A collection of South Africa's finest Americana, New Country and Alternative Folk artists.

Indie Folk

Jacob Swann is a singer songwriter from Cape Town, South Africa. Deeply influenced by the rich musical history and aesthetic of the Southern United States, artists like John Mayer, CCR, Marcus King and Ray LaMontagne have formed the musical base from which all live performances and songs have grown. For the past five years, he's been playing in and around Cape Town, until 2020 brought a halt to live music. During this time, songs were born and recorded and now in 2021 we have a debut EP, Brother, to look forward to, containing the songs written during this time. Armed with his guitar, he is set to trigger the longing for something better in each of us.
 
“Two Blue Eyes is an experience. Sometimes people cross our paths and it's impossible to forget the influence that they had on us in that moment. In this song I tried to capture the goodness in someone and how it can heal...” - Jacob Swann

Two Blue Eyes is taken from Swann’s EP, Brother.

Two Blue Eyes

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Jacob Swann - Two Blue Eyes

Joshua Beaches is a Johannesburg based, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. He has been releasing music as Joshua Beaches’ since 2019, with 3 titles to date, namely a three Track EP ‘Elixer’ and two more Singles b/w B - Sides. Beaches has a style that is drawing from various traditional forms of folk music, jazz and rock to create a unique style that is a dreamy concoction of haunting melodies and subtle chamber orchestral textures on top of gently swaying grooves. The music serves to soothe and sublimate. The lyrical themes are sincere and often bordering on brutal sentimentality. 

Souvenirs Of Love (Beaches’ new EP out 05/11) is a more intimate view of the artist’s world than previous releases. The crooned vocal melodies, acoustic grooves and lush chamber pop arrangements create a sound and texture that is nostalgic and sentimental; a feeling that is echoed in lyrical content and is clearly a man coming to terms with the loss of intimate love, subsequent loneliness in a state of isolation and lockdown. This is an attempt at sublimation, awakening and testimony. These songs were written, recorded and produced in Beaches’ flat in Illovo, Johannesburg during the lockdown of 2020/21. Ivory Tower Home is the EP’s lead track and one that is perfectly reflective of Beaches’ core merit, tone and accessibility to the head (and the heart).

Ivory Tower Home

Joshua Beaches - Ivory Tower Home

Dave Starke is a South African singer-songwriter who strives to capture human moments in musical form, to sum up a whole host of thoughts and emotions using just his voice and a guitar. He describes a guitar as “nothing more than a wooden box with strings, tensioned to near breaking point – it’s fundamental, honest and often scary and it’s a good metaphor for the human experience…”

Inspired by the creators and capturers that came before him that poured themselves into paper, canvas, vinyl and clay, Dave uses enough words to get you thinking, but not so many that he tells you what to think. He sees song writing as something of a survival strategy – a pressure release valve that keeps him together.

His music is lyric-driven, performed on guitar with occasional touches of percussion and some very haunting whistling. For Dave it’s all about telling stories, so the voice is the most important instrument and everything else is there to be a support structure for the narrative.

DAVE STARKE:
https://www.facebook.com/davestarkemusic
https://www.instagram.com/davestarke

Burn After Reading

Dave Starke - Burn After Reading

The Misty Cliffs are inspired by the constant ebbs and flows and ever-changing seasons of this roller coaster we call life. Drawing from their personal experiences and philosophies, they weave a rich tapestry of soul-soothing sonic delights and tasty beats. The band's sound is descriptive and emotive, with lyrics that will make you think as well as feel. While being known for their expressive and catchy guitar licks, melodic and groovy bass, and 'deep-in-the-pocket' drumming, the band are also known for their versatility and penchant for the unusual. No two Misty Cliffs gigs are ever the same, but one thing is for sure – you're guaranteed a damn good time.

“Crafting Dust To Dust had us deep-diving into some of our favourite rock anthems for inspiration. That got us discussing revolution and how everything changes, always. How it's not the end, it's the means that matters. Because nothing ever really ends anyway. Sandcastles dissolve between the tides yet children continue to delight in building them anew. Life is change. Change is hope. And so, Dust to Dust was born.” - The Misty Cliffs

Dust To Dust

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The Misty Cliffs - Dust To Dust

Country music has proved to be one of the most influential and popular genres of music in Southern Africa for decades. Legendary American country artists like Don Williams, Dolly Parton and Jim Reeves have enjoyed significant airtime on South African radio, particularly in the 70's and 80's, notching up numerous gold and platinum album sales and multiple hit singles. The music and these artists have met with approval from a widespread multi-cultural crossover audience, and in turn, inspired the careers of a host of homegrown local country stars. Many of whom enjoy huge popularity and continued success with recordings and live performances.

