The punk kids are back!

Yeah, I know that Plainsunset has been around for 12 years and is described as a ‘veteran’ band but they’ll always be the punk kids that released that Runaway CD, back who knows when. 

What does that say about me, eh?

Anyways, the big news is come the 26th of May, Universal Music will release Plainsunset’s eponymous fourth album! Now, for a scene that chews and spits out young bands all too frequently, this alone is a tremendous achievement. 

The album showcases a very modern sonic approach from Plainsunset, maintaining its melodic thrust and manic energy but remaining relevant with the times at the same time. Not only that, there’s a certain commercial edge to the proceedings with tracks like Johari Window, The River Song and Children sure to prick up the ears of even the mainstream audiences. Loads of potential to travel outside of Singapore as well.

Another date to note is 13th June when the band hosts its album launch party at Zouk Club. Yeah, know what you’re thinking - Zouk is the WORST place for a band to play but there you go…

Entry is only allowed for those 18 and above. Every CD purchased comes with a ticket to the launch party (limited to first 500 free on entry).  Tickets will be sold at the door at S$15.

So, expect a gushing review here soon and hopefully a band interview as well…

… and there’s more …

Besides the worthy cause, there are two main reasons why S-ROCK fans must catch Rock On Myanmar this Saturday - the Fire Fight and Allura.

Regular readers will be aware that I am a great admirer of both bands and despite their youth and relative inexperience, they have been slowly but surely building up a fan base that appreciates their unique qualities and distinct sound. 

They share one powerful edge - front persons that grab your attention. The Fire Fight’s Josh Tan is a whirlwind on stage and he connects with the audience so effortlessly. Allura’s Inch Chua is a mesmerizing performer and personifies the heady melange of jazz-inflected alt-rock that the band delivers with passion.

No offence meant to Cardinal Avenue, Stellastory or Redeeming the Riot - I’m sure they’ll do their best on the night - but fans will not want to miss out on Rock On Myanmar because the Fire Fight and Allura will be rocking the Fort Canning Gate and making it a night to remember…

See you there! Please come up and say hi!

The kind folks at Eagle Rock Entertainment have been sending me Music DVDs faithfully in the last year or so and I always feel a little guilty when I am not diligent enough to review. So hopefully I can make amends by dedicating this Blurb-O-Rama totally to Eagle Rock…

CARLOS SANTANA PLAYS BLUES AT MONTREUX 2004 DVD (Eagle Eye Media)

Blues fans will flip at this buffet of sizzling hot live blues from the legendary Carlos Santana with special guests, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Bobby Parker and Buddy Guy. Santana may be the superstar here but he appears to be playing a supporting role to these blues pioneers. With jazz, rock ‘n’ roll and blues rock overtones, there’s something for every rock fan here.

JANET - LIVE IN HAWAII DVD (Eagle Vision)

“Welcome to our universe” the patrons at this lavish Janet Jackson concert are informed at the very beginning and one cannot help but be awed by the scale and ambition of the production. Slick and sexy albeit somewhat soulless. But rabid fans will not bother about that… as long as the costumes and props keep getting brighter and more risque and Janet flaunts her physical attributes again and again and again…

TOTO - FALLING IN BETWEEN LIVE DVD (Eagle Vision)

80s hitmakers may in general  struggle to repeat historical success twenty years later but as is evident from this DVD, make significant headway as headlining concert acts. Whilst ostensibly this 2007 concert in Paris is part of the promotional campaign for the Falling In Between LP a year before, it is obvious that the fans are there for the hits e.g. Hold the Line, Rosanna and of course, Africa, and these are despatched with the proper aplomb. Strictly for fans only.

GILLAN - THE GLORY YEARS DVD (Eagle Vision)

Ian Gillan is probably best known as the singer of such classic Deep Purple rock songs as Smoke on the Water, Highway Star, Child in Time, Speed King, Black Night and so on. However, with his band Gillan he also managed to put together a sequence of UK chart hits which include No Laughing In Heaven and Mutually Assured Destruction. To be honest, as this DVD of a live college gig and assorted TV spots prove, Gillan’s sound was not that far away from the vintage Deep Purple style and for a while in the early 80s the band was really on top of their game. Highly recommended for all hard rock lovers.

Ric passed me the Control DVD recently and I found it to be everything you’d expect from a biopic of the tragic Ian Curtis. Directed by famed Dutch rock photographer Anton Corbjin, this black and white film comes across like a collection of moving pictures, literally. The performance by Sam Riley in the lead role is superb and the actors who play Joy Division even manage to pull off convincing live renditions of the classic material. Despite being based on widow Deborah Curtis’ book - Touching From A Distance - I found her role to be somewhat downplayed notwithstanding the best efforts of Sam Morton (one of the precogs in Minority Report). I guess it would not be cool to portray the legend as the sad bastard that Deborah Curtis did in the book. 

I would recommend all fans of that ground-breaking post-punk era to catch Control. And you can, this weekend at the Substation theatre. More info here.

Anyways, I was at the launch of the Control screenings at the Substation Theatre last night and it was a blast! The organizers had invited the Great Spy Experiment to perform at the post party and the band ran through some Joy Division songs and original material to a small-ish crowd.

