This is Pop!

Popular music (as opposed to classical music) has been around for eons. Well, in its modern incarnation since the 1950s in any case with the arrival of rock n’ roll. And I am pretty much satisfied with that concept. Sure, we can talk about some superficial difference between pop, rock, country, folk, soul and so on but what’s the point?

Seriously, all I am interested in is the music – in whatever form it may come in. I am more concerned with the mind, body, heart and soul that went into the creation of music than it’s the skin it happens to be wrapped in. It’s the same way I ‘judge’ people as well so why should something as important as music be treated any differently.

So why should the foregoing be relevant in a review of 2012, the third album of World Blanket? Sure I could have spent the last two paragraphs trying my level music journo best to define World Blanket’s music in terms of ‘genres’ but that really does not do justice to its (or any other artists’) creativity and ability, does it?

Sure, World Blanket is essential a ‘power trio’ in that it has a guitar, bass, drums aggregation (played by Mike Pomranz, Dean Moore and Jonathan Flax respectively). However, in addition, Katherine Fong also plays violins to provide a distinctive lush flavour to Pomranz’s pop tunes.

Clocking at over 43 minutes, 2012 is a rather long in duration for an album containing only 7 songs – with two tracks actually clocking in at 14 and 8 minutes accordingly without ever overstaying their welcomes. Channeling various aspects of influences that suggest the likes of The Beatles, The Velvet Underground, XTC, Edwyn Collins, Belle & Sebastian and many more.

Pomranz’s acoustic guitar meshes well with Fong’s violins and this combination provides much of the impetus for the songs’ distinctive sounds, in particular “The Greatest Trainwreck” and “And Here We Are (Again Maybe)” where the lush ambience counterpoints the driving percussive forces perfectly. Songs like “The Blues…” (which sounds exactly as you probably imagine it to be), the chamber pop referencing “… Snooze Bar” and the darkly quixotic “2012 (Side B)” offer a clear sight of World Blanket‘s lofty songwriting ambit.

Official Site

“No Reflection” (off upcoming album, Born Villain)

Marilyn Manson is back with a new single and a new album. Born Villain will drop on 1st May and in the meantime you can check out the first single – “No Reflection” via this somewhat non-descript by-the-numbers music video. The song itself is grooving glam (Bowie/T Rex) via Metallica – if that makes sense. But with enough hooks to make you wan to press ‘repeat’. *Growl*

Official Site

DOWNLOAD NOW FROM ITUNES 

Days of Our Lives DVD (Eagle Vision)

This “Definitive Documentary of the World’s Greatest Rock Band” was first aired last year on BBC TV Two in two parts. Now commercially available in DVD, the documentary is well worth repeated viewings especially if you are a Queen fan, which I wager would be quite a lot of you out there.

As a fan myself, it is easy to be caught in the thrill of Queen’s early years as they released one exciting album after another – A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, News of the World, Jazz and The Game – racking out numerous worldwide chart hit singles in the process. Some contemporary insight is provided by guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor and previously unseen footage is also brought to bear in order to flesh the incredible success that Queen obviously was (and still is)

The latter half of the documentary comes to a sad conclusion naturally with the untimely death of singer Freddie Mercury 20 years ago in 1991. It is difficult not to be choked by emotion if like me, you loved Mercury for his incredible talent, showmanship and charisma. The interviews can get almost unbearably personal as May and Taylor share their last memories of Mercury on video.

At the end there is a sense that even in this day and age, Queen’s legacy remains strong and May/Taylor have done a good job to ensure that the music of Queen will never be forgotten. Essential for all Queen fans.

Deep Purple with Orchestra: Live at Montreux 2011 (Eagle)

I’m sorry but for me the spine of Deep Purple has always been Jon Lord and Richie Blackmore. You can take away anybody else but once Lord and Blackmore are not part of the equation, to me it’s not Deep Purple. Of course, the current incarnation of Deep Purple has had Don Airey on keyboards and Steve Morse on guitars for some time now.

Worse still, based on this DVD, it really seems that singer Ian Gillian has lost his legendary vocal chops as well. Not that it matters to the sold-out crowd at this concert at the Montreux Jazz Festival 2011. To compound the problem, the band is backed this time by a full orchestra to provide horns and strings to classics such as Highway Star, Maybe I’m A Leo, Woman from Tokyo, Space Truckin’ and Smoke on the Water. It’s not hard rock anymore I’m afraid. It’s all very soft, wet and flaccid.

So in many ways, this like a Vegas show version of the legendary band and of course, they’re perfectly entitled to continue to tour and bring the classic rock repertoire to willing fans worldwide but I don’t have to like it. Strictly for die hard fans only.

