Eminem is coming to SA!

Eminem's tour to SA was announced and I forgot how to breathe for a bit while my brain processed what my eyes were reading.

I know I may sometimes come across as a tea-drinking, Mumford and Sons-listening kinda girl and I don't even like the city of Johannesburg all that much but come 1 March, I will be there, getting all emotional while he sings pretty much all the songs that got me through growing up (because life wasn't pretty and boy bands bopping were just not going to cut it).

Here's some old school Eminem to get you keen. It's still my life anthem/motivational track/mood booster.

Now listen to Taylor Swift sing it and puke. 

Good Lorde! But it's not Lana

Some say she's the new Lana Del Rey.
I can't say I agree. But I do think she is quite amazing in her own right.
I'm definitely addicted.

Good music? They've got you covered!

There are few things in the world worse than people who take a perfectly good song and make a bad cover. Seriously, it was fine before, why would you go and record the exact same thing without making any changes except putting your stupid voice to it and then rerelease it? For examples of pointless covers, look no further than Westlife's nonsense.

I think that if you're going to copy someone else, well for goodness sake at least do it better. So today's post is dedicated to those artists who did not just cover a song, but perfected it. Here are my favourites. Just don't ask me which version of 'Hallelujah' is the best, I'm afraid that's something that may never be settled. 

First up is Daft Punk's 'Get Lucky'. I've heard many covers and they're all pretty average. Then along comes Daughter with their version of it which is so different, and yet it works.

Then there's Birdy. This girl is amazing, and she's only 17. Her cover of Bon Iver's 'Skinny Love' is undoubtedly one of her most well known songs. But my favourite has to be her cover of 'White Winter Hymnal' (originally by Fleet Foxes). My word. What a gem. 

And even though U2 are pretty much legends, I have to include Jack White's cover of 'Love is Blindness', featured in The Great Gatsby. It is such a powerful version. To quote a YouTube commenter, "U2's version is like the guy who accepts his girlfriend was cheating on him. Jack White kills the bitch". 

Another band I wouldn't think to mess with is Arcade Fire. But their song 'The Suburbs' was covered Mr Little Jeans, the stage name for Monica Birkenes, a not so well known Norwegian singer. Her music is just dreamy and I'm not surprised by how great this actually is. 

Also known as that song from the KFC ad, Ellie Goulding's cover of 'Your Song' is beautiful. 

And it's not just slightly indie artists that I'm favouring because here is one of my all time favourite covers. Seether took George Michael's somewhat cheesy 'Careless Whisper' and made it cool again. And if you didn't already know, they are proudly South African!

National Arts Festival - 10 reasons to get keen

With just two weeks to go until the start of the National Arts Festival, my excitement levels are definitely on the increase!

I don't think anyone can study at Rhodes University and leave without going at least once, which is why in my third year of being here I have decided to finally attend. Why go to a festival dedicated to just music, visual art, theatre, comedy, dance or film anywhere else when you can have some of everything right here?

I'll be posting updates throughout the festival as well as taking photos of everything I experience. If you can't make it to fest this year, feel free to live vicariously through this blog.

There's just so much to look forward to this year, but here are my top 10.

1) Jane Raphaely, wonder woman of the magazine world, will be speaking at fest this year. She is the biggest inspiration for me as a journalist and I cannot wait to hear what she has to say.

2) The Brothers Streep are possibly the coolest ever, because among other things, they sing about Steri Stumpies and if there's one thing I cannot live without, it's a Steri Stumpie.

3) Chris Chameleon will be performing .
Swoon...

4) Zakes Mda's Madonna of Excelsior will be staged, as well as Athol Fugard's The Island. The English Literature student part of me is doing cartwheels and happy dances!

5) Dan Patlansky. Nibs van der Spuy. Guy Buttery.
Need I say more?

6) Pieter-Dirk Uys, always brutally honest, always hilarious, always a treat.

7) No Rhodes University orientation week is complete without the jazz evening, an event that even those with no prior interest in jazz rave about afterwards. This is why I see the Standard Bank Jazz Festival (which is incorporated into the National Arts Festival) turning many people into jazz lovers. I'm looking forward to seeing up-and-coming artists perform, as well as the Soweto String Quartet who, apart from being generally awesome, also play the opening tune for 7de Laan.

8) After following Angel Campey on Twitter and reading her blog regularly (now I sound like a stalker don't I?), I'm finally getting to see this comedian do her thing on stage. High five!

9) Quality yet affordable vintage clothing will be on sale to festival goers as Guard the Vintage, Lambley and Thrifty Magpie (all local online vintage stores) join to form Guard the Lamb Pie. Silly name, brilliant concept.

10) Among all the well-known names and faces at fest will be the works of Rhodes students themselves, who I'm even more excited to see. Watch me go around pointing at random things and saying "that's my friend's work!" while sounding like an overly proud parent.

There is still so much more to look forward to, so for the full programme of events, take a look here.

See you at fest!
xx

Song gems #1

This song is an absolute treat. It's not very new, but I have just discovered it and I've had it on repeat for a while. It's seven minutes long but worth listening to until the end. Enjoy!

Gangs of Ballet on the soundtrack to my life - check

I thought that having a favourite band was something we did in our teen years when we were young and impressionable and liked to be able to say ‘that’s my song’. I thought that we’d grow up and learn to tolerate whatever was played on the radio when driving to work, much like our parents do. That we wouldn’t always religiously follow a band, be it Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance or heaven forbid, Westlife, just because it defined the years and the experiences, the good, the bad and everything in between.

I thought all of these things until I heard Gangs of Ballet on the radio for the first time. It was one of those wait stop what is that song that’s playing moments.  When I realised they were just a small band from my home town – Durban - doing something big in this world, I was blown away. And just when I thought I could not have more love for their music, I heard them live a few months later. 

In a dark, crowded club with a cold beer in hand surrounded by good friends and one of the most amazing guys I know, Gangs of Ballet began to play and I found myself shouting ‘this is my song!’ to no one in particular.

"...Someone's got to fight for it. No one's here to give it up. Someone's got to fight for you..."

Cue goosebumps.

I now accept the possibility that I may never hear anything as beautiful as Hello Sweet World live again. And that’s ok because that one experience is enough to make my life. The music is powerful. It’s haunting. It’s anthemic. Most importantly, the message that comes through from their lyrics is so genuine and beautiful. 

I recently read an interview in which the lead of Gangs of Ballet, Brad Klynsmith said, "It's only those that make it to the end that win; you can't give up halfway." I get the feeling that they take this approach in the music and in the videos they make, which are exceptional.

My only hope for you, dear reader, is that you too will experience their music live (if you haven’t already), and that you too will learn that no matter how old you are, there will always be a band that defines all the moments that matter. In my case, it is the Gangs of Ballet.

A member of Civil Twilight wears a Gangs of Ballet shirt. That's how cool they are.

Some lyrics, probably cliched

How I wish you could see the potential,
the potential of you and me.
It's like a book elegantly bound but,
in a language that you can't read.

I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab For Cutie