Now a little aside. Would the powers-that-be at the Substation please do something about the theatre. The place is a bloody sauna! Totally not conducive for events of any kind unless you’re using it to torture someone! C’MON!

Back to GSE. Although the band messed up Disorder somewhat (maybe that was the idea, “disorder” geddit?), their versions of Shadowplay and (especially) Love Will Tear Us Apart were evocative and powerful. Lump in throat stuff. Of course, they delivered Siti in the City, Late Night Request, Class “A” Love Affair and the Great Decay with aplomb. No mean feat considering the constraints of the inhospitable environment. 

After the gig, I met Rick - the man behind the Rock in the Fine City blog, an indispensable resource for fans of 90s era S-ROCK - who proceeded to embarrass me by declarations of admiration, adoration and fan hood (truth is I enjoyed it, who wouldn’t?). Together with his friend, Ern (did I spell that right?) and their girlfriends (who seemed tickled pink by the whole scenario), they kindly informed me that there were many fans of Watchmen/The Crowd/Popland around! Where are you all? Come down to my gigs, please!! But seriously, thanks Rick and Ern for the kind words. You’re an inspiration to carry on…

A shout out to Fir, Audie, Desmond & Amanda (Electrico), Johnson & Andrew (Gibson) and the GSE gang, of course. 

Here’s a gig that promises to deliver both in terms of great Singapore music as well as pushing a worthy cause. I ’spoke’ to Leanne, a Victoria Junior College final year student - one of the organizers - to get the lowdown on ROM.

What is the purpose of Rock Off Malaria?

The main purpose of ROM is to raise public awareness of malaria and its impact on Africa, in order to encourage others to follow our lead in initiating projects to help the cause against malaria. The secondary aim is to provide a platform for Singaporeans to gain exposure to the talented but somewhat under-rated bands in the local music scene. 

We’re calling it Rock Off Malaria because all profits from the concert will go towards buying malaria nets for poverty stricken families in Africa.

Who are the people organizing the gig?

6 of us, Leanne Lim, Jovena Chan, Marianne Chin, Diane Tan, Daryl Yong and Darren Ho, are ex-classmates from the Victoria Integrated Programme (VIP). We are currently in our final year of JC and we chose to work together as we are very good friends. 

How did the idea of Rock Off Malaria come about?

We are targeting malaria because approximately 500 million people each year are infected, and more than one million of those die. It’s particularly devastating in Africa where the disease is a leading killer of children, accounting for 20% of all childhood deaths. Every 30 seconds, a child dies of malaria. We have the support of Nothing But Nets (NBN), a global grassroots campaign created by the UN Foundation. Basically, malaria nets, which prevent malaria transmission, are purchased, transported and distributed to families in remote, hard-to-reach areas throughout Africa.

Hence we hope ROM can raise substantial funds for the campaign spearheaded by NBN, in  order to support the effort to fight malaria.

Who are bands playing at Rock Off Malaria? How did you decide on the band list?

The Fire Fight, Cardinal Avenue, Allura, Stellastory and Redeeming the Riot are playing, and we chose them because they are some of the most talented, and for some bands under-rated, in the local music scene.

Where is Fort Gate? Why was this venue chosen?

Fort Gate is a patch of greenery located at Fort Canning Park and this is an ideal venue because it can hold around 2000 people. It’s a good alternative to the numerous concerts held at Fort Green, as the atmosphere will be less arena-ish and more cosy.

What can Singapore music fans expect from Rock Off Malaria?

I think the fans should expect to be pleasantly surprised by the sheer amount of energy and talent of the less well known bands, and also the passion and professionalism that the more prominent bands have. All the bands are actually doing this free of charge as they believe strongly in our cause as well.

How do fans get their tickets?

For tickets, email <Name><Contact No.><No. of Tickets><School (if applicable)> to vjc.rockoffmalaria@gmail.com

As this concert is planned by Victoria JC students, all current students, staff, ex-VJC students and teachers can get their tickets at a discounted rate of $10.

There will be an early bird discount for pre-sale tickets. Members of the public can get them at $12. Otherwise, it’s $15 at the gate.

As we will be going down to various schools these 2 weeks, students can either buy or collect their tickets from us, or place orders with us and still get the discount at the gate. We will arrange for them to be able to collect it there and still pay only $15.

Any special message to the fans out there?

We would sincerely encourage everyone interested in local music to come for our concert as the line-up is extremely promising. It’s gonna be an awesome smashing time and ultimately, one ticket saves one family.

I really applaud the efforts of Leanne and her friends and the bands for giving their time and talents to this cause. So make an appointment with great bands like Fire Fight and Allura on Saturday, 17 May and help families in need at the same time. 

… and there’s more … 

At the recent Rock Your (Groovy) World at Timbre. Enjoy…

Did you miss good ol’ Blurb-O-Rama? Well, in any case, it’s back as I attempt to catch up with the mountains of CDs I omitted to review last year (and maybe even 2006!). Apologies to the bands and labels concerned but better late than never, eh? 

