Category — Music News (Singapore)

As part of their 167^th birthday and its attempts to further engage its readers, The Straits Times is throwing a huge day out including a carnival and concert at the eagerly anticipated Gardens by the Bay on July 15.

The concert will be headlined by international acts including singer-songwriter Jason Derulo and Bostonian rock band Boys Like Girls. This will be Derulo’s first time in Singapore so that’s definitely something to look forward to. But the highlight for me would be finally catching Boys Like Girls after missing out on them twice. You’d think that after the Nike Human Race in 2008 and being the first band to headline the Compass Ballroom in 2010, they wouldn’t return here for a really long time.

Along with the mandatory local (Singapore Idol) acts; Taufik Batisah and Hady Mirza, Kpop group, 4Minute has also been invited to play a slot in the 2 hour set. I admit I’m not the biggest Kpop fan around but I guess this is ST’s way of sticking to their roots and drawing in the hypothesised 30,000 strong crowd with a wide range of performances.

Tickets are priced at $67 for The Straits Times readers and $75 for everybody else.  No other ticketing information has been provided yet and ticket holders will also be entitled to a post-party at Universal Studios Singapore.

Recently, there seem to have been a lot of re-shuffling of radio DJs amongst the Singapore radio stations, for God-knows-what reason. Okay, Shan Wee leaving 987FM is probably the trigger (just kidding Shan, I miss hearing your voice on air) to all these changes. Being the morning people that we are (aherm), we have decided to compare and contrast the different English morning radio shows, mainly 987FM, Power 98, Class 95 and 91.3FM!

Our basis of comparison is really easy – music (for obvious reasons), chemistry of the DJs (all of the radio shows have at least 2 people manning the station) and lastly, the quality of the content during the show itself. After days of intensive listening and nitpicking, we present to you our thoughts:

There was a lot of hype about who is going to be Rozz’s new man after Shan Wee left. Auditions were held – hopes were given and dreams were dashed by the Singaporeans who were brave enough to take up the challenge, when it was made known that Rozz’s new partner was none other than Bobby Tonelli.

Conspiracy theories aside, I felt that Bobby had a big shoe to fill because the chemistry between Shan and Rozz were out of this world. I tuned in on Monday morning, around 8am. Rozz sounded good on-air as usual, but Bobby. Oh Bobby, his morning voice was still VERY obvious, and the difference of the energy levels between the both of them was super obvious. Minus one point.

Interestingly, there was more music than talk in The Rude Awakening. Not that I am complaining of course, but it makes it hard for me to rate the quality of the content of the show. So I am kind of undecided about this one. Nonetheless, it is safe to say that listeners should probably give Rozz and Bobby a bit more time to gel really well together and see if they are able to live up to the hype.

3 DJs are manning the station during the morning radio show for this station – Vernetta Lopez, Glenn Ong and The Flying Dutchman. I’m not sure if you know this, but the three of them have been around the radio scene for a very very long time, so the chemistry amongst them is spot-on! Though I gotta say, three might be a crowd for this one. All 3 DJs have very strong personalities individually, and when they are put together, there are times when the conversation gets really loud and rowdy.

Music-wise, I don’t really have any qualms about it. Class 95 has always been consistent about playing a very nice mix of songs from current times as well as from the past. The day that I was listening to the show, songs like Bruno Mars’ Just The Way You Are and Maroon 5′s Give A Little More were played back-to-back, so I’m just wondering if they have decided to play more of the recent hits, or if I’m just growing up way too quickly that the songs which I consider ‘recent’ are not so recent anymore.

At the end of the day, I like the consistency that Class 95 has been doing when it comes to portraying the image of their DJs – no superficial, silly banter – just intellectual talk that people of all ages can relate to.

In mid-March, Power 98 announced its first major revamp in 18 years, including getting ex-radio personality, Jamie Yeo, onboard. I might sound like a fangirl here, but Jamie Yeo was one of the many reasons why I loved listening to 987FM (Perfect 10 as it was known back then) in the past, so when I got to know that she was re-starting her DJ stint, I was mega excited.

She helms The Power Breakfast Show with Hubert Tang and Sonja Steinmetz. 30 minutes into listening to the show, something was really obvious – the DJs were following very closely to a script. The conversations that the three of them had, lacked conviction (if that is even the right word to use). Despite that, the topics that they bring up during the talk show was very informative. Many DJs like to give random facts to listeners to make their show more exciting. However, The Power Breakfast Show has a twist to it – they provide random facts which are actually useful to the general public (e.g the importance of drinking enough water everyday). I like that this is very much in line with the new direction that the radio station is delving into, which is to feature more lifestyle-centric content and contest segments that are poised to provide listeners with a brand-new level of entertainment.

