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THE BOXING LESSON

THE BOXING LESSON Muerta EP (New Fortune)

If that shot of Saturn juxtaposed with an Egyptian pyramid doesn’t give the game away, then surely the title of the opening track – Dark Side of the Moog – will provide you with sufficient clues what The Boxing Lesson are about. Call it psychedelic blues or space rock if you will, there’s no escaping the strong influence of Pink Floyd on the four tracks that make up the Muerta EP.

Of course, it’s a little more than that. There’s a bit of the influence of Ennio Morricone’s epic soundtracks, the Ventures’ surf guitar instrumentals, the soaring textural soundscapes of The Verve and the post-rock sweep of Explosions in the Sky thrown into the mix as well. Which certainly makes The Boxing Lesson an intriguing proposition, whether they decide to utilize vocals or not.

Ultimately, this 4-track EP runs a substantial 23 minutes making it more akin to a mini-album. There’s enough raw magick here to suggest that the band’s upcoming full-length (due in 2012) will be one to watch out for.

Official Site

BUY Muerta EP AT AMAZON

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… DRIBBLING …

THE UGLY GAME

“Now is the winter of our discontent” probably sums up the feelings of both Spurs and Arsenal fans after last night’s respective horror shows against Man City and Man Utd. Having seen their pre-season preparations wrecked by the designs of Barcelona, Man City and Chelsea on their players, both Spurs and Arsenal have had a torrid opening sequence of results in the Premier League.

Two seasons ago, Spurs pipped Man City to the lucrative 4th spot (and Champions League qualification) but in the two years following City have spent close to £200 million on new players to race ahead of Spurs. Last night, that gulf in quality proved insurmountable for Spurs as City’s expensively assembled team thrashed hapless Spurs 5-1 with striker Dzeko grabbing four for himself.

Matters were compounded by Luka Modric’s half-hearted display at the heart of the Spurs team. Modric allegedly refused to play just minutes before the game, his mind concentrated on getting his big money move to Chelsea. If weekly remuneration of £50,000 is not enough for a professional footballer to ensure that he complies with his contractual obligations, then it is indeed a sad day for football in general.

The super-rich owners of Chelsea and Man City have been given the keys of the Premiership to do as they please. Thumbing their noses at the very concept of sporting competition, they have taken the joy out of the formerly beautiful game completely. By offering and paying these outrageous wages to players, they have distorted the value of footballers to such an extent that players like Modric and Nasri have only eyes for the filthy lucre. Football is a rich man’s plaything and sport (and even business sense) is thrown out of the window.

After Spurs’ humiliation at the Lane, their bitterest rivals proceeded to have the stuffing knocked out of them hard by Man Utd. The final 8-2 score is hard to swallow, especially for the Arsenal fans and manager Arsene Wenger. Whatever one may think of Wenger and his flaws, the man is being punished for believing that football is about player development and nurture and playing the game the right way. Except that in today’s unforgiving climate, he is beginning to look like a naive fool.

Clubs are Spurs and Arsenal – both properly financially managed now look like dinosaurs in the wake of the super-rich owners of Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool. Not spending the cash is now tantamount to suicide as pressure mounts on both clubs to sort out the messes they have suddenly been saddled with. And with the transfer window closing very soon, the opportunities to strengthen are dimming fast.

As for the Modric saga, it certainly appears that the Croat will be allowed to go for £40 million but who will replace him? As usual, Spurs have left it too late (remember the Berbatov saga) and a season of attrition beckons. For Arsene Wenger and Arsenal as well, 2011-2012 promises to be a long, hard season. But as the Frenchman himself remarked, the time for judgement is at the end of the season. Time will tell whether the crisis that currently besets the North London rivals will have been resolved or not.

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MTV VMA 2011

MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS 2011

What greases the wheels of the record machine in 2011? As the compact disc goes the way of the dinosaur and the buzzword is now the ‘cloud’, the marketing of pop music has undergone numerous reviews and reconsiderations. Music sales will continue to plummet making revenues from live performance more important than ever to the pop music artist. Gone forever are the days of the recording artist who does not tour – well, nowadays said artist would simply starve. So pop music is still important but the question is now the platform of delivery.

