POP CULTURE AS SEEN AND HEARD BY KEVIN MATHEWS
CAKE is pleased to announce the release of the visually stunning animated music video for “Long Time,” the second single from their critically lauded new set Showroom of Compassion, out January 11, 2011. The video will premiere March 31 on MTVU and MTV2 as part of their Indie Music Month before moving into regular rotation.
Another track from the Hanna Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Enjoy…
escape 700 by Hannamovie
THE KRINKLES Dusty Ribbons (Self-released)
The story of the The Krinkles, four-man Chicago powerpop act, is one of those classic “What-might-have-been” tales. What if, for example, they hadn’t disbanded in an acrimonious shouting match on stage at the start of last decade? What if their third album, 3 – The Mordorloff Collection, had ridden the momentum of their sophomore effort, Revenge of The Krinkles, instead of taking nine years to drop? Would their blazing brand of loud power pop music have taken them to the top then? It’s always hard to know for sure when you’re reminiscing. In the spirit of looking back at the past though, the band themselves have cleaned out their archives and come up with Dusty Ribbons, a 19-track collection of acoustic versions, demos and unreleased songs, as well as the odd piece of live on-stage banter. It’s a hodgepodge motley crue of raw mixes and unpolished recordings. Nevertheless, on tracks like the unreleased opener Still In Love (strongly reminiscent of The Who), the record manages to showcase the visceral power of a rock and roll band in full flight. You’ll also hear shades of Cheap Trick (their spiritual and geographical fathers) when they let rip into one of those big, joyful choruses stuffed full of tight harmonies on the demo tracks of So Many Girls and Dirty Girl, and if you have the patience to sit through the rawness of their rehearsal tapes, you’ll find yourself admiring the tightness of their playing. Of course, there are the odd misses here and there, but if you’re a fan of melodic, ballsy guitar-driven powerpop by way of The Cars and Weezer, you’ll find quite enough good material here to keep you entertained.
DEON TOH
We spoke to young singer-songwriter on the banks of the Singapore River about his new EP, Letters and what he’s been doing in the music scene recently. Check it out!
PoPTV: Talkin’ the Line is brought to you by Walk On Music and Power of Pop.
At the end of Season 3, our (anti)-hero Hank Moody (David Duchovny) had confessed to the love of his life Karen (Natasha McElhone) that he had sex with then-underaged Mia (Madeline Zima), way back in the series pilot episode. Obviously Karen freaked out, Hank is arrested for previously assaulting Mia’s scumbag boyfriend/manager and subsequently punching out a police officer.
Kudos to Zack Synder for making the ultimate GEEK movie! I am certain this unique film will leave many scratching their heads at the film’s conclusion but that’s the whole point of Sucker Punch. And I’d wager that unless you’re a geek, you are pretty much gonna hate this mash-up of the different facets of geek culture. Which is just fine with me.
Jamie Woon – Lady Luck
Album: Mirrorwriting
Sometimes when there is a certain hype to it, believe in it, sometimes.
Second single from Mirrorwriting, following Night Air, has surfaced. Lady Luck shows how beautiful a perfect mix between Jamie’s lush and rich vocals and the catchy, yet simple electronic beats, can blend together so well, like the creation of a new flavour for Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream.
Already, he has been compared to the style of another fellow newcomer into the music scene, James Blake.
Woon is seen throughout the video travelling via various modes of public transportation, through the Hungarian capital of Budapest. The scene where he was on the subway, with the other passengers standing by, possibly thinking that he might be a tad mad with the manner he was bobbing his head to the music, yet ignoring the fact that a true talent was just right there, is personally fascinating and may speak volumes about the society that we are currently living in.
Watch him below, singing it stripped down without the electronic beats, while on a vacation in Cambodia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sueXcHigJG4
Official Site
(CJ)
KAI 11:11 EP
Upon initial listening to Kai’s debut EP, 11:11, with the opening track Crowds, her vocals instantaneously struck me, and literally, stuck itself onto me. I find myself struggling to figure out which artiste’s vocals she reminds me clearly of. Is it Tanya Chua, Joanna Wang, Norah Jones, Colbie Caillat or Zee Avi?
