Pizza and Beer

Yes please! Weekly Doyal time again! I hope that everybody has had a wonderful holiday whether it was last week or the one before, either way it’s over now and no-one really cares. Move on. This week is old school week. It’s the time when we   show you what you’ve missed out on cause you probably weren’t alive, or you were too young to pay attention to grown up things like music or taxes or what time the news is on. Anyways! This list hasn’t been taken off of Rolling Stone top 5 or Bono’s iPod’s most played list or anything. This is my top 5 old school songs that I think made an impact on the music business scene (Van Morrison reference, use it, don’t use it), both as songs as well as bands. So crank your volumes, close your doors, maybe hook up your aux cables to a sweet old boom box or something cause we going back in time baby!!

1. Radiohead – Paranoid Android

Not my favourite Radiohead song by a long shot, but I felt that this song carried enough importance to trump quality. Radiohead, the band of bands. If you have never heard of Radiohead then please get off your chair, walk around your computer and pull out the big fat cable that gives it life (or pull out your phone battery, whateverwhatever it’s poetic license). When I first started getting into my music, and it was time that I spent my own money on an album, an older friend of mine told me that if there was one album that everyone in the world should own, it was this one (OK Computer). So I bought it, obviously. I can still remember sitting on my bed listening to this album on repeat for about 3 hours straight, trying to soak it all in. Radiohead have influenced so many huge bands it’s scary. Coldplay, Muse, Travis and recently Alt-J, all list Radiohead as a primary influence. So listen to this song, then go and buy/download Radiohead’s discography and live a fuller life.

2. Led Zeppelin – Immigrant Song

Here, we start getting a lot more old school, moving into the 60’s and 70’s. Growing up, before I had the incentive to spend my own money on any albums, I just listened to whatever music my parents had lying around. There were about 2 or 3 years where the only two albums I ever listened to was Led Zeppellin – Remastered and The Best of The Doors. When I started playing guitar I pretty much modeled myself on the electric guitarist, Jimmy Page (If I’m honest I still do), and made it a personal mission to learn every one of the 26 songs on the Zeppelin album. I found it really difficult to find a song that rounds these guys as a band, this is the best I could do so I suggest you go listen to couple more afterwards for some clarity!

3. Jimmy Hendrix – Bold As Love

You probably thought this song was a John Mayer song right? Wrong!! Do not pass go! Do not collect 200 dollars!! If you’ve heard of Hendrix then I don’t have to start a whole essay about what a crazy guitarist he was and how influential his style was. I mean let’s be real John Mayer covered him on one of his most successful albums (and not just one song either “Wait Until Tomorrow” was another as well as “The Wind Cries Mary” from Mayer’s other album “Room For Squares”). I’ve attempted to learn this song multiple times but I end up giving up after the first couple bars every time. It’s almost as if he improvises the whole song, but does exactly the same thing every time he plays it. Nothing really repeats itself. Genius!

4. The Rolling Stones – I Can’t Get No (Satisfaction)

I feel like I might be selling out by featuring this song, just because if I mention the Stones, this is the only song that people know, and this blog is meant to educate! But this song is that cool. It was voted the number 2 song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine (sounds biased though?). The Stones are one of the only bands from their time where the members are all still alive, despite the fact that they all look like dinosaurs. Keith Richards, the electric guitarist, has an autobiography that reveals a lot about their lives that everyone already knew, but like to hear again. He is still so cooked on drugs, that for 2 years he thought Johnny Depp was a drug dealer. The actor was good friends with the rocker’s son and he says that eventually “one day he was at dinner and I'm like "Woah, Scissorhands." Depp say’s that Keith Richards is the inspiration for Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Carribean, and Richard’s even played Jack Sparrows father in the third film.

5. The Who – Who Are You?

I want Roger Daltrey’s hair. The lead singer from The Who has a mane of glorious proportions. It’s not just the fact that there’s a lot of hair, it’s that it so quaft yet so rock ‘n roll at the same time. These guys are pretty crazy (also cooked on drugs, like every single band I’ve featured here). When I say crazy though, I mean destructive, mental, instrument- destroying, reckless crazy. The drummer, Keith Moon, is probably the most loopy musician I’ve ever heard of. On his Wikipedia page, there is an entire section called “Destroying instruments and other antics”, which is actually a very enjoyable read Moon the Loon. Pete Townshend (guitarist) recalls that Moon “once drove his car through the glass doors of a hotel, driving all the way up to the reception desk, got out and asked for the key to his room.”

