Month: February 2014

BLURB-O-RAMA

BOB

It’s the end of February 2014 and here’s some new albums that we think you should check out!

Screen shot 2014-02-27 at PM 04.01.26

BENMONT TENCH – You Should Be So Lucky

Better known as the piano player with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Benmont Tench releases his debut solo album and it’s exactly as you might expect. Pristine country-folk-blues-rock that echoes Dylan and Petty (of course) with touches of jazz (“Ecor Rouge”) and soul (“Why Don’t You Quit Leaving Me Alone”). But with authentic material like “Veronica Said”, “Hannah” and “Today I Took Your Picture Down”, Tench demonstrates that he can stand his ground against his heavy-hitting associates. Recommended.

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ALIVE & KICKING – THE GATHERING WITH EMPIRE OF THE SUN / MONSTER CAT

Empire of the Sun‘s frontman Luke Steele promised an exciting adventure for his band’s performance for the opening concert in The Gathering series. And from a purely visual perspective, EOTS did not let down the sizable audience on Friday, 21st February gathered outdoor at the Fort Canning Park. An amazing light show and colourfully attired dancing girls guaranteed a feast for the eyes during their hour plus set.

monstercat

Before that, local champions MONSTER CAT thrilled the early birds with a showcase of songs from new album – The Violet Hour – notably first single “Take Me to Love”. The band was somewhat squeezed to the side of the stage (due to EOTS elaborate setup) and thus, the band seemed a little awkward but that didn’t stop the boys from giving their all and doing their ambitious new numbers justice.

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AN EVENING WITH JOHN CLEESE – UPDATE [NEWS]

Due to popular demand, LA Comedy Live, in association with Adrian Bohm Presents, has announced that An Evening With John Cleese will add a second night to the tour.

The first performance will take place on 4 May 2014, while the second will be on 5 May 2014. Both shows will be held at the University Cultural Centre (UCC), NUS at 8 pm.

Tickets for the second night go on sale this Thursday, 27 February 2014.

More info.

MY FAIR LADY [REVIEW]

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Classic musicals can be fun, and My Fair Lady that is running at MBS Theatre now, demonstrates why the classic piece of musical theatre gets staged again and again all these years. However, in the particular production, one can’t shake off the feeling how ‘traditional’ this musical is.

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ALIVE & KICKING: PLAINSUNSET – THE GIFT 10TH ANNIVERSARY GIG

Picture by Aloysius Lim

Apologies are in order cos this review should have been published at TODAY at least two weeks ago but for some reason – technical hitches etc – the article never appeared. And so, a much belated review of Plainsunset’s triumphant celebration of The Gift’s 10th Anniversary follows.

In 2015, Singapore will celebrate its 50th year of independence. Whilst clearly much has been written about the miraculous economic progress that the country has experienced, it might be argued that this success was achieved at the cost of Singapore’s artistic soul. But slowly but surely, that state of affairs is beginning to witness a sea change. Since the modest revival of Singapore-made rock music in the 1990s, only one band has lasted the course – weathering a break-up in the mid-2000s and the loss of a founding member to come on through the other side still as vibrant as ever and still as relevant to their loyal fans in 2014. That band, of course, is Plainsunset.

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HOT BUZZ: BABUSHKA

Don, Fauzo & Sophia

There may be no shortage of instrumental rock bands in the S-ROCK scene but it’s fair to say that Babushka has opted for a different path from your typical ‘Post-rock’ fare. The trio play a combination of jazz, folk and world music that one could imagine being utilized on the appropriate movie soundtrack. On its debut EP, Flights of Fancy, the styles range from Spanish flamenco inflections (“K2”), English folk cum shoegaze references (“Sherpa”), Space Age Bachelor Pad ambience (“Luxury Apartment”), easy listening jazz-folk (“Collide”) and even a Tex-Mex Mariachi vibe (“Pocket Rocket” – which film buffs might imagine in a Quentin Tarantino cowboy flick even!)

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PoP RECOMMENDS: EACH OTHER

Quirky, edgy & poppy – what a great combo for a band! The music of offbeat Montreal-based trio Each Other doesn’t make for easy pigeon-holing although I personally discerned Pavement, XTC, Pixies, Talking Heads et al in their reference points. Which is awesome of course! Debut album coming out in March. In the meantime, check out the music released so far!

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SINGAPORE ROCK FESTIVAL UPDATE

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Latest update: Jason Newsted will not be appearing or performing on all scheduled February and March dates. These include Australia’s Soundwave Festival and the Singapore Rock Festival here on the 6th of March.

So there will be six bands performing over 2 nights at the festival: Korn, Rob Zombie, Black Veil Brides and Five Finger Death Punch will perform on the 5th of March while Alice in Chains and Alter Bridge will perform on the 6th.

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GEEK OUT!

To be honest, I was less than impressed when Marvel Studio first announced its intention to make a Guardians of the Galaxy movie. The original concept art that accompanied the press release (above) certainly did not help the cause. The main concern was Rocket Raccoon (an intelligent, anthropomorphic raccoon, who is an expert marksman and master tactician!) and the feeling that if the film-makers got Rocket wrong in making him believable, then that would destroy the movie’s credibility.