The Whitest Boy Alive and MGMT
24th March 2011
Suntec Convention Centre
There’s no denying that MUON, The Whitest Boy Alive and MGMT played well on Thursday night at Suntec Convention Centre, but the entire experience was otherwise marred by a disruptive and sometimes subdued audience with rude comments, as well as the seemingly lack of planning and excitement in MGMT’s set. Some hardcore fans of MGMT started queuing as early as 11.30am, while the rest of the crowd were mostly casual fans (who loved MGMT’s first album, Oracular Spectacular) and were teenagers and young adults (as usual).
It was clear from the start that most, if not all, were there to see MGMT and not The Whitest Boy Alive. During opening local band MUON’s set, some chanted “MGMT” while others complained and hurled insults at the band, which was completely unwarranted. MUON played a short 20-minute set, giving their all and playing their brand of indie post-rock which was in my opinion, thoroughly enjoyable. Popular opinion, of course, differed. Comments such as “we’re here for international bands” and other jibes at the band were heard, sometimes directly to the band. Perhaps this is why concerts should be held at Esplanade more often, since the people who attend concerts there seem to be less discriminating and might I add, more civilized. (Disclaimer: a lot of generalization is being made here.)
Far East Movement @ Wavehouse, 17th March 2011
Spotted: An unusual influx of mostly Singaporeans, travelling either by public transportation or by car, heading down to the southern-most tip of Singapore to an island named Sentosa, known for its tourist attractions.
(Answers by Ann Yu)
1. Why play music?
I play and write music to escape reality.
Federico Aubele – Bohemian Rhapsody in Blue
Too cool for words. Really. Check out that video…
Official Site
[amazon-product alink=”0000FF” bordercolor=”000000″ height=”240″]B004LSJCOW[/amazon-product]
NOAH AND THE WHALE Last Night On Earth (Universal)
English band Noah and the Whale is part of the indie folk movement that has swept the UK rock scene in the last couple of years, alongside Mumford & Sons, Laura Marling and Stornoway, amongst others.
This new album finds the band attempting to expand its sound a little with subtle use of electronic sounds – although the songs are still ‘folk songs’ in every other sense of the word.
Which almost makes this album a ‘folktronic’ exercise of sorts which true music fans should have no problem with, as the approach certainly makes the songs livelier. And thus songs like Life is Life and Wild Thing are more exciting for those extra touches.
There are also elements of classic Britpop in songs like L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. and Give It All Back, where The Kinks are gleefully evoked. All good in my book!
Official Site
[amazon-product alink=”0000FF” bordercolor=”000000″ height=”240″]B004E8NGCS[/amazon-product]
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER OFFICIAL TRAILER
This is already looking like an AMAZING year for superhero movies. Based on the trailers of Thor and X-Men: First Class, it appears that directors/producers are pulling out all the stops to make superhero movies work on every level – for the geek and casual movie-goer alike. Finally, Captain America is given a proper trailer and it looks like yet another winner. Every comic book geek knows Cap’s origin story and I am hoping that the promise shown here is fulfilled and justice is done to the vision of creators Joe Simon (now in his late 90s!) and Jack “King” Kirby (rest in peace). The movie opens on 22nd July.
(Press release)
Fred Perry Subculture returns on Friday, 22 April 2011! Kicking off the year with the best of iconic Brit tunes and original tracks by the brightest bands in Singapore, get ready to discover new music and re-discover all-time favourite Brit tracks at Fred Perry Subculture on Good Friday!
Showcasing a myriad of genres from electro-synth pop to indie rock and roll, bands will give their own renditions of covers from iconic bands like Joy Division, Morrissey, Oasis, Depeche Mode, The Clash, Pulp and Sex Pistols.
Join Elektone, Tiramisu, Resonance Quartet and Aldrin as we celebrate the best of Englandʼs music scene and Singaporeʼs evolving street scene!
Fred Perry Subculture Night
Date: Friday, 22 April 2011 Time: Doors open at 830pm (Event begins at 9pm) Venue: Zouk (Main Room) Register for entry at www.facebook.com/fredperrysg (registration starts 28 March 2011) Club rules apply.
NOISE-TIMBRE SINGER-SONGWRITER PROGRAMME (2ND EDITION)
Another packed crowd at Timbre at the Substation witnessed the 2nd edition of the Noise-Timbre Singer-Songwriter Programme. In truth, the majority of the Timbre patrons may have been present for the excellent pizzas rather than the Programme itself but the whole point of the Programme is to expose Singapore songwriting (and songwriters) to audiences unfamiliar with it and so on that count, the Programme has certainly achieved its aim, thus far.
