Daphne Loves Derby

Here's an indie band formed in Washington who are truly greatful to the internet. Thanks to the world wide web, that's how the band met and that's how they pretty much got their demos known to the world, and magically got to actually pick a label.

Daphne Loves Derby's new album is due 27 March, titled Good Night, Witness Light will showcase the bands breathty vocals ala The Shins and lyrics about life's ups and downs.

Silversun Pickups - indie with a dose of grunge

Want dreamy, melodic, stonner, grungy tunes? Get a load of the Silversun Pickups. They've become one of my favourite indie rock outfits ever since i listened to the grungy-the breeders-like song, Well Thought Out Twinkles. It's raw, has a good riff, and a real good swing to it.

Silversun Pickups (SSPU) can be heard in this season's The OC. Tracks include Lazy Eye and Rusted Wheel. According to Eric Shea of Rhapsody.online, "the Silversun Pickups rightfully garner many a comparison to alt-rock '90s heroes the Smashing Pumpkins". Their album Carnavas was released last year (2006). I'm simply hoping to hear more of them soon, after their current Spring tour with Snow Patrol.

ASH - New Album out soon!

Finally! A new album. Y'all remmeber Ash right? Ya' know, Girl From Mars, Goldfinger...yeah anyway, they've got a new album coming up. No official name mentioned yet, it's all hush hush. But Tim Wheeler has announced the lead single to be You Can't Have It All. According to him, "it's a bitch love song dealing with bi-popular emotions. It's got a really big driving bassline and the beat in the verses is almost dancey".

Another track described is Saskia which is said to have an Easter European feel to it. Also said to be inspired by the great Davis Bowie. Now, that's something I wanna listen too.

Already out in the internet is I Started A Fire which sounds well...not that bad. Was actually expecting more from 'em. But given the fact that they're a 3-piece outfit again, the fans may just forgive the lads. That's right, Charlotte Hatherley has left the boysin pursuit of her solo career.

Anywayz....i hope Ash feeds the fans a dose of kool bubble-gum songs if you'd like to call it that. But I'm glad the lads are back.

Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood goes Reggae

That's right folks. The skinny dude of Radiohead's got some Jamaican flava up his sleeves. Jonny Greenwood is the Controler is what the album's called and is due to be released March 6. The album's a compilation of 17 reggae tracks from the archives of the legendary Trojan Records.

Word on the block is that Greenwood went through a 6-month reggae crash course to prepare for this project. I've had a listen to one of his works, Delroy Wilson's This Life Makes Me Wonder. Pretty good stuff MAN!

Gym Class Heroes - so cool, so funky.

With guitars so snappy, bass lines so groovy, and beats that make you head-bop, Gym Class Heroes serves music lovers with a dish of indie cum hip hop. How often do you get that?

Under Pete Wentz's (Fall Out Boy) label, Decaydance Records, this quartet has been labeled "too rock for hip-hop and too hip-hop for rock". Look's like they have a close relationship with FOB, because you can even find Patrick Stump (FOB vocal) featured on Clothes Off (Track 4) from their As Cruel As School Children album.

Tracks to look out for: The Queen & I, Shoot Down the Stars, 7 Weeks.

Fall Out Boy's Infinity on High out in stores now!

Infinity on High. That's the new album by pop-punk-rock band Fall Out Boy. It's in the stores now!

The lead single, This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race was really electrifying when it hit the airwaves. The music video was ...well , entertaining.

Oh, did I mention that Jay-Z is featured on the album too? Yeah...he is on Car Crash Hearts. Check it out guys, this one album you gotta own!

Here's the lyrics to This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race for those who wanan sing along with the music clip at this page:

I am an arms dealer

Fitting you with weapons in the form of words

And don't really care which side wins

As long as the room keeps singing

That's just the business I'm in

This ain't a scene, it’s a god damn arms race

This ain't a scene, it’s a god damn arms race

This ain't a scene, it’s a god damn arms race

I'm not a shoulder to cry on

But, I digress

I'm a leading man

And the lies I weave are oh-so intricate [x2]

I wrote the gospel on giving up(You look pretty sinking)

But the real bombshells have already sunk(Prima-donnas of the gutter)

