KEVIN SAYS …

How seriously should we take what a person posts on social media? Well, if it’s something interpreted as seditious in the eyes of the law, very seriously but what about something short of that measure? I have been guilty myself of posting irrational emotional rants on social media when I allowed heart to rule over head but I am not talking about that. I am talking about the offensive Facebook comment or Tweet that is coldly calculated to offend.

Most recent examples of course, are the online reactions to a video of the controversial Youtuber Amos Yee being slapped by an unidentified stranger. The fact that there are ‘keyboard warriors’ who are cheering on this assault as some form of vigilante justice is bewildering no doubt but is there more to this that meets the eye? Do these commentators wilfully commit these indecent acts as a means of rebellion – a way to transcend their pathetic, mundane existence and get public attention well beyond their normal means?

Surely, in a face-to-face situation, most of these ‘trolls’ would probably not dare to fire a verbal shot in anger but emboldened by the apparent lack of accountability for a social media comment, take the plunge without any thought of the consequences. It just comes too easy. I sometimes think that responding with some kind of admonishment of this kind of anti-social behaviour serves no other purpose than to egg these ‘trolls’ on. I believe the best medicine is to cut off the attention the ‘trolls’ craved, deny them the glare of the public spotlight and they might simply wither away.

GEEK OUT! Superman vs. Batman? DC’s Real Battle Is How to Create Its Superhero Universe – Hollywood Reporter

Warner Bros. is employing a different strategy than Marvel as it hires five writers for ‘Wonder Woman,’ has no clear leader and deals with new frustrations in its struggles to craft a compelling 10-movie world.

Source: Superman vs. Batman? DC’s Real Battle Is How to Create Its Superhero Universe – Hollywood Reporter

What the hell is Warners up to? They need to back off and let the editors at DC Comics determine the creative path of the DC Universe. If not, Warners and DC are headed for financial disaster.

GEEK OUT! COMIC BOOK ART ALWAYS COMES FIRST BEFORE STORY

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Let’s get real, shall we?

When it comes to stories presented in words and visuals, the visual aspect will always trump the word aspect. That is why movies like Transformers: Age of Extinction and Furious 7 are able to do well at the box office despite not having very good stories. This also applies in comic books, which is – like film – a graphic medium and very much dependent on the visual quality for its appeal and success.

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Of course, I am not saying that the writing does not matter in comic books but even the best work of my favourite comic book writer Alan Moore, was enhanced by the sterling work of his collaborators viz. Steve Bissette (Swamp Thing), John Totleben (Swamp Thing, Miracleman), Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), Kevin O’Neill (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) etc etc. Which made Moore’s Supreme much less than expectations due to the artwork of Rob Liefeld!

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Which is why ultimately I believe that Jack Kirby deserves more credit for the success of the Marvel Universe than Stan Lee. Moreover, Kirby had significant input in many of the classic Marvel Universe issues as plotter! It’s impossible to imagine a single modern-day Marvel film without the contribution of Jack Kirby and yet, only with Avengers: Age of Ultron, was Kirby credited as a co-creator, alongside Stan Lee. This was, of course, due to a recent settlement between Marvel and Kirby’s estate.

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However, to the layman movie goer and naive self-professed fan of the Marvel films, Stan Lee will always be thought of as the creator of the Marvel Universe, with each succeeding annoying cameo being shoved down everybody’s throat. But whilst Lee’s hokey self-aggrandisement continues to reveal the huckster that he has always been, the Kirby legacy can be seen by all – unwittingly – in every costume design and most importantly, every powerful fight scene!

Long live the King!

TRICOT – LIVE IN SINGAPORE

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Kyoto based alternative rock band tricot announces their Hip Step “A N D” Jump Asia Trip 2015, returning to Singapore for a one-night-only show at The Substation on Sunday 31 May.

All-girl math-rock outfit consisting of three diminutive Japanese ladies sounds like an unusual proposition but tricot is indeed the real deal. A concept that sounds like its worth the price of admission already.

