A intriguing song with a hooky chorus – indie rock filtered through country-folk sensibilities – with a cool performance video to boot. Though ostensibly a quartet (see above), the music video sure looks over-crowded. Off new album, Flawed Logic, released in April by Engine Room Recordings.
Official Site
As previously noted, this year’s coverage of Baybeats here at Power of Pop has been muted, mainly because of my mentoring of the Esplanade Youth Budding Writers which I hope will provide the definitive coverage of Baybeats 2011 for all posterity! Not only that but management duties with the Sons also meant less time watching bands and artists. But of what I did manage to see, here are my highlights.
Noughts & Exes
I caught this Hong Kong folk-pop band back in May for Music Matters and was impressed by their eclectic style, arrangements and presentations. The set at the Arena was truly well put together and provided a respite for those suffering from delay and metalzone pedal fatigue. Front man Joshua Wong has a remarkable voice that grabs your attention straightaway and their use of violin, melodica and typewriter (!) helps to keep things interesting. It did not hurt that there was additional eye candy in the form (pun intended!) of singer Karmen Cheung (subbing for the absent Kerri-Anne Butler) which gave the band a strong sonic and visual appeal! Word is that Noughts & Exes have been signed to US indie label Spectra Records, which is incredible news and hopefully the start of great things for this deserving band.
Hollywood Nobody
I was at the Observation Deck as this Indonesian band was interviewed and was charmed by their humble manner, albeit slight geeky (if I may say so). But once they started performing they were transformed into one of the coolest twee pop bands I’ve seen in the region. I latter saw them at the Chillout Stage and in full band mode, they were even more impressive. One to watch out for.
Turbo Goth
To be honest, I did not fully catch this photo-genic duo (from the Philippines) in action but I listen to them soundcheck and finish off their set (before the Sons) and I found that for a two-piece, they certainly filled up the stage properly. Also could not help but notice singer Sarah Gaugler’s nose-bleed high heels! She certainly made the Arena stage her own! Keep an eye out for Turbo Goth.
The rest, I had snatches of viewing here and there and to be honest, not that much impressed too greatly. The trademark ‘Baybeats’ sound was never my thing anyways (look at the bands I mentored last year!) and so the slightly different sonic approach is always going to get my attention. And to those lamenting the lack of Western (read: Caucasian) bands/artists, I think it’s about time Asia stands up to acknowledge that our bands are good as any bands anywhere in the world. So is it about the music or something else more sinister? Kudos to Baybeats 2011 for setting itself apart from the numerous indie rock festivals in Singapore and beyond.
Asian rock rules!
“Staring at the sun with no pants on” – a great line that opens the 4th track of Fountains of Wayne’s new album, Sky Full of Holes, is probably the most radio friendly song on this highly melodic LP. It’s a dynamic rocker with oodles of hooks and riffs to catch the attention of even the most casual of pop listeners. Naturally, it’s one of the singles promoted by the band. Deservedly so. Check it out…
Official Site
If you’re an indie music fan, then there’s not much more to say about Bon Iver. Having almost come out of nowhere with a debut album of mythological proportions (you know, the lo-fi cabin recording and so on). Comprising delicate shades of folk, electronica and avant-garde soundscapes, that debut (For Emma, Forever Ago) captured the imagination of indie music fans worldwide.
This eponymous sophomore album builds on the austere foundations of the debut to deliver greater sophistication without sacrificing an iota of the artistic integrity that Bon Iver has come to represent. Consisting of songs named by places, the high art pretensions become irrelevant once the music plays as Justin Vernon and company strip away every artifice and construct to present the raw essence of soul.
Vernon maintains his trademarked affected falsetto double-tracked vocal style as well as the various electronic loops and soundscapes but this time, we have organic instrumentation as well. Acoustic pianos and strings embellish these gorgeously fragile tunes that transport the listener into wind-swept landscapes and snow-topped mountains. Expansive and insular at the same time, songs like Perth, Minnesota WI, Holoscene and Wash. (to name but 4 prime examples) leave no doubt as to the deft ability of Bon Iver to touch and invigorate with melancholy charm.
2011 continues to spoil us music lovers with beautiful musicality that proves conclusively that in the end, good music wins out, no matter what.
Official Site
MAN THE CHANGE Weather the Storm LP (Self-Released)
Punk rock band, Man The Change presents their first full-length album, Weather The Storm which is also free for download (Yay!).
The 5-piece band from Brooklyn is similar in musical blueprint to NOFX, The Misfits and Bad Religion. But the comparison stops there for this LP. Each track feels formulaic and generic as they blitz away with rapid drumming and tune-less vocals.
You have your usual barf-inducing emo lyrics on self-esteem and self-sabotage.
However, don’t fret! Put Steve At Second contains mature lyrics calling out for solidarity in a messy world. Definitely a good life lesson for the angsty. That’s Stormare is laced with infectious bass play reminiscent of ska band, Goldfinger. The ending track, Rambo Vs. Bas Rutten is a thumbs up just by its title alone. The tracks also make prime moshing material.
Weather The Storm isn’t horrible nor is it excellent. It’s no-frills punk rock made boring. You can find similar tunes with dozens of other bands. Considering that the band formed in 2009 and that they have graciously allowed their first album to be downloaded for free, it wouldn’t hurt to give it a listen.
