in which blk jks is a whole lot of awesome

so, a band that i find really fascinating is blk jks because, frankly, they're really hard to peg into a genre. one blog i've read claims they're hip hop (to which i vehemently disagree). another says they're closer to reggae or ska. a few say they've got jazz vibes, and others see hints of folk or rock or psychedelic. some flat out call them world music, which is really, in my opinion, a disservice, because it's a generic term that people like to lump music that comes from somewhere outside of the states or britain in. maybe they're actually a conglomeration of all of these genres, and others, too, making them a unique voice in a field that sometimes rewards mediocrity (hello, american idol! i'm talking about you!)

for those of you who don't know who they are, blk jks is a band from johannesburg, south africa, who refers to themselves as indie rock or art-rock. some of you may have seen them perform for the world cup this last year in south africa with zol!. if you didn't, then check these guys out. their music is nuanced, textured, and very, very cool. for your musical perusal are two songs - the first, tselane, is in zulu. the second is zol! good luck trying to zol! out of your head after your first listen. it's absolutely infectious.

(mp3) tselane (daytrotter session) by blk jks

and (mp3) zol! by blk jks

go HERE to check out the entire blk jks daytrotter session. as always, daytrotter sessions are free for download! then go HERE for a tab on the band's site marked FREEDOM. as you probably can tell, it's got a bunch of free music for you to enjoy! and finally, go HERE to buy their latest album, zol!