MITCH EASTER Dynamico (Electric Devil)

Easter needs no introduction to 80s alt-rock fans. REM producer, Let’s Active founder and overall cool guy. Dynamico finds Easter in familiar territory - Byrds-infused jangle folk-rock with the occasional fuzzed up the max garage rock. Pop underground fans will lap this up. myspace

FRANKEL Lullaby for the Passersby (Red Rockets Glare)

Michael Orendy is Frankel, yet another (annoying) singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist who resides in L.A. Like Jon Brion. Brion is a pertinent reference point as Orendy’s music also features similar chamber-folk pop sensibilities. Not quite up to the mark of his influences but that should not stop fans from checking Frankel out. myspace

JEFF MURPHY Cantilever (Black Vinyl)

This is a fine effort from the Shoes’ Jeff Murphy. A homemade cookie which Murphy describes as “lo-tech”. Sounds alright to me! Cantilever is chock full of mid-tempo power pop songs heavy with melody and cool arrangements though not technically pristine. Why does it need to be? Recommended. 

GLENN MERCER Wheels in Motion (Pravda)

Mercer was, of course, the leader of the Feelies, a legendary band of the 80s alt-rock scene and this solo release is rather low-key and restrained. Songs are relatively downbeat and contemplative but robust nonetheless. Nothing to race the pulse here. Beatles fans will appreciate the George Harrison tribute with the medley of Within You, Without You and Love You To. A good effort. myspace

Till the next one, enjoy the music always…

Iron Man marks Marvel’s first self-developed and self-financed film (in a ten-film deal with Paramount) and the way that this Jon Favreau-directed, Robert Downey-starred blockbuster translates the comic book so successfully onto the big screen augers well for the other Marvel films to come.

None of those changes in major elements here that piss off fans so badly (I really hated what X-Men 3 did to the Dark Phoenix Saga and especially to my beloved Cyclops). Sure, there is a significant update from the 1963 origin that introduced Iron Man (instead of Vietnam, substitute Afghanistan and instead of Vietcong, substitute Muslim terrorists) but that’s all absolutely necessary to make the film relevant for 2008.

Most of the key factors are intact. Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Obadiah Stane, James Rhodes even the Mandarin (though now an Arab terrorist - this era’s bogeyman) are almost exactly as portrayed in the comic book. There’s also a subtle introduction of S.H.I.E.L.D. which I believe will play an integral part in the upcoming Marvel films.

Really a combination of two stories - the origin of Iron Man and Stark’s battle with Stane for supremacy - the stories are interwoven rather seamlessly. In many ways, Iron Man reminded me of Batman Begins - not as heavy, mind you, Stark/Iron Man is not borderline psychotic - in the manner that it sets out a plausible universe for its super-hero to reside.

The action sequences are pretty to watch and really without the superb special effects available to directors nowadays, it would be impossible to make super-hero films that look this amazing. Although, I must admit that the ultimate battle between Iron Man and Iron Monger was rather difficult to get into, in the same way that Sam Raimi managed so effectively with the Spidey-Doc Ock spectacular subway clash in Spider-Man 2. But I am quibbling. In a summer blockbuster season that will include Indy 4, Hulk and Hellboy 2, Iron Man has set the bar high for the rest of the competition to scramble to emulate, never mind surpass.

Oh… and Downey Jr is a sheer joy…

Go watch Iron Man and discover why I don’t buy comic books anymore… when super-hero movies are this good, why bother?

Has the Great Spy Experiment arrived? How is one to judge anyway? Is it the fact that they’ve played at the SXSW festival? Or maybe by releasing a critically acclaimed debut album? Or perhaps even headlining their own gig at the Esplanade Recital Studio last Friday?

Well, it’s partly all these things but really it’s about how the music makes you feel. Yeah, that’s it, boys and girls. I stood almost at the back of the hall soaking in the atmosphere witnessing the crowd swaying, jumping, dancing, screaming, shouting, fist-pumping, arms saluting, head bopping to the sound and fury that GSE dispense from the stage. The audience reaction was something to savour. 

The band was in fine form - visually and sonically. The guys were all resplendent in their suits and Mag looked sizzling - literally. Hot! Whilst the sound was poor at the beginning, that hiccup didn’t last (thankfully) and as the band cranked out the hits, the fans simply lapped it all up. The highlight for me was the new song - Litmus - which came across to me as all the best bits about Flower Show Riots album condensed in one really incandescent moment. 

I must confess that I could barely contain my joy at watching Song, Saiful, Mag, Khai and Fandy revel in the spotlight - Song was grinning like a Cheshire cat and Saiful kept shaking his head in disbelief at the awesome reception the band was getting. At the very end with Class ‘A’ Love Affair, the Great Decay and Flow, the Recital Studio was rocking and the sheer energy was tangible and palpable. Magic!

Two moments summed it up for me. Thomas (Perplexed) Tan at the very front, putting his camera aside and simply moving to the music and Fir singing at the top of his lungs behind me in happy abandon.

That’s what its all about!!!

Those who were fortunate enough to get tickets will understand what I’m talking about. It’s a gig that will live long in the memory but I believe that GSE will surpass even this achievement before too long…

… still there’s more …

(thanks to Fir for the great pix!)