MTV continues to be a vital cog of the record machine though less so as a music video channel but largely through shows like the Video Music Awards, in which pop music stars and wannabes obtain critical exposure not only for their music but also their public image. The annual VMA has gained a reputation for notoriety and controversy which at times overshadows the musical performances themselves. Hardly surprising as reality TV programming has audiences demanding more and more shock value from scripted realism. So surprisingly enough, there was very little of that in VMA 2011.

In fact, overall, the main theme was dressing down as highlighted by Lady Gaga’s star turn as her male alter-ego Joe Calderone. Dressed in white tee and dirty suit, she launched the VMA with a raucous You & I and even paraded Queen’s Brian May (never forget where the Lady got her name from) for a glorious tribute to anthem rock. As always, Gaga went against the grain in a show that was as usual largely dominated by garish outfits and inane hip hop. Better still, Gaga stayed in character throughout and never appeared in a attention seeking costume this time out making Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj look over-dressed! This out-maneuvering by Gaga was a delight to witness proving that she is the undisputed Queen of pop, not Perry, Minaj or even the newly-pregnant Beyonce.

Apart from Gaga’s show-stealing antics, highlights were slim but for those who want to catch the repeat telecast, do look out for –
1. Brit singer Jessie J’s intermission appearances

2. Adele’s under-stated brilliance

3. Justin Bieber’s non-plussed reaction to Joe Calderone

4. Tyler the Creator’s obscenity-laced acceptance speech for Best New Artist

5. The fake Beastie Boys viz. Will Ferrell, Jack Black and Seth Rogen!

REPLAYS:

Monday, 29 August 7pm (WIB), 8pm (SIN/HK/PH), 9pm (MAL)

Tuesday, 30 August 2pm (WIB), 3pm (SIN/HK/PH), 4pm (MAL)

Wednesday, 31 August 9am (WIB), 10am (SIN/HK/PH), 11am (MAL)

Thursday, September 1 10pm (WIB), 11pm (SG/HK/PH)

Friday, September 2 12am (MAL)8pm (WIB), 9pm (SG/HK/PH), 10pm (MAL)

Saturday, September 3 7pm (WIB), 8pm (SG/HK/PH), 9pm (MAL)

Sunday, September 4 2pm (WIB), 3pm (SG/HK/PH), 4pm (MAL)

Thanks to the kind folk at MTVAsia (Dawn, Cammie, Mitchell, Utt & Holly) who made us all feel right at home.

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THE FEVER MACHINE

FEVER MACHINE Living In Oblivion

Researching Shanghai indie music led me to The Fever Machine. Listening to its Living In Oblivion is bound to raise eyebrows and result in confusion. This music comes from China and in 2011?

Well, strictly speaking, The Fever Machine consists of Dan Shapiro (guitars), Fabien Barbet (bass) and Miguel Bustamante (drums), three expats residing in Shanghai – although the relevance of their backgrounds is largely moot. What is more intriguing is the brand of neo-psychedelic rock that the trio delivers with passion and aplomb.

Certainly, for much of the duration of this 9-track album, you’d be wondering if you chanced upon an album from the late 60s-early 70s, the period which witnessed the first flowering of psychedelic rock into progressive rock. You want influences? Well, inspirations certainly run the gamut from Hawkwind, Rush, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, The Doors and any other seminal band from this period.

But there is a highly intense sense of urgent authenticity about Living In Oblivion, almost as if your life depended on gulping down everything that The Fever Machine had to offer. The fact that this wildly vivid music was made in Shanghai, frankly blows my freaking mind. Which is probably the point.

Pointless to single out any particular highlight here as Living In Oblivions needs to be swallowed whole even as songs like the opening throbbing Hell Yeah, the slinky acid-rockin’ Milfshake, the frenetically rambunctious Dance with Deviance and the instant stoner classic Don Pedro will definitely vie for second and thirds on your attention spans.

Suffice to say, Living In Oblivions is one of those essential debut LPs that rear their insistent heads every once in a while. I am guessing that catching them live will be an out-of-body experience. Check them out and hopefully, we can see them in Singapore sooner than later.

Official Site | Facebook

BUY Living in Oblivion at AMAZON

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NUS RADIO PULZE – LIVE LOUNGE: THE REJEKS

(Press release)

National University of Singapore goes local with Live Lounge, a concert series hosted by Radio Pulze, the NUS Studentsʼ Deejay Group. Chill out at the open-air plaza at Yusof Ishak House on campus and enjoy some of the best homegrown talent that our humble shores offer! 1st September, we kick off the series with The Rejeks, fresh out of Baybeats 2011! There will also be food and beverages on site! It will be from 7:30pm to 10:30pm.

