Music & Nightlife

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

Many of us grew up decorating our bedroom walls with fold-out posters of the biggest boybands on the planet. Irish boyband Boyzone is no exception. The Dublin boys were put together by Louis Walsh back in 1993 to be the next big thing after Take That. And big they were. Hits like Love Me For A Reason, Words and No Matter What dominated the pop charts for weeks, and shows sold out around the world. The band was on top of their game in the 90s. Sadly, all good things must come to an end. And if you happen to be a die-hard fan whose hidden talents include singing to every word of Picture of You in your sleep, then this piece of news is an absolute heartbreaker. After 26 years of being a fivesome – then foursome in late 2009 (RIP Stephen Gately) – Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Michael Graham and Shane Lynch are ready to take their final bow as Boyzone. But before serenading fans one last time at The Star Theatre on June 12 as part of the Thank You & Goodnight farewell world tour, we chat with lead crooner Ronan Keating about the band’s final fate. RECOMMENDED: Upcoming concerts in Singapore Hi Ronan! It hasn’t been a year since you and the boys last performed in Singapore and yet it feels like a long time. What are you looking forward to the most this time around?This time it’ll be the fans because it’s the last show. It’s great to get the chance to come back one more time to experience the city and the people, as well as to say goodbye to everybody in Singapore one last time.

It is easy to see why metal gets a bad rep, especially among those who don’t listen to it. With the cancellation of Swedish black metal band Watain’s gig last month, it's apparent the genre is misunderstood by the mainstream because of its apparent satanic and violent content. We chat with Singapore's metal veterans to clear the air. RECOMMENDED: The hottest rappers and hip-hop artists in Singapore right now and upcoming concerts in Singapore