Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mid-20th century. It de-emphasizes melody and chord progressions and focuses on a strong rhythmic groove of a bassline played by an electric bassist and a drum part played by a percussionist, often at slower tempos than other popular music. Funk typically consists of a complex percussive groove with rhythm instruments playing interlocking grooves that create a "hypnotic" and "danceable" feel. Funk uses the same richly colored extended chords found in bebop jazz, such as minor chords with added sevenths and elevenths, or dominant seventh chords with altered ninths and thirteenths.
Leslie Edward Claypool is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and author. He is best known as the founder, lead singer, bassist, and primary songwriter of the band Primus since its formation in 1984. Frequently considered to be one of the greatest bassists of all time, his playing style is well known for mixing tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends, and slapping.
Extreme is an American rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1985, that reached the height of their popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They have released five studio albums, two EPs and two compilation albums since their formation. The band was one of the most successful rock acts of the early 1990s, selling over 10 million albums worldwide.
The Dears are a Canadian indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec. The band is led by the husband-and-wife duo of singer-guitarist Murray Lightburn and keyboardist Natalia Yanchak.
The Mad Caddies are a ska punk band from Solvang, California, United States. The band formed in 1995 and has released seven full-length albums, one live album, and two EPs. To date, Mad Caddies have sold over 500,000 albums worldwide.
Freshlyground are a South African Afro-fusion band that formed in Cape Town in 2002. The band members have different backgrounds, including South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. Freshlyground's musical style blends elements of traditional South African music, blues, jazz, and features of indie rock. They are best known for their performance "Waka Waka " with Colombian singer Shakira, which received worldwide recognition. The music video – featuring the group – also received over 3 billion views on YouTube, making it the 21st most watched video on the entire site.
Karen Zoid is a South African rock singer, songwriter, guitarist, composer and talk show host. Her work in both English and Afrikaans has gathered critical acclaim, and she has been dubbed South Africa's "Queen of Rock" by several major local publications. Her followers and, more generally, the South African youth have also been referred to as the "Zoid Generation" by the press. Zoid's current band members are Henry Steel Jnr (guitar), Schalk van der Merwe and Jonno Sweetman (drums). The singer is also known for hosting the kykNet television series Republiek van Zoid Afrika and was one of the judges on The Voice SA as well.
The Parlotones are a South African indie rock band from Johannesburg. Formed in 1998, the group consists of Kahn Morbee, Paul Hodgson, Glen Hodgson, and Neil Pauw. The Parlotones' early sound was rooted in Britpop, but eventually grew to incorporate a wider spectrum of musical genres. The lyrics focus on personal themes, of love and everyday life, paired with catchy melodies that engage their audience.
A Place to Bury Strangers are an American rock band formed in 2002, in New York City. The trio is currently composed of Oliver Ackermann, John Fedowitz and Sandra Fedowitz (drums). Commonly known by the initials APTBS, the band plays a heavy, atmospheric Wall of Sound–influenced blend of noise rock, shoegaze and space rock.
Myepic is a South African band featuring singer Jeff Strodl, bassist Matthys Cronje, lead guitarist JP Sing and percussionist Jonathan Jackson.
Zebra & Giraffe is an alternative rock band from South Africa. The band's debut album, Collected Memories, was released on 5 May 2008.
Silent Sanctuary is a 6-piece Filipino rock band that was formed in Metro Manila, Philippines in 2001. Five studio albums have been released by the band throughout its career.
Sila and the Afrofunk Experience is an Afrofunk band formed in 2003.
Woods is an American folk rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2005. The band consists of Jeremy Earl, Jarvis Taveniere, Aaron Neveu (drums), Chuck Van Dyck (bass), and Kyle Forester. The band's former bassist, Kevin Morby, left the band in 2013.
Jim Neversink is a South African musician, singer and songwriter. His musical style spans over indie rock, country, americana and punk.
It Prevails is an American five-piece metalcore band from Portland, Oregon, formed in 2004. The band is influenced by melodic metalcore and classic rock, including Shai Hulud, Twelve Tribes, Strongarm, Lifetime and Hot Water Music. A premium was placed on lyrics related to struggles of the human condition and altruistic actions.
Taxi Violence is a South African rock band from Cape Town. The group consists of George van der Spuy (vocals), Jason Ling (bass), Louis Nel (drums), Rian Zietsman (guitar) and Loedi van Renen (guitar/bass). They have released five studio albums: Untie Yourself (2006), The Turn (2009), Unplugged: Long Way From Home (2011), Soul Shake (2013), and Tenfold (2014). They are influenced by bands such as: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Queens of the Stone Age, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam.
Prime Circle are a South African rock band, based in Johannesburg. The band has released 7 studio albums and achieved either gold or platinum status in South Africa. The band has expanded its audience to England and Europe where they are represented by a German agent and have signed an international recording deal, performing at festivals and their own shows in Germany.
Kala is a Filipino band that blends funk, nu-disco, acid jazz, electronic and rock music. Its members are Brian Tanchanco, JP Tanchanco, Jade Justine, and Andrew Contreras.
Klopjag is a South African, Afrikaans folk-rock band formed in Pretoria, Gauteng in 2002. The band's founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist John-Henry Opperman, cellist Marie-Louise Diedericks, singer-songwriter and guitarist Salmon de Jager and singer-songwriter and guitarist Dawie de Jager. Drummer and percussionist, Werner Griesel joined the band in 2005 and Morné Bam joined the band as bassist in 2006.