Live Lounge aims to expose the University demographic to homegrown musicians by providing a platform from which to showcase their awesome talent. It is a free-of-charge concert in an open-air environment and is located in the central part of the National University of Singapore.

 

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…DRIBBLING…

THE END OF THE WORLD?

What does it all mean, fellow Spurs fans? Our one time hated scourge is now going to don the hallowed lilywhite! I guess one way to stop Emmanuel Adebayor from scoring against Spurs was to make sure he played for us! All the various implications aside, does this season-long loan represent good business for Spurs and will it solve our chronic striking problem?

With Adebayor’s huge wage demands (£170,000 a week), it was always going to be difficult to imagine Spurs signing him permanently. Thus, in that respect it will boost our striking options at least for a season without having to pay over the odds. Adebayor is a proven Premiership striker without doubt and it will be important for him to do well at Spurs cos he will be in the shop window the entire season, if ultimately Spurs are unable to match his (and City’s) financial requirements.

The prospect of Adebayor hooking up with Van Der Vaart upfront is mouth-watering and if Modric stays (a big ‘if’) and plays to his potential, then that top four place might still be there for the taking. With the top three likely to be contested amongst Man Utd, Chelsea and Man City, it leaves Spurs, Arsenal and Liverpool to scrap for that final CL spot.

With Spurs still in the market for a combative central midfielder (Diarra? Parker?) to complete Harry Redknapp’s jigsaw puzzle, hope springs eternal but I am realistic enough to know that it is going to be much tougher than it was last season.

COYS!!!

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JON LORD

JON LORD Sarabande (Eagle Rock)

Presumably, this re-issue of Deep Purple’s legendary keyboardist Jon Lord’s 2nd solo studio album will appeal to the ‘older’ set of readers who are into classic 70s symphonic-progressive rock. And they do not get more epic than the eight tracks here. With a full orchestra at his disposal (conducted by Eberhard Schoener) and a crack backing band (which includes a pre-Police Andy Summers), Lord pulls out all the stops to deliver a wildly eclectic album of instrumentals that traverse numerous genres and styles – from classical (Aria) to jazz (Sarabande) , from hard rock (Bouree – featuring an incendiary Summers guitar solo) to movie scores (Gigue) – this is a tremendously intellectually stimulating musical journey from start to finish. Highly recommended.

Buy Sarabande at Amazon

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PoPTV – RED

RED – LIE TO ME

Very commercially accessible melodic rock is always firmly on the agenda for this Nashville band. Listen to the banks of harmonies on the hooky (cliched) chorus, the muscular guitar riffs and epic strings on new single Lie to Me and there’s little doubt that the band is out to kill! Off new album, Until We Have Faces.

Official Site

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MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS 2011

Melissa and I will be tweeting live during VMA Awards to give you our 2cts worth of comments. As usual, mine will be extremely rude. Follow us @powerofpop @melloasis so that you don’t miss out on the action. Details below.

PREMIERE: Monday, 29 August LIVE! 8am (WIB), 9am (SIN/HK/PH/MAL)

REPLAYS: Monday, 29 August 7pm (WIB), 8pm (SIN/HK/PH), 9pm (MAL)
Tuesday, 30 August 2pm (WIB), 3pm (SIN/HK/PH), 4pm (MAL)
Wednesday, 31 August 9am (WIB), 10am (SIN/HK/PH), 11am (MAL)
Thursday, September 1 10pm (WIB), 11pm (SG/HK/PH)
Friday, September 2 12am (MAL)8pm (WIB), 9pm (SG/HK/PH), 10pm (MAL)
Saturday, September 3 7pm (WIB), 8pm (SG/HK/PH), 9pm (MAL)
Sunday, September 4 2pm (WIB), 3pm (SG/HK/PH), 4pm (MAL)

More info

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ELTON JOHN – LIVE IN SINGAPORE

MARINA BAY SANDS SINGAPORE AND LIVE LIMITED are now proud to announce the long-awaited return of Elton John and his highly acclaimed band back to the Singapore Indoor Stadium, this November 20th, 2011.