Get your tickets: http://tricotsingapore.peatix.com/

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CHANNELS & TERMINALS – FUNDRAISER FOR PLEASANTRY’S NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

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This is quite an astonishing line-up of top top #sgindie bands. And all for a good cause – support local!

Pre-sale tickets can be purchased via channelsandterminals.peatix.com.

GEEK OUT! JARED LETO’S JOKER IS REVEALED

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Why so serious?

The Joker in Suicide Squad makes no sense to me at all. Can you imagine the Joker as a team player? So for me, that whole concept is already somewhat of a non starter.

But of course, Warners wanted a character that would conceivably sell tickets (nobody else in the Suicide Squad has that profile – Captain Boomerang?) and thus the rationale becomes crystal clear.

Remember the last time, geeks kicked up a fuss (pre-movie) about the Joker? The late Heath Ledger gave the performance of his life, which earned him a posthumous Academy Award (f0r a superhero film, no less). Therefore, as much as the tattoos seem very un-Joker-like (“Damaged”? Really?), seeing is believing and let’s watch the Suicide Squad before going ballistic.

I mean, it’s only a superhero comic book movie…

STAN LEE GRAPHIC MEMOIR | Robot 6 @ Comic Book ResourcesRobot 6 @ Comic Book Resources

Stan Lee is collaborating with writer Peter David and artist Colleen Doran to create his graphic memoir, billed as ” the story of how modern comics came to be.” Revealed last week by Doran, Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir will be published in October as a hardcover graphic novel by Simon & Schuster.

Look at the characters in the background, do you know who co-created them with Stan Lee? Would this graphic memoir make any mention of the manner in which Stan Lee has taken almost all the credit all these years and left nothing for Jack Kirby? I sincerely hope that this memoir will go some way to repairing the damage Lee has done to Kirby’s legacy.

Source: Stan Lee teams with Peter David, Colleen Doran for graphic memoir – Robot 6 @ Comic Book ResourcesRobot 6 @ Comic Book Resources

JAIME WONG: SINGAPORE’S SOUL SISTER | TODAYonline

So here’s my TODAY interview with Jaime Wong. Now, I hope you figured out that that headline came from my editor! But to be fair, I chickened out from coming up with one, so….

Check out the article and don’t forget that Jaime launches her EP on May 15, 7.30pm at Lepark, People’s Park Complex rooftop. Tickets from http://jaimewongep.peatix.com. You can buy the EP on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/album/jaime-wong-ep/id979791050)

Source: Jaime Wong: Singapore’s soul sister | TODAYonline

GEEK OUT! AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON IS THE BEST SUPERHERO MOVIE EVER MADE SO FAR!

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So much hyped up expectation for this sequel to the billion dollar making Avengers movie but guess what? It makes good on every single expectation and more! Director Joss Whedon fills up its 2-hour plus duration with so much comic book goodness that this geek was gushing throughout.

And as good as the original Avengers was, Age of Ultron somehow trumps it in so many ways. For one thing, the group dynamic is handled so well. We can see little smaller groups forming up that suggest camaraderie, shared mistrust and even romance. This push and pull amongst the Avengers gives the story much depth and superhero realism.

The plot line of course, as has been revealed in all the trailers involves villainous robot Ultron cutting his puppet strings and threatening to destroy the world. But really folks, it is much more. This feels like a stronger movie than the original – and how often can we say that about sequels?

For the comic book fan, the movie is chock full of so many nods, winks and references that this geek was smiling like an idiot throughout its duration. For the casual movie goer, the action, the humour and the epic drama will have you coming back again and again. I sincerely hope that this movie will also break the billion dollar barrier so that more movies like this will be made!

A moment of satisfaction arrived during the main credits when Jack “The King” Kirby FINALLY gets his due as a co-creator of The Avengers. About fucking time. But those in the know would have felt the spirit of the late great Kirby running through the MCU from day one i.e. Iron Man. This time around, the battle sequence in the church was shot like the finest Kirbyesque fight scene – the power and the glory!!

