rhythm&chords

For a very long time Oasis was one of my favourite bands. I was in the 9th grade when I finally got to see them live in Singapore. For reference, it was the April of 2009, they had sold out the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tt was a pretty defining moment in my life because just a few months later, in August, the band would officially announce their break up. Being at that show felt like fate, because I felt like I had become a part of history, of their history. I was apart of something bigger than me. And whilst to many of you it might seem insignificant or kinda just a meh thing to be so excited to be apart of, but to me, it meant something.

Oasis hold a special place in my heart to this day - so when I woke up and caught wind they had released something, I was excited. I didn’t know much more than that there was a song, old, new, live, acoustic, I didn’t know what to expect but all I can say now is that I wasn’t disappointed. I’ve personally always been drawn to their earlier work (Definitely Maybe will always be the top of my list) so when I heard Don’t Stop, it felt reminiscent of the old them. It reminded me of other classics like  Half The World Away, a little bit of Champagne Supernova and hints of Sad Song - songs from forever ago that always made me feel less alone in this world.

With all that’s going on right now, Don’t Stop is a small something that reminded me to never let go of hope. It’s easy to get lost in the chaos that is life - the depression one might feel when things are not going according to plan, the feeling of loneliness when everyone seems worlds away, the general melancholy of remembering what was but is not longer. The line that stands out to me the most is in the first verse - don’t stop dreaming, which seems a bit obvious but at a moment like this feels immensely important.

Although the song isn’t really Oasis - in the sense that it’s mainly Noel singing over an acoustic guitar, it is very much Oasis. Just not the loud, brash lads we also know, but when they show their quieter side. Like any great band, there needs to be a balance of both and it’s songs like this one that unite us all during the hard times and gives us a little hope. As the song continues, in the chorus Noel sings “Don't stop being happy, Don’t stop your clapping, Don’t stop your laughing…It’s alright” and he’s right.

If things aren’t alright now, it doesn’t mean it won’t ever be. We grow, things change, we learn, things don’t go according to plan, we mess up but at the end of the day we must remember it’ll be alright.

I first heard Winona Oak (whose real name is Johanna Ekmark) on the The Chainsmokers 2018 hit, Hope. Immediately, I was drawn to the haunting quality of her voice that really emphasized the feeling holding onto a relationship that would really never work no matter what we put into it - we’ve all been there, right? Anyways, I made note of her, thinking she’d be a name and voice I’d want to remember. 

Then in early 2019 her name came up again, this time she had released her new single, He Don’t Love Me. The song again had the same feeling of heartbreak and nostalgia. She shared the feeling of falling for someone who perhaps really would never value you the way you might value them despite how hard you try. You could give them everything, make them feel special, only to have them let you down despite the little things they might’ve done to make you believe that this time, it was different. Again, we’ve all been there, right? Or is this all just a me thing...There’s just something about the bleakness in her voice and lyrics that emphasizes the truths we know but many times chose to ignore because we rather convince ourselves that it’s different this time around. 

Fast forward to January 2020 and Oak is back with her first EP, Closure. She keeps is short and sad with just 6 tracks that share the general theme of heartbreak but also the realization of working through the melancholy to ultimately understand and learn a little more about yourself and learning how to love. The stand out songs off the record that I think delve into who she is and perhaps are teasers of what else there is to come from Oak are, “Lonely Hearts Club”, “Let Me Know”, and “Control”. 

Stumbled across this new tune by Super Whatevr on the Hopeless Records YouTube channel this evening and pretty glad I did. I’d never heard about these guys before and it seems like this new singles in a taste of what’s to come from the band as they explore a new sound. The single seems to be a departure from the quick sampling I did of their 2018 album, Never Nothing, taking us on a different journey with them with the same amount of self deprecation. 

The new single is light, fresh and probably a little heavy - the perfect formula for most millennials to bop to as summer comes to and end and we are forced back into the reality of no more summer Fridays filled with Aperol Spritz’s. Jokes aside, lyrically the song seems quite poignant as lead singer, Skyler McKee sings, “I can’t believe in anything and they know, I’m so messed up, we’re all messed up”. It’s a weird time in our world - politically, mentally, emotionally, we’re all just trying our best. This song feels like a reminder of just that with it’s California cool vibe and riffs that make you feel, better (sorry, I had to). 

