Evening out at Siglap

Decided on Siglap for dinner. We went ahead not knowing what to find, nor expect.. and landed here in this Japanese restaurant - It looks like a set from a Japanese movie! We stepped in, we feel so jap in here! There were also small little rooms where guests could be seated on the floor. Wish I had photos of those.


We had a sushi set for dinner. Ray, who doesn't eat raw fish, had some scrumpilitious sashimi on rice for the first time!
Each wasabi-embellished piece sent burning sensations up my nose, but I enjoyed nonetheless.


Next, we went two shops down to The Cheesecake Cafe. We felt so indie, enjoying life like that - a luxury when both of us are always so busy. Me with work, studying, drumming stuff and catching up with old friends, Ray with NS, his drumming stuff and art projects. I guess it's a good date - and we secretly want to live an indie life like this together... Like John Lennon and Yoko Ono. ha. But neither of us shall die young. Choy...

looking at this photo I took of Ray, it reminded me of another photo. It seemed we have the same smile in these two photos ahaa...my tian we look so similar.

And I guess that will be my last luxury of the month, as my expenses have gone outta control last month and there's an upcoming paper to mug for. I need more dough!!!


Anybody needs a freelance events person, graphic designer or writer?

What's in a puff that leaves me wanting

What's in a puff that leaves me wanting
Bugging my head all day and night
to have a smoke whilst a fear of getting hooked

Is it worth the burn
Hole in the pocket, burnt
a clean pair of lungs, burnt

It shall keep me sane
Comes later, the pain

the staple of the day
When I'm alone and bored
When I'm with company to hide my insecurity
When I lost all hope i cross my fingers the lighter doesn't fail

If only the world would breathe it
If only it would not hurt me and leave a stench
If only it would take away all the worries in that moment of lightness

What's in a puff that leaves me wanting
When I hadn't even held a stick between 'em fingers

They inspire (Pt 1 - Music)

The ones that inspire..

I feel alot. And when something makes me tick, I go straight to the roots to find out why.
I put my feelings into words so that I know myself better, to improve myself.
Thus, this entry is an insight to what moves me. As the post is rather long, this is part one, music segment. Part two will be about other people, not so music related.

I love (rock) music, and to me, one of the most important elements that makes a piece of music are the drum rhythms. These Wicked, Melodic Drummers have made me go crazy trying to figure out the complex yet melodious grooves in their songs.

Branden Steineckert (ex-The Used)

Hardcore music doesn't just mean intensive double bass pedals and cymbal crashes.
The songs are seldom in the usual 4/4 or eighths rock beat, rhythms are more often played in not-so-usual phrasing accompanied with mind-boggling fills when you least expect it.
From the first album to the second (before he left the band), the skills displayed in the tracks are the evidence that he is not your average drummer in an emo band.
Sadly, he's now left the band to become drummer of Rancid, a band which I'd say plays ol' sch skapunk and poppunk.

Dave Powell (Emery)

Another drummer from a post-hardcore band. Drum grooves always melodic, he is just so able to capture the mood of the song and inject some kinda drug in you to move with it and feel it.
Love him for almost the same reasons I love Branden Steineckert, if not more.

Benny Greb

The most creative and talented drummer I've seen. Of the lot, he should be the most melodic of them all. He produced his own album filled with his own drum grooves, solos, instrumental pieces, and even his own scat singing! How creative and talented can one get?????? And I haven't even mentioned his live drumming clinics, where he incorporates handplaying on the drums. 'Nuff said.

Adrian Young (of now defunct No Doubt)

Drummer of the favourite band of my growing up years. His versatility in genres is displayed as the band transited from ska, to rock/pop over the years. If I could get a trumpet player, I'd definitely wanna try out No Doubt's songs. When I listen to the tracks over and over, I learnt, playing drums is all about making the music fun!






My dream is to catch any of these Awesomest bands live. And though I've been listening to them for years, I can't get enough still:

Emery

Mentioned earlier in the section about Dave Powell, I love them for the drums - PLUS the vocals and everything else! Though they scream a little, their vocals are superb, especially the harmonising parts, it just sends goosebumps sometimes. There was even a song, that had music in 4/4 and vocals in triplet! That was the first song that made me fall in love with them, "Ponytail Parades". I've never looked back since.
Others:

• "Playing with fire" WICKED WICKED WICKED opening with the drums!!!
• "Listening to Freddie Mercury" very funny and interesting pop/hardcore infused song.
• "The note which a chord is built" fun for the drummers, opening guitar riffs sound like something from Blink, and it goes down into atmospheric keys, and then building up again.
• All their songs!!!!! Good vocals, Wicked drums, Calm and consistent keys, Interesting lyrics!
  

Underoath

My first favourite post-hardcore band. Got hooked listening because they were from a Christian music label and also because of "Some will seek forgiveness, Others escape". This song is a MUST-LISTEN for all those who has a bad impression of screamo bands. It is guaranteed to change your perspective FOR GOOD! If not I buy u a drink of kopi....
Very soft and sweet vocals from a guy, despite a screamo band. They don't just scream, they sing too.





The Used (I refuse to show any photo of them without Branden.)
Love them Branden Steineckert days. So, I'd never get to watch them live..with the drummer I go crazy for. I doubt the new drummer can match up to Branden playing the older songs too.
Great to listen tracks include:

• "Buried myself alive" (for a period of time I kept hearing this played by local kids in studios and at gigs) If you're sad and angry - this song makes you bitter.
• "Taste of Ink"
• "Blue & Yellow"
• "It's hard to say" Freaking sad - my ex wrote a note containing the lyrics of this song after we broke up..
• "Smother me" DAMN TAEH male singer, but what a romantic way to express your love to your partner SMOTHER ME!!!!

Every song of theirs have an interesting song to tell, but they can be really vulgar and SAD sometimes.

Red Hot Chilli Peppers

Great performers, killa bassist, funkdrummer, lyrics that don't mean a thing. If they are ever in a gig near your town, you HAVE to go for it. Too bad there's no opportunity for me yet. And it doesn't seem like their on tour at all, in any part of the world (website listing). These Grammy-award winning buggers rock so hard they make you feel like moshing just listening and watching them on DVD.
Love love them, love the mellow guitar and vocals:

• "Scar Tissue"
• "The Zephyr Song"
• "How Long"
• "By the Way"

Nirvana

Watching them live is impossible now, since the lead has departed the world, and the band's since disbanded. The drummer, Dave Grohl has now become Foo Fighter's lead instead.
Anyway, they brought grunge mainstream! They wrote their own songs, were high on drugs, could rock an audience with an acoustic set. The one hit that everybody remembers them for: "Smells like teen spirit".

Funnily, this is how the song came about:
"Kathleen Hanna, the lead singer of the group Bikini Kill, gave Cobain the idea for the title when she spray painted "Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit" on his bedroom wall after a night of drinking and spraying graffiti around the Seattle area. In his pre-Courtney Love days, Cobain went out with Bikini Kill lead singer Tobi Vail, but she dumped him. Vail wore Teen Spirit deodorant, and Hanna was implying that Cobain was marked with her scent. Cobain didn't know it when he wrote the song, but Teen Spirit is a brand of deodorant marketed to young girls. Kurt thought Hanna was complimenting him on his rebellious spirit. Sales of Teen Spirit deodorant shot up when this became a hit, even though it is never mentioned in the lyrics."

People remember it so much that Moulin Rouge the movie adapted the tune and part of the lyrics of the song, 10 years after "Smells like teen spirit" was released, and seven years after Cobain died.

And Of course, I root for them because of Kurt Cobain, who I believed died of sabotage. (Contrary to the many stories that said he committed suicide, the thing is he couldn't and wouldn't, because he...ok the story can go on here..but I shall stop)


All that talk about drummers and bands, I almost missed out Jason Mraz!
The special thing about him is rapping-singing kinda style, which he came up with himself. Isn't that darn creative. Moreover, only he can handle all that tongue-twisting!
Simple nice tunes yet marvelous rhythm on guitar. Have him in your ears in the sleepy mornings, in the lazy afternoons, at night before you sleep, it wouldn't hurt.






To be continued... (Pt 2 - Icons, People)

Giving it all, or not

How can you believe in something so much, yet not give all you have for it?

That was a question I asked. Somebody gave me an answer, but it was not what I was looking for.
The answer illustrated how a vision always starts from a leader, and there will be a team to support it. The members of the team work together, some might play more pivotal roles, some might play smaller roles.
The answer was not wrong, but it just didn't satisfy me.

Then something enlightened me.

I have a friend who declared he was gonna give all he can to go after this girl, even AFTER the girl recently said she had no more feelings left for him.
Dumb right? As a friend, I totally disapprove his decision in hanging on to the possibility of being with her. He told me he'd still go for his one shot, and there was this sense of unjust he felt.
I couldn't understand why, why so foolish?

Then I realised, Passion.

Nobody can understand your passion more than you, yourself.
The person who gave me that answer just didn't share the same passion as me.

When you have so much passion for something, it just doesn't feel right sitting there and watching time pass by. It doesn't even feel right, until you know you have given your all for it.

People, even your closest ones, can advice you otherwise and deem you silly, but there will be a sense of unjust when you have not achieved what is rightful to you.

Hold on to your passion. Constantly dream it, refine it, expand it and practice it.
You'll be happier being called a fool for your passion, then to have your passion pass away, while leading an unfulfilled life.

L'Amour De Ma Vie

i could never do without
hearing your voice before my sleep
having you fuss around when i am sick
clearing off my plate when i have more than i can eat
your warm embrace after a long week

one year ago seemed like yesterday
you told me to close my eyes and not peep
that was how you tricked me, first kiss on my lips
the little things you did, always surprises heaps
carved a hole in a thick IT book to place a cross necklace in it
sketchbook about the place of our courtship
99 red paper roses with our pictures glued together amidst
sunflowers for (not-very) special occasions
photo-album with friends' wishes you painstakingly collected
spending extravagantly on a HTC phone for me

you make me blush with your surprises
touched me to tears on a few occasions
i love the sweet innocence, the type coming from a child
and enthusiasm from a youth that never stops dreaming
i respect the way you pursue your goals
and the excellence in going forth



i'm besotted with you, mon amour, ma vie