Suffice to say, this movie is essential viewing and at least THREE times, at that!

Avengers: Age of Ultron is showing at the cinemas now. 

 

 

GEEK OUT! FANTASTIC FOUR OFFICIAL TRAILER

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Well well well. The most maligned superhero project of recent times has just delivered a very promising trailer. This Fantastic Four reboot generated quite a bit of hate for its casting, story ideas, quotes from director and cast etc but when one looks at this official trailer, one cannot deny that this has the potential to be a good superhero movie.

In fact, the trailer has a very MCU feel – from the humour to the realistic tone of the characterisation. It actually looks better than X-Men: Days of Future Past to me. Of course, the proof will be in the pudding ultimately and my main concern is how Dr. Doom will be portrayed but at this point, Fantastic Four is looking pretty good.

Fantastic Four will open in Singapore on 6th August. 

HOUSE OF RIOT WITH CHARLIE LIM, INCH & THE GREAT SPY EXPERIMENT!

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On 6 June, House of Riot – home to Singapore’s well-loved independent acts, Charlie Lim, iNCH, and The Great Spy Experiment – presents an ambitious live show in homage to made-in-Singapore music, at The Esplanade’s grande dame The Concert Hall.

#sgindie music at the Esplanade Concert Hall? Somewhat unprecedented but surely the potentially record-breaking triple bill stands perfectly placed to do the deed.

Tickets for the Riot show are now on sale at SISTIC, and priced at S$50 for normal admission; S$40 for students and NSFs.

GEEK OUT! BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE OFFICIAL TRAILER #1

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Warners have their work cut out to get ahead of Disney in the geek movie stakes. Man of Steel was the first salvo in its war effort. And it is certain that the reinvention of the DC universe in the movies is going to take quite a battering from Marvel fans, whilst it gets its act together.

The first proper look at what promises to be the beginning of a slew of Warners/DC movies – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer – demonstrates the uncompromising approach of director Zack Snyder and crew to a darker, grittier presentation of the DC characters.

Like in the Daredevil Netflix series, we are seeing the strong influence of Frank Miller’s 80s work (Dark Knight Returns) coming to bear on the DC universe. I am excited by the setup – that Superman is not accepted by the people of Earth (and after the events in Man of Steel, can you blame them?) and Batman has to confront Superman.

Of course, one cannot tell too much from a trailer but from what I have seen, this introduction to the Justice League looks very very promising.

In Snyder we trust!

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POWER OF POP INTERVIEW – JAIME WONG

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Alright, in the course of writing a feature for TODAY about Jaime Wong, I had enough ‘leftover’ materials for a separate interview here at Power of Pop! Yay! So look out for that piece on Jaime at TODAY next week. In the meantime…

Do you have a support system within the local music scene that helps you musically and emotionally? 

Definitely. I mean, everyone who is involved in the scene be it as a listener or a musician can see for themselves how much stronger the community has become in the last couple of years. I have yet to meet anyone in the community who is malicious; everyone I know and have interacted with is always ready to help out and support the scene. For instance, it warms my heart to see fellow musicians share my music video and ask their friends and followers to download my single when they have absolutely no obligation to. It’s not only encouraging, it’s uplifting. And it provides me with emotional support in so many aspects, not only as a musician.

Continue reading “POWER OF POP INTERVIEW – JAIME WONG”

GEEK OUT! STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS TEASER TRAILER #2

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Yes the first teaser trailer was bewildering BUT this is the real deal right here.

With a Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamil) VO, thrilling shots of the new Star Wars universe (30 years from Return of the Jedi) and the appearance of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca, it feels like …. coming home indeed.

Beginning to feel that this will be the film of the year!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in Singapore on 17th December. 

