Elektone & I Am David Sparkle Play Home

Last night saw two forward thinking bands perform at Music for Good's 'Off Beat'. A show I have been anticipating for quite sometime now and I'm happy to say I was not to let down. First up was Elektone. A one man band just for this night we were eloquently shown a lesson in singer songwriting with one man, one laptop and one guitar. Beats, melodies, appropriate distortion and effects came out of nuendo as lead singer and guitarist played chords, composed drum beats, melodies and sung all through out (apart from the instrumental song that came earlier.) I give much credit to this one man show, who seamlessly pieced together his songs with both ease and precision. His songs still sounding organic no matter how much technological mechanics were added into the mix.
Next was new (or should i say now?) post rock giant 'I am David Sparkle'. Since the addition of the somewhat mysterious Nico Santino, I have discovered this band to be making rampaging headlines and tearing down all forms of popularity for the current trend of local bands in Singapore. An impeccable collection of experienced musicians have replaced the following of short, catchy sing along songs to add their very own electrifyingly mammoth sets of harmonic chaos and mayhem.
Simplisitc melodies, building into a crecendo of drones and pure white noise finally there is an alternative to the 'alternative' we are polluted with in the music scene here in Singapore. Check back in a couple of days on the website to see which live band will be playing next. By the way who is CUT? I'll just throw that one out for randomness.

Digital @ HOME

All the way from Ipswich hails Steve Carr aka Digital. With a long family history in Jamaican reggae and dub, he has taken such sounds and infused them in uplifting feel good jungly drum and bass. A super down to earth guy, well grounded, his set was very much the same. Tight and infectious with many a trick up the sleeve, this was a man who not only brought great new music to our soundsystem but also showed us precision and conistency. But what the fuck happened to the turn out?!?!?! Seriously now, this guy commanded the sound, bringing every sitting body to the dancefloor. But there wasn't enough, this is a well renowned DJ stopping by on his way back after 22 days over the christmas and new year period when he was in New Zealand. Surely Singapore can do better than it did... I heard rumours this wasn't a good night because of an auspicious wedding date. Can someone please clarify this with me? I'm still kinda stunned there should have been alot more people there...

Mani @ HomeClub... Who will be next???

One of indie rocks most prolific players made it down to Home Club to show us exactly what he is all about. Mani, of Primal Scream and ex-bassist of the Stone Roses mashed together a barrage of melodies and beats from different genres. Not only was he bound by his loyalty to an early Manchester sound but also brought back old classics from the early dance movement such as 'House Nation' (by who I forget but im sure you've already got that “house, house, house, house nation” going on in the back of your head, or at least I do...) and ‘This is Acid’ by Maurice on an early Chicago label Trax records. HomeClub became a sweaty mass of indie rock pulsating and gyrating entities. What a character, a joker, definitely an individual in love with life and not consumed by hatred or cynicism. A refreshing personality to say the very least, full of stories, dialogue and jokes, one could not be helped but be drawn in by his comments, opinions and of course track selection. A slice of history, a living legacy right here on our doorstep… Who will be next? Please let me know who you think should be our next international here at HomeClub. I’d love to hear your thoughts and dreams; who knows? they might even come true…

Dark & Dirty

The Finest in Techno DJs from around the South East Asian region stop by HomeClub for a lesson in true dancefloor pummelisation. Get your dancing asses down this thursday for some seriously hypnotic feel good, feet and soul music... Please, remember, bring your dancing shoes...

Beat Live Review...

Last week's BeatLive showcased two talents one of which we at Home have experienced before and another... Well, the other was a special treat.

First off Caracal played a momentus set of their catchy sing alongs with enough energy to tire even the duracell bunny out. These guys are young and they play hard. Hard, not in the sense of some gutteral form of industrial hardcore, but more in their involvement and enjoyment of their music. If you read their words on their 'myspace' page they are a band very much with the intent on getting the audience involved in their music. They did in fact do just that, with the rock star swinging of the bass guitar to big widening grins on all of their faces, they are a band that love what they do and are doing what they love. Hat off from my court to a young group of talented individuals who are giving this scene some fuel and enthusiasm.

Next up was the annonymous 'Nuance'... A band perhaps heard of by you but not by me, I had the fortune of showing you guys all an interesting photo of them in the studio. More folky than anything else, but I am with a reluctance to pigeon hole any musician or band into a corner pocket, these guys were something different. Great melodies and song writing, one song even sounded like their own interpretation of Chinese Opera... Immense. Keep your eyes out for both of these bands, we should be holding them again soon. In the meantime? Well in the meantime, come down for Music for Good's Off Beat on the 26th of this month for two very special guests... Who you might ask, I'll let that simmer for a little while but let me just say it will be epic indeed.

Who is this?

Anyone who answers correctly will get some sort of prize which I haven't quite decided yet, free tickets to events, more than a couple of games of pool, beers, tequila shots, and/or sexual favours (from someone deserving and appropriate for the winner, meaning it doesn't have to be me but it may well be)...

Beat Live this Friday!

This Friday ladies and gents we have two very special bands playing. One of which I have had the personal experience of watching play many times live now at Home. They are Caracal.
We have seen them from before Battle of the Bands to the finals, through to putting on an acoustic set, which for a band as young as they are they managed to do remarkably well. As a band that is still growing, they have tightness and that poppy adolescent emo style which is ever so popular with the crowd. But this is no result of mere choice of music direction or youthful enthusiasm, these guys are good. They have a strong selection of original songs, which we all know most of you already know the words to, so lets see it all again with lighters and wailing sing alongs this friday at my Home and yours... Here is an old photo of them playing a while back at our acoustic, now no more acoustika gig.


Next up is Nuance and all I can really tell you about them is that in their own obscurely ambivalent description of themselves, “We are a bit of everything. Sometimes, we don’t even understand what we sound like. 10 months in a year, our vocalist and rhythm guitarist were not even around." Here's a picture that I think makes them look like extremely enthusaistic air guitarists. Friday will prove me wrong, they've got quite a history as being one of the biggest Singaporean bands so make it down and see what they are all about, until then I leave you with, Nuance...

New Year Rubbadubbin

Another fine installment of Rubbadubdub. The first of this New Year is set to go off with a nice sub bass bang. Come and enjoy.