We're not quite sure if The Pains of Being Pure at Heart belongs in Bangkok or not, but they sure are coming to show us how pure their hearts are. Mark February 27 on your calendar for another extravagant indie outing.
If the sound of '90s lo-fi pop rock is right up your alley, you shouldn't want to miss this gig for that's what The Pains of Being Pure at Heart is all about. With whispery vocals and strong guitar fuzz, Kip Berman (vocals/guitar), Peggy Wang (keyboards/ vocals), Alex Naidus (bass) and Kurt Feldman (drums) whisk the listeners off to another dream land. They sound young and old at the same time, and that, for once, is a great thing.
Hailing from New York, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart first gained recognition back in 2007 with their eponymous EP. It took these New Yorkers two more years to finally release their self-titled debut album, which took them around the world, playing major festivals on every continent. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart maximises their subtle and bashful charms to recruit solid followings.
Second album, Belong, came out last year. And you can see for yourself in Bangkok why The Pains of Being Pure at Heart will be around for a while.
The concert is at Sonic, Ekamai. Tickets cost 800 baht. Doors open at 8pm. Buy ticket online at www.facebook.com/haveyouheard.live
_ Onsiri Pravattiyagul
New Day
It wasn't much of a fanfare when legendary rock duo Assanee and Wasant Chotikul left GMM Grammy. Then again, who would want to trumpet such travesty? The Chotikul brothers, after all, are as iconic as it gets, and their brand of Thai rock has propelled the giant label onto its highest popularity in one way or another.
The brothers haven't really released anything solid for a long time now. They've done a song or two here and there, and all of them have always been well received. There's no need to worry about them as their stadium shows will always be sold out, no matter what decade we're in.
But now they're back with Wan Mai (New Day), a collaboration with Coca Cola Thailand under its latest campaign. The track is a brainchild of "smallroom" music label who reportedly worked closely with the brothers. Wan Mai is fresh and detailed yet manages to maintain Assanee and Wasant's essence correctly. A harmonious blend that bleeds a positive message for Thai people who have suffered nonstop from both political and natural mayhem.
Go ahead, and have a listen. Also remember that everyday is a new day too.
_ Onsiri Pravattiyagul
Slovenian-born Luka Sulic and Croatian Stjepan Hauser. PHOTO: DEAN BERTONCELJ It Takes Two
Once again YouTube.com introduced the world to musical gems, and this time it was two handsome cellists from Croatia.
Slovenian-born Luka Sulic and Croatian Stjepan Hauser posted their video playing a sensational cellist cover version of the late Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal early last year, in three weeks the video garnered over 3 million hits. Later in April 2011, Sony Masterworks signed a contract with the cello duo, who formed their official band titled, "2CELLOS" and released their debut album that is a selection of cellist cover of popular songs from famous artists, including U2, Nirvana, and Kings of Leon, to name but a few.
With unique musical talents, last June, 2CELLOS received a phone call from Sir Elton John, asking them to join him for his summer world tour. And, only last week, the latest episode of American musical-comedy Glee featured 2CELLOS, as two high school cellists, playing their famous cover version of Smooth Criminal with a vocal from Glee actors. Check out 2CELLOS's official website at www.2cellos.com/
_ Yanapon Musiket
Brillante Mendoza
Filipino film-maker Brillante Mendoza is one of the most distinctive voices hailing from the heat and squalour of Southeast Asia. His film Serbis, which was released in Bangkok three years ago, deals with a dynasty of porn-theatre operators on the teeming street of Manila. In 2009, he stunned the cinema world when his film Kinate _ a grim re-telling of a gruesome murder of a prostitute by policemen _ won him the Best Director Award in Cannes. That win surprised many who derided the film as claustrophobic and self-indulgent.
Next week, Mendoza's new film will have a world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival, one of the world's three major cinefests. The film, called Captive, stars French actress Isabelle Huppert as one of the foreigners kidnapped by the Muslim insurgents in southern Philippines. It's a rare feat to cast such a big name like Huppert in an independent film from this part of the world, but in this case the artistic connection is clear: Huppert was the jury president in Cannes that awarded Mendoza the prize.
Our most favourite film by Mendoza, however, is Lola, a heartfelt story of two grandmothers who get to know each other after the tragic death of a young man. We'll have more news of Captive and Mendoza's outing in Berlin in the following week.
_ Kong Rithdee
Girl With A Bang
When Jessie J. entered the spotlight of British music scene, people recognised her from the fierce black-bob and bangs hairdo, as well as her daring first single, Do It Like A Dude, released in 2010.
What makes Jessie J distinguished from others in the genre wasn't just her hairdo, but she started her career in the showbiz as a songwriter. Some of her works were crooned by international sensations such as Chris Brown or the number one hit track of Miley Cyrus's Party in the USA.
Last year was a memorable year for Jessie J as her second single Price Tag topped as number one in the UK and the singer was also declared Best New Artist at the prestigious BRIT Award. And early last January, while Jessie J was on holiday with her friends in Pattaya, Thailand, the singer posted a special homemade video of her singing her latest single Domino along with her friends at the balcony of their hotel room, to celebrate the single which reached number one on iTunes music chart.
Next month, Jessie J will be touring Asia. Sadly, Bangkok is not on the list. The closest we can get a glimpse of her is in Singapore. Prior to her presence in the neighbourhood, Universal Music Thailand has been encouraging fans of Jessie J to post their self-image wearing a fancy lipstick painting (Jessie J album cover featured her portrait wearing lipstick painted an image of the British flag), and every picture will be given to the singer as a gift from Thai fans.
Visit www.facebook.com/universalmusicthailand.
_ Yanapon Musiket
