Blue Smiley - Ok - CASSETTES

The rags-to-riches chronicle of Penny Penny's life would be remarkable if he had only released his smash debut Shaka Bundu and packed houses for a few years. But the inimitable South African singer and dancer known for his trademark top ponytail and emphatic anthems was no one-hit wonder. In the aftermath of Shaka Bundu's nationwide explosion, far beyond his country the album resonated with ever bigger audiences. He performed up and down the continent, building fanbases in more than a dozen countries. So his sophomore album Yogo Yogo-released in 1996-solidified Penny Penny's standing in pop music nationally and provided new energy to his pan-African stadium-filling adventures. I was very busy between Shaka Bundu and Yogo Yogo. Shows every week, local and outside the country. There was no relaxing from 1995 until 1999.Inch The album also reflects the era in which it emerged. If Shaka Bundu arrived triumphantly amid newfound political freedom in South Africa with the end of Apartheid and Nelson Mandela's election, Yogo Yogo was a next level expression for the maturing artist. He wanted to get a message out. Composed with Joe Shirimani, who also produced the album, the sound and compositional style echoes the earlier recording but the topical nature of the lyrics became more deliberate, more didactic. In the song InchInganiInch Penny proclaims, we are all one people even though we may speak different languages, we are all Nguni-a larger historical grouping that includes many of the ethnic groups in modern South Africa. InchKulani Kulani,Inch which means grow up, urges young people to say no to drugs and yes to education. Ama Owners, referring to the public transport drivers involved in violent rumbles, asks the nation's drivers to relax because we need them for our safe arrival. Penny's success as a Xitsonga artist should not be under-estimated in the context of popular

In 2013, Blue Smiley officially formed in Brian Nowell and John Slavin's rodent-infested North Philadelphia apartment. With Nowell primarily composing from the hammock he used as a bed, Blue Smiley created three short recordings within a year, featuring drummers Gracie Clements, Tim McMonigle, and Joe Veltri. Matt McGraw, drummer and childhood friend of Slavin's, later joined the group to galvanize a sound that helped define Philadelphia indie rock of the 2010's.Blue Smiley's first professionally recorded album ok released in 2015, featuring dystopian noise-pop compositions with fuzzy effects, unique for it's focus on groove and precipitous tempo changes. Slavin then relocated to Austin, TX while close friend and bassist Michael Corso joined Nowell for the next iteration of the group.True to the Blue Smiley ethos, their next full-length return soon followed, replete with snappy, short songs that waste no time getting to the point. On return, Nowell's hushed vocals settle deeper into the band's tapestry, like an iridescent thread that catches your eye at just the right moment. During their last tour, the band introduced a handful of new songs, but never made it to the studio. While celebrating his upcoming 27th birthday with his parents, Nowell expressed his intentions to put these tracks together for a third LP. Tragically, Nowell was found unresponsive in his room the following morning on October 8, 2017, a victim of fentanyl poisoning.In spite of the band's premature ending, their legacy is now immortalized with this physical recording.1. bird2. flip3. dark4. old5. glass6. spin7. pray8. idk9. tree10. Coma

Details 1. U.S.S.R. 2. Blown 3. Billows 4. Liminal