NME, not a music enemy

This radio station has been playing static for a while now. So, I’m going to turn your dial to a station that is worthy of tuning in to, while we try to get something nice to play on this channel.

I have been listening to this Internet radio by a weekly British magazine called NME Magazine. Known as ‘New Music Express’, it has been a popular music magazine in the United Kingdom by IPC Media since early 1952. And just recently, they have elected their first ever female editor to run the magazine. And in their last issue, they featured rock stars from the past, including essays by current rock musicians talking about their favourite legends, which I thought could be a pretty good read if I can just get my hands on a copy.

The magazine went online in 1996 at NME.com, and more than a decade later in 2008, they launched NME Radio, playing their first ever tune – Knights of Cydonia by Muse.

I guess I like this station because I have always enjoyed British music. Face it, Malaysian radio stations suck balls, and although many may find salvation with BFM Radio, but they can only go so far because they put business first and music not so much. And I do admit that often I find the music a little too mellow; I do like the occasional rock out in my headphones.

With NME Radio, imagine listening to Hitz FM or Fly FM playing again and again mainstream music from Akon, Beyonce, Taylor Swift and the likes, but only with brilliant musicians like Brand New, Kings of Leon, The Smiths and the likes.

I wake up 6ish in the morning and, being 7 hours behind us, NME Radio would just have launched into their overnight indie alternatives slot. I cannot say it keeps me from getting drowsy every morning (Air does not really scream wake up!), but it has its days, and I would say it is a good thing when they play more often than once Jeff Buckley’s Grace and The Verve’s Sonnet, and the occasional Sigur Ros too.

After lunchtime is when a new day begins on the other side of the world, and DJs Sarah Kerr and Jon Hillcock play quite upbeat music to keep you energetic for the rest of the working day. Playlists include U2, Brand New, The Cribs, Oasis, Kasabian, The XX, Radiohead, The Temper Trap and many more.

Also, the DJs don’t hog the airwaves, and talk more than playing music, or have the ads going on and on. That’s definitely a plus point for me.

There are also occasional general news and gig guides hitting the UK. Not that it has anything to do with us over here, but I guess it beats listening to ridiculous politics going on here.

So, if you would like something edgier than Love Story or Single Ladies, log online and click for NME Radio for something new like Underdog, At the Bottom and Islands, or something old but familiar like The Street Has No Name, Roll with it and Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll.

Tune in to NME Radio on their website HERE, or follow their tweet (@NMEMagazine) for up to date music news, or if you are in the UK, just grab a weekly copy. And you know, share with us what is the latest song that caught your attention there.

I just need a little more time with you…

This is a story ’bout the three of us,
Down by the water and the tide is rising,
This world is burning and I’m terrified,
I need a little more time with you,
Oh, I just need a little more time with you..

A man, a piano and his delicate little words. Can the world get anymore beautiful than that?

Coldplay parachutes their way into the hearts of Singapore

Coldplay live in Singapore Indoor Stadium, 23 March 2009: A Review

Music critics, fans, groupies and radio announcers have always made claim that the Bono-led U2 is the biggest band in the world. Tonight, 23 March 2009, Coldplay made it known to Singapore that that is indeed false. Chris Martin is a fucking wizard. If magic truly did exist, he’d be holding the wand.

I walked into the stadium at 8:15pm and was greeted instantly by the melodic guitars of Mercury Rev. As I stepped into the stands trying to find my seat, Jonathan Donahue’s soaring vocals sent shivers down my spine. When they played my ultimate favourite Rev song – The Dark is Rising, I felt something move in me. After a short 5 song set, they humbly made way for Coldplay to begin. I felt their timing was just perfect, ending their set with only 5 songs – being very careful not to outdo Coldplay. The crowd were assholes though, especially the row of people seated in front of me. They chattered constantly oblivious to the fact that Mercury Rev is perhaps the greatest Art Rock band to ever grace the airwaves.

Lights dimmed, curtains slowly raised and out walked Chris Martin, Johnny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion each carrying firecrackers in their hands. They took place on their respective instruments and started the night with Life in Technicolor before bursting into Violet Hill. The seated crowd rose to their feet and as Clocks followed after, the 12,000 strong crowd were in awe. Yellow came soon after and gigantic yellow balls were let loose to the crowd as everyone sang along to the immortal lyrics of the song.

