Don't talk of dust and roses or should we powder our noses?

I'm thinking of mosh pits and being in them. The biological urge to get sweaty, confused, excited, shouting and jumping for one reason- the music.





"Don't live for last year's capers
Give me steel, give me steel, give me pulses unreal"

Big Brother, David Bowie

Where did the good ol people in the mosh pit go to? Have we all grown up?

There's no mistake, I smell that smell. It's that time of year again.

The lyrics of Stereophonics welcomes us to that most perplexing part of the year.

Christmas, holidays, doing a self-check of how the year has been spent, parties, shopping. It is unnerving isn't it. And yes, I think it makes all of us, a bit more vulnerable than usual.

Myself for one is more vulnerable around this time. I've never been really good with Novembers and Decembers and they have been good to me sometimes, but with consequences. haha.

Anyways, watching a soppy episode (i can't believe it can get soppy, but Mr Big leaves NY for California. Yah that one) of Sex and the City and listening to Tegan and Sara ( Lesbian song writers-sisters) made me want to write this down.

Please don't judge me! :) it's for fun too.

Songs that have/can made me cry



Dakota- The most-overplayed song in Singapore indie disco (if they still count as indie) history made it to my list. And I have never realised its nasty and ugly single album art. A bit lesbian hor. But a good song from these Welsh rockers and a good song to have in indie Karaoke bars.

Why it breaks your heart: C'mon. It's one of those post-adolescent/youth recollection-type songs that old men like Stereophonics write about, erm not too different from Green Day too. The song candidly speaks about a relationship gone awry methinks and no one knows exactly why too. Sad ain't it. Wonderful thing about this ditty, you can try to fit in to any romance/one-night stands gone wrong. haha.

Boo Boo: I was so strung out on bad red that I was intermittently sobbing, dancing, smiling to the song. such a bad night. man ( i got witnesses, so sorry guys manic drunk here)

Heart stabbing line(s) and stanzas: Drinking back, drinking for two/ Drinking with you/ When drinking was new
I wonder if we'll meet again/ And talk about life since then/Talk about why did it end/
You made me feel like the one



Ten Days, by Australian songwriter Missy Higgins. Love her, and she's got great short hair.

Why it breaks your heart: It's not a sappy ballad but I guess it's how when the most poignant part of the song, she transposes and emotes her heart out and yes, you feel it.

Boo Boo: SomeBODY sent the song to me. boo boo.

Heart stabbing line(s) and stanzas:So we've put an end to it this time/I'm no longer yours and you're no longer mine/
You said this hill looks far too steep/if I'm not even sure it's me you wanna keep.

You won't talk me into it next time, if I'm going away your hearts coming too.

Did you really think I had gone when you couldn't see me anymore?



"Behold! The Nightmare" by The Smashing Pumpkins

This one will stun most hearts, A Smashing Pumpkins song from its most ill-received albums to date? And people like Amelia Tan Pei Qi ( yes, I am so acknowledging your readership hon) will say what's that scary vamp doing on the cover. I recall how this was the first, the FIRST album a 13 year-old rachxf bought with the money she saved up. and she was so freaked out after listening to it. So dark. Dark still, but the album has grown on me and grew up with me.

Why it breaks your heart: Its haunting electronic/guitars/acoustic melodies meets Billy Corgan's squeaky voice. With lyrics that read like Gothic poetry. It crawls up and surprises you at your most vulnerable. Listeners' advisory: Do not listen late at night.

Boo Boo: I would call this a soundtrack of my life. It was ringing in my head when a lot of formative experiences happened to me.

Heart stabbing line(s) and stanzas: (sounds stalkerish in fact, on hindsight)
I faced the fathoms in your deep. Withstood the suitors' quiet siege.
Pulled down the heavens just to please you. Appease you

I can't go on/ Digging roses from your grave
To linger on
Beyond the beyond
Where the willows weep
And the whirlpools sleep

All you have to do is run away
And steal yourself from me
Become a mystery to gaze into


Alrighty, enough is enough. Sad songs maketh bad songs. Now, I'm gonna listen to some christmas carols.

THE bands of year 2004

haha, dug this horrid piece of unpublished work I did for a lifestyle website. it's funny how I regarded these bands who were really new to me at that time.