Of course, so far Marvel Studios have not failed to deliver with each of its films and in bringing in James Gunn (Slither, Super) to helm the first movie adaptation of Marvel’s outer space characters, it revealed an intention to tap into the director’s distinctive quirky style. And this is clearly evident from the first full trailer which presents a comic tone that works very well. I especially like the way that everyone makes fun of Star-Lord’s name.

And… Rocket looks awesome. Take a look!

Guardians of the Galaxy opens on 1st August. Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bastita, Bradley Cooper & Vin Diesel.

#alpacablues

I am proud to announce that my new EP – and my second official solo release – is now available at Bandcamp. You can buy the EP for US$1 until 14th March, wherein it reverts to full price. I am quite sure that #alpacablues is probably my best recorded music to date and this has been done to the fine work from my collaborators viz. Ray Aziz (percussion), Nelson Tan (upright bass), Eileen Chai (violin) and Pat Chng (recording/mixing). Not forgetting of course, the wondrous cover art from Andy Yang. Recorded in about five sessions, the songs on the EP represent a watershed of sorts for me. I have decided to put behind me the overtly melancholic sentiments evident on both Emo FASCISM and #alpacablues and move ahead to make brighter music. Already, I have in mind an electronic pop project for the latter part of 2014. But in the meantime, I hope you will enjoy #alpacablues.

… still there’s more …

GEEK OUT!

JUSTICE LEAGUE: WAR

I suppose I am a bit late to DC’s New 52 concept which rebooted the company’s entire superhero line but the very idea repulsed me back then, so you will forgive me if I decided not to indulge when it all went down in 2011. The direct-to-video animated movie, Justice League: War, represents the first movie adaptation of the New 52 series (in particular, Justice League) and thus, I thought it would be an appropriate time to give my 2cts worth on this latest reboot.

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HOT BUZZ: SAM PAGE “SHINE YOUR LITTLE LIGHT”

Singer-songwriter Sam Page does a great job at evoking the alt-rock of the 80s with nods to The Replacements, Dinosaur Jr, Long Ryders and The Dream Syndicate evident in his country-folk-powerpop amalgam. This new single keeps the fires burnin’ for all of us who remember that era fondly.

Official Site

 

AN EVENING WITH JOHN CLEESE [NEWS]

Cleese-sm

 

Now for something completely different!

 

Comedian John Cleese comes to Singapore to do a stand-up comedy performance for one night only on 4 May 2014, 8 pm, at the University Cultural Centre, NUS.

Tickets go on sale Friday, 14 February 2014 at SISTIC.com and all SISTIC outlets.

Wow!

… still there’s more …

THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD

#alpacablues will be released on 15th February at Bandcamp for US$1 and will be available at that price for a month. Thereafter, the EP will be available at all good digital platforms for the full price (i.e. US$4.00) In the meantime, this is the world premiere of “I Want What I Can’t Have”. Enjoy…

Cover artwork by Andy Yang http://andyyangillustrates.wordpress.com/

PoP RECOMMENDS: THE DUKE OF NORFOLK

As some of you probably know, every day I sift through a mountain of emails (slightly exaggerated but you get the point) from artists, bands, labels and publicists seeking to be featured on the ol’ humble Power of Pop. What does get my attention are references – not the kind you put in a job resume – but more like: what does the music sound like? Then of course, when I click on the streaming link, it bloody well better sound like the bands/artist you referenced. Heh.

So… The Duke of Norfolk. Cool name. And cooler references – the Decemberists, Avett Brothers and Sufjan Stevens. And… I clicked on the streaming link and I was impressed. Country-folk music that is authentic, heart-warming and fun – all excellent characteristics. So check him out, will ya? Hope to get a review up here or at TODAY pretty soon. In the meantime…

http://thedukeofnorfolk.com/
http://thedukeofnorfolk.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/thedukeofnorfolk
https://www.facebook.com/thedukeofnorfolk
https://twitter.com/thdukeofnorfolk
http://www.youtube.com/dukeofnorfolkthe

HOT BUZZ: MONSTER CAT

Take Me To Love Artwork

What excites me about new music? When my expectations are surpassed and a smile is left on my face gawking at the sheer audacity that caught me by surprise! MONSTER CAT‘s new single – “Take Me to Love” fits the bill perfectly. From it’s atonal opening chord progressions to its funky (?) chorus, “Take Me to Love” comes from left field completely and might possibly be the fucking best new song I’ve heard in 2014 so far. Don’t believe me? Well, listen to the song at Deezer now!

Off the band’s upcoming new album – The Violet Hour – to be released on 3rd March and which you can pre-order now at iTunes. What are you waiting for?

… still there’s more …

 

PoP RECOMMENDS: 12 MONKEYS

12 MONKEYS (1995)
Dir: Terry Gilliam
Starring Bruce Willis, Madeline Stowe, Brad Pitt & Christopher Plummer.

Synopsis: In a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet. (IMDB)

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