POWER OF POP: Music, Film, Comics & Book Reviews

JOE BONAMASSA – LIVE IN SINGAPORE

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May 172012

Award-winning blues rock star, guitar hero and singer-songwriter Joe Bonamassa and his ace touring band will perform at the Esplanade Concert Hall on Monday, 17th September.

The one-night-only show is in support of his brand new solo album Driving Towards The Daylight (J&R Adventures) as well as the recently released DVD/Blu-ray Joe Bonamassa: Beacon Theatre– Live From New York, which debuted at #3 on the Billboard DVD Chart.

Event details:

Date & Time: 17th September 2012 @ 730pm

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Tickets: S$ 125*, S$ 105*, S$85*

Time Out subscribers enjoy a 10% discount from 18th – 31st May

Public sales from 1st June

*All prices above exclude booking fee(s)

Purchase at all authorized SISTIC Agents and Box Office, online at www.sistic.com.sg, via the iNETS mobile app (SMS to 76387) or call the SISTIC hotline at +65 6348 5555.

THE JEZABELS – LIVE IN SINGAPORE

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May 172012

(Press release)

Untitled Entertainment proudly welcomes the newest member of the Untitled family, Untitled Records.

Kicking off the launch of Singapore’s newest indie label is the upcoming Asian album release of hotly tipped Australian favorites, The Jezabels. The band’s debut full-length album, Prisoner, will be available in markets across SE Asia in June, coinciding with a four-date promotional tour of the region.

Event details are below:

Date: Friday, June 15th, 2012

Time: Doors @ 19:00

Venue: Home Club 20 Upper Circular Road

#B1-01/06 The Riverwalk Singapore 058416 T (+65) 6538 2928

Tickets: Advance SGD 30 | Doors SGD 40 (includes 1 standard drink) On sale from Monday, May 21st at Home Club

BOB MARLEY

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May 162012

“ONE GOOD THING ABOUT MUSIC, WHEN IT HITS YOU FEEL NO PAIN”

Reggae pioneer Bob Marley was the very first third world superstar. His legacy is his incredible music, built on the foundations of reggae, birthed in his native Jamaica as its own folk music. More than thirty years after his early death, Marley still remains as relevant as ever, his influence on modern music is unmistakable and whilst many have adopted his style, Bob Marley will always be unique, a one-of-a-kind.

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PLAINSUNSET

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May 162012

Veteran indie band Plainsunset is hosting a fundraiser on Sunday, 27th May for its upcoming Melbourne tour which will feature several other bands (see above poster). For more information check out the FB event page.

SOUNDCLOUD GLOBAL MEETUP (SINGAPORE)

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May 152012

Sound brings people together. Sound forms connections and sound breaks down barriers. SoundClouders are spread all over the globe and that’s what makes this community of sound creators so amazing and unique.

Celebrate this global community of soundsmiths right here in Singapore, as the Singapore Soundcloud community comes together as part of the Soundcloud Global Meetup Day on 17 May, at the Pigeonhole.

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BASEMENT IN MY LOFT

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May 132012

Adrian Jones, the man behind Basement in my Loft, returns to his native Wales in June and to send him off, BIML together with Etc and Hushhouse will play at Pigeonhole on 1 June for From Despair to Wales. Power of Pop caught up with Adrian for a quick chat about his imminent departure and the new BIML album.

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YOUTUBE STARS – LIVE IN SINGAPORE

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May 132012

Photo by Aloysius Lim / Warner Music Singapore

Photo by Aloysius Lim / Warner Music Singapore

From Online To A Live Stage… But Are They Any Good?

As I walked up the Forum steps towards the Hard Rock Café Coliseum, where the YouTube Stars would be performing, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Yes, I know what YouTube is. Yes, I understand that lots of folks upload videos to YouTube. Yes, I’m aware that some folks make videos of themselves singing and playing musical instruments and their videos go viral, and that’s how some people got fame as singers, musicians and songwriters. But the big question on my mind that night was, are these same people any good in a live concert situation? Tonight was the night I would find out.