White Snow

Red Wanting Blue’s previous album – These Magnificent Miles – was a firm favourite here at Power of Pop central and so we are definitely looking forward to the upcoming new album From the Vanishing Point. The opening teaser – White Snow – with its rollicking demeanor and heartfelt sentiment will win over country-folk-pop-rock fans all over the world. Check it out and come back for the Power of Pop review…

Red Wanting Blue – White Snow by fanaticpro

Official Site

Lunarin’s spanking new album – The Midas Sessions – has been on heavy rotation here at Power of Pop central and we got in touch with singer-bassist Linda Ong to get her thoughts on the new album…

Why an acoustic album?

Few people know this, but playing acoustic has always been a part of our repertoire. We have always made it a point to play acoustic gigs alongside our usual electric ones ever since forming Lunarin in 2003. I remember playing an acoustic show organized by Double Yellow Line at Yusof Ishak House in NUS before the Chrysalis was released. During the time when we released the Chrysalis, we played an acoustic show at Earshot at the Arts House (one of the songs appeared on our EP “Little Pieces”). After we released Duae, we played an acoustic show with you at the library at Esplanade.

Nothing gives us more joy than to watch bands and songwriters that we love play stripped down, acoustic sets. There is something very heartbreaking and sincere in listening to a well written song stripped down to its barest elements, with only raw emotions and pure musicianship in support. I never thought of going acoustic as a “step down” or a sign that we have mellowed. It is just a different direction that is worth exploring and developing.

Having our own home studio gave us the luxury of deciding to record these songs instead of just leaving them as material for acoustic gigs. This was a luxury we didn’t have previously! 

What were the major differences between recording Midas Sessions as compared to Duae?

Well this time we had Natalie and Victor playing on the album. So we had to figure out how to record violins and cello properly with our limited equipment and space. That took a fair bit of trial and error, because when it came to dealing with violins and cello, it was important to try and capture their natural organic sound. It was very different from recording an electric album when we could just run the bass and guitars through effects. Lucky for us both Natalie and Victor were two very patient people. So after the initial teething problems were sorted and a modus operandi was established, recording them was a breeze.

Because of our experience recording Duae, recording the rest of the instruments (guitars, bass, piano, drums) was relatively painless. Personally for me, recording vocals was the highlight of the recording process. Going acoustic enabled me to explore a wide range of styles vocally. I must confess to being a tad over indulgent. I did far too many vocal overdubs and far too many different vocal harmonies than I would have liked!

Kah Wye was away for quite a bit of 2011 due to overseas work commitments. Because of this, I had to assume a greater role in recording this album than I did in Duae.  Quite a far bit of the cello and violins on the album were recorded with just me, Natalie and Victor, which was fun. 

Lunarin is very much a D-I-Y operation – what keeps you going (recording and performing) despite the pressures of everyday life?

A love for music. It isn’t really that difficult! (Good answer! KM)

What are your promotional plans for Midas Sessions?

We are planning an album launch at The Pigeonhole on Sunday 15 Jan 2012 8pm, which is also the official release date of the album. After that we have a remix of Right of Sleep, done by someone we hugely respect, that we plan to release shortly after the album is out. We’re looking forward to that! 

It took you 4 years to record Duae and 2 to finish Midas Sessions, will the next album surface in 2013?

Unfortunately no. The Midas Sessions consisted of B Sides and songs from our earlier albums, so the songs were already written when Duae was released.  The time spent after the release of Duae to work on this album was purely spent on recording. This however, can’t be said of any subsequent album to this one. After this album is out, we will need to go back and start writing new material again. At the rate we are going, we’ll see you in five years’ time!

Right of Sleep from lunarin on Vimeo.

(Press release)

Built to Spill have confirmed their first tour dates for the New Year in support of the current Warner Bros. Records album, THERE IS NO ENEMY. Dates begin Feb 23rd in San Francisco.  All confirmed dates are listed below.

Thur Feb 23 – The Fillmore San Francisco, CA

Fri Feb 24 – Visalia Fox Theater Visalia, CA

Sat Feb 25 – Uptown Theatre Napa, CA

Thur Mar 8 – Spanish Moon Baton Rough, LA

Fri Mar 9 – One Eyed Jacks New Orleans, LA

Sun Mar 11 – Denton 35 Festival Denton, TX

Mon Mar 12 – Fitzgerald’s Houston, TX

Check out the official video for Hindsight below.

Official Site

Credit: Graham MacRae

The Midas Sessions

Let me put a personal perspective on this review. I was fortunate enough to open for Lunarin (Linda Ong, Ho Kah Wye & Loo Eng Teck) last year at an acoustic performance at The Library @ Esplanade. The trio was augmented by Natalie Soh (violin) and Victor Ong (cello) and the set list included new songs and re-interpretation of tracks from Chrysalis and Duae and in truth I was enthralled by how gorgeous and magnificent these chamber pop songs turned out to be. After the gig, the band mentioned an intention to record an EP of these acoustic songs and I was so enthused that I almost felt that I had to bully them into recording a full-length album.