Chris Martin was without a doubt the star of the show. He ran tirelessly from left, to center, to right, back to left, straight to right – across the entire stage. Teasing, acknowledging, addressing the crowd – making the girls squeal and the boys dumbfounded. You can tell he is an experienced performer, and extremely confident of his talent. He knows with humility that he is the darling of the crowd and uses that knowledge to give Singapore a good time.

You have to thank the Coldplay roadies too for tirelessly working throughout the 2 hour show to give us a seamless performance. In between songs, they moved the piano all over the place to create a sense of dynamism with the audience. Martin showed us how riveting a performance can be with just a solo instrument when he ran to the far end of the stage, solemnly singing The Hardest Part accompanied only with a piano

To everyone’s delight, the entire band moved to the other corner of the stage leaving their electric equipments behind. Will Champion swapped his drum kit for an acoustic guitar and accompanied Martin on vocals and the harmonica to re-create an acoustic rendition of Speed of Sound. Martin surprisingly has a sense of humour. Now, we all know how dry English humour can be but Martin came up with a delightful tale of how he lost a game of monopoly forcing him to take on the abuse-prone role of lead singer. He proclaimed further that Will Champion was a way better vocalist and Coldplay would have been bigger if he had lost the game. With that being said, Champion took the mic and sang I am a Believer – the song that The Monkees will always be remembered for.

They pranced back onto the main stage and performed Lovers in Japan – complete with projector visuals of Haiku, Sakura, Kanji and everything Japanese you can think off. Confetti fell from the heavens and I closed my eyes and savoured the moment. As they went into the dressing room, the 12,000 strong crowd went wo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, singing the tune to the controversial Viva la Vida to coax the band to come out for the encore.

Sure enough, Martin appeared first and sat gracefully on the piano to sing us the majestic Scientist. The band joined in the 2nd verse and they closed an explosive night with Life in Technicolor 2, completing the most beautiful Monday night of 2009.

I’m not an easy man to please. But tonight, Coldplay did no wrong. They were perfect and I mean it in the most dazzling sense of the word. It was hands down the best concert I’ve ever been to. And i promise you, that is no exaggeration.

Coldplay might not be my most favourite band in the world, but when it comes to live performance, they’re king of the hill.

Best 400 bucks I’ve spent all year.

—————————————————–
Complete Play list:-

1. Life in Technicolor
2. Violet Hill
3. Clocks
4. In My Place
5. Yellow
6. Glass of Water
7. Cemetries in London
8. 42
9. Fix You
10. Strawberry Swing
11. God Put a Smile Upon Your Face/Talk
12. The Hardest Part/Postcard from Far Away
13. Viva La Vida
14. Lost
15. Speed of Sound
16. I am a Believer (Monkees Cover)
17. Politik
18. Lovers in Japan
19. Death and All of His Friends
Encore:
20. The Scientist
21. Life in Technicolor II

——————————————-

//Images courtesy of Celeste from smalltimetraveller.wordpress.com//

Because the universe always wins

Don’t you just hate it when the universe does not see eye to eye with you? You decided to shut yourself in your room this weekend to make yourself write something because seriously, enough procrastinating, it is time to make your dreams a reality. But the universe scoffs and says, “pfft, yeah right, that ain’t gonna happen, buster.” What are you to do?

Heck, that lady on the road will not even give way to you even though you have decency to turn on your signal and raise your hand. You just want to yell at the top of your lungs, even though you know it is not going to make any difference.

Sometimes, you just want to drop life down on the floor and scream up to the sky, “Fine! You win, universe.”

But at times, when the universe decides to walk alongside you, isn’t that the best feeling in the world?

Like, how good it felt to be able to score front row seats at the Death Cab concert, and not only that, had Ben Gibbard singing right in front of you, where – if you chose to – could have easily grabbed the hem of his pants if you stretch your fingers real far.

Or how about that time when you were one of the lucky ones to catch Damien Rice in concert, and he decided to take up your request. And not only that, he had parked himself right in front of you, took off his earplugs and microphone, and sang to you and only you. Just because he was not familiar with the song and did not want to embarrass himself singing in public. Who would have thought you would get that end of the bargain?

I know Adele would know what I am talking about. She is like an underdog that the universe has decided to spend the rest of his life with. She was only a teenager when she was picked up for a record deal via MySpace. She was also lined up to perform on the same Saturday Night Live episode as Sarah Palin, and because of Palin’s appearance, about 14 million people tuned in to that episode, and Adele got that end of the bargain.