My tastes have changed and so have most of them musically. hee.

Here goes friends, bad copy and grammar to boot!

THE revolution
By Rachel Lim

Once upon a time, the fair grounds of music were built upon pioneering bands with “The” in their names. From the iconic and highly influential The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to the early punk rock bands like The Clash, The Ramones and The Who, all carried the quintessential “The” in their names.

Like fashion fads, bands pick up and discard trends both musically and namewise. The 80s and 90s saw only a handful of bands that fashioned names with “The” in them. Significant ones included The Smiths and The Cure. The silence was soon broken in 2000 and after with the burgeoning of bands with “The” in their names.

The 21st century witnessed the slew of “the” bands from all over the world.
The musical landscape revived with the new revolutionary sounds from New York’s The Strokes, Sweden’s The Hives to Australia’s The Vines. This marked the beginning of THE revolution- The sudden surge of indie bands with ‘the’ in their names,

Many like myself were either confused or lost with these similar sounding band name and the “the”s in all of them. Since, the revolution only went stronger. Bands with “the” in their names are still surfacing.

A cliché or revolution in the alternative and indie music frontier? It is all up to you to judge.

The following is a lineup of five noteworthy bands that fashion the ‘the’ in their names and have revolutionized the current music scene with their brand of music. This lists some of the hottest and upcoming “the” bands- to guide the lost, inform the musically ignorant and satisfy the curious.

THE KILLERS, new wave rock meets eyeliner

The sound: For a band with frontman Brandon Flower who wears eyeliner, these new wave rockers did a remarkable job breaking into the radio frontier with their infectious androgyny-tinged single “Somebody Told Me”. Hailing from Las Vegas, The Killers are one of America’s finest recent indie-rock produce, along with Interpol, Modest Mouse and The Bravery. With influences ranging from U2, Oasis to The Smiths, their blend of Duran Duran meets The Cure, rekindles sweet 80s nostalgia.

The verdict: With their debut, Hot Fuss, acclaimed as one of the best releases of 2004, this band will definitely go in for the kill with more killer anthems.

THE BRAVERY, rock-tronica that electrify

The sound: The bravery embraces electro-rock with their synthesized beats and drum up confessional lyrics at the same time. The Lo-Fi recordings in their debut, The Bravery, along with lead singer Sam Endicott’s resemblance to the signature The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas’ static-sounding vocals, The Bravery pays homage to their successful New York predecessors- The Strokes. Locking in catchy electro-rock rhythms and tight guitar riffs, The Bravery succeeds at incorporating the finest in 80’s electronica and rock, with the likes of The Cure to Duran Duran, creating their own flavour of electro-rock. Recent clashes and supposed rivalry with The Killers, only adds an edge to The Bravery. Giving The Killers a run for their money? The band shows their bravery through their synth-pop melodies.

The verdict: Looking at the successes of fellow New York bands like The Strokes and Interpol, more or less have guaranteed The Bravery a place in the indie ranks for some time.

THE LIBERTINES, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll and Kate Moss

The sound: The Libertines are unpredictable, spontaneous and revolutionaries to British music since their debut, Up The bracket in 2002. Under the talent of producer Mick Jones from the legendary The Clash, The Libertines released their second album, The Libertines in 2004. Their raw, intoxicating and sing-a-long rock ‘n’ roll anthems off the latest release, makes these British lads the only recent band that truly reproduce the classic Anglo rock ‘n’ roll of yore. The Libertines’ infectious ditties with references to love, booze and issues within the band, gives the band a force that gets you to sing along with them like an old friend, sharing the joy and the woes. One can’t help but hum to the lalalas off tracks like The Man who would be king and the shoop de-langs in What Katie Did”.

Everyone loves a messed-up rock ‘n’ roll band, the misdemeanors of singer Pete Doherty have led The Libertines to be likened to The Sex Pistols in terms of misbehaviour. The melodrama of Doherty includes drug usage, supermodel girlfriend Kate Moss to breaking into and robbing co-frontman, Carl Barat’s apartment. These only further the appeal of The Libertines as a cult legend in the present rock culture.

The verdict: The Libertines is currently minus one, without Doherty, but their legacy will survive with their following and cult icon status.