Over the years, local country stars like Lance James, Billy Forrest, Bobby Angel and Joanna Field sold millions of records and set the scene for country music festivals and live performances across the country.
Now, a new generation of country and Americana-styled South African artists have emerged with their own identity and sound. These new rising stars are ready to reach global audiences. 

Jacob Swann, Jack Atlantic and Karla Gouws is leading the way with great self-penned tunes and a sound that conveys the big spirit of new country music from Africa. 

The Big Country Africa album couples these new artists together with some of Africa's country legends for the first time to showcase the best of country music cultivated in Africa.

Heartbreak Road

The Betsie Beers - Heartbreak Road

Lee Hazlewood "My Autumn's Done Come" a sketch

‘Fink’s Sunday Night Blues Dubs’ Out Now -
R’COUP’D / Stream / Download: https://fink.lnk.to/fnbd

Listen to the official playlist: http://fink.lnk.to/playlist

Follow Fink -
Facebook: http://found.ee/fink-fb
Twitter: http://found.ee/fink-tw
Soundcloud: http://found.ee/fink-sc
Spotify: http://found.ee/fink-sp

Fink’s Sunday Night Blues Dubs

Hour Golden (FSNBDUB)

'Bosky' Out Now -
Ninjashop / Stream / Download: http://nathanfake.lnk.to/boskySO

Taken from 'Providence Reworks: Part I' released 11th August 2017 via Ninja Tune.

Follow Nathan Fake -
Facebook: http://found.ee/nfake-fb
Twitter: http://found.ee/nfake-tw
Spotify: http://found.ee/nfake-sp
Soundcloud: http://found.ee/nfake-sc

Providence Reworks: Part I

Nathan Fake - 'Bosky'

Pre-order the new album ‘The Making of a Paracosm', released 23 October on Foreign Family Collective/Counter Records: https://kasbo.ffm.to/paracosm.pbt

Stream/Download my debut album 'Places We Don't Know': http://lnk.to/placeswedontknow

Feels incredible to be releasing my Debut Album, it's been such a long process and such a long challenge it kind of felt like this day would never come, but it did.

Conceptually the album is about romanticizing a naive world view. That naiveness and ignorance is something to be cherished. There's something really beautiful about the perfect worldview you have as a kid, that the world is harmless, beautiful and good. The more you learn and experience though the more you realise everything isn't perfect. So the less you know the more beautiful it is, it's the things we haven't done, the places we don't know, that have this unquestionable beauty to it. it's this world i'm trying to mirror with my album, the one that stays in your imagination.

Musically i knew i wanted to do a sonic representation of the concept, blending worldly sounds with small bedroom type samples and soundscapes. I really loved the idea of those two polarizing things being the two main factors that would lay the ground for the album. 

- Carl 💖

Places We Don't Know Tour dates (with support from BAYNK & EVAN GIIA):

Tickets: lnk.to/placeswedontknow

April 6 - Amsterdam - Minneapolis, MN+
April 7 - Chop Shop - Chicago, IL+
April 8 - 9 - Phoenix Lights Music Festival - Phoenix, AZ
April 13 - Fox Theatre - Boulder, CO*
April 19 - Baby's All Right - Brooklyn, NY+
April 20 - Sonia's - Boston, MA+
April 21 - Velvet Underground - Toronto, ON*
April 26 - Holocene - Portland, OR+
April 27 - Celebrities - Vancouver, BC+
April 28 - Neumos - Seattle, WA+
May 4 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA+
May 5 - Teragram - Los Angeles, CA+
May 9 - Red Hat Amphitheatre - Raleigh, NC^
May 10 - Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre - Charlotte, NC ^
May 11 - Iroquois Amphitheatre - Louisville, KY^
May 16 - Daily's Palace - Jacksonville, FL^
May 17 - CFE Arena - Orlando, FL^
May 18 - Bayfront Park Miami - Miami, FL^
May 19 - Hangout Music Festival - Gulf Shores, AL
June 14 - 17 - Dover, DE - Firefly Music Festival
June 21 - June 25 - Electric Forest Music Festival - Rothbury, MI
June 28 - July 2 - Electric Forest Music Festival - Rothbury, MI

* With BAYNK
+ With BAYNK & EVAN GIIA
^ Supporting ODESZA

Follow KASBO
https://kasbo.ffm.to/twitter
https://kasbo.ffm.to/facebook
https://kasbo.ffm.to/youtube
https://kasbo.ffm.to/instagram
https://kasbo.ffm.to/applemusic
https://kasbo.ffm.to/spotify

Bleed It Out

Bleed It Out (feat. Nea)

Download

Download "Sink Or Swim" on iTunes & stream on Apple Music.

https://geo.itunes.apple.com/za/album/art-of-edm/1314394528?app=itunes&at=101ltUD

"Sink or Swim" featuring Josh Wantie  is the lead single from the brand new, highly anticipated album from Platinum selling DJ & producer DJ Qness. The album explores a tropical house palate and seamlessly melds a cross section of house flavoured sonic effervescence & mid-tempo sunshine. 

