With less than 25 hours from glorious 2009, it’s only fitting to leave you with Billboard’s Magazine’s Top 25 music hits in this exciting 4-and-a-half-minute mash up by DJ Earworm: “United State of Pop 2008“. (Read more)
Music
A total of 15 years.
That is the amount of time that has lapsed since the last Guns N’ Roses (GN’R) studio release - The Spaghetti Incident?.
Since then, GN’R has seen their popularity wane and underwent multiple personnel overhauls (11 revisions to be exact; leaving Axl Rose the only original member remaining) while bands like Nirvana ushered in a new wave of Grunge music in the early 90’s.
It was also during this extended hiatus from the focus of the mainstream media that Axl Rose began work on his masterpiece - Chinese Democracy.
Process was slow as Axl Rose constantly swung back and forth between hiring a different producer, recording material and jam sessions in studios, and tinkering with post production intricacies.
If anything, Axl Rose certainly saw Chinese Democracy as the perfect platform for him to showcase his vision of how GN’R should sound like.
However with doubt always looming over its release and patience wearing thin, the then unreleased Chinese Democracy grew to become a running joke amongst those in the industry and press as a metaphor for drawn-out recordings that would never see the light of day.
With the album just released late last month after a 15-year wait, does the quality of the tracks justify the prolonged production time or will it been a case of “too many cooks spoil the broth”?
Kicking it off Hard rock
Like a heavy tank, this album streamrolls its way through with an unapologetic hard rock sound.
The title debut single (”Chinese Democracy“) starts off as an eerie and abstract soundscape consisting of chinese voices spliced and layered one over another. A series of pounding drumbeats and overdrive guitar riffs are then introduced before the song morphs into a full-blown hard rock tune that rains down a torrent of guitar and bass lines backed by a fast and furious drumbeat.
The subsequent track “Shackler’s Revenge” presents Axl Rose’s take on the metal/hard rock sound that was once popular in the 80’s. The song explodes right from the start, taking prisoners with its aggressive blend of fast guitars and heart thumping drums.
Interestingly, “Shackler’s Revenge” also adopts a variety of vocal sounds that includes a menancing baritone growl at the start, a high falsetto reminiscent of glam metal bands and synthesised vocals.
Shifting Gears
Things do take for a sharp and strange turn from the third track onwards.
“Better” sounds like GN’R ripped off a Third Eye Blind tune and tweaked it slightly by slapping on harder sounding guitar and drum bits.
The outcome is a pop sounding modern rock track that would probably go down well with casual listeners (it’s the second single off the album; a calculated move anyone?) but then again, “Better” does little in helping to justify the album’s 15-year wait.
The band then heads down the ballad route with “Street Of Dreams”, which left this writer cringing right from the opening.
Plagued by a clichéd piano introduction, cheesy unintelligent lyrics (“You know I tried so hard to make you/Oh, to make you change your mind”) and dated arrangement, the track winds up sounding like a poorly written Bon Jovi ballad found at the bottom of trash bin.
For the remaining bulk of the album, Axl Rose sticks largely to the formula of taking pop rock tunes and giving them a slight twist or topping up with a harder rock sound.
While these tunes are unmistakably well-crafted, tight and will have no difficulty going down as solid tracks, resorting to such a polished sound is also the album’s biggest pitfall – becoming too “clean”.
Chinese Democracy for the most parts plays it far too safe – everything sounds overtly processed and too calculated.
For a band that once stormed the world with its pioneering blend of dirty, blues-influenced hard rock, playing it so safe this time round, is simply confounding; especially for a record as long-awaited as Chinese Democracy.
Saving The Best For The Last
Of the 14 songs available on the album, the one that truly stands out is track 14 “Prostitute”.
The tune manages a fine balance between loud and soft elements to produce a 6-minute epic that artfully brings together different textures and themes. Sounding melancholic in one moment and aggressive the next, “Prostitute” is a complex masterpiece that will leave listeners in awe.
In A Nutshell
For serious listeners, Chinese Democracy would offer little in the way of providing a fresh and exciting sound that teases the senses and emotions.