Better, I think returns to the feeling captured in their 2017 self-released album, Good Luck. To me, that album feels slightly more raw and lyrically perhaps a little more meaningful with an offbeat charm. My favourite track on that album is Benjamin Alphabet, highly recommend. The new single is a good combination of the old and the new - that indie, pop-y, self deprecation we all love. They remind me of Parekh and Signh meets Noah and the Whale meets Bleachers?

I had a life and I had friends, I miss all of them. 

It’s only been four months for me, since I’ve moved back home but I miss everything, all the time. Nothing feels familiar and I keep searching for things I know I won’t find, I mean that’s what it feels like for now at least. If I wrote a list of things I miss about my city, and I’m afraid I might already be forgetting the little things. There’s so much about the life I had, about my friends that I miss every day. I miss the city and the person it allowed me to be, the person it taught me to be, the person I learned I had to be. 

I miss my friends. My friends who helped me learn more about myself as they learnt about themselves and together we figure out our various personas and how to bring about the best of each one perhaps. My friends, who helped me in more ways that they will ever know, to finally help me be comfortable in my own skin because I let them be comfortable in theirs. The community we created for ourselves that didn’t judge (fuck, you know i can be judgy) but encouraged, loved, laughed and cried as we figured out this messed up world we live in and the lives we were figuring out. I miss my friends. 

I miss the man who many times allowed me to fall apart and find myself in his arms when I thought I was falling apart. Who let me forget what was happening for a little bit when I needed to. He never felt like a stranger, but he never felt like just a friends - he felt familiar, he felt comfortable when I needed it most and I am forever thankful. 

I miss the life I had. It wasn’t easy most days. In fact many times it broke me, but every time, I picked up the pieces - some times with help, some times on my own, to put myself back together, ready to take on whatever came next. I miss the life that taught me so much, where I was constantly learning, the life that I moulded and created for myself so that I felt like I could be me, like I could feel comfortable. 

When I first heard about The Story So Far, I was not into them. They seemed like another angry band of white boys who had gone through some stuff, bad habits and heartbreak - which don’t get me wrong was very much my thing but also I just felt like Parker yelled a little too much for my liking. Cut to 2012 when I saw them live for the first time - I stood in the back because I didn’t want to get kicked in the face, I didn’t know any songs, I didn’t really take any videos or photos. I regret all of it. I wish I could’ve screamed along to every word because it’s seven years later and these dudes are pretty important to me. I got to see them in such an intimate space, during an important time for the pop punk scene in general and that weekend in Patchogue, (which i’ve written about before) was just such an important night for me. 

TSSF has been a part of the scene forever. They’ve come a long way from playing record stores in Walnut Creek, where they are originally from, to selling out shows on teh other side of the word. My favorite thing about their journey, and my journey with them, is how their music tells a story but most importantly, what one can learn from each story. It’s a story of growing up, being scared of what you know what is right or wrong but doing it anyways, of understanding the things that happen around you, and of course learning how to understand yourself. This is evident in their latest album, Proper Dose, which came out in the later part of 2018. It was highly anticipated and I think did a pretty great job of not letting anyone down. 

The album to me, was about moving on/moving forward even when things are shit - the importance of learning abut yourself enough to know when to draw a line, to call it quits and refocus. It feels especially evident in If I Fall, where Parker sings about dealing with self doubt, letting people down and problems with addiction. “Cut it short when I’m scared I can’t grow, All the loose ends that I can’t sew...”, something I think every one of us has felt a few times. But it’s also about forcing yourself to be strong enough to pick yourself up, try again and fight for whatever it is. At the end of the day, our choices are our own. 

The video for If I Fall, shot by Eric Soucy while the band was on tour in Japan, lends itself to the tone of the song. Shot on a wind up camera with Super 16/Super 8 film - Soucy could only shoot for about 23 seconds at a time, the video follows Parker thought Japan in an almost dream-like sequence, there but a little disconnected. As it is, Parker stands out of the crowds for obvious reasons, but it also parallels the idea of isolation in his lyrics of just being in a different or unfamiliar environment. That said, he also looks completely himself, almost as if to say, this is me, I’m here, I’m dealing with everything I’ve ever done (both good and bad) and I will continue to live my life being responsible for every part of it. Obviously no one is perfect but the overarching idea that we fuck up, grow up and we do our best given whatever the situation is, is an important one to remember. 

