Lion City Rock

Hey hey hey! It's another playback session as Kevin and Chris look back at Banned In Da Singapura by rock trio Boredphucks . Comprising Sanny Singer (vocals, guitar), JBoss (bass) and Wayne Thunder (drums) the album was a response to having the unique distinction of being the only Singapore band to be banned from performing in the Lion City (we think). Banned In Da Singapura is a landmark albu...

Our guest this week is Andy Chen (no, not that one!), the co-editor of No Finer Time To Be Alive , the only book that documents the indie years of Singapore music. What did it take to put that book together? Will there be a sequel? Why isn't there more being done to archive Singapore's pop culture? And guess what Chris and Kevin will be ranting about this time? The answers to all these and...

1, 2, 3, 4! Kevin and Chris hit the rewind button on another iconic album from the 1990s – Concave Scream's Erratic! Released in 1997, Erratic spawned one of the biggest hits of the decade, Driven , and gave the band mainstream success. Formed by Sean (vocals, guitar), Pann (guitar), Victor (bass) and Dean (drums), Concave Scream were one of the bright sparks of the Singapore music scene in th...

Kevin and Chris take a look at the Home Grooves exhibit about live music venues in Singapore – now going on at Esplanade-Theatres On The Bay – and give their unexpurgated review. What did they like? What didn't they like? Could it have been better? Or is this better than nothing? What is Kevin's idea of a good local music exhibition? And why is Chris living in fantasy land? All this and mo...

With Singapore opening up it's doors to concerts once again, it's the right time for Kevin and Chris take a look at their favourite, worst and weirdest gigs they've ever been to. Who had the best production value? Which band bored Kevin to tears? Which gig did Chris walk out of halfway through? Where was the weirdest place they've ever gigged in? All this and more in this week'...

GUESS WHAT? It's our continuing chat with Chang Kang, the lead singer of Typewriter AND an award-winning filmmaker in his own right! This time, we discuss... ... whether having a music background helps when making movies ... how to convince a band that a video with them slow jogging is the right choice... ... and if Singaporean musos should sing in a Western accent All this and more on #LionCi...

Can you believe it's been 1 year since we embarked on this journey with Lion City Rock? We're still pinching ourselves (not too hard though). To mark this anniversary, we have a special guest: Chang Kang , who sings and plays the guitar for the band, Typewriter ; and is also a respected award-winning filmmaker and photographer. His music journey began in school with his band, The Ordinary...

Remember movie soundtrack albums? We do! Kevin and Chris look back at the Mee Pok Man and 12 Storeys original motion picture soundtracks –– the two albums that kickstarted a wave of local music soundtracks in the 1990s. Along the way, they also uncover mysteries like... ...how many times has Kevin's song, My One And Only been used in a soundtrack? ...why can't Singapore music be heard in m...

LOOK OUT! It's Lion City Rock! Join Kevin and Chris as they look back on one iconic album of the 1990s: Humpback Oak's Pain-Stained Morning . The album was a breakthrough for Humpback Oak, boosted by songs like Finer Life , Deep Door Down and Circling Square , and helped establish lead singer Leslie Low as one of the finest songsmiths from the Lion City. Kevin and Chris reveal their favour...

In a space of four months, power trio Coming Up Roses released their latest EP, Everything Is , went to Canada and Indonesia, played their last show in Singapore for the foreseeable future, and are "opening a new office" in the UK. Comprising Emily Sera, Darius Oon and Lorenzo Mailum, Coming Up Roses has made a splash with songs like Waters , Glass Stained Eyes , Slingshots and Lies , wowi...

Music compilations or playlists, as they're called these days, aren't just a great way to have your favourite tracks altogether. Singapore's music compilations offer a unique look at the musical heritage and history of the Lion City. From the 1980s Class Acts albums to the 1990s New School Rock series, from 2009's 100 Singapore '60s to 2015's State Of Rock , you can learn m...

In Part 2, Kevin and Chris continue their trek through 1965 to see what were the major happenings in that pivotal year: What was up with the idea to have pop bands perform before a movie started? Who were The Teenage Comets and why hasn't anyone done a biopic about them? And why was Gina Lollobrigida making a live appearance at the Lido Cinema? ****** Like, follow and subscribe to  Lion City R...

Since it's National Day , we thought we'd look back to the year when all began: 1965. Singapore has split from the Malaysian Federation amid uncertainty about what lies ahead. But what is certain is that the local music scene never looked brighter. The success of groups like The Crescendos and The Quests has inspired many singers and musicians to come forth. Shirley Nair, Veronica Young, N...

 MARK THE DATE! (That's 9 Aug 2022, in case you missed it) The Lion City Rock podcast returns for another season of peeling back the layers on our local music scene. It's new content with a new format, but still giving the same Lion City Rockin' goodness! We check out key dates, events and releases in Singapore's musical history and do a deep dive into the wonderful world of Lion C...

In this explosive SEASON FINALE , Kevin and Chris sift through the season, handpicking their favourite bits and rambling on about where the Lion City's music scene is these days. They also discuss what could be in store for the next season: Should Kevin do a special dance for Lion City Rock TikTok? Should Chris do a series of dad jokes? Or should they have a rant 'n' rave series just b...

It's Part Two of our chat with Joan Chew, bassist of Lez Zeppelin, the all-female rock band that plays Led Zeppelin music 24/7. Can you really trust Craigslist to get a gig? How many Spinal Tap moments can you get in Lez Zeppelin? And why is Nite Bob such an institution? Joan shares what it took to move from the Lion City to the Big Apple, and more. ****** Check out  Lez Zeppelin's videos...

Nowadays Joan Chew is rockin' crowds in the US as the bassist of Lez Zeppelin, the all-female rock band that performs the music of Messrs Plant, Page, Jones and Bonham. But did you know that she started out playing violin in a string quartet at the Intercontinental Hotel right here in the Lion City? In this first of a two-parter, we trace her musical beginnings and how that helped get her read...

Meet Amanda Ong , a singer whose preference for a cappella music – performance of a polyphonic (multipart) musical work by unaccompanied voices – means she has all but stripped away any musical accompaniment in her recent recordings. But what does it take to be an a cappella singer in Singapore? Where can one readily find venues that will showcase such music? And will Benjamin Kheng really collab...

How did Houg go from carting passengers in private hire cars to carting keyboards for gigs? Why is he his harshest critic? Why shouldn't you be afraid to ask for help? And how did a taxi driver help kickstart Houg's personal musical voyage overseas? We were excited to chat with Houg because he is one of Singapore's most exciting chillwave musicians today. He has gone from strength to s...

When Jazreel met Esther in school, it was a sure sign that they would start a band called Causeway Youth . At least, that's how we see it. But their journey has faced obstacles and challenges, such as naysayers who think their band has no direction. But time and time again, the girls have faced down their adversaries and cleared the challenges in their path. They share... ...what it's like...

Filmmaker Eric Khoo needs no introduction right? He's best known for films like Mee Pok Man , 12 Storeys , Be With Me , My Magic, Ramen Teh and more, but did you know he cut his teeth making music videos? Find out how his love for music affects the way he creates his acclaimed films. ****** Check out Eric's Zhao Wei Films here . Watch Eric's music videos for The Oddfellows' Lost My...

It's a long 'un, but a goodie! Producer extraordinaire Leonard Soosay has twiddled the knobs for both in the studio and at gigs for JJ Lin & Gentle Bones & Charlie Lim & INCH & Narelle & Neural Vibe & Ossuary & Electrico & Force Vomit & Great Spy Experiment & The Boredphucks & Caracal & Pleasantry and well... just about everybody. How did he...

A major part of David Siow 's musical journey includes producing music – as a member of bands TakeTwo and M1ldl1fe, and solo as DSML. But he also hopes to get Singapore music beyond our borders. How can the Lion City's music make a bigger mark on the world stage? Answers in this episode! ****** Listen to David's music as DSML and with M1LDL1FE ****** Like, follow and subscribe to  Lion...

They don't bake. Nor have they done interstellar travel. But they do know how to cook up a musical storm in any space. With their new EP – Magma – Bakers In Space show why they're the hot new thing when it comes to Singa-pop! This band of brothers has gone through everything together since they started out as an Arctic Monkeys covers band, and they're not planning to stop any time soon...

This week on Lion City Rock... We know the music made by musicians, but who helps musicians make a living with their music? It's the people who make up the "business" half of the music business. They help open doors for new musicians to perform and get their music heard to a potentially worldwide audience. These are people like Dean Augustine , the head of Cross Ratio Entertainment. He...