when you appear i know i won't be here

BACK!!! Like finally.

Tame Impala - Expectation
Totally wall of sound-esque, Tame Impala literally gives us a kaleidoscopic performance that seems like it's going to tear everything apart, yet in a weird sort of way, come across as cool, calm and collected. I think it's partly due to Kevin Parker's vocals which are eerily drug inducing.

Cut Copy - Take Me Over
I don't know what's more exciting, TRON which is soon to be released, next week in fact or that Cut Copy, fellow label mates of Tame Impala and Aussies dropping their first single for their new album "Zonoscope" in February 2011. As Whitford croons "Take me over, take me out, to the jungle through the night in paradise, paradise", it personifies this synthy pop funk that Cut Copy is reeling us in with. The synths are typical of Cut Copy, but this almost saccharine pop number less so. Nonetheless, you'll still love Cut Copy. I still do. Stay tuned for their new album!

Gorillaz - Crystalised (The xx Cover)
Check this out! It's dope as hell, Damon Albarn and co covering an XX favourite. So affecting and showing on his face, it contrasts a little with the minimalist emotionless style of The xx. Anyone's gotta love BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge for giving us music lovers all sorts of amazing covers, some of which I've featured before.

Chief - Night & Day
Utterly a-fucken-mazing. Succinctly summed up by Paul Lester from Guardian as "Masters of mellow, this LA four-piece specialise in pretty melodies evocative of 1970s America". Sounding similar to Fanfarlo, Midlake and by extension any 70s band, certainly not "smacking of originality" in Mr Lester's words, their arresting earnestness and lyricism sure is a breath of fresh air.

The Saturday Mix #47

The xx - Shelter (Tiga Remix)
I think this is single-handedly one of the best The xx remixes out there. Tiga (who by the way will be in Singapore for the Singapore F1 GP entertainment lineup) has run this classic through the dub machine and what's come out is pure aural pleasure. 101% satisfaction guaranteed. The heavy dub beat contrasts starkly with Croft's languid minimalist vocals and it feels spectral as it feels sensual. The bpm remains untempered, and prolly for good reason. It's at a really sweet pace, and now coupled with an out of this world dub beat, it would bring out the sexy of everybody on the dancefloor.

While I'm a bit busy here, hence only posting one song, I honestly think this remix itself could hold it's own. Anywhere.

The Saturday Mix #43

And "The Saturday Mix" is back and ready to throw out some fine rerubs of the latest songs out there.


Feist - Sea Lion (Chromeo Remix)

Marina and the Diamonds - Oh No!

Marina and the Diamonds - Oh No! (Grum Remix)
Less grrl power and rahrah than the original, but way more oomph.

Cullen - Easily Impressed (Calling In Sick Remix)
That's some wicked, ditty, deep in the deep bass intro.

HURTS - Wonderful Life (Mantronix Remix)

The xx - Shelter (Flinch Dubstep Remix)

The xx - Crystalised (Andy Murphy remix)
Said to be one of the best DJs Down Under, he runs his fingers through ATS favourites The xx's Crystalised. Awesome ear-pounding solid beat that stamps it's mark on the song.

The Saturday Mix #37 - i'm obsessed with the mess that's america

Marina & the Diamonds - Hollywood
Fresh song and tongue in cheek on what Hollywood is in the eyes Marina Lambrini Diamandis. Sweeet stuff.

Marina & the Diamonds - Hollywood (Monarchy 'Gliese' Remix)

Miike Snow - Silvia (Hook N Sling & Goodwill Remix)
Silvia was always there for the picking. Glad to see more remixes on this fantastic dance ballad. Extended remix which is hell sleek. It plays up the tempo at right moments, inducing involuntary body movement; and down tempo at nice smooth chunks where you just wanna soak that beat in.

The xx - Basic Space (diskJokke Remix)
An injection of scratchy and out of this world beats make this one fine remix.

Delphic - Halcyon
More Delphic with rock infused electro this time round. I like this touch that veers off the track beaten out by their electronic music.

Delphic - Halcyon (L-Vis 1990 Remix)
This is threatening to make a riot out of my mind.

Massive Attack - Paradise Circus (Breakage's Tight Rope Remix)
I swear that Hope Sandoval's vocals can wipe armies in an instant. Captivating, murmur at times, sensual at others, but whatever it is, it's like a massive magnet.

like stars burning holes right through the dark

Well, here's a lot of music to compensate for the lack of music for the past couple of days, been celebrating.


