Showing 1 - 10 of 27
A woman in a man's world
Life, John Clewley, Published on 19/07/2022
» US R&B legend Big Mama Thornton is one of the forgotten "originators", to use Dr John's term for Professor Longhair, of rock'n'roll. The late Alabama native, who died almost exactly 38 years ago on July 25, 1984, recorded the first version of Leiber and Stoller's Hound Dog in 1952. After the record was released in 1953, it reached the top spot on Billboard's Rhythm & Blues Records Chart and sold 2 million copies. It was her biggest hit, but it paled in comparison to young Elvis Presley's version, which sold more than 10 million copies and helped propel Presley to global fame.
The Pleasure's All Hers
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 19/07/2020
» It might be nearly a decade ago, but the year 2012 would still go down in history as one of the most vital years for pop music.
The spirit is willing, the body even more so
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 24/05/2020
» The first time I had the opportunity to see Mike Hadreas, aka Perfume Genius, performing live was in 2015 at the 15th edition of La Primavera Sound, Barcelona's renowned summer music festival.
Aching For Colours
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 10/05/2020
» Having grown up in an artistic household, it was only a matter of time before Brooklyn native Zsela Thompson would unleash her own creativity and morph into an artist in her own right.
Still hanging around
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 04/08/2019
» "Life is short, I can't spend any more time on an airplane playing in front of people who have no idea who I am. It doesn't feel spiritual anymore. I'm ready for a more intimate life," explains Swedish indie-pop songstress Lykke Li in her recent Vogue interview in which she was asked whether she was planning to retire like she'd previously mentioned on her social media post. As it turns out, not only is she not retiring, Li's co-organising the inaugural edition of YOLA DÍA, "a festival for people who hate music festivals" celebrating strong women in music set to take place in LA next Sunday.
On her own terms
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 28/07/2019
» Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Yunalis Zara'ai, aka Yuna, has come a long way since her MySpace days and her 2012 Pharrell Williams-produced self-titled debut. While her early materials exist mostly in the dreamy realm of folk-infused indie-pop, her subsequent output has crossed over into the R&B/hip-hop territory in a way that not many pop upstarts could pull off (her third international studio album, Chapters, welcomes guest appearances from some of the biggest names in R&B like Usher and Jhené Aiko).
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?
And There's More
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 19/05/2019
» Behind the moniker MorMor stands a Toronto native named Seth Nyquist. The 25-year-old singer-songwriter only started churning out music last year and his name is already on everyone's lips. This is mostly due to the strength of his debut EP Heaven's Only Wishful, a nifty self-produced collection of five songs boasting the lush bedroom pop DNA and the sultry sophistication of R&B and disco. Clocking in just under half-an-hour, the EP managed to showcase Nyquist's knack for seamlessly blending genres and creating the sound and narratives which are entirely his own.
When sleaze gets slick
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 05/05/2019
» Fat White Family, for the uninitiated, are a South London group trading in all manners of classic punk depravities, rock'n'roll drug habits and songs with imaginatively risqué titles (Cream Of The Young, Is It Raining In Your Mouth?, Bomb Disneyland). Led by founding frontman Lias Saoudi, the band is notorious for their outrageous live gigs, where shocking antics and nudity are not uncommon. As a band, this collective transgression is the unique selling point upon which their 2013 debut album Champagne Holocaust and its follow-up Songs For Our Mothers hinged. It's also the very factor that contributed to "the sort of classic stereotypical drug meltdown", as Lias puts it in his recent interview with Noisey, which led to them getting dropped by US-based Fat Possum Records.
The light between oceans
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 16/12/2018
» From its origins as the solo project of guitarist Noppanan Panicharoen in 2006, Inspirative has steadily evolved into one of Thailand's most consistent post-rock bands. The line-up now boasts four additional members: bassist Amornthep Masawang, guitarist Pongpat Phaukwattana, drummer Sirichai Chanmanklakul and pianist/vocalist Wuttipong Huangpetch. The quintet established themselves on the Bangkok indie circuit through gigs at legendary indie nights like Dudesweet and Mind The Gap. This, naturally, led to the release of Floating Down Through The Clouds, their debut three-track EP whose title was inspired by the lyrics to Pink Floyd's 1983 prog-rock ballad, The Gunners Dream. This was followed by the equally stellar releases Mysteriously Awake and Memories Come Rushing Up To Meet Me Now.