I’m probably a little late to the game with these guys considering they’ve been around since 2009, but I’m here now and that’s what matters, right? I don’t actually remember how I chanced upon these dudes a couple of weeks ago but once I heard this song I was immediately drawn in to their easy, breezy hip hop style that you want to play when the sun is shining. Their music has that same happy go lucky charm, reminiscent of Rizzle Kicks for me, a band I wish still made music together. 

When I hear this song, and many of their other ones too, I feel a sort of easiness I wish I could live in forever. It transports me to a Brooklyn rooftop (I can picture just the one) on a summer evening, you have some of your best people over, a few beers in or maybe a couple of glasses or wine, there’s chips and guac, someone brought brownies (edible or not i’ll leave that up to you to decide), someone else got some summer berries, or a watermelon maybe, and you pause to look around because you can just feel the love around you. For that one moment you aren’t worrying about anything despite the kind of day or week you might’ve been having prior. It might sound cliche but in that moment things are easy and you’re just taking it all in - you can see the city in the distance and all you can think of are all the moments that brought you here - the good and the bad. 

Who else was wishing they were at Radio 1′s Big Weekend and not stuck at home this past weekend? Good thing you can pretend you were in the crowd thanks to their YouTube channel! 

I have been listening to this new single by James Arthur since it came out earlier this month and while I wait for the day I see him live, this video from Big Weekend will have to do. Since the release of Back from the Edge in 2016, I’ve been keeping my tabs on Arthur and what he’s been up to. From his collaborations with the likes of Marshmello/Juicy J, Rudimental, Machine Gun Kelly, Martin Jensen and my personal favorite, his duet with Anne-Marie for The Greatest Showman: Reimagined, Arthur has been killing it. 

His latest single, Falling like the Stars, is a perfect example of the music Arthur’s meant to be making - a tender love song. We all know I’m a sucker for an acoustic guitar and a man talking about his emotions but that aside, there’s no denying that he isn’t completely in his element when he’s crooning. Arthur recently said it himself in an interview with iHeart Radio regarding his new album that “The core of the album has got that classic James Arthur acoustic, honest thing going on”. Arthur definitely has proved to us over time that he can lend himself to various genres but when it comes down to it - there’s nothing he does better than stripping it down to the basics with some soul stirring lyrics. 

First it was Nothing Breaks Like A Heart, featuring Miley Cyrus. Now Mark Ronson is back with Lykke Li, releasing a new single and music video as well for the next banger off his new album and all I have to say is that, I am  o b s e s s e d  with what is happening here. I’ve been a fan of Ronson since my wee days (like when I was in middle school, you know) and knew he produced for some great artists, on top of being a DJ and just all around cool guy (not that I know personally but like maybe someday?). I think it was the early 00′s when I first heard about him and his work on Lily Allen’s album which he helped produce, co-write some songs and play some instruments. 

Ronson’s work over the years has spanned genres which is something so impressive and one of the reasons I truly admire him. It’s not an easy thing to do, but he always has a fresh take on things whilst staying true to himself which I think artists can appreciate. He recently released a track with Diplo under the name Silk City, another collaboration that has me pretty excited and on the look out. Over the years, he’s worked with Christina Aguilera on Back to Basics, Amy Winehouse of Back to Black, Adele on 19, Nas, The Kaiser Chiefs, ASAP Rocky, Duran Duran, Bruno Mars, Rufus Wainwright, Solange Knowles, Father John Misty and Lady Gaga just to give us some perspective on this mans breadth of work. 

I was one of those people who related EDM with clubbing, excessive drinking and stories of drug overdoses at festivals but the more I got into the genre I learned that was not the case at all. There is so much more to this music than people give it credit for. The impact DJs have made not only on how music is made now but to performing in general, technology, media, business and marketing is undeniable. A once underground community with its many subgenres and its own culture emerged into the mainstream around 2012 and there was no stopping it. 

Tim Bergling, known to most of us as Avicii, entered most of our lives with his hit song Seek Bromance, or for some of us maybe it was Levels. Both song that upon mentioning the titles alone I can hear immediately and if I close my eyes, transports me to a memory of my younger, wilder days. If it’s not the drop in Levels that triggers you then perhaps it’s Fade Into Darkness or Silhouettes - and if it’s none of those either then maybe you were just boring and never went out. But all these songs as well as his many many other songs, remixes and collaborations take me back to a certain time and place - where I was growing and changing into the person I am today. When Avicii passed away almost a year ago now, it was the first time in my life that a musicians death truly impacted my life. 