So… it is really a special feeling to finally be listening to this wondrous album. Not as hodge-podge as its origins might suggest as the old and new material blend together as a coherent whole. The organic sounds and timbre of the acoustic instruments mesh so well together that one would never imagine that Lunarin was equally deft at loud metallic noises! Certainly the success of this album indicates the breadth and depth of Lunarin as songwriters and artists. Shorn of the wall of metallic sound, these songs breathe and shine so brightly that anyone listening in cannot fail but be engaged.

Amongst the new material, the likes of Ghost, Right of Sleep and Wednesday cut right through to catch the listener’s attention with Right of Sleep’s hook-laden approach making it the perfect choice for lead single. If only Singapore radio would shake off its irrational prejudice against local music, I am certain that Right of Sleep would soon become a staple. Anyone familiar with the two previous albums would be rather astonished to hear the fresh incarnations of Zero Point Red, Midas and Coralline as almost independent entities distinct from their metallic cousins. In fact, Zero Point Red clearly stands a fair chance of being the second single off The Midas Sessions. A definite highlight is the live version of the acoustic rendition of the epic Serpentine which retains its majestic quality whilst adding hitherto unknown deeper layers to its widescreen ambitions.

A breathtaking achievement that belies the hard work and effort behind the scenes, The Midas Sessions is a worthy addition to the burgeoning Singapore rock canon.

Check out the music video of Right of Sleep below.

Right of Sleep from lunarin on Vimeo.

Lunarin launch The Midas Sessions on Sunday 15th January 2012 at 8pm at the Pigeonhole. Admission is FREE.

Official Site

January 2012 promises to be a busy month of gigs for yours truly as I try to find as much performance time as possible for my two Noise mentees, Maricelle Wong and Ming See, ahead of the Noise Showcase in March. First up on Friday the 13th at the Red Dot Design Museum comes MAAD Sounds (see above). The girls will be playing three original songs each to split their half-hour slot and I expect very much to try to fit in ‘new’ songs that have been spotlighted recently on Youtube by yours truly. Hope to see you there! More gig announcements to be made…

… still there’s more …

Water

Nothing quite like arcane americana even if it’s made north of the US border. This Canuck alt-country outfit revels in all things twangy and you can easily put their music side by side with Fleet Foxes, Jayhawks and Band of Horses. Quite brilliant.

While ah have your attention – check out Fire here.

New album from Yukon Blonde due in 2012. Stoked!

Official Site

Creedence Clearwater Revival, mostly known to fans as ‘CCR’ was a rock quartet whose singles were big radio hits during the transition period from the 60s to the 70s. As a kid, I remembering hearing their songs constantly on the radio and the secret of their success was very simple – basic rock ‘n’ roll infused with country, folk and soul inflections and not to mention the dynamic larynx of lead singer John Fogerty.

I remember getting hold of a cassette of Chronicle – which was subtitled “The 20 Greatest Hits” for good reason. Chronicle was that rare compilation where every selection was an unforgettable classic. No exaggeration to state that I wore out that cassette from the non-stop play and I would repeat the process over the entirety of the album. Now of course, the whole album is a firm fixture in my iTunes and still receives a regular play-through to remind what top notch rock ‘n’ roll is all about.

If I had to choose my top five from “The 20 Greatest Hits” it would have to be – Who’ll Can Stop The Rain, Someday Never Comes, Have You Ever Seen the Rain, Lodi and Fortunate Son – these tunes have been permanently burned into my consciousness. Add to the list, CCR’s fiery interpretations of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ I Put A Spell On You and Marvin Gaye’s I Heard It Through the Grapevine and what you have is rock ‘n’ roll bliss.

Buy Chronicle from Amazon

Regeneration Vol. I & II

I make no apologies for being a fan of Styx. Or to be accurate, of the incarnation consisting of Dennis DeYoung (vocals, keyboards), Tommy Shaw (vocals, guitars), James “JY” Young (vocals, guitars), Chuck Panozzo (bass, vocals) and John Panozzo (drums) and responsible for a string of classic rock albums from 1976′s Crystal Ball to 1983′s Kilroy Was Here.

Currently only Shaw, Young and Chuck Panozzo remain, with John Panozzo deceased and DeYoung having left and much of the creative energy has dissipated. This is never more evident than on this pair of EPs where the latest version of Styx (with Lawrence Gowan on vocals/keyboards, Todd Sucherman on drums & Ricky Philips on bass guitar) re-records new interpretations of classic Styx tracks like The Grand Illusion, Come Sail Away and Lorelei. I say new interpretations but actually the band records the songs in the exact form and manner as the original tracks except with contributions from new members.

So what’s the point when the original tracks are more than good enough to stand on their own without these ‘imposters’. Copyright ownership of new recordings? Hurm. Alright, there is one new composition – Difference in the World – that is fairly listenable but seriously, these new recordings are almost a waste of time. To hammer this point home, there are new recordings of two Damn Yankees (!) songs viz. Coming of Age and High Enough, instead of other Styx tracks. Completely mystifying.

