Showing 21 - 30 of 106
From his home base
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 22/09/2019
» It's not often that the success of an artist can be attributed to his/her talent alone. Without the full backing of a major label, most artists would struggle to get the sort of exposure required to bring them international recognition. Thai singer-songwriter Phum Viphurit, however, is an extraordinary exception. Signed to Bangkok's bona fide indie label Rats Records, the young singer-songwriter showed immense potential from the get-go with his 2014 English-language debut single Adore. Since then, he has delivered gem after gem, dealing in breezy folky rock perfect for a road trip to the seaside or a session around the campfire.
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.
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).
Dreaming awake
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 21/07/2019
» "What's that? (I may be paranoid, but no android)/ What's that? (I may be paranoid, but no android)," Thom Yorke sings on the lead single off Radiohead's third studio album, 1997's OK Computer.
Setting it off
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 14/07/2019
» From its humble start lurking in the shadows of J-pop to partially dominating the globe, the unstoppable power of K-pop has been fascinating to witness. Today, in the hazy wake of the Gangnam Style craze, the genre has grown to have its own annual convention, KCON, which is aimed to celebrate South Korean culture at various locations around the world. In North America, K-pop boy bands and girl bands are being received with open arms. Groups like seven-member boyband BTS have even gone so far as to win 2017's Billboard Music Award for Top Social Artist, beating pop royalty like Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande.
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?
From Belize with love
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 26/05/2019
» Ariel Zetina may be best known as one of Chicago's fiercest DJs (the Mother of the Windy City Club Scene, as some have suitably appointed her), but she's more than meets the eye. Having come from a theatre and poetry background, the American-Belizean artist is well-versed in cutting-edge performance art. In fact, her first foray into music-making was born out of necessity, simply because she couldn't find a piece of music that would fit a show she was working on as part of collaborative performance art group Witch Hazel. After relocating to Chicago some years later, she finally found her place and essentially herself in the city's thriving queer/trans club scene, which provided her with the impetus to fuse house and techno sounds with her own multicultural flavours.
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.
Cut above the rest
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 12/05/2019
» We first heard the name Cut The Crab back in 2014 when their single Mai Mee Kam Tob (Without Doubt) was featured in the Future Sound Of Bangkok's envelope-pushing debut compilation. Besides being one of the most forward-thinking records of that year, the compilation also gave us a sample of what local talents were capable of. Along with eclectic artists ranging from DCNXTR and Gramaphone Children (Jaree Thanapura) to Nolens.Volens. and Plastic Section, Cut The Crab stood out among the gifted bunch as a highly promising newcomer with a keen ear for electro-pop brilliance. Even though the band hasn't been exactly prolific over the past few years, the trio-turned-duo are now back at it with the release of their self-titled debut EP, a six-track collection that's been nearly half a decade in the making.