Bonus: The Beatles – Tomorrow Never Knows

Ah! You didn’t think I would get through an old school week without featuring the most successful band in history?! Well I didn’t. I feel like anything I say about The Beatles will be preaching to the choir, so I’m not going to say too much. I hadn’t heard this song until I was watching an episode of Mad Men (series set in the 60’s) and the main character leaned over and let this track rip on his sweet vinyl player. When I googled the episode to find out what song it was, I discovered that it holds the record for the most cash money paid for one song to be featured on one episode. Apparantly paying anything over $100 000 for a song is unheard of, but Mad Men agreed on a casual $250 000 for this song. It is one of the only times that one of The Beatles has ever been featured on TV.

Thanks for sticking around, and hope you enjoyed the different post this week. 

“I’m not God but if I were God, ¾ of you would be girls, and the rest would be pizza and beer.”
Axl Rose of Guns n Roses - 1989

#10

Its Monday and as usual there is only one thing for you to look forward to...Stew time!! This week we have actually managed to get the new post out on time, which is a momentous occasion all on it's own. The new voting system will be here from this week, I may have forgotten to put it in last week (my bad), so vote for your favourite track of the week and let us know if you like what we are doing! This is our 10th edition which we are proud about (yeah you should be proud of us as well), so there may be a few changes and additions over the coming weeks to make the blog better for you guys. If you have any suggestions as to how we can improve your time spent on the blog or if there is just anything you want to see on the blog then just let me know via comments or email.

In other amazing news I'm super ridiculously amped that The Drums are going to be gracing our South African shores with their gifted presence. These guys are my favourite band. There is no other band that can compare to them for me. The Drums are the epitome of what indie really is, it's the lifestyle where you really don't care what others think of you, you don't try to fit into any crowd, you just be your ridiculously fantastic self. The Drums do this effortlessly, their music doesn't fit into any definitive category, it tells stories of their lives and combines dreamy melodies with melodramatic lyrics which leaves their souls bared for all to see. For a band of this calibre to come to South Africa is a HUGE thing, it shows that our musical culture is starting to develop into something beyond TV pop and boring radio rock. No longer are we satisfied with the latest offering from Lady Gaga or Nickelback (Shudder). This can only lead onto further great things, and great bands who break the mould of what music should sound like will begin to frequent our shores on a more common basis. Final note on this topic - I saw The Drums in February in Melbourne, they were spectacular, first and only time in my life in which I sang and danced throughout an entire hour-long set and did so with a couple thousand other people. So who's road tripping with me to watch them and who's house am I crashing at??

Well I went on for a heck of a lot longer than usual so I'm pretty sure that you are ready for some music now, and I'm not going to disappoint you...

1. The Drums - Money

I have featured The Drums before on this blog a while back. That was their first single back when they were blissfully ignorant of the struggles of the world. 'Money' comes off their second full length album, Portamento. The album's sound is a lot more cultured and carries stories of the life of the lead singer. They still manage to maintain their joyous chorus's and bass lines throughout. 'Money' is a particular favourite of mine, it tells a familiar story that students around the world can identify with. "I want to buy you something, but I don't have any money", I can relate to this song all too well, I've even been known to slyly put this song on when taking a girl on a date just to hint that I may be lacking funds, yes its shameful but it worked...I hope that certain ladies aren't reading this blog this week (That could be an awkward next meeting). The chorus will get stuck in your head, there is no doubt about that so get ready to be singing about your lack of money for the next few days.

2. Swim Deep - Honey

This song has been on repeat in my house since I found it about a week ago, I think my parents are close to kicking me out because they really have heard this song too many times now (for me you can never listen to it enough). Swim Deep are Birmingham locals who are finally set to make a splash on the music scene. They have burnt through record labels like Luke MacDonald burns through hair-bands, (for those of you who don't know Luke, this figure is ridiculously high), they have finally settled on a label and are set to release an album late this year. They play indie pop with synth overtones to complete the sound. 'Honey' is another exceedingly catchy number with one particular line where the lead singer elongates the phrase 'don't just dream in your sleep, its just lazy' until it ends up sounding like 'Don't just dream in your sleep, its lazyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy' but don't take my word for it, go listen to their joyous rhythms yourself!

3. The Wombats - Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)

I actually can't believe that I had forgotten to put The Wombats onto the blog before now, I really love these guys. They have changed from an indie band on the outskirts to become one of the most rounded bands in their particular genre. The Wombats are Liverpudlians (I can never get used to that name, it sounds like a disease) and have been around since 2003 so they are old boys on the music scene. They started out sounding very much indie-rock but have since progressed much more towards post-punk (Starting to become an old hand at these classifications). 'Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)' takes you back to the good old days when they were just starting up their band in a hotel room in Tokyo and they were free to trash things as they liked without any backlash from the press, it really is a powerful and fantastic number. I'm pretty sure that you are going to love this one.

