Wow, new post?

It's been almost a year! Ahahaha. Well, if anyone is still following, I'd just like to apologise for being such a lazy ass, but like every other lazy ass on this planet, I have my reasons! Hehe. I've been writing reviews and the odd article for Junk magazine, and I also now have a column in the Malaysian Insider (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/aidil-rusli).

I've also just started a blog for my band Couple, apart from maintaining our Myspace, Facebook, Friendster, Twitter and all sorts of other pages. Ahhh the joys of technology... So as you can see, I'm one very busy guy, LOL.

But not too busy to miss out on watching all the good and bad films being made out there, that's for sure! As some of you might notice, apart from my unreasonably good taste of liking high-brow art films, I also like the other end of the spectrum (noooo, not porn!) i.e. B-movies/vulgar comedies/rom-coms etc. And maybe some torture porn as well (nooooo, this is NOT porn - it just happens to have that word in it).

Anyways, being an ardent follower of the career of David Twohy (he of The Arrival + Pitch Black 'fame'), I was more than excited to watch his latest opus, A Perfect Getaway, starring 2 actors I like in Steve Zahn & Milla Jovovich, and I'm happy to report that I'm liking it a lot.

And that's my review. The less you know about the movie, the better your experience will be. Yes, my laziness plays a little part in the shortness of my review, but actually it's my love for you readers (so much so that I don't want to spoil your experience) that makes it so.

But seriously, I'l try not to be too lazy anymore okay? And in case I do get lazy, you can just check out the links I put up here for more of my meandering writings, that way you won't miss me too much, hehehe.

"Susuk" - film review

After probably 2 years of waiting, Susuk finally makes its way to our cinemas. At first I thought it'd already met with the same horrible fate that befell Dukun. But lucky for us, it's finally here! I've pretty high hopes for this film, since I'm quite fond of Amir Muhammad's debut film, Lips To Lips, and his docus like The Big Durian and Lelaki Komunis Terakhir.

One thing I must commend the film for is the slick visual style, and the script's very clever structure. No, make that especially the structure! It's very rare (in my case, it might even be the first time) to encounter a Malaysian film with that big "twist ending" ala The Crying Game, The Sixth Sense, The Game (just to name a few films). If you've been paying attention to the happenings in the story (and believe me, they do give you plenty of clues!), then it's even more enjoyable viewing, just to see the pieces fall into place. So I won't really try to provide a synopsis since it's one of those "don't reveal the ending" films.

What lets the film down though, is the shocking/scaring you part. Yes, it's very bloody and gory, and you do see some Dario Argento influence in the art direction and lighting (as pointed out by a lot of reviewers), but let's be honest here, when has ANY film by Dario Argento ever been scary? To me, the marvel in watching Argento's films is in watching the technique, the over the top colours in the art direction, the fancy camera movements and angles, and the hilariously horrible music used as cues to shock us. The acting and script in all the Argento films have always been serviceable at best, the acting even worse. And there's usually no suspense whatsoever, just shocks/surprise. Like Hitchcock once said: "A bomb explodes - that's surprise. Knowing that there's a bomb that may or may not explode - that's suspense." And for much of Susuk, what you always get are shocks/surprises, never suspense. And to me, what really makes a great horror film is the suspense. The shocks/surprises just make me laugh...

Another letdown is that I get really confused trying to figure out what Susuk wants to be. At times, you KNOW that it's sort of a satire on our celebrity obsessed culture, and things we do to even get close to fame. At other times, it seems more like the filmmakers are playing it absolutely straight and actually do want to make a straight horror film, and scare the bejeezuz out of us. By the end of the film, the impression I did make was that it was sort of a mess.

On one part the structure's quite brilliant, the acting mostly solid, with the exception of the boyfriend (sorry Gambit, still a bit kayu!), and the 2 divas played by Sofea Jane and Aleeza Kassim (but I forgive Aleeza already, for that priceless swimming pool scene, and the blink-and-you'll-miss-it verbal reference to her character's sexuality! Hehehe). Even Ida Nerina's kinda suspect behaviour/acting during the early to middle part of the film ultimately made sense by the time the film ends, such is the attention to detail about the film's structure. And don't even get me started about how kickass the scene transitions are in the film! Really, really well thought out in advance!

But it's the believability of the whole thing that bogs the film down. For all the talk about how great a diva Suzana and the 2 other divas are, the songs they sing are just plain bad, even for mainstream Malay music standards. One might try to make a case by saying that the badness of the songs is part of the satire, but if you ask me, that's just plain cheating. Even the Josie And The Pussycats movie have hilarious but absolutely believable and strong songs for the parodied boyband in the film. Let's not even get started about how great the 'satirical' or 'parody' songs are on films like A Mighty Wind, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, and of course This Is Spinal Tap. Unless, and this is a big unless, the bad songs here serve to show us the power of the susuk, that is that people will be fixated with you anyway, even if your songs are bad and your singing sucks. But I seriously don't get that impression when I was watching the film.

And so we get another half-half Malaysian film. Half of it's already well done, and close to brilliant, but the other half, by second-guessing themselves, or maybe even not thinking things up fully, end up making it a weaker film than it should've been. It could've been a real scorcher, a sort of brilliant kick up the ass of the Malaysian film industry like "Perempuan, Isteri dan ..." did back in the 90s, but I guess it's never meant to be...

the indie music revolution in malaysia (part 2) - what next?

A perceptive reader asked a very good question when he commented on my previous post regarding the indie music revolution currently happening in Malaysia. Here's the comment by Danial:

"Since the second-half of 2007 was the beginning of our indie explosion & it continues to bloom now in 2008 (with once there was four gigs during the weekend, it was hard to choose which one to go!), what would you hope the future of this scene will be, say in 2009?

Are we gonna be stuck in organizing gigs & concerts (it's now getting bigger: RockOnRave & KL Indie Fest) all year long or is it high-time for us to start the initiative in spreading this thing for the whole nation (& the world) to see i.e. taking it to the next level?

What I would love to see is that we set-up our very own indie radio station. Yes. Call it Radio Indie Malaysia (the abbreviation would be RIM, *snicker*) or something. We'll just play music from our local & international independent bands: it'll be some sort of a platform for these musicians to get their music heard for the masses. It'll be OUR alternative media for those discontented "listening public". Who needs the old order? Why not make our own industry?"

Well Mr Danial, I do agree with you on one point, that is we simply need to have our own 'industry' (if that's the correct way to put it), and that we don't need the old order after all. What I'm not so sure we should do is to go about it the same way the industry's been doing it all these years.

Let's not forget that the main reason the scene's got this far so far is the democratization of everything by the internet. The radio, TV and press only took notice when there's already word spreading around on the internet by the kids.

I was involved in an "Indie vs. Mainstream" debate on Xfresh FM last night, which frankly (and thankfully) was not much of a debate, and more like a friendly chat discussing what "mainstream" and "indie" means. I, for one, have never been interested to show nor explain why the things I like are better/superior than others, because frankly I don't think that what I like is better/superior than others. I just like 'em, and that's it. And if I'm not into what you're doing, well it's just not my cup of tea, that's all.

Since what's been happening with the indie explosion over here is more or less an organic word-of-mouth thing, I honestly think we should just let it develop the exact way it's started, i.e. organically. More exposure on the radio/TV is just an old mainstream strategy. There have always been radio shows playing "indie" music for years now, but they almost always get cancelled after, at most, 3 years. Why? Because radio depends on sponsors/advertisement, who look at ratings to make their decision, and "indie" radio shows are never meant to attract to high ratings. Unless you play popular "indie" rock tunes, which the normal radio shows will play anyway. It's a game countless people have played, and it's a game designed to not let the indie kids win.

If survival is hard enough for "indie" radio shows, survival for an "indie" radio station over here is really a futile question, unless we get a rich sugardaddy to finance the whole operation. Now that's a different question!

So really, we don't need to do things the way the mainstream's been doing it. We don't need to have our own radio station. We don't need to have our own TV station, or our own newspaper/magazine. All these things cost a lot of money to even start, and when big money comes into the equation, corporate considerations will also come into the picture. And whenever the word "corporate" is in the picture, you'll only get watered down versions of your original intentions. And watered down indie is never, ever a good thing.

Come to think of it, actually the indie kids DO have their own radio station already, and it's called the internet. We DO have our own newspaper/TV media channel already, and it's called the internet. We can now make our own listening playlist, and find the music we like by ourselves, without any need for any DJs or radio programmers to shove music down our throats. We can deliver news our own way through the internet. Heck, we can even make our own news!

Don't have any "cable" to get noticed? Well go make your own "cable". We have the internet now, so go make friends with people out there. With so many social networking sites available now like Myspace, Facebook, Friendster etc, why limit yourself to just using them to flirt or find dates?

