POP CULTURE AS SEEN AND HEARD BY KEVIN MATHEWS
This is meant to be a review of the final night of Music Matters. Of course, with so many bands playing out the closing night for this three-day conference, it would be churlish for me to even pretend to be complete or objective…disclaimer aside, let’s dive into it, shall we?
Music Matters Live is a showcase, a chance to present a live demo in the flesh to the right people, the people who could potentially help to push music careers to the next level. This is a chance for the public to see the music business in action. Although the various acts are required to present their music in a live festival-type setting, this is not a concert situation where everyone in the crowd already knows who they are and has paid for a ticket to see them performing live onstage. This crowd is different, this audience consists of more discerning listeners who have probably heard thousands of bands worldwide that may sound somewhat alike… so how do you grab their attention?
For what it was worth, Music Matters Live 2012 was extravagant, and spectacular like fireworks on display.
In local, Singaporean context, it is a free three-days music event in conjunction with Gaming Matters and Digital Matters, it is like a musical discovery journey out amongst the 8 participating venues in the urban, nightspot jungle of Clarke Quay (my workplace)!
The expectations for Men in Black 3 were nowhere as high as for The Avengers, Prometheus, The Dark Knight Rises or even The Amazing Spider-Man. In addition, the basic premise of the movie – Agent J (Will Smith) goes back in time to save Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones)’s life and therefore deliver the Earth from an alien invasion – seems trite and hackneyed. So rather surprisingly, despite its dodgy premise the movie succeeds in providing good old fashioned scifi-based comedic entertainment, never taking itself too seriously and generally being a big ball of FUN!
Singer-songwriter Jessica Irawan will be playing at Blu Jazz on Thursday 21st June to promote her new album – Stepping Out. Cover charge/entry is $5. You can read my review of the album at TODAY.
Official Site
This news just in from Greenhorn Productions – Canadian indie pop-rock quartet Metric will make its Singapore debut on 31 July at the Esplanade Concert Hall at 7.30 p.m. Tickets priced at $68, $88, $108, $128 and $148 (excluding SISTIC fees) will go on sale on 1 June 2012 through SISTIC.
Official Site
In the meantime, check out the official lyric video for “Speed the Collapse” off the upcoming new album, Synthetica.
(Press release)
Fall in for a mind-altering audiovisual experience as Fred Perry Subculture presents Sub-Sonic Live – an edgier alternative to live music experience with a union of quintessential sounds from your favourite local bands, spectacular visuals and good company.
Greenhorn Productions is pleased to announce that INGRID MICHAELSON will be performing LIVE! in Singapore for the first time on 10 Sep 2012 at Esplanade Concert Hall at 9 p.m.
Tickets priced at $68, $88, $108, $128 and $148 (excl Sistic charges) will be sold through Sistic from a date to be announced soon. Stay tuned to Greenhorn Facebook page for details.
Check out the amazing music video of “Blood Brothers”
My perspective on Music Matters 2012 was straightforward enough. Even though I am involved in the local music industry as a journalist and a manager – not to mention as an EXCO member of the newly formed Singapore Music Society (SGMUSO) launched at Music Matters 2012! – first and foremost I went as a FAN. And as a FAN, I thoroughly enjoyed myself for the two-day duration! After all, I got to meet two legendary rock n’ roll figures – producer Bob Ezrin (left) and manager Peter Jenner (right) – who have been involved and associated (and WORKED) with many of my favourite bands/artists from Pink Floyd to KISS to The Clash to Peter Gabriel to Robyn Hitchcock and so on.
(Press release)
Untitled Entertainment and Avalon Live! are proud to announce that UK indie dance floor favourites Hot Chip will be making their full band Singapore debut with us on June 26th at Avalon. The timing couldn’t be more ideal, with the release of the band’s fifth studio album In Our Heads coming out just two weeks before on June 11th through Domino.
The band, formed in 2000 by Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard, and also comprising Owen Clarke, Felix Martin and Al Doyle, released their debut LP Coming On Strong in 2003 to critical success. It was 2006’s The Warning however which projected them in to a whole new ball game of mass appeal. Winning Mixmag’s Album of the Year award and nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize, the album saw the release of two singles: ‘Over and Over’, which won NME’s Best Single of 2006 and ‘Boy from School’, which was another top 40 hit. The Made In The Dark LP followed in 2008, including a Grammy nomination for the single ‘Ready for the Floor’. Their forth studio album One Life Stand came in 2010 cementing the group’s place in the elite echelon of live electronic bands. Excitement levels are high with the new album and single to come this June.
