NYLON pre-party for JAVA Soulnation at Portico

NYLON kids sure know how to throw a party. The pre-party for LA Lights JAVA Soulnation Festival last Thursday night in Portico was jam-packed with people. The party featured Valerius, an Asterdam-based band who just released their first album last year. I've heard a couple of their songs from the radio and they are surprisingly good in performing live too. You might have heard their hit single "She Doesn't Know".

I just love love love this kind of scene. A roomful of people, enjoying a great performance from a not-overrated rock band. I think Jakarta should have more parties like this. More rock, more alternative, more indie. The crowd is there. Jakarta is ready. Come on people, make it happen!!!

"Trapped" for TEMPER TRAP: My Recount of The Jakarta Concert

Sweet disposition, Never too soon...
Oh reckless abandon, Like no one's watching you...
A moment, a love
A dream, a laugh
A kiss, a cry
Our rights, our wrongs

That was probably one of the band's most popular songs. Temper Trap gained a lot of recognition in Indonesia after "Sweet Disposition" was featured in a soundtrack of (500) Days of Summer and as a theme song to JIFFEST 2009. The band received greater fanfare when we learned that the vocalist, Dougy Mandagi, was actually from Indonesia. Their other songs then went on to be featured in many popular TV Shows such as 90210, Grey's Anatomy, Chuck, and One Tree Hill. The band, who gained prominence with their atmospheric sound featuring grand guitars set to pulsating rhythms, was scheduled to have their debut Indonesia tour from 11-13 November 2010.

The 12 November Jakarta concert was held in Tennis Indoor Senayan. And being  such an alt-rock fanatic that I am, I just simply couldn't miss it. Not to mention that IsmayaLive would be pre-selling tickets to the Two Door Cinema Club concert for February 2011. From IsmayaLive's twitter account, it was said that the gate would be opened from 5 p.m. and I got there at 6. I figured as it was with this kind of concert, of course there will be some kind of delay so I would still make it if I was late one hour. Turned out, they were even more late. The gate wasn't even opened when I showed up. Finally about 6.30, I got into the lounge.

The entriway into the lounge
 

As always with any IsmayaLive event, the lounge was set very classy with chic seatings, bar, food stalls, DJ booth, and a projection of Twitter TV (a live feed of all tweets with @IsmayaLive tag). It was very comfortable to spend time in while waiting for the gate to the concert hall to be opened. On a slightly negative note, the Toilet was located by the concert hall and patrons weren't allowed entry until the gate to the hall was opened and the foods were overpriced (as always).

 Food vendors from Sushi Groove and Pizza e Birra

The queuing alongside the DJ booth
 

Twitter TV

When the gate was opened at 7, people just rushed in. I managed to get a really nice spot in the front and center. However, the opening act by Efek Rumah Kaca and DJ James Yuill (whom I didn't really care for), took almost two hours and by then I already got so bored and restless that I decided to abandon post and just hang out at the lounge until the main act start. I managed to bump into some friends and spot a few celebs like DJ Winky and wife and other socialites like etc, etc. Then we heard news that the band will not even show up until 11. The Twitter TV was already up in flames with insults and negative comments about the long delay. One of the running joke of the evening was that one of the band member is Indonesian, so of course they would be late. I spotted several people leaving the premises because they can't handle the long wait, but since I actually paid for the tickets to the show I decided to stick it out.

By the time the band finally showed up on stage, it was already 11. You can feel the resentment and  the restlessness in the atmosphere. People actually "boo-ed" at the band. But then, the lights came on and the music started. You can feel the energy started to change around you. People started screaming out the band's name and dancing. The performance had a few climaxes with Sweet Disposition, Soldier On, and the drum song where all the lights went off and spotlight were shining only on Dougy as he beat the drum that he splashed with water previously. With the contrast created by the dark background and the spotlight, you could clearly see the water jumping around and  dancing to the beat and erupting like a geyser.

After all is said and done, the band played with vigor. They gave off a great performance, would have been perfect if not for the long wait. The lighting arrangement was out of this world. But still, there is something very traumatic about the whole being made to wait for 5 hours. Even though people danced and screamed during the performance, I got the feeling that the ambiance could have been more energized had we not been made to wait that long. Personally, no matter how a great show is, if you have to wait 5 hours for a one-hour-show, the pay off is way to little. And instead of a sweet disposition, I was left with a bittersweet disposition.
 

The crowd clapping for an encore.

