It’s time for a brand new episode of Amplify. Eezi Mzi and the crew’s new episode aired 24th of March. If you missed the original airing or just wanna relive the jols, SMASH play on our Mixcloud archive.
What to expect in this episode:
In this addition, we will be spinning some fresh tunes from Crash and the Void, The Shabs, The Slimetones, and Sueños. Drumfish joins us in this episode. We got to catch up with Charles, Yakeen, and Syd from the band. We will be sharing some of the clips from our chat with you today. We also have the low down on the latest gig guide and have dedicated this edition of Frets and Footwork to the Nkabi Rock sensations Shameless.
Artist Featured In This Episode
Up next we have an outlet that has been catching everyone’s eyes with its unique, crips and cool surf rock esc sound Sueños. The Cape Town four-piece formed in 2021, bonding over early psych rock records, transforming and combining washy surf and psych-inspired groves with intricate jazz-inspired jams, delivering a listening experience that is equally cathartic and introspective.
Their latest EP and single release “Seventh Sun” mixes together elements of psychedelic 60s, surf rock, and shoegaze, evoking a sense of nostalgia while embracing the band’s unique sound. With a 12-string guitar riff and reverb-drenched vocals, the song transports listeners to a realm where rhythm and introspective melody intertwine seamlessly. The single was recorded live in studio in Cape Town, South Africa, mixed by Warren Fisher, and mastered by Jacob van der Westhuizen.
First up we have vibrant SA folk punk icons the Shabs! The Shabs are made up of Vocalist and guitarist Jon Shaban, Ryan McArthur on double bass and backing vocals, and Jon Case on drums, as well as frequent collaborations with female vocalists.
Having originally emerged from the vibrant South African punk scene, The Shabs have recently relocated to the UK and to celebrate they kicked off a lekker euro tour at the end of 2023.
Over the past decade, they’ve crisscrossed South Africa and Europe, leaving a trail of fans in their wake.
The Shabs’ discography includes their debut album, “Folk is Dead” (2016), the split album “Deja View” with SA folk punk legends Rambling Bones (2018), and their second full-length album, “Can You Hear Us At The Back” (2019). Despite facing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the band utilized the downtime to craft their third album, “Half Dead,” and have already released two stellar singles, “Mom Was Wrong” and “Mayors Of This Town,” both accompanied by successful European tours.
Keeping with the surf rock psych wave lets glide to our next feature – The Slimetones.
The Slimetones are an instrumental ‘Surf-Rock’ 3 piece band from Toronto, Ontario consisting of members Mike Giganti on guitar, Greg Berkhout on bass and Brendan Roesler on drums. The self-proclaimed “The Kings of Sewer Surf” are part classic surf-rock, part punk, and part Saturday morning cartoons. The Slimetones scream big leads and fast fills.
According to The Sludge underground – Crash and the Void is an experimental heavy rock band from Pretoria, South Africa. Founded in 2019, the 4 parter consists of two brothers: Marius Schutte on lead vocals (also boasting a music theory degree) and brother Lumar Schutte, a highly decorated session drummer.
Completing the lineup is Waldo Van Der Linde on guitar + lead, and Dillon Van Heerden on bass guitar (and sound engineering).
The band has released their latest creation: The Villain out on Mongrel Records. And julle this song is supper lekker! Hard hitting in your face rock and roll the band is known for.
The song is inspired by the philosophies of political thinker Hannah Arendt and the controversial concept of “moral relativism” and Friedrich Nietzsche.
The video for the song is also a delight to watch. It follows the day in the life of a Villain trying to destroy the internet with a kak Cyber Virus. We see our antagonist skop skiet and donder his way through out the day. Double-crossing and doing shady shit. I mean this guy even texts while he’s driving what a psycho. But as a tie in to the satirical nature of the songs his plans are foiled and tomorrow he wakes up in the same place again – dusting him self off and tries again. The video also has some cameo by the members of Planet Karavan.
Shameless – a three parter Soweto based outlet have erupted on to the local scene.
The dynamic trio consists of Musa Zwane, Thabang Khonje, and Thabo Masina. They are at the forefront of a growing movement of rock and alternative bands emerging from Soweto.
Last week I had the honour of attending Shameless’s album launch at Railways Cafe in Centurion, AND JINNE mense what a show. HIGH energy crowd performance. And the band show cased their versatility Blasting on stage with their smash Hit ‘VICTIM OF DATA’ and then taking the crowd on a journey from Punk to angelic shoe gaze guitar breaks to to grooooovey thick Maskandi basslines and booming drums. I had such an amazing time watching them and dancing my heart out with my friends. Performance 10 technicality 10!
DANKIE Shameless. And also a moerse shout out lefokolodi and twenty one children for bring the heat.
If you’d like to relive the great moments of the past season and have a relisten you can catch the archives and articles over here:
More about Amplify
Amplify, a radio show hosted on The Grind Radio, is like a chilled hangout where we dive into the lekkerest sounds in alternative and rock. We chat with amazing artists, and discover fresh tunes. It’s a mix of classic rock legends and new faces from around the world, all picked to make your music soul happy. Amplify is aired every second Tuesday on The Grind Radio. Every track you hear on Amplify is handpicked from the amazing submissions sent to The Grind Radio. It’s like a treasure hunt, where the best of the best get the spotlight.