you will squeeze the life out of me

Photo courtesy of Hansel.

Yesterday was Big Night Out 2010, but more accurately put, it was the night of Muse. Saosin and then Rise Against performed small sets. Saosin surprisingly sounded much much louder and wilder than their album songs, like Voices was more screaming rock than I expected. Rise Against came out with similar songs, but surprised us with 2 acoustic numbers which I must admit was good. After which, the lead singer asked us if we were ready for Muse. Guess he knew what most of us were there for. And gee, when Rise Against left the stage, there was almost 40 mins before they came. They kept playing songs over the system, not too loud, and each time the music stopped, everyone would keep cheering, thinking that they would be coming out. BUT IT WAS JUST A TEASE. Anyway, I made out AnCo's My Girls and Cut Copy's Heart on Fire above the noise during the interval. And finally at 10, those 3 came out with a fucking bang. They launched into Uprising as they did for a couple of their recent sets. Thereafter it was a pure aural smashing eargasm of their songs NON STOP. They made 2 small breaks which the crowd confused as the show ending, but NO, it was just to prepare for the bad ass Exogenesis Part I and damn I can't remember when the other break took place.

The setlist was as follows:
Uprising
Supermassive Black Hole
Map of the Problematique
Resistance
Interlude
Hysteria
Stockholm Syndrome + War Within A Breath riff
Nishe
United States Of Eurasia
Sunburn
Helsinki Jam
Undisclosed Desires
MK Ultra
Starlight
Time Is Running Out
Unnatural Selection
Encore:
Exogenesis: Symphony, Part 1 (Overture )
Plug In Baby
Knights of Cydonia + Man With A Harmonica intro

What a banger of a setlist right?

It was as if right smack at Earth, Singapore time 10pm, we were transported to another plane of existence. Muse entertained us non stop for what seem like an inordinate amount of time (cue massive crowd sing along, screaming, shouting, laser lights show, but I was hoping Bellamy would smash a guitar or two, too bad all he did was just change guitars after each song). It was singularly the most awesome, plural, adrenaline charged, auraltastic, add whatever you want to say about them, Muse just tore the damn place down with their music and everything else. It's one concert I won't forget and I'm pretty sure every time I listen to their music again, I would be transported back to those instances where the crowd raged to the song as Matt let loose his vibratos (there was a chick who had a placard that said "Fuck me Bellamy" straightforward no?), Chris riffed away in a medley of madness, while Dominic banged on the drums in a flurry of hand movements. Unforgettable really - seeing Matthew Bellamy, Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard live is utterly unbelievable, like a pilgrimage to the gods. We died and went to heaven and came back, only to die again, go to heaven and come back several times over.

A couple of videos of them live in Singapore below.

Muse - MK Ultra

Muse - Hysteria

Muse - Time Is Running Out

Muse - Starlight

Muse - Plug In Baby

no one thinks they are to blame

The Killers were supposed to have performed here on 24 Jan (last Sunday) but unfortunately, they cancelled the concert just 2(?) days before the date of performance. Concerts at Manila, Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Seoul have been cancelled as well. Disappointment and anger were abound, especially those flying in from neighbouring countries Malaysia and Indonesia, maybe some from a bit further. They are getting a ticket refund, but not on their booked accomodation or plane/bus/whatever tickets here. Woe to them. Also, the concert was pretty much sold out about 3-4 weeks before the show, which shows how many fans they have here and in the region. (I didn't buy tickets to the concert if you were wondering.) I certainly hope this won't be repeated for the upcoming gigs (which I'll be attending I must add). Muse for Big Night Out 2010 is next Weds while Florence + the Machine and The xx are up next Sunday. Indie is coming to the masses, I'm pretty sure of that. The xx was interviewed by 8 Days no less!!!! Like what? Florence + the Machine has been getting regular airplay. Well, Muse too. Like, I swear I've never heard (much?) of Muse on radio until recently. Also, there's Juice magazine which has quite the readership, based on how fast the free copies run out. The friday album reviews on Life! have started featuring indie albums too. How's that for wider reach? Neat.