I love the song choices during The Power Breakfast Show! It has a very well-balanced mix of songs throughout the past decade. It is definitely a mood-lifter to take a walk down memory lane with the songs you grew up to, in the morning. Overall, more spontaneity is needed amongst Jamie Yeo, Hubert Tang and Sobja Steinmetz, but other than that, The Power Breakfast Show definitely makes it up in the music and content department.

The station’s morning show is helmed by The Married Men. I’m used to listening to them in the day, so hearing them in the morning was a bit weird for me. 91.3FM took the more music, less talk approach for their morning show though, something which I appreciate a lot because let’s face it, I am not ready to hear people talk so much in the morning when my body is still warming up.

It was pretty difficult to comment about the DJs because they seriously do not talk for long periods of time. Their system comprises of a brief talking segment followed by a couple of songs. On the day that I was tuning in, this brief talking segment was marred because one of the DJs introduced the artiste for Kiss Me Again as ‘We Are In The Crowd’, instead of We Are The In Crowd. Oops. Music-wise, all the songs played were current hits, and that is not surprising because 91.3FM has always been famous for being the first to play hits from all around the world.

The segments that they have are good, I must admit. I really like Zhen De Ma (my hanyu pinyin is not bad, right?!). Another attempt by a radio station at presenting random facts to make things interesting, and it seems to be working in their favour because not only do they provide the most absurd random facts around, the DJs also give their opinions about it. It was a nice way to showcase their personalities without the need to out-do each other.

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As an individual, I really like Power 98′s The Breakfast Show because of the 2 features that the show has – informative and good music. Having Jamie Yeo is really just an added bonus. However, at the end of the day, we know that each radio station has their own set of target audience, and are doing whatever they can do please their listeners. You cannot please everybody, can you?!

What a night out for local music fans. Holding the last gig of the third season of Live Lounge, National University of Singapore’s very own Radio Pulze decided to bring in the big guns: Cashew Chemists, Shelves and TypeWriter for a spectacular Indie Rock Finale. Gathered at the dozens at the open-air plaza of the Yusof Ishak House at NUS, campus students and visitors alike enjoyed three great Singaporean bands in three cool hours, aided by free drinks courtesy of sponsorship by 28Black. For those local music fans who didn’t come: You missed out! But here’s what you would have experienced, and what we have learnt about the bands through interviewing them!

7:34 – Cashew Chemists

The Cashew Chemists, a traditional four-piecer that was once heavy metal but now pop rock, started off the evening smartest as smartest can go – playing Pretty Woman dressed smart casual. And the Chemists were pretty smart; With Not in Love and the tracks thereafter, like What She Said, showing their clever and upbeat post-punk sounds a la the Strokes or Television, such as sweet hooks and beat-driven riffs. Their technicality recalled their more heavy roots of the past and, true to their name, the chemistry between the band members was tight. You could tell they were having fun on stage, and so was I, munching on cashew nuts the band gave to the crowd and enjoying the evening breeze across the pavilion.

When we interviewed them, they explained that they stopped playing heavy metal when they realised each individual band member enjoyed listening to pop bands like the Beatles on their own accord. With that commonality discovered, they set forth to making something they felt would definitely be more accessible for everyone to enjoy – good old hook-filled, quirky pop music. And about their name, too; Most of the band members come from Cashew Road, and played and even recorded at Cashew Road.

Those interested in the Cashew Chemists wouldn’t do any bad to check them out when they play Baybeats later in the year. They told us that they too were releasing their debut record during that performance itself. And where to after that? “Laneway,” they joke. In all seriousness, they were considering touring South East Asia, not for the money but for the experience and fun.

8:27 – Shelves

Shelves came into the Indie Rock Finale promoting their debut record, the self-titled Shelves, and boy did they promote it good. Shelves played a breed of pop rock rawer and more aggressive than Cashew Chemists did; So much so frontman Noel Yeo was all drenched in sweat after just the first song Against the Wall, given his intense guitar playing and shifting about the stage. The band employed vocal harmonics to great effect, with the bassist and other guitarist complementing Noel’s croons. They closed their set with Song about Caroline, which was dedicated to TypeWriter’s lead guitarist Patrick Chng. I learnt that nobody should break up with a singer-songwriter.

