Rachael Yamagata - Live! in Singapore 2009

Greenhorn Productions is one local concert promoter that deserves commendation. They have brought in a number of amazing artists, among them Ani DiFranco, Stars and Death Cab for Cutie. I just got news that they are bringing in Rachael Yamagata, and I am awfully excited.

Rachael Yamagata, whose album came in 3rd on my best-of 2008 list, will be performing at the Esplanade on April 15. Details via Greenhorn Productions' Facebook page:

Greenhorn Productions presents RACHAEL YAMAGATA LIVE! at the Esplanade Concert Hall on 15 April 2009.

The follow-up to Yamagata’s 2004 full-length debut, Happenstance, her return to a major label, Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Heart has been praised by fans and press. The CD contains two parts: the first, Elephants, is the darker and more vulnerable of the two, while the guitar-driven Teeth Sinking Into Heart is grittier and more defiantly cynical. Underscored by Yamagata’s husky alto and expressive piano (and now guitar) playing, the two parts, when taken together, present a snapshot of the emotions that revolve around heartbreak and the inevitable challenges of relationships. Of the album’s 15 tracks, Nebraska-based Mike Mogis, the multi-instrumentalist and producer known for his work with Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley and The Faint, produced 12. Two tracks were produced by John Alagia (John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band), who also produced Happenstance. The album also features guest appearances by singer-songwriters Ray Lamontagne and Azure Ray’s Maria Taylor.

Over the last three years, Rachael has also appeared on albums by Ryan Adams, Ray Lamontagne, Jason Mraz, Bright Eyes, and Mandy Moore. Her tours have included runs with Adams, Lamontagne, Moore, Liz Phair, Gomez, and most recently Sara Bareilles. She has also played shows with Pete Townsend, Aimee Mann, David Gray, Damien Rice, and Air.

DO NOT MISS this chance to catch Rachael Yamagata in the beautiful Esplanade Concert Hall on 15 April 2009. Tickets will range from $68 - $118 (excluding SISTIC booking fees). Fans of Greenhorn Productions facebook page will receive a password by way of a facebook update which will entitle them to discounts and priority booking. Full details will be available at www.sistic.com soon. Stay tuned.

I guess she'll be flying straight over after wrapping up her U.S. tour.

Details below:

March 2009
11 - New York, NY - Music of REM @ Carnegie Hall
12 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts
13 - Asbury Park, NJ - Stone Pony
14 - Annapolis, MD - Rams Head
16 - Nashville, TN - Exit In
18 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
19 - Louisville, KY - Hard Rock Café
20 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's
21 - Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue
23 - Chicago, IL - Park West
24 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom
25 - Minneapolis, MN - The Varsity Theatre
27 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
28 - Salt Lake City, UT - Avalon Theatre
30 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
31 - Seattle, WA - Crocodile Café

April 2009
2 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
4 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
6 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
9 - New York, NY - City Winery
10 - New York, NY - City Winery

Watch this space for more updates.

P.S. I was lucky enough to get tickets for the Death Cab show back then, because it sold out within a day or two! I bet her show will sell like hotcakes too. Get your tickets early.

P.P.S. I saw Rachael Yamagata when she was here in 2007.

Download:
Rachael Yamagata - Exclusive LiveDaily Sessions Performance [link] [Removed]

Laura Marling: "Alas I Cannot Swim" Animation

YouTube user musicANDmuffins created such an adorable video of Laura Marling's song "Alas I Cannot Swim", I just had to share it here. The title track is a hidden song which follows the 12th and final number on her LP, Alas I Cannot Swim. Incidentally, the album came in 5th on my best-of 2008 list.

Download:
RCRD LBL has 3 Laura Marling songs: "I'm A Fly", "Blackberry Stone" and "Man Sings About Romance" available for download.

First Listen: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!

There are some who stick to their tried-and-tested formula of making music, for fear of alienating their core audience. There are others who veer away from their original path, but eventually screw up their sound.

And then there's the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

The YYYs' upcoming LP It's Blitz! is sonically different from its predecessors, the garage-punk debut Fever To Tell and the indie-rock follow-up Show Your Bones. It is an electro-disco-dance rock fest, a gorgeous combination of synths, guitars, drums and vocals (courtesy of the very charismatic frontwoman, Karen O). This new record sees them partnering long time producers Dave Sitek (of TV on the Radio fame) and Nick Launay, along with new names like Greg Kurstin (The Bird and the Bee), and Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone (TVotR).

The whole album is tightly packed with a mix of pulsating melodies and subdued tunes. Nick Zinner works his mojo, proving he is equally deft with the synths as he is with the guitars. Brian Chase is the ever-reliable drummer, and Karen O -- oh, what can I say -- is a truly versatile singer who yelps and whispers and does everything imaginable (with her voice, that is) on all of the 10 tracks.

You can read a detailed, track-by-track description of the album here. "Soft Shock" and "Dragon Queen" are my current favourites, but grant me a few more spins and I bet I will fall in love with It's Blitz! in no time. You would too.

Preorder details here.

Stream: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero

Recession? What Recession?

The economic downturn surely isn't slowing down our local concert promoters. They are bringing in a few notable acts and praying they'll rake in the moolah!


1. Duffy

Welsh songstress Duffy is performing her very first Asian Tour! She shot to fame with her debut album Rockferry and is best known for the monster hit "Mercy".

Duffy Live in Singapore
Date: 22 Mar 2009 Sun, 8pm
Venue: Singapore Indoor Stadium
Tickets (excluding booking fee): S$168, S$148, S$108, S$78
Promoter: Lushington Entertainments
Website: www.iamduffy.com





2. Coldplay

Riding on the wave of their recent Grammy success, Coldplay will be holding a one-night only concert on March 23 as part of their Viva La Vida tour [buy Viva La Vida].

