The Star Online: Entertainment: Music
The Star Online: Entertainment: Music |
| Posted: 14 Oct 2011 02:41 AM PDT Taiwanese indigenous singer Rachel Liang talks about her Soulmate. LIKE any other girl, Taiwanese indigenous songbird Rachel Liang had a clear idea of the sort of soulmate she wanted, or so she thought. "I love a man who can sing well. How can a girl resist when a man serenades her," declared the singer with a laugh. "When I was little, I used to think my boyfriend should be a tribesman. Because I grew up in the mountains and all the men were the strong and healthy courageous sort who could hunt and swim and give me a wonderful sense of security. "Then, when I went to Taipei and embarked on an entertainment career. I also expanded my social circle and that made me realise that my ideal life partner need not be a tribesman. I felt it was better not to date another singer as things may get too complicated. "Now I've reached another stage in my life, where I don't bother about any criteria. It doesn't matter to me even if he is a singer. I feel that an occupation cannot determine a person's character. We've got to get to know each other before we take things further." Unlike some artistes who say they are too busy for love, Liang, thinks otherwise. "You can still take calls in a car when travelling. But, I would put a lot of effort into making a relationship work. Known in Mandopop circles as Liang Wen Yin, the pretty lass whose real name is Lehea'ne is from Taiwan's aboriginal Rukai tribe. She was born in Kaohsiung County. Looking adorable in a cute scarlet dress with matching leggings, the bubbly lass had a warm smile for everyone. She was in Kuala Lumpur recently to plug the repackaged version of her latest album, Soulmate, released in April this year. It is her third album after Love Poem and Love Always Exists. After the press conference, she conducted a showcase to promote the album. "If you are not sure, just come and listen to me sing before buying my album. I've met fans who bought a whole stack of CDs, not knowing who to share them with. I'd rather people actually get the message I'm trying to convey before buying my album. " Soulmate comes with a 10-track CD and a DVD with five music videos that include the filming of her music video for Yi Bai Wan Zhong Qing Wen (A Million Types Of Kisses). "Unlike my previous two albums, this time I worked with different musicians and producers," said the 24-year-old Liang, who is ready to move out of her comfort zone. Enjoying her newfound dance skills, Liang delighted her fans by dancing at her concert in Taiwan. "I really enjoy dancing and I've been taking lessons, so I look forward to becoming a performer who can both sing and dance. It's just that my current albums have not presented such an opportunity. But, it's different for concerts as we've got to put up a more eye-catching performance." Liang who has already staged a mini-concert in Singapore, said she hopes to perform in Malaysia soon. She also hopes to write her own songs and play musical instruments while she sings, but added that she is not the type to rush into things blindly. "My forte is ballads. I know my strengths, so I hope to take things slowly. I like to be well-prepared although I've also come to realise that perfection is not crucial. Sometimes a little slip-up here and there can send fans into a screaming frenzy!" Liang who has been appointed Taipei Tourism Ambassador, was also in Kuala Lumpur during the MATTA Fair in August to promote tours to Taipei. Liang said she was initially surprised by the appointment but enjoyed her role as tourism ambassador. "I love to travel and have fun and I truly enjoy life. Often, I'd make plans to visit places right after work, whether it's a trip to a music show or a visit to the hot springs. There are always creative and artistic events happening in and around Taipei, so you never have to worry about having nothing to do when you are there." The sweet-natured singer got her break after she was named the first runner up in Taiwanese reality TV singing competition One Million Star Season 2 in 2007. She then dabbled in some acting, notably in the 2008 Taiwanese box-office hit Cape No.7, Taiwan's highest grossing domestic film which swept six awards at Taiwan's 2008 Golden Horse Awards. She has also acted in TV series like Roseate Love (2009) and Happy Together (2009). > Rachel Liang's Soulmate is distributed by Universal Music and available in local stores. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Posted: 14 Oct 2011 02:39 AM PDT When it comes to new and exciting British guitar rock noise, The Vaccines are the fresh voices making all the din. WHAT should you expect from The Vaccines? Well, if you like catchy, guitar-driven pop rock music, you can expect quite a bit of that from this four-piece band from London. Comprising Justin Young (guitars and vocals), Árni Hjörvar (bass), Freddie Cowan (guitars) and Pete Robertson (drums), the band's debut album What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? is still the biggest selling debut album of 2011 in Britain, peaking at No. 4 on the Brit charts (in March). As a result, the young London outfit has been hailed as saviours of British guitar rock, and, worryingly enough, such a reputation tends to come with unrealistic expectations and pressure. It is a title that has Robertson wincing visibly when the subject is brought up during an interview backstage with the drummer at the Splendour In The Grass Music and