Shelves had a great chat with us during the interview, detailing us on their thoughts on various points of interest, such as Inch Chua’s rant on local music. As much as they didn’t blame Inch Chua for her departure, the band was of the opinion that forcing Singaporeans to listen to Singaporean music was as logical as getting people to listen to “Ang Mo Kio music! Toa Payoh music!”. They also touched on how social media is benefiting new local bands to get themselves heard, and how they’ve yet to think of what they plan to do after their album release. Oh, and Mass Effect 3 too. Pretty cool guys if you ask me.

9:30 – TypeWriter

Unlike Shelves and Cashew Chemists, each of TypeWriter’s members came dressed in their own assorted styles. That wasn’t to say they didn’t work together well though – They moved the crowd with lyrics of hopeless romanticism and fantastic instrumental artistry, most especially from lead guitarist Patrick Chng, who flawlessly worked the guitar with his many years of experience. While I honestly wasn’t too impressed by their recent album, Indian Head Massage, I felt that the personal touch so apparent in their music shone much brighter live. The three new tracks they debuted were quite a treat as well; I thought Hanging Unto Nothing, their opener, was fantastic. The other two, My Love and The Room Upstairs, highlighted different aspects of TypeWriter and indicated how veteran they were at the songwriting game.

When interviewed, TypeWriter were as humble as any other budding local band in Singapore. Sharing that making music is not down to money but passion, poking fun at Patrick Chng’s involvement in the National Arts Council as a music mentor, joking about the fact that they had a Malay drummer, and snidely replying, “I hope so too,” when asked if there would be a new album, TypeWriter were down-to-earth, funny, responsive and amicable. They insisted that the ‘indie supergroup’ label that stuck to them had no meaning at all, for that it did not matter where they had come from but what music they are making as TypeWriter. And I couldn’t agree more.

Radio Pulze’s Live Lounge: Indie Rock Finale was a milestone in local music. It eliminated the stigma that Singaporeans couldn’t make good music with three consistently top-notch pop rock bands proving song-by-song that it was possible. And I believe this is something everyone should witness. Instead of discovering music abroad, why not see for yourself what Singaporean music has to offer?

Being absolutely free of charge, Live Lounge is a great eye-opener to those new to the sounds of Singapore. And for those who already know it – Why weren’t you there? Nevertheless, keep your ears open for the next Live Lounge.

Lioness: Hidden Treasures is the third album from the late Amy Winehouse. The 12 track collection featuring previously unreleased tracks and alternate versions of existing singles was compiled by Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson in close association with Amy’s family, management and record label, Island Records.

The album proves a fitting tribute to the artist and serves as a reminder of Amy’s talents as a songwriter, singer and interpreter of classics.

Amy’s father, Mitch, has said of the album, “I spent so much time chasing after Amy, telling her off that I never realized what a true genius she was. It wasn’t until I sat down with the rest of the family and listened to this album that I fully appreciated the breadth of Amy’s talent, from jazz standards to hip hop songs, it really took my breath away.

Following positive reviews and strong support for the album, Universal Music Singapore has decided to donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation with each purchase of Lioness: Hidden Treasures from now until 29 February 2012.

Personally, I feel that this is a very nice touch with regards to Amy’s legacy and talent.

Once again, do make it a point to check out Lioness: Hidden Treasures and you’ll realize that the album is definitely worth buying, even more so now that it’d be for a good cause.

98. Glad You Came – The Wanted
97. Save The World – Swedish House Mafia
96. Brand New Chick – Anjulie
95. Mr. Saxobeat – Alexandra Stan
94. What The Hell – Avril Lavigne
93. I’m Into You – Jennifer Lopez
92. Right There – Nicole Sherzinger
91. Dirty Dancer – Enrique Iglesias

90. Summer Time – Marty James ft. Dev
89. Who Dat Girl – Flo Rida /Akon
88. Sure Thing – Miguel
87. Animal – Neon Trees
86. Backseat – New Boyz, The Cataracs, Dev
85. Bottoms Up – Trey Songz
84. All Of The Lights - Kanye West
83. Take Over Control - Afrojack
82. Brighter Than The Sun – Colbie Caillat
81. Higher – Taio Cruz
[Read more →]