What we do need to think about to go to the "next level" is just to come up with the goods. Keep on writing and recording great songs that people can connect with. You can have all the platforms you want, but without the "goods", you won't get anywhere anyway. So just deliver the goods, and somehow, someway, you'll find yourself going to the "next level".

To me, the beauty of this whole "indie" revolution is that it is more or less like watching democracy at work, manifesting itself in its purest form. It's a revolution by the people, for the people. And it leaves the establishment and the system out of the equation entirely.

What happens next is all up to you kids to decide. But if I were to have any say in it, just don't forget this: "If it ain't dumb, it ain't rock n roll!!"

how to form a band (and not kill each other doing it)

A lot of you kids have been asking me for tips on a lot of things, how to get a band started, how to get gigs, how to write songs and many others. Now I'm in no way an expert at these things, not even close, but I guess it won't be wrong if I write about what I think is the decent way to go about doing it. So here it goes:

1. Ask yourself WHY you wanna do this in the first place

This is a very important question to ask yourself, because the way you approach things will no doubt differ according to the reasons why you wanna do this. If you're thinking of becoming popular or a star in a short time, then maybe forming a band is not such a good idea, as personally I think it's a long, hard road, for most bands anyway. If becoming a star in record time is your reason, then it's not something I know how to do, as Couple's been around for 13 years now, and we're still nowhere near being stars! So maybe taking part in a talent/reality TV show might be a good idea. Hehe. But if your reasons include love of music, or a need to express yourself, or just to enjoy making music with friends, or by yourself, and playing live, and sharing an adventure, then let's proceed to the next question.

2. Ask yourself what do YOU like?

Some bands have democratic aspirations, yes, but I think it's normal for most bands to have one person, or at the most 2 persons, as the creative drive behind them. So, to these persons I'd advice them to just follow their hearts. I know a lot of people will answer, "I listen to everything", when asked about the music they like. But c'mon, even parents have a favourite child (even if they'll never admit it in public). So, be honest, and ask yourself what sort of music/genre(s) YOU like, and then go through with it. Remember the answer to Question 1 above? You're doing this for YOU, so have some balls and stick your neck out and show to the world - "This is what I love, and therefore this is the music I'm making - this is ME." Only then will your band have any shot at longevity, as only people who really love what they do will keep on doing it regardless of whether their band is successful/popular or not.

3. Do your research

Now that you've decided on what you like, delve into it wholeheartedly. Know it as best as you can. Devour as much as you can. Know/understand what makes you like it. Get a feel of how the songs are constructed. Explore the hallmarks and nuances of the genre(s). Better still, dive headfirst into music history. Make it a point to know as much as you can about as many genres of music as you can. At least that way you won't fall flat on your face, as you're less likely to proclaim that what you're doing is something 'new' or 'original' because the more you delve into music history, the more you'll realise that everything's  been done before. But don't worry, that doesn't mean that today's music is worthless, because you just need to realise that there's a world of difference between paying tribute to/getting influenced by someone and plagiarism. Just be true to yourself, do what you truly love, and you'll be fine. Don't burden yourself with all this lofty, big ideas about creating something 'new', 'original' or 'fresh'. Leave that kind of worrying to pompous assholes who think so highly of themselves that they think that everything they do must/should change the world. Music is a reflection of your soul, and if you're true to yourself whilst making it, it will come out, and that reflection of your soul in the music you make is already something unique only to you. What more do you want?

4. Be humble (Part 1)

Being in a band, like it or not, is an ego game. So don't forget to be a human being. And don't forget that your bandmates are human beings too. Never forget that at the end of the day it's your band's 'sound' that people will remember and pay attention to first, not how great the lead guitarist, or the bassist, or the drummer, or the singer is. Depending on the kind of music you do, some players might have to restrain themselves more than others, in order to serve the band's 'sound'. Maybe less guitar wanking is needed in certain genres, or minimalist drumming needed in others, so I'm sure there will be some people in this sort of situations who might think they're better than all that. That is why it's very important to do your research, so that you'll understand the fundamentals of what you want to do better. Always remember that it's the BAND that's most important, not the members. So be humble, and don't be selfish, as the band is not yours alone. If you still think you're better than the band, then quit that band and form your own band, one that you think can better serve your skills.

5. Know your strengths and weaknesses

Again, be honest to yourself and humble enough to admit what your weaknesses are. And of course, be humble enough not to overestimate your strengths. When you start jamming with your bandmates, pay attention to each other. Try to notice each one's playing style. Make a mental note of what each person's strengths and weaknesses are. Better still, talk about it with your bandmates. That way, you can write and arrange songs around that. Accentuate your strengths, and minimise or try to avoid the weaknesses altogether. The most important thing about a band is that it has to be tight. A tight as hell band playing the simplest of music is still a million times better than a loose, all over the place band playing 'complicated' music. Going about being in a band is not so different from going about living your life. If you're weak physically but are excellent with numbers, which would you choose, being a rugby player or mathematician? Easy, right? So, just apply that same logic when you're in a band!

6. Know when you're ready

This is the most crucial part. You've now written your own songs. You've been jamming a lot. What next? This is where you really have to be honest with yourself, AND ask your friends to be honest with you. Maybe you can demo some songs and listen carefully at home, or give some to your friends for them to listen to. The most important thing is to really decide whether the material you have or your live performance skills are good enough to be unleashed to the world. Put yourself in the shoes of the listener. Ask yourself, if you're a listener and you heard the songs, would you get excited by them? If you're the audience and you're watching your band's performance of the songs, would you like it? If you think there's still work to be done after you asked yourself those questions, then by all means do work on it. There's no hurry whatsoever to introduce your band to the world. Most of us get only ONE chance to impress, so make the best first impression you can. A great first impression will surely lead to something. Luck may have something to do with it, but I honestly think there's no such thing as blind luck. I heard this great phrase in a documentary: "Luck is when opportunity meets preparation." And I really think that's true.

7. Be humble (Part 2)

Like I said above, playing music is almost always all about ego. You might start out just to have fun with friends, but what happens when you suddenly have 'fans'? Egos can easily inflate, and when they do you can easily lose sight of things. So, always remember WHY you're doing this in the first place. Again, your answer to Question No. 1 above is very, very important.

So, there it is kids, a simple guide on how to form a band, and not kill each other doing it! I hope it'll help a little bit. Maybe I'll do another post next about how to get gigs or how to 'up' your band? Hehehehe.

the indie music revolution in malaysia

There's quite a lot being written about this whole 'indie music revolution' currently taking place in Malaysia. From bloggers to newspaper writers, everyone's saying their piece. I'm not in the business of predicting which bands/acts will make it big this year or next year, so this piece will avoid all that. What I'm interested in is why it's taking place now, and not 2 years ago, and not next year.

If you ask me, I think it's a combination of a lot of things. People always say that a country's progress is always reflected by its arts scene. And I'm sure it's no mere coincidence that this whole indie revolution is happening just as the Malaysian political landscape is experiencing its own seismic shift in its make-up. In fact, one would have to be very naive to not want to draw parallels between the two.

For my money, this whole shift is a direct result of us everyday people having more options when it comes to access to information, thanks to increased easy access to the world wide web. Politics-wise we people have far more places to go to when it comes to getting our news. The mainstream newspapers/television/radio no longer have a monopoly on the opinions of us everyday people.

By that same analogy, us everyday music loving kids no longer have to depend on mainstream radio/television to tell us who to listen to or to like. There's Myspace, iMeem, Last FM and all sorts of social networking sites and file sharing sites where us kids can simply discover all sorts of music.

However, easy access alone is no cause for a revolution. Discontent is. For far too long we've been bombarded by average, unremarkable music, pushed down our throats through the radio & TV by the record companies in Malaysia. Full of A&R people who have totally lost touch with what the kids want from Malaysian acts, they stubbornly refuse to mix in with the grass roots and instead try to clone whatever Indonesian acts that make it big over here. People talk about how A&R people should have their finger on the pulse of the music scene. I doubt they even have that finger, let alone know where that pulse is.

We keep on hearing complaints by music industry people of how harmful this 'Indonesian invasion' is, but it's a problem they create themselves. Isn't it obvious by how successful the Indonesian bands are here that the public wants something fresh and different? Isn't it very obvious that Dewa, Sheila On 7, Padi, Peter Pan, Samsons and Nidji are obviously very different and obviously fresher-sounding than Search, Wings, Jinbara, Amuk, Spider, New Boys and the like? But why keep on pushing more rock kangkang and rock leleh Malaysian bands down our throats when it's so obvious that the public wants something else?

