Junk - Latest Happenings

Nao and Citizens Of Ice Cream heading to Taiwan as well

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:15:42 +0800

Nao. Photo Ricky Sow

If Electrico and Estranged can do it, why not Nao and Citizens Of Ice Cream? The latter two bands, who are in the Soundscapes stable, will be heading to Taipei this August for the Music Terminals Festival.

And who do they get to share the stage with? No less than Placebo, Tricky, Chicks On Speed, Liz Durrett and…wait for it…Frente! Nao’s Tat is elated: “We’ve always wanted to go to Taiwan, having played at the Midi Festival in Beijing two years ago, this is by far the biggest festival we are going to take part in…I can’t wait to showcase our music to the Taiwanese people, it’s gonna be fun.”

Nao and Citizens of Ice Cream will be hauling along some of their friends along to Taiwan; Rainf and Silent Keat will be supporting the two bands at Music Terminals, as well as performing with Forbiddenculture at Taipei and Taichung City.

Everybody’s heading to Taiwan, so you'd better book your air tickets, since you don’t want to be the last remaining person in a deserted city. Zombies prey on that shit.

Electrico to join Estranged at Hohaiyan

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:29:08 +0800

A few days ago we told you that Electrico will be playing alongside Estranged at the Hohaiyan Rock Festival in Taiwan. Just in case you missed this piece of news (since we only mentioned it in passing), take note: Electrico will be playing at the Hohaiyan Rock Festival in Taiwan!

The band, which is slightly less good-looking now after keyboardist Amanda Ling left the group, will be the first Singaporean outfit to play at the massive three-day festival. Hohaiyan has featured the likes of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Andrew W.K. and amazingly, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion in recent years.

An excited Dave Tan said, “Its always exciting to play in a new country, let alone their biggest festival...We're certainly looking forward to rocking out Singapore style over there. Last year the three-day festival drew 400,000 people so it’s kind of like a mini Glastonbury which makes it even more awesome!”

Electrico continue their unstoppable domination of the regional music scene with their Aqualung-esque ‘Faces,’ which is currently on the The [V] Countdown on Channel [V]. Watch it here:

Jarvis Cocker on Michael Jackson’s death

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 04:26:05 +0800

The BRIT Awards 1996. Photo Virgin/Pix Unlimited

The craftily bearded Jarvis Cocker joined some boring-looking political types on BBC’s Question Time recently to discuss a manner of things pertinent to the British people, including the introduction of ID cards (funny how they introduced it everywhere else…). And Michael Jackson.

A cheeky member of the audience (seeing how Cocker was in the panel) brought up the extensive media coverage of Jackson’s death. Of course, host David Dimbleby directed the question to Cocker, who invaded the stage when Jackson was performing ‘Earth Song’ at The BRIT Awards in 1996. Because Jackson was play-acting Jesus by healing sick kids onstage.

Don’t remember? Watch:

A normal person like you would have probably blurted out a half-assed apology, but then again you are not Jarvis Cocker. He said last month that he regretted the stage invasion—mostly nothing anyway, just Cocker running around on stage, pointing his ass at the crowd, and making fart-wafting motions with his hands—because it brought him unwanted tabloid attention. But he explained his antics on Question Time, saying that at the time he wasn’t offended in a religious sense (because he’s not), but on general principle: “Rockstars have got big enough egos without trying to be Jesus.”

He was also (refreshingly) honest about Jackson’s career, stating that the real “tragedy” about Michael Jackson was that he was putting out rubbish in the last two decades; nothing like the stuff he put out in the mid-80s. Watch the vid below and learn a thing or two about class: how to stand by your beliefs without coming off as a twunt.

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Jack White in Mutant Swinger From Mars

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:56:08 +0800

Photo Pitchfork/Cambridge Jones

We won’t let this one slide, even if it’s old news. Pitchfork tells us that Michael Kallio’s Martian movie spoof Mutant Swinger From Mars is set to see the light of day at the San Diego Comic-Con. And it features a cameo of a rabid looking Jack White (above left) with a 1950s teamster/serial killer hairdo. The low budget (USD22,000) movie was completed more than a decade ago, but is only getting a full screening now.

The trailer, which we have conveniently embedded for you, starts with Orton Z. Cresswell (played by Paul LaDuke, but looking more like the lovechild of Orson Welles and Vince Vaughn) foreseeing a future where Earth is taken over by large-headed Martians with rayguns. Looks like it could be a lolfest, but skip ahead to about 1:05 to see Jack White’s eerie cameo. Man the guy looks insane! More than usual anyway.

Bruce Campbell-obsessed Kallio is also responsible for this year’s awesomely titled Night of the Revenge of the Evil Zombitron Spy-Bot, in which the monocled and ‘tached character of Creswell recurs.