Whilst I can’t tell you about the very first moment I heard one of Avicii’s songs, I can tell you that I knew when I heard him that he did something others could only dream of. The more I got into EDM, learning about how the music is made, about sampling, remixing, the spirit of electronic music as a whole, the more I really started respecting DJs. Avicii played music but more importantly, he played with music, remixing song, sampling from the likes of Nina Simone (Feeling Good) and Etta James (Levels), reimagining them for a new generation who didn’t even know it. He saw and heard things before any of us did, borrowing from jazz, pop, country, rock - genres that already had strong voices and sounds, reworking them and making us do a double take. 

SOS, his new single featuring Aloe Blacc who also lent vocals to his ever popular Wake Me Up, serves as a precursor to his posthumous album. The album which was about 80% complete before his unfortunate passing is being completed by good friends and fellow music producers Albin Nedler and Kristoffer Fogelmark. The album, Tim, is set to be released in June and all profits will go to the Tim Bergling Foundation whose main focus in on mental health awareness. I truly hope that the album serves as a celebration of Avicii and continues to be an example of his ability to reinvent how music is made, seen, felt and heard. 

I might write a full Citizen post in the future, but for now I want to talk about their lead vocalist Mat Kerekes. Along with being in Citizen, he is involved with his brothers band, The Flats, and is also a solo artist. I got the privilege of seeing him as Mat Kerekes last Wednesday at Mercury Lounge and it was awesome. This was my second time seeing him and it once again left me in admiration. Music is amazing and I think we all know it’s not easy but seeing bands like this, doing what they love, with the people they love, there’s a real magic to it that always leaves me so inspired. 

Kerekes first released a self titled album in 2014 but it his the release of Luna & the Wild Blue Everything, when I was like I need to keep an eye on this dude. The record really showcases some great instrumentals with strong drums, the introduction of strings, and both electric and acoustic guitar to accompany his vocals. Lyrically the album also stands out as many song have a pretty atypical song structure that don’t rely on repeating choruses or standard verse structures. The record is a departure from teh moodiness of what we know from Citizen but has such an intimacy and nuanced storytelling that shows his versatility as a singer, songwriter and musicians. 

Last month, Kerekes released two singles - Diamonds and Ruby that I’ve had on repeat since they came out and have to listen to every day. There’s a lightness to both songs that make them perfect now that the sun is starting to come out (and stay out) and winter slowly becomes spring. A couple of people online have likened the song Diamonds to being heavily influenced by Queen. I agree to a certain extent - Kerekes is definitely breaking the mold, trying something new and just being hella theatrical (all things I highly advocate). Ruby similarly has a happy go lucky vibe that will make you smile as you walk down the street (or maybe that’s just me). 

Wait - Knuckle Puck

I’m sure as you read that, each and every one of you thought of someone who feels just like home. 

For a very long time, he did feel just like home. We weren’t meant to be by any means and it didn’t last long at all. It wasn’t bad but we were just different. I knew quite quickly that it was not going to last long and probably ended things prematurely because that’s who i am - it seemed pointless to keep it going because I didn’t see it going very far and things were only going to get harder. Despite our differences, I remember thinking that when we were together, there was a familiarity and comfort there that made him feel just like home despite being so unreachable. 

It’s been a while now since that boy and I’ve grown to hear that same phrase in a different way. I know that Wait is very much aimed towards a significant other but time and consequence has made me hear that phrase with less somberness than the song suggests and perhaps more nostalgia. There are going to be people who come and go but there are also going to be lots of people who stick around and feel just like home. The anxiety and unfamiliarity of whatever you might be going though can melt away being in the company of certain people and all of a sudden there’s a nostalgia, you can feel the warmth, the happiness, the comfort, the stability of home and what you’ve been missing. This feeling and those people, are the kind of people you want when things get uncomfortable. 

I’m an Emo kid through and through. Bands like Sum 41, blink 182, The Story So Far, Neck Deep, Mayday Parade are usually on heavy rotation on my Spotify. Over the years, I’ve of course dabbled in other genres - I love EDM, old school rock and roll thanks to my dad, I live for recordings by original Broadway casts but country music? It was never really on my radar, especially growing up in Singapore. Sure I could sing along to Sweet Caroline, it’s just one of things you know but you’re not quite sure when, where or how. Same with Jolene or Take Me Home, Country Roads. But that might’ve just been from my upbringing and being a 20something year old who is generally a fan of music and pop culture. 