Just not during a hangover.
(Hydar Saharudin)
VARIOUS ARTISTS Postrockology (Deep Elm)
In the gospel according to Deep Elm Records, you have the corporate sell-out pseudo indie labels who work hand in hand with major record companies for distribution and publicity, and then you have the keepers of the true faith, as exemplified by Deep Elm Records themselves: untainted by commercial interests, true indie labels undyingly devoted to the music with a singular passion.
Why should people come down to Love-In?
“Why should you be out when there’s Love-In? It’s in your heart, not in your hand.”Famie (The Pinholes)
DEATH KIT Devadesi 7 inch single (Fort Lowell)
Devadesi is Death Kit’s debut physical release following the digital release of their first single, I Can Make You Love Me, in 2010. Said to have been formed in response to “a Los Angeles indie rock scene too witheringly lazy to pursue the potential and precision of electronica”, the band clearly has a lot of confidence in what they have to offer to the scene.
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
OR HOW I LOST MY SOLE AT RAINWAY…
Where do I start? How about being hugely bummed out at missing on Foals, the band I most wanted to catch at Laneway? Or should that be “Rainway”? Most of the inaugural Singapore edition of this Aussie indie festival was a washed in showers from on high and the venue Fort Canning Park was turned into a mud bath.
Notwithstanding the inclement weather (which continued well in Sunday), the fans lapped it all up. A good sized crowd packed the park decked out in their ponchos and umbrellas, with the ladies getting all wet, the men didn’t complain too much! But it began oh so differently, when what looked initially like a passing shower blessed the festival grounds even before opening act Warpaint took to the stage but it was soon apparent that the rain was here with us to stay…
TIGER RIOT Look Up! (Brookvale)
Look Up! is the soon-to-be-released debut album from Tiger Riot, a five-piece band from Long Island. Look Up! is an album verging on pop-punk (All Time Low, The White Tie Affair) rather than one planted firmly within the alternative/indie rock genre.
English band Noah & the Whale is – like Mumford & Sons – at the forefront of the current UK retro-folk movement. Consisting of Charlie Fink (vocals, guitar, ukulele), Tom Hobden (fiddle), Urby Whale (bass), and Fred Abbott (guitar/keys), the band is set to release its third album, Last Night On Earth, on March 15th via Mercury Records. The band’s first album since 2009 will feature ten brand new tracks, including the infectiously melodic first single L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.
The complete unabridged interview with Marcel Thee of Sajama Cut. Basis for my TODAY article.
How did Sajama Cut form?
I essentially formed the band when I was 14 or 15, which is 15 years ago. Like most bands, we were made up of neighborhood and high-school friends. We were called another name back then and released a long-out-of-print cassette in 1999. The first official Sajama Cut release was “Apologia” in 2002, and it was an amalgamation between my love Norwegian Black Metal and horrible pop bands from yesteryear such as The Hollies and early Beach Boys; you know, just these second rate Beatles-esque bands. We grew to be a little bit more focused and went through a lot lineup changes, which is never my idea of a good time, but the guys that are here now seem to permanent ones ready to roll with whatever it takes to survive playing the kind of music that we do.
Laneway Festival, one of the foremost indie rock festivals in the Asia-Pacific region will make its debut appearance in Asia in 2011. And in Singapore as well. The press con was held yesterday afternoon at the New Asia Bar where organizers Chugg Entertainment announced that bands like !!! (Chk Chk Chk), Beach House, Deerhunter, Foals, Holy Fuck, Ladyhawke, Warpaint and Yeasayer will be performing at the Fort Canning Park on 29 January 2011.
Get Amplified!, Get Heard! Jam Series is a platform/venue provided by LiveAMP for bands/musicians to showcase their talents, add to their gig credentials and help increase awareness in the market.
This is the transcript of the phone interview I had with An Horse’s Kate Cooper, which I turned into the TODAY article, which you can find here.
(Answers by Roll Martinez)
Who are Parenthesis and how was it formed?
Parenthesis is composed of Roll Martinez (Vocals/Guitars/Piano/Synths/Ukulele), Jio Clavano (Guitars/Vocals), Poch Villalon (Bass/Vocals), Kaka Quisumbing (Drums/Percussion) and Chino David (Violin/Keyboards/Vocals). We were formed early this year when I started to write songs outside of my former band, Hale. I asked friends and fellow musicians for help to recorde the songs in the studio at my home. Thankfully, they obliged and one by one, the lineup was formed.
ANDY SHAUF Waiting For The Sun To Leave (P is for Panda)
Waiting For The Sun To Leave is a soon to be released EP (September 28th) from Andy Shauf, a singer-songwriter from Canada, and is the follow-up to Darker Days. The EP is a charming collection of songs he has been playing live for the past four years, since the release of Darker Days. The album is stripped, back-to-basics album about life and love, as with most albums.
WEEZER Hurley (Epitaph)
On the 1st single released from Weezer’s new album Hurley, Rivers Cuomo sings, “Memories make me want to go back there”. Considering that Weezer fans (and ex-fans) constantly harp on the band’s past glories, this is perhaps the ultimate irony. Fact is, with Hurley, Weezer embarks on a new chapter in their careers – for the first time, the band have released an album on an indie label, in this case Epitaph (well, okay, a major indie, but an indie nonetheless).
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