Continue reading “NOISE-TIMBRE SINGER-SONGWRITER PROGRAMME (2ND EDITION)”
CHEMICAL BROTHERS Hanna: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Yet another electronic duo scores a major motion picture, in this case the artist is Chemical Brothers and the film is Hanna. I must say that I really only understood the value of Daft Punk’s score for Tron: Legacy when I saw the movie. No such problem here. Although it would be impossible to assess how successful the soundtrack music is in embellishing Joe Wright’s spy movie, there is little doubt in my mind that this film score is more than able to stand on its own, even without visuals.
There is a childlike motif that permeates through many of the tracks here (due to the subject matter of the film – a teenage girl trained to be a killing machine by her father), which makes for enjoyable listening. Naturally, there will be the gritty fight/chase music, the emotional fear-inducing soundscapes and the Wangerian string-laden epic ‘epiphany’-type moments, one can expect from most action movie scores, but overall, there are enough unique electronic musical highpoints (eg. Hanna’s Theme, The Devil Is In The Details, Marissa Flashback, The Devil Is In the Beat, Bahnhof Rumble) to satisfy fans of Chemical Brothers.
Now available from iTunes.
Official Site
COVE RED Taste of Life/Don’t Lose Heart single (Self-released)
Two slabs of glorious slabs of 70s-channeling folk-pop where pristine melodies intertwine with baroque instrumentation, melodic/harmonic intensity underscores encouraging sentiments about life. Cove Red (Rachael Teo and Koh Su Yin) return with a teaser for the debut album to come – this two song single recalls the heady days of the singer-songwriter genre that pervaded early 70s rock music. Think – James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake, Carole King, Bruce Cockburn, Joan Baez, Paul Simon – and you will be able to appreciate where exactly Cove Red is coming from.
Taste of Life, originally debuted in 2009 was featured in last year’s Noise CD for YOG whilst Don’t Lose Heart is a new number that showcases the strengths of the duo – a gorgeous tune, sweet vocals and warm string accompaniment (Basement in My Loft’s Koh Zhong Ren on cello and Su Yin on violin, wonderfully arranged).
How to get hold of the single?
Email Cove Red at cove2red@gmail.com or get in touch via Facebook.
Listen to the single on at www.myspace.com/cove2red (or to Don’t Lose Heart below) and also, Cove Red will be playing at an Earth Hour event this Sat, 26th March from 7.40-8.30pm at Singapore Expo, outside atrium 5, and the CD single will be available for sale then! Going for $5 each.
Don’t Lose Heart by Power of Pop
CHEMICAL BROTHERS The Devil Is In The Beats
This new song comes from the critically acclaimed electronic duo who have made an intense and hypnotic score for the upcoming adventure thriller Hanna – in theatres April 8th through Focus Features. A little short but an interesting teaser, one might say…
The Devil Is In The Beats by The Chemical Brothers by Hannamovie
(Press release)
Canadian singer-songwriter, Avril Lavigne returns to Singapore on 9 May to perform at the Indoor Stadium in The Black Star Tour, to promote her fourth album Goodbye Lullaby. Lavigne was last here in 2008 and performed a sold out concert in front of her legions of local fans.
POPTV: TALKIN’ THE LINE – NATALIE
Singapore singer-songwriter Natalie Hiong has been a recent addition to the Singapore indie music scene but she has certainly wasted no time to make an impact. PoPTV: Talkin’ The Line caught up with Natalie (within the bustling environs of the Singapore Management University) to find out what she has been up to since becoming a full-time musician.
Talkin’ The Line is jointly presented by Walk On Music and Power of Pop.
INXS Mystify DVD (Eagle Vision)
Michael Hutchence was the quintessential rock frontman and his relatively short life span (3 years shy of 40) lived up to the moniker adopted by his world-famous band, INXS. This DVD presents Hutchence and INXS live in Germany, a couple of months before his tragic early demise. The performance is top notch and all the classic hits are trotted out and delivered with panache and verve e.g. New Sensation, Never Tear Us Apart, Need You Tonight, Suicide Blonde and so on.
Also included bonus tracks from the first appearance of the band on the German TV show, Rockpalast back in 1984, when the band played a more pure form of post-punk, although Hutchence’s smoldering sex appeal is already in strong evidence.