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SANTANA

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May 122012

Greatest Hits: Live at Montreux 2011

I’ve lost count of the number of DVDs that Eagle Vision has released which feature live performances of Carlos Santana but this definitive ‘Greatest Hits’ two-DVD set probably the best one yet! But seriously, there is not much else to say about Santana – he is a guitar legend that has transcended his roots in San Francisco’s 70s psychedelic hippie scene to become a worldwide mainstream rock phenomenon.

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GEEK OUT! FRINGE SEASON 4

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May 122012

AND THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY TOGETHER…

(Spoilers abound, so beware!)

About a year ago, I grumbled and lamented that the Season 3 finale had been so disappointing. Basically, I opined that removing Peter from existence did not make any sense whatsoever and was wondering how the writers would resolve this in Season 4. Well, over the course of the 22 episodes of the excellent Season 4, I’ve had to eat my words numerous times.

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SHIGGA SHAY

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May 122012

ShiGGa Shay’s highly anticipated debut EP, They Call Me ShiGGa is finally done! This 9- track EP showcases ShiGGa Shay’s storytelling skills. The 19 year-old hip–hop artist navigates topics such as gaining acceptance as a musician in Singapore to the loss of his father to cancer.

Since early 2011, the rapper has been diligently working on this EP, working with several producers such as Kartell Records producer extraordinaire Muzique (from Flight School), Noctune & Outcome (from Malaysia), Don Richmond, The Architek and J Doug (from the United Kingdom). The young performer is quietly forming his own personal style and brand of hip-hop.

The album has been mixed by both Muzique and Don Richmond and mastered by Tony Dawsey at Masterdisk in New York City.

They Call Me ShiGGa is released digitally on Saturday 12 May 2012 through his official site: www.shiggashay.com and as a physical album with bonus additional material in early June. Pre-orders for the physical copies can be made on the official site on 12 May 2012.

GEEK OUT! AKAN DATANG*

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May 122012

With the resounding box office success of The Avengers, the summer blockbuster season has gotten off to the perfect start. To date, the Joss Whedon-helmed superhero movie spectacular has already grossed over US$800 million worldwide and there appears no reason to suppose that it will not surpass the billion dollar mark.

With science-fiction and fantasy themed movies capturing the imagination of the movie-going public, let’s take stock of what is the come in the months ahead and let’s speculate upon how well (or poorly – remember John Carter?) they will be received.

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PoPTV – THE SILVER FACTORY

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May 112012

“If Words Could Kill” off debut EP, The Sun Shines Over You

HOLY TIME WARP, BATMAN!

Relax, kids it’s still 2012 though from a listen to and look at British band The Silver Factory, you’d be hard pressed not to think about 60s pop. And why not, there is not enough attention paid to indie jangle pop practitioners and so.. check out this quaint retro video and stay tuned for the review of that debut EP to come…(Kudos to the Audities list poster for the recommendation)

PoPINIONS

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May 102012

THE MORE YOU IGNORE ME, THE CLOSER I GET

For my ‘official’ review of the Morrissey concert go here.

To be honest, I never thought I’d end up at the much-anticipated Morrissey concert. I can’t really afford the astronomical ticket prices nowadays and the relevant concert promoter basically does not believe in granting this site media passes (and has never done so). In any case, I was pleasantly surprised when Fred Perry Singapore offered me a VIP ticket no less (thank you, Cheryl Ann Lee/Hazel Tan) and so I ended up sweating bullets on Tuesday night with the rest of the throng of mostly thirty- and forty-somethings who gathered to see the Moz up close.

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DEATH AND A CURE – LIVE IN SINGAPORE

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May 102012

Two sides of the same coin – twin perspectives of Death and the Cure’s live show at the Prince of Wales on 5th May.

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ELVIS COSTELLO

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May 092012

PEACE, LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING!