The album’s overall lack of an interesting experimental edge makes it hard to achieve a sustained listening throughout the duration of the album.
Its series of songs with questionable lyrics (“I.R.S.”, “This I Love”) and predictable arrangements will also leave many to question the album’s quality and wonder if 15 years has indeed been a worthwhile wait.
The UrbanWire gives Chinese Democracy 2 out of 5 stars.
Tracklisting
01. Chinese Democracy (Sample)
02. Shackler’s Revenge (Sample)
03. Better (Sample)
04. Street Of Dreams (Sample)
05. If The World
06. There Was A Time
07. Catcher In The Rye
08. Scraped
09. Riad N’ The Bedouins
10. Sorry
11. I.R.S. (Sample)
12. Madagascar
13. This I Love (Sample)
14. Prostitute (Sample)
Win tickets to Angels & Airwaves’ first-ever performance in Singapore
In conjunction with Midas Promotions, the UrbanWire is giving away tickets the AVA concert to 2 lucky readers.
Here’s what you need to do to get a chance at those tickets:
Tell us why you want to be at the AVA concert and share with us your love for alternative music, and send in your response to contest.urbanwire@gmail.com with your full name, NRIC and contact details by Dec 1.
The San Diego-based band, also known as AVA, will be making contact with fans here in Singapore for the very first time this coming Dec 7. It is also right here in Singapore, that their South-East Asia tour kicks off.
Featuring frontman and former Blink-182 guitarist/vocalist Tom Delonge, the band consists of guitarist David Kennedy, drummer Atom Willard, and bassist Matt Wachter.
AVA has certainly been going places since their rise to fame in 2006 after their first album We Don’t Need to Whisper was release. The album went on to top the Billboard 200 chart at No.4. The band has performed at packed venues in the United States (U.S), Canada, Europe, as well as Japan.
Having just concluded their recent U.S tour with Weezer (from Los Angeles), AVA will be here in Singapore with a mission to unify and call to arms all supporters of alternative music.
AVA Concert and Ticketing Information:
Date: Dec 7
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: University Cultural Centre Hall, NUS
Tickets*: $85, $100 and $125
*Tickets are on sale at all SISTIC outlets and check out the promotional site for a chance to meet the band.
Before you pick up a copy of Perfect Symmetry, you should be warned that the album will showcase a side of Keane you probably never thought possible.
Tom Chaplin and gang have abandoned their penchant for gloomy piano-driven anthems about love, loss and yearning for a good ol’ (literally) bold 1980’s synthesiser-heavy sound.
The new Keane even features, surprise, surprise - the added use of electric guitars.
A journey far from perfect
Released last month, Perfect Symmetry represents the British band’s third studio effort since their 2004 debut.
In their 4 years so far, Keane has certainly come a long way between battling critics about their sound and coping with lead singer Chaplin’s constant drug rehabilitation problems. Fortunately, Chaplin finally got cleaned up, and Keane headed to Berlin on a night train ride to seek inspiration for their new album.
But perhaps seeking ideas on the German railway wasn’t that inspired an idea because Perfect Symmetry crudely resembles something of a sonic trainwreck.
Like getting “Rick-Rolled”
While there are certainly a few well-crafted tracks, much of the album sounds too formulaic and uninteresting.
The lads clearly aspired to move away from their old sound but failed to muster enough, if any, fresh and exciting material.
The track “You Don’t See Me” is an example of this. The band sounds tired and the song lacks the edge and direction to move listeners. In the end, it winds up sounding like a bland filler track left in just to make the numbers on the album.
The band’s elaborate use of synthesisers circa 1980 throughout the album to expand their sonic palette also at times borders along sounding overtly cheesy (”Black Burning Heart“). The inclusion of hand-claps, and saxophones that sound like they were ripped off from an 8-bit video game soundtrack doesn’t help either.
Even lyrically, the band has opted for cliche verses (”Give me your hand/Cut the skin, let me in/The molecules of us/Bleeding into one again”) that would surely have no problems making its way into a Rick Astley song.
Perhaps taking a listen to Perfect Symmetry is a little like getting Rick Rolled - a fun prank that can get frustrating if it happens one too many times.