Walking Sleep: A Magnificently Orchestrated Pop-Rock Soundtrack For A Glistening Spring Morning

Walking Sleep originally formed in 2007 under the name The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra. The six-piece band came together as the natural extension of lead singer Hunter Curra’s exploratory songwriting, in which he combined male and female vocal harmonies, classic rhythms, and curiously dark lyrics. Drawing influence across genres and decades, their songs include echoes of the melancholy psychedelic pop of The Zombies, the uptempo stomp of classic Motown, and the moody melodicism of Fleetwood Mac, but placed in a modern context, akin to bands like Belle & Sebastian, The Shins, and Camera Obscura.  

Walking Sleep takes those band's breathy pop and adds a little weight to it  while maintaining the predilection for orchestral touches and adding the occasional cinematic touch (the dramatic marching tempo and the haunting female hooting that pops up occasionally on “In A Dream”). The band is confident enough in its pop songwriting to never allow any of these exotic elements to pressure the music toward novelty. Like the best modern pop groups, Walking Sleep manages to recall many elements of the past fifty years of development without sounding like a direct copy of anyone else.

The band unveiled its first full length album, Measures, in May 2010. Measures features 10 tracks showcasing the scope and breadth of Walking Sleep’s unique sound. From the fast-and-tight garage-rock of ‘Final Chapter’ to the expansive strings (played by members of The Section Quartet amongst others) and Nancy-and-Lee vocals of ‘Let It Go On’, the songs offer a variety of textures and hooks while maintaining a strong sense of identity and purpose. 

 www.walkingsleep.com  

www.myspace.com/walkingsleep 

www.facebook.com/pages/Walking-Sleep/307809117702?ref=ts 

Also check out their other song, "Don't Be Fooled" on Myspace

Plushgun Fever Is Catching On

For quite some time now, I have been searching for the one who's gonna be the next great indie band. I need a band that can mesmerize me with their melodies and suck me in with their lyrics. And after countless hours lost spent scouring soundtracks, iTunes, myspace, message boards, and many mediocre albums, not one band can even came close to make me feel like The xx or Cut/Copy or Phoenix did before. Like I was enveloped in this big translucent bubble filled with champagne to make me go all psychedelic when I listened to their albums. I have almost lost faith, that is until I stumbled upon Plushgun. Now, this is one band that I could really get into. Temper Trap was okay but not quite bubbly-champagne-psychedelicky (is that even a word?) enough.

Plushgun is an indie rock/New Wave/Synth-Pop band founded by Dan Ingala located in Brooklyn, New York. The current lineup of the band is Ingala, Taylor Armstrong on guitar and Matt Bogdanow on drums. Their first album, Pins and Panzers, was released on February 17, 2009. In a positive review, Orlando Sentinel music critic Jim Abbott wrote that the lead song "Just Impolite" "manages to be breezy and atmospheric" and other tracks "boast plenty of shimmering keyboards, but enough melody to sing along."

Dan Ingala serves up a thoroughly likable dose of 1980s nostalgia on Pins & Panzers. This early 2009 release isn't an exact replica of the 1980s; Ingala has 1990s and 2000s influences as well, including the Postal Service. But there is no overlooking the fact that Ingala's synthesizer-driven pop/rock has been greatly influenced by 1980s new wave and synth pop. Ingala no doubt appreciates the fact that a lot of 1980s music was relentlessly hooky and infectious, and infectiousness is exactly what he achieves on bouncy tracks like "Dancing in a Minefield" and "Union Pool." Ingala has a healthy sense of humor; his lyrics can be clever and highly introspective. All are important parts of the picture on Pins & Panzers that make up for a consistently enjoyable and well-crafted effort from Plushgun. Check out their albums here: Plushgun album by Plushgun.

You'll like this if you like: Death Cab for Cutie, Owl City, Postal Service, La Roux, Cut/Copy.

And their music video for the single "Just Impolite" is done by Tyler Shields

The Glorious Steinems

There's this one song that I can't seem to get it out of my head. The song was featured on the TV Show 90210 season 2 in the episode "Sweaty Palms and Weak Knees" where Jessica Lowndes performed the song with the fictional band "The Glorious Steinem". I think the lyrics are so beautiful. But I can't seem to find the song anywhere on the internet. Below are the lyrics:
 

Like the way that I trip and fall,
You like to laugh when I dent my car
I'm always in a rush
Sometimes I tend to care too much

Like the way that I burn my food
You like the way that I snap at you
Every morning I hit the snooze
And everyday I seem to lose my shoes
 

I always cheer for the wrong team
Always bring you wrong the drink
Always leave my hair in the sink
And I talk when you're trying to think

Thats how I know you love me
Thats how I know you care
Thats how I know you want me
Cause you take me as I am...