At night we're painting your trash gold while you sleep

Crashing not like hips or cars,

No, more like parties

This ain't a scene, it’s a god damn arms race

This ain't a scene, it’s a god damn arms race

This ain't a scene, it’s a god damn arms race

Bandwagon's full

Please, catch another

I'm a leading man

And the lies I weave are oh-so intricate [x2]

All the boys who the dance floor didn't love

And the girls who's lips couldn't move fast enough

Sing, until your lungs give out

This ain't a scene, it’s a god damn arms race

This ain't a scene, it’s a god damn arms race(Now you)

This ain't a Scene, it’s a god damn arms race(Wear out the groove)

This ain't a Scene, it’s a god damn arms race(Sing out loud)

This ain't a Scene, it’s a god damn arms race(Oh, oh)
I'm a leading manAnd the lies I weave are oh-so intricate [x2]

WOo0 The AdrenalinE!!! It makes me wanna RISE AGAINST!!!

Rise Against! Such energy. Such passion. Such adrenaline. Such is the expression I'd give to this melodic-underground-angst-punk outfit. If this band was a brand, you know what the USPs would be? It would be the seasoned vocals that blend so well with raw guitars.

For the past 2 months, I've been listening to both their albums, The Sufferer & The Witness and Siren Song of The Counter-Culture. Boy have both the entire albums motivated me! You know how it is sometimes when there's this one or two particular tracks that just give you a push in life. A reason to go on and stuff like that. Well, this is one band that does it well for me.

Lyrically, they make one listen to the words. Musically, it just bursts with so much energy. They kinda remind me of the earlier days of Offspring's Smash album. Yeah, it's that kinda energy! Those who have played Need For Speed Underground would be familiar with their hit song, Give it All, a track packed with adrenaline.

All in all, this is one fantastic band. Thumbs up for sure!

My rating: 9.5/10

Experimental post-hardcore-art-punk. What a mouthful. They are 'The Blood Brothers'.

Well, how about it? A band with 2 vocalists, uses the laptop as part of their equipment, loads of screaming and drumming that seems as if the drummer was in a hurry to get to the loo. This is Seattle based band, The Blood Brothers.

These guys have pretty hard stuff. Some tunes got me off fine. Some were just too much for me to digest. Check out their album, Young Machetes and see if you can handle it.

Flyleaf makes beautiful rock

Flyleaf is one outfit that rocks my world! They're loud, a pinch dark, melodious, and raw. Headed by rock chick Lacey Mosley, she delivers songs that carry a positive message although it's musically brought across as heavy. Medium-to-heavey actually. So, to all you pop people out there...rock is not always about death!

Flyleaf's self titled debut album echoes songs about abuse, neglect, addiction and dysfunction, and messages about overcoming adversity. Take f or example the lyrics from Fully Alive:

Telling layla's story spoken,
About how all her bones are broken,
hammers fall on all the peices,
two months in the cover creases,

Fully alive, more than most
ready to smile and love life.
Fully alive and she knows,
How to believe in futures.

What does 'flyleaf' actually mean? A flyleaf is ablank page at the front of a book. It's a dedication page, the place you write a message to someone you're giving a book to. According to Mosley, that's what their songs are about - a personal message that provide a few moments of clarity before the story begins.

Great album folks!

My rating: 7/10

Scarlett Johansson to sing?

That’s right! Yet another film star is having a go at musical stardom. Is it so easy these days? We've seen Hillary Duff, Lindsay Lohan, and *gulp* David Hasslehoff! Now Scarlett? I mean, a basketballer can’t actually be good in baseball can he? There’s no offence to you MJ.

But anyway, Scarlett Johansson is already said to be working on her debut album, Scarlett Sings Tom Waits. Yes, the singer-songwriter Tom Waits who’s responsible for the hit, Ole '55 which the Eagles covered So, little miss beautiful intends to do a cover album of Tom Waits. It’s not gonna be easy, gal! But if she does cut it, she might as well be the perfect celebrity who can sing, act and seduce the fans!

Incubus' 5th Studio Album - 28 November, 2006

Brandon Boyd and the boys have always gained good praises for their sense of alternative rock. I was so delighted to hear that Incubus are at it again with their latest release, Light Grenades, due 28 November.

They've had 3 years of absence and I'll be expecting a whole damn lotta adrenaline rushing songs from them.

Guitarist, Mike Einziger said in an interview with MTV, "...it sounds like 13 different bands playing 13 different songs."

