Showing 1 - 10 of 21
In Plain Language
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 07/06/2020
» "And that's fine/ I'm wasting away," vocalist Ian Devaney announces over nervy guitars on Tournament, the opening track to Nation of Language's debut album, Introduction, Presence. "I took the long road home/ And it never paid off for me."
Miss(ed) Opportunity
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 15/03/2020
» The rise of synth-pop darling Claire Boucher, aka Grimes, has been a fascinating one.
Dictated by night
Life, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 08/03/2020
» NYC's Elliot Moss, although not without a few missteps, translates nocturnal musings into his most personal record so far
Hip-hop's fresh, new voice
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 26/01/2020
» The first time Thailand was bitten by the rap/hip-hop bug was way back in the mid-90s, when the then unknown Joey Boy introduced the sound and singlehandedly dominated the genre with a slew of hits ranging from Fun, Fun, Fun to Samakom Ta Chan Diew and Loy Talay. Despite being a playful, largely pop-oriented rapper, there's no denying that he was the one who paved the way for daring trailblazers like Fukking Hero, Buddha Bless and Thaitanium.
Top 25 singles of 2019 (Part I)
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 22/12/2019
» As promised last week, we've gone back through the 200 or so singles we reviewed over the past 12 months, narrowing them down to our favourite 25. But before we get on with the first part of the list, here's what we learned in 2019.
Death Becomes Us
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 03/11/2019
» Well, what do you know -- Foals have managed to pull it off after all. The English indie-rock mainstay finally follows up their Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1, released back in March, with the second and final instalment. In Part 1, frontman Yannis Philippakis and co got political with tracks like Exits and Sunday while dutifully filling the quota for danceable indie bangers with On The Luna and In Degrees. On the production side, it swung from indie rock and new-wave to funk and disco -- a classic Foals album through and through.
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.
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.
Returning to form
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 31/03/2019
» It's hard to believe it's been nearly two decades since Ladytron unleashed its own version of electropop to the world. Hailing from Liverpool, the quartet of Helen Marnie, Mira Aroyo, Daniel Hunt and Reuben Wu first introduced themselves with their 2001 debut 604, a solid 16-track collection heavily influenced by the likes of Kraftwerk, New Order and Depeche Mode. In a period when the UK charts sounded a little uninspired (the No.1 singles ranged from JLo's Love Don't Cost A Thing to Limp Bizkit's Rollin' to Afroman's Because I Got High -- you get the idea), Ladytron's simmering cauldron of synth-pop and electro-industrial almost felt like an act of rebellion.
Call it therapy
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 03/03/2019
» While most people may not be familiar with Julia Michaels, chances are they have more than one occasion heard (and even sung along to) the songs she wrote. The 25-year-old American songwriter, if you must know, is the force behind some of the biggest pop hits from over the past few years including Justin Bieber's Sorry, Selena Gomez's Bad Liar and Hands To Myself, and Gwen Stefani's Used To Love You. But after realising that some of the songs she penned spoke to her more than it would any of the industry's A-listers, she decided to carve her path as a solo artist -- the move marked by the release of her 2017's debut single, Issues, followed by the seven-track EP, Nervous System.