KEVIN SAYS …

Every year is an opportunity to learn more, to do more good work and to help more people. Personally, every year also provides circumstances designed to mould me into the person that I should be & to deny the impulses that years of genetic and social conditioning have brought about.

In that respect, 2015 was a very good year. No, I am not quite a success yet – not in the eyes of the world anyways but I am content that I managed to connect with the ‘right’ people & forged meaningful relationships.

The only constant is change and I am thankful for the learned ability to adapt to the twists and turns that life will inevitably throw my way. What is crucial are the thoughts and behaviour that I am able to muster.

I have come to terms with who I am and my place in the world and the freedom that affords is priceless. I see 2016 as a unique challenge to push myself further outside of my comfort zone, overcoming my fears, acknowledging my flaws and being the best person I can be, for the benefit of others.

Happy new year, everyone!

… still there’s more …

GEEK OUT! 2015: THE YEAR IN MOVIES

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In hindsight, 2015 has proven to be a rather disappointing year for geek movies. Despite the hype accorded to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, JJ Abrams’ reboot of the franchise proved less than satisfying but that could not stop the movie from grossing over a billion at the box office (and still going strong at time of posting).

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LANEWAY SINGAPORE 2016 BREAKDOWN: BATTLES, BEACH HOUSE & CASHEW CHEMISTS

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With the new year beckoning, Laneway Singapore 2016 is a month away and over the next few weeks, Power of Pop will give you the lowdown on the TWENTY-ONE artists who will grace the occasion on 30th January (in alphabetical order).

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MUSIC REVIEW: 3 SINGAPORE INSTRUMENTAL RELEASES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED IN 2015

2015 is almost done and dusted but there are still a couple of loose ends to tie up. Here’s a couple of Singapore instrumental albums released this year that you might want to examine a little closer.

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GENERATION GAP! – VARIOUS ARTISTS (PLAYLIST)

DevanDubois
Devan Dubois

Putting together the recent Beatles playlists had got me thinking about whether the Fab Four is ‘relevant’ to our modern times. That got me deep into discovery mode to construct a playlist of music that had been released in the last two years, which in my mind owe a thing or two to The Beatles and/or the pop-rock music of the past.

… still there’s more … 

GEEK OUT! FILM REVIEW – THE LOBSTER

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More avant-garde/speculative fiction/fantasy than outright scifi, Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Lobster is a triumph of imaginative allegory. There is a strong message running through the narrative that somewhat loses steam in the third act. The set-up though is well conceptualised.

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ROCK HISTORY: THE BEATLES – REVOLUTION IN THE HEAD (PLAYLIST)

Beatles Pop Art 001

“With every song that I write, I compare it to the Beatles. The thing is, they only got there before me. If I’d been born at the same time as John Lennon, I’d have been up there.”

This mind-boggling quote comes from Noel Gallagher. The self-delusion is obvious but the fact that Gallagher has made a career out of plagiarism is proof of how wrong this statement is. If not for the inspiration of The Beatles (and many others), nobody would have even heard of Noel Gallagher (sounds like heaven!).

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REEL TO REAL: YOUTH

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Despite its title, Youth is really about aging. Or perhaps a surreal examination of the meaning of youth. For this reason, Youth has been compared to Birdman, apart from the fact that the innovative cinematography in both movies clearly marks them out as distinctive.

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ROCK HISTORY: THE BEATLES – TOPPERMOST OF THE POPPERMOST (PLAYLIST)

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Here’s part one of a playlist put together to celebrate The Beatles’ entry into the streaming services. This playlist covers the Fab Four’s early years of Beatlemania (1963 – 65) whereby in 2 short years, the band released SIX albums and numerous non-album singles and EPs, the majority of which were filled with ground-breaking, iconoclastic pop music. Enjoy!

… still there’s more … 

POWER OF POP INTERVIEW – .GIF

From Facebook page
From Facebook page

The year is almost done but .gif (viz Weish & Din, above) probably delivered one of the best ways to see out an amazing 2015 for Singapore music with its debut album, soma. Here’s what the dynamic duo thought about what the year was all about…

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2015: TOP TEN SINGAPORE RELEASES

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The amount of new music releases in 2015 is staggering. And it’s basically impossible to be able to listen to everything out there. But when it comes to Singapore Rock, well then it is possible to almost do just that.

Thus, a justification for this list – our recommendations for those of you who have recently come aboard the S-ROCK train. Welcome to the rest of your life!

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FILM REVIEW: THE JAM – ABOUT THE YOUNG IDEA

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We wanna say, we gonna tell ya/About the young idea/And if it don’t work, at least we still tried… (“In the City” – Paul Weller)

The Jam (1972 – 1982) was more than a band, it was a way of life, a way of thinking. And of course, a documentary about The Jam just cannot be a run-of-the-mill documentary.

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