[Aflos take shots with the crowd at The Daisy Jones Bar in May. PHOTO: Wilné van Rooyen]
Since 2019, Aflos have been leaving a long trail of hungover mornings, lost voices and vaguely remembered nights in their wake. These pillars of the Stellenbosch nightlife have never failed to deliver unashamedly student-centred rock with a sense of humour and irresistible live energy.
[Francois Roux (left) and Storm Opperman (right). PHOTO: Supplied/The Stinging Rogers]
The Stinging Rogers emerged from Stellenbosch when high school friends Storm Opperman and Francois Roux began performing under the name in 2018. The pair’s latest single releases ‘Borderline’ and ‘Purgatory’ — 2021 and 2022 respectively — deliver skilful guitar work through dreamy verses and full-bodied choruses.
[The boys from Champion Trees at Evol. PHOTO: Murray Williamson]
Champion Trees‘ debut album, Now 3000, is a diary of personal trials written with the frank honesty of an old friend. The 12 tracks are fleshed out with candid detail and explicitly local contexts, totalling a full-length 42 minutes. That’s an ambitious debut for an up-and-coming band, and something that’s rare in the single-focused streaming era. Released on 1 July, Now 3000 recounts adventures in self-doubt, restless romance, and losing days in the Cape Town suburbs.
Internet Girl is the product of a generation raised online. This unique group wears these digital roots on their sleeves — when they’re wearing any at all. Internet Girl’s appearance and sound may not be easily describable, but their overall vibe is unmistakable — slick, coherent, and undeniably fresh.
