Hiyee! I haven't blogged about anything cus i ran out of space for pictures, and i love pictures, so i can't blog without em. what fun would that be!!! so yes, solved my problem. was just lazy to deal with it, but yes. trust me, im an engineer. (almost) haha!
So yeap, sick of studying for exams, so I snuck away to the Fred Perry birthday thingamabob jig at Tanjong Pagar Railway. I've never been there before, so it was pretty cool, felt very rustic, a little ancient.
but yeah! the event had a small flea market, with people selling knick knack taddy whacks, toys, cupcakes, and even 'fat boys' was there to sell burgers! not to mention the heineken booth.. =D
cute right!
was nice to be out in the open, instead of being shut in like i've been for the past month!
fresh air was nice =)
and "Citizens!" and "Fast Colors" played for the event! here's Fast Colors above ^^
they played poppy songs so it was nice to add to the cheerful vibe!! One of the guys was pretty funny too, so the mood was a pretty nice, happy jolly one!
the only song that stuck in my head by the Citizens! was "True Romance" which is super catchy, not to mention I've heard it before, but yeah the running riff is cute, and the video is hilarious.
Was nice to get a nice music fix, nothing like hearing music live! haha =)
and that's not all. got caught sneaking around but that's for my next post ;)
WHAT: St Jerome's Laneway Festival -An annual music festival that began in Melbourne, it features unique indie bands. for hipsters, featuring hipster bands. WHEN: Saturday, 26 January WHERE: The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore *YES, HERE! -I would totally die if someone asked me to sing there. I haven't been but i hear it's amazing. got like a greenhouse and a cloud dome or something. WHO: 14 specially chosen acts.. Here's a little intro to each of 'em, and what i think. I haven't heard some of them before so i've been youtubing their stuff hurhur. in-ter-rest-ting.
1. Alt-J: exciting new UK quartet, a group of rockers/fineart students met in school. Best known for their hit single "Tessellate", the video is a twist on Italian Renaissance painter Raphael's 'the school of Athens' with a ganstah theme and the vocals are soft and sexy. I personally like Fitzpleasure, it's soothing, gets me swaying. great guitar tones, and the riffs are really playful.
2. Bat For Lashes:
Natasha Khan, half Pakistani and half English is definitely one to look out for, after having writer's block, she's finally got out "The Haunted Man". A music and visual arts student, her music videos are definitely spooky, and her cooing voice and catchy tunes definitely keep you dancing. Think everyone-sobering-up-on-halloween-after-getting-high.
3. Cloud Nothings: Cleveland rocks! this american rock band is more rock, loud screaming vocals. very angst. This is for tha haters out there. This band is for you. morbid and strange videos they have. *head bang.. =S
4. Divine Fits: Post-punks to minimalist electro, this american rock band is less angsty, a lil' more raw, kinda got the tones similar to "Foster the people" but slightly more rock. Their song "would that not be nice" has nice lights in their videos. more happy, more dancey. but i'm not into their stuff..
5. Gotye : (i'm expecting the famous heart-break duet with Kimbra, Somebody that I used to know)
This Belgium-Aussie's name is actually Wouter "Wally" De Backer. HAHA. anyway, checkout his song "eyes wide open", it's definitely catchy, and the echoes of violins are a nice touch to the rhythmic beats. "everything we had, everything we did is buried in dust" is my favourite line. plus his vocals sound so persuasive. Definitely cant miss this. (kiss)(ya know, like the Carly song, *bobs up and down)
6. Japandroids: This Canadian rock duo (I thought they'd be japanitos from the band name) definitely has a high energy level. I imagine it'd be great to watch live, and their live performances on youtube seem pretty energy popping too! I guess thats the jappy-part, the high ROCKROCKROCK-ness of it.
7. Kimbra: Checkout my review for more, but she's definitely gona put on a great show, she's got amazingly meticulous vocals. Think vintage-electrosynth. if you can't, just get you're butt down, i promise you'll be impressed.