THE ZUTONS, Catch the Zuton Fever

The sound: Amidst the replicated sounds of retro and electro-rock, The Zutons stand out with their unique take on soul and funk. The Liverpool five piece’s use of saxophones, horns and the clean basslines, fuse several genres from country to soul into what frontman and guitarist David McCabe calls 'soul-funk-voodoo vibe'.

The Zutons are set apart from the many British bands by their infectious and upbeat funk and soul infused rock ‘n’ roll. Their 2004 debut, Who killed the Zutons? is a bag of surprises with a wide ageless appeal and witty lyrics that poke fun at the loss of a bestfriend in Remember Me (Well we used to be the best of friends/And we used to hang around/Now I always see you and your new girlfriend). Odds are that your grandma, mom and sister will all dig the Zutons.

The verdict: A wacky album title like Who Killed the Zutons?, coupled with infectious saxophone stabs and fun, the Zutons will get you tapping and grooving to their Sax and rock ‘n’ soul in no time at all.

THE KILLS, the art-punk duo with a love for the dark

The sound: Forget the White Stripes, The Kills is the next best female and male duo to rock the scene. Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince conveys the dark moods of love through sobering yet infectious guitars and Mosshart’s PJ Harvey-esque powerful vocals. The seamless goth-rock will numb and take you on a trip into despair, love and angst. Tracks like “Love Is a Deserter” and “I hate the way you love” off The Kills’ second release, No Wow, sums up their bleak perspective on most things.

The verdict: The Art-type Archetypes with a heavy dark twist to their music. Indeed, the lethal concoction for an impressive indie band.

Gush.

Gush the crush (away)

He was the charming geoge clooney meets Dr House kind of man.
yes, he's a 60s kid.
yes, i should stop gushing.
yes, he has a great voice and his wit and manner of speaking reminds of someone once dear to me.
yes, end of gush.

hungry the hearts of people who can never find love

"all their lives spent looking

for the hearts of people who can never find love

feed the hungriest hearts with love"

This Sad Song, The Observatory

Being an online citizen

For 377a: i did my part.

check it out:

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2007/10/23/repeal-377a-press-conference-public-health-and-families-at-stake-too/

The ugly side of 377A

I am disturbed. Why and by what you ask?

By the barrage of rather caustic comments and replies on the Singapore Press mothership website. These were in response to the story about NMP Siew Kum Hong's submission of a petition to the parliament to repeal 377A of the penal code (that outlaws sexual intercourse between males).

Honestly, I feel the remarks below only show how intolerant, infantile and shallow Singaporeans are. Essentially it boils down to IRRATIONAL fear. you think by the repealing the law, gay people will overrun our society and turn your kids gay? C'mon, how naive and childish can a "democracy" like Singapore get. Don't you see that you are the one who is criminalising them?

And all the talk about "decadence" bringing about the ultimate "DOWNWARD SPIRAL" of our country: wake up, there's more dirt in the system that you can't see.

The effects of this paternalistic governance is showing, my fellow citizens. And it is grossing me out.

Take a look at the comments below:

ST (straits times): NMP files petition to House on gay sex law

Forum user #1:

Parliament. MPs. don't let the gays have a free hand to get the youth into bed or for them to freely promote their lifestyles or demand equal rights for this and that.

It will lead to decadence and SINK ka pore.

If gays want no guilt for their act, then remove s377a but replace it with a new law to prevent gay having hidden agenda to have freedom beyond guilt.

MPs, go , go for it too. But please don't bring gay lifestyle into Parliament.
Don't eye each other lovingly while in national debates in Parliament and then after the serious debating go roam each other in bed. OMG.

Parliamentary decadence!

Forum user #2:

The weakness of the NMP scheme has always been that the NMP becomes the representative of particular political groups. Siew Kum Hong has finally violated the original intent of the NMP scheme.

Perhaps it is time to throw out the NMP scheme. Who knows, the Al Queda group may decide to target one of our NMPs next to be their voice in Parliament.

Or who knows, perhaps it is time to get the NMPs involved in Meet-the-People sessions, and they will have a better sense of what's happening in the ground. "Idleness is the bane of body and mind, the nurse of naughtiness, the chief mother of all mischief."