The trailer:
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Foo Fighters, Queens Of The Stone Age and Led Zeppelin join forces

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:05:59 +0800

Photo Stereokill/MTV

Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, Josh Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age/Eagles Of Death Metal and Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones are working together on a secret project. Which is not so secret anymore, thanks to ex-Distiller and now Spinnerette Brody Dalle, who also happens to be Homme's wife.

Grohl and Homme have worked together on QOTSA’s Songs For The Deaf (which is not surprising, since Grohl has worked with nearly everyone in the Western hemisphere). And with Jones in the mix, the three way collabo sounds like it could be one big mother of a behemoth. The collabo was supposed to have happened four years ago, but they’ve only just gotten together in an LA studio to hammer out some tracks. As Dalle says, “I'm not at liberty to talk about it…but I think [the project] is pretty fucking amazing. Just beats and sounds like you've never heard before.” Rest assured, if Brody Dalle says it’s fucking amazing, then it’s fucking amazing. ‘Cause she’s, y'know, perdy.

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Junk Poll: The era that best defines Michael Jackson for you is…

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:01:17 +0800

Photo Misguided

It’s been over a week, but we are not able to forget so easily. Last week we asked you what Michael Jackson should have done differently in his career, and most of you, in admirable fashion, came out in force and said he shouldn’t change a single thing.

This week, we want you to tell us which phase of Jackson’s career sticks most in your head. Of course you love Jackson as a singular entity, but one phase has to be foremost in your mind. Is it the little Michael days as the spinning tot in Jackson 5? Or is it Jackson as a prolific teen disco sensation/werewolf in Off The Wall and Thriller? Maybe it’s Jackson terrorising the subway with his dancing leather gang in ‘Bad’, or laying the most stylish smackdown of a criminal organisation ever seen in ‘Smooth Criminal’? Or is it zeitgeist era Jackson in Dangerous? Pick and vote!

Last week we asked you who was the most stylish of this lot: Jarvis Cocker, Verbal, Kanye West, Travis McCoy or Adam Lambert. And you chose wrong. The correct answer is a) Jarvis Cocker. But a generous dollop of you went with the Gym Class Heroes frontman. Oh well. Better luck this week, kids!

The results:

Travis McCoy (Gym Class Heroes) = 34%
Adam Lambert = 27%
Kanye West = 20%
Jarvis Cocker = 17%
Verbal (Teriyaki Boyz) = 3%

Feedback Friday: Name one act you have to see live before you die

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:00:50 +0800

Photo This Is The Story

This may seem like one of those days where we have absolutely nothing to write (for party hour is more than 12 hours away) but we’re not beating around the bush here. We do genuinely want to know which act you absolutely must see live before you die.

What don’t want to know about the band that you will possibly save up for and go and see one day, maybe, I dunno, god willing, in five years time. This is not the act that by chance you happen to catch when you’re on holiday in Malta or wherever.

What we want to know is the one act that upon seeing, you can contentedly decide to shuffle off this mortal coil for good. The one live show that will cause you to crack a smile upon your deathbed, knowing full well that that was the singular defining moment of your okay-ish, not too bad existence.

Junk’s pick is Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen (we get to pick two ‘cause we work here). Well, it’s not really these owls amongst pigeons, not really, no; in actuality the decision was far from unanimous, but it’s an excuse to post this video, so democracy be damned. This is a 2 in 1 special, of St. Nick doing a cover of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Suzanne’:

Watch the vid, then tell us your pick.

Download Arts & Crafts sampler for free

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:35:17 +0800

Amy Millan

Arts & Crafts, the label founded by Broken Social Scene members, has released its sixth sampler for free download on its website.

Curated by Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew, the sampler includes music from unreleased albums from the likes of Amy Millan (Stars), The Hidden Cameras and The Most Serene Republic, plus recent tracks from The Stills, Brendan Canning, the Constantines and Los Campesinos!, among others.

The sampler is being sold at various festivals around North America. But since most of us reading this probably aren't going to be at any of those festivals, those nice chaps have made it available to us for free (well, besides giving them your email address).

Track listing:

The Hidden Cameras - Walk On
The Most Serene Republic - Phi
Years - The Major Lift
Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
The Stills - Panic
Still Life Still - Neon Blue
Apostle of Hustle - Soul Unwind
Broken Social Scene Presents: Brendan Canning - Chameleon
Gentleman Reg - Oh My God
Amy Millan - Bruised Ghosts
Zeus - Fever Of The Time
Timber Timbre - Trouble Comes Knocking
Bell Orchestre - Icicles/Bicycles
Charles Spearin - Mr. Gowrie
Constantines - Our Age (alternate acoustic version)

Visit www.arts-crafts.ca/samplervol6 to get your copy. Below, watch a clip of Amy Millan covering Death Cab For Cutie's 'I Will Follow You Into the Dark'.