And here's the clip of the scene:

CUT///COPY (Live in Concert) - 10th July 2010 @ Bengkel Nightpark, Jakarta

I've been wanting to write about this for quite some time now. As you can see from the posting date, it's long overdue :p. I'm a huge fan of Cut/Copy and the second I found out about their concert in Jakarta, I immediately rushed to the nearest ticket venue, which was Sushi Groove Taman Anggrek, to purchase 3 early bird tickets for moi, my sister, and my best friend (another one bought it on the spot on the D-Day). So, suffice to say that I was pretty excited about this event, presented to you by the ever fabulous Ismaya Live and boy, do they deliver ever! 

This was the first time I ever attended a concert by Ismaya Live and let me tell you, it was the indie scene of my dream. If I'm imagining an indie rock concert, it would be exactly just as what Ismaya Live brought to life and even better at that. I loved everything from the concept, the set up, the choice of the venue, etc. Even when you're just about to enter the venue, you could feel that it was gonna be an amazing night. You can see crowds of fashionable young glitteratis, with their stylish clothes and edgy make up, chatting up their friends, smoking, drinking, and already talking about the after-party later at another Ismaya venues.

Kylie Minogue's Mountain of Orgy

In the week when Lady Gaga released her new music video, all eyes were pointing to "Alejandro" to see what other crazy antics she has come up with this time. However, little did we know that within that same week, Kylie Minogue also released her new music video of her newest single "All The Lovers" from her new album titled "Aphrodite". A video that is actually also worth the buzz that Alejandro has received. I love how it conveys the message that love is universal without regards to gender or race. Check out the video by clicking this link!

 

Intro to the music video: people start stripping down to their undies

 

...and making out on the street

Kylie emerges. All hail to the goddess!

Heartbeats by Lady Gaga, One Helluva Expensive Earphones

Heartbeats by Lady Gaga are holistically designed to deliver the soundtrack of your life with clarity and power, as well as satisfy your passion for fashion. Immerse yourself in pitch-perfect highs, precise mids, and club caliber bass. Because when your music sounds amazing, you stop hearing it, and start feeling it. In other words, sound really matters. Plus, Lady Gaga didn’t just style-check Heartbeats, she created the design to ensure they look like no other headphone out there.

A great song transcends sound. It has the power to move you to tears—or the dance floor. The better your music sounds, the less you hear it, but actually feel it. Heartbeats faithfully reproduce artists’ vocals and the music behind them, so you can hear the heart felt emotion your favorite singer wants to share with you. 

These days music is recorded and mixed in a super advanced environment. Heartbeats by Lady Gaga let you experience every bit of the energy and creativity today’s hottest artists put into their digitally recorded music. The amazing hit of the deep bass. Pitch perfect highs and lows. You’ll feel more power and hear more details in your favorite music that you didn’t even know were there.
 

Thanks to the flat cable design, Heartbeats are tangle free. Bye bye, bird’s nest.

Heartbeats are available in iBox stores around Jakarta for 1,699,000 IDR 
 

Hearbeats in Bad Romance

Heartbeats in Telephone

Let Me Introduce You to The xx And Make You Fall in Love

The xx, from left to right Oliver Sim, Jamie Smith, Baria Qureshi (former member), and Romy Medley Croft

The xx are a three-piece band from London, England, formed in 2005. Many of you might never heard of them before as they have not broken into the mainstream scene yet (which in some cases is a good thing), but please let me assure you that once you've listened to their music, you'll fall in love with them. That's what happened to me. What I love about their music is that they redefine a genre. Their music is not the kind of music that I have ever heard of before. It's not exactly pop, not electronica, techno, nor dance. If you like Psapp, then you will love The xx. It was said that they recorded the album in a small garage, often at night, which contributed to the sleek, whispery nature of the album. The xx put their own spin to indie pop genre and in result creating one of the most addictive album I have ever heard. Once you put their album into your ipod, you'll find yourself replaying their songs over and over and over again, whether be it in your car on your way somewhere or in the gym.

One reviewer claimed that their music is essentially a make out music for cool kids, with their steely quiet-storm soundscapes and pulsating rates, which is what the three South Londoners in The xx are. They are those kinds of kids since they're all barely 20s. Their music speaks to all of us via tales of love, imparting a sense of longing and nostalgia of something we might have missed. Their music, contrived from smoke ring synths, billowing beats, skeletal basslines, and guitar riffs, are the kind of music that would fit right being blasted from the stereo by stylish boutique or chic upscale lounge. To say the least, The xx is a simple but satisfying album that rewards repeat listens and makes for a brilliant background music.

The xx

Origin London, England

Genre Indie Pop

Years active 2005-present

Label Young Turks

http://www.thexx.info/

The xx Music Videos