And no, don't tell me that there are no Malaysian bands that have that 'fresh' sound. Even before this whole indie music revolution we already have OAG, The Times and to a lesser extent Exists doing their own thing singing in Malay. Butterfingers also came up with a Malay album that's as un-rock kangkang and un-leleh as they come. With the exception of OAG and Exists, radio support for our own 'new school' bands are almost non-existent. So, it's not just the labels but also the radio that has to take their fair share of the blame.

What about the local awards like the AIM? Why is it that year after year, the nominees and winners never seem to involve this whole 'new school' Malaysian bands? The answer is simple, to enter your album to be considered for nomination in the AIM, one has to be a member of RIM first, and that my friends involve membership fees that are quite prohibitive (around RM3ooo, if I'm not mistaken) if you're an unsigned, struggling indie band. So in reality what the AIM does reflect is that portion of the Malaysian music industry that can afford to pay the RIM membership fees, which probably explains why the more 'urban' (i.e. more affluent) acts are the ones who usually get nominated and win. Which will also explain why non-urban acts like my band Couple will probably never ever get an AIM nomination. Hehehe.

And then there's the TV series Kami, and the meteoric rise of Meet Uncle Hussein and most importantly, Hujan. This small TV series and these 2 small bands basically destroyed all the safeguards and barriers previously put up by the major label cartel and the mainstream media in Malaysia. What basically happened was that a lot of denials and pride had to be swallowed, as these 3 phenomenons, no matter how 'budaya barat' they are (as the elders and the mainstream will always say whenever they don't understand something), are just too important and too big to be ignored. Ignore them and risk losing out on a lot of potential profits. Being the capitalists they are, of course the industry will embrace them.

All of the above factors might be small, but at the end of the day they do add up. Hence the discontent. Not just among the musicians/bands, but also among the listening public. There's only so much crap you can take before you finally say enough is enough, right? And if you ask me, that's exactly what's happened here in Malaysia. The last general election results powerfully demonstrated that a lot of us Malaysians have said exactly that, enough is enough.

And this whole indie music revolution currently happening in Malaysia is also that, kids finally saying enough is enough. Kids slowly making their voices heard loud and clear. They're saying this is what we want. These are the bands we like. You media people might want to push such and such bands as the next big things, but we know better what we want and what we like. The days of the media trying to push their friends' bands as 'geniuses' or next big things will very soon be over, if not over already. The kids now have far more options to choose from. And choose they will. Ah, how beautiful that is, democracy!

my CD reviews in Junk magazine (part 1)

With everyone competing to be THE tastemaker in this huge blogosphere, here's my own little attempt at pointing the way to great music, or warning people to tread with caution on some albums. So if you have a CD you think I might review favourably (just check out all the reviews I've written here to see the kind of stuff I might appreciate), do get in touch, 'cause I love freebies... hehehe. All the reviews here have been previously published in various issues of Junk magazine from last year to this year:

THE TIMES
Nada Melankolik Malaya
(Clockwork Records)

Promises are not easy to keep. When most of us first heard OAG’s Satelit Ink album, I’m sure most had really high hopes for the kind of brilliance that might come next. But then all of a sudden, that OAG line-up splintered into 2, leaving Radhi alone to soldier on as OAG, and with Naza & Alim forming The Times.

Suddenly we’re left with the possibility that the promise might not be fulfilled after all. And after both The Times’ debut album and OAG’s new one, it does seem that such a bleak proposition, after so much wonderful promise, might turn out to be true after all.

Sometimes the best things come when you least expect them to. Take this second album by The Times for example. It must’ve been real easy to dismiss them after what was at best a patchy debut album.

But real artists strive to improve, and long to create something worthwhile that will touch other people’s lives. And artists The Times have proven themselves to be with this album. To give you an idea, if your favourite songs from Satelit Ink include “Konspirasi Bising Internasional” and “Venusia”, then you NEED to have this album in your life, because it’s full of tunes of that quality.

Not only did they bother to fill the album with all these sweet, mid-tempo melancholic pop-rockers like “Wilayah Strawberi Selamanya” and “Konspirasi Primadona 1965”, they even had the balls to give us what is, for my money, one of the greatest love songs I’ve ever encountered by a Malaysian act, an achingly beautiful little song called “Infra Merah”, with a gorgeous vocal performance by Naza that I guarantee will melt even the coldest of hearts.

And “beautiful” is a very apt word to describe this album, which is a huge surprise if you think about their supposedly rock n roll reputation. But credit where credit’s due. This IS a beautiful album, unexpectedly so, maybe, but beautiful all the same. I’m just happy that somebody kept their promise. And in doing so, have also signalled, that The Times have finally arrived.

**** stars

L.E.O
Alpacas Orgling
(Cheap Lullaby Records)

I’m a pop geek. Add to that the fact that this CD is one of the most hyped and highly anticipated releases in the pop underground, coupled with the band’s impeccable pedigree in having people like Mike Viola and Andy Sturmer involved, consider me sold!

However, as great as most of the tunes are in here, I can’t praise this too much, considering the high ambitions of this project - a tribute to the style & spirit of Electric Light Orchestra (“ELO”).

Taken out of the ELO context, all the songs here are wonderful, but when you bring ELO into the picture, only a few can hold up like “Ya Had Me Going” and “Make Me”. The financial constraints of an indie project surely made it impossible to reproduce the ridiculous but magical bombast of all the classic 70’s ELO recordings.

And that’s exactly what’s missing here.

*** stars

SLOAN
Never Hear The End Of It
(Murderecords/Yep Roc Records)

This might be a strange way to recommend an album, but if you find yourself not so impressed with this album upon the first quick listen (i.e. skipping tracks), I urge you to actually sit down and listen to this CD the whole way through.

That’s exactly how I unlocked the mysteries of this latest album by Canada’s power pop heroes, Sloan. I went in looking for the usual quick fix of great “singles” and a few above average fillers, but found something else instead, an old fashioned, Abbey Road style “album”.

Not that this sounds like Abbey Road, but more in the same spirit, in which the sum is greater than its parts. Yes, songs like “Set In Motion” sound like a monster hit in waiting, but the real beauty & genius here is how the album gently works its way into your soul. God bless you, Sloan.

**** stars

CHEAP TRICK
Rockford
(Big3 Records)

Old rockers soldiering on can sometimes be an embarrassing sight, they say. And I’m sure it’s safe to call the Cheap Trick dudes old too. But embarrassing they surely aren’t.

This new album by them is probably the freshest non-70’s Cheap Trick album I’ve heard in a long time. It’s amazing how young everyone in the band sounds. The songs, oh my God, almost all of them have a vitality, freshness and excitement as if they’re written for a first album, not what you’d expect from an album 30 years down the line!

It’s depressing, however, to think about how this fantastic album will be ignored by the younger crowd, simply because of how unhip it is to listen to Cheap Trick now. But this is a great record, that very rare combination of melody and power. So please, don’t let yourself make that mistake. Get it now!

**** stars


THE SUPER INSURGENT GROUP OF INTEMPERANCE TALENT
Visible Idea of Perfection
(FFWD Records)

Let me put the record straight now. The S.I.G.I.T is a great rock n roll band. Songwriting-wise, they can easily kick Wolfmother’s behinds anytime. And they’re also reputedly kickass live performers.

However, I have a bit of a problem with this album. It’s full of solid, and sometimes great bluesy rock n roll tunes, in the vein of Led Zeppelin and the aforementioned Wolfmother (if you want a recent reference).

It’s no coincidence that people associate rock n roll with dirt, filth, sweat, rawness and the like, as it’s that primitive instinct that makes rock n roll so special and durable. Make no mistake, The S.I.G.I.T is rock n roll, but this album isn’t. It’s just too well produced, and sounds tame next to the primal sounds of their earlier demos & cassette only EP. I really wanted to love this album, but I love dirt more, I guess.

*** stars

i'm back, and isn't it pretty odd?

Wow, it's almost 2 years since I last updated this blog! Assuming that anyone's reading this (haha), I do have a good explanation though. I've been busy with work (as always), but my band Couple has been very, very busy playing live shows week in, week out and trying to win a place in the Malaysian Book of Records as "The hardest gigging band aka Road Dogs of All Time". Hehe, wow, lame try at being sarcastic!

I've also been writing music reviews for a KL-based music magazine (with regional ambitions) called Junk, so my 'writing' time's been taken up too. But finally I'm taking a huge step to living the true 'punk' dream, i.e. to be 'free' to do whatever the hell I want, by starting out on my own (my own law firm and a music-related business), which therefore will also enable me to manage my own time when it comes to my band Couple, and my writing aspirations...

Anyways, after 2 years, so many possibly good things have happened, both to me personally and to our beloved country Malaysia, so I'll definitely be blogging on these soon, but first I'll be putting up some of the reviews I've written for Junk magazine here for your reading pleasure, starting with the latest one published, which is a review of Panic At The Disco's 2nd album, Pretty Odd, which nicely coincides with this blog post's title...

