The Star Online: Entertainment: Music
The Star Online: Entertainment: Music |
| Posted: 15 Nov 2011 01:45 AM PST When it comes to melting hearts and bringing the house down, count on Indonesian indie outfit White Shoes And The Couples Company to get the job done. Flying under most people's radars, Indonesia's most famous indie pop export White Shoes And The Couples Company made its second appearance in Kuala Lumpur last week. The group's first KL appearance was part of a big multi-band concert held at Sungai Wang Plaza's rooftop in 2008. While that first live appearance surely won over quite a few new fans for this Jakarta-based sextet, it wasn't quite the full-length set that its fans were hoping for. An opportunity to rectify that arose last Wednesday night when the band headlined its own show, organised by the good people from Frinjan, at one of the very few venues left in town to cater to niche crowds and music, the Black Box at MAP @ Publika, in Solaris Dutamas in KL. Formed in 2002, White Shoes And The Couples Company, which started off as a bunch of art school students and musicians, has received critical acclaim (there are glowing reviews in Time and Rolling Stone magazines) for its recordings as well as a sizeable cult following in the region. Looking retro and chic, the group – featuring vocalist Sari (Aprilia Apsari), guitarists Saleh Hussein and Rio (Yusmario Farabi), bassist Ricky Surya Virgana, keyboardist Mela (Apri Mela Prawidyanti Virgana) and drummer John Navid – effortlessly oozed indie cool and charm. The turnout for the show was a good one – considering the by-word-of-mouth buzz. Some slight technical problems during the soundcheck led to a "Malaysian time" delay to the start of the gig, but that didn't dampen the excitement of the 450-strong crowd that packed the venue once the doors opened. The opening band was the 13-piece Khottal from Malacca – it did the best it could with the underwhelming sound quality that night, which plagued not only the group's set but everyone else's as well. Khottal, which had made the road trip to KL the same day, kept up its smiles and energy levels despite the sound problems. With its signature tune Woo Song as the closing act, Khottal ended with an awesome display of destruction as the band members took turns to abuse and destroy two unfortunate melodicas on stage. Next up was French act Saycet, which mellowed things with a hypnotic set, thanks to the combination of the group's brand of bleeps and beats and some spiffy visuals using two projectors and some creatively designed curtains and canvas. With a nicely cosmopolitan feel to the crowd, which included Indonesian college students, Malaysian scenesters and music fans, and even some French expats, it seemed obvious that everyone was waiting for the main act White Shoes to step on stage. Better late than never. Once the Indonesian band members, all in their early 30s, hit the spotlight at about 11.30pm, the crowd simply went wild at the playback of opening song Berjalan-jalan (from White Shoes' latest album, Album Vakansi). The group then rolled smoothly into Sabda Alam, from the original soundtrack to the film Berbagi Suami. Without too much opening banter, thesix-piece band went straight into the groovy Roman Ketiga, one of the highlights from its mini album Skenario Masa Muda. By the time it reached the bubbly Masa Remadja from the latest album, it became apparent that White Shoes in a live setting is a totally different beast compared to its album recordings, and I mean this in the best possible way. While the albums are pleasant and very slickly performed indie pop affairs, seeing frontwoman Sari and the band bash out these songs with so much energy will make you realise that this bunch is quite the rock 'n' roll unit. With a healthy touch of retro Indonesian music (some might even say that its songs remind them strongly of the glory days of Uji Rashid and Hail Amir), it was hard to fault the band's live spirit as it battled the night's technical glitches. The way drummer John gleefully attacked the catchy drum fills on Masa Remadja meant it was definitely party scenes to remember. Add that with the dancing styles of bassist Ricky and the attention-grabbing solos and poses from lead guitarist Saleh, and you had one heck of an infectious pop rocking outfit! By the time it reached the early hits Senandung Maaf and Windu Dan Defrina, the group had the crowd practically eating out of its hands without even having to prompt anyone into singing along. Lead singer Sari's elegantly choreographed moves and the fetchingly beautiful keyboardist Mela served as eye candy for the boys in the hall. Rhythm guitarist Rio was probably the most understated member of the band, dutifully providing the steady backbone and laying down the foundations for the more flamboyant antics from the lead guitarist and bassist. After playing for about an hour, the group ended with a rollicking version of the Vampire Weekend-sounding Matahari, but not before the crowd screamed for one more, which the band dutifully obliged. Aksi Kucing was a fun-filled encore led by a hugely impressive drum solo from John, before the entire band got the crowd to participate in the call-and-response ("meow meow") part of the song. It was a fittingly wonderful end to a blissful night of indie pop goodness. Let's hope we can all share this happiness again in the near future, so don't throw away those dancing shoes yet! Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Chance to win Elton John concert tickets Posted: 14 Nov 2011 05:46 PM PST PETALING JAYA: The treats just keep getting better when it comes to The Star's 40th anniversary celebrations. The Star is giving away 20 pairs of Sir Elton John & Band – Greatest Hits Tour concert tickets and accommodation in Genting Highlands to readers via the Elton, My Idol! contest. The 64-year-old veteran singer is making his Malaysian debut at the Arena of Stars, Resorts World Genting, on Nov 22 and The Star wants to get you there for it. The flamboyant Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee is set to entertain fans with a career-spanning concert at the 6,000-capacity venue. Visit contests.thestar.com.my/eltonmyidol/ for a chance to win the tickets and accommodation. Print or download the contest form, answer two simple questions and complete a slogan/tie-breaker. Entries must come complete with personal particulars. Send the form to The Star via e-mail (scanned copy – to eventsthestar@gmail.com), fax (03-7957 7641 / 03-7958 6912) or drop it into the contest box at the lobby of Menara Star at 15, Jalan 16/11, in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. The closing date for entries is at noon tomorrow. The contest is open to all readers aged 12 and above. Winners will be contacted by phone or e-mail and they will have to collect their tickets at the contest counter at the Arena of Stars – an hour before the show on Nov 22. After a five-decade-long career, 250 million records sold and winning multiple Grammy awards, the concert is worth the wait. Elton has gathered a crowd pleasing setlist on this current tour, featuring 1970s classics like Your Song, Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting), Rocket Man, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Candle In The Wind, Tiny Dancer and Crocodile Rock, right to 1980s favourites such as I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues, I'm Still Standing, Sad Songs (Say So Much). The Star is the official newspaper for the event. Show promoters Tune Live, organisers Fat Boys, local producer Scenique and regional promoter Live Limited have indicated Elton's show will have all the concert trimmings and visual spectacle of a full international production. Visit www.airasiaredtix.com for tickets, ranging from RM380 to RM1,380. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Posted: 14 Nov 2011 02:39 PM PST Singers Yuna and Najwa emerged the biggest winners at the Anugerah Industri Muzik 2011 awards. Girl power reigned supreme at the Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM) 2011 awards last Saturday. Last year's big winner, Yuna, made history again when she emerged the top of the crop at the star-studded affair in Bukit Jalil's Putra Stadium, Kuala Lumpur. The 18th edition of the annual awards – which left its traditional home of the Putra World Trade Centre, KL, after so many years and was pushed to a year-end date – was a trimmed down affair with the major album categories (pop, rock, hip hop, etc) dropped from this year's awards. This exercise in consolidation wasn't popular in many circles. A media backlash ensued in recent months with boycotts threatened and local music blogs going into overdrive with their critical assessment of how the AIM 2011 was presented and organised by the Recording Industry of Malaysia. Yet the need to hand out 18 awards at AIM 2011 was the priority and the show went on with just enough shine and glamour. Yuna, whose real name is Yunalis Zarai, bagged awards for the Best Vocal Performance (female) and the Best Song of the Year with her single Penakut. The singer-songwriter was also presented with the Anugerah Kembara in recognition of her musical success overseas, most notably in the United States. "I did not expect to win but I'm really happy and I'll try to do even better in the future," the 24-year-old told us in an interview after the show. The indie pop darling, who began writing songs at just 14, said the accolades are her "passport" to making better music. "I'm driven to work even harder," she shared. The combination of rich, supple vocals and her sweet, weeping guitar propelled the singer into the limelight in 2006. Her rapid ascent on the indie music scene was backed by her burgeoning legion of fans on MySpace. Last February, she signed with the FADER Label, a hip record company based in New York, the United States. Perhaps the most endearing thing about the singer is her staunch insistence to stay true to herself. "There isn't a specific 'Malaysian flavour' attached to my music," she said. Yuna certainly isn't one to hop on the populist bandwagon. Her personal thoughts and emotions reflect most in her music. "I like to experiment with different sounds but my music stays the same wherever I am, whether I am doing it in Malaysia or in the United States. The only difference is the way they work with post-production over there," she said. Yuna fans take note – her first American album (following her Decorate EP) is slated for a February release next year. Meanwhile, her