The Dirty Skirts have always had clear intentions as to where they were headed: to rise to the top of the South African music scene, and to take their music to the world. Driven by the awareness that it must be possible to reverse the tide of American/UK musical imports that washes through South Africa year to year, they’re on a mission to sell those pesky colonial powers something new, something very Cape Town.
It’s been, and continues to be a hero’s journey conducted in their inimitable style. They remain independent of the South African music industry… unsigned, unmanaged, maybe unmanageable, they remain mavericks, despite their rising status, and the imminent release of their colossal new album Daddy Don’t Disco.
The Dirty Skirts formed in Cape Town after a fortuitous braai-side meeting between Jess and David; a meeting of compatible hard working dreamers. They immediately set out to etch the band onto South Africa’s musical Hall of Fame by independently recording and releasing their eponymous debut mini-album in 2005. Singles such as “Feeling the Pressure” and “Set Me Alight” scorched up the local and student charts. Their first full length debut album On A Stellar Bender followed in 2007, with the barnstorming single “Homewrecker” reaching 1 on a number of national radio charts. In late 2007 they began writing the follow up album Daddy Don’t Disco, which will be released on the 1st June 2008.
As with most bands, The Dirty Skirts are not fans of pigeon-holing their music (“we’re not pigeons”), but their sound is steeped in an alternative rock tradition stretching back some fourty odd years. Think Pink Floyd, David Bowie, John Lennon, Talking Heads, The Pixies, Jane’s Addiction, The Cure and many more.
Featuring Jess de Tolly on lead vocals, synthesisers and guitar, David Moffatt on lead guitar, Passion Paliaga on bass and Markie de Menezes on drums, theirs is a mixture of pop, punk and rock – with a solid dose of electronica thrown in for good measure. The Dirty Skirts are clearly not scared of hooks, quirk, humour, and riffs, all of which are belted out over their soaring melodies. One writer once described their music as “the sweetest kick in the hind quarters you ever had”.
An essential part of The Dirty Skirts experience is their live performance. They are an astonishing proposition on stage, a heady combination of effervescent joy, humour, passion and raw animal power. They favour a punchy, “nose bleed set”, with improvised jams interspersed between their material. The result? They fill the largest and best clubs in South Africa, they headline every significant main stage of the country’s festivals; they’ve successfully taken their music to the UK and the US (including performing at the SXSW festival in Austin), not to mention a spotlights worth of media attention.
NEW ALBUM DADDY DON'T DISCO TO BE RELEASED ON THE 15th OF JUNE 2008!
Upwardly mobile Mother City quartet the Dirty Skirts carve open a niche for themselves somewhere between Bloc Party’s existential post-punk and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s decadent indie dance floor renovations on this insidiously addictive confession session. While hyper-kinetic guitar anthems about partying too hard (“Too Many Parties”), chasing too many skirts (“Tune In”) and trying to survive Cape Town’s cliquey club culture (“Is this It?) will free your ass on the dance floor, more inquisitive interrogations of life, love and the search for meaning beyond seasonal hip sales pitches (“Spirit Is the New Black”) make the Dirty Skirts something of a rarity: an indie rock band with the substance to match their style.
AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING STORES IN SA:
Look & Listen (Nationwide)
Musica
Musica Megawarehouse (Waterfront, Cape Town)
Subterania Music (Observatory, Cape Town)
Rythmic Beat (Nationwide)
Seedys (Hatfield square, Pretoria)
African Music Store (90A Long Street, Cape Town)
Canned Applause (Johannesburg)
Music Moods (Nationwide)
Top CD (Nationwide)
Mabu Vinyl (Rheede Street Mall, Cape Town)
Upbeat
ALSO AVAILABLE GLOBALLY FROM: iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody etc.
After almost three years of being a band, we've finally knuckled down to release an album. To celebrate this momentous occasion we're throwing three parties. It would be nice to have you there.
18 July - Alexander Theatre | 1 August - EVOL | 2 August - Klein Libertas
Thank you very much for the add!It's a pleasure to see you in our realm!We hope to see you during our upcoming world tour, so check the tour dates, and see if we will be next to you!We love to meet all our fans and friends personally...let's sign our friends map, it would be very important for us to know in which Countries we have to most of our friends...We have just uploaded our new songs, as a preview of the new upcoming album, it would be great if you'll listen 'em, and then will leave us a comment about...thank you again, and please keep in touch!OK?Bloody Kisses and Bites...
Hi guys, thanks for accepting my request...now you have an afrikaanse girl friend from Greece...you have a nice original sound and a great concept, keep on rockin'! If you ever visit our island, let me know... things here are really laidback, it is a good place for chilling out and jamming! Wishing you peace & happiness Louise
Thanks for the add guys! Love your music; sounds like a mix of Bloc Party and The Police. Come hear a tune or two of RobinPlaysChords' material and let me know what you think. Thanks again. RobinPlaysChords
Fellas, I just got back from Cape Town and was introduced to you by my friend from PE - gotta say that I'm lovin' your sound, bought your album at the Waterfront and if you haven't already been to the UK then please try to sometime soon - you guys would go down well with our current musical scene. Make sure Birmingham is on your route! Nice one lads. Ali Mac
hey makry! its your cousin matthew jordaan idk if u know tania jordaan (mom and sis) but how did u get into touring pretty much everywhere? its crazy lol
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