Guest Blog: Amcheong’s Urbanscapes Report

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:08:28 +0800

Nuffnang blogger Amcheong was at the Box at KLue Urbanscapes 2009, watching the Junk Voters’ Choice bands. She give us her two cents worth on what went down for our guest blog this week. She wasn’t thrilled to bits, which is a dig at both us and you. But mostly you.

JUNK VOTERS' CHOICE
Amcheong

I was excited and had high expectations when I was asked to write about the Junk Voters’ Choice bands at KLue Urbanscapes 2009. The performance consisted of four indie bands, Khottal, Orange Free State, O-Two and Lovesick Avenue—but truth be told, I was disappointed. It’s not that I don’t like the genre, but it was the lack of music quality that bugged me. It was just mediocre, only good enough for a high school event. I understand the ideas that they were trying to deliver, but it just wasn’t there in a musical sense.

The bands had a high level of energy and enthusiasm, and they certainly entertained the crowd, but their musical ideas became boring and messy after the first song—it was monotonous! I have seen better indie bands using the same ideas, but with better execution, in terms of sound projection, musical variety and the way they captured the audience’s attention.

Some of the bands used ideas from Muse or John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Wedding Album. But the composition and the results weren’t good. Some were messy, some had no form or direction—the story they wanted to tell didn’t come alive, and some became just became a mess of pure noise! The crowd wasn’t good either—people were walking out during some of the performances, and some of the people sitting at the back were actually covering their ears.

I get what they were trying to do, but what they need is better quality control of their music—they must not be content with mediocrity if they are passionate about their music. That is what being an indie band is all about: having total control of the music, not the fame and money.

No doubt these bands are performing everywhere, or in other words, are currently in demand, but sooner or later they will only be a one hit wonder if they do not improve and take it to another level. Music appreciation in Malaysia is not yet fully developed—so it is also their duty to themselves and to the future of music listeners in Malaysia to provide a better quality of music to their fans, who will grow in appreciation.

Music is an art and a science in one—a combination of creativity and quality in sound. Anyone can play a musical instrument and make sounds, but it’s about delivering the music. They have much to explore, learn and grow into true musicians.

ANNE MARIE CHEONG LAI WAN
www.amcheong.blogspot.com

Do you agree with Amcheong? Comments below!

If you think you can do better, and want to send in your own Urbanscapes report, click HERE. Click HERE for Amcheong’s profile, and HERE for our own post-Urbanscapes report.

Profile: Aliyah Keshani

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:34:36 +0800

Yes, sometimes sifting through or telling one angel/ethereal voiced acoustic songstresses apart from another can be a chore for anyone save the doggedly motivated. Half-Malaysian Aliyah Keshani, however, is one that will make sifting a whole lot easier.

You can hear two of her songs on her MySpace, ‘Gently’ and ‘One Foot In The Past’, both of which are infused not by the happy hippy chirpiness that you are smothered with on a daily basis, but by dark, unbearable bitterness and aching fragility. Which may not be entirely new, but is a nice change, since the world doesn’t really need more faux-Feists. Keshani is currently doing the pub circuit in London, and may be playing a few shows in the motherland later this year. As always, remember: you heard it here first.

Acoustic By The Bay @ Starbucks One Fullerton, SG, 4 Jul

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:59:46 +0800

On the fourth of July, the Starbucks at One Fullerton will be the venue of Acoustic By The Bay, presented by Big Ear Musica and produced by The Bastard Movement. This weekend’s Acoustic By The Bay will be the first of an ongoing fortnightly series, and will feature Live and Loaded winner For This Cycle, along with Deputy Siren, Trella, Anna Judge April, Duxton Plains and Telecast!

Details:
Date: Saturday, 4 July 2009
Time: 4-7pm
Venue: Starbucks, One Fullerton, Singapore
Tickets: Free

Lineup:
For This Cycle
Deputy Siren
Trella
Anna Judge April
Duxton Plains
Telecast

Head over to The Bastard Movement or Big Ear Musica for more info.

Meet Uncle Hussain frontman Lan leaves band

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:28:58 +0800

Malaysian indie rockers Meet Uncle Hussain have announced that frontman Lan will be leaving the band, effective this weekend.

The band announced that Lan (full name Norazlan Rosle) had decided to leave the group to pursue other commitments. They are currently working on a new album, and will now be looking for a new singer.

Their final show will be this Sunday at the Hard Rock Cafe in Kuala Lumpur as part of the KL Muzik Festival. Tickets for the show are RM25 and can be obtained from www.klfestival.org.my.

Visit www.myspace.com/meetunclehussain for more updates. Ah well. There goes another one. Enjoy a clip of the band performing with Hujan at this year's Anugerah Industri Musik.