Stick with the originals is my recommendation.

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

Shades of Deep Purple (1968)/The Book of Taliesyn (1969)/Deep Purple (1969)

Before UK band Deep Purple became a hard rock behemoth in the 70s, the quintet – consisting of Rod Evans (vocals), Richie Blackmore (guitars), Nick Simper (bass, vocals), Jon Lord (keyboards) and Ian Paice (drums) – was a mildly successful outfit that specialized mainly in psychedelic/progressive rock material.

Eagle Rock has reissued the first three albums (see above) and for fans of the popular 70s incarnations (usually termed as Marks II & III), it is certainly interesting to trace the evolution of the band in these formative years. Although the debut Shades of Deep Purple does contain pop-friendly songs like Hush and One More Rainy Day, it also features riff-heavy bluesy boogies like Mandrake Root, which foreshadowed Purple’s later direction.

Sophomore effort – The Book of Taliesyn – opts for a slightly heavier direction with instrumental pieces like Wring That Neck, though pop stuff like the cover of Neil Diamond’s Kentucky Woman still dominated. Worthy of note for you prog rock buffs out there is the totally bizarre 10 minute-plus cover of River Deep, Mountain High, which includes instrumental sections that allude to Richard Strauss’s Thus Spake Zarathustra (!). Hearing is believing my friends. The track does pre-figure future songs like Child in Time, though.

The eponymous third album was the least successful of the original lineup and internal conflicts concerning musical direction would result in this demise of the so-called Mark 1 Deep Purple. In hindsight, songs like the charming Lalena and the percussive Chasing Shadows have infectious qualities, whilst tracks like the bluesy Bird Had Flown and complex April showcased the technical abilities of guitarist Blackmore and keyboardist Lord, which would flower in the years to come.

By late 1969, Evans and Simper were fired and replaced by Ian Gillan and Roger Glover respectively and the rest, as they say, is history.

As some of you may know, I am a part-time facilitator at Republic Polytechnic. This semester, I am facilitating a module called History of the Arts. This module basically covers mostly Western art from the pre-historic age to the modern era in 15 weeks. Early on, I had a student question me about why she had to study History of the Arts – how was it relevant to her? So I enquired what diploma she was undertaking and she replied, “arts management”! Sometimes, you can’t make this shit up!!

This is not an unusual attitude. It’s rather commonplace in our music scene where even our bands and songwriters do not appreciate the importance of knowing the history of pop & rock music. For many of them, the scope of reference is often nothing earlier than 2000, if you’re lucky! And so, they are blissfully ignorant of the bands of the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s! That is a whole lot of great music to be ignorant about.

What’s the big deal you say? Well, to put it simply, you can only create from what you know and if you know very little, then you probably will not be capable to create much either. And what is truly amazing is that in the internet age, it is so easy to listen to any music from any age. So let’s play a game, shall we? Let’s take a significant band from each of the aforementioned decade (which are related and associated music wise) and feature a video taken from youtube (where else?).

1960s

The Kinks

Ray Davies, the band’s principal singer-songwriter has been cited by many (yours truly included) as a seminal influence (including the bands that follow below). He is best known for his observational songs about his native England.

1970s

Big Star

Often considered to be one of the pioneers of power pop, Big Star melded a melodic sensibility and shiny guitar attack to produce a highly influential concoction. Fronted by the late Alex Chilton, the band would inspire many guitar pop bands in the 80s and 90s.

1980s

The Replacements

Part of the alt-rock movement that ruled US college radio back then (with R.E.M., Husker Du and others), this Paul Westerberg-led outfit has left deep impressions which resonates strongly with numerous indie bands today.

1990s

Pixies

Black Francis, the frontman of this beloved indie band, claimed that the above song was inspired by The Kinks, which brings us full circle.

As you can see, it isn’t too difficult to gather together some amazing music and bands from four different decades with the right research and of course, interest.

So, my message to all young bands and singer-songwriters out there in the S-ROCK scene, what’s stopping you???

RORY GALLAGHER Irish Tour ’74 (Eagle)

Although fairly marginalized now, the late Irish blues-rock singer-guitarist Rory Gallagher was a superstar in his prime – selling in access of 30 million albums worldwide. Gallagher’s style mixed up blues, folk, rock and even elements of prog rock in his passionate manner.

This DVD  follows Gallagher on his 1974 Irish tour – splitting time between live performance and backstage interviews. The former demonstrates Gallagher in his element – visceral and earthy – whilst the latter finds Gallagher the man as he shares with us his different guitar techniques, like a genial teacher. Highly instructional.

It’s clear that for Gallagher it’s all about the music, and his fans. Often, Gallagher would be approached in public and he would make a point to spend a little time chatting with his fans, such rapport translated on stage, where a rapt audience drank in every riff, lick and solo.

A true legend, gone but not forgotten. Relive those magickal moments…

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN

For most Queen listeners, Bohemian Rhapsody (and the Night of the Opera album) is often the starting point for a devotion to this special band. However, Sheer Heart Attack (Queen’s 3rd LP) provides the template upon which the band would refine and build up for the rest of their exalted careers.

On Sheer Heart Attack, Queen demonstrated the versatility and eclecticism that would mark them as a iconoclastic band and rid them of the unfavorable comparisons with Led Zeppelin which unfairly burdened them on Queen and Queen II albums. Structured as a loose suite consisting of shorter vignette’s songs covering a variety of ‘genres’/styles, Sheer Heart Attack is dazzling in this respect.

Mostly remembered for Freddie Mercury’s infectious hit, Killer Queen, there is much much more to be discovered on Sheer Heart Attack. Notably, guitarist Brian May weighs in with subsequent live favorites Brighton Rock and Now I’m Here, both tracks showcasing May’s deftness with guitar effects, as he began to establish himself as one of rock’s finest guitar players. Not only that but on the dreamy She Makes Me (Stormtroopers in Stilettos) and the fragile Dear Friends, May proved himself to be a songwriting equal to Mercury himself.

Mercury contributed half of the album – displaying a breathtaking breadth of material e.g. the dramatic Flick of the Wrist, the gorgeous Lily of the Valley, the epic In the Laps of the Gods and the authentic period piece, Bring Back That Leroy Brown. Whilst drummer Roger Taylor’s Tenement Funster is the weakest on the LP, bassist John Deacon gives indication of his pop savvy with the highly catchy Misfire. With Stone Cold Crazy – one the few Queen tracks credited to all four members – the band delivers a proto-metal song that would influenced the likes of Metallica in the years ahead.

The latest reissue contains a great bonus track of an accapella vocal mix of Bring Back That Leroy Brown, which is simply awesome! What could this amazing band not do? There is little doubt in my mind, there will never be another band like Queen ever again. For me, this is where the legend properly begins…

[amazon-slideshow height="250" width="300"]462b5fbc-6679-4feb-b1ed-053d98b8ddc6[/amazon-slideshow]

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE S/t (Domino)

Stoner rock? Post-grunge? Robot metal? It’s easy to tie yourself into knots as a music reviewer trying to place labels on bands and their music. The aforementioned ‘genres’ might be appropriate for Josh Homme’s gonzo rock vehicle, Queens of the Stone Age, especially in relation to their newly reissued, remastered eponymous debut, released in 1998 and until now, previously out of print.

Certainly, it is not difficult to equate much of the material on this album as the last hurrah of the dying embers of grunge – and a claim reinforced by subsequent associations with Dave Grohl and Mark Lanegan, who illuminated the so-called Seattle grunge scene in the early 90s with Nirvana and Screaming Trees respectively. But that would be doing a severe injustice to the sheer genius evident on this minimalist, lo-fi treatment of heavy metal instincts.

Songs like Regular John, Avon and You Would Know are more akin to Krautrock workouts in their subtle tweaking of the metal genre – stripping songs down to the essential components of riff, rhythm and vocals, Homme and company tap into the primal essence of rock, without artifice. It’s almost cynical in its clinical dissection of what makes rock tick but it succeeds on every visceral level.

Bonus tracks? The Bronze is a tasty slab of dynamic prog-drone rock that deserves attention but the throwaway tonally challenged instrumentals These Aren’t The Droids You’re Looking For and Spiders and Vinegaroons serve as mere distractions to the main event and are not at all crucial to the singular message. Completists will be pleased but that’s about all.

Call it a purging of the sins of grunge, if you want but whichever way you look at it, Queens of the Stone Age is one of the indispensable albums of the 90s.

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SUDANESE PLAYBOYS Raised on Alcohol EP (Self-released)

“And if I say to you
/We could be sailing on the sea
/We could be rounding on a breeze
/Through the Jacaranda trees” – Anyhow

Yes, and I did. Really!

And you can do too with the aid of this 4-track EP, Raised on Alcohol by the Sudanese Playboys. Weird name but a marketing win. These playboys are a quintet hailing from the very un-Sudanese land of North London.

The EP is an open air convertible drive through the Caribbean and English countryside during the summers of the 70s. Yet this is no joy ride but a profound one; filled with reflections on life’s joys and bittersweet regrets.

Each track has that friendly swagger; borne out of the Hendrix-esque guitars, rumbling drums, groovy bass lines and accented vocals – the good kind of course. Think Aslan’s Christy Dingham or Glasvegas’s James Allan. Plentiful on positive and soulful vibes.

Tracks like Anyhow and Corners show the band at their most grooviest and reflective; with both songs bathed in summer sunshine and showered with beams of guitar licks and pops.