It has been more than three years since Elton John and Band last visited Singapore. The “Rocket Man Tour” marked a very special night here, with The Singapore Indoor Stadium completely SOLD OUT and NINE THOUSAND fans up on their feet for an unforgettable, one-night-only, three-hour rock n’ roll extravaganza.

For Elton, putting together a “Greatest Hits Tour” has always been a great passion, not least because he’ll be joined on the road once again by his long-time band; Davey Johnstone, Nigel Olsson, Bob Birch, Kim Bullard and John Mahon, All dedicated and superbly talented musicians who have been playing alongside the piano man for many years.

Another highlight for 2011 are the four backing singers, which include the incredible Rose Stone (Sly And The Family Stone) together with Lisa Banks, Tata Vega and Jean Witherspoon. Their stunning harmonies will light up every corner of the stadium this November. This will be the first time that 2CELLOS will join the ensemble. The young Croatian duo, Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser recently took YouTube by storm, quickly landing a recording deal with Sony Music.

“In the last third of my life, I want to make records that I really want to make.”

To mark over forty years of chart topping success, Universal Music Singapore will be re-launching Elton’s entire music catalogue on CD and DVD, as well as digital downloads via online music stores.

Over his 40 year career, Elton John has won an impressive 5 Grammy Awards, he has sold over 250 million albums worldwide and continues to perform more than 100 shows a year, placing him squarely among the top 10 best-selling artists

Elton’s most recent studio album “The Union”, released by Universal Music in October 2010 was recorded with Elton’s long-time musical idol and world-renowned pianist and songwriter, Leon Russell. “The Union” sees the duo and a glittering array of guests get back to the nitty-gritty of what they love about rock n’ roll. For Elton, working with Russell had been a life-long ambition. “When I started, he was my idol, mentor and everything I wanted to be as a song-writer.” says Elton.in music history. In addition to being the most successful rock pianist in the world, he oversees an artist-management company. And his AIDS foundation has raised more than US$220 million since 1992 and benefits programs in 55 countries. The sales of the song “Candle In The Wind” in 1997 raised over US$40 million for the charity, following the death of his dear friend Diana, Princess of Wales.

The next few months in Elton’s diary are packed and include sixteen nights performing his brand new show “Million Dollar Piano” at The Colosseum, Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.

“Saturday Night’s Alright (for Fighting)”, ”Rocketman”, “Levon” and “Your Song” are just a handful of hits we can look forward to hearing here in Singapore this November – it’s sure to be another unforgettable night of music.

Don’t miss this One-Night-Only opportunity to hear one of the world’s greatest performers when Elton John and his band return with the Greatest Hits Tour this November. Tickets are on sale from Monday 29th August via Sistic.

 

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ALL TIME LOW – LIVE IN SINGAPORE

(Press release)

Fans of pop-punk, wait no more! Come this October 6th, American band All Time Low will bring their infectious tunes and energetic stage performance to Singapore!

With their radio-friendly tunes and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, it is no wonder that the band earned the reputation of being one of pop-punk’s hottest new bands and is well on their way to world domination.

Following the success of their third album, Nothing Personal, the band did not disappoint and instead, went on to create more chart-topping hits. Their latest record,DIRTY WORK, debut on Billboard Top 200 chart at #6 and held the #1 spot on the iTunes album chart for three consecutive days and is now blazing up airwaves all over.

With smash hits including Poppin’ Champagne, Weightless, Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t), I Feel Like Dancing, and their latest, Forget About It, all but to name a few – fans can expect nothing less than a fun-filled night with great music!

Singapore’s very own pop-punk band, The Dirt Radicals, will be opening for the band and together, this show is guaranteed to keep the audience rockin’ to the tunes and is shaping up to be a night you definitely do not want to miss.

So what are you waiting for? Get your tickets today and party like it’s your civil right!

Tickets will go on sale on 29th August 2011 at all SISTIC outlets and are also made available online via www.sistic.com.

EVENT INFORMATION

Date:     6th October 2011

Venue: Wavehouse, Sentosa

Time:     Doors open at 630pm

8PM – The Dirt Radicals

9PM – All Time Low

Tickets: $68

**Above prices do not include SISTIC handling fees


 

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THE ACOUSTIC SESSIONS

Here’s a local music initiative that will hopefully take off as Invasion Online presents The Acoustic Sessions at Jurong Regional Library on 10th/11th September, which brings together several well known S-ROCK bands and artists. If the response is good enough, there may be an opportunity for The Acoustic Sessions to be a regularly monthly event. Come on S-ROCK fans, you know what to do.