PANIC AT THE DISCO
Pretty Odd
(Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen)

Second albums can be a really funny thing. It’s been made such a big deal of by music critics everywhere that even the thought of having to make a second album can sometimes induce a panic attack on an artist.

With this second album by Panic At The Disco (they’ve dropped the exclamation mark from their name for this album – don’t ask!), even a cursory listen will make you deduce that the Panic boys have taken a step rarely taken when it comes to second albums, that is they’ve made a 180-degree turn and made a completely different record from their debut. Whilst their debut can be squarely pegged in with the emo brigade, this new album is simply a flat out pop record. Heck, you can even call it a power pop album, filed under the Jellyfish school of power pop. Now that’s what I call pretty odd!

Opening with the type of intro song that almost always opens a ‘serious’ album from the psychedelic 60s, it’s with the second song, “Nine In The Afternoon” that they fully announce the splendour of their ambitions. Copping all the right moves from the equally ambitious second album by Jellyfish called Spilt Milk, the only thing that could’ve made the song even better would be some Queen-style harmonies, an element that’s strangely and sorely missing from the whole album.

It’s during the middle that the album loses a bit of steam, with loads of ballads and a few decent but unremarkable mid-tempo numbers, until we reach the song “The Piano Knows Something I Don’t Know”, another wonder of a song that again brings to mind the much underrated and criminally forgotten Jellyfish, sounding like something that might come out of mid-period Beatles, specifically circa Rubber Soul and Sgt Pepper’s.

Then onwards things start to pick up again and we’re treated to 2 more incredible songs in “Behind The Sea”, and the absolutely majestic “She Had The World”, in my humble opinion the undisputed crown jewel of the album. In fact, it’s so good, I can probably write a whole essay just on it!

Which now brings me to the problems I have with the album. As an album, it’s simply uneven, despite the respectable number of stunning songs on it. I kind of understand their ambitions and need to prove their musical craftsmanship to the world. It may only just be pop music after all, but there’s more to it than just being a great craftsman. You also gotta have soul, son. And for much of the album, that’s exactly what’s lacking.

Rating: 6/10

falling in love again... a review of the film "Kicking and Screaming"

I'm kind of silly in that I sometimes fall in love with movies. If you know me personally and have asked me what my favourite movies are, I'll just say that the ones I always mention are usually the ones I'm totally in love with, like City Lights, Husbands, Minnie & Moskowitz, Breaking The Waves, Rushmore, Harold & Maude, It Happened One Night, Apur Sansar and many others.

I first got curious about Noah Baumbach after I saw The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, which he co-wrote with one of my fave currently active director, Wes Anderson. When his latest film, The Squid & The Whale got all that rave reviews last year, I got even more curious, so I begun working towards buying all his films on DVD in reverse chronological order, as in latest first and oldest last.

Kicking & Screaming is his debut film, and was only out on DVD, for the first time ever, about a month ago on Criterion. I pre-ordered it from Amazon a few weeks in advance so as to get the special pre-order price, and received the DVD about 2 weeks ago. I only managed to watch it last weekend, as I've got quite a backlog of new DVDs that I haven't seen yet and are even more of a 'priority' than Kicking & Screaming for me.

Anyway, let's just say that after the first viewing, my reaction was lukewarm at best. The movie was funny, very witty, but gave this impression of being a bit on the "too light" side. But in the next couple of days a few lines & scenes from the movie stayed with me, like these:

Scene 1:
"How do you make God laugh?", a character named Chet asked.
"Erm.. I don't know", answered a character named Grover.
Chet then said, "Make a plan."

Scene 2:
Grover, who's been trying to deny that he still wants to be with Jane, who's now in Prague, suddenly realises that he HAS to go to Prague to see Jane. He thinks that he's been sitting still long enough. So he went to an airline counter and asked to buy a ticket, and after some begging (of course at first there's no ticket available for the next flight!) managed to convince the counter girl to issue him a ticket. And when he's asked to produce his passport, he realises that it's not with him at that time.

The counter girl then said to him, "You can always go tomorrow."

Scene 3:
This is the final scene, which I've been playing over and over and over again throughout this weekend. It's a flashback to one of Grover and Jane's early dates (we know in the first few scenes of the movie that they're not together anymore). Grover said, "I wish we're an old couple, and had known each other long. That way, if I were to kiss you right now, you won't mind at all, possibly even be delighted. If I were to do that on our first date, you might think I'm too forward."
Jane replied, "What do you mean?"
Grover then said, "I just wish we're an old couple."
After that just marvel at the wonderful expressions on both Jane's and Grover's faces.
And then the movie ends with the wonderful sounds of Freedy Johnston's "Bad Reputation" playing over the credits. And then I realised how perfect and deeply resonant this ending is.

It is only after all this obsessive repeating that I realized that I'd fallen in love with Kicking & Screaming. The story's nothing new, it's basically your usual Gen-X or Gen-Y type comedy in which a bunch of graduates try to figure out where to go next after university/college.

But sometimes movies can teach you things, even without spelling it in bold for you to see. Just take a look again at my descriptions of the above 3 scenes, and try to visualise it in your mind, or better still just go get the DVD. I think you can see what I mean. I can say the same about the final lines in Rushmore:

Ms. Cross said to Max Fischer, "Congratulations Max, you pulled it off."
Max replied, "Yeah, it's not bad, at least no one got hurt."
Ms. Cross then replied, "No one except you..."
Max then said, "Nahhh, it didn't hurt that bad."

If you've seen Rushmore and know the context of the conversation, you'll definitely find it miraculous that such a simply worded conversation can convey so much meaning in terms of the growth and experience that Max's character had during the course of the film. I'm sorry if I made these films sound like they're dead serious, but I assure you they're not. They're comedies. Romantic comedies.

I can only hope that reading this would at least make you a bit more curious to check out the films I mentioned here. It's a great feeling you know, falling in love...

Sepet & Gubra - Pencemar Budaya?

I've been a bit slack the last few months. Yes, I've seen a fair bit of Malaysian films, including Castello and Rock, both are, to be honest, very much hit and miss affairs and I don't feel like spending my already scarce free time writing bad things about films I'm disappointed with. I was going to review Gubra (but taking my own sweet time to do it... haha!!), but last night I saw a forum on RTM1 called Fenomena Seni in which Sepet & Gubra was discussed, the topic being "Sepet & Gubra, pencemar budaya?" (roughly translated: Sepet & Gubra, cultural pollution?).
For the film, I'll just say this: "It has noble, brave ideas that everyone should applaud. But I can't praise the execution, as personally I think it's clumsy in places, and are plagued with cliches that are thought to be 'fresh storytelling methods' that you can find in the worst of arthouse and/or independent pictures. But please go see it anyway, and make this beloved country of ours a better place to live in."

Back to Fenomena Seni. There were 3 panellists, Akmal Abdullah (I've no idea what this guy does), Hassan Muthalib (sounds familiar, but I still don't know what he does) and Raja Azmi (who wrote and produced Black Widow Wajah Ayu and Cinta 200 Ela). The forum was chaired by Rosyam Nor (hero #1 Malaysia!!). I've to admit that I only managed to catch the last 30 mins or so of the show, so I must've missed a hell of a lot more. But even the little I saw was enough to outrage me, and shame me. There were a few remarks that totally stood out for me:

1. Akmal Abdullah was outraged at the portayal in Sepet of a Muslim girl who entered and hung out in a Chinese restaurant that sells pork, calling it irresponsible and not reality.

2. David Teo (a movie producer for Metrowealth) calling in and going on and on about how the 'culture' depicted in movies will be a 'heritage' in the future and there are lines which should not be crossed (I presume he's referring to the pork restaurant scene), as it is irresponsible to do so.

3. Raja Azmi: "Isteri yang solehah akan duduk di rumah dan masak untuk suami."

4. Raja Azmi: "Sepet tidak Islamic dan memburukkan nama Islam."

5. Raja Azmi's incredible and soon to be immortal speech: "Semua orang tahu yang kita di sini unik dan adalah masyarakat majmuk, dan dah banyak kali senario masyarakat majmuk ni ditunjukkan dalam filem-filem kita. Jadi tak payahlah nak tunjuk lagi. Lagipun, kita kena ingat yang ini Tanah Melayu, dan kita orang Melayu-Islam memang, seperti dalam Quran kata : Aku jadikan kamu berbagai-bagai kaum supaya kamu dapat berkenalan dan menerima antara satu sama lain. Jadi kita orang Melayu, yang memang bersopan-santun memang baik menerima kaum-kaum lain di negara kita ni." I really don't want to translate this appalling statement, so if you don't understand Malay, please ask a friend to translate it for you. Besides, ini kan Tanah Melayu, so you should understand Malay, you dummy!! Ask Raja Azmi!!