Recommended.
[amazon-product alink=”0000FF” bordercolor=”000000″ height=”240″]B003YOXITY[/amazon-product]
SILVER SWANS Secrets (Self-released)
I want more. Or is it all just a dream?
Apparently, it is not. It is Secrets, the new record from Silver Swans, a duo from San Francisco, California, formed in 2007 and made up of members Ann Yu (singer, songwriter) & Jon Waters (DJ producer).
The 5-tracks EP may be short on quantity, but that sure doesn’t compromise the quality of the music.
In a reverie-like, dream pop style similar to that made popular by Beach House’s 2010 record Teen Dream, and adding the extra touches and elements of electro beats and sounds, the music of Silver Swans is thereby firmly established. It is thus no wonder that they have been compared to the likes of Beach House, Chairlift, Asobi Seksu, School Of Seven Bells, The Knife and Ladytron – famous indie bands that most hipsters would have probably heard of in recent times.
As I am being exposed into the music world of Silver Swans in their latest EP offering, the dividing line, as well as the visions of life and dreams blur indefinitely, and it feels as though I am being transported into another world filled with overshadowed sceneries and motions, otherwise a journey into the unknown.
So for now, dream on.
Facebook page
[amazon-product alink=”0000FF” bordercolor=”000000″ height=”240″]B004A21HF6[/amazon-product]
(CJ)
Oh Land featuring The Nightingale Quartet – Lean (live)
Album: Oh Land
Nanna Øland Fabricius, better known by her stage name Oh Land, may just be a newcomer to the international music platform, but already music critics all around have been considering her an artiste to look out for this year.
Formerly a dancer, now turned singer, she had released a full-length debut album in her native Denmark, and will be appearing and performing in this year’s SXSW event. One of her recent singles, titled Sun Of A Gun, has its video uploaded on video-sharing website YouTube on October 2010, and to date has garnered 5 million views alone. The results will say it for itself, even though I didn’t really connect on initial listens to the song.
A live video has surfaced for Lean – a possible upcoming single, which shows her singing live and stripped to the basic essential vocals, with nothing but a string quartet to support. And how truly magical and magnificent it feels and sounds, to the point that at times, I can still feel the magic, and the goosebumps, in her delivery.
Keep a lookout for her upcoming album, which, in her own words, is: “This album is all of my secrets, wishes, dreams and fears. I tell stories from my life wrapped in fairytales and fables, all happening in the dreamy landscapes of a world I call Oh Land. I hope people will find an escape in the music and let their thoughts and dreams run wild, just for a moment.”
Official Site
(CJ)
[amazon-product alink=”0000FF” bordercolor=”000000″ height=”240″]B004PUDY7M[/amazon-product]
It’s fair to say that King Kong Jane is one of my favourite S-ROCK bands. I first met the guys back in 2007 when I interviewed them for Baybeats Festival that year – when they were still in school – and since then, it’s always been great to chat with the individual members whenever we’d run across each other at gigs and the like. So from interview subjects to good friends, I have been keen to always follow their progress and it’s a proud moment for me to see them fulfilling their early promise with an excellent debut album – Waiting For Friday. I met the guys (on a Friday!) where we conducted the interview, which was ultimately published in TODAY. As always with a 600 word limit, the piece can never tell the full story. So… here’s the unedited interview in its complete glory…(I hope I attributed the quotes to the right names, though)
What does King Kong Jane – the band – stand for or mean to you?
(long pregnant pause)
Ian – For me, simply put, it’s just a group of guys playing music, what we like, something we enjoy. I don’t have high hopes – ‘world peace’ – it’s just us, playing music that we like to play.
Renquan – Personally, it represents my life where I can stay sane and do something I really like especially when you’re much older when a lot of practical things start setting in, like earning a living. But I think having this part of me, makes me happy – I still have a passion I can pursue. It represents a part of us that didn’t really grow up or get jaded in the rat race. We’ve had this (the band) for so many years and we’ve still doing it!
Colin (who for once is initially speechless!) – For me, I’m someone who loves performing and I’m very glad that we’re still doing what we’re doing because it gives me an outlet to express myself: be it writing lyrics or singing or even band marketing and promotion. It gives me an additional creative outlet that I may not be able to find in other aspects of my life.