A promising start for a very likeable band. It’d be a field day for journalistic puns if the band does play in Sudan or the Playboy Mansion.

Official Site

(Hydar Saharudin)

QUEEN Greatest Hits/Greatest Hits II (Universal)

Well, with Queen’s signing with Universal after 40 years with EMI, naturally, we are getting remasters of the Queen back catalogue. And what a back catalogue it is! I make no secret of the fact that I hold Queen (viz. Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon) in the highest esteem and without doubt Queen remains to this day one of my all-time favorite bands. Therefore, I am looking forward to listen to the remasters of the Queen back catalogue.

First up, we have the two Greatest Hits compilations.

For my money that first volume – which contains hits from the band’s first, Seven Seas of Rhye (1974) up to Flash (late 1980) – is one of the strongest pop-rock collections ever. Definitely, the remastering has given these familiar songs a certain ‘oomph’ and clarity. For example, Don’t Stop Me Now is positively throbbing, the bells on Bicycle Rice ring sharply, the guitars shimmer on Now I’m Here and We Are The Champions is even more infectious as May’s fret orchestra and Mercury’s shining vocals surrounds the listener. Essential but you knew that.

To be honest, my interest in Queen waned as the 80s progressed – bitterly disappointed especially with Hot Space (1981) with only the magnificent duet with Bowie, Under Pressure, it’s only representative. Still, there’s enough hit material on Greatest Hits II to warrant inspection and put most modern pop bands to shame. Apart from Under Pressure, volume II features Radio Ga Ga, I Want To Break Free, A Kind of Magic and I Want It All – enhanced by pristine remastered sound.

Of course, the tragic loss of Mercury colors the latter Queen releases, but his and the band’s legacy lives on and deserves to be appreciated by every new music loving generation. Although the band lost steam in the 80s as most 70s bands struggled to face the challenge of post-punk and new wave, the band’s relevance and influence continues to be strong to this very day, even twenty years after Mercury’s demise. Now bring on the remasters of those amazing classic albums from the 70s!!

Long live the Queen!

Official Site

Here’s a short preview of what’s in store for Strokes fans when the new album, Angles, is released on 22nd March.

1.Machu Picchu – Beauty, bouncy and very Strokey. Good Caribbean-infused rhythms and sharp tune. Very good start.

2. Under Cover of Darkness –  Catchy first single – verses contain good hooks. Has strong ethnic ska feel. Although the chorus is a little jaded to these ears. Appealing energy though.

3. Two Kinds of Happiness – Appropriately channels the Cars (who has a new album out soon as well!). Other than that, rather disappointing and nothing special. Exciting instrumental sections, it must be said.

4. You’re So Right – Interesting atonal exercise. Bit gimmicky but probably will take a couple of listens before it sinks in. Ambitious.

5. Taken for a Fool - Pseudo soulful. Talking Heads referencing. Very new wavy. I like this one.

6. Games – Synth-pop post punk with intriguing beats. Tired chorus. Nice electronic lines. On the fence on this. Could have been so much better.

7. Call Me Back – Jazzy chord progression. Sweet. Intriguing. At least the band is trying to find a different sound here.

8. Gratisfaction – Coined a new word? Stones reference? Jaunty 60s stylings. Another strong track.

9. Metabolism – Progressive rock riff with processed metallic. Significantly creepy and eerie. Experiment that works.

10. Life is Simple in the Moonlight - Police channeling. Smart pop. Tight. I really dig this.

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You’re coming back to Singapore! What was it like playing in Singapore 1st time around?

Well, it was very brief sadly. We didn’t really see much of the town but looking forward to coming back this time and spending a little bit more time there. It was one of the most beautiful concert halls I’ve played in, no doubt I really saw that but it was a flying visit. But on this occasion I might come a couple of days early on my own. The band will join me the day before the gig. I’m also coming back to do a concert called Music Matters on the 26th of May, so I’ll probably spend a few days there then as well. I’m doing a talk and a workshop.

Did you plan to be back that quickly (about a year) like you promised!

Yes it’s really worked out because there’s a festival there (i.e. Singapore) and there’s a festival in Australia. So we’re pulling together the festivals really but it’s great to be back. Yes, cos there was such a great reaction the last time – they sang beautifully in the crowd when I asked them to do a three part harmony on one of my songs.

Even though you’re performing before thousands of people, you seem to be so casual on stage – is that natural or something you had to cultivate over the years?