More info at the Facebook page.

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THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD

 

PROTEST SONGS IN G

I must admit that I was positively seething after my set at the 6th and final edition of the Noise-Timbre Singer-songwriter Program. If it wasn’t for the efforts of Jack and Rai, there would really have been no response from that audience to my set whatsoever! I have found the audience getting gradually worse as the series progressed and as much I tried to ignore this state of affairs it has been slowly eating me up inside. The problem with our young people is that they do not even know how to give polite applause. They are so wrapped up in their own little worlds that nothing else matters except their own interests. Selfishness personified.

I was sharing with Sarah (from Noise) later how things were so different in the 90s. Back then, the young people appreciated original Singapore music and cheered whenever they heard a new song. And this appreciation was demonstrated as well – we have certainly regressed from those heady days.

The objective of this Program was to showcase original Singapore music and on that note, it was successful. I think we were realistic enough not to expect young Singaporeans to suddenly go gaga over Singapore music but even I did not think that the audience would simply ignore what was happening on stage. An eye opener.

I was sorely tempted to throw in the towel, so to speak, and just give up completely on performing in our moribund music scene. But then I reconsidered that position and decided to go the other way. In fact, from now on, I will only play ‘protest songs’ that is, songs only about Singapore – no more love songs whatsoever – and be in everyone’s face!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Noise/NAC and Timbre for giving me the opportunity to work on this special project. Kudos especially to Danny Loong whose belief in and passion for Singapore music continues to inspire me. Danny, you’re my hero! Hopefully, there will be more opportunities to crack our heads on the wall of ambivalence that is the Singapore music audience.

So. The road ahead is simple. No more free gigs. No more love songs. What you see is what you get. Thank you and good night!

…still there’s more…

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SPREAD THE LOVE

(Press release)

As part of The Esplanade Presents: On The Waterfront series, Aging Youth returns to the Esplanade to curate a weekend of indie pop and rock’n’roll.

It was the very first event we had organised. The first “Spread The Love” music show took place on Sunday 21 March 2004 at Soul Entertainment Pub, off Mohd Sultan Road, kicking off 7 years of involvement in the Singapore independent music scene.

As with the spirit of previous ‘Spread The Love’ showcases, the idea is to promote the idea of mixed musical genres to the audience. The 2011 version would see a mixture of upcoming bands performing alongside with veteran acts. We would see the gamut of acts ranging from indie pop to heavy alternative rock.

Coincidentally, this series of shows brings together all the artistes from Aging Youth under an umbrella event to perform. This would mark Inch Chua’s last public show* for a while before her relocation to the United States. In addition, this would also be B-Quartet’s last free-to-public show** before going into indefinite hiatus.

Venue: The Esplanade Outdoor Theatre

Friday 16 September 2011

1930hr – Tacit Aria

2045hr – Cockpit

2200hr – Inch Chua & The Metric System

Saturday 17 September 2011

1930hr – MONSTER CAT

2045hr – Lunarin

2200hr – West Grand Boulevard

Sunday 18 September 2011

1930hr – Zero Sequence

2045hr – B-Quartet

* Inch is relocating to Los Angeles, United States to pursue and develop her music career. However, she would be working in BOTH Singapore and the United States. Don’t believe in everything what the Online Citizen says. Shhh… ** B-Quartet will be performing at the Substation Guinness Theatre on Sunday 6 November as part of a ticketed showcase for Indonesian indie act Trees And The Wild.

 

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LOVE NOTES

(Press release)

Sing us a love note! Timbre Music Academy, by Timbre Group, and the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) bring you Poetry of Song! Win a chance to work with professional singer-songwriters from Timbre Music Academy, who will work with you to turn your poem to a song.

The theme is ‘Love Notes’, so write one to your special someone, your evil ex, your mum or your BFF – as long as it’s a poem – and email it to  HYPERLINK “mailto:tma@timbregroup.asia” tma@timbregroup.asia with your full name (as in NRIC) and mobile number.

