we progressed and what we achieved.

What can fans look forward to in 2011?
We're onto our second single off the album which is called Terrified - we just made a video for it on my iPhone 4 (laughs). Check it out! It's currently playlisted on national and campus radio. We're also looking forward to a whole bunch of great shows coming up like Kirstenbosch, RAMfest and the MK Awards. Hopefully another SAMA nomination... We'll see! And then a big push for some overseas action!

Any international tours lined up?
We are looking to head to L.A. in May. We've been invited to play at a music conference and it's really a great opportunity. Visa dependent...

You are in the line-up to perform at this year's RAMfest.
Yeah it's our first time at RAMfest and we're really looking forward to it. Can't wait to finally see Die Antwoord live...

What is your favourite song to perform live?
Pariahs, which we almost always play last, is fun because it's simple and rocking and easy to jump up and down to. The Knife is also great because we always get such a great response from the crowd. We love playing new tracks but the crowd mostly stands staring...

Strangest encounter with a fan?
A girl jumped on stage once and pulled into me! It was pretty unexpected so it made for a rather embarrassing moment!

You mentioned in an interview once that you wouldn't mind having groupies if they help carry gear. Any luck with that?
No, unfortunately not. :(

If you had to write a letter to 40-year0old Greg, what would it say?
"I hope to hell you are still writing music, or at least doing something creative!"

And 16-year-old Greg?
"Don't stress so much! Play the field."

If someone was stalking you, where would they find you on a Saturday night?
Either at a show somewhere around SA - I think every weekend until April is booked - or at home... I don't venture out much in Jozi.

There you have it, you crazies! For more info, visit Zebra & Giraffe's website or become a fan on Facebook!

Much love!

Izzy
xxx