It’s something that I’ve been able to reveal. At the beginning, I was so terrified – when I was a lot younger, I thought I had to be something else, I wasn’t interesting enough on my own and I needed to put on an act. It wasn’t an act, I was just nervous on stage and I didn’t know how to talk with the audience as I was still young. It really took a tour in the States when I was 19-20 and they wouldn’t let me take my band over because they were too expensive and I hated my label for that but understand that now. So I went around on my own on the piano and as a result of that I really had to learn to be comfortable with the audience as it was just me – there was no band to hide behind or pretend that I needed to do something with my keyboard or something. I had to speak to the audience so that’s when I really started to feel comfortable on stage and I joked around. When you realize that the times when things go wrong on stage for you is often the audience’s favorite time because for them it’s something different that may be funny or they can relate to the fact that everybody has bad days or when computers don’t work.

How much time & effort is put into crafting your elaborate shows?

Well, over the years certain songs have taken on a character they didn’t begin with. Like Just For Now, for instance. That one started out with me desperately trying to recreate exactly what was on the record and then realizing that I just couldn’t do it as there was only one of me at the time – I didn’t have a band – I had all this gear in front of me, pressing buttons and trying to bring things in, sampling stuff and trying to recreate the record and it was just impossible. As soon as I gave up on that idea, I decided to treat the songs as new entities but still trying to keep the character and the essence and the emotion of the song but with dynamic changes and to not be afraid of reinterpreting it. Cos I don’t think anyone wants to hear a bad carbon copy of your album, they don’t want to hear a lesser version, they want to hear something different that maybe you can connect better with the song. So Just For Now, over the years, through actual things going wrong on stage has ended up being me singing the song with the crowd.

What can we expect from your Rock & Roots show – anything different from Concert Hall?

On the 28th (February), I’m releasing a new song so I’ll probably be playing that song which is quite exciting for me cos I’ll be playing a new song after a year and a half of writing no new songs so that’s going to be good. I hope it’s going to be good! But there’s going to be a slightly different setup. Me, percussionist Chris Vatalaro, a cellist called Daisy. But because it’s a festival, we only have 75 minutes so it’ll be a different set, not so intimate but I’ll still be doing the singalong song and the new song. I’ll be doing whatever people vote for to be honest. In the last year, I’ve been asking fans to vote for the songs they’d like to hear and I play the top 12 that has been chosen for that city (That’s very democratic of you – KM). Yes, very democratic but it also takes the weight off my shoulders. When I walk on the stage beforehand I’d always be nervous that I’ve chosen the wrong song. Often, different places in the world have different favorite songs cos it could be on a different TV program or they be more in tune with something else. So I like to do that. Then I have confidence that at least I’ve done my best to do what the audience wants to hear for each town and often it gets me to play the odd wild card song, cos for some reason, Singapore wants a random song I haven’t played for ten years so I’ll look forward to finding out what they are.

Imogen Heap plays at Timbre Rock & Roots from 8.15pm to 9.30pm on Saturday, 16th April. More info here.

Thanks to Seow Yee/Timbre Music and Sony Music for setting up this interview.

Press release from the kind folks at Sargent House.

Iconoclast Japanese trio Boris have released the first single from Attention Please — one of TWO all-new full length Boris albums to be released on the same day via Sargent House this spring. The song, “Hope” premiered today via Pitchfork and is available HERE.

The track showcases new aspects of the distinctly different sides to the legendary band’s personality that can be heard between the pair of albums, Attention Please and the all new Heavy Rocks (not to be confused with the 2002 album of the same name). A track from Heavy Rocks is expected to debut soon.

Boris are widely known for their ability to breach styles and stretch sonic boundaries of all that is heavy, psychedelic, droning and downright cathartic. But, Attention Please is more like a complete redefining of their potential in several ways. First and foremost, it is the first album on which all vocals are sung by lead guitarist, Wata. While she has previously sung on a couple of songs for singles and her solo outings, the entire 10-song album features her intimate, multifaceted vocal style.

Secondly, the songs on Attention Please have a sultry, intoxicating catchiness to them. It’s melodic without sounding pop. It’s psychedelic without sounding dated. It’s heavy without relying on barre chord riffs.

The album opening title track begins with a pulsing kick drum as hushed, seething guitar and bass slither across the beat. Wata’s cooing vocals drop in like a whispered warning of treachery to come in the threadbare musical landscape. “Hope” bursts forth like Sonic Youth on a detuned pop jangle, while “Les Paul Custom ’86″ sounds like a beautifully mutated hybrid of Serge Gainsbourg‘s playful “Ford Mustang” and the brooding intensity of The XX. Throughout, Attention Please sounds vaguely akin to a guitar-based Tangerine Dream covering Technical Ecstacy-era Black Sabbath.

Attention Please came to be after Boris toured the world in 2008 in support of their last album, Smile. The trio set about recording new material and a new album was completed, then abandoned. The band sought to challenge themselves further, and the end results are two new albums of dramatic growth and the most powerful extension to Boris’ unparalleled creativity, Attention Please and the all new Heavy Rocks (not to be mistaken for their earlier 2002 release, Heavy Rocks).

