Showing 1 - 10 of 22
Off the leash
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 20/10/2019
» "Dogs whine to communicate their physical, mental and emotional states..." At first glance, Dogwhine's artist bio reads like the opening to a freshman's college essay. Then, out of the blue, what initially appears to be a direct quote from the dictionary turns into a sly jab at the absurd prohibition on political gatherings of five or more people imposed by the junta: "Not all whines are created equally. Sometimes dogs gather to whine in group. When they come together more than five, they often get chased or taken away." Like hip-hop firebrands Rap Against Dictatorship who brought us the brilliant anti-junta Prathet Ku Mee (What's My Country Got), this Bangkok five-piece are unapologetically political from the outset.
Snowed in
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 08/09/2019
» "If I lay here/ If I just lay here/ Would you lie with me/ And just forget the world?" Honestly, it's hard not to automatically think of the devastating chorus of Chasing Cars whenever the band Snow Patrol is mentioned. To a great extent, the Northern Irish/Scottish quintet have American hospital drama Grey's Anatomy to thank for single-handedly popularising the song through one of the series' heart-rending season finales. Snow Patrol suddenly became a household name worldwide, continuing the legacy of post-Britpop previously jump-started by bands like Travis, Coldplay and Keane.
Small things considered
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 23/06/2019
» In much the same way that eyes are said to be the window to the soul, band names give us a glimpse into the collective personality lurking behind each group. And as far as Thai band names are concerned, they can range from prosaic (Solitude Is Bliss, My Life As Ali Thomas) and whimsical (Apartment Khunpa, Charblues, Gym and Swim) to absolutely outlandish (Big Ass, Calories Blah Blah). For Sakon Nakhon-based trio Junlaholaan, names represent a curious juxtaposition where two incongruous concepts (jun, micro, and holaan, enormous) coexist to convey a deeply philosophical message. Yes, we are but a tiny speck in the universe -- the band seems to be saying -- but at the same time, a butterfly in Brazil could also cause a tornado in Texas, couldn't it?
Giddy up, boy
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 14/04/2019
» On Mitski's latest album Be The Cowboy, the cowboy image that's classically reserved for American white males is, even though for a fleeting moment, suspended and transferred to the Japanese-American singer-songwriter. According to Mitski, this is part of her mantra, "be the cowboy you wish to see in the world", a joke with herself that she uses to combat feelings of imposter syndrome. Though meant as a joke, it's a kind of joke that digs deep into the firmly rooted notions of masculinity, race and femininity.
Top 20 singles of 2018 (Part 2)
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 30/12/2018
» As is tradition, we're wrapping up the year with a special two-part series featuring some of the best music to have come out locally and globally over the past 12 months. Culled from our 40-plus playlists stretching back to January, these tracks represent trends, cultural highlights and states of mind that reflect the times we're all living in (and trying to make some sense of). Without further ado, we're picking up right where we left off last week with our countdown to No.1. On that note, thank you for sticking with us until the very end -- here's to the new year of fewer whales choking on plastic bags, of nobody getting trapped in a cave, and maybe -- just maybe -- of an election.
It's all peachy
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 09/12/2018
» Apart from the show's male winner Rangsan "Songkran" Panyaruen, The Voice Thailand Season 2 gave us a handful of female vocalists who'd showed strong potential including Violette Wautier and Rapeeporn "Lukpeach" Tantragoon. The former, as you may well be aware, has just started self-releasing her own music to wide acclaim. Lukpeach, on the other hand, found herself snug under the wing of Malama Collective, a co-op record label founded by Bangkok-based indie-music streaming platform Fungjai.
Voyage into the unknown
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 20/05/2018
» Jon Hopkins/ Singularity
Borns this way
Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 11/02/2018
» During his 2011 TEDx Talk, the then 19-yearold singer-songwriter Garrett Borns regaled the audience with the story of when he went to perform in Paris and how he was nervous about the language barrier since he spoke no French.