Big Night Out 2013

Big Night Out 2013

Big Night Out 2013

What happens when you combine the forces of two of America's biggest Indie rock bands, Vampire Weekend and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The pair are set to join forces to headline LAMC productions Big Night Out in Singapore, and who would want to miss that? The blend of style and substance in this line-up promises an unforgettable night of ferocious guitar music for everyone who attends. And last but not least, these two juggernauts of popular music will be joined on the stage by Seattle's very own Band Of Horses.

This showcase is now in its fourth year and this year's programme is expected to be the best yet, so purchase your tickets now and get to Fort Canning Park on January 30 for a massive party. Singapore has been establishing itself as something of an oasis for alternative rockers and with headliners like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend and Band of Horses, this is one music festival that can't be brushed aside.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American indie rock of some repute and whenever they roll up in town you know the atmosphere is going to be electric. Karen O is one of the most expressive performers in the business and if you have not seen her with your own two eyes and ears, you haven't lived! The band have such a varied and distinctive sound for a three piece and they will be performing hits from their three studio albums Fever to Tell, Show Your Bones, and It's Blitz!

Vampire Weekend are a little newer to the Indie scene than veterans YYYs but they still have a number of hits that have been celebrated in all of the important Indie magazines, particularly NME. 2008 was a watershed year for the band as they released their first album Vampire Weekend, which spawned feel-good tunes like "Mansard Roof", "A-Punk", "Oxford Comma" and "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa".

Tickets here: www.bignightout.asia

Adam Lambert back in Singapore

Adam Lambert back in Singapore

Adam Lambert back in Singapore. Like much of the world, Singapore has become obsessed with TV talent shows like American Idol. It seems that reality TV has the drama and suspense that transcends any language or cultural divides across the world. Everybody loves the surprises and the shocks that come along the way, and they travel on the journey with their favourite artists through the weeks of competition.

Everybody who enters the show knows that this huge level of interest across the globe can be a great springboard for a career in popular music, and you only have to look at previous winners like Kelly Clarkson and Jordin Sparks for inspiration. Another contestant who has who has really translated his public profile on the show into huge success internationally is Adam Lambert.

Lambert is known for his stint on the American Idol programme in Season 8 where he finished runner up to Kris Allen in an extremely close match-up. Ever since he completed the show he has had a great affinity with his fans in Singapore. The American crooner is particularly known for his flamboyant dress sense and his voice which has an impressive multi-octave range. One accolade which stands out in his career so far is his 2011 nomination for a Grammy Award, in the category of Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Sadly, he fell just short of the winner's podium once more.

The glam-rock singer first visited Singapore in 2010 for an exclusive, invitation-only Fan Event which was held in the warm and welcoming destination of Resorts World Sentosa. Around this time he had just released his debut album which was received positively in multiple countries. The biggest hits from the album were the tracks "For Your Entertainment", "Whataya Want from Me" and "If I Had You".

In 2013 Adam Lambert will return to Singapore for the third time having previously participated in the live concert before the F1 Grand Prix in 2010. But what makes this return special is that this is the first time you will be able to see him in concert in a stand-alone show in The Star Theatre, March 8th.

Tickets here: www.sistic.com.sg

Tune in to Tunes

Tune in to Tunes

Singapore has 19 radio stations which cater to a large variety music tastes and content specifically for different demographics of its population. Here is a comprehensive guide to all 19 stations and a brief outline of the content they provide (listed in order of transmission frequency; lowest to highest).

883JiaFM Chinese and English language, news, traffic, pop music and weather.

88.9 BBC World Service English Language, News and Discussions.

Ria 89.7FM Malay, English and Arab content, music, news, contemporary.

Gold 90.5FM English language, plays hit songs from the 1960s - current music trends.

HOTFM91.3 English language, music charts, contemporary content and discussions.

Kiss 92FM English language, plays hits ranging from the 1980s to modern day songs.

Symphony 92.4FM English language, currently the only Singaporean radio station dedicated exclusively to classical music

Y.E.S 93.3FM Chinese Language, Chinese pop music, broadcasts 24 hours a day

938 LIVE English language, news and discussions

Class 95FM English Language, best of charts from 1980 - present

Capital 95.8FM Chinese Language, news, music, discussions and entertainment

XFM 96.3FM Mixed Language - Japanese, Hindi, French, German and Korean content.

Love 97.2FM English and Chinese Language, music from the 80s and 90s

Power 98FM English Language, pop music, classic hits and news

987FM English Language, contemporary music

Lush 99.5 FM English Language, chill out, easy listening, house, vocal jazz music

UFM 1003 Chinese Language, news.

Warna 94.2FM Malaysian Language, Islamic content, music and discussions

What’s in Store for You?

What’s in Store for You?

With the constant progression in technological advances, being a self-reliant working musician has never been easier. There's no need to invest thousands of dollars in recording equipment when in the era of DIY, it's worth checking to see what's out there to assist you in building your music career. Here are some delights from the App Store.

Band of the Day by 955 Dreams Inc. This a great app for discovering new music and even showcasing your own music across a huge audience. Every day a new artist is introduced and you can listen to not only them, but the back catalogue of all previously featured artists. You can create a mix tape from your favourite songs and share your new discoveries across social networks. Compatible for iPhone and iPad.

SG Radio by Just2Me Currently the only app to provide seamless streaming for all of the 19 radio stations in Singapore. And it's free! Compatible for iPhone and iPad.

Ultimate Guitar Tabs by Ultimate Guitar The working guitarist doesn't have to carry around a thick catalogue of music when it all fits nicely into one device. The App boasts 400'000 songs in its directory and is constantly expanding. A nice addition to any session musician's kit. Compatible for iPhone.

Ear Worthy by Daniel Ho Every sight reader's dream. The App trains you to have perfect pitch and develop the ability to recognise notes, scales, chords and intervals. Singers could also use the App as a pitch reference tool. Compatible for iPhone and iPad.

Garageband by Apple Inc The ability to record practice sessions, gigs and ideas is essential to any musician and Garageband takes it a step further. You can plug straight into the App and record sound at a professional level and then edit it all together. If the rest of your band have compatible technology you can all participate in a live recording/jamming session which is great for producing ‘live' albums. Compatible for iPhone and iPad

Shazam Encore by Shazam Entertainment Limited The app can identify songs in as little as one second so you can quickly capture snippets of songs that you like and purchase the song to keep. You also have the ability to check artist touring dates, Shazam charts and streaming lyrics to read whilst your newly tagged song is playing. Compatible for iPhone.

Ringtone Maker by Zentertain Ltd. What better way to promote your own music than by having it as a ringtone? The app will allow you to make a ringtone out of any song in your library, so if your phone happens to strategically ring in a crowded place, you could end up with a new fan! Compatible for iPhone.