Now, it is one thing to have Ben Gibbard singing right in front of you, and Damien Rice singing your request in the most personal way. Ask any aspiring musician out there, and their wish will always be to perform with their music influences. Even if you get to open for their concert, you would already consider it a blessing. But imagine this, having it the other way round: as in, your music influence supporting your headlining concert. That was what happened to Adele, and she had Damien Rice supporting her concert at Union Chapel back in the beginning of November. Just makes you want to jump off a cliff, doesn’t it?

OK, I know I might have put Adele in a bad light with the whole right-time-right-place person, but I guess she did not get to be where she is today if she is not good herself. So, how about giving her the benefit of the doubt and check her out. Like it or not, the universe is right sometimes.

Download Hometown Glory from her album 19 HERE.

The Rise, Fall and (Re)rise of Juniper

Many many years ago in a land where a dark coloured ale with white foam at its peak is king of the table, lived a merry-band of friends who spent their time lazing around a room tinkering with instruments. They meddled with their respective choice of weapon and soon realized that they make decent noise together – enough to drive every apron-clad knife wielding mom insane.

That was the sign they were looking for and sure enough, bad ass recording company Polygram decided to pick them up and churn them into money making cows. Their evil plan seemed flawless and this merry-band of friends who collectively call themselves Juniper appeared to be destined to forever be puppets.

There was only one tiny glitch in the grand scheme of things. The evil people at Polygram underestimated how heroic Juniper front man, Damien Rice would turn out to be. At realizing the record company was going to destroy whatever artistic vision Juniper had, he bailed ship and moved to Tuscany to embark on a journey of self discovery. We all know how well that story turned out.

The remaining members of Juniper, now lead by Paul Noonan, regrouped and formed Bell X1 – made infamous of course by their epic track – Eve, the apple of my eye played over the lesbian kiss scene in The O.C.

As with all fairy tales, the evil nemesis eventually dies a tragic death. Polygram having failed to procure Juniper was soon assimilated and absorbed by other badder asses and is today part of the Universal Music Group. Bell X1 as of today, famous as they are, is at best mediocre. Without the driving force and vision of Damien Rice, the remaining members of Juniper will forever struggle to find their footing.

Let’s take a peek at how brilliant Juniper could have been if evil recording companies did not sought to wreck destruction over them.

Listen to Orchard by Juniper with Damien Rice on vocals
Download the song HERE.

Malaysia is not the World

I went to to bed yesterday night feeling angry, sad, dejected and most of all – powerless. I have never meant to write about anything else on this blog but the current situation in the only country I will ever call home has forced a mind shift upon me.

Yesterday, 3 innocent people were detained under the ISA. Injustice has slapped its ugly head on 27 million people that are mostly decent, kind and tolerant human beings.

RPK – Although you’re rash, brash, silly and at times talk too much, you’re still the bravest man in Malaysia and you champion a cause that people like me and a lot of others believe in. Thank You.

Theresa Kok – I don’t really know what truly transpired, but the Azan issue is actually a very sensitive one. I believe you’re not as silly as to ask for the lowering of the Azan. Detention without trial is completely, humanely unacceptable. My heart is with you.

Tan Hoon Cheng – Yours is perhaps the case that I feel most strongly about. Getting thrown into jail just for doing your job? Come on. The other 2 might be able to stomach detention. Pete and Theresa are veteran politicians (ok, Pete’s not a politician but well, he’s royalty heh) but Hoon Cheng looks like one of those innocent girls that just got out of college.

The most despicable thing is that the fucker who made the infamous comments himself was awarded a 3 year holiday and the hooligan who tore portrait’s of our leaders gets away scot-free.

Fuck you government. For banning The Sun. For being complete retards. For practicing double standards. For being power crazy. For being the enemies of the land I call home.

There will be a candlelight vigil tonight at Bukit Aman – 8:30 PM onwards. Please come and show your support peacefully. There is no need for violent behavior. Just peaceful silence. If you’re unable to make it, light candles on the balconies of your home around your neighborhood.

Malaysia is dying. It is up to us – her children, to save her.

For today’s sombre post, the feature will be Morrisey’s America is Not the World.

In America, The land of the free, they said, And of opportunity, In a just and a truthful way.

But where the president, is never black, female or gay, and until that day,
you’ve got nothing to say to me, to help me believe

But even America has grown up. Hilary Clinton showed that America is the world and Barack Obama is living proof that America is no longer the boy it used to be.

Malaysia, I await your turn with bated breath.

Download the song HERE.