Muse - Map of the Problematique
Love the piano/keyboard infused intro. Suitably used in building up the atmosphere - definitely hoping this will be part of the setlist. Plus Bellamy squeezing every inch of his soul out of himself, Dominic's hands moving at lightspeed plus Christopher's wicked bass playing.

Muse - Uprising
Of epic proportions, it's pretty much self explanatory. Obviously political lyrically as with quite a number of their other songs. But, who's to stop them when they sound this good singing about such stuff?

They will not force us,
They will stop degrading us,
They will not control us,
And we will be victorious!


An aside, I would love to interview them when they come here, but that would be quite hard no? Almost impossible in fact.

Muse - Time Is Running Out
Muse classic. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Time Is Running Out signalled to the world that they were here. It's more epic than epic, building up to a crescendo with some buzz, Bellamy sings of breaking the spell that "you" who is something beautiful created. The urgency is conveyed as they move into the chorus and right before the minute mark, it explodes like fireworks in the sky, as "our time is running out" streaks across the sky (heralding their arrival). Shortly after, it graduates into a medley of guitar and drums, just like how the streaks of fireworks disappear after their beautiful display. However, this song would not be complete without the ooh ooh ooh yeah yeah yeahs of Bellamy which he belts out with such oomph. A complete operatic display of everything Muse is, certainly a classic.

Muse - Thoughts of a Dying Atheist

the spinning top made a sound like a train across the valley

Alright, let's see what's up in the coming 3 months in concerts here.
12 Jan - Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Esplanade Concert Hall
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Soft Shock
13 Jan - Cat Power @ Esplanade Concert Hall
Cat Power - The Greatest
23 Jan - James Ingram @ Esplanade Concert Hall
James Ingram - Just Once
24 Jan - The Killers @ Singapore Indoor Stadium
The Killers - Mr. Brightside
26 Jan - Andrew Bird @ Esplanade Concert Hall
Andrew Bird - Oh No

3 Feb - Big Night Out 2010 (Muse, Saosin & Rise Against) @ Singapore Indoor Stadium
Muse - Time Is Running Out
7 Feb - Florence + the Machine and The xx @ Esplanade Theatre
Florence + the Machine - You've Got the Love
The xx - Islands
8 Feb - Echo & The Bunnymen @ Esplanade Theatre
Echo & The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon

7 Mar - Paramore @ Singapore Indoor Stadium
Paramore - Misery Business
13 Mar - Mosaic Music Festival 2010: 65daysofstatic @ Esplanade Theatre Studio
65daysofstatic - Radio Protector
14 Mar - Mosaic Music Festival 2010: Au Revoir Simone @ Esplanade Theatre Studio
Au Revoir Simone - Sad Song
15 Mar - Mosaic Music Festival 2010: St. Vincent @ Esplanade Recital Studio
St. Vincent - The Strangers
17 & 18 Mar - Mosaic Music Festival 2010: The Go! Team @ Esplanade Theatre Studio
The Go! Team - Huddle Formation
19 Mar - Mosaic Music Festival 2010: Kings of Convenience @ Esplanade Concert Hall
Kings of Convenience - The Build Up (feat. Feist)
19 Mar - Mosaic Music Festival 2010: Shugo Tokumaru @ Esplanade Recital Studio
Shugo Tokumaru - Metrion
19 Mar - Mosaic Music Festival 2010: Vashti Bunyan @ Esplanade Concert Hall
Vashti Bunyan - Train Song
29 Mar - Imogen Heap @ Esplanade Concert Hall
Imogen Heap - First Train Home

February is a pretty quiet month. But March would have been quiet too, if not for the Mosaic Music Festival. I'm pretty excited about all the upcoming concerts, but being the extremely poor person that I am, I have to ration my cash and be selective in the bands I wanna see. So, I'm watching Muse at Big Night Out 2010, Florence + the Machine and The xx, Au Revoir Simone, St. Vincent and Kings of Convenience. Still deciding about Shugo Tokumaru though.