Alright, to some fans, that may sound like a dissapointment. But come on, maybe they won't be way too experimental. They've done so well with the freedom the fans have given them. Their first single, Anna Molly sounds damn good. The music video is even better (it should be playing on the right side of the main page).

Don't forget the grab the album!!!

Track Listing:
1. Quicksand
2. Kiss to Send Us Off
3. Dig
4. Anna Molly
5. Love Hurts
6. Light Grenades
7. Earth to Bella (Part I)
8. Oil and Water
9. Diamonds and Coal
10. Rogues
11. Paper Shoes
12. Pendulous Threads
13. Earth to Bella (Part II)

CRANK - the motion picture soundtrack

To those of you who have watched this bloody awesome movie, you'll be dissapointed to know that the soundtrack doesn't live up to the movie's praises.

Song list:
Metal Health - Quiet Riot • Trix are for Kids - The Crowd • Bandera - Control Machete • New Noise - Refused • China Town - Paul Haslinger • Kill all the White Man - NoFX • Everybody's Talkin' - Harry Nilsson • Turn Me Loose - Loverboy • Haitian Cab Ride - Paul Haslinger • Achy Breaky Heart - Jarrett & Long • Adrenalina - David Rolas • Bring us Bullets - Rocket from the Crypt • Let's Get it On - Gerald Levert • Does She Know? - Paul Haslinger • Stayin' Alive - The Sleeping • Meva Juan - Roberto Tuscon feat Erica Garcia • Guasa, Guasa - Tego Calderon • Miracles - Jefferson Starship

Fish Leong - Kissin the Future of Love

I would say that Fish's new album, Kissing the Future of Love (親親) is what you should be listening to on an easy weekend. Some of the tracks are ‘cute’. The marriage of guitar-violin works and her sweet vocals are perfect. The whole album gives me a feeling of bedroom-made songs. It's like 'dreamy' in a sense. Oh, and there’s a Hokkien track to! Good stuff. Out in stores now.

My favourite tracks are Nuan Nuan" (暖暖), Xing Fu Yang Guo Zi Dian" (幸福洋菓子店), and Fei Yu" (飛魚).

My Rating: 6/10

Track Listing:
•Si Ji" (四季)
•Nuan Nuan" (暖暖)
•Ke Le Jie Zhi" (可乐戒指)
•Shi Yi" (失忆)
•Qin Qin" (亲亲)
•Xing Fu Yang Guo Zi Dian" (幸福洋菓子店)
•Xiao Shou La Da Shou" (小手拉大手)
•Fei Yu" (飛魚)
•Bu Shi Wo Bu Ming Bai" (不是我不明白)
•Xiao Xin Yan" (小心眼)
•Han Guo Tou" (憨过头)
•Xu" (序)

Ryan Star to perform in Kuala Lumpur

Wo Wo Wo Wo. Ryan 'The Darkhorse' Star rides down to KL, Malaysia this November 16, 2006 with his swordlike vocals. The man who rocked the socks out of Supernova is set to rock its Malaysian fans at Zouk. Pretty small scale huh? I expect to see loads of chicks flocking over to catch a glimpse of dear Ryan.

Will keep you guys posted on ticketing.

Rocktoons anyone?

Hey Peeps... Ever imagined how your favourite rockers would look like if they were from a cartoon. This is cool check out http://rocktoons.com/.

Welcome to the Black Parade - a taste of chemical

This is probably one of the few recent bands that have caught my attention due to their dynamic musicality and drummer boy beats and simple riffs (even though it may sound a little mainstream).

My Chemical Romance first got my interest when I listened to Helena sometime back. And now, I'm eager to see what they have to offer with a new album from their popish like couldron of so called darkness - The Black Parade is due October 24 on Reprise Records.

I'm not sure what to expect but their single, Welcome to the Black Parade sounds like a decent song. The Black Parade has been rumoured to have offended some people due to its racist conotation. But come on...did anyone sue Johnnie Walker with its BLACK LABEL?

So anyway, check out more on MCM at http://www.mychemicalromance.com/. Be it you glorify these lads or not, they're doing their job well in their own way. OK, maybe I shouldn’t say it’s their job…..They’re expressing their passion well in their own way.

Hinder - And rock came back to life. Thank goodness!