The Athlete and the Baby Girl

It must really suck to be Joel Pott. Just as it sucks to be the sun that fuels all life on Earth only to be bitched about constantly in the equator. Just as it blows to be the long scrawny scarecrow in the middle of green meadows, working hard to scare off unwanted birds but never recognized nor remembered.

Joel Pott, songwriter extraordinare fronts the British act – Athlete who has never truly gotten the recognition they deserve. It is actually unsurprising considering how saturated England is with it’s music industry. Glastonbury fest or not, too many punch-cracking, guitar jarring, mainstream bands seem to emerge effortlessly from the streets of London or from the back alley of Manchester. Oasis, The Darkness, Blur, Spiritualized, Radiohead - you name it. How can Joel Pott and his humbly named act, Athlete ever hope to gain recognition when he’s lost in an ocean of superstar musicians?

Why, by writing the most honest, most heartfelt song about his dying baby girl of course.

Wires, a song written by Pott for his premature born baby girl at a point of time where he didn’t know if she would live or die is so god-damned emotional that one cannot help but stop and care.

His heart wrenching, soft painful vocals sings, “You got wires, coming out of your skin
There’s dry blood, on your wrist, I see hope is here, in a plastic box, I’ve seen christmas lights, reflect in your eyes“

As I listened to Pott forming each word ever so delicately, I  quietly rooted for him and sent a silent prayer hoping that his baby girl will be perfect. God didn’t disappoint. She turned out okay and life is beautiful once again.

Athlete marshaled on and released their follow up album, Beyond the Neighbourhood and as god did not disappoint, neither did Joel. Their 3rd studio album is fucking bloody amazing and it ranks high up on my charts as one of my top 10 albums of all time. Features syncopated drumming, dreamy guitars, ambient synths and of course, Pott’s signature sounding vocals, Beyond the Neighbourhood is classic brit-pop at it’s finest. So fine that even Coldplay’s Viva la Vida might have learnt a thing or two by emulating it’s instrumental intro, something you would never have expected Coldplay to do.

I introduce to you, Second Hand Stores – track 8 from the very excellent record, Beyond the Neighbourhood.

Download the song HERE.

Coldplay’s Viva la Vida: A Review

I was a bespectacled kid of 15, face tainted by alien invasion of zits and a cock that goes hard every other minute thanks to the hormonal imbalance of puberty when I first heard Yellow. I liked it instantly – the jarring guitar lines, the infectious melody, the soft sensitive vocals. I liked it yes – but I was not blown away. Until of course I heard Trouble. My love affair with Coldplay was sealed there and then.

Fast forward 10 years later, and Coldplay introduces to us Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends.

I popped in the CD, turned up the volume, sat back and listened. After 45 minutes of continuous music, the CD stopped and the first thing that raced into my thoughts was, “Shit, if i heard this playing randomly in a music store, I might not be able to tell it’s Coldplay.”

In a way this is a good thing because Chris Martin has made it clear that the band wants to reinvent itself. To the point of saying that the last 3 albums was a trilogy of sorts. So serious were they at this reinvention that they even brought in Brian Eno to produce the project. So committed were they that Martin even boldly exclaimed, “ I don’t care if I sell a few million records less“.

A worthy effort I will say but alas, Coldplay needs to understand that reinventing your music is more than bringing in Brian Eno and giving your songs enigmatic names. You actually need to change your music. Maybe they should look to Radiohead for some inspiration on how it’s supposed to be done.

Yes, I did say that I woudn’t be able to recognise their sound if I heard it at a random place but that’t not because their sound has evolved. It’s just Chris Martin forgoing his trademark falsetto choosing instead to sing in a much lower register. For the past 10 years I’ve been so used to hearing Martin wailing and crying his way through falsetto-laden tunes that when he chooses to go low, things seem less familiar.

Granted, the album does sound darker and much more…bleak. But then again Parachutes had the very excellent Spies which was dark, oh so dark. I realize that I’m beginning to sound like I hate the album as much as I hate doing chores on a lovely Saturday morning so I better make myself clear. Viva la Vida is a brilliant album – the best album I’ve heard from them surpassing even Parachutes. I’m just being hard on them simply because of all the hype that surrounded it and all the promises that was made about it being a reinvention.