Coldplay - The "Viva La Vida" Tour
Date: 23 Mar 2009 Mon, 8:00PM
Venue: Singapore Indoor Stadium
Tickets (excluding booking fee): S$248, S$188, S$158, S$88
Promoter: Live Nation
Website: www.coldplay.com





3. Kaiser Chiefs

Indie rock band Kaiser Chiefs will perform at Fort Canning Park on April 7. They are touring in support of their latest album Off With Their Heads.

Kaiser Chiefs Live in Concert
Date: 7 Apr 2009 Tue, 8pm
Venue: Fort Canning Park
Tickets (excluding booking fee):
Early Bird - $75 & $85
Standard - S$95
Event Day - S$105
Promoter: LAMC Productions
Website: www.kaiserchiefs.co.uk



4. Craig David

R&B singer-songwriter Craig David will be performing with his band as part of his Greatest Hits Tour in Singapore on April 8 [buy Greatest Hits].

Craig David - Greatest Hits Tour
Date: 8 Apr 2009 Wed, 08:00PM
Venue: The MAX Pavilion@Singapore Expo
Tickets (excluding booking fee): S$128, S$108, S$88
Promoter: Live Nation
Website: www.craigdavid.com




As always, you can get your tickets through Sistic: Singapore's premier ticketing service provider.

Edit: There has been a change of venue for Craig David's concert. It will be held at ZIRCA at The Cannery, Clarke Quay. Tickets are S$88 each. For additional details please contact Sistic or Live Nation.

Celebrity Engagement: Mandy Moore and Ryan Adams

So Mandy Moore ditched DJ AM in favour of musician Ryan Adams -- and the couple are getting hitched. Mandy's publicist has confirmed her engagement to her on-again, off-again beau, but is keeping mum over the details of the proposal and nuptials. Hmm. So the boyfriend decided he could live with the paparazzi after all.

On the musical front, Mandy will be releasing her LP Amanda Leigh on May 26. She has teamed up with Gain to offer an exclusive new song, "I Could Break Your Heart Any Day Of The Week", for download (or you can get it below). It's a radio-friendly pop song which I suppose should be the first single off the upcoming album.

Ryan has his own Valentine's Day EP, Extra Cheese. It makes me hungry just looking at it. Available exclusively via iTunes.

Extra Cheese Tracklist
1. Two
2. Blossom
3. Answering Bell
4. Evergreen
5. My Love for You Is Real
6. Desire
7. Hey There, Mrs. Lovely (previously unreleased)

Download:
Mandy Moore - I Could Break Your Heart Any Day Of The Week
Ryan Adams - Two (Live at Metropolis on 2009-01-25) [link]

Yeah Yeah Yeahs unveil new album artwork

After the announcement of their forthcoming release, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have unveiled the cover for It's Blitz!, which will hit shelves April 14. Will the new melodies be as explosive as the exploding egg depicted on the album cover? Hopefully it's a sign of things to come.

Interestingly, Karen O orders guitar hero Nick Zinner to dump his guitar for a synth on this new record. Head on over to read their exclusive interview by Spin Magazine.

It's Blitz! Tracklist
1. Zero
2. Heads Will Roll
3. Soft Shock
4. Skeletons
5. Dull Life
6. Shame and Fortune
7. Runaway
8. Dragon Queen
9. Hysteric
10. Little Shadow

Download:
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Art Star [buy Yeah Yeah Yeahs EP]

In The News: Teen Dad Alfie Patten

It's a crazy world we're living in.

In England, a boy named Alfie Patten has become a father, and the mother of his child is his 15 year old girlfriend, Chantelle Steadman. And guess what? He's only 13. Their baby girl, Maisie, was apparently conceived after one night of unprotected sex.

So I guess Alfie has been weaned on porn since he was, what, a baby?

Honestly, it's heartbreaking because he wants to be a good dad but has no idea what he'll have to do financially to support his new family. Check out the video where he asks the interviewer innocently, "What's financially?". Anyway, both of their families seem pretty screwed up: Alfie's parents are separated, while Chantelle's family lives on benefits. It's sad because we don't know where it would go from here.

Download:
Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love [buy Greatest Hits, Vols. 1 & 2]

Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip: "Thou Shalt Always Kill" Remakes

Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip is an electronic hip-hop band from Essex, UK. In case you were wondering, the duo consists of Dan Le Sac (the beatmeister) and Scroobius Pip (the bearded rapper). Back in 2007, these lads made the world sit up and listen with their song "Thou Shalt Always Kill". They are back with a rework of that same tune, this time with Posdnuos of American hip-hop outfit De La Soul. You can check out the video above, or buy the music here. I'm wowed when Pip sings (around 1:29):

Thou shalt not put musicians and recording artists on ridiculous pedestals no matter how great they are or were: The Beatles – were just a band / Led Zeppelin – just a band / The Beach Boys – just a band / The Sex Pistols – just a band...

You can download another remix below. It's a chill-out, no vocals version.

Download:
Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip - Thou Shalt Always Kill (The Sunday Best Cosmic DUB)

Metric: "Help, I'm Alive"

I'm psyched over the imminent release of Metric's new album, Fantasies, which is set to drop April 14. I've been listening to "Help, I'm Alive" all week now, and I am totally head over heels in love with it. In comparison to their older material, this new song is grittier and darker in tone. Nonetheless, with Emily Haines at the helm, you'd know you are still in familiar territory. If this song is an indicator of the new album, I think we'd be in for a real good treat.

Starting March 2, you can pre-order Fantasies through their official website. Also, in exchange for your email address, you can get a free download of an acoustic version of "Help, I'm Alive". While stocks last (I'm just kidding).

Download:
Metric - Help, I'm Alive