ELVIS COSTELLO & THE SPECTACULAR SPINNING SONGBOOK CONCERT

TO PREMIERE ON CABLE’S PPV AND VOD

Special Pay-Per-View Concert Performance with Surprise Guest Stars & Surprise Songs

Will Air Exclusively On Cable Starting May 7

Elvis Costello and The Imposters’ unique concert style wows audiences when he allows his set-list to be chosen by The Spectacular Spinning Songbook, a monumental game-show type wheel spun by fans. Now, for the first time, cable audiences around the country can join the fun with his first-ever Pay-Per-View (PPV) and Video On Demand (VOD) special, Elvis Costello & The Spinning Songbook, an hour of surprise guests and surprise songs. It premieres on May 7 in High Definition PPV* and starts May 24 on VOD. The PPV concert will be available throughout May and June at various times in both SD and HD. (Highlights of the PPV and VOD schedule below).

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KEANE

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May 052012

BACK TO THE EGG

Keane returns with their fourth effort, Strangeland, after three albums and an EP. Best known for the hits “Everybody’s Changing” and “Somewhere Only We Know” from their debut album Hopes and Fears, they produced a third album that heavily drew on their 80s influences. Strangeland, on the other hand, is a return to their piano rock roots and is an enjoyable listen but still lacks the staying power of their first two albums.

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GEEK OUT! THE AVENGERS

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May 042012

Despite all the hype that has been surrounding The Avengers movie, I had this nagging suspicion that the movie just could not live up to the huge expectations being placed on it. The key issue was whether writer-director Joss Whedon could juggle the four main characters (viz. Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and Captain America) and supporting characters (viz. Black Widow, Hawkeye & Nick Fury) and provide a coherent narrative at the same time.

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SKULLMANIA

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May 042012

Skullmania: New Wave Of Singaporean Heavy Metal EP Launch

Hood Bar & Café played host to Skullmania’s New Wave of Singaporean Heavy Metal EP launch last Saturday. The band shared the stage with Various X-capes, Zaganoth, Suicide Solution and Thy Fallen Kingdom.

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WE ARE THE IN CROWD – LIVE IN SINGAPORE

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May 032012

A_WATIC-6

Picture by Ryan Chang

A Teenage Dream Come True

Hundreds of eager teenagers spent a Tuesday evening (3rd April) enjoying a concert at *SCAPE Warehouse with a pop punk band from Poughkeepsie, New York, known as We Are The In Crowd (WATIC).

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GEEK OUT! THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

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May 022012

With all the hype surrounding Marvel’s Avengers, it’s easy to forget that Chris Nolan’s Dark Knight Rises opens in July and still remains one of the most hotly-anticipated films of 2012. A new trailer was released a few days ago and as trailers go, there’s not much slam bang action to go around but there are enough hints to suggest what will be transpire in this final installment of Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.

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MESHUGGAH

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May 012012

BRUTAL HONESTY

Known for its visceral forays into math rock and experimental jazz territory, Koloss – Swedish headbangers Meshuggah‘s follow-up to the sonic onslaught that was 2008′s obZen, is a retreat of sorts into organic, riff-driven songwriting. Not that any of Meshuggah‘s trademark heaviness or power is lost in the process by any means, but Koloss comes across like an album that has nothing to prove.

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PoP10 – THE BASTARDS OF FATE

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May 012012

(Answers by Doug Cheatwood, above front)

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PoPTV – HERE WE GO MAGIC

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May 012012

“How Do I Know” (off upcoming new album, A Different Ship)

Here We Go Magic have released a new video for their lead single “How Do I Know”. Directed by Sean Pecknold (Fleet Foxes, Beach House, Grizzly Bear) the video stars Janet Pants as a happy-go-lucky dancing robot who is being returned to the factory by her owner. It’s bright, chirpy with circular hooks and the video is as bizarre as you’d expect it to be. Check it out!

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JON AUER/DYNAMO ROYALE

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May 012012

Jon Auer (The Posies/Big Star) is back with a new project – Dynamo Royale (with band mate/partner Tiz Aramini) – who are in the midst of recording a new album. Auer and Aramini are looking for funding of recording, CD manufacturing and other ancillary costs (approx. $8,000/-) and thus have listed this project at Kickstarter. If this interests you, then please check out the Kickstarter page and support generously.