Forum user #3:

I can see that NCMP Siew Kum Hong feels that gay lifestyle is acceptable and proper.

OMG. Can't we see that it will lead to darkness and decadence?

Many glorious and flourishing ancient civlisations went into grief and demise when they became decadent. Gay lifestyle and greed, etc. lead to that end.

SINK ga pore will be no different when we invite gay lifestyle into our society openly and letting them promote the corruption of our youth.

There will be no hope for the future once decadence enters us and the light is taken out of us. Read, Matthews chap 6 vs 22 and 23.

Forum user #4:

Simple, day in Parliament.

Mr Speaker Sir,

I propose that NMP Siew Kum Hong declares his interest in submitting this petition to repeal S377A.

Does he have a direct or indirect vested personal interest in the gay lifestyle?

Does he have any hidden agenda?

Forum user #5:

aiyo... I don't want my nephew to go to school and then come back an "ah-gua".

yah, the current breed of homosexuals are not satisfied with a private deviant lifestyle. they want to parade their values to schools, to youths, to do homosexual parades. yuks!

Spare our budding minds from the onslaught of such values!

Fridae is a media company? It's a website lah.. homosexual website.. promote homosexual lifestyle.. Parent

Introducing the Boeing 777-2000

I invented a new plane yesterday, the Boeing 777-2000. And at godspeed it appeared on newswebsites.

Wishbs, wishbs, go away!!!

Strange encounters of the male kind

I look back on my humble life, triggered by the current stalemate or what Min calls "Male deficiency". There have been several memorable snippets with the male of the species.

Sorry hor, nothing sordid.

Specimen A: Boy from the rock show

17 year-old rachxf wins tickets to Asian Dub Foundation gig on local radio station and brings Min along, alongside her many friends. Great gig, red wine compliments of elder sister of one of the bunch and I meet Boy after the gig at the foot of Fort Canning Hill while waiting for taxi.

Two minutes into friendly chit chat, just to while time away before cab arrives. Boy (lets call him G) asks if I would like to go get roti prata from Thomson Road. A reserved rachxf politely declined but naively exchanged numbers with G. G asked if he could call after he reaches home.

Cut to G calling rachxf in the middle of the night. Rachxf finds out G is of half Arab descent and the other bloodline she is clueless. They had a good talk about what they like, they spoke about a Radiohead music video and she finds out fairylights were used in the scene where Thom Yorke submerges in a big tank of water. G was making supper while talking to her.

Morning after- G never called back.

Moral of the story: Don't give your number to any Ol' boy/guy/fella/fuddy duddy. I wasn't pissed or anything, just a bad ending to the phonecall between strangers, nothing similar to that in Elizabeth Town.

Specimen B: itunes msn

So fast forward to 2006 November, Rachxf studies hard for her photojournalism exam one night in school. Laptop's switched on, so was her itunes.

Rachxf believes in sharing her music with the good users of itunes so with the sharing function switched on, people on campus is able to detect her itunes (if they are near enough to her network).

She notices a weird user on the shared itunes sidebar.

One of the user's name reads: Rachel, can I get a copy of A Perfect Circle album from you?

Shocked, she alarms her friends and everyone inspects the itunes programme. Consensus= reply the person using your itunes user name too.

She asked through her user name: Are you talking to me? Where are you?

Person answers about 5 minutes later (via itunes user name): I am at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences Library

Then again: Where are you?

Rachxf is freaked out. This is not funny. And all of her friends is not having her on.

Rachxf asks: Can you add me on msn and we can talk?

Dubious Person was added on msn and rachxf finds out he, yes a guy is from some engineering school and mugging at the library. He recently crashed his computer and wanted the A Perfect Circle album.

Upon obtaining his e-mail address, rachxf's trusty friend did a search on a social network programme and found the dude's profile. haha.

Nay, consensus was.

Until today, rachxf has not sent dubious person a copy of the album but he still exists in her msn contacts.

Moral of the story: strange but true, you can actually pick people up using itunes!!! technology has surpassed many traditional methods of getting to know girls.

