Melodic rock bands with an alternative edge seem hard to come by in the Singapore music scene at the moment. So while other media outlets will be promoting artists specialising in urban music and electronic soul, S-ROCK lovers can trust in Power of Pop to help you discover new rock bands out there.
Thus, we welcome you to the S-ROCK UNDERGROUND (yes yet another hashtag!) where we hope you will find heavier and edgier sounds – that do not compromise on melody or grooves – in our own backyard.
Rock quartet Gilded Edge has been getting attention viz. as prizewinners after less than a year together at the Singapore finals of Global Battle of The Bands 2015, making it into the Noise Music Mentorship for 2016 and releasing their debut single “Lone Wolf” recently. We got together with the guys – Alan Francis (Guitar/Vocals), Melvin Lim (Guitar), Afiq Yusof (Bass) & Julian Stewart (Drums) – to find out more about Gilded Edge: past present and future.
Singapore musicians would be familiar with Mike Spinks, as Spinks has in recent years been instrumental in organising several open mics across the island, most significantly at the Hard Rock Cafe. Now, Spinks has taken the logical step of harnessing the online local music community to initiate the City65 Music Festival to be held on Saturday 15 April 2017 from 2pm. With City65 coming up very soon, we got Spinks to share with us his thoughts about the local music scene, his involvement and of course, the festival itself.
MAAD Sounds at the Red Dot Design Museum – curated by Andy Yang – has been an essential showcase for original music in Singapore for quite a while now. Tonight’s edition marks the last instalment of the vital local music resource at the current venue.
As we have frequently observed, it’s difficult to find proper melodic rock bands in the current Singapore music scene. But if you know where to look, you will discover that a S-ROCK underground exists, where bands like Gilded Edge do what they do best – make authentic rock ‘n’ roll.
Singer-songwriter Keith Soo-Tho, who goes by the moniker VVOLF, holds much promise for any music lover hoping for Singapore to throw up more proponents of #THENEWROCKNROLL!
You have got to hand it to Deon Toh and his merry band DEON. For the last couple of years, the singer-songwriter has built a steady following at home and made a life for himself and his band as touring musicians. Read what Deon has to say about his latest adventure in Toronto.
When it comes to sharing his opinion about the local music scene, singer-songwriter Nelson Tan does not mince his words.
“The local media, be it TV, radio or print, needs to get out there and feature more local content and talent, instead of the same old few over and over and over again,” Tan declared, “we have many many good songs and great bands made in Singapore that deserve airplay and I feel that we have to give ourselves a chance to appreciate what we have here, not just the familiar names.”
The Hard Rock Cafe is renowned worldwide as a prestigious theme restaurant that celebrates rock ‘n’ roll and it’s pleasing to note that since it’s recent relaunch with renovated premises at the HPL House at Cuscaden Road, it has initiated two regular events that showcase original music in Singapore.
Chances are if you are a fan of music made in Singapore, you would probably gravitate towards either one of two opposites poles – mainstream pop (that includes jazz-soul, indie-folk, pop-punk, hip-hop & indie-pop) or heavy rock (which includes various hardcore punk & metal sub-genres) – therefore, the unlikeliest middle ground remains the pop-rock/rock ’n’ roll arena.
But who are the artists toiling in this ‘neutral zone’ of melodic tunes and rock groove? Let’s find out!
The live debut of TOMGIRL – Cherie Ko and Ted Doré – and assorted backing musicians will take to the stage at the Esplanade Recital Studio tonight at 7.30pm. Get your tickets from SISTIC.
Our mission at Power of Pop as far as the Singapore Music Scene is concerned is to promote pop-rock + rock ’n’ roll music in whatever way possible. So it is with our great pleasure to highlight two singer-songwriters who have embarked on a rock ’n’ roll journey despite the lack of support for that style of music within the scene itself.
Pioneering musician. Award-winning filmmaker. All-round loveable guy. The local music, movie and creative scenes were devastated when, on 14 June, influential DIY figure, Abdul Nizam Hamid, unexpectedly passed away from liver, lung and pancreatic cancer. Nizam, as his friends called him, was only 50. Bonded in grief, his friends have come together to organise a special tribute concert and fund- raising commemoration to this singular, inspiring and dearly missed man.
We will be hosting the Baybeats Open Stage on 25th/26th so you know where to find us from about 5pm to 9.30pm. Other than that, these are the acts we are hoping to catch at Baybeats 2016.