The upside
However not all is lost on Keane’s third studio outing. There are a handful of bright sparks where the trio’s pop sensabilities pull through and remind listeners why they are still one of Britain’s biggest acts in recent years.
The track “You Haven’t Told Me Anything“, manages a fine and tasteful balance between the new 80’s synthesiser sound and contemporary pop, while giving it just enough edge to make it relevant to young listeners.
Other notable tracks include “The Lovers Are Losing” and “Perfect Symmetry“. However both tracks seem to be drawn more from the sound of their previous albums than the current direction of things. Take a listen to the former, and you might just mistake it as a B-side to the single “Crystal Ball” from the band’s previous sophomore album.
In a nutshell
Keane certainly didn’t break new ground with the release of Perfect Symmetry. While it might please the casual listener, you would be hard-pressed to find a critical listener or fan who isn’t dismayed at the album’s lack of depth and innovative content.
Then again, Keane doesn’t claim to be an art rock group like Radiohead and by that standard, Perfect Symmetry isn’t too terribly far off from being a decent pop rock album.
For their retro album, this UrbanWire writer gives it a rating of 3 out of 5.
Now let’s just hope that Keane doesn’t look further back in time and start mimicking Sgt. Pepper for their next album.
Track Listing
01. Spiralling
02. The Lovers Are Losing (Sample)
03. Better Than This
04. You Haven’t Told Me Anything (Sample)
05. Perfect Symmetry (Sample)
06. You Don’t See Me (Sample)
07. Again And Again
08. Playing Along
09. Pretend That You’re Alone
10. Black Burning Heart (Sample)
11. Love Is The End
“I hear we’ve sold more tickets than Kanye West,” boasted Avenged Sevenfold lead vocalist, Matt Shadows, to thousands of eager fans at the Singapore Expo Max Pavilion on Oct 24. (Read more)
It took Mötley Crüe nearly 3 long decades to hold a performance on our shores, with Singapore being the only Asian stop they’ve played at besides Japan.
But with just minutes ticking away until the curtain is drawn for singer Vince Neil, guitarist Mick Mars, bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee to stage a show befitting their legendary status, the crowds at Fort Canning Park on Oct 16 obviously couldn’t bear to wait a moment longer. (Read more)
Mention Simple Plan and you think of punk rock music. But the 5-member French-Canadian band was in Singapore on Aug 2 to meet the press at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and promote, LaMB, an original anime production by Animax Asia. (Read more)
Derrick Hoh Wei Jian from the first season of Project Superstar (PSS 1) has just cut his debut solo album Unclassified (Wu Fa Gui Lei).
It has since been three years from his last appearance in PSS 1. However, fans have not forgotten about him and this shows up in the album sales figure. Within the first day of its release on D-Day (which is known as Derrick’s Day, on 30 July), fans swiped the first batch of all 2000 albums off the shelves. Currently Unclassified is ranked the highest-selling album on the sales chart in various CD outlets, including HMV, CD Rama and Sembawang.
UrbanWire thinks it is a smart move to launch “Unclassified” as the first single in the album. Derrick explains that this song possesses the feeling and attitude that he wants to portray. This groovy track captures your attention immediately with its infectious beats and it’s bound to keep you moving along from the first time you hear it. However, some may find this song and its dance moves similar to what Show Luo did in his previous albums such as Show Your Dance and SPESHOW (compare Derrick’s MV vs. Show’s MV & MV2 ).
Despite the comparisons, Derrick says, “I feel that style and looks are just packaging. The most important thing is still music, and the fact that I love singing.”
Second single “Knock-Out Love” continues to keep the beat up with drums. It’s hard not to sing along with Derrick when you hear this song, especially when it comes to the chorus – “Knock-Out Love with me hey oh, stop day dreaming hey oh, fall in love with me now hey oh oh oh”. In addition to the catchy lyrics, there’s also a saucy MV of this single to accompany, which was shot in Taiwan by famous director Kuang Sheng who had directed other MVs for Jay Chou & Jolin Tsai.