When one of my best friends went to college in Austin, Texas, I knew things might change, country music might be a thing I’ll have to deal with at some point. The first winter break back from colleges started the same as always, getting ready, pregaming, catching up on the new clothes we got that the other could borrow for the night when in between Calvin Harris and Nicki Minaj, a country song came on. I immediately made her skip it, then probably gave her shit for listening to country music saying that we could never be friends if she liked it and declared the fact that I would never listen to country music as long as I lived because I was a non-believer. 

Fast forward six years later, that same friend and I just spent the week in Tennessee (Nashville and Gatlinburg) and I haven’t stopped listening to country music since I’ve gotten back. Over the years I’ve grown fond of a catchy country song, and every time I visit her in Austin, I come back with at least ten new country songs on my Spotify that I have on repeat for the next few days (weeks)... Whilst I don’t related to everything country - I can’t drive a truck, I’ve never seen the sun coming up over a corn field and I don’t think I’ll ever feel the same way about a red solo cup as Toby Keith (again, born and raised far far away from all this). But country music has found it’s way into my life and there is definitely always the right time and place for it, even if it might not be every day of every week. 

Cut Yr Teeth - Kississippi

I’m sure we’ve all been there - thought something/someone was pretty much the complete opposite of what they claimed. Maybe it was a friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, someone who you might not have known very well, someone you might’ve known extremely well, a boss, a coworker, a brother, a sister, whoever it was - they let you down, bad. Time and time again, I’ve been told by friends and family that I tend to always give too much, too soon and too fast. I’m in my mid 20′s and I still haven’t learned my lesson, but I think maybe I notice it a lot more that before. But I just never understood that people might not be able to return the same energy I was giving out without a second thought to a person I cared about or wanted to care about. 

I am almost certain in this song, she’s talking about a boy and I’ve been fucked over a few times myself by boys, but it wasn’t till some recent life events that I realised this line is not limited to them at all and that was probably the most disappointing thing. But that’s also what makes lyrics so great - they provide a moment of clarity, regardless of the situation. 

Hey guys, sorry I’ve been a bit lax on the posting but I was away for a bit and then had a few life things come at me this week. 

Anyways I wanted to try something new with this post and so here it goes - lyrics. They’re used to convey a message, an emotion. I used to love buying physical copies of albums and reading through that lyrics booklet in the front as I listened through the album on my walkman/iPod/whatever. Over the years I’ve heard plenty of songs and some of them have just been catchy af, but others that stood out the most to me have lyrics that for one moment make me feel like I’m not alone. Like someone else gets what I’m feeling of have felt in the past whether or not that song relates to my exact situation. 

When I was in high school, I got this little blue notebook and over time, changes, good days and bad ones, it’s been there. I thought I wanted to use it as a diary. I told myself I’d write in it every day, but I was young and foolish and never did. Instead, I wrote down lyrics that resonated with me. Words that I knew no matter when or where I was in my life, I could pull out that book, flip through the pages and I wouldn’t feel so alone. That a string of words from a stranger would reassure me, make me understand my own thoughts, feelings and emotions. 

Hey guys, sorry I was a little caught up with some life stuff this week so this post is gonna be pretty short. But here’s a song for you to play at the pre-game this weekend! Little Mix has always been one of my guilty pleasures (sorry not sorry), when I heard this song they did with Cheat Codes I was beyond excited. Both Little Mix and Cheat Codes have a huge place in my heart for a feel good time and just enjoying the night! 

It’s 2018 and Give Up by The Postal Service is still on heavy rotation on my music listening device, fifteen years after its conception. Usually Sleeping In or Nothing Better (my favorite song off the album) might come up on shuffle every so often and when they do, it always puts a smile on my face. But over the past couple of weeks I’ve had the entire album on repeat, there’s just such a feeling of comfort in singer Benjamin Gibbard’s voice and the contrasting synth sounds from Jimmy Tamborello that always brings me back. 

An album like this is only the kind of magic that could happen when it did and while we are all holding out for a follow up, I’m kind of glad that we don’t have one (for now... and if it never comes that’s okay too). The ethereal feel of the album, as well as the bands name, comes from the back and forth tracks that Tamborello and Gibbard would send to each other. In a Sub Pop interview they gave for their 10th year anniversary of the album, they describe how they Tamborello would send Gibbard his electronic synth beats and Gibbard returned them with his melodies, chords and keys. Eventually what we got was Give Up.