I've commented on a few blogs already about this, so in response to all the above statements, I'm just gonna cut n paste my comments on other people's blogs, and add bits and pieces here and there. It's in Malay though. After all, this is Tanah Melayu!! Don't we all just LOVE Raja Azmi? Hehe:

"Bukan dangkal lagi dah. It's downright racist. Kepada Raja Azmi, negara kita ni bukan Tanah Melayu lagi, sekarang nama kita Malaysia. Kalau nak sangat hidup di Tanah Melayu, pergi panggil balik British suruh jajah kita balik. Dan agaknya Rashid Sidek tak pakai baju dan scene nyanyi2 ala Hindustan dalam Cinta 200 Ela tu memang 'Islamic' habis lah kan? Mesti tak hina Islam kalau macam tu. Tak tutup aurat pun takpe, bukannya menghina Islam. Scene yang menunjukkan orang Islam boleh terima budaya dan cara hidup orang lain tanpa mengkompromi budaya dia sendiri (macam masuk kedai ada jual babi, tapi TAK MAKAN babi) memang tak Islamic kan? Lagi bagus kalau scene tu tunjukkan orang Islam tu marah dan kutuk orang Cina bodoh sebab makan babi, sebab kotor. Orang Islam lagi pandai dan 'betul' sebab tak makan benda kotor macam babi. Agama kita kan betul, Tuhan dah bagitau awal2 dah tak boleh makan babi, sebab Tuhan dah tahu makan babi tak bagus. Kan ke babi ada cacing pita bermeter2 panjangnya?Tuhan orang lain mana tahu benda2 ni. Pasal tu lah agama kita betul. Kita Melayu/Islam kan lagi bagus, superior. Macam itulah baru Malaysia kita sekarang kan? Macam tu lah baru Malaysia di mata Raja Azmi, dan Akmal Abdullah. Cerita Melayu tunjuk orang Islam minum arak dan seks bebas takpe, tapi masuk kedai ada jual babi, tapi TAK MAKAN babi tak boleh, perosak budaya. Sebab tu lah Mat2 Rempit tak kisah minum arak dan main2 seks luar nikah dan rogol2 anak orang. Janji tak makan babi kan. Makan babi tu dosa besar habis!! Minum arak takpe, sebab makan babi jadi darah daging, minum arak jadi air kencing je. Jadi, agaknya takpelah kot kalau budaya orang Islam minum arak dan seks bebas, rogol2 anak orang jadi 'warisan' kita. Janji tak makan babi. Yay!! Raja Azmi for Prime Minister!! Yeah!! Hidup Malaysia!!"

Dear friends, I humbly apologise for all the hurtful things the panellists said. I'm terribly sad that after almost 50 years of independence, we're still stuck in this rut. If this is where our beloved country's going, maybe we should all just pack up and leave, but no, not without a fight we won't. Like what the Alan Yun character said in Gubra, "It's like loving someone who doesn't love you back." If you do love that someone, will you fight for it? Tepuk dada, tanya selera, my friends. Anyone who thinks otherwise and agrees with Raja Azmi, please don't call me anymore. I don't wanna know you.

Much love,

-aidil-

help my band (couple) tour america!!

A little detour folks!! Haven't posted in a while since I've been busy with my band, Couple, recording and prepping for the release of our long awaited and much demanded debut album. If you've been tuning in, you'd have got wind of the news that we've signed with a US label. No kidding!! If you wanna check out how we sound, go to www.myspace.com/couple

So if you already know that, congratulations!!! Now off to our plea for charity. See now you already know that we're releasing a record in the States, on a small, but top class indie label called Sizzleteen Records. What you don't know is that we've been invited to play at power pop festivals in Los Angeles and San Francisco this summer. We've also been getting requests to plug in other shows in Los Angeles and other places. We can even play in Canada if we have the money, as we've got people who want to book us there if we want.

We think it's fair to highlight here that these are not shows set up by and are intended mainly to be attended by Malaysians living in those places!! These are true blue invitations by people from across the globe who like our music and want to see us rock the stage live. It's truly an opportunity for us Malaysians to show that Malaysia Boleh, even in rock n roll!!

So, the question is money. We're not rich, but it's any musician's dream to be able to play overseas, especially in America. So you can bet we want to go! We need to raise a lot, since tickets to America ain't cheap. And we need to eat and sleep there too. Hence our multi-plea (is that a word? Hah!!), which is basically twofold, one to corporate sponsors, and the other to our loving fans and individuals. To get in touch, please email: encik.aidil@gmail.com

Corporate Sponsorship
If you work in, or better still is a director of, a company, and are interested to be involved in supporting our Malaysia Boleh cause (and to be known to the public as doing so!!), please get in touch. Exposure for your company will come in various forms (depending on the amount donated/sponsored), including but not limited to:

a. Your company logo appearing on the flyers for our American Tour, which will be distributed around the cities we will be playing in America, and also in Malaysia;

b. Main sponsors (that is if you donate real huge sums of money!!), will have the privelege of being 'presenters' of our American Tour, e.g. "Company X, Company Y, and Company Z presents... Couple - American Tour 2006", with such credits appearing as the main title of the flyers for our American Tour. We can say this though, if you pay for our flight tickets to Los Angeles, you'll definitely be a main sponsor!!

c. Main sponsors will also be mentioned prominently in our Malaysian publicity and interviews for the American Tour.

Fans & Individuals
For kind fans and individuals who want to help, please get in touch as well. Your reward for doing so:

a. Your full name will appear in a special page on our official website (www.coupleband.com).

b. Individual sponsors of RM500 and more will also get to have their photograph appear alongside their names on the said page.

c. Individual sponsors of RM1,000 and more will also get the chance to be an extra in our next/future music video, in addition to the name and photo appearing in our official website!!

Remember, you don’t have to contribute huge sums of money!! RM1, 10 cents, 1 cent, it all helps!! The point is to help, that’s all. Even a little help goes a long way!!

What are you waiting for kids? Go check your piggy bank and see how much you can spare us poor musicians. We love all of you!! Thanks for your time reading this. If you don't wanna help, or can't afford to help, why not tell someone who can help of our plea? That's still helping!! See, be creative folks, and let's all make our dreams come true!! Muah!!!

top 10 CDs of 2005

1. THE ROOKS – The Rooks
I’m gonna cheat a bit here. This album came out in 1993, and was on such a small indie label that locating it (even in the States!!) is nigh on impossible. Even being in contact with the guitarist of this band (oh Myspace, where will I be without you?) doesn’t help much, as the band broke up a few years back. But alas, the good people of The Rooks found a few copies (from the original first pressing!!) of this much sought after power pop classic when clearing their attic and put some up for sale at www.cdbaby.com at a very reasonable price and autographed by their resident genius songwriter, Mr Michael Mazzarella. Yes, this is supposed to be my Top 10 CDs of 2005 list, and this is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a 2005 CD. But this IS the absolute best CD I’ve heard in 2005, hands down!! Their reputation as one of the absolute best of all power pop bands is richly deserved when I heard this debut by them. I have all their other CDs, and loved each and every one of them, but nothing prepared me for the majestic, ass kicking, pop songs I heard here. The mix is outstandingly crystal clear, and packs a major punch as well. The songs rock too, as in early Beatles rock!! I will definitely cherish this CD till the day I die, and I seriously warn all you folks to not even think of nicking this CD if you come visit me!! I will hunt you down!! Now, if only I can persuade them to do a reunion show and let my band open for them when we go tour the States later…

2. THE CRIBS – The New Fellas
Unjustly labelled as knock-offs of The Strokes, I have to say that I enjoy these guys more than I ever enjoyed The Strokes. Great catchy songs, played with great sloppy conviction, with great sloppy production by Edwyn Collins, this is clearly one of the outstanding releases of 2005, if only all you hipsters don’t count too much on what music critics say to pick out the stuff you like.

3. PUFFY – Hi Hi Puffy Amiyumi
I’ve been a borderline-pervy fanboy of this cute Japanese duo since 1997, even before there was that cartoon show on Cartoon Network, mainly because of all the great power pop songwriters, producers and musicians they always managed to rope in on every album, like The Velvet Crush, Andy Sturmer (of Jellyfish) and Paul Bevoir. And I can, with a mixture of pride and shame, confidently say that I have all their albums, and can talk Puffy as well as any Trekkies out there can talk Star Trek. This is basically a compilation of their older songs, with a few new ones, and quite a few sung in English. Put this on and I dare you not to want to bop around or bang your head to the ridiculously bubblegummy songs. If you don’t, check your pulse ‘aight, ‘cause you don’t deserve to be here.