In the MV, Derrick is seen frolicking with two female dancers. However, the scenes of the threesome in a car have been removed to maintain Derrick’s healthy image. But fans need not be disappointed. As part of a promotional gimmick, Warner Music Singapore has uploaded a 15-second teaser of the MV on YouTube and promises that if the number of views hits 5000 in two weeks, Derrick will personally upload the censored clips! Derrick clarified, “But still within limits of course, my image is still most important!”
(Update: The number of views for the teaser MV had over 5000 hits within the stipulated time frame and as promised, the original MV has been uploaded on YouTube! Check it out here!)
The tempo slows down in the moving ballad “Overhead Bridge, Underground Pass”. The track title tells of two extreme different locations in a city and this is used as a metaphor to portray the differences between two persons after a relationship. This sad romantic number talks about the guilt a guy feels when after a breakup. The song guarantees to get all the girls swooning. Although the instrumentation makes it a very radio-friendly listen, the restriction imposed on his voice makes the song sound ordinary and forgettable in comparison to the rest of his songs.
In comparison, Derrick delivers a more mellow, sorrowful and almost heart-wrenching interpretation in “Can’t Let Go” making his rumoured break-up with his girlfriend believable. This sentimental side of him was what captured many fans’ hearts in PSS 1.
“Pronunciation” adds colours to the album and brings Derrick’s cheeky persona to life again. This self-penned song by Derrick talks about how he felt during PSS 1 when the judges commented on his poor pronunciation. He recalled having to recite a Mandarin tongue twister taught by Quan Yifeng in which he did badly, getting his inspiration for this song. This song stands out from the rest as it has a very playful, happy feel that works well for him. It could be pure coincidence, but this song reminds UrbanWire of Kenji Wu’s “Big Tongue” (Da She Tou).
Derrick’s identity comes out well in his rendition of “I Believe”, which is the cover of “Mideoyo” by Korean band Dong Bang Shin Ki (DBSK). This soothing song makes a good, relaxing listen and could easily top radio charts.
“Anti Clockwise” was pleasantly surprising with it captivating melody and the usage of nylon guitar gave it a unique feel that’s different from other tracks. Derrick’s voice seems to sound raspier and more sensual here as well – it’s good effort and displays a new side of him. This song possesses some slight jazzy quality that makes you want to sway to the music, or simply enjoy it with a glass of wine on a quiet night.
The album ends off with “Croatia Sky”, another self-penned single by Derrick. This song displayed his impeccable vocal abilities and sheer talent in delivering compelling performances.
And there you have it, eleven tracks performed by our very own homegrown superstar Derrick Hoh. This scrawny singing teen who ignited flames of adoration in adolescent girls in PSS 1 has now grown up and is fast becoming a music star. Apart from the fact that he needs to work on a stronger musical identity, he is well on the road to success.
UrbanWire gives Unclassified 4 out of 5 stars.
Unclassified is now available in leading CD outlets island wide.
Three years since his appearance in Project Superstar (PSS), Derrick Hoh Wei Jian, finally released his debut album, Unclassified (Wu Fa Gui Lei). (Read more)
Smooth. That’s what sums up in a word the latest album by multi-Grammy Award winner, Usher.
Here I Stand features a brand new list of 16 tracks that is bound to keep you coming back for more to get your R&B fix.
“Getting caught with someone else other than your spouse is really the hardest thing to apologise for,” Drew Brown from OneRepublic said in the press room of the MTV Asia Awards after winning the Best Hook-Up award.
He quickly explained that it wasn’t something he did to his spouse. Instead, the guitarist says it was something he learnt through experience - that it was someone else who did that to him.
MTV’s Best Hook-Up award, however, has nothing to do with romance and the complexity that comes with it. It’s about the best collaboration between musicians.
In OneRepublic’s case, they won the award for their collaboration with Timbaland for their hit single “Apologize”.
“We like both versions, really,” they agreed when asked which versions do they prefer. “Timbaland didn’t rap, so that’s good”.
Video courtesy of MTV Asia Awards
Additional video editing by Lee Xian Jie
Stefanie Sun’s performance at the MTV Asia Awards.
Leona Lewis’s Thank You speech at the MTV Asia Awards.
The Script’s Thank You speech at the MTV Asia Awards.