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Lily Allen sends her nude pics to Kaiser Chiefs

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:17:24 +0800

After scaring away all the good men in the world with ‘Not Fair’, which takes a dig at the nice, loving guys who are less than impressive in bed,* you could almost forgive Lily Allen if her sending of nude pics of herself to Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson wasn’t a mistake. But it was. Or so she claims.

Allen was supposed to send over pictures of herself on a beach without a top on to a friend called Ricki, just to make her jealous. But she scrolled down too far on her contact list, and sent them to Ricky Wilson instead. Who promptly replied, “Woo, Christmas came early!”

Here’s ‘Not Fair’:

Source

^{*Don’t be emasculated, male readers! This song is your Get Out Of Jail card: you can stop following your girlfriend shopping, buying her stuff or calling. And then tell her “Lily Allen said all this doesn’t matter, since it's all about sexytime anyway, so why bother?”}

Estranged in the Far East

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:19:22 +0800

Estranged are now bona fide ambassadors of Malaysian rock. Besides being asked along with Love Me Butch to fly the red, white, blue and yellow flag at Baybeats 2009 in Singapore, they’re now set to be the first Malaysian band ever to play at Taiwan’s prestigious Hohaiyan Rock Festival.

The Hohaiyan Rock Festival is held over three days in Fulong Beach, Northern Taipei. Estranged will be joined by regional buddies Electrico from Singapore, as well as VHS Or BETA from the States, Fumido from Japan, Soler of Macau and Calzziquai Project from Korea.

If the boys of Estranged were bored and ambitious enough, they could make the epic journey to Taiwan in their spiffy new Perodua MyVis (well, almost; those babies can’t drive on water). The boys were given a MyVi each to use on tour by Perodua recently, as part of a promotional campaign.

The Observatory's Dark Folke officially drops

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:37:39 +0800

If you're in Singapore, don't miss The Observatory performing a series of six shows called Hexa in support of Dark Folke from July to September. (Details in the poster above.)

It's just like The Observatory to produce another work of art, be it in the form of their music, design or album packaging. And here's further proof that they've hit a winner again with their fourth and most haunting album Dark Folke, recorded on the snow-covered Floyen mountains in Bergen, Norway with Jaga Jazzist producer Jørgen Træen. The album officially drops today at all good music stores in Singapore; scroll down for more pics of the beautiful CD booklet illustrated by Justin Bartlett aka Vberkvlt.

The band also included a nice little note about the release:

Hello Friends and Fans of The Observatory,

DARK FOLKE, our fourth album, is officially out. Recorded and mixed earlier this year in Bergen Norway, we worked once again with our friend and respected producer Jørgen Træen who has also worked with some of our personal favourites like Ultralyd, Motorpsycho and Jaga Jazzist.

Our time at Duper was filled with lots of ideas, plenty of jokin'around, some tough moments, and many warm memories. Opposite to that but equally as intense was the Bergen weather, wet and freezin'. We think the album reflects this extremity.

What came next was unexpected. We hooked up with metal/hardcore/underground illustrator and designer Justin Bartlett aka Vberkvlt. Justin is a detail-obsessed, maniacally passionate artist, also a diehard Depeche Mode fan. He is the man behind the wicked art of SUNN O))), Moss, Aura Noir and more. Check out his work at www.vberkvlt.com

The DARK FOLKE album packaging is a hardbound black book, designed and drawn by Justin Bartlett. Printed on paper constituted from recovered waste and virgin pulp from good sustainable forestry, the album heralds a new shape in the band's discography of albums. It is now not only oversized but also square. We have good reason. For vinyl lovers, a double gatefold LP is in the works for release later this year.

It's hard to describe one's own work. The math prog rock of our 3rd album A far cry from here has morphed into a fluid mystical beast. Most songs have no drums. But there is rhythm. Only the type of rhythm associated with an invisible pulse. An implied rhythm. Five folks sitting around a fire. A metaphorical fire. Chanting for the rain to come.

We will be doing a series of SIX shows called HEXA, all at small intimate venues. Our first show HEXA I will be at The Hall, The Arts House on 19 July.

Justin Bartlett has also designed a special collection of THREE tshirts which will be on sale at shows only. These are a very limited run of only 100 pieces per design.

Ask for DARK FOLKE at all good music stores.

Evan Tan, our keyboardist/electronician, has himself taken up the pen and drawn some pretty strange things for our new website. Refer to it for latest news, gig details and ticketing information. Also look for us on Facebook, we will be posting updates regularly to all subscribed fans.

Official website www.theobservatory.com.sg

Facebook www.facebook.com/theobservatory

Email info@theobservatory.com.sg

Myspace www.myspace.com/theobservatoryband

Best,
The Observatory

More pics of the booklet: