Music & Nightlife

Who are Alex, Blake and Charlie? Beats us. But here’s what we know: The Alex Blake Charlie Sessions is a brand new music series that champions female-fronted acts. Its diverse line-up takes sonic explorers deep into the world of pop-rock, R&B, indie-folk and electronica on a more intimate scale – all within an unusual heritage venue: Pasir Panjang Power Station. 14 acts take the stage on December 7 including Finnish pop wonder Alma, Icelandic-Brit punk-rock trio Dream Wife and femme post-punkers Goat Girl. Joining them are 2019 Mercury Prize-nominated avant-pop stalwart Cate Le Bon who can easily bust an indie earworm in Welsh and English, Northern Irish singer-songwriter Soak (real name Bridie Monds-Watson) with her Midas touch in dreamy indie-pop, and Singapore’s very own electro-soul-R&B darling Vandetta (real name Vanessa Fernandez) who’s nothing short of versatile. Before the mic checks, we chat with Cate Le Bon, Soak and Vandetta on the Lion City, the music festival and who they’ve got playing on repeat. RECOMMENDED: Upcoming concerts and music festivals in Singapore and the future of music festivals in Singapore First things first: what gets you excited about Singapore? Cate Le Bon: I’m looking forward to seeing the airport and the incredible architecture of it. I believe it’s quite extraordinary and I can’t wait to begin with it. Soak: The food and the landscapes. They’re so unique and different to Europe. And I’m looking forward to taking loads of photos. I also

Can you become a fan of a band you’ve never seen? Of course, you can! Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West – better known collectively as Oh Wonder – proved it via their novel model. The London-based electronic-pop duo experimented with SoundCloud by dropping their breathy brand of dreamy tracks one at a time within a span of a year from 2014. Through this, they garnered millions of plays, fans from all over the world and eventually the attention of record labels before dropping their debut self-titled album in 2015 and embarking on a UK-wide tour.  But it wasn’t until 2017 when Oh Wonder breathed Ultralife into Suntec City Convention Centre with their debut Singapore show. And in September this year, they returned as part of Music Is Universal at Music Matters Live. If you didn’t manage to catch them – don’t fret. The dynamic duo assures us that they are returning in 2020 with brand new material – say Hallelujah! Hi Anthony and Josephine! First things first: what gets you excited about Singapore?Laksa, bak kwa, the insane humidity, the incredible co-existence of so many cultures to make one big Singaporean hub, and our incredible fans!  You performed in Singapore for the first time in 2017, promoting your second studio album Ultralife. How has Oh Wonder progressed in terms of performing live? Our live show hopefully still has the same energy and magic that we felt from our first world tour, but we have gotten bigger and better with our lights, stage and sound. And of c

Emo music is exactly what its name suggests. It's emotional and raw, always embracing the tumultuous feelings one feels like sadness, shame, rejection and guilt – basically anything that hurts. But what the heck is Midwest emo? Shifting away from the genre's hardcore punk roots, Midwest emo employs distinct guitar riffs, arpeggiated melodies, and less harsh vocals. Coincidentally, Midwest America became a hotspot for the birth of classic emo icons – American Football being one of the bigger and more notable names.  The fascinating history of American Football began in 1997 when members of the band were playing and making music individually or with other people. When the then makeshift band formed with Mike Kinsella (lead singer/guitar), Steve Holmes (guitar) and Steve Lamos (drums and trumpet), they put out a couple of EPs and a full-length album before deciding to stop recording altogether. Still, the self-titled album gained a lot of critical acclaim and continued to inspire more bands with their brand of twinkly guitars – almost always in different tunings – playing off of one another in odd time signatures, confessional lyrics and the odd trumpet. The band ultimately returned from the long hiatus in 2014, released two albums since, added new players and have opened up their music to a whole new generation, and new ears as well. The only difference is – the then college kids making music between classes are now proper dads and have been adulting for a while now.  With a