4. JASON FALKNER – Bliss Descending
It’s been a long time since his last album, and this is just a 5 song EP. I won’t even say that every song in it is fabulous, but one song, called Moving Up is an absolute stunner for me with its simple, almost embarrassingly obvious lyrics, topped with a gorgeous, gorgeous melody. Actually only one song seem weak to me. So it’s not bad, 4 out of 5, that’s 80%! Favourite romantic lines of the year: “Can I be the one who you give everything to? Oh why do you wait? I swear it’s never too late” – from Moving Up.

5. THE CLICK FIVE – Greetings From Imrie House
Probably the band with the least street-cred (maybe even none whatsoever!!) on this list. Even power pop fans and writers have voiced their fears that this band might inflict even more damage on the already flimsy reputation of power pop than The Knack did in the early ‘80s. Yes, they have dodgily boy-band sounding harmonies and dodgily boy-band slick production. But boy, are the songs catchy or what. They call themselves New School Power Pop, and they drop names like Badfinger and The Raspberries when asked about their influences. And they probably do like power pop, seeing that they chose to use an Adam Schlesinger song, and chose Mike Denneen to produce. Whatever you might want to think, this is still super fun, teeth rotting ear candy to me, especially on songs like Friday Night, Pop Princess, Time Machine and their current single, Catch Your Wave. Resistance is futile.

6. THE PADDINGTONS – First Comes First
Probably the greatest legacy that The Libertines can leave us (apart from their great 2nd album) is this band. Building their name by making friends and spreading out word about their guerrilla gigs on The Libertines forums, The Paddingtons delivered a glorious ruckus of a debut album, reminding us of the glory days of the Buzzcocks and The Undertones, only with an even surer command of anthemic melodies. No one knows how good their 2nd album will ultimately be, but this is one hell of a debut.

7. BRENDAN BENSON – The Alternative To Love
Probably not as jaw-dropping as his previous CD, Lapalco, this is still a solid collection of solid, and sometimes awesome songs, as in the awesome opener Spit It Out and the Phil Spector inspired The Pledge. I may be picky though, as not everyone can write a song as fantastic as Metarie even once in their life, and Mr Benson already did that on Lapalco, so it’s definitely a tough act to follow, and I may have been expecting too much from this CD.

8. HOT HOT HEAT - Elevator
This is a really groovy CD. The Killers may get all the airplay and ink, but these guys are just as good!! Infectious songs you can dance to, it’s really a pity that the hipster crowd again chose to ignore and put this album down, by saying that the band sold out, and failed to improve on the ‘arty’ punk-funk sound of their debut (which, for the record, completely failed to connect with me). Hmmm… is it just me or do you also consider writing tighter, catchier and infinitely more danceable songs a huge improvement over supposedly ‘intelligent’ and ‘arty’ but nowhere near as infectious punk-funk songs with pretentious lyrics? I really can’t see how some stuff can be considered ‘intelligent’ and ‘arty’ while some aren’t. These hipsters!!

9. THE MAGIC NUMBERS – The Magic Numbers
Not a great debut, but filled with a lot of magical pop songs. There’s still a lot of filler and only okay songs to wade through. But the high points soar totally, completely!! The guitar work and lead vocals really remind me of Daryll Ann, a great, great Dutch band that shamefully got lost in the shuffle and never got the recognition they deserved. Let’s hope the same thing never happen to The Magic Numbers, who’ve been getting a very respectable amount of hype and press. And it’s really not hard to see why, as they have truly some of the most gorgeous pop songs of the year, like Forever Lost, Love Me Like You and Love’s A Game. If they keep on writing stuff like these, we’ll definitely have a bona fide great band in our hands, folks.

10. TSAR – Band Girls Money
A true rock n roll monster!! The singer sounds like he’s ready to bite your head off anytime, and the band rocks out like there’s no tomorrow. All of which won’t count for much, if they don’t have the great songs that they do to pull it off. Songs like Wrong and Conqueror Worm will stay stuck in your head long after the CD’s left your CD player. And those 2 songs are definitely some of my favourite rock n roll songs of the year, and I’m already calculating how to best rip off these songs for my own band!!

11. FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE – Out Of State Plates
Okay, I’m cheating again! But I just can’t leave out this 2-disc, 30 plus song B-sides and rarities collection by Fountains Of Wayne, simply because it’s home to what I think is THE best and most complete song of 2005, called The Girl I Can’t Forget. It’s truly a wonder of a song, running through a whole gamut of emotions, from happy to happy-sad, to romantic-happy-sad, and finally to romantic-happy-sad-hilarious!! With the kind of witty lyrics that I can only dream of writing, it’s really the kind of song I wish I wrote. Check it out: “Now that I’m with her, the whole thing seems a bit absurd. But she never fails to tell the tale of the time she had to post my bail. And for giving me a second chance, I’m forever in her debt. Since the night I can’t remember, she’s the girl I will never forget.” Oh so gorgeous!

just like heaven

I've been updating this blog less and less these past few months. Same excuse, been a bit busy. Work and, more interestingly, band stuff. Finally a proper album is on the way. I also have another blog, dedicated to solely review Malaysian films. Check it out at www.cinemakita.blogspot.com. Now off to a non-Malaysian film review.

There's a tendency in present day film criticism to dismiss outright light mainstream films and overpraise independent films, or at the very least overpraise 'serious' mainstream Oscar nominated films. Gone are the days when a light, well made romantic or screwball comedy can receive rave reviews and multiple Oscar nominations, like the days when Frank Capra, Leo McCarey, Ernst Lubitsch and Preston Sturges ruled not only the wallets of audiences, but also the hearts and minds of film critics and awards nights. Of course, classic film buffs will just say that they just don't make movies like that anymore. And in a way, that statement is true. Film audiences have moved on. And so have filmmakers. But I think it won't be wrong to say that they may not make them like that anymore, but the spirit of those wonderful films live on, albeit in different shapes and sizes.

In Just Like Heaven, we get to see 2 lonely souls, David (played by Mark Ruffalo) and Elizabeth (Reese Witherspoon), venture into that journey called falling in love, although in this case (readily apparent from the trailer - so you cannot accuse me of giving anything away) one of them literally is a soul. And so they will fall in love, experience some hiccups, and in the end be together again. You know it. I know it. It would take someone really naive (or overly optimistic) to expect anything else from a mainstream romantic comedy starring one of the reigning queens of the box office. But since when is that a sin?

Watching Just Like Heaven, I just can't help but wonder what made so many film critics around the world (even ones that I have great respect for) universally condemn this wonderful, sweet and funny little movie. Yes, it does not dwell on 'important' issues, but has it ever signalled any intention of doing that? I don't think so. It is exactly what it wants to be, a sweet, funny, and sometimes sad take on falling in love. And for succeeding to do so with much delicacy and tact, the film and its filmmakers deserve more credit than I think they will get. The writers have come up with a script so nimble that you just accept everything they throw in your way. Falling in love with a spirit who used to live in your aparment? No problem. Zany exorcism scenes by religious 'experts'? No problem. And all this in a simple, light romantic comedy, which also never lets you forget the fact that death is just around the corner. The acting of the two leads, I just can't praise enough. Mark Ruffalo is simply a star, playing his character with such simple honesty, and being the perfect foil for Reese Witherspoon's uptight character. And the fact that they cannot touch each other physically (one being a spirit) only adds to their wonderful chemistry and to the joy we feel when they finally touch.

And all of this was supervised with the kind of great, confident control of tone that you've come to expect from Mark Waters, the film's director, whose previous works (Freaky Friday and Mean Girls, amongst others) should have alerted you to his talents for crafting comedies both funny and human, without neglecting the commercial aspect of things.

So give this smart little movie a chance. Will it be a classic? Only time can tell. Will you enjoy it? I can't think of any reason why you won't.

(8 out of 10)

weezer - make believe

Wow! It's been 2 months!! Sorry guys if you've been checking out this blog but nothing seems to goddamn happen everytime you do so. As usual, work's been pretty hard. So hard that I don't even feel like typing anything during my free time. That's how sick I am now of typing or drafting stuff!!

Anyway, I just bought Weezer's new album, Make Believe last weekend. Been listening to it ever since. They've always held a special place in my heart, especially with Pinkerton and the Blue album. Their last few releases have not been that great. You get the feeling that Rivers Cuomo's heart seemed not to be in it anymore - like he was just churning out all those tunes just for the sake of it, because his bandmates and his fans keep on asking him to do it, like he'd rather do something else, or not do anything at all, for a while. It's a measure of how great a talent he has that there are still a number of songs that 'get' you, the way the songs in Pinkerton always do.

