It makes sense that Champion Trees‘ latest releases feel more like autumn than spring, since they’re now singing to us from the northern hemisphere. Before most of the band moved to England in early 2023, the band had a breakout two years surrounding the release of their debut album, NOW 3000, in July 2022. We gave the album a warmly appreciative review back then, praising its Western Cape sentimentality and heartening undercurrents. It should be no surprise then that we were very excited by the release of four new singles in anticipation of a full album, “I Wear a Shirt That Says Australia” , “I Want to Sound Like a Ghost” , “Gentle, Apple, Balanced”, and “Cabbage Song”.
A band like Face Jackson was never going to bow out quietly. One of the first bands featured on Let’s Get Local, their farewell gig was a full-throttle farewell to eleven years of music between best friends.
Australian prog-metal outfit Caligula’s Horse will be hitting Stellenbosch and Johannesburg this weekend as part of their international 2024 tour. Long-time locals Deity’s Muse will be supporting them at both shows, alongside other heavy South African acts Megalodon, Sunken State, and New Earth. We spoke with Jim Grey of Caligula’s Horse and Wayne Boucher of Deity’s Muse to put a spotlight on the bands and the always-dedicated local metal scene.
This Saturday, Glastonfurry will be putting on a day of multi-genre music performances in support of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA. Hosted in The Armchair Theatre in Observatory, this will be the second charity festival run under the Glastonfurry name.
From Hammarsdale, KwaZulu-Natal, emerges The Joy, an a cappella group that has captured hearts globally with their soulful harmonies and rich cultural roots. The five members — Pastor (Ntokozo Bright Magcaba), Duzie (Melokuhle Mkhungo), Guduza (Sphelele Hlophe), Sthombe (Phelelani Sithole), and Marcus (Sanele Ngcobo) — came together during a choir practice at Sikhethuxolo High School. We spoke to the band last Friday, the release day of their new self-titled album.
MaxX & Love are set to captivate blues enthusiasts with their latest release, These Blues Might Get You Too. In support of their album launch, MaxX Monticoe (guitar) and Sechaba Ramphele (vocals) will be hitting venues around the Cape, starting with Harringtons on Thursday, 20 June.
For South African singer-songwriter and producer Qü, music has always been about honest expression and human connection. With his new solo album Reprise on 2nd Avenue and an upcoming run of Cape Town shows, he’s inviting audiences to experience the emotion and warmth of his alternative R&B sound.
A premium slice of the Afrikaans music scene is heading to Observatory on 8 December to kick off a string of Western Cape shows. The Afrikaans Is Dood tour serves as the grand entrance for Afrikalt — a new venture aiming to carve out a forward-thinking, alternative space in the Afrikaans cultural scene.
Psychedelic boere-punk trailblazers, Karel Bester en die Kraaines Band, have made their recording debut with a raucous live set from the smoke-stained bowels of Aandklas in Stellenbosch. Released on 29 September, it’s a reckless, high-energy romp that parties until it passes out, head spinning with dreams of dirty deeds.
Released in July 2022, Luh’ra’s sophomore EP Nice showed off a versatile indie-soul sound, full of cymbals, sunny brass, and tender vocals. To celebrate the anniversary of its release, producer and DJ, blaqkongo, offers up a bouncy electronic reimagining of the single ‘Give It All’.