Boris formed in the early 90s as a four piece just-for-fun endeavor with the sonic template of influences like Melvins and Earth. By the time of its 1996 debut as a trio Absolutego (later released in the US via Southern Lord in 2000), Boris had already hit its stride in creating unique ground-rattling heavy, melodic music. The group, bassist/vocalist Takeshi, guitarist/vocalist Wata and drummer/vocalist Atsuo went on to release nearly 20 studio albums, as well as numerous collaborative albums — including projects with Merzbow, Sunn0))), Ian Astbury and Michio Kurihara of Ghost (who also currently tours with the band as second guitarist) — EPs and singles on various labels throughout the world. For a further in-depth discography, please see HERE.

Attention Please and its counterpart, Heavy Rocks will be available worldwide (excluding Japan) on CD and digital download via Sargent House on April 26th, 2011. The vinyl version of Attention Please will be available on Record Store Day, April 16th; the vinyl version of Heavy Rocks (featuring extended versions of “Missing Pieces” and “Czechoslovakia”) will be available on April 26th.

KYOTO PROTOCOL Pussycat single (Self-released)

I caught this Malaysian band at last year’s Baybeats Festival and to be honest, was not that impressed. There was nothing sufficiently unique about them amongst the scores of card-carrying “indie-alternative” rock bands that play at the Baybeats Festival every year.

However, I am glad to say that based on this brand new single, I have revised my opinion about Kyoto Protocol somewhat. The band (Fuad Alhabshi – Vocal/Guitar Gael Oliveres – Keyboards/Vocals Shakeil Bashir – Bass/Vocals Hairi Haneefa – Lead Guitar) have delivered a song that is an intriguing mix of Tom Jones-channeling vocals, 80s post-punk guitars and Dylanesque put-down lyricism (I like the line – “Don’t need your shit, I can swallow mine” especially)

Pussycat has been formally released through the following channels:

Both are for online download at US$1.05 a pop. Recommended.

Official site

FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK…

I am a 70s kid. Meaning I become a teenager in the early 1970s, when bell bottoms were in… AND the popular cutting edge music then was HARD ROCK. Not metal (have never really been comfortable with that word). Simply, it’s rock (without the roll) and it was hard – meaning it was played loud and fast! The first hard rock band that I really got into was the legendary Deep Purple. Purple fans all agree that the second incarnation of the band was probably the best viz. Ian Gillan (vocals), Richie Blackmore (guitars), Jon Lord (keyboards), Ian Paice (drums) and Roger Glover (bass). Like many of the bands of that era, Purple started out as a psychedelic/garage rock band and simply got harder. My favourite Purple album is undoubtably Deep Purple in Rock, which contained classics such as Child in Time, Flight of the Rat and Speed King (see live version below)

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Now, I have never considered KISS to be a hard rock band as they had a bit too much pop in them but the original lineup (Paul Stanley – vocals, rhythm guitar; Gene Simmons – vocals, bass; Peter Criss (drums) and Ace Frehley – lead guitar) could rock out with the best of them. Prime example – Love Her All I Can (from Dressed To Kill) with a great riff and infectious melodies to boot!

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Possibly the biggest rock act of the 70s was Led Zeppelin (Robert Plant – vocals, Jimmy Page – guitars, John Paul Jones – bass, keyboards and John Bonham – drums). Basing it’s sonic approach on the American blues and English folk, the music of Led Zep has endured to this day. Ironically, my favourite Led Zep song is still the first thing one heard on its eponymous debut LP – the wonderfully manic Good Times, Bad Times.

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Perhaps less known nowadays but positively massive in the 70s was Free. Consisting of Paul Rodgers (vocals), Paul Kossoff (guitars), Simon Kirke (drums) and Andy Fraser (bass), the band was one of the best selling blues-rock outfits of the time. Probably best known for it’s worldwide smash All Right Now, my personal fave has always been Wishing Well…

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Mountain was a severely underrated 70s rock band. Very versatile as it could go easily from hard rock to psychedelic to country and so on. The best lineup of Mountain consisted of Felix Pappalardi (bass, vocals), Leslie West (guitars, vocals), Corky Laing (drums) and Steve Knight (keyboards). Therefore, in its repertoire you will find the rocking Mississippi Queen, the rustic Theme from an Imaginary Western and the dream-like proto-progressive Nantucket Sleighride.

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Now to call The Who a hard rock band would not do its immense influence any justice but it would be true to say that the band inspired many a hard rock/metal musician. Evidence? Check out its intense interpretation of Young Man’s Blues in 1970 at the Isle of Wight festival. In case you’re wondering it’s Pete Townshend (guitar), Roger Daltrey (vocals), Keith Moon (drums) and John Entwistle (bass)…

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You wanna know more about the history of rock? You wanna know how to write about rock. Well, come on down to my talk – Music Journalism 101 – at the Esplanade Rehearsal Studio on 6th March. Tickets now available at SISTIC.