8. Kings Of Convenience: Norwegian acoustic indie-pop duo, I really like their stuff.
I like "Manhatten Skyline" and "Cayman island". The music is softer, more sensitive, the kind you'd want to picnic to and eat icecream to. The kind that'd be perfect for you to tell a girl you love her *awww, but yah lah it's romanteek! I think they do alota soundtracks.
9. Nicolas Jaar:
Born in NY, bred in Chile, this DJ's husky voice, trippy loops and dreamscape mixes are definitely gona put you in a mood for lounging, dancing in slow-mo, and enjoying the moments get whirled up by his beats. very strange.
10. Of Monsters And Men:
This 6 piece folky Icelandic group has very atmospheric, room-filling echoes, definitely dancey, sing-along kinda songs. I'd imagine it'd be very uplifting and joyful! I like "little Talks" and "mountain sound" by them. It's set a nice mood in a cafe to drink coffee to on a nice cool afternoon.
11. Polica: Polish for Policy, this is an American indie band from Minneapolis that uses ALOTA auto-tune. It's a peculiar, robotic yet emoted, soulful sound.
I can't decide whether I like this but I guess it's definitely different, keeps me listening. I think i'd like it without the autotune, but Channy's got a nice voice. but it reminds me of Justin Bieber's auto-tune. hmm. =S
12. Real Estate:
This band's from Jersey, and seems like a band from the past, using guitar tones like the oldies, mixed with nice vocals that are very ambient. Makes me think of a car-wash on a hot summer day and the kind of music you'd sit in a lawn chair and sip on lemonade to. Makes me feel like its the holidays.
13. Tame Impala:
I know this one! I heard them before tons of times.This Australian band is a psychedelic rock project! I like "runaway, Houses, city clouds, It's got the most plays on my itunes, and "elephant" is one of their more popular one. Very hippie, very dreamy, very boogie in vibe, sounds old-school with REALLY good production. confusing. haha
14. Yeasayer: Psychedelic pop too! from NY! Been used on some tv shows! Theyve got a new album, "Fragrant World" which has totally bizarre beats, synced with effects of sounds, like those from nature, or from folky instrumentals. every song seems to surprise. I like their effects.
Yup so that's my brief description, I think the day's gona be super fun, especially in such an amazing place that I can't wait to visit. =D TIME PASS FASTER PLEASE, EXAMS GO AWAY!! Overall, very eclectic, indeed.
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Who is she? Well, she's somebody you really should know, after all, she's been passionately belting out her heartache and pain in the breakup anthem for the year, SOMEBADI THAT I USED TO KNOW!!! I'd describe her music as electro-vintage-pop. and i like it. i really like it.
Introducing:
Yeap, Kimbra Lee Johnson is the voice behind the duet with Gotye, that shot them both into my radar, and playing on the radio non-stop. Although few people probably know who she is, the young kiwi's album Vows has been certified platinum in Aussie. and she's only 21! definitely impressive..
KIWI!!!
Background:
Her dad's a doctor, mom was a nurse, won a couple of contests where she wrote some songs when she was 10! Got spotted and moved to Melbourne to perfect her craft for 4 yrs before releasing her new album Vows. Her previous stuff is verrryyyy different. More like Alanis Morisette, and not as interesting. I guess 4 years working on her craft really shows through. Checkout her old stuff here.
SO on to her music.
Describe it:
This is going to sound very quirky. Her sound is new, refreshing, but not that outa-this-world. I'd say, electrosynth pop in style, with a hint of spunkyness and a touch of old jazz. Like a cabaret performance. Her voice is sometimes strong and loud, sometimes patient, tender and careful. I like the meticulousness effortlessness of her singing.
A little like.. Florence and the Machine and Christina Aguilera, decorated by intricate and colorful vocal riffs when she gets into it, yet jazzy like Nina Simone with her pliant coos and scatting rhythms. Her songs also hit some odd notes that really catch you offguard. It comes as a nice surprise. unpredictable pop. Lastly, her high-note belts are kind of like Bjork, straight up and out, so her voice is really versatile, and keeps you listening for what comes up next.
Some reviews say her songs get boring, but I SAY NAY! they're all a pretty good mix, and really dancey, it stays interesting IMO. Although, sometimes I can't really hear what she's singing, her enunciation and the colorful mix of everything in it kind of makes it hard to hear every word! I'm skeptical if her 'live' sessions are really live cus she moves SO far from the mic ...
Oh, and she's pretty, she looks a little like Katy Perry in an alt-indie sorta way. Whatever that means. With the strangeness of Zooey Deschanel. duncha think?^^
If you watch her videos, even her live performances sound good =) I like her live version of 'two way street'. most of her songs have really strong themes and provoking perceptions, that remind you of the most obvious, yet we tend to forget or slide it back. this one's about love being two way, "there's no conspiracy, behind the way to heist me" and she has these exaggerated hand-motions that make her look like she's casting spells, but then again, I'm spellbound when I'm watching her. must be the hocus pocus. Checkout the vid below. pretty intense.
although. sometimes she tends to open her mouth too much. sometimes. and when she does, sometimes, it's kinda awkward for me *twiddles fingers. otherwise, she's totally hot.
So there's her first single Settle Down from her album Vows which has a catchy upbeat rhythm, boom ba-boom ba, and it's about wanting to Settle Down. "I wana settle down/ baby's there's no need to run/ i'll love you well" Cheeky and freaky at the same time, it's about the typical housewifey image, very 1960s and the music video looks alot like the town Edward Scissorhands lived in. yep, oldies kinda vibe. very eccentric. but she seems to dance in most of her videos, which is pretty mesmerizing. (that probably sounded a tad gay of me.but she's just really attractive.watch for yourself and see..) boom ba-boom ba..boom ba-boom ba...*shakes it..
So yeap, give her a listen, she's my new fav artist, and
October's Artist of the Month!!
Future:
She's coming out from Down Under (see what I did there. hehe) and she'll be touring North America opening for Foster the People, and doing her own tour.
Checkout Warrior by Mark Foster, DJ A-Trak and Kimbra, the tune and rhythm sound alot like "Houdini" and isin't that much my thang. The vid's interesting though.. leave a comment if you wanna tell me whatcha think of it =)
So there i was, all excited to catch Spector! with Kevin and Patrick! whheeee! The concert was sponsored by topman, and the guys from Spector were decked in collared shirts and blazers, very classy. SO I HAD NO IDEA WHO THEY WERE! (so shoot me, i live under a rock"-_-) but yes, their music, i was told, was indie electronic pop.. and here i was thinking Ellie Goulding mmchi mmchi bop-up-and-down kinda music! So, Spector is a 5 piece band from london, very old school looking, with hair slicked back, thick framed glasses, and described as a fuse between the Strokes, the killers and Frank Sinatra. To me, they sounded like Foster the People after the cold war. old. very old. i'd call it classic. if you're into geeky looking indie bands, this is it.
Okay, now begins the slam. because i feel the performance was a let down. If you detest angst, and are seriously peace loving, stop reading here. "-_- to read on bout how the concert wasen't that great, read on!
So one wierd thing was that, the lead singer Frederick Macpherson kept singing to himself, and combing, yes combing, his hair on stage the way you would during the hippy-belljar-bottom-jeans era. kind of odd to be combing your hair like "Grease" in the middle of a song duncha think? but his hair was melting. he was sweating. must be the thick jackets. His vocals weren't impressive either, and I could only make out two phrases out of the entire night. The first was "what you wanted was not what I wanted" from a song titled "what you wanted". It repeated over and over like Bieber's "baby baby baby oh". you really can't miss it. The second was "shimmy down yea shimmy shimmy down yeah" which turned out to be "Chevy thunder Chevy Chevy thunder" from a song called, you guessed it, "Chevy Thunder". Heard it on the radio and I was wondering how come i was listening to Gold90fm. nope. I wasen't. To me, their music didn't really have anything unique, other than it recreating old music. abit like they got stuck, time travelled or something.
His stage presence was terrible. he was just hopping to and fro by himself, sweating (which looked quite gross. WIPE IT DUDE! you're dripping. and singing to himself. he looked rather like he was acting and looking good on stage, which isin't a crime, especially not if you're a band travelling the world. pretty cool, but there was zero connection. if you think it's just cus i wasen't a hardcore fan, most of the crowd had their arms crossed, and no one was dancing even though the drums were banging off, at most, some people were swaying/bobbing. So I know it's not just me.
"hey guys. you are the best crowd ever, we love singapore. it's gota be the best place we've been to"
zero excitement in his tone. said it a couple of times, really slowly. LIE TO MY FACE WHY DONT YOU! and the cheering wasen't that loud. no one really screaming. which is surprising because everyone there looked ready to rockout! half the crowd looked more 'rockstar' than the band. a suit doesn't make you cool just because you are wearing it.
This guy was probably the saving grace, he was playing keys, a synthesizer, and a guitar (not simultaneously) and he was pretty good-looking. killed my boredom for some parts when the songs sounded like a broken record.
Another distracting factor was the cool laser lights, though they were abit blinding when they were shining into my eyes. more for clubbing. Overall, I think the concert vibe was lacking, the mixing was kinda bad because it sounded pretty messy rather than clear, which isin't the venue's fault because other bands have had great sound coming out. not sure, but this band just didn't do it for me. Music that I couldn't hear properly, and zero stage presence was kind of. empty. and then it ended. and the venue emptied out pretty fast, no one called for an encore, which makes it the first concert this year I've been to that people haven't asked for an encore! yup. 40 minutes and it was over. did i mention they were late?
okay. done ranting. heard their youtubes and on radio, they arent that bad, but nothing spectacular. got me thinking. perhaps they represent an image that people can identify with? so that's good then. music is sometimes more than just the music and skill, and about an image, an identity. kind of like Kitty Brucknell who's in my opinion a Lady Gaga wannabe =) which is cool too.
Marketa Inglova's concert was really intense! just went for it, and shes got such an amazingly textured voice, never ever wavering, and hitting all the high notes in a sweet falsetto that sounded so pure. and the echoes seemed to linger on forever!
For those of you who don't know who she is, she's a singer from Czech Republic, singer songwriter. i'd describe her style as mellow, a little melancholic, touching, soft, and meaningful. She sings about remembering loved ones who are apart and far away, journey and battles of good against evil, and like every other singer songwriter, she sings about love <3 one of her songs titled "only love is real". nice. very nice. she played the piano for most of it, but moved to play a drum the guitar. SO TALENTED! and her music was so sensitive and yet full, quiet in the Esplanade's recital studio, but every note could be heard clearly, echoes and resonating hums filling the room.
she's also the lead actress in an Irish indie music-movie called "once" about two musicians who meet, and sort of fall in love, but cant be together.just because. and they create a superb album, become famous. (in reality, the movie makes em both really famous too) but the chemistry is interesting, sort of time-capsule-like because you are with someone you know you won't be with forever. HEART BREAKING and really tender =)
she was sweet, funny, and super chill, donned in pastel colors and a flowing skirt. I have terrible pictures, and was sick. yes, i went to a concert with no voice. haha! Thanks to Kevin, who invited me to go with him THANKEW THANKEW!! he's really the best =)
So the girl on the left was a singer and percussionist from Iran, and had a drum with her that had really deep tones and some hanging strings that sounded like a shaker. very dynamic instrument. her singing also sounded very "iranian", interesting scales and very exotic. easy to get lost in her voice. reminded me of enya!
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