Specimen C: Emo grown-up man

Everything was hazy as rachxf had a bit too much to drink. Wine mostly. She and Trina was at a cosy bar. Rachxf meets someone she met on the job, says hi (PR effort) and he started talking to her.

10 minutes worth of small talk later, Man ( he is definitely over 32) lapses into an unprecedented emotional conversation on his plight and state of a romantic relationship. rachxf is taken aback by the EMO-ing. She is at a loss of words, only saying: "You should just wait and see how it goes,"

Rachxf's favourite The Cure song, "Inbetween Days" plays in the background and she segues to the dancefloor, telling him: "I like this song,"

Dancing begins and death of conversation. Yay!

Moral of the story: Emo can happen to anyone at any age.




Amelia, me and the emo caught inbetween.

Diamond Sea

Lovely cover of Sonic Youth's by an equally lovely Ms Karen O. Bent on buying Architecture in Helsinki and PJ's White Chalk as both failed me on the Peer-to-Peer front. haha.

Another note: Still haunts me to see a friend who I owe a CD to for FOUR years. Yes, I will return The Bends to the person. haha.

Just realised that most of the hard workers who studied for A Levels at Starbucks Jalan Jamal (I was one of them too) went to Law School. haha. I am detractor lor.




- Rachxf turns her Camera On-

Talk is cheap

Sometimes it's better to say nothing at all.

If I was trading on the social stock exchange, i would say I have made several severe losses on some of the bluechips I traded in.

Sometimes it's better not to invest too much. Problem is you won't get richer, will you?

24 cans.

Back from the "land of a thousand elephants" and back to my snooty island-state i call home Singapore.

24 cans of beerlao bought. half of which will be given to beer-hungry journos. haha

I appreciate Singapore's one-party politics a little bit more now. Red tape with efficiency at least. I say this with a wry smile of course.

Alrighty. for more about my Laos trip visit: www.gofar2007.wordpress.com

To Be Young Subterranean Homesick Blues

Earwormss of the week.

Ryan Adams' To Be Young and Grandaddy Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues.

Uncannily, both the songs sound alike, their hooks and song structure. And the themes, about (wasted) youth.

Hands down, my favourite line from Mister Adams:

"When your young you get sad, then you get high. You get high. Oh man,"

Laos (3 more days!)

Confessions on a gancheong spider

I created quite a ruckus yesterday with my incessant worrying over a book which I supposedly and believed that I misplaced in school.

Book in point belongs to Mr Duffy, my final-year project supervisor and it's one of those student-published books that are irreplacable. It was loaned to me, along with five other student projects in a bid to impress a government official who Clarence and I were meeting to brief them on our project.

Yes, I couldn't find that particular book on Thursday morning before meeting the official. Panic struck me and gan cheong queen took over. In a blurry fit of anxiety, I took out my phone and started punching SOS text mesages to 12 different people who might have seen the book, been near the book ( which was on a table in school) or would be in school and able to help me look for the book.

So 12 good people and friends did their job, looked around the school, went to enquire at the lost and found counter. And they are realised they were going through the same motions, in a bid to help me. Also, that's when they realised I mobilised like a search team for that blasted book.

Alas, the book was not found. BUT, to my horror, digust and shame. Upon reaching home, I saw that book-once-thought-lost happily lying on the tabletop.

It's the same old plot to these "lost" things indeed.

"Oh, I found the book under that table while vacuuming," said my dad.

And in daniel's famous last words: "Don't search, just vacuum."

All apologies for the fuss I kicked up. Nonetheless, a friend in need is a friend indeed. Grateful to the entire search team.



( Final-year Project idiots Rachxf and clar bear. We battle the green biatch!!!)

Dream Diaries.

I remember a friend describing a dream to me.

He said we were at a beach (methinks). In this subconscious realm, I abandoned him for a group of school friends and never turned around. Just walked away.

I wondered what I said to him before I walked away.

And leaving people behind is unusual for me.

I want to remember the places that we left, lost to the mists of time

Play me a sad song
'Cause that’s what I want to hear

Death of a party: Loof, Politik Chic, August 2007

It began one lovely evening.

Rachxf and Sophie

Wide-shot, by Clar Bear of Phie and rach

Best buds. They are sworn by the same pizza slice. Clar and Alf.