HIGH ON FIRE

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Apr 302012

THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS

I sometimes wonder what famed writers Robert Bloch and HP Lovecraft would have thought of metal bands like High on Fire appropriating their imagery for songs about fear, horror and death? For the uninitiated, De Vermis Mysteriis or Mysteries of the Worm, is a fictional grimoire created by Bloch and incorporated by Lovecraft into the lore of the Cthulhu Mythos. I imagine after getting over the sheer visceral shock of the music itself, they would have probably been quite honoured. Who knows, they might have hated it?!?

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Back Issues

PoPFeed

BOB MARLEY
“ONE GOOD THING ABOUT MUSIC, WHEN IT HITS YOU FEEL NO PAIN” Reggae pioneer Bob Marley was the very first third world superstar. His legacy is his incredible music, built on the foundations of reggae, birthed in his native Jamaica as its own folk music. More than thirty years after his early death, Marley still […]
PLAINSUNSET
Veteran indie band Plainsunset is hosting a fundraiser on Sunday, 27th May for its upcoming Melbourne tour which will feature several other bands (see above poster). For more information check out the FB event page. […]
SOUNDCLOUD GLOBAL MEETUP (SINGAPORE)
Sound brings people together. Sound forms connections and sound breaks down barriers. SoundClouders are spread all over the globe and that’s what makes this community of sound creators so amazing and unique. Celebrate this global community of soundsmiths right here in Singapore, as the Singapore Soundcloud community comes together as part of the Soundcloud G […]
BASEMENT IN MY LOFT
Adrian Jones, the man behind Basement in my Loft, returns to his native Wales in June and to send him off, BIML together with Etc and Hushhouse will play at Pigeonhole on 1 June for From Despair to Wales. Power of Pop caught up with Adrian for a quick chat about his imminent departure and the […]
YOUTUBE STARS – LIVE IN SINGAPORE
From Online To A Live Stage… But Are They Any Good? As I walked up the Forum steps towards the Hard Rock Café Coliseum, where the YouTube Stars would be performing, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Yes, I know what YouTube is. Yes, I understand that lots of folks upload videos to YouTube. Yes, […]
SANTANA
Greatest Hits: Live at Montreux 2011 I’ve lost count of the number of DVDs that Eagle Vision has released which feature live performances of Carlos Santana but this definitive ‘Greatest Hits’ two-DVD set probably the best one yet! But seriously, there is not much else to say about Santana – he is a guitar legend […]
GEEK OUT! FRINGE SEASON 4
AND THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY TOGETHER… (Spoilers abound, so beware!) About a year ago, I grumbled and lamented that the Season 3 finale had been so disappointing. Basically, I opined that removing Peter from existence did not make any sense whatsoever and was wondering how the writers would resolve this in Season 4. Well, over […]
SHIGGA SHAY
ShiGGa Shay’s highly anticipated debut EP, They Call Me ShiGGa is finally done! This 9- track EP showcases ShiGGa Shay’s storytelling skills. The 19 year-old hip–hop artist navigates topics such as gaining acceptance as a musician in Singapore to the loss of his father to cancer. Since early 2011, the rapper has been diligently working […]
GEEK OUT! AKAN DATANG*
With the resounding box office success of The Avengers, the summer blockbuster season has gotten off to the perfect start. To date, the Joss Whedon-helmed superhero movie spectacular has already grossed over US$800 million worldwide and there appears no reason to suppose that it will not surpass the billion dollar mark. With science-fiction and fantasy […]
PoPTV – THE SILVER FACTORY
“If Words Could Kill” off debut EP, The Sun Shines Over You HOLY TIME WARP, BATMAN! Relax, kids it’s still 2012 though from a listen to and look at British band The Silver Factory, you’d be hard pressed not to think about 60s pop. And why not, there is not enough attention paid to indie […]

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