Arts Festival at Woodford, Australia, where The Vaccines played in July. "I never thought guitar music was dead. People have been predicting the death of rock 'n' roll since Jim Morrison wrote Rock Is Dead in 1969! It's got a lot of life left," he said. "Guitar music will always been there; there are a million venues in London and New York that are busy every week with guitar bands. There just isn't that many guitar bands making an impact on a commercial level." Still, with Oasis breaking up, Blur in permanent limbo, and no new bands making any significant impact since the Arctic Monkeys in 2006, The Vaccines have stepped in nicely to fill the void left behind by these Britpop veterans. Judging from the buzzworthy tunes of What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?, the band is certainly heading down the right track. Kicking off with the frenzied Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra), the album includes some pop gems such as the splendid Wetsuit (which was one of the highlights of its set at Splendour), the cheekily catchy Post Break-Up Sex and of course, a more polished but still excellent If You Wanna. On stage, the band sounds even better. The group's bubblegum pop fascination may have sounded more raw and less polished live, but the lads made up for it with youthful exuberance and energy that recalls a younger Arctic Monkeys. In less than two years, the band has already drawn comparisons with influential names like Jesus And Mary Chain and The Ramones, and has even been called the "British Strokes." Incidentally, The Vaccines will release its new double A-side single Wetsuit / Tiger Blood on Dec 4. The new track Tiger Blood was recorded with Albert Hammond Jr at the helm, with the Strokes guitarist adding riffs during the recordings at his home studio in New York. Next month, The Vaccines have also secured some prime exposure when it supports Arctic Monkeys on a mostly sold out British arena tour. Fortunately, the band members, in their early 20s, are not letting this new-found success get to their heads. "Since the first time we played together, we've never had any pre-conceived ideas of success or commercial appeal. But I always knew we were doing something right," said Robertson. The process of becoming The Vaccines began early last year, when Young and Cowan got together and started playing around with some ideas. All four members of the band had been involved with projects in the London music scene that had got them stuck in a rut, according to Robertson. "We were all in musical environments that were rather unfulfilling. I was playing session drums for solo artistes, Árni was doing his own thing, Justin had a solo project that didn't quite take off... and we all felt that we were in a position where we needed to reignite the fire, and to rediscover the passion and joy of playing in a band again," he said. "We needed to rediscover what it was like when we were kids, so we all quit our jobs and threw ourselves into the deep end. Jumping into the unknown gave us a real sense of urgency, but we clicked very quickly and responded really well." The band had another stroke of good fortune when British radio deejay Zane Lowe, host of BBC Radio 1's The Zane Lowe Show, heard its material and quickly became a fan. Lowe is well-known for championing new music through his show, and has been instrumental in kick-starting the careers of the Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs and Gnarls Barkley, to name a few. "That was pretty exciting. He played an early demo of If You Wanna on his show, and named it 'Hottest Record In The World'," recalled Robertson about the early buzz. "That was when we took a step back and thought that this might actually get us somewhere..." > This trip to Splendour In The Grass was made possible by AirAsia X. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Outkast rapper Big Boi to settle drug charges Posted: 13 Oct 2011 05:53 PM PDT MIAMI: Grammy Award-winning Outkast rapper Big Boi will avoid jail time on drug charges in Florida if he passes several drug tests and performs community service, prosecutors said Thursday. The Atlanta-based rapper, whose real name is Antwan Patton, was arrested in Miami after leaving a cruise ship in August. Authorities accused him of having drugs including ecstasy and MDMA powder, according to an arrest report. In court Thursday, the 36-year-old rapper accepted an agreement that could lead to the two felony drug possession charges he faces being dropped. Big Boi will be required to report to court for monthly drug tests for three months, the Miami prosecutor's office said. He must complete 30 hours of community service and donate $2,000 to charities. The charges will be dropped if he remains drug-free and stays out of trouble for three months, but will be refiled if he does not meet all the conditions, according to prosecutors. Defense attorney Richard Hersch said Big Boi was eligible for the judicial monitoring program because he has a clean record and does not have a problem with substance abuse. ''There's no admission of guilt that is involved with it,'' Hersch told Reuters. Outkast was formed by Andre Benjamin (who later became known as Andre 3000) and Patton (Big Boi) in the 1990s with a distinct brand of southern-influenced hip hop music. The pair scored several hits over the years including pop song ''Hey Ya'' from 2003 album, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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