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BLK JKS tonight @ Paradiso

Heralded as the sound of new South Africa, BLK JKS (pronounced the Black Jacks) play in the Kleine Zaal tonight @ Paradiso (10pm). Their sound can be described as afro avant noise (art) rock and punk with elements of dub and ska. This band are from Johannesburg with two of the members from Soweto. Having taken a trip through Soweto a few years ago and hearing the great music that people were playing on their car battery powered boom boxes I think this should be a very interesting gig indeed. These guys played the Big Chill festival last week which unfortunately I could not go to, so now's the chance to catch a bit of the Big Chill in Amsterdam this summer. They are also playing @ Cargo in London on August 30'th if you happen to be about.

Pitch Black on Friday night

Over the past few years there have been a lot of good dub bands coming out of New Zeeland and we have been fortunate that they like to drop into Amsterdam whenever they are about. A few years ago Fat Freddys Drop brought down the house in the Sugar Factory and I remember a great night with Salmonella Dub also. (in fact one of these guys was their producer)

Pitch Black have a pounding dub electronica sound. If you are into bands like the Revolutionary Dub Warriors, Zion Train or Dreadzone then this live act is for you.

Where: Winston Kingdom
When: On at 9.30pm

You can check them out on Myspace here.

Ratatat on Sunday night

On Sunday July 20'th - Ratatat play at the Paradiso in the Kleine Zaal

A few months back I got a text from a friend of mine in New Zealand to tell me about an excellent band that he was watching in Auckland. We now get to see them play here in Amsterdam in the intimate kleine zaal at the Paradiso. Their music is an interesting blend of electronica with rock with elements of hip-hop (trip-hop rock?).

This is the single off of new their aptly named third album LP3.

James Pants on Sunday July 13'th

During the festival season its great that we get some artists doing gigs here in Amsterdam while they are on the circuit. Though there are not enough of them for me its good that we get at least some good acts in this normally quiet time of summer. Next week comes Ratatat, though more on that in my next post.

This weekend we see James Pants from the Stones Throw label. As you would expect he has elements of hip-hop in his sound alongside electro.

On Sunday night he will be playing at OCCII and he also plays in the Vondelpark at the 't Blauwe Theehuis on Sunday afternoon at 3/4pm.

James Pants on Myspace