This girl is Lykke Li. She’s an indie singer from Sweden. Don’t ask me how to pronounce her name.
There isn’t much info that I could dig from my favourite Wikipedia, it seems like she’s still quite a well-kept secret from the virtual indie masses (for now). I haven’t heard too many of her songs yet (only “Little Bit”, “I’m Good, I’m Gone”, and “Tonight”), so it’s premature for me to compare her to other existing female indie artistes. From my early observations, her voice is breathy like Annie, with a bit of Robyn-like attitude. Her musical style isn’t completely electronic or pop like both aforementioned artistes. It possessed more of an indie Feist-like feel to it, but being Swedish, also had elements of Peter, Bjorn and John (Bjorn produces her album) as well as tinges of The Knife.

All I wish to share is that she sounds terrific live, as I discovered while browsing for ‘Later with Jools Holland’ videos on youtube.

If you have time on your hands, I suggest watching all three versions of her first single, “Little Bit” in the order I gave you.

There is something about the Jools Holland version that is so astounding. I suspect that it is due to their ability to use the simplest of musical instruments (hand claps, foot taps, toy piano both as melody and percussion, finger cymbals, tambourine) to create a stripped down yet mind-blowing performance. Minimal, lo-fi, yet groundbreaking- quintessentially Swedish. The street performance is slightly similar, only in a more open and therefore louder setting. Finally, try listening to the album version which I feel sounds so contrasting to the acoustic versions that it lends a markedly different mood to the song. I also linked to a website containing her mp3 downloads for good measure, in case anyone got hooked to the song (like me).

Little Bit
_live on ‘Later with Jools Holland [video]
_performing on the street in Närkesgatan, Södermalm i Stockholm. [video]
_official music video [video]
_unofficial artiste profile with mp3 [link]

But wait, there’s more! If you decided that you like her music and wanna check out her second single, “I’m Good, I’m Gone”, here are the links to her the song performed again in three different settings. Sorry, no mp3 links for this one (personally didn’t feel compelled to look up the mp3).

The first version is some sort of a collaborative effort between Swedish musicians for this acoustic version. This video is directed by Ted Malmros who directed the famed P,B&J “Young Folks” music video. This version is actually quite synergistic with all the different elements contributed by each artiste gelling coherently.
The second version is done in the toilet(!) with amazingly good results. A very original take, unusual is the usual, as again you see them utilizing unorthodox items as musical instruments: spoon, ceramic sink, water faucet, soap dispenser, and finally the flush(!).
The final version is the official video. No weird percussions this time, but a very well made video nonetheless.

I’m Good, I’m Gone
_acoustic version feat. Robyn, Shout Out Louds, Concretes, Laakso [video]
_bathroom version from soundvenue [video]
_original version [video]

Here’s hoping that she will achieve wider success. While I sadly doubt her songs would make it here, I still hope she gets heard in the US, Europe and maybe Japan. Meanwhile, we Malaysians have to contend to listening to US-based commercial pop female artistes on the radio, some of whom only need 5 musical notes to create a hit song (hint: She was recently in Malaysia).

Occasionally in conversation, a person may say something like, “Maybe he/she is just not cut out to be a _____(fill in the blank)”. Oft times, I would retort by defending that person, as I am an idealist who believes that anyone can achieve anything (varying only in terms of amount of time and effort put in). Today, I can set aside my beliefs and make an exception to the rule for the franchise holders of the above mentioned restaurant here in Kuala Terengganu.

Here’s why:

As my housemate and I were pretty sick and tired of what the so-called city of Kuala Terengganu had to offer in terms of epicurean pursuits, we decided to try out this place called Mama Chops Papa Grill (sic) for the first time. Undeterred by the fact that there was only one other table occupied on a weekend night (and that it was a WWF-certified mosquito breeding locale), we sat ourselves on one of the tables and someone took our order. Three of us had ordered the ice-blended chocolate, and we patiently waited for our food and drinks to arrive while chatting happily and swatting mosquitoes.

As we had some pretty good iced coffee drinks just the night before at the Heritage Bay Club, I was eager to see how today’s drinks would compare to yesterday. So I took the first sip and that got me thinking: ‘This isn’t ice blended chocolate, there’s too much ice in it.’ And then I took the second sip, and that got me thinking: ‘This isn’t ice blended chocolate, this is ice blended bloody COFFEE with too much ice in it!‘. So we called the guy who made the drinks over and told him about it.

He went back to check and returned to us, saying that he used the chocolate powder sachets and not the coffee ones. We argued that it tasted of coffee and nothing of chocolate, but still he insisted. At this point, our friend Medic Angel was already getting pretty agitated and snapped back, “I know what ice blended chocolate is, and this is not ice blended chocolate”. We left it at that, Medic Angel and I changed our orders to apple juice while Mr J stayed put with his coffee flavoured chocolate drink.

So they took away our ice blended, our juice came and we ate, we chatted, we scratched our mossie bites, we swotted mossies…bla bla bla.

Then comes the dramatic part, at the cashier counter. When it was my turn to pay and I was telling the cashier what I had, the cashier smilingly told me in BM,

“You do know that you still have to pay for the ice blended chocolate that you ordered right?”

“Yeah like totally, ‘cause you’s already drunk from the ice blended chocolate, so you’s gonna have to pay for it, little schmuck.” (Haha I exagerrate, she actually spoke very politely to me.)

I was too confused at this moment. So I went,

“But I already cancelled that, that’s why I changed it to apple juice.”

To that she replied,

“Since you ordered apple juice after your ice blended, you will have to pay for both. We are already charging you only half the price of the ice blended drinks.”

What in bloody hell?
I said,

“But I did not have the ice blended, how could you charge me for it?”

And then the coup de grace came from an older lady with authority, the lady boss I presume:

“But you had already taken a sip from it, hadn’t you? We can’t take it to sell it to others now. ”

And that’s my fault? By now, my face was flushed with fury and I raised my voice, saying:

“OF COURSE I had to taste it to know that what you served was coffee and not chocolate. I sent it back because it wasn’t chocolate. Why do I have to pay for something that wasn’t ice blended chocolate?”

You dumbf**k!
Idiotic lady boss went on,

“I am telling you that that was the chocolate flavour. The sachet has already been opened.”

Hello, the drink was RM3.00, so the cost price for the sachet was what? 50cents? And you are holding ME responsible for your shitty coffee masquerading as chocolate?

I was so furious that I could not think straight, all I knew was that I didn’t want to reason with retards who had an altered sense of business logic. So I paid for them stupid drinks and f’ked out of the restaurant for the first and last time.

It was only after we got into the car and started talking had I realised two things:
1. The idiotic waiter who made the drinks and got our apple juice order did not tell us that they would still charge us for the apple juice
2. The idiotic waiter who made the drinks also TOOK AWAY OUR SHITTY ICE BLENDED before our apple juice came!

At that point, I was ready to march back into the restaurant and demand for the shitty ice blended that we paid but never had, even if only to throw it back in their faces. But logic got the better of me, because to do so was solely to get even and vent out my frustrations. Trying to infiltrate one or two rules about customer service into that incompetent numbskull of hers would be a futile attempt.

If she did know a thing or two about business, it is that the customer is always right. If she wanted someone to take the blame for coffee flavoured chocolate, she should take it out on the supplier and not her customers.
And what a way to drive away customers, by asking them to pay for something they didn’t drink.

Who does she think her customers are? Weaklings who accept whatever crap you serve them, also handicapped with retarded taste sensors that cannot even differentiate between coffee and chocolate?
I don’t know how things work in this state, but over in the west coast there is such thing as consumer rights. I suggest this woman to read up on this topic at once, before she loses more customers.

The more I live in this place, the more I realise one thing. People here are too tolerant, so much so that they accept whatever ANYONE gives to them, be it a pile of gold or dog poo. They don’t complain when they have to wait in 1 hour queues, they don’t sue when medical professionals misconduct, they don’t even honk when a car approaches recklessly. As an effect, they themselves expect others to be tolerant of them. They park indiscriminately, they don’t flush the toilets, they cut queues. Since they can accept being inconvenienced, they feel that it is ok to inconvenience others too.
This woman must be mistaken to have thought that we were also one of those who would readily accept the dog poo she served us. One thing for sure is that I am never going back into that place in this lifetime.

So anyone reading this, if for any reason you happen to be in Kuala Terengganu for work or play, are hungry and see a franchise of MCPG by the roadside, please keep this unfortunate first-hand account in mind.

Some people can be such sore losers.
Kecil hati.

Photo by Chris Astley

The Upgrader on men.style.com just came out with their latest feature on old school canvas sneakers. By the time I had reached slide 12 of the slideshow, I was hyperventilating (literally).

If I were to own even 10 of the total 18 sneakers mentioned there, I am certain I would die without regrets. I blame the photographer whose choice in lens, lighting, angle, and zoom tricked me into thinking that each pair is yummy, immaculate and a must-have.

I wonder if it’s Christmas because I have a letter for Santa already.

*On a more realistic note, I am thinking of getting one pair from the 18 that they have featured. Just you wait, Puma/Vans/Tretorn/Keds.

Wardrobe malfunction Part 2

To the OL (office lady) at the LRT station who was wearing Crocs on her way to work: you need divine intervention.

#1.To the fella in the LCCT airport wearing an LV cap and holding an LV sling bag, LV trolley bag and LV duffel bag: you’re not convincing anyone that you’re a jet-setter.

What kind of person would openly declare their love for fake leather goods? Go figure.

#2. To the person in KL Sentral who was wearing an Adidas sweater in the sweltering heat, with beads of sweat trickling down her forehead: I pity you.

Sweaters are meant to keep people warm in COLD WEATHER.

Fashion victims, all!

Don’t you just love it when you discover something new?
A little coffee shop that serves fantastic char kuay teow that only you know about, perhaps?
What about a bar packed with sweet 20-somethings with great music but no cover charge?
In the same vein, I just made a rewarding discovery over the weekend. It’s the musical misfits who call themselves by many names (just like God, or the Devil) : 2 Many DJ’s/Soulwax/Flying Dewaele Brothers/Samantha Fu/Kawazaki. I refer to them as Soulwax because that is the moniker by which I was acquainted with.

I do not want to introduce their music any further without first introducing the aforementioned interesting piece of mashup. Imagine: Nirvana’s “Smells like teen spirit” on one side, Destiny’s Child’s “Bootylicious” on the other. Head on collision. Would never work rite? Try giving the song a listen, then reconsider.

To listen:
1.Visit this website.
2.Click on the heading that says “JUKEBOX”.
3.Scroll through the leftmost column that says “Audio” until you reach ‘Soulwax Mashups’.
4.Click on the song title “Smells like Booty (Nirvana vs Destiny’s Child)”.

After listening to that explosive track, you’d probably reckon that these fellas spend their musical career ripping off other people’s music and call it their own. If you did, then you are right in a sense. But mind you, they do it with a can of whoop-ass.
Soulwax is an electro-alternative band, and by the looks of their discography, they did tonnes of covers, remixes and mashups of other bands songs. They are also musicians in their own right who create fantastic music of their own as well.
I like the way their bad(-ass?) electric guitar riffs and thumping bass and driving rhythms seem to give a midas touch in pushing the energy levels of the original song through the roof. They remake many songs that were originally tame indie or pop standards with a mean rock ‘n roll twist, which is what I like.

If you don’t believe me, browse the jukebox and check out some other tracks they did. Some notable ones that I had time to hear were:

1. The Gossip’s “Standing in The Way Of Control” (Soulwax Nite Version)
2. The Clash vs Basement Jaxx mashup “Magnificient Romeo”
3. Kyluss Minogue “Can’t get you out of my head”
4. Sugababes “Round Round”

I am certain you’d be, at least, tapping your feet to either of them songs. Provided, you are a fan of indie/electronica/indie-electro/dance music. My earlier exposure to indie-electro music had resulted in me abandoning this subgenre in favour of their separate genres (indie and electronica), concluding this subgenre as a dull, unimaginative offshoot that would be hard-pressed to bring the house down. Discovering such fresh sounds now however, prompts me to reconsider my position on this type of music. Thank you, Essential Mix on BBC Radio 1, for featuring them in 2005, and re-featuring them in 2007. You always know how to cheer up a disappointed music fan.

KL clubbing event managers, bring them in and I’ll kiss your shoes. I got enough of the lame stuff I’ve been fed with lately.

I am sure all of you guys have watched the Petronas ad above already. It features a school boy who did not draw a picture of a reunion dinner during his art class period (Reason? Watch the ad). I first came across this ad yesterday night at the tomyam restaurant I frequent. LY and I were having a quick bite before I sent LY to catch the bus back to KL. I got a bit emo after watching the whole ad (which festive season Petronas ad won’t have that effect on you?), suddenly yearning for the next bus back home. Unfortunately, I had to wait until this afternoon because I chose to work on the morning half of Chinese New Year eve.I had to do this in order to earn the whole of next week off. I was the last of non-local staff to leave this so-called ‘city’ for their respective hometowns/cities.

The feeling of working on 30th night (CNY eve) is not a good feeling AT ALL. Already there is an exceptionally low numbers of Chinese staff in my hospital, insufficient to get you into festive mood. It got worse when my other colleagues kept asking me,”You haven’t gone back yet ar? Strange, all the rest of the Chinese staff are already on leave”. Then I’ll explain to them why. With a kanasai feeling in my gut. And it was true, at work today I felt like the only non-local Chinese left in KT, let alone the hospital.

The same goes for my flight back to KL this afternoon. While there are usually quite a number of Chinese to be seen checking in at the airport, today I was the only one in the KT airport and in the KT-KL flight. Even upon arriving in KLIA and in the KLIA Transit, I could count in one hand the number of Chinese people I saw.

Don’t misunderstand my sentiments as racism. It’s not about wanting Chinese people near me.
It’s just that their absence made me wonder that by working on 30th night, did I appreciate CNY less than them? Hence am I less Chinese?

It felt like I was losing out while the other Chinese are already back home either ‘lepak’-ing or helping prepare for the big dinner. I began to question whether I should have sacrificed my long break instead of sacrificing half of my 30th night.

And so I have decided to make the most out of my long break here in KL. Made sure that my 10 days back here would more than make up for a largely missed 30th night. After the CNY din is over, it’s gonna be all about movies, shops, food and hopefully some artsy fartsy event. Earlier, I was flipping through magazines and drifted through blogs to look for a nice place for a get-together lunch this weekend. I ended up discovering a myriad of KL food, fashion and art scene through these trusty magazines and blogs. How much I have been missing out on. I always fail to realise how much I miss KL until I return here.
I need to get my transfer back, no matter what.
I must, I must, I must, I must, I must.

But for now, I am just glad I have a home to return to celebrate 30th night. Hope you are too. GXFC, people!

Footnote: Check out how this moving ad came about

So it says at the website of upcoming Swedish sneaker, Sneaky Steve. This is a new sneaker label that came out with their first collection just a few months ago for Fall/Winter 2007/08. According to their website, Sneaky Steve’s are meant to be the intermediary between the beautifully made but overpriced luxury sneakers and cheap but ’shitty’ local brand sneakers (by local he’s referring to Swedish ‘local’ of course’). Thus it’s designer sneakers at an affordable pricetag.

Design-wise, they claim to be “a mix of 80:s street and punk culture with a touch of preppy English mod”, which is an accurate description. To back the description up are the use of black/white leather, brogue/wingtip detailing, pointed toes and an unrestrained use of 80’s bright colours for their summer collection. After checking out the outgoing AW 07/08 collection posted on their website I also notice some semblance to the other designer sneaker label, London’s SWEAR. I am quite taken in by their mixing of elements, embodied by the “Chuck Black Patent” which combines the informality of a slip-on shoe with the oxford shoe elements of wingtips and patent leather. Also liking their hi-cut model Swap available in white leather, black leather or silver.
Pic courtesy of LifeLounge

What caught my eye that led to the discovery of this brand was the creatively-presented photo campaign of their upcoming SS 08 collection:

(Photos courtesy of Streetwear Feber)

It seems like a brazen use of the 80’s colours they were speaking of. But by the looks of it, these sneakers are meant to be fun and not to be taken too seriously. It would take a KL person tremendous courage to wear these playful high tops out (like the one in tennis ball green!) but some colour combo’s are alright. Personally, I’d wanna know more about the high-cut leather black and white velcro sneakers on picture 6. Those look cool.

The closest to get these babies are in Singapore’s Billet Doux store. Price should be not more than an average pair of Nike Air Force One’s.

I am rendered speechless by this piece of news.
So whatchagonna do, Willis?

Speechless once
and again

I got news from a blog I visited that there is going to be a music festival called Sunburst 2008 in KL this March. Check out their website here.

According to the website, the international acts confirmed are band Incubus, soul star John Legend, jazz greats Incognito, the real hip hop kings The Roots, and Indonesia’s jazz man Tompi and band Gigi.
From the local music scene are Pop Shuvit, Joe Flizzoq, Gerhana Ska Cinta, Atilia, Estranged, Tempered Mental, Hujan, Meet Uncle Hussain, Y2K, One Buck Short, Reza Salleh, Search, Bittersweet and Najwa.
It is also said that the re-formed Smashing Pumpkins might make an appearance. But I am also hoping for a talented guitarist/singer Raul Midon to confirm his attendance to this festival. The combination of his soulful voice and guitar playing skills are nuts.

Price is not too bad with the early bird discount, and I am quite keen on going. G*d*amn, I have been deprived of some good live music ever since I was thrown to the East, and that’s one small but sweet lineup international musicians that they’ve got. Acts I am looking forward to seeing the most are John Legend and The Roots. I haven’t been listening to Incubus or stuff like that for some time now, but it would be good to finally see them live. On the local front, I would like to see the much talked about Reza Salleh and Meet Uncle Hussain.

Personally, I think it is great that this festival is organized. There is definitely a dearth in terms of live acts performing in Malaysia, when compared with other Asian countries like Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. You may argue that there were many artistes who came in conjunction with our 50th year celebrations e.g Gwen Stefani, Muse, MCR but I was veering more towards the non-pop side of things, say jazz festivals and rock festivals. In the UK during the summer, the whole country becomes a musical playground with summer fests like the infamous Glastonbury, T in the Park, Party in the Park and Download Fest take place. These festivals last for a few days, and it is akin to a non-stop concert with tonnes of bands playing back to back. Nevertheless, this festival is definitely one step closer to making Kuala Lumpur “a “must go” destination in the South East Asian region by utilising a globally attractive commodity: MUSIC”, as quoted by the event organisers.

Right now, I can’t help but compare the Sunburst festival to another festival happening at about the same time in Singapore- The Mosaic Music Festival. Call it a Malaysian inferiority complex, but I guess it’s deeply ingrained in every Malaysian to see who is better- the bigger cousin or the richer cousin. But for first impressions, try visiting ‘their’ website and compare it with ‘ours’. I am not trying to draw any conclusions, because ‘our’ festival is still a baby compared to ‘theirs’- a toddler. And to be fair the Malaysian organisers must have put in a lot of effort in getting those guys to even step foot in our beloved capital.
Next, try checking out their line-up. For 2008, it’s a TEN-day festival with 70 artistes including Earth Wind & Fire, Soil and Pimp Sessions, Mum, Fujiya&Miyagi, Harry Connick Jr. In addition are Singaporean, Malaysian (including Reza Salleh, Ferns) AND Thai musicians. Covers nine genres.
Previous years have had Duke Ellington Orchestra, Jose Gonzalez, Yo La Tengo, Kings of Convenience, Montreux Jazz. The names I dropped here are those that are more commonly recognized internationally.

At present, the Sunburst festival is a 12-hour musical assault, featuring easily recognizable and commercially viable musicians from the country and overseas. I ponder, though, if the day would come when KL would play host to a 7-day music festival that features every type of musician: the commercial headliners, the alternative superstars, the indie scenesters from whatever the country, and the local and regional heroes. That’s because that is what it takes to make KL “a “must go” destination in the South East Asian region by utilising a globally attractive commodity: MUSIC”.

Music is like any other cultural element that makes up a great city. A city like New York has an exceptional live music and underground music scene from which countless talents are discovered. Tokyo is internationally recognized as one of the world’s shopping mecca. While some districts like Ginza thrive on their architectural megastructures housing various luxury brands, there is also a copious amount of street fashion subcultures fuelled by countless smaller brands. It is probably this healthy mix of the recognisable and the unique that synergize Tokyo into becoming the shopping paradise it is now.

That said, I am looking forward to the best outcome from this event and am very thankful that it’s going to happen. Whatever it is, I hope I can make it, and if I do, I hope it would be good. And lastly may the event have the staying power and not suffer the same fate as Rentak Asia.