Like I said before, I've been listening to this album since the weekend, only once right to the end though, 'cause I kept on coming back to songs no. 2 and 3, i.e. Perfect Situation and This Is Such A Pity. Not to say that the rest of the album sucks, 'cause the last 2 songs were spellbinding as well, but because song no. 2 & 3 just 'got' me. I read in some punk reviews website that the reviewer likened this album to something like an 'apology' by Rivers to everyone, a bit like when you have a fight with someone you love and then have a long 45 minute or so apology session with that person. Funnily enough I think it's an apt analogy.

There's an honesty to Rivers' delivery in quite a few of the songs here (the ones I mentioned above included of course!) that I haven't heard in a long time. And I'm so happy for him that it did happen again. Because I also know how that feels - like your heart's not in it anymore. Especially now. Sometimes when the pressures of work get a little too hot to handle, I do get that feeling to just maybe get off doing music for a while, or maybe for a long time. But then, once in a while when a song suddenly comes to me, I know that it would be a shame to stop doing music, because I know I love it, and I know how happy it makes me feel when I'm playing on stage and seeing people grooving to it. And sometimes when I think that that song happens to be quite decent, I realise it even more.

I've been fielding questions about what's happening with my band Couple quite a lot lately. Because even though I know that I have a kick-ass new set of rock 'n roll songs waiting to be recorded, there just doesn't seem to be enough time!!

Anyway, I'm sure I'll get down to recording those kick-ass new songs eventually. I just hope that it'll be in the near future. As for Weezer's Make Believe, thank you Rivers for the wonderful apology. I hope there's more to come in the future, but not apologies lah, because you no longer have to make them, at least not for now!

bangkok - a month ago today

A month ago today, I was in a garishly colourful bus heading to Bangkok. I would arrive in Bangkok at around 10.00 pm, hungry, and getting conned out of 100 baht for a not so long taxi ride to Khao San road, where's I'll be staying at a reasonably priced guest house called Kawin Place. Later, I will be chomping on some divine tasting Phad Thai, that costs just 20 baht.

A month ago tomorrow, I'll be having breakfast at the wonderful Roti Mataba, lunch at the MBK, and dinner at Jey Hoi seafood (I think, or maybe it's the next day?). I'll be spending some of my hard earned money on cheap original Criterion DVDs of the films Down By Law and Trouble In Paradise and some Thai DVDs of films directed by Apichatpong Weeraseethakul. I'm already in love with this city.

A month ago the next day, again I'll be having breakfast at Roti Mataba and lunch at MBK. And again I'll be buying another cheap Criterion DVD and some more Thai films on DVD. God, I love this city more!! That night I'll be going to Patpong and get conned to see some topless ladies just wiggling on stage (where's the ping pong show?!!). Later that night I'll be seeing a high school friend and hang out at a club called Lava and watch gorgeous Thai ladies swarm around drunk white guys, and as for me, all I got was some really dodgy and inviting stares and body language from a few ladyboys!! Ouch!!

A month ago the day after, I'll be trembling with anticipation at going to the famous Jatujak weekend market, and have a stiff neck looking at all those thrift store clothes. I'll be happy as hell to have finally bought the Antoine Doinel box set that day, along with the 2-disc set of Tokyo Story and an el-cheapo DVD of Le Million. Also loved the puff-fried catfish that I ate at Tom Yam Kung later that night. Started to feel a bit sad that the carefree wanderings of the last few days will end tomorrow.

A month ago the day after the day after, I was reluctantly taking a flight back home, wishing I had more money and time and could stay longer in Bangkok. I definitely love that city!!

As I write this and reminisce about those magical days a month ago, I realise it wouldn't even be half as magical if I didn't have my wonderful baby with me to do all that wandering around with. I'm so glad I found you B. I'm gonna go again soon so I can buy more DVDs!!

the life aquatic

Actually the movie's called The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. It's directed by Wes Anderson, the man who did Bottle Rocket, Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. I actually saw 2 other movies last weekend, In Good Company (directed by Paul Weitz) and The Notebook (by Nick Cassavetes), both are worth your money and time, but I'm just gonna write about The Life Aquatic today.
I've been a long time admirer of Wes Anderson. With Bottle Rocket, you can definitely see a potentially beautiful flower blooming, and with Rushmore, it is definitely in full bloom. The Royal Tenenbaums saw him broadening and deepening his usual concerns. And with this new film, I can safely say that Mr Wes is broadening his pallette even more by injecting elements that are hitherto unheard of in his previous films.
If you've never seen a Wes Anderson film, I suggest you start with Rushmore, a film that, IMHO, is just perfect in every way. You can't add anything more nor can you take away anything. It was done just right.
Back to The Life Aquatic. As usual, Mr Wes tells the same kind of story he always tells i.e. the story of a character with a serious character flaw, which is that he is actually a 'failure' of some sort, which deep down inside he might realise, but tries to cover it up with 'success', or at least his petty idea about what 'success' is. And throughout the films you'll get to see how the character come to terms with this flaw in their character, and how they open themselves up and accept what they need to accept and change what needs changing. Owen Wilson played this character in Bottle Rocket, and Jason Schwartzman perfected it in Rushmore, with Gene Hackman refining it in The Royal Tenenbaums. In this movie, the great Bill Murray gets a shot at playing this character, to hilarious and heartbreaking effect, I must add.
As usual with Mr Wes' movies, I can never get the courage to laugh so much during the first viewing, simply because like it or not his stories always have this tinge of sadness and regret just hovering in the air. Only after you've seen them the first time, therefore knowing what happens to the characters in the end, will you have the courage to laugh when you see them again, because only then can you assure yourself that it's okay to laugh. I saw The Royal Tenenbaums twice on VCD before I saw it in the cinema. And by that time I was laughing so hard in the cinema, I'm sure the other patrons found me annoying.
This trend looks set to continue with The Life Aquatic. I hope it'll make it here to our cinemas. The widescreen compositions are just so gorgeous, it would be a sin not to see it in the cinema. Plus, I already laughed quite a lot during my first viewing. So that's definitely a very good sign.
So folks, go see it. You can easily find DVDs or VCDs of this wonderful film at your favourite pirate ship. So go buy it already and treat yourself to a very special film, and thank our lucky stars that we might just have our very own Hal Ashby in Mr Wes Anderson. Two words to sum up the movie: "Hilarious heartbreak."
Rating: 8 1/2 out of 10 stars

clown jewels

Thank god for HVN (Home Video Network, for any of youse guys unfamiliar with buying original VCDs or DVDs. Shame on you! He he). If not for them, I wouldn't have had to dig deep inside my pockets to buy stacks of Jerry Lewis films, and now the Marx Brothers' films. Thank you so much for having the good sense to bring in these movies.

I've already written about The Nutty Professor earlier. So I won't be talking about Jerry Lewis, although I've already seen Cinderfella, The Geisha Boy and The Bellboy, all of 'em Jerry Lewis movies. Instead I'll be writing about Duck Soup and Animal Crackers, 2 Marx Bros movies already in the market here in Malaysia.

I've never seen any Marx Bros films before, so I didn't know what to expect when I bought Duck Soup. All I know is that they're comedians from a long lost era, i.e when people still appreciate slapstick and in turn the slapstick is done with more thought and planning into it than you might think is possible. I put on the VCD and saw Groucho making his entrance into the film. His dialogue is delivered incredibly fast, and the audio, due to it being a 70 plus year old film is terrible and hard to decipher. I didn't laugh much. Have I just wasted my hard earned cash here, I thought. Then came Chico and Harpo. Suddenly the movie springs to life and I was I rolling on the floor laughing hysterically. Suddenly I realised I hit jackpot. Harpo was brilliant. Chico was not as funny as Harpo, but still funnier than Groucho. But I was just amazed at the insanity and lunacy of the film. If there's one word that could sum up the Marx Bros' appeal, it's their lunacy and healthy appetite for anarchic physical and verbal comedy.

Then I saw Animal Crackers. By now I realised that each Marx carries their own persona into each film. Harpo is always silent, and is the most 'physical' of the lot in his comedy. And believe me, he is absolutely bonkers!! Chico has this Italian-Jewish accent thing. And Groucho delivers some the most silly, clever, and sometimes brilliant put-downs you'll ever hear. And the script is full of puns. Some you'll catch and make you laugh, some you'll miss and maybe catch later during subsequent viewings. Examples:

Groucho: "One day I shot an elephant in my pyjamas. How it got into my pyjamas, I don't know."

Groucho:"And then I saw a moose. Ah.. the moose. What a splendid creature. I bet you don't know what a moose is. It's those little things running on the floor that's fond of cheese. Yes, the moose."

One character shouts: "Three cheers for Capt. Spaulding! Three cheers for Capt. Spaulding!"
And then Harpo comes in with 3 chairs to give to Capt. Spaulding.

Both films are full of these kinds of moments. Depending on who you are, you may or may not like it. I can definitely say I like it, even love it. But my best friend's really annoyed by them. Well, we all have our choices. Boo!