4. Oberhofer - o0Oo0Oo

Oberhofer have been described as being the sound of happiness, admittedly this was probably said by a teenage female who was high at the time. The thing is, I find it hard to argue with that sentiment (No, I'm not high or teenage or female). Oberhofer are fun, fresh and full of joy, (My high school English teacher would be so proud of that alliteration). The thing that I enjoy most about Oberhofer is that they have a raw and edgy sound, it takes me back to the days when indie music was produced in garages and not in big time studios. I really could have chosen any song off their EP because they are all great but I settled on this one because of it's ability to make me smile even on a Monday morning in a week where I have tons of work to do. Time to put a smile on your face!

5. Wild Beasts - Hooting & Howling

Wild Beasts are a fantastic band from Kendal in England, they play a combination of indie-rock and dream-pop. In my humble opinion they are the best protagonists of that combination.They really are a top class outfit and are critically acclaimed in the UK. With a name like Wild Beasts you expect something crazy right? Well at first you may not think that they deliver on this but as you listen more you find that these guys are so fantastically crazy in terms of the music that they conceive and deliver to us! One last thing...does anyone else think that at first glance the lead singer is a female and not a male? It can't just be me can it??

There we go, that's the 10th edition of The Weekly Stew done. I hope that you enjoyed this week's track list, remember to vote for your favourite in our poll. See you all next week!

Lazy afternoon Pie

Good day to one and all and welcome to the 9th edition of The Weekly Stew, I too am amazed that we got this far! I'm kind of super-super lazy, so for me to keep on writing every week is unheard of! I'm really stoked that I have kept it up and I hope that you are enjoying the ride.

Ok yes I know it's a Tuesday again and not a Monday but there was a public holiday yesterday so I was doing public holiday activities like braai'ing, playing Fifa and laughing at mates who fell down some stairs. You know, the usual stuff!

In this week's Stew we have a little bit of old and some new. I went and dug out some classics out of my collection and also found some rad new stuff on the net. So sit back, carry on avoiding doing work and enjoy the latest edition of Stew!

1. Hugo - Bread and Butter

The first track this week is definitely a smooth and seductive treat. It comes from an artist born in England, raised in Thailand and now lives in New York City. This one is brought to you by the bass tapping, cast wearing colossus of a man known as Jason Du Randt. He gets all the credit for this find. Hugo's musical style has been described as 'gangsta-rock', ok who doesnt get excited when they hear that? If you don't then I think that you have found your way onto the wrong blog...Justin Bieber's blog is on the other side of town! This track is sure to get you grooving wherever you are sitting, in the office, in-front of the tv, by the pool or even in the bath!

2. I Heart Sharks - Suburbia

If you are a surfer then you may have a problem with this band from the get-go, I mean what surfer loves Sharks?? If you can look past that then get ready for a party, these guys remind me so much of Foals and Friendly Fires and I know how much you guys love Foals!! I Heart Sharks are from Berlin, OK I bet that no-one saw that coming. They have supported Friendly Fires and a whole host of rad bands on tours around europe and are really taking off. They distinguish themselves from many bands in the same genre *cough Two Door cough* by insisting on playing everything live at gigs...No drum loops or anything to be found! Go on and enjoy this one, I know that I did!

3. The Dø - Too Insistent

This is a real treat, its like finding a big piece of feta left in a salad hiding under some lettuce that no-one else saw! The Do are a Finnish/French indie pop duo (Yes they are a little confused) that formed back in 2005 in Paris. I love the smooth harmonies and funk that they bring along with them wherever they go, the vocalist also has an azming voice so watch out for that! They were the first English-speaking, French band to reach the top of the album charts in France, ever (Do I pick 'em or what?). From the start this song just draws you into their web of sweetness with some towering synth and well placed drums. Its a winner of a track!

4. Cloud Control - There's Nothing In The Water We Can't Fight

Cloud Control are an alternative band from the Blue Mountains (Anyone else thinking Lord of The Rings right about now? OK only me then). They rose to fame by winning a local battle of bands, (who knew that those still existed??) and subsequently they got airtime on Australian radio station Triple J. They have supported bands like Supergrass and Arcade fire so its safe so say that they are in my good books! This track of theirs was voted one of the hottest songs in Australia in 2010. Let it caress your ears.

5. Cults - Go Outside

Cults is yet another indie pop band based in New York City. 'Go Outside' is catchy and sweet, its the kind of sing-along that feels like it has been pulled from the air with a sentiment perfect for anyone stuck in an office or addicted to the internet. The band was quickly signed to massive music label Columbia after this song became an internet phenomenon. This song gives your daily dose of vitamin D in just a few short minutes, its a winner every day of the week! 

Thats it for this holiday week. I hope you enjoyed this week's  offerings. As always comments and suggestions are welcome.