With their experimental indie rock, their dedication
and passion for their craft and an almost
unstoppable desire to create music that matters,
Zebra and Giraffe have carved a name for themselves
in the hearts of their fans.
Z&G have endured nothing short of a whirlwind
journey of success in a very short space of time.
The band, now consisting of Greg Carlin (vocals +
guitar), Alan Shenton (guitar), Andrew Maskell
(bass) and Darren Leader (drums) have toured across
South Africa, played alongside international acts
such as Oasis and Snow Patrol, picked up a SAMA
award and are breathing new life into rock music as
we know it. Now they are ready to stake their
international claim.
Zebra
and Giraffe
Zebra and Giraffe is the brainchild of one Greg
Carlin (a TUKS Fine Arts graduate who some may
remember as a former member of a band called White
Lie), and their other two gigs before this one were
their album Launch and Oppikoppi. This band has
obviously done its homework when it comes to look
and sound: the black-and-tight-indie-jeanpant look,
with the odd bit of ironic schoolboy scruffy tie and
facial fuzz, combined with a sound that has elements
of (among others) Muse, Mutemath and My Chemical
Romance delivered with energy at ear-crunching
volume, definitely worked for the crowd.
It was also nice to see a relatively unknown band
looking like a well-rehearsed, finished product; too
many local acts get up on stage before they have any
idea of what they want to look or sound like, and
frankly, if they don't know what to make of
themselves, their audience won't either, and usually
doesn't.
Zebra & Giraffe is the name of a new force pressing
itself into the hearts and minds of music fans – and
even on first listen it’s clear that Z&G’s debut
long-player, ‘Collected Memories’, is every bit as
unique as the animals that it's named after.
In fact, at this stage (autumn 2008), the cleverly
named act is actually the 12-lettered pseudonym of
Johannesburg music wunderkind, Greg Carlin. Until he
(very shortly) assembles a cracking hot live band to
assist in showcasing his original songs, Carlin is
Zebra & Giraffe and the 10-songs on ‘Collected
Memories’ are an announcement of his own special
take on making music to all who hear it.
Zebra
and Giraffe
That Carlin was able to make his debut album
virtually unassisted (bar a session drummer) stems
from his multiple music talents that see him playing
everything from bass, to keyboards, guitar and more.
But in crafting ‘Collected Memories’ he wisely
called on the production talent of the sublimely
talented Darryl Torr who many music fans in the
country may know as the foil to Harris Tweed’s
Cherilyn MacNeil.
You might be forgiven for thinking that moving from
piano to guitar to drums to keyboards and bass may
hamper the album’s flow, giving it a sameness that
renders it impossible to listen to. Not in the case
of Zebra & Giraffe.
Zebra
and Giraffe
Perhaps it’s because of being able to adopt a
different name that ‘Collected Memories’ is a
journey of variety; a sonic outing that is, in fact,
brilliantly listenable.
The album starts with a song that should not waste
time in securing radio time – and indeed has already
had a welcoming reception across the board.
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