50 Favourite Songs of 2009: Part I

Merry Christmas to all my readers (a very small number I suppose). Well, for the next five days including today, I will be doing a feature 50 Favourite Songs of 2009. It will be divided into 5 parts, 10 songs for each day. Why I'm not doing a ranked list - it's because I don't think I have that discerning a ear yet to rank the songs, and personally for me, good music is good music, there's no real need to rank them. Besides, it's gonna be a real huge headache trying to rank 50 songs, and the best ones at that, what with all the good music dropped this year. So, the 50 songs listed in this feature are my favourite songs for 2009, and are in no particular order.

Thought to self: To actually just fit 50 songs is gonna be crazy, I mean, I don't even know where to start. Gotta thank my procrastinating self, I knew I should have started earlier.

Muse - Resistance
The almost title track of the album, immediately reminded me of 2006's Starlight from "Black Holes and Revelations". The short piano-infused intro bears slight resemblance, and that chorus of "it could be wrong, could be wrong...." mildly reminiscent of "hold you in my arms/i just wanted to hold/you in my arms". A balladic rock anthem taking it's place amongst my Muse favourites such as Time Is Runnng Out, Starlight, Map of the Problematique, Knights of Cydonia amongst others.

official, myspace, last.fm


Kings of Convenience - Boat Behind
How is anyone not to enjoy their brand of laid back acoustic songs that totally lull you into singing along and feeling so good? Well, that's this Norwegian duo for you.

official, myspace, last.fm


Animal Collective - My Girls
My Girls is almost a compendium of sounds that can be used from the synths. Ok, it's an exaggeration, but clearly, a myriad of electronic sounds can be heard in the song at any point in time. Psychedelic euphoria at best, electronic noise at worst, much has been said of AC's much vaunted single from "Merriweather Post Pavillion". However, I believe that detractors are far too few and in between, and with a well produced song as such, it's not hard to see why. Approaching new grounds and yet retaining some elements of old, this will clearly remain a favourite for the years to come.

official, myspace, last.fm


Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks
Four of them looking goody-two-shoes, glowing even brighter than the early morning sun. Before long, sparks are flying and their heads catch fire. The same can be said of the song, hot out of the studio, the album leaked amid the hype surrounding "Veckatimest". The song building up gently with the keyboard and some choir-like vocals. Sounding almost like a church-choir, the song seems to be crawling out from under it's shelter, stretching well and good before hitting the ground running. It's apt that when they start off with a lilting "whoa-oh-whoa-oh-whoa-oh", they hit their stride midway with "whoa-oh-whoa-oh-whoa-oh", the fragmented phrases Ed Droste sings of distance and love, fall in place nicely; like the end where their heads burst into fire, one can bask in the song's full aural glory.

official, myspace, last.fm


Reverie Sound Revue - Walking Around Waiting Downtown
A really fantastic song set to a poor video. I mean, a very fast-forwarded Harry Potter? Lisa's well toned voice sings of something most people do everyday, literally of walking around and waiting downtown. A suitably paced song filled with ambient sounds, they do not feel like they're rushing through anything, taking their time with the song, walking and waiting. RSR have a delight that never fails to set one in a good contemplative mood.

official, myspace, last.fm


Simian Mobile Disco - Cruel Intentions (feat. Beth Ditto)
When you have a song featuring Beth Ditto of Gossip, you know you're gonna have a song with solid vocals that's not going to let you down. Someone of her stature with
a duo who are known for their heavily stylised tracks, you can immediately turn up the dial and start grooving. SMD's background arrangements are nearly outdone by her vocals, but with deadly hooks like that, they go head to head with each other; at times competing yet complementing each other, it's one pretty good dance song.

official, myspace, last.fm


The Black Atlantic - Madagascar
This little known group hailing from Groningen, Netherlands leaves us wanting more with a pleasant, affectionate track titled Madagascar. I've not been to Madagascar, but if this song embodies what this country is about, I can perfectly envision a quaint country with so many little things to love. A particular line in this acoustic number keeps returning to me, because it seems so apt "whether man needs the lie like air to survive". I would like to pose this question to myself, but I think I wouldn't be able to find an answer.