Anyway, support HVN and go buy these films. The pirates are definitely fantastic in bringing some fantastic films to our very own homes. But HVN is definitely catching up fast.

Rating: Duck Soup (8 out of 10)
Animal Crackers (7 out of 10)

your favourite directors?

Another long overdue post. Been busy with work and making plans for Couple. I can almost surely announce here that for you people lucky enough to get a hold of the limited early edition of Punk Rock For Sissies, those CDs are almost certain to be the only ones that will ever be sold. We only made about 50 copies earlier. So depending on our mood that amount might be increased to 100 copies. But after that, it'll be gone. What will we do with the tapes? After all, we did spend a bit of money recording them. All I can say for now is, you'll see.

Bought a copy of The Life Aquatic on DVD yesterday. Was shocked to see that it's a pristine DVD quality copy, only with words saying that it's the property of some company on the screen. My dear pirates, you definitely never cease to amaze me with your resourcefulness. Still haven't seen it though. Spent last night being disappointed by the lazy Malaysian football players who seem to easily give up. C'mon guys, show more balls!!

Back to The Life Aquatic. Can't wait to see it. In case you guys didn't know, it's directed by Wes Anderson, the man behind Bottle Rocket, Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. I can definitely say, that from the 90s, he's the only director that I would call my favourite. Why? Because like the great Hal Ashby, his movies are always just perfect. Never more, never less. Tarantino? He's good, but sometimes too flashy for his own good. Paul Thomas Anderson, well Magnolia was a triumph, but his others are still not endearing enough to make him my favourite.
Lars Von Trier, maybe. Up till Breaking The Waves, he was absolutely mesmerising. After that, okay lor.

So people. Why don't you leave comments after you read this and tell me who your favourite directors are. Here's my top 3:

1. John Cassavetes
2. Samuel Fuller
3. Hal Ashby

Why these 3? Because John Cassavetes is obsessed with dissecting 'love' (why? - because, in his own words :- People always need a philosophy. "Philos" in Greek means love. "Ophy" means a study of something. So 'philosophy' is a study of love. That's all I'm interested in. That is love), and his films say so much and show so much on how to behave decently towards other people and towards each other. Because Samuel Fuller is the greatest moralist ever to make great films. Because Hal Ashby's films have a tenderness and truth that you can't find anywhere else. And finally because all 3 have incredible command of their technique and what they want to convey with it.

Why no Martin Scorsese or Francis Ford Coppolla or Orson Welles? Because Brian De Palma and even prime Spielberg (i.e. his commercial pop films like E.T and A.I) are more of a master than both Scorsese and Coppolla combined, and Alfred Hitchcock, Nicholas Ray and Billy Wilder deserve more respect than Welles, and even these people can't get into my top 3. Not even the great Charles Chaplin, Satyajit Ray, Yasujiro Ozu or Truffaut can do so.

So there it is folks. My top 3. C'mon, tell me yours. I'll be waiting.

the horror, the horror

Hey folks. It's been a while since I last updated this blog. Well, work has truly been terrible. So much that I don't even want to type anything other than what I have to at work.

Anyway, last weekend I went to Berjaya Times Square to see The Polar Express at the new IMAX cinema there. Guess what, a lot of the DVD pirates there are selling DVD5s at RM10 for 3 pieces! So I simply went nuts and bought a whole lot of stuff then and there. I bought mostly horror films like Poltergeist, The Exorcist, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original one) and The Return of the Living Dead.

I watched The Exorcist last weekend and thought it was a fantastic piece of anarchic 70's Hollywood cinema. But last night I watched The Return of the Living Dead with very low expectations, and was duly rewarded with one of the most entertaining films I've seen in recent memory.

If horror-comedy is your cup of tea, then this could be the very best example you could find. The comedy part is especially hilarious. Observe these lines:

Girl#1: I find death so fascinating. What about you?
Guy: Sure, but I like sex and death. What about you?
Girl#2: Yeah sure I like sex & death, so fuck off & die!!

Guy#1: How do we kill the zombies?
Guy#2: What did they do in the movie... they destroyed their brains, right?
Guy#1 & #3: Yeah, let's do it.
The guys hit the zombie's head and brains... the zombie's still moving.
Guy#2: It's still not dead!
Guy#1: But I hit his brain! Like in the movie!
Guy#3: You mean the movie lied?

He he. Hilarious isn't it? That's just a few things I can remember now. Like a character named Frank who shouts every single line of his (after his first encounter with a zombie) like a shrieking scaredy-cat lunatic. Might not sound funny now. But you hear how he does it, you'll howl for sure. But I'm very sure that guys will love this movie. There's even one female character who's buck naked for almost the whole movie! I'm telling you, watch this. Even your girlfriend has a good chance of enjoying it.
(Rating: 7 1/2 out of 10)

fantasy football

Hey guys. Been quite busy these last few weeks. Saw a lot of films, but kinda lazy to review them, so I'll talk about my latest craze, Fantasy Football.

I've always wanted to play it, free of course, but don't know where. Only found out about Yahoo's free Fantasy Football game 2 or 3 weeks into the new football season. So, by then I can't put my favourite midfield 'hard man', Thomas Gravesen of Everton in my team 'cause by the time I signed up for the game he's already so expensive (because of his excellent performances), I think he'd cost about 46 million pounds or something, almost half the transfer budget of 100 million pounds given to set up my whole team. Thank god Frank Lampard was still cheap then. So in the end I got Frank Lampard, Shaun-Wright Philips, Muzzy Izzet and Patrick Vieira as my midfielders. Decent point winners there.

Ledley King, John Terry, Jlloyd Samuel and Ashley Cole are my Defenders. All regular first team players and decent point winners. At first I got Collins John and Jermaine Defoe (yup, I'm a Spurs fan!!) as my Strikers, but now that Wayne Rooney's back and dirt cheap (only 1 million pounds if you get him today like I did), I got him in place of Collins John. Wowee, I can't wait for the wonderboy to start winning me mega-points after this. Just look at that hattrick against Fenerbahce. Please Sir Alex, play that goddamn kid every week.

My biggest headache is in the goalkeeping department. At first I wanted to get Robert Green, but since the season's already underway I can't afford to get him anymore, too expensive. So I went for Tim Howard, who's kinda cheap since he's been making blunder after blunder this season. But right now he's not playing at all!! So for 2 weeks now I didn't get any points from the goalkeeping department. All the other first choice goalkeepers are so pricey I can't afford them right now. I know that Tim Howard's a very good goalkeeper, but do I keep him and keep losing points or stick by him and hope he'll return to Man U's first team ASAP and kick ass and win me a whole lot of points? Aaarghh, what a dilemma!!

Comments or advice anyone? I need 'em. It's hard being a manager isn't it?

lazybones

Been lazy these last couple of weeks. It's exactly one month since I last updated this blog!! So, have to do something at least.

A lot happened the past month. Ramzi, the original bassist for my band, Couple, went to the UK to do his Masters. Felt quite sad, am definitely gonna miss him and his goofy poses on stage. His little brother, Syukri is now our bassist, did well on our last 2 gigs at Kit Kat Club and Paul's Place.

Finished recording the 10 songs we wanted to do in a proper recording studio. Only 9 hours spent to record the whole damn thing!! Sounds pretty cool, I think. At first we wanted to straight away send it to the factory to be pressed, but an email from Not Lame Recordings asking us to send some stuff to them put all that pro-printing DIY release plan on hold for a while. If it was Sony Malaysia or EMI Malaysia or any other label, we'd have definitely gone through with our DIY plan. But Not Lame is a dream I've long had. Yes, it's only a tiny American indie label that no one's heard of. But for a power pop geek like me, to even be thought of to be possible candidates to be on the same stable with bands like The Shazam, The Rooks, Myracle Brah, Cherry Twister and Michael Carpenter is an opportunity too good to pass. We might not get it after all, but at least Not Lame's boss himself sent an email to me, expressing his interest. That's already pretty damn close to an orgasm!!! He he. Will keep you updated on that.

Did the Pet Projects launch party last weekend. I think it went pretty well. Early birds received a free Pet Projects button. Felt proud of the bands under the Pet Projects gang. Lucy In the Loo and Bittersweet both released their debut EPs that day. Sounded sweet too. Wished Free Love could've made the deadline as well. Their debut EP will be out sometime in the future. Couple released a limited early edition of our debut album, with some outtakes and 'crappy' versions included as hidden tracks. Hope the people who bought it are happy. It's truly a limited edition. Only 50 copies. 33 gone during the gig. So, very few left. Don't know if I have enough to satisfy all the 'bookings' by friends. If not, sorry guys.

Saw quite a few good movies, and one or 2 great ones last month. But I'll write about that later. Cheers!!