Five shortlisted poems will be turned into songs and showcased on the SWF website. The most popular song will be performed live at SWF in October. Better yet, there’s $1,500 worth of prize money at stake for the most popular song!

Submissions open on 27 July 2011 and will close on 5 September 2011.

More information can be found at Timbre Music.

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BAYBEATS 2011

As previously noted, this year’s coverage of Baybeats here at Power of Pop has been muted, mainly because of my mentoring of the Esplanade Youth Budding Writers which I hope will provide the definitive coverage of Baybeats 2011 for all posterity! Not only that but management duties with the Sons also meant less time watching bands and artists. But of what I did manage to see, here are my highlights.

Noughts & Exes

I caught this Hong Kong folk-pop band back in May for Music Matters and was impressed by their eclectic style, arrangements and presentations. The set at the Arena was truly well put together and provided a respite for those suffering from delay and metalzone pedal fatigue. Front man Joshua Wong has a remarkable voice that grabs your attention straightaway and their use of violin, melodica and typewriter (!) helps to keep things interesting. It did not hurt that there was additional eye candy in the form (pun intended!) of singer Karmen Cheung (subbing for the absent Kerri-Anne Butler) which gave the band a strong sonic and visual appeal! Word is that Noughts & Exes have been signed to US indie label Spectra Records, which is incredible news and hopefully the start of great things for this deserving band.

Hollywood Nobody

I was at the Observation Deck as this Indonesian band was interviewed and was charmed by their humble manner, albeit slight geeky (if I may say so). But once they started performing they were transformed into one of the coolest twee pop bands I’ve seen in the region. I latter saw them at the Chillout Stage and in full band mode, they were even more impressive. One to watch out for.

Turbo Goth

To be honest, I did not fully catch this photo-genic duo (from the Philippines) in action but I listen to them soundcheck and finish off their set (before the Sons) and I found that for a two-piece, they certainly filled up the stage properly. Also could not help but notice singer Sarah Gaugler’s nose-bleed high heels! She certainly made the Arena stage her own! Keep an eye out for Turbo Goth.

The rest, I had snatches of viewing here and there and to be honest, not that much impressed too greatly. The trademark ‘Baybeats’ sound was never my thing anyways (look at the bands I mentored last year!) and so the slightly different sonic approach is always going to get my attention. And to those lamenting the lack of Western (read: Caucasian) bands/artists, I think it’s about time Asia stands up to acknowledge that our bands are good as any bands anywhere in the world. So is it about the music or something else more sinister? Kudos to Baybeats 2011 for setting itself apart from the numerous indie rock festivals in Singapore and beyond.

Asian rock rules!

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THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD

SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE

Two fairly major local gigs in three days was an incredible time of bonding for Cheating Sons and I. As we spend more time together, I feel the bonds getting stronger as we get to know each other a little better. Andy (Liew) is the baby of the band. Rather quiet he may be but he sure knows how to hit the drums. The other Andy (Yang) is always a livewire character to have around – his boundless enthusiasm highly infectious too! Cheez and Don provide the instrumental dexterity of the band’s sound – both are the nicest blokes you could ever want to know. Unassuming most of the time, I would like to see them get more excited on stage though. Renyi is the leader in every sense – he has an unwavering commitment to the music and the band that I totally connect with. Truth be told, Renyi has been nursing a sore throat this past week so it is a minor miracle that he was able to get through the three gigs relatively unscathed.

One interesting side effect of this are the post-gig drinking sessions. At Zouk for the Fred Perry Subculture Night, we were confronted with 4 Vodka bottles! Whilst at the Esplanade, whisky made the rounds amongst the band, friends and fans. These sessions are celebratory in nature and have a cooling down effect after the tension of gig preparation and performance. Not to be underestimated! And there has been much to celebrate as the band has gone from strength to strength gaining fans in greater numbers. Also, good regional contacts were established and hopefully more gigging opportunities will be generated. Thanks to everyone who supported us so passionately at these last three gigs.

…still there’s more…

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LOLA DUTRONIC

LOLA DUTRONIC New York Stories EP (Red Star)

With this Lola Dutronic review, it would be marked down in history – at least for me, as they will be the first artiste that I have ever reviewed for a second time; and maybe with that, more would come in the near future. So let me pen my thoughts diligently as this review progresses…

New York Stories EP is the follow-up to Musique EP, and contains five (only five!?) covers of originals by Blondie (In The Sun), Suicide (Cheree), Johnny Thunders (You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory), Alan Vega and Martin Rev (Keep Your Dreams) and The Fast (Kids Just Wanna Dance), the latter written by the late Miki Zone.