sophomore Malaysian album will hit stores in January. The other big winner at AIM 2011 was the plucky newcomer Najwa. Just like Yuna, who travels home often from the US, Najwa is also a frequent long-distance flier – she is studying music in Boston. The singer kicked off the night with a power-packed medley of local Malay and English songs. "It's great that I finally got to showcase my personality. I sing mostly in English and I've been doing mostly soul music, so I was really happy to be given a chance to perform songs from a variety of genres. I did asli (traditional) songs and I rapped and I enjoyed it so much!" she enthused. Najwa, whose real name is Najwa Mahiaddin, beat fellow industry rookies James Baum, Reza Salleh, Kyoto Protocol and Projek Pistol to clinch the Best New Artiste award. She also won the Best Local English Song for Got To Go, from her Innocent Soul album. "To be honest, it still feels surreal. AIM is something I grew up watching and it's great to be acknowledged for my music," said the singer, who was teary and emotional on stage. While neo-soul is still a niche concern in these parts, the 25-year-old took on the challenge to familiarise Malaysian audiences with the balmy sounds of the genre with Innocent Soul. "I wouldn't say I've been pushing to popularise neo-soul, but I believe that more and more people are starting to accept the genre with Innocent Soul and that's great. "Most people would expect a Malay girl to sing in Malay, but I'm proof that you don't necessarily have to adhere to stereotypes. I didn't do a Malay album as my debut but that didn't stop people from appreciating my music or relating to it." Najwa also revealed plans for her next album. "I do have plans to start writing some new songs but they're still in the preliminary stages. Nothing's concrete as of yet. "But I do want to experiment with new sounds or add some new elements in my next album. The core of it will still be soul, but I don't want to limit myself to just one sound," she explained. She will also be performing at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in May next year. "It's my first big solo concert," she said excitedly. She has already started to work on the set-list for the two-hour performance. At the awards show, the coveted Album of the Year award went to jazz queen Datuk Sheila Majid, 46, with the live album The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra Celebrates 25 Years Of Sheila Majid. Meanwhile, pop divas Ning Baizura, Shila Amzah and Jaclyn Victor clinched the Best Group Vocal Performance with their heart-wrenching ballad Beribu Sesalan. The dapper Anuar Zain, always the man for a good pop tune, maintained his star appeal with two awards in the bag – Best Performance in a Song (Male) and Best Pop Song with Sedetik Lebih. Indie singer-songwriter Reza Salleh scored a major triumph for the non-mainstream by winning the coveted Best Engineered Album with his Realize debut. Self-financed to the tune of RM50,000, this album was released under Reza's Moonshine Records imprint. Aizat Amdan, one of the hottest properties in the new Malay mainstream and beyond, proved he could write a song and also make it a cool visual experience – he won the Best Music Video for the swinging schoolyard action on Susun Silang Kata. The young man's sophomore album Urusan Aizat Amdan also won the Best Album Cover with its unique "postal service" packaging. Back to the night's girl power theme, a definite link to the past was the Anugerah Sri Wirama award handed to Beh Suat Pheng. Affectionately known as "Mrs Beh", she was a rare female presence as one of the captains of the music industry during her 37 years with EMI Malaysia and EMI regional. American pop star Greyson Chance performed as a special guest at the awards show. The 14-year-old, hailed as the next Justin Bieber, did a rendition of his hit single, Waiting Outside The Lines, as well as Lady Gaga's Paparazzi with local YouTube sensation, Najwa Latif. Despite the presence of some notable local, rather sophisticated and classy performances on stage (Yuna, Najwa, Jaclyn Victor, Ning Baizura and Shila Amzah), the general entertainment value at AIM 2011 felt rather padded up and, at times, overtly animated and cheesy with hosts AC Mizal and comedian Zizan Razak on board. Perhaps, just as well since cartoon characters Upin and Ipin were also hired to jazz up the night. Major winners Album of the Year – The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra Celebrates 25 Years Of Sheila Majid by Sheila Majid Song of the Year – Penakut by Yuna Best Group Vocal Performance – Beribu Sesalan by Ning Baizura, Shila Amzah and Jaclyn Victor Best Vocal Performance in a Song (Female) – Penakut by Yuna Best Vocal Performance in a Song (Male) – Sedetik Lebih by Anuar Zain Best New Artiste – Najwa Best Local English Song – Got To Go by Najwa Best Rock Song – Pelita by A.P.I. Best Pop Song – Sedetik Lebih by Anuar Zain Best Ethnic Pop Song – Joget Tak Senang Hati by Adibah Noor Best Engineered Album – Realize by Reza Salleh Best Music Video – Susun Silang Kata by Aizat Amdan Anugerah Sri Wirama – Beh Suat Pheng Anugerah Kembara – Yuna Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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