"Honey why are you calling me so late
It's kinda hard to talk right now
Honey why are you crying is everything okay
I gotta whisper 'cause I can't be too loud
Well, my girl's in the next room
Sometimes I wish she was you
I guessed we never really moved on
It's really good to hear your voice saying my name
It sounds so sweet
Coming from the lips of an angel...."

Part of the lyrics from Oklohoma's vey own Hinder hit - Lips of an Angel which is receiving good response in the airwaves now. Lead by charismatic leadman, Austin Winkler, Hinder is aiming at bringing rock back to life. Honsetly, we need it. Enough showboaters. It's about time someone did something about it. And I gotta hand it to these five lads...they actually took a personal loan just to record their stuff. Talk about dedication!

Fans of bands like Default, Seether, and Buckcherry would probably be receptive towards Hinder's offerings which was released 2 days ago on 27 September 2006 under the Universal label. Notable tracks are Get Stoned, Room 21, and my personal favourite Lips of an Angel.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Ryan Hui follows father's footsteps

Son of Sam (Sam Hui that is) , Ryan Hui is out with his solo album entitled RYANEP. Now, what really got me interested into reviewing this lad was actually his japanase sleeve tatoo (saw it in a magazine) so I figured, we hardly see canto singers with exposed tats, so why not review Ryan). His EP was released 10 August 2006 and he's currently doing shows around Hong Kong, more details can be found at his site: www.ryanhuimusic.com.

Well, from what I've listened - In My Mind is mind blowing in a sense that it has that Greenday like riff and melody. You know, the muted riffs in verses and full fledged distortion guitarworks in the Chorus. If you ask me, it's got that Western touch to it.

On Her Own is a little mainstream, ballad-like number. I won't be surprised if this is already a favourite. Nice violins at the background. But somehow, the energy of Ryan's voice can't be felt.

Another number - Black Clouds... I like the indie feel to it. Sounds a little Taking Back Sunday woithout the screams.

All in all, pretty good stuff.

My Rating 5/10

OneRepublic. Ever heard of 'em?

I was doing a search on some bands and I came across this wonderful track which had a beautiful riff and warm lyrics. It was from a band called OneRepublic and the track's called Mercy and starts of like this:

"Angel of Mercy, how did you find me? Where did you read my story? Pull from the paper, desperate and hardened, seeking a momentary fix"

Now how would lyrics like that not stop your curiosity of listening on, especially when it's got great music backing it. So I carried on listening to this band's other tracks - All We Are, Apologize, Goodby Apathy, and Stop and Stare. Most of them were beautiful, simply beautiful. They were songs of hope, frustration and despair.

Fans of U2, The Fray, and Keane would probably love the sounds of OneRepublic. Check 'em out at http://www.myspace.com/onerepublic. Lyrically, I love them. But I don't really see them being as big as U2.

Cheers!

Ryan "the darkhorse" Star - Supernova will regret kicking him off

Supernova said he was the most evolved talent on the show but yet they kicked him off? I was devistated when they eliminated Ryan Star. It was a ridiculous call. If you asked me who should not still be there, it's Lukas. Man, he's goth material, not Supernova-like! Ryan's such a talented songwriter/musician/singer. I became a fan of him immediately when I heard his phenomenal performance of R.E.M.'s Losing My Religion. The video clip is at the right side of this page. Just click on it to watch.

So be it. Let Supernova make a mistake. Ryan's already departed from his band, Stage (Maverick Records) and since then pursue his solo career. And he's got some good stuff that will definitely capture the ears and hearts of fans which listen to Coldplay, Fiona Apple, and Ben Folds just to name a few to describe his genre. He's already been rumoured to be soon touring with brit, Corrine Bailey Rae.

Ryan's career WILL sail smooth. He's already having his share of publicity in the industry - opening for Avril Lavigne and Gavin DeGraw, toured with Bon Jovi and Chevelle, and hit many headlines.

His debut album, Songs From The Eye of the Elephant is a burst of intense talent (more than one will ever expect from Supernova). He performed one of his originals on the show - Back of Your Car. A song about making love as the world was coming to an end. The concept itself speaks his creativity. It's such an emotional song and you can just feel every single word in your bones. So Ordinary is gonna be another hit for its beautiful lyrics and great melody. Losing your Memory will haunt its mellow tune. Watch out for the bridge on this song...it's so so so passionate!

Ryan.....you deserve more than just being in a rock band like Supernova. You deserve to take on the music world.

Album Rating: 7/10