CHECK OUT RAGNAROK FOR ESTHER LOWLESS’ MESMERISING PERFORMANCE!

Ragnarok

Am not much of a theatre-goer but my main interest in covering Ragnarok has always been the fact that Esther Lowless would be acting and singing her original compositions within the body of the play itself. A unique opportunity to catch Esther in an entirely different creative environment.

According to its press release, “Ragnarok serves to confront its audience with difficult questions about issues of identity, power and illness that have evolved within the global gay community” but what makes the play ambitious is the concept of using Norse mythology and the apocalyptic myth of Ragnarok as an allegorical device. Of course, to appreciate this, one would need to understand Norse mythology to begin with and it’s much more than that hunky God of Thunder in the Marvel movies (and yes, the next Thor movie is sub-titled Ragnarok as well)!

So I reiterate that the purpose of this review is not really to evaluate the merits of the play per se, although I did find it intriguing if somewhat overwrought with the performances uneven. Instead, I focus on Esther Lowless. She plays Hel (in Norse, mythology, a being who presides over a realm of the same name, where she receives a portion of the dead), the bartender and musical performer at gay bar, Asgard. Her role is mainly as a passive observer and commentator (through the music performances) although Hel does have her moments as agent provocateur.

The key challenge for Esther is that Hel is on stage throughout the entire duration of the play! Thus, there is no break for Esther whatsoever! In that respect, she performs admirably combining her acting with musical performances superbly with wonderful new songs that imbue the play with much gravitas and emotional resonance. Some of my favourite moments – when the cast joins with Esther for bizarre singalongs – the play takes on the tone of a cracked musical – unsettling but transcendent at the same time!

There are 3 more performances of Ragnarok. Saturday 18th is sold out but tickets for tonight and Friday night are still available at time of press. Don’t miss this #sgindie music lovers!

Get your tickets from http://www.skinnedkneeproductions.com/productions-ragnarok.html

GEEK OUT! ANT-MAN TRAILER

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With the heightened anticipation for Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man almost seems like an after-thought. After all, it does seem poorer in comparison and by all accounts appears to be a retread of the first Iron Man movie. But the first trailer does look very promising I must say, even if those accusations still hold true.

Also, Evangeline Lilly in her new short, pointy bob haircut looks appropriately like the Wasp, although I am pretty sure Hope Van Dyne never takes on that mantle in the movie. Effects look good and that entire sequence of Scott Lang running with the ants is awesome!

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Not quite sure what to make of the high level of zany humour evident in the trailer (see above) but Marvel Studio’s track record demands that a level of trust be given to Ant-Man. The trailer does fill one with a bit more confidence that Ant-Man will not turn out to be Marvel Studio’s first dud.

Ant-Man opens in Singapore on 16th July.

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WHY YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO THE BEE GEES LOST CLASSIC LIVING EYES

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What goes up must come down.

In 1979, riding on the popularity of the Saturday Night’s Fever film soundtrack, the Bee GeesSpirits (Having Flown) sold almost 20 million copies. I still remember heading down to the Kwang Sia record store at North Bridge Road where the LP was literally flying off the shelves. Crazy.

However, barely 2 years later, the band’s follow-up Living Eyes would only sell 750,000 copies worldwide! What happened?

Well, disco had become unfashionable and the Bee Gees were (unfairly) associated with the genre. Not only that but rock music had begun to make a return to the charts in a big way with bands like The Police, REO Speedwagon, Genesis, Rush et al, and suddenly the Bee Gees sounded very dated and somewhat lame.

That said, the Bee Gees themselves took pains on Living Eyes to move away from the disco sound that had made millions of them and the trio explored once again the pop balladry style with which they first made their name. But the music critics and fans alike did not want any of it resulting in an abject failure, that the Bee Gees barely recovered from.

BUT listening to Living Eyes now, 34 years later, it is clear that it did not deserve the criticism and hatred it did. The songwriting is sharp, the singing is beautiful and it’s fair to say that the album should be re-assessed by any serious pop music lover.