Focusing on enticing melodies and pop veneers "Art of EDM" boasts a full house of front-line South African stars. Standouts range from the poptastic tropical down-low groove of lead single "Sink or Swim" with Josh Wantie, the quasi township back beat of "I need You" starring Mathew Gold, the whistle a minute disco infection of "Disco Drive" with Michael Lowman and the raise it up and dance it off deep shake of "How Can It be Love" with Freshly Grounds Zolani Mahola.

"Art of EDM" finds itself as another high water mark for DJ Qness.
File under "future classic".

Keep up with DJ Qness:
https://www.facebook.com/qnessdj/
https://twitter.com/DJQness

P&C: 2017 Just Music

Art of EDM

Sink or Swim

iTunes

DJ Qness - Sink Or Swim (feat. Josh Wantie) [Preview]

This young outfit made their mainstream live performance debut at the Oppikoppi festival earlier this year, where they were warmly received by screaming fans that immediately latched onto the band’s fresh sound and youthful, fun image.

Shaped around school friends with a similar passion and taste in music, the band could be mistaken for a calculated new boy band, quite the contrary. The lads are all gifted musicians with a natural flair for producing top notch pop-rock. Of course it helps that their youthful image has a strong appeal to the young fan base that is quickly emerging.

The band comprises Brandon Holz (guitar), Luka De Wet (drums), Reuben Pieterse (vocals) and Josi Goncalves (bass guitar). 

Recently signed to top independent record label Just Music, Oh! Calamity’s debut single entitled “Perfect Stranger” is being released on the 8th December, just in time to penetrate the market over the holiday season. The song was penned by guitarist Brandon Holz, who has also composed most of the material being recorded for Oh! Calamity’s 2018 debut album with producer Matthew Fink at the Just Music studio.

A schedule of live shows is being put together to take Oh! Calamity on the road early in the new year. By then, we expect that this exciting new band will no longer be perfect strangers to media and the local music industry.
						
Follow Oh! Calamity here:
https://www.facebook.com/ohcalamityband/ 
https://twitter.com/ohcalamity

Oh! Calamity - Perfect Stranger

The Sad Ghost delivered 2 and bit hours of emotion and soul.

Christopher Keys was a huge part of the Just Move Records creative team, he was our head designer and the magic behind our beautiful artworks and we loved his music taste and knowledge. 

We will forever miss him 

  RIP CK.

JMR Motion Podcast 29 - Christopher Keys (RIP)

Singer songwriter John Niel, is one of Just Music's recent additions. John marked his single debut with the hugely popular song “Heart Of Mine” which found multiple adds across South African radio. John Niel was one of the 10 participants from the Just Inspired Live Acoustic Sessions project hosted by Just Music in 2017 where his unmistakable talent and charisma captivated the audience.

Born and bred in Pretoria, South Africa, John finally decided to bring his music to Cape Town after performing all over in Gauteng for more than 8 years. After school he took to busking where he performed in front of various shopping centres / restaurants in order to hone and develop his craft. Now a signed artist with the record label that helped put Matthew Mole and a few others on the map, it looks like this break out artist’s upward trajectory is now firmly in place. 

JOHN NIEL:
https://www.facebook.com/niel.jordaan2
https://www.instagram.com/johnniel_music/ 4.5K

Trouble

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John Niel - Trouble

Contact: info@justmusic.co.za 

Just Music is South Africa’s leading independent music company and home to the world’s foremost independent labels: Beggars Group [XL Recordings, Matador / Young / Rough Trade / 4AD], Ninja Tune and Hidden Beach Recordings. 

Just represents notable South African artists that include MaxX & Love, Aidan Fraser, The Dirty Skirts, Nic Jeffrey, The Black Cat Bones, WONDERboom, FUZIGISH, Anna Wolf, Ruff Majik, Springbok Nude Girls, The Medicine Dolls, RAMDAZ, Sannie Fox and Jack Atlantic.

Just Music is also the South African home to key international artists that include Radiohead, Queens of The Stone Age, Thundercat, Louis Cole, salut, ODESZA, Little Dragon, King Krule, The Smile, Peggy Gou, Jayda G, Róisín Murphy, Bonobo, Kasbo, Floating Points, Future Islands, The Kills, Young Fathers, Jill Scott, The National, and Fink.

The Betsie Beers - Heartbreak Road

Just Music South Africa

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