Nedry - Apples & Pears
Pretty interesting song with quite haunting vocals and electronic-ky stuff going on. Sometimes it's semi/full acoustic-electronic, if you get my drift. Oh like another song, Clouded which is terrific in my opinion. A little ambient, if you discount the whole blips and electronic thingamajig.

Ayu - Marching of the Night
She's the vocalist of Nedry. This track was her solo work, which shows how good her vocals are.

Discovery - Orange Shirt (mp3)
UBER cute, sweet little love song, just don't die on the sugar overdose. I really didn't expect this when clicking play. Neat touch that most can appreciate.

The xx - Basic Space (mp3)
For those not on The xx bandwagon yet (when are you ever gonna get on it huh?), get right on now with this download offered on their parent label site. You'd be hard-pressed to not love their music.

Run Toto Run - Sleepyhead (Passion Pit Cover)
Holy crikes, check this awesome cover of Passion Pit's song. Fantastic rendition without ANY synths or electronica or whatever. Just the guitar, xylophone, simple keyboard which she almost doesn't seem to use, a banjo or ukulele (i can't really make it out in the shadow) and violin. Damn it, it's good man. And the two guys in headmasks playing their instruments, esp the violin made me burst out in laughter. The whole juxtaposition is hilarious. Props much to Run Toto Run.

Here's what they said on myspace under this embedded video, "Email mail@runtotorun.co.uk and we'll email you the mp3".

The Big Pink - Love In Vain
All nice and slow, good change from their usual sound.

Anya Marina - Whatever You Like (T.I. Cover)
Really sexy and breathy cover of T.I.'s popular dance floor song. A collab for the two and a single, how about that?

The Polyamorous Affair - Merry Go Round
Belle du jour, rigga rigga? Party till the break of dawn. Solid track that's as good as New York City.

this is a gift, it comes with a price

Oh this whole week has been a blast. Went for Muse on Wednesday and was treated to an unbelievable performance by them. They never let up and gave us one hell of a concert. The same could be said of Florence + the Machine and The xx who performed to a sold out crowd yesterday at a monster on a concert.




Photo courtesy of ariddesert.


The announcement came on, asking everyone to get seated to get ready for the start of the concert. As The xx came out, people started getting out of their seats and streamed to the front of the stage. Seeing that no one was taking any action, more went to the front as well, and me and friend obviously went to the front too. The xx dove into Crystalised. I can't remember what the setlist was, it got lost somewhere but I recall Crystalised, VCR, Basic Space, Infinity, Shelter, Islands and Night Time. There was Intro too I think. Anyway, I think they were surprised at the reception they were getting, and I was as well. Most would think (or at least I did) Singaporean fans are the most staid bunch one could expect, but the crowd obliterated that stereotype. Most were cheering wildly for The xx as they performed their pretty short but fantastic set. Initially, I stood in front of the speakers and the bass almost made my heart skip more than a couple of beats - it almost drowned out Croft's voice at certain points, so we had to move back to the aisle away from the speakers before my ears popped and to hear the vocals better. Seeing Jamie Smith work that sampler in the flesh left me awestruck in some ways. I mean damn can that thing make those sounds but seeing Jamie with his hands all over it was neat stuff. Of course, vocal interplay between Croft and Oliver was superb, Oliver's droll translating to how he speaks too. Even with the mic, it was a tad hard to make out what he was saying. That said, the trio delivered a punchy and awesome performance despite the less than stellar sound system, much to everyone's delight. They definitely got the crowd going, who were all set and left wanting for Florence + the Machine who were due after the intermission.




Photo courtesy of friend's friend.

So intermission over, everyone was back in the hall waiting for F+tM to come out, cheers erupted, shouting "Florence, Florence!" Then "the Machine" came out, comprising Robert Ackroyd (guitar), Christopher Lloyd Hayden (drums), Isabella Summers (keyboards), Mark Saunders (bass) and Tom Monger (harp). Where was Florence? She was nowhere to be seen! Cue more cheers as the crowd went semi-manic, unable to contain the overflowing excitement for her. Point to note, now even more people were crammed in the front. And finally she came out with this odd sort of dress/robe, held together by a button in the front and wearing a sort of Lady Gaga-ish swimsuit top(?), but tastefully covered by that huge flowing robe which she used to great effect throughout. Just the sight of the red hair was more than sufficient to send the crowd into overdrive, don't talk about when she starts singing. Launching into My Boy Builds Coffins, she gave us brief glimpses of her vocal prowess. Here's the setlist,

My Boy Builds Coffins
Kiss With A Fist
Hurricane Drunk
Lungs
Drumming Song
Cosmic Love
If I Had A Heart
Blinding
Ghosts
Hospital Beds
Howl
Dog Days Are Over
You've Got The Love
Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)

If I Had A Heart was a short cover of Fever Ray's song, which I vaguely heard. Thought I was wrong, but yeah seems like I heard it right. She showed Singapore her stratospheric vocals, which soared above and over everything else, literally carrying the entire crowd. I mean, the 5 of them backing her were excellent, but Florence was outstanding, almost eclipsing her backing band. Her vocals and onstage "dancing" drew all attention to her. It was almost as if the backing band faded into the background gracefully while she just dazzled and wowed everybody (I am not taking any credit away from the band as they fully deserve props for supporting Florence wonderfully, just saying what I felt during the concert). That was epitomised by the moment when the whole concert hall went dark, save for one spotlight on her, perfect moment which I failed to capture since my PnS was crappy and it said "Memory Full". I don't feel like going on about how my dslr batt was flat and forgot to charge which I could only blame myself for as something gained from it was being able to soak in the entire atmosphere and indulge myself in everything this flame-haired ingenue is capable of. You see, other than singing, she engaged the crowd which was something The xx didn't do as much. Her antics throughout the entire performance revealed something about her. She was almost shy/reserved and had this intriguing child-like naivete but yet spontaneous and effervescent, and every bit the singer. I believe singing sets her free, much like a butterfly breaking out of it's cocoon and spreading it's wings. You see, someone right in the front had a Polaroid and took a portrait of her and as she got close, he/she gave it to her. She loved it so much and was delighted like a small girl who received a doll. Later, she got borrowed the Polaroid from the same person, to take a picture of the crowd for keepsake, but due to the lights being turned off, she got a black photo which she realised only a little later to which she pouted. So she had to borrow the polaroid again, and the crowd shouted "lights!" and the photo turned out just fine this time. Plain adorable and fun, she was pretty much the power-packed chanteuse that charmed the socks of everyone present. She even stopped to pose for a photo for the person with the polaroid. There were more little antics that endeared her to everyone, but I won't go on describing them. Lastly, much envy to the person (polaroid camera guy/girl) who got her drumstick which she personally gave. Oh, the green eyes.

I enjoyed every bit of the gig. The xx showcasing their minimalist lo-fi (which totally did not sound lo-fi with the ear-smashing bass), coupled with the whispery, almost lulling vocal interplay between Oliver and Romy. Perfect way to start the night. Starkly contrasted by F+tM who soared to great vocal heights, almost operatic, showing why her debut album wasn't named "Lungs" for nothing, at the same time charming the crowd with her antics and pretty deft show(wo)manship. A thorough blast which rounded off my week perfectly.


Couple of vids of the gig.

Florence + the Machine - Kiss With A Fist

Florence + the Machine - Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)

The xx - VCR

The xx - Crystalised

and in the dark, i can hear your heartbeat

As most would know by now, Florence + the Machine and The xx will be performing at the Esplanade Theatre this Sunday, 7 Feb.

Here's what the press release says.

The beguiling London three-piece The xx will open the February 7 show and are sure to win a legion of new fans with their unique blend of music which embraces an artistic thread that resonates with critics and fans due to the universal influences that pepper their repetoire. This critically acclaimed band of quiet achievers are a compelling live act and Singapore fans are in for a treat.

Performing the same night is award winning indie artiste Florence & The Machine. Equipped with a mega voice and a repetoire of songs including radio favourites ‘Kiss With a Fist’, ‘Dog Days Are Over’ and ‘The Drumming Song’ from her roundly praised debut album ‘Lungs’, Florence has been hailed by UK daily The Times as "the most peculiar and most highly acclaimed female singer of the moment". The album has been in the top 40 UK charts for 22 consecutive weeks, going three times platinum in the UK alone. Classy and confident with a vocal range that is as big as the imagination it expresses, Florence will be completely in her element with her Singapore fans absorbing every sound, lyric and action.

Not that we already do not know how beguiling and alluring The xx's minimalist semi chants are or how stratospheric this mega-voiced artiste can go (along with her band), so we in Singapore are definitely in for a treat on Sunday.

Buy your tickets here if you havent, but there's only 1 category left and in 2 other categories, there's only single seats available. But but but, better than no seats!



If anyone's wondering why The xx is a trio yet there's 4 of them in the picture, it's cos Baria Qureshi(extreme right) left due to personal reasons.

The xx - Stars
Interesting lyrics talking about a girl drawing the line on the first date with a guy, but allowing him to cross the line if it comes down to it. And subsequently, they sing of "But if stars, shouldn't shine, by the very first time, then dear it's fine, so fine by me, 'cos we can give it time, so much time, with me" - which I take to mean that if the sparks don't fly the first time, it's fine as all they need is time. This brings me to something I read somewhere (can't remember), that it could also refer to their debut album, that if it doesn't shine, it's fine by them, but all they need is time. But clearly, their worries are unfounded as they've dazzled everybody with their brand of lo-fi electronic.

The xx - Heart Skipped A Beat
Yet another precocious love song, this talented English trio never fails to amaze me. Listening to the songs again and again, will always reveal nuances that weren't picked up previously. Gorgeous.





Florence + the Machine - Cosmic Love
Love the flourish at the end.

Florence + the Machine - Hurricane Drunk
Slated for release as the 6th single for her spectacular debut album "Lungs". She invokes a feeling that almost everyone has felt - heartbreak, and how she's going to drink that away, yet she doesn't need help as she's already caught in the hurricane. Intricate song that belies the higher vocal range used by Welch. Really lovely, even more so once it hits home with you.

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 Saturday Mix #33 - on buses that move through the night

Delphic - Doubt (Riton Re-Rub)
Triple R treatment. Now this is one sick remix. It makes you move, like really move. Right off the bat, the ahh ahh eee eee ehh ehh's set the whole mood before plunging in some slow groove and suddenly it explodes around the minute mark. This is such an awesome remix of one of my favourite songs at the moment.

Au Revoir Simone - Sad Song (Pacific Remix)

MEN - Simultaneously
MEN is a Brooklyn-based band and art/performance collective that focuses on the energy of live performance and radical potential of dance music. Very interesting stuff they have.

MEN - Simultaneously (Lauren Flax Remix)
Long remix, but good.

Matthew Dear - Don & Sherri (Hot Chip Remix)

The xx - VCR (Matthew Dear Remix)
I love this! And I can't wait for The xx and Florence + the Machine to come, in about 2 weeks time. MUCH LOVE!

Au Revoir Simone - Another Likely Story (Neon Indian Remix)
Neon Indian's psychedelia is very present here.

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.

10 Favourite Albums of 2009

well since there's one more day left before the new year, more like less than 6 hours to go. I'm gonna cobble up a list of my favourite albums this year. 10 albums. Here goes. Alright, enjoy your new year folks!


Kings of Convenience - Declaration of Dependence



The xx - xx



The Black Atlantic - Reverence for Fallen Trees



Miike Snow - Miike Snow



Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix



Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion



The Antlers - Hospice


Atlas Sound - Logos



Fever Ray - Fever Ray


Florence + the Machine - Lungs

50 Favourite Songs of 2009: Part II

Phoenix - Lisztomania
The term "Lisztomania" was coined by the German romantic literary figure Heinrich Heine to describe the massive public response to Franz Liszt's virtuosic piano performances. There were allegedly screaming women at these performances, and the audience was sometimes limited to standing room only. In this case, the same could be said of Phoenix - the legions of fans they're gained from the release of "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix", and subsequently the release of Lisztomania as a single. The catchy pop tunes reverberate as with the effervescent killer hooks this French outfit are making theirs. The ebbs and flows characterise this feel good indie pop number that makes us wanna dance on air.

official, myspace, last.fm


Delorean - Seasun
Tight, beach side dance song, groovy have been used to describe this track from Delorean, hailing from Barcelona. Not as frenzied as one would like to call it, nor as frenetic, it's more apt to call this house(?) track exuberant. The deep bass beats coupled with the synths, builds this song up, as it bides it's time to bloom into full glory. It doesn't throw you headlong into the vortex and let you stand on your own - it nurtures and ensures that once the awesomeness that this song is engulfs you, you would be standing and dancing to and basking in this gorgeous thing called Seasun.

myspace, last.fm


Bibio - Lover's Carvings
Pretty obscure track for the year which I feel deserved more. The lovely instrumental intro could stand on it's own. However, the song abruptly ends one third of it's way through. For a split second, one couldn't be faulted for thinking something's wrong. But as abruptly as it stops, it suddenly breaks into a upbeat musing of love and carvings on the wall. The folks-y feel blends seamlessly with the electronica employed by Stephen Wilkinson. Go ahead and feel totally at ease listening to Lover's Carvings for I too, am doing so.

maybe they're telling us
that the end
never was
never will

myspace, last.fm


Bon Iver - Blood Bank
This is what Jagjaguwar has said the following about the content of the EP: "As much as Emma is about the cold, the Blood Bank collection(or if you'd like to think, just the track) is about the warmth that gets you through it. You can feel the air move. Like a fire you've been stoking for hours and finally got to sustain itself, the heat blisters your face while your back is frozen solid." Sentimental and deeply intimate, it's almost as if Justin Vernon is baring his soul. Gentle and melodic, it's like wine. Tasted and drunk slowly, so that you can savour every bit, the nuances and the subtlety. Enjoy.

official, myspace, last.fm


Fever Ray - When I Grow Up
When I Grow Up evokes a certain rawness, coupled with measured insanity, "i put my soul in what i do/last night i drew a funny man/with dark eyes and a hanging tongue" You would give your all say, in your favourite sport, or maybe in rigorous academia, or even drawing. Yet all her soul was put into what she did, drawing a funny man with dark eyes and a hanging tongue. In the video, the tribal feel to her songs are nearly reproduced in most songs from her debut album "Fever Ray", and is clearly evidenced by her in the video. The almost manic, demented and catatonic air to the song is supplemented by an eerie soundscape which in my opinion is excellent experimentation.

official, myspace, last.fm


The xx - VCR
The xx have managed to squeezed something so delightful and wondrous into under 3 minutes. The intro piques your interest as it's almost as if the cutesy beats skim the surface of the water, begging you to catch them. They break into minimalist lo-fi instrumentation that has been the main stay of quite a number of bands, only that they exemplify this. Melancholic Romy Madley Croft has her turn, before the laidback droll of Oliver Sim takes over, and they merge together with all that samples going "I think we're superstars, you say you think we are the best thing". True to that, they're (one of) the best thing(s).

official, myspace, last.fm


The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Young Adult Friction
The lyrical content of the song starkly contrasts with their band name. Young Adult Friction muses in catchy pop hooks and frantic beats of a romp in the library "among the dust and the microfiche", but one realises it's only a girl using the guy as she probably is trying to get over an ex in "you're taking toffee with your vicodin/something sweet to forget about him". Lastly, she realises it's not working and they "go your own way i will go my own way". While Kip's vocals almost borders on twee, their fetching, whimsical pop that never fails to delight the listener seem so effortless on their part and I love it, other than their ridiculously long band name which is a hassle to type.

official, myspace, last.fm


Röyksopp - Happy Up Here
The bleeps and bloops dot this funky upbeat soundscape by Norwegian duo Röyksopp. Short of being cutesy, Happy Up Here is like an opus on how to have fun. (As you can see, I'm getting tired and lazy. Gee. )

official, myspace, last.fm


The Antlers - Kettering
A brilliant song about a guy who's hired to look after this patient in a hospital, it is littered with vivid descriptions - which evokes desolation right to the very bone. The video is just a collation of photos. But that's where I'm wrong. It is not JUST a collation of photos, but a very elegant and masterful one. A lot of thought must have been put into choosing the photos (the person who uploaded the video is not the person who took the photos). That said, most of the credit must be given to the photographer for the beautiful photos. The song and video doesn't just tug at your heart strings, it resonates deep within your soul, making you wonder how and what could have sparked such loneliness, devoid of hope as the songs tails off with "and i didn't believe them when they told me that there was no saving you."

official, myspace, last.fm


Aeroplane Pageant - Stars Still Pretty
Aeroplane Pageant have come up with a lovely track in Stars Still Pretty which goes on about what exactly I'm not sure. Amid all the cheeky playfulness as they seem to have fun, Brian Kelly's vocals stand out as unique along with that nice bass.

Things and people, things with wings
Things that scream, things that won’t

official, myspace, last.fm

in the sky the birds are pulling rain

Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Killers are coming down to Singapore, with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs having sold out their tickets and The Killers almost running out. But but but, that's not all.

It appears that The xx and Florence & The Machine are still headed down to Singapore despite the cancellation of St. Jerome's Laneway Festival according to an article in the Today newspaper. Anyhow, look at this. Go here. Right click the page and "View Source" or "View Page Source", you can see a Singapore link right at the bottom set of links (but it's not working, it just redirects you back to the same page), amongst the other Australian cities.

Also, I just found out that the Mosaic Music Festival held at The Esplanade is gonna have a whole host of acts that will make this festival to die for, especially these 3 acts that I'm looking out for, namely Kings of Convenience, Shugo Tokumaru and St. Vincent. I'm so excited!



Florence & the Machine - You've Got The Love (The xx Remix)
You've got the love, you've got the loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Shugo Tokumaru - Green Rain
This is what one guy commented "It's pretty amazing how subtly the song changes from 7/8 to 6/8. That's why the verse is so unsettling and jumpy and the chorus section flows so well." The only thing I know about 7/8 or 6/8 is that it's some time thingy to do with the beats, but other than that, I'm clueless. But I don't have to know that to like this song. Shugo is very creative, overflowing with those juices really. Listen to his songs, the first thing that came to my mind was really of him painting with his music as the paint.

Kings of Convenience - Toxic Girl
The lyrics totally remind me of the latest How I Met Your Mother Episode "The Window".

"You're waiting in the shadows for a chance
because you believe at heart, that if you can"

Kings of Convenience are superb. And so is Kings of Leon. Anymore Kings coming up?

it's a fight for one

This will be a short post. Gotta run!

Ladyhawke - Paris Is Burning



The xx - Infinity

Grizzly Bear - About Face

Sonic Youth - Antenna


Edit: It's been 4 days since Blogger emailed me about this post, and so far they haven't replied to clarify anything, it's frustrating when I'm pretty sure I've not done anything wrong and am trying to find out what's wrong. There are 5 links here, of which 4 are youtube videos, while the last is a mediafire link hosted by Memory Tapes themselves. So I'm gonna remove the link for Green Knight.

The Saturday Mix #18 - when the sun is drowned in a deathly sea

Phoenix - Lisztomania (Classixx Mix)
Classixx doing a mix on an awesome track from a fantastic album. Sweet stuff.

Shiny Toy Guns - You Are The One

Shiny Toy Guns - You Are The One (Gabriel & Dresden Mix)

White Lies - Death (Chase & Status Remix)
Very very interesting remix. Slightly slower beat than the actual song and there's a plucking instrument in the background of sorts.

Au Revoir Simone - Another Likely Story (Aeroplane Remix)

The xx - Basic Space
A really up and coming English dream pop/electronic group.

The xx - Basic Space (Pariah Remix)
The video it plays to is really fetching. It fits it pretty well. It's the movie "Vivre Sa Vie" by Jean-Luc Godard.

we live half in the day time, and half at night

The Black Atlantic - The Good Forecast(mp3)
Download this song. Pretty nice and slow.

Simian Mobile Disco - I Believe
I Believe was from the album "Attack Decay Sustain Release", which came out before "Temporary Pleasure". For those who are interested/curious, that album title was derived from the ADSR (attack-decay-sustain-release) envelope. It is a component of many synthesizers, samplers, and other electronic musical instruments. Its function is to modulate some aspect of the instrument's sound — often its loudness — over time. The envelope may be a discrete circuit or module (in the case of analog devices), or implemented as part of the unit's software (in the case of digital devices). (Info obtained from wiki). I guess it was a pretty aptly titled album, seeing how they use quite a number of electronic instruments.

The xx - VCR
I think we're superstars/ you say you think we are the best thing

Islands - Vapours
These are the guys who brought you Creeper.

The Saturday Mix #15 - misery is all we know lately, saturdays are all the same

Friendly Fires - Paris
Our friendly band Friendly Fires (ok poor pun, but whatever!) brings us yet another song, Paris. These guys here have been nominated for this year's Mercury Prize. More notable winners have been Portishead (1995), PJ Harvey(2001), Franz Ferdinand (2004), Arctic Monkeys (2006), Elbow (2008).

So go and pack your bags/For the long haul/We're gonna lose ourselves

Friendly Fires - Paris ft. Au Revoir Simone (Aeroplane Remix)
A bit house sounding, but really chill.

Au Revoir Simone - Shadows (The Teenagers Remix)

Simian Mobile Disco - Cruel Intentions (feat. Beth Ditto)
SMD with another listing from TEMPORARY PLEASURE. I beg to differ, it is totally not temporary at all.

The xx - Crystalised

Miike Snow - Burial

Miike Snow - Burial (DJ Mehdi Remix)