Bulelwa "Free Palestine" meets Alf the communist
After much rum, vodka and beerlao as the social lubricant...And Spice Girls on the sound system

Yanwen and Dylan

Amelia, rachxf, yanwen, Sari and Dylan

Us and Us.

- Inebriated perspectives-


Shaun

A "Fall-Lawn" Min

Me and ma "ho-MIN"

Rabid Rongjun hits the floor

Sari at the bar

Mad hatters Margie and rach

Move aside, George Clooney

He is the reason why I am so turned on watching medical drama. Give me a biopsy, Dr House.

Hello opera.

methinks he is gorgeous. avec makeup, that is.

Sing, sing, sing.

Scrolling through my ipod last night made me recall some good memories of spontaneous singing:

- Suxin, Ailing and I were trying to rap/sing to Outkast's Ms Jackson after school in Nanyang one day. The best we could do was, "Sorry Ms Jackson, I am for real. Never meant to make your daughter cry, I apologise a trillion times...woo woo woo,"

We couldn't rap.

- M. and I was trying hard to remember the lyrics to Everclear's boot-tapping-licious Santa Monica, while he got all the chords right on his guitar.

"We can live beside the ocean. Leave the fire behind. Swim out past the breakers. Watch the world die"

- Enroute to Physics Laboratory period in JC, singing my then-favourite Garbage song to J who was extremely tickled by my less-than perfect vocals.

"Go Baby go go. We're right behind you. Go baby go baby, OOHHHH, we're right behind you............"

- An inebrieted pair of Min and myself, outside Zouk. Attempting to sing Ash's Burn Out.

See. I can't even remember the lyrics.

- Post-Prom night party at China Black. Party closes at 3 am with the hip hop dj opting to spin Radiohead's Creep.

I think ( i think) Ailing and I were singing like two siao char bohs to the song, scaring the shits out of people.

"I'm a CREEEEppp. I'm a Weirddooooo....."

- Driving to Marina South with O, blasting Oasis on stereo. +

"Some might say That we will find a brighter day. Some might say We will find a brighter day.Yeah-ah!"

Good times. good times.

Insomnia besets

I was thinking about all the juvenile and infantile things that a 19 year-old me have once said to someone.

I cringed, I laughed and I wished I had said something better (to save whatever we could)

Funny how words can change the way things swing.

Meanwhile ( a word i have been using a tad too much, cos i use it in my AFP oil market stories), I learnt a new word!

rap·proche·ment (rä'prôsh-mäɴ')
n.
A reestablishing of cordial relations, as between two countries.
The state of reconciliation or of cordial relations.

Hmm, a sign perhaps.

Coolest nepali kid in Kathmandu

Good Fashion. Boy on left, in vintage singlet, jeans, scarf and a 800 rupee army jacket with studs. Loves it. He is a fashion icon, without knowing he is one.

Bad Fashion. Rachxf in a sarong, because she tore her pants.

Blue skies blue. Pokhara, Nepal

Some good music, packet please auntie.

http://www.blogotheque.net/takeawayshows/

Hurrah. There's music for you to dabao (takeaway) now. Literally, cos these musicians/bands including Spinto band, The Kooks, The Shins, Au Revoir Simone and Voxtrot are caught on camera while stroliing down the streets of New York, Paris wherever.
Music on the go, with great edits that don't make you giddy.

Best thing thus far: you can download some of the rare live tracks for FREE.

yay! I love collaborative websites. and for all, who read French, go to www.blogotheque.net ( i believe it just means "The Blog")

Harland Miller's International Lonely Guy, 2004

Book meets painter meets Pop Art = books + paintings





Meet Harland Miller, British artist-writer who has these witty, colourful and uncannily realistic paintings of Penguin Book covers (fictitious ones of cos, pun not intended ;D )

And who better to write an interview piece with Miller, but indie demigod himself, Jarvis Cocker. Read the Guardian interview here: http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/visualart/story/0,,2072723,00.html

I love Penguin Books, which reminds me...I should get some more of their minimalist classics with green and white covers. Lovely reads with equally lovely covers, me friends. Go grab a shelf full of them.

Click on London Loves ...ART to find out more.

Rachel is currently reading: Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Penguin Books