Songs like the title track, “Paradise”, “Don’t Fall in Love With Me”, “Wildflower” and “Soldiers” are as good as anything on 70s classics “Mr. Natural” and “Main Course”. True blue pop fans will find these tracks irresistible and will want to listen to them over and over to savour the wondrous melodies and harmonies.

Listen without prejudice and prepare to be amazed.

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JAIME WONG’S DEBUT EP IS A GORGEOUS FOLK POP SUITE DEDICATED TO LOST LOVE

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I first fell in love with the music of Jaime Wong back in 2012 when I mentored her for an afternoon as the winner of the Noise-Timbre Singer-Songwriter Programme. The song that did the most damage was the atmospheric “Skin” and spending time with this down-to-earth easy-going talent was a pleasure. Thus, it was no surprise to me when Jaime won the Noise Singapore Award a year later because once this unassuming young lady is on stage, she tends to draws everyone watching into her melancholy world of broken hearts and lost love.

So I was thrilled to receive her new EP this morning in the mail and instantly fell in love all over again with her music. I guarantee that this four tracks will be on endless repeat once you get hold of the EP (and I wager you would want to). Apart from the shimmering “Skin”, it’s impossible not to be mesmerised by the luscious “Shame on You,” the slightly bouncy “To Lost Love” and the yearning country-folky “2:32 am”.

Yet another winner in an already grand year for Singapore music. Essential.

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Jaime’s debut EP will be available for pre-orders this coming Monday, 13/04/15 on iTunes. Pre-order and get an immediate download of “Skin (Wekkit Remix)”, exclusive for digital release.

 

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GEEK OUT! NEW PICTURES FROM UPCOMING SUPERHERO MOVIES

Vision

The Vision gets the spotlight in this Avengers: Age of Ultron poster.

Thing

Entertainment drops a cool shot of the Thing from the Fantastic Four reboot.

Yellowjacket

First look at Yellowjacket from the Ant-Man movie.

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Ok so not a movie but this is how Daredevil‘s traditional red costume is presented in the Netflix series.

 

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CHEATING SONS – HONEYMOON SINGLE

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Regular visitors to Power of Pop would be aware that I managed Cheating Sons effectively from July 2011. Fact is I am no longer managing the band so I can say with a clear conscience that their upcoming sophomore effort is worth the years it took to put it together.

Good news is that the first single – “Honeymoon” – has just been released today and you can pick it up at Bandcamp. “Honeymoon” is 60s pop goodness channeled through the sensibilities of Roy Orbison and Teresa Teng and it’s textural complexity will give fans and newbies a good idea of what to expect when the new album drops.

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KAMCO MUSIC RE-ISSUE PROGRAM – THE CROWD & POPLAND

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Well, boys and girls, that’s all she wrote! With the re-release of The Crowd’s Pop (1997), and the Popland albums, Groovy and Action!, the KAMCO Music – Kevin Mathews reissue program has been completed.

Here are the links. Thanks for your support.

Pop

Amazon | Deezer | iTunes

Groovy

Amazon | Deezer | iTunes

Action!

Amazon | Deezer | iTunes

Here’s a Spotify playlist of all 73 tracks of the re-issue programme!

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PoPTV: MAX JURY – HOME

Max Jury - The Untitled Magazine - Photography by Indira Cesarine

My favourite new artist of 2015! No contest.

Max releases a video of “Home”, off his upcoming highly anticipated debut album.

To these ears, the inspirations of John Lennon, ELO, Gram Parsons, Wilco and Ryan Adams come together nicely with Max’s melancholy sweet larynx to produce yet another instant classic.

Check out the video directed by Christophe Rihet.

Max is headed out on a USA and Canada tour in April 2015
Tickets: http://po.st/MaxTour

http://po.st/MaxJuryFacebook
http://po.st/MaxJuryTwitter
http://po.st/MaxJuryInstagram

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