Showing 1 - 10 of 32
Live From the Internet
B Magazine, Story by Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 17/05/2020
» When Thai singer-songwriter Apiwat "Stamp" Ueathavornsuk, announced what he called a "live virtual birthday concert" on his Facebook page two weeks ago, the comment section was suddenly abuzz with excitement and anticipation (that and some genuine concerns over the technology involved -- "I'm so ready for this.
Nostalgia for the future
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 26/04/2020
» Over the last decade, STRFKR have proven themselves to be a reliable supplier of feel-good electro-indie ditties.
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.
Ring the alarm
B Magazine, Tatat Bunnag, Published on 01/09/2019
» A recent trend in South Korean dramas is the blending of romantic stories with sci-fi elements, usually related to some kind of new and exciting technology. Examples include last year's I'm Not A Robot, a romantic comedy about a relationship between a human and a robot, and Memories Of The Alhambra, a tragic love story set in the world of augmented-reality action gaming.
Retro dreams
B Magazine, Andrew Biggs, Published on 04/08/2019
» Regular readers may know that I have a Thai niece whom I have brought up since birth. She is now 22 years old in her final year at university. That in itself makes me feel old, but wait -- there is more that is about to poke sticks at my mortal coil.
Yearning to breathe different air
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 04/08/2019
» After living for long enough in the big city, one can fall in love easily with the fresh air, serenity of surroundings and simple but rich culture of people in the countryside. Some can feel tempted to live the rest of their lives away from Bangkok.
Another one bites the dust
B Magazine, Andrew Biggs, Published on 07/07/2019
» It is a rule of competitive businesses not to recognise the competitor, pretending it does not exist — a rule that is broken, naturally, when something terrible happens to the competitor.
From Tuesday to Saturday
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 30/06/2019
» Who would have thought that a garden-variety verse like "Got the club goin' up, on a Tuesday/ Got your girl in the cut and she choosey" would blow up and inspire countless Vines endless memes? Well, no one really -- except for Canadian rapper Drake who loved it so much he gave it a remix (Club Goin' Up On A Tuesday) complete with his own additional verse. Lauded as 2014's "summertime sleeper hit", the song single-handedly launched Atlanta artist Makonnen Sheran, aka iLoveMakonnen, into the Atlanta rap scene, not to mention earning him a Grammy nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. For him, Drake's endorsement was indeed a godsend.
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.
J-pop gone rogue
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 07/04/2019
» Anyone who's been to Japan (or spent a decent amount of time on the internet) would have probably come across T-shirts with puzzling or badly translated English. Perusing CHAI's pastel-hued website gives you a similar experience except that everything actually makes sense -- "We Are New Exciting Onna (female) Band From Japan! NEO KAWAII ! COMPLEX IS ART!," its meta description announces. A click and a quick scroll down also give you an overview on the group's "NEO KAWAII" ethos, which essentially goes against any notions of the classic kawaii ("You don't need to have big eyes or have skinny legs to be KAWAII! There should be many more types of KAWAII, and everyone is KAWAII in her own way … Our insecurities make us who we are. The insecurities become art. KAWAII is a never-ending journey!").