With the first two songs on the tracklist (Kids Just Wanna Dance and Cheree), I had initially thought that Lola Dutronic had ditched and progressed from their previous “lounge-y” sounds and ventured back into the basics of electronica. However, leaning towards my favour, they swing back in style with the remaining tracklist of the EP. I guess it has got a lot to do with the original songs and their lyrical contents, as well as finding the best and most suitable arrangement to improvise the Lola Dutronic sound elements into the tracks, without screwing up the classics.

Pizzicato Five floats into my mind, and even though one is clearly targeted with French pop and the other disbanded with Japanese, one can easily feel the connectivity between both artistes, despite the time lapse and the distance of miles separating them apart. Of course though, nothing really beats P5.

The usual naggy commentary about the number of tracks in an EP and to have more creative writing inputs (instead of just covers) is applicable here to this EP review as well, but don’t let that stop your outreach to this release, unless you are generally put off by artistes doing covers and releasing albums filled with nothing but.

The end result is procrastinatively chilled, and it seems like we’re still stuck in the same hotel room as we were at the start of the Musique EP review, if not, several floors higher and slightly more complexed (with a beautiful room view). Let’s not ever check out.

[CJ]

Buy New York Stories at Amazon

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PoPTV – CAROLINA LIAR

CAROLINA LIAR – DROWN

Good old fashioned pop-rock with an alternative edge is in vogue and it’s about bloody time. Swedish rockers, Carolina Liar (frontman Chad Wolf hails from the USA though) does a excellent job crafting pop hooks and tunes onto dynamic rock arrangements. Case in point – Drown, the first single from the band’s sophomore album, Well Blessed Freedom. The video is interesting too with its Pollock-inspired motifs. Check it out.

Drown (Official Music Video) from Carolina Liar on Vimeo.

Official Site

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WHITESNAKE – LIVE IN SINGAPORE

(Press release)

Singapore, you asked for it… and now you’ve got it.

WHITESNAKE, the legendary rock ’n’ roll legacy founded and formed by renowned singer/songwriter David Coverdale, plans on making a huge splash on this side of the pacific on the Asian leg of the 2011 ‘FOREVERMORE’ Tour, playing at the historic Fort Canning Park in the beautiful and exciting city of Singapore on November 1 at 8pm.

WHITESNAKE are touring the globe in support of their brand new storming Snake statement, their 11th studio album – “FOREVERMORE.”

Tickets available at SISTIC

Stay tuned for the Power of Pop – Whitesnake Ticket Giveaway coming soon.

 

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BAYBEATS 2011

The biggest indie music festival in Singapore is just around the corner. You may have noted that the Baybeats coverage has been somewhat muted here at Power of Pop. That’s because I have been mentoring the Esplanade Youth Budding Writers as they put their writing skills to good use covering Baybeats 2011. Check out the Esplanade Youth site for more details.

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PoPTV – LOLA DUTRONIC

LOLA DUTRONIC – KIDS JUST WANNA DANCE

The new sexay single from the New York Stories EP, out now on Red Star Digital Music. Download it at iTunes. Enjoy the cool 80s electro-pop vibe.

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NOISE SINGAPORE 2012 MENTORSHIP

Call for Applications: Noise Singapore 2012 Mentorship

Keen to unlock your potential and take your creative talents to the next level? Apply for Noise Singapore’s mentorships and be personally guided by some of Singapore’s leading creative professionals! Participants in The Music Mentorship (TMM) will get to hone their performing skills and perform at the Esplanade as part of the Noise Singapore music showcase under the tutelage of mentors from the music industry. Some of these experienced mentors include, musicians  Bani Haykal (of B-Quartet), Daniel Sassoon (of In Each Hand a Cutlass), Eddino Abdul Hadi, Kevin Mathews, Patrick Chng (Typewriter), Saiful Idris (of The Great Spy Experiment) and Sara Wee (53A).

So why wait? Register now on www.noisesingapore.com/mentorship before 18 September 2011!

The mentorships are open to young people aged 35 years and below.