in the parking lots of these endless nights

TWO MORE FUCKING DAYS! I'M GOING CRAZY WAITING FOR SATURDAY! I never dreamed I'd see them in Singapore, much less in the same day.

Beach House - Silver Soul
Their brand of hazy dreampop already imprinted in us as their signature, they deliver it with the usual panache. Pouring their entire soul into this one, the syncopated keyboards dovetailing nicely with Legrand's ethereal vocals.

Lotus Plaza - A Threaded Needle
With a persistent rhythm and tinkly sounds, how can I not be hooked into the song? The rhythm subsequently forms the backing of the song, over and above the barely heard vocals. Elegiac in a rough way, the entire song feels hazy amidst a microcosm of intimate sounds, and it runs out amidst a dishevelled blast of intense repetitive sounds.

Deerhunter - Agoraphobia
A thoroughly enjoyable listen; comforting and warm. A slow tender piece that takes delight in its measured pace, preferring to let the music speak for itself.

Deerhunter - Desire Lines
Accompanied by a fat reverby guitar line, Cox reminisces about the nostalgia of youth, awash in careless freedom. And just when you thought what could get better than the first 2 minutes of awesomeness, a good 4 minutes of instrumental takes over. It's ponderous yet urgent, slowly seeping into your consciousness. Going on and on, you're sinking deeper and deeper, only for you to be jostled out as it gradually ends.

when i look around i can feel it spinning

Simon Hinter - Take Care
What a myriad of sounds this track presents - a certain eye, or ear-opener for that matter. A winding road, tall firs looming. Blinding white light. Streets of nowhere, a dull thud. Mesmerising blinking light, in the distance.

Deerhunter - Fountain Stairs
Super swell and loving it. Warm fuzzy guitar lines and warbly vocals from Lockett Pundt.

20 Favourite Albums of 2010: Part II

It's the last day of 2010 and it's been one eventful year. I hope the musical offerings in Singapore get better and better, like it is now, and cheaper too! Go easy on my pocket, you know.

All the best to whoever's reading this and have a rockin' and awesome 2011.



The Morning Benders "Big Echo"


Toro Y Moi "Causers of This"


The National "High Violet"


Sufjan Stevens "The Age of Adz"


Spoon "Transference"


Pantha du Prince "Black Noise"


Delphic "Acolyte"


Delorean "Subiza"


Deerhunter "Halcyon Digest"


Broken Social Scene "Forgiveness Rock Record"


Drop a comment about what YOUR favourite albums are!

100 Favourite Tracks of 2010: Part VII

Moreover, Mr. Chirico, 26, discovered what other young men in New York have begun to notice in recent months: In the city’s more style-conscious ZIP codes, there has been a renaissance of that much-loved old neighborhood standby, the barbershop.

Proving Fran Lebowitz’s oft-cited dictum that “you’re only as good as your last haircut,” authentic-looking barbershops have popped up all over lower Manhattan. Done up with, say, vintage lighting fixtures, antique barber chairs and, of course, a big glass jar of blue Barbicide on the counter, they are offering good, solid haircuts and shaves for less than half the price of a fancy salon cut. And in a kind of tonsorial version of chicken-or-the-egg, their arrival is perfectly timed, coinciding with the twin desires among urbane young men to tame their unruly locks and look neater and sharper from the neck up, and do it in all-American, gentlemanly, modestly priced fashion, far from the salon smells of peroxide and perfume.

- The Barbershop Renaissance in NYT


The Mystery Jets - Dreaming of Another World (mp3)
Kooky and catchy, very driven indie rock laced with lazy dreams and another you.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Sufjan Stevens - Futile Devices
This song could play right out of a movie by Sofia Coppola and it would be so so right. The lyrics tumble out affectingly about a best friend, in that words are rendered useless in expressing the platonic love because it seems trite. The song just seems way too short though, beauty could be extended and appreciated. That said, I'm still in awe of his talent and would really want to see him perform live.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

jj - Let Go
Exquisite and serene, the initial electronic samples glossing over you like a constant warm breeze of air. It alternates with more pertinent drums and the entire time, you feel at peace, almost zen-like. Also, the harmonica sample starting and ending the song just seems... so right.
[myspace] [last.fm]

Ariel Pink's Haunted Grafitti - Round and Round
Ariel Pink's drone might put some off this song, but it seems very much in character with this freak folk song. He seems to have amalgamated distinct parts - monotonous drone, choir-like singing, muted beats, upbeat chorus - of the song into one cohesive package that somehow ticks.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Aska - There Are Many of Us
Such a beautiful song that tugs at your heart ever so gently.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Deerhunter - Earthquake
The creation of an ambience in this song is eerily effective. Fuzzy vocals like one out of a cranky tv, spooky lyrics that speak of waking up on a dirty couch in a grey fog, the short intermittent scratch. A slow and steady build up before it reaches a miasma of sounds like heckling of ghosts before settling down suddenly, and drifting to an end, leaving you in it's wake wondering what just happened.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Fear of Tigers - Cossus Snufsigalonica
Euphoric dance beat that would make your feet smile. One of the few tracks that was on heavy repeat during my long vacation in europe.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Puro Instinct - Luv Goon
These sisters used to be called Pearl Harbor, and with the name change, it seems more suited to their kind of music.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Hot Chip - Thieves In The Night
Fantastic synth dance number in full glory.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Toro Y Moi - Talamak
Comfort music, really.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

100 Favourite Tracks of 2010: Part IV

In the morning Brûlé (as in crème) will be off again—he’ll check in someplace else similarly well-lit—but for the moment, he is focused as can be on the topic at hand: old media. He loves it. Can’t get enough. “I don’t want to sound like a Luddite about it,” he says, “but …” But Brûlé sort of is. Not a Luddite, exactly, but a hard-core devotee of old-fashioned media: of magazines that are printed on paper, of news programs that dedicate hours to single topics, and of well-modulated, unhysterical coverage of things other than, as he puts it, missing white women. As the media conglomerates of the world attempt to figure out their plans for the future, Brûlé is hatching a tiny and very specific media empire from a lovely part of Central London called Marylebone.

- Planet Monocle by Amy Larocca in NY Mag


Tame Impala - Solitude Is Bliss
Ah, Solitude is bliss. I kinda subscribe to that. And such music to listen to while you're flying solo is way awesome. Rock on, guys from Down Under.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Röyksopp - Senior Living
I think this is a very sick tune from the revered (in some quarters) Norwegian duo. Brooding and poignant, listen to that wicked bassline take control.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man
Nice and folksy, with good ol' midwestern charm to boot. The banjo is a wonderful little instrument.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Efterklang - Modern Drift
A dose of piano-backed rock is always a good listen, especially one that feels tentative, like they're on a cusp of something bigger, but still not sure of themselves. Grand orchestration is more than welcome too. Call me old but it's a personal favourite of mine.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Ra Ra Riot - Boy
Hot off his Discovery release last year, Wes Miles is back with Boy from "The Orchard with Ra Ra Riot. Definitely a riotous number. Like I mentioned above, I always like strings or chamber instruments in my music. It brings a different sort of layering to the music. Refreshing.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Freelance Whales - Generator ^ Second Floor
Saccharine pop number.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Joanna Newsom - '81
Keep a lookout for this awesome singer, she's coming down to Singapore too, for the Mosaic Music Festival. Elegant song where Newsom easily soars to the higher ends of her vocal range. This song however, presents a peculiarity with regard to the lyrics. While on the surface, it seems to tread a little on hallowed ground, I still don't really understand it.
[myspace] [last.fm]

Deerhunter - Helicopter
This song is just fantastic. Bradford Cox says that he's a fan of the transgressive author Dennis Cooper, whose account of the shocking death of a teenage gay prostitute in Russia inspired Helicopter. The lyrics are meaningful once you know the context, and coupled with shimmery synths and fuzzy ambience, this is a stunner.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Twin Sister - All Around and Away We Go (mp3)
Super trippy and super 80s, All Around and Away We Go presents a dreamy world of neverending rainbows, nice puffy clouds and beautiful rays of light that warmly caress the fields and everything else. Andrea Estella's charming and sometimes purposely muffled vocals are superb.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Blackbird Blackbird - Happy High
Oh how literal the song title is. A euphoric journey that knows no bounds. But my only grouse, it's a tad too short!
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

constant conversations with myself

A brief update on X Factor UK since it's about to end. Next week would conclude the end of Season 6 (I think) with the finals, with Stacey Solomon, Joe McElderry and Olly Murs slugging it out. Alright, I wouldnt call it slugging out, the 3 of them are prolly the nicest people you'll ever meet. For those who might not have been following, Danyl Johnson was only just eliminated this week, i.e. the last contestant to be booted before the finals. I don't know and don't support any particular final contestant - cos they're all good, and worth supporting. Stacey is the most humble person one could ever meet, and the sweetest thing there'll ever be, plus quite good vocals to boot. Joe is the young chap (he's 18) trying his luck with his Irish charm and solid vocal range (most of the judges say he's the best vocally), but more suited to a Josh Groban like audience, and lastly Olly, with his slick dance moves and the right image to capture the hearts of all young women in UK. And I must give some props to Danyl who pretty much exited the show on a high, singing MJ's Man in the Mirror, which was pretty damn good. He was gracious in his exit and certainly pulled all stops to sing Man in the Mirror after his exit was announced - to which all 4 judges gave a standing ovation, his second in the entire competition. Fitting I say. That said, I hope the 3 finalists give awesome performances that would make it difficult to decide who to vote for.

The Futureheads - Struck Dumb
I like how the guitars drive this song.

Deerhunter - It Never Stops
Typical vocals that barely make it out above the cacophony of instruments, is the mainstay of various bands right now, and Deerhunter is no exception. They do it well with appropriate hooks and a lovely intro.

Telekinesis! - Coast of Carolina
Not bad a song, considering Telekinesis! is only Michael Benjamin Lerner on the drums, guitar and vocals. But he's joined by Chris Staples, David and Jonie Broecker for live shows.

HEARTSREVOLUTION - Dance Till Dawn
Nice and groovy. I WANNA DANCE TILL DAWNNNNN!

save up all the days

save up all the days - I would save up all my sundays. alas, sunday is soon to be over. and i bring you Grizzly Bear, Deerhunter, Gregory & The Hawk and Amandine. Maybe I shouldn't have featured Amandine so that there will be something in common with the remaining 3 bands. Can you spot it?

Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks

Deerhunter - Nothing Ever Happened

Gregory & The Hawk - Grey Weather

Amandine - Faintest of Sparks
really nice semi-instrumental song. there's the violin and the accordion. sounds like a very autumn-ish song to me.

i've got a feeling that swedish, canadian and scottish bands are gonna take over the worlddddddd. whaaadduuupp!!