Check video of ‘Flutes’ off the upcoming new album below.
Date: 2 October 2012 at 9 p.m.
Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall
Ticket prices: $68, $88, $108, $128, $148, $168 and $188 (excluding SISTIC fees)
Sales start on 25 June 2012 through Sistic
No, I have no idea what the lyrics are about – though I guess it’s about the recent nuclear disaster in Japan. But what caught the ear was the fact that Rankin Taxi is a Japanese toaster! Haha yeah. Authentic reggae rhythms underpin this amazing song and even though I don’t understand a word of Japanese I really dug the way Rankin Taxi delivers the phrases. The video is bizarre but funny! Very very cool…
Besides the ELEVEN Singapore acts being showcased at the upcoming Music Matters Live (from 24th to 26th May at Clarke Quay), there are several premier foreign acts that will also grace the festival whom should not be missed. If you were wondering which ones to check out, here are our recommendations.
1. Why play music?
Music has always been a big part of my life. I got started playing guitar and writing songs at a very young age, and I can’t seem to stop!
Bob Mould is an alternative rock legend for his stellar work with seminal 80s band Husker Du but in the wake of the grunge phenomenon of the 90s, he enjoyed his biggest commercial success with Sugar. Now Merge Records is re-issuing the entire back catalog – Copper Blue & Beaster will be released as a 3CD set with b-sides & live show as bonus downloads whilst File Under Easy Listening will be released as a 2CD set.
“A minute for the long haul, I’m with you to the end… Years later I decided to come college and I got to the University of San Diego. My parents were so happy but I studied Religion, Spanish and Political Science so I knew I don’t have a job but at least I know why.” That’s Steve Poltz for you. Though several days have passed after his gig at Esplanade Recital Studio, the encore, The Long Haul, is still stuck in my head. The San Diego musician would score, or probably do way better, as a stand-up comedian.
The line-up for this year’s Baybeats Festival (29 June to 1 July at the Esplanade) is decidedly Singapore-focused with 21 (!) local acts sharing the various stages with acts from Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Thailand and Japan. The emphasis on Singapore acts befits the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Esplanade, a venue that has impacted the local music scene in a highly positive manner in the last decade.
So mark your calendars on the above dates and look out for Obedient Wives Club, For This Cycle, King King Jane, Black Diamond Folds, Godzilla, Rudra, Rachael Teo, ANECHOIS, Cashew Chemists, The Fast Colors, Embrace Them Ghosts, Great Spy Experiment, Plainsunset, Deon, MONSTER CAT, Pep Talk, Inch Chua & Metric System, Run Neon Tiger, Cockpit, A Town In Fear & In Each Hand a Cutlass.
An exciting time for the indie music scene beckons…
Haha yes, …dribbling… is back! No, I am NOT going to talk about the recently concluded Premiership season or the Champions League Final but I just want to say a short word or two about remembering a memorable moment in the history of the UEFA European Championship.
Source:
In many ways, the story of Pek Jin Shen—or ShiGGa Shay, as the rapper prefers to be known—is symptomatic of the odd complex Singaporeans have towards local music have in general. Ever since he first burst out on the scene in 2010 with a divisive performance on the short-lived Mediacorp production Live ‘N’ Loaded, he’s been dogged by accusations of arrogance and trying too hard to be American. Which is curious, because there’s really nothing more quintessentially Singaporean than wanting to be angmoh. But I digress.
Eleven Singapore acts will be showcased at Music Matters Live to be held at various venues at Clarke Quay from 24th to 26th May viz. The Auditory Effect, Charlie Lim, Dropbeat Heartbeat, The Guilt, The Great Spy Experiment, Inch Chua, LGF, Monster Cat, ShiGGa Shay, Shimona and Sixx.
There is a familiar, endearing (yes even enduring) quality about Rick Murnane‘s Wednesday Child. It is something magical that is rooted in the sounds of classic timeless pop music – birthed and nurtured throughout the golden age of the 60s and 70s. Murnane, with the help of his friend (in this case neighbour, Chris Collingwood of the Fountains of Wayne – who played drums and engineered the album) has concocted a fabulous collection of memorable pop tunes that recall the jangly, psychedelic folk-rock majesty of the Byrds, the Beatles and the Searchers, with a larynx that is reminiscent of both John Lennon and Roger McGuinn. Wednesday Child is the kind of musical treasure the card-carrying members of the Pop Underground spend hours obsessing over.
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.
(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