100. Take A Chance On Me – JLS
99. Rain Over Me – Pitbull feat. Marc Anthony
98. Not Over You – Gavin DeGraw
97. Papi – Jennifer Lopez
96. Domino – Jessie J
95. Super Bass – Nicki Minaj
94. What Are Words – Chris Medina
93. Nothing – The Script
92. Hello – Martin Solveig & Dragonette
91. Don’t Hold Your Breath – Nicole Scherzinger

90. What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger) – Kelly Clarkson
89. Hangover – Taio Cruz feat. Flo Rida
88. Little Bad Girl – David Guetta feat. Taio Cruz & Ludacris
87. That Should Be Me – Justin Bieber feat. Rascal Flatts
86. It Will Rain – Bruno Mars
85. Shots On The Hood Of My Car – Ke$ha
84. If I Die Young – The Band Perry
83. Louder – Charice
82. You And I – Lady Gaga
81. Without You – David Guetta feat. Usher
[Read more →]

100. Dirty Dancer – Enrique Iglesias feat Usher, Lil Wayne and Nayer
99. Marry Me – Train
98. Urgf (Your Girlfriend) – Mark Bonafide Sleeq
97. Talking To The Moon – Bruno Mars
96. Falling Stars – David Archuleta
95. I’m Into You – Jennifer Lopez feat. Lil Wayne
94. Who’s Laughing Now – Jessie J
93. We’ll Be Alright – Travie McCoy
92. Candles – Hey Monday
91. Sparks Fly – Taylor Swift

90. That Should Be Me – Justin Bieber feat. Rascal Flatts
89. Pretty Girl Rock – Keri Hilson
88. The Time (Dirty Bit) – Black Eyed Peas
87. Forget You – Glee Cast feat. Gwyneth Paltrow
86. Loser Like Me – Glee Cast
85. Blow – Ke$ha
84. 1983 – Neon Trees
83. 2gether – Roger Sanchez feat. Far East Movement & Kanobby
82. Heart Still Beating – The Dirt Radicals
81. I Need A Doctor – Dr Dre feat. Eminem & Skylar Gray
[Read more →]

The story of Mark Foster, front man of Foster The People, sounds like something right out of an inspirational ‘rags to riches’ movie.

Prior to forming the band, Foster spent a good deal of time wandering around Los Angeles, living like your typical struggling musician on the verge of hitting rock bottom. It’s hard to picture that this would be the man behind a debut album that would take international charts by storm.

Backed by Mark Pontius on drums and Jacob ‘Cubbie’ Fink on bass and backing vocals, Foster The People introduced themselves to the world with the highly addictive track, Pumped Up Kicks.

To be honest, I’ve never heard of the band until the release of Fifa 2012. (Which, might I add, placed both my health and grades in jeopardy for a while there.) The game featured the track Call It What You Want which really made me sit up and take notice of the band. I then proceeded to set the whole album on repeat for the next two weeks.

Therefore, it’s an understatement to say that I am excited for their inaugural visit to Singapore on the 14th of January. The concert will be held at Fort Canning Park and tickets are going for $85 (Standard) or $95 (Event Day).

My suggestion? Get your tickets early because, trust me; this is one Indie band that can bring out the inner hipster in everybody.

As if December could not get more magical, with the festive season looming near and a handful of gigs lined up (including Train and Mike Posner), it seems that The Click Five‘s frontman Kyle Patrick and singer-songwriter Joe Brooks have decided to join in the Christmas cheer and spread some musical love towards us Singaporean fans!

Yes, you heard right, Kyle Patrick of TCV has been rallying support on Twitter from his large fanbase over here to get TAB Singapore to invite him over for a gig. Seems like the rah-rah-ing has worked wonders, because the 25-year-old has confirmed he will be making an appearance! Expect to hear him sampling tunes from his solo project, besides pulling out some old TCV favourites. Patrick’s fans should note the details down now! [Read more →]

Singaporean band, Catalogue V, is no stranger to the music scene. Formed in 2009, the band has described themselves as ‘advocates of Skitzo mainstream originals’. Comprising of Razil Razil Razil (Vocals), Alfredo Lucius (Guitars), Mal Mikhal (Bass), Hans Ibrahim (Guitars), Rave Zulo (Keyboards) and Matt Raham (Percussions), the band has recently made headlines by being the Grand Prix Award Winners of Yamaha Asian Beat 2011 Finals, and they will go on to represent Singapore in the Asia Grand Finals in Seoul, Korea in November 2011.

We sat down with the boys for a chat, and talked about almost everything music related – from their experiences at the Yamaha Asian Beat 2011 to their dream performance… and to the need to grow a moustache? [Read more →]