With that case aside, Coldplay’s 4th studio record is a majestic album. First single Violet Hill features Martin’s best lyrics to date and a solo passage that’s addictive as hell to my ears. 2nd single, Viva la Vida showcases strings that suck you in and a melody line that captures your attention especially when Martin sounding so different with his newly found vocal style. Lovers in Japan starts off with an anthemic keyboard riff that is excatly the whole reason why Coldplay inspired me to be a musician in the first place.

I love Coldplay in spite of their immersed popularity. I love Coldplay even if they say their music has gone through a revolution when it clearly has not. I love Coldplay even if flying saucers from the sky abducted me and brainwashed me to dislike them. I love them simply because they make beautiful music that just seeps into your soul. Viva la Vida might not be as inventive as Amnesiac or Kid A, but it is still one hell of a fine album.

Yes I am aware that things are depressing lately, what with the latest political scandal that has rocked our shores. Go make yourself feel better by listening to this record. Don’t you dare download it. Run to a record store and purchase it now.

Download Lover’s In Japan HERE

I said I wasn’t going to rant. I Lied.

I’ve said that I will not allow myself to rant on this blog but it seems like with all my other resolutions, I’m gonna break them. Cinemas are showing a new local movie called Apa Kata Hati. It’s a story
about this girl who is going through the normal ups and downs, ifs and nots of a relationship when one day, she suddenly discovered that she could listen to guys’ thoughts. WOW~! Awesome plot. Hey, wait a
second. Why does this sound awfully familiar?

Of course it does. Nancy Meyers directed Mel Gibson to play the female mind-reader in the excellent What Women Want. I mean seriously. What the fuck? What the fuck is wrong with the local film scene? Doesn’t anyone here have the passion or even the drive to create something extraordinare? Why does local movie makers take the easy way out by copying the brainchild of someone else’s work? How can we ever hope to see a majestic motion picture made by Malaysians if every local movie maker blatantly copies an existing idea out there and try to make it theirs?

This is not the first time. There was Impak Maksima. WTF is that? A copy and hype out of the even more ridiculous Fast and Furious. Then there was Cicak Man. My god. Have you actually seen that film? I had more fun letting a dentist probe my rotten tooth than watching that piece of junk. The worst thing about it is that Yusry who acted in the film received some award for some film making recognition. And then I hear they’re making  a sequel out of it. WTF?

Last but not least is of course Sepet. Alright that was a decent movie. It was good and something we all can be proud off. Until of course Gubra came out and every other subsequent movies by Yasmin Ahmad, contains the same plot and story line that Sepet had. Fine if you’re gonna say Gubra is a sequel or prequel or whatever not but what about Mukhsin? I mean come on. Reinvent yourself. Get out of the comfort zone. No one ever became great sleeping in their beds.

Motion Pictures mean a great deal to me and it saddens me to see the state of local film productions. Anyway my rant ends now so I’ll move on to what I should be talking about.

Celeste, a dear friend of mine and an ardent music fan herself (who also was kind enough to design my blog banner, thank you very much) introduced this interesting song to me by The Hoosiers. Hailing from the Uk and calling their sound, Odd Pop, you’d expect something unique from them. I was entranced straight away upon listening to the voice of Irwin Sparkes. He reminds me of the legendary and famed Jeff Buckley. If you don’t know who he is, shame on you. I’ll do a piece on him one day in the future when the gods above think I am worthy enough to talk about him.

I present to you Run Rabbit Run from The Hoosiers’ debut studio album, The Trick to Life. Pay attention to the stunning Indian music influence in the beginning and the staggering pitching prowess of Irwin Sparkes as he hollers and wails his heart out in the explosive chorus. Might not be your everyday song but it’s a track that every music fan should listen to at least once.

Download the song HERE.

The Invisible Band

Chris Martin and Fran Healey. What does these 2 names have in common? They are both frontmans of 2 of the greatest modern bands to ever come from the United Kingdom.

The only difference is that Chris Martin is practically the boy who lives next door. Everyone knows him. But Fran who? what?

You’ve most probably heard of the band he fronts but maybe never paid attention to the gem of a music they make. Who could blame you? Malaysian radio blatantly ignores playing Travis‘ brand of mellow, heart-tugging music which I could never understand. With all the airplay given to Coldplay, Keane, Oasis and other powers of the britrock movement, why is Travis left out?

They’re not new, mind you. With 5 studio albums below their belt, and all critically acclaimed, these bunch of kilt-wearing scottish guitar wielding warriors are anything but underrated.

Listen to Colder from their 2007 5th studio album – The Boy with No Name and open your ears to the band that deserves every much attention that Coldplay has.

Download the song HERE