official, myspace, last.fm


The Polyamorous Affair - New York City
The track in question is New York City pulled from their album "Bolshevik Disco", so click "full track" and then the play button at the top right hand box. Reminiscent of retro disco, complete with thumping electronic synths, this is pure decadence and lush melodies, nothing short of what you'd expect from glam-pop harkening from the 70s and 80s. They generally have quite short songs, ranging from 2:30 to 3:30, but this is slightly longer at 4:01. Escape into a world of fantasies and soak up the "inspired dance beats of Giorgio Moroder and the raw sexuality of Serge Gainsbourg’s collaborations with vixens, Jane Birkin and Brigitte Bardot, plus a twist of Marc Bolan-esque hooks and Goldfrapp’s technological pagan naturist ways." (as said on last.fm) This husband and wife duo(remember Handsome Furs) are definitely one to keep on your playlist and radar. Why this seems so familiar is because it was from my previous post and I just cut and paste. Sorry for being a little lazy. Hah.

official, myspace, last.fm


Inch Chua - Devotion in Reality
This is actually a link to her official page where you can do a download of the lovely EP of which this track is part of. And shoot me, but I'm reusing the write up of this song from an older post again, partly cause I've got no time, and there's really way too much to write.

Devotion In Reality delves deep into her past, musing about lost love. Of (broken) promises and heartbreak, you realise that this album could be about personal experiences. Well paced, with what sounds like a xylophone(?) in the background, the song slowly introduces you into her world, where the lack of lyrics mid song coincide with the opening to the door into that cosy, intimate world of hers and moves on, as if she's showing you around this wonderful place. I'm reminded of The Little Prince written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, where the title character lives in a really tiny world (actually an asteroid), which is just about as big a house could be.

Listening to it again has made me realise this could be actually a very nice song to listen to if you're all alone on this Christmas where it's supposed to be a day of joy, love and giving.

official, purevolume, last.fm


Au Revoir Simone - Shadows
An emotional song which sees the trio going on about a break up, and how it affects both parties. The keyboards and synths are but only partners in crime in this intimate song. The dulcet yet at times appealingly flat sound of Erika's voice (I think) makes me want so much more.

official, myspace, last.fm

The Saturday Mix #28 - i wanna breathe that fire again

It's high time I changed the picture of this weekly fixture.

The Sound of Arrows - Danger!
maybe you're in danger, and you don't even know it. don't talk to strangers and know when to quit. such cute lyrics!

The Sound of Arrows - Danger! (Mr Pedro Remix)

Animal Collective - My Girls (Gigamesh Remix)
Yes, fabulous mix of a fantastic song. The psychedelic of the song is still present, but Gigamesh throws in quite a fair bit of ravey and turns it out into a fairly danceable tune. I like it. Speaking of AC, I was actually wondering if I should even do a poll of best album of the year. But I don't think anyone would vote. HAHA.

The Killers - Read My Mind (Gabriel & Dresden Remix)
Josh and Dave take one of the hottest track's off "Sam's Town" and turn it into a trance beat. It runs a whopping 10plus minutes, with an intro and outro.

The Killers - Mr. Brightside (Jacques Lu Cont Mix)
Jacques Lu Cont, also known as Thin White Duke but his real name is Stuart Price, does his stuff on a song from their debut album "Hot Fuss"

Muse - Undisclosed Desires
The second single of "The Resistance" is smashing. Not the usual rock, more balladic but smashing nonetheless. The lyrics are so damn good as well. Top notch Muse. I really can't wait to see them in Feb.

I want to reconcile the violence in your heart
I want to recognise your beauty is not just a mask
I want to exorcise the demons from your past
I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart

Muse - Undisclosed Desires (Thin White Duke Mix)
Quite a decent mix, but I still like the original better.

you've done nothing at all to make me love you less

The Golden Filter - Favourite Things
HAHAHA this is the most air-headed song I've ever heard. Totally no substance to the extent of being funny. All it does is talk about favourite things such as, vintage dress, vodka, whiskey, Paris and London. The beat is pretty catchy though.

The Golden Filter - Hide Me
Oh jeez, what destructive lust and passion. The whole house was nearly torn apart, and they hadn't even started. Only to be caught by family(?) just as they were about to. Hahaha. The high pitch and oft breathless voice is pretty suited for this song, and awesome synths.

Barcelona - Come Back When You Can
Nice slow rock song. Contrary to what I(or you) thought, Barcelona is a band from Seattle, Washington. Their sound is harmonious and piano-based with elements of rock. I was thinking they sounded a bit like Explosions in the Sky, if you don't count the lyrics.

Muse - MK Ultra
Very deep lyrics, what with unnatural laws and the universe being trapped inside a tear.

The Saturday Mix #25 - you caught me under false pretense

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Higher Than the Stars (Saint Etienne Visits Lord Spank Mix)
Pretty long band name plus 2 collabs on the remix = what a mouthful this title is. Very slow version, almost fit for ballroom dancing.

Muse - Supermassive Black Hole (Emre B Remix)
The remix at times tends to overwhelm the song, but overall pretty decent remix.

Miike Snow - Black & Blue (Jaymo & Andy George Remix)

Feist - My Moon My Man (Boys Noize Classic Remix)
I had never ever expected there to be a remix of such a song! It's like does Rachael Yamagata have a remix? Maybe I should go check it out and see if there's a remix of her. This is really cool, probably Alexander Ridha (Boys Noize is just his stage name) running his voice through the vocoder to give that "My Moon My Man" backdrop beat. FUNKY! And he doesn't ruin the original at that, it's more intertwined, giving My Moon My Man an alternative life as a dance song. It's a real pleasant surprise.

Two Door Cinema Club - I Can Talk (Crystal Fighters Remix)
Remember them? Here's a Crystal Fighters remix.

Passion Pit- Sleepyhead (LOL Boys Remix)
I don't like the first 2 minutes of the song, where they just added in stuff for the sake of doing so. The portion where the remix was done on the song was so much better. It would suffice if you cut the first 2 minutes off.

MSTRKRFT - Heartbreaker (feat. John Legend) (Laidback Luke Remix)
Dutch maestro Luke van Scheppingen gives his spin on this MSTRKRFT favourite.

they'll laugh as they watch us fall

I cannot take it anymore, gotta start talking about music and more music, withdrawal syndrome was already setting in.

The Raveonettes - Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed)
It's a pretty funky pop song laced with dark humour.

Muse - Unnatural Selection
The crests and troughs of this song, is typical Muse. Spells epic when heard live. Don't look back.

Delphic - This Momentary
Got this in my inbox, suggesting a listen on their stuff. Well done, it's totally awesome, pretty lo-fi combined with the pretty ethereal voice of James, not forgetting the wicked synths. It totally hooks you in. More on them: This 4 piece hailing from Manchester is definitely one to look out for, even featuring in Kitsuné Maison Compilation 8. They are Dan Hadley (drums), James Cook (vocals), Matt Cocksedge (guitar) and Richard Boardman (synths). Their debut album - Acolyte - is slated for released on 11th January 2010. By the way, kitschy video.

Delphic - Counterpoint
Late at night/I'll run through the streets and empty corridors/I'll find my counterpoint/inside a red room locked behind a door/Behind a door.

With such fantastic promo videos and superb singles, it's no wonder they are drumming up so much interest and certainly look promising to me.

When Saints Go Machine - Fail Forever

Why is Blogger/Google taking so long to reply me?! I want to start posting again so I hope they resolve the issue ASAP. Anyhow, The Killers are coming down on 24 Jan 10, MUSE is playing a full set on 3 Feb 10 at BIG NIGHT OUT.

and damn, I realised Handsome Furs came down a while ago, and I missed them. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! jeez.