I always believe that people should lead by example. If that person can't do better and yet rant about our local bands, then i think he/she should just quit it.
To the TS : So what songs should local bands write about if not about love, life, death and all that? The hamburger on my table ah?
Lead by example?
I'm sorry but you don't need to have a band and play music to say the singapore music scene is lacking. This mentality that somehow you NEED to play music and achieve more fame than the bands one attacks to judge their music is really really, really stupid. Most people don't play instruments, so that means they suddenly do not have an opinion on the local music scene?
Anyway, I totally agree with the TS, though I think another thing that's wrong, would be the ridiculous lack of support. But then, one could blame that on the crappy bands, it's a cycle see, a very sad sad cycle. We can take one step at a time, first, work on the crappy bands.
The bands don't have to write about anything in particular, they can write about goddamn hamburgers for all I care, as long as it sounds good people will listen to it. Though meaningful lyrics go a long way, the point I'm trying to make is that the music that local bands make is uninspired, dull, repetitive, cliched, and a thousand other words accentuating the point that local bands are intensely boring.
Live performance is another ballgame altogether, local bands other than a select few just stand there like statues, hoping that the audience will dance about when their standing their like the boring assholes they are, their boring music doesn't help much!
Sure they might move around abit, bob their head, sway from side to side abit, maybe even somehow remove whatever it is that chains them to the ground and start taking steps around themselves.
Ok, if you're a acoustic band or you play really soft pretty ambient music or something, then obviously no one will go to your show expecting this. But I'm talking about rock bands, they definitely do NOT rock.
I'm going to drop lots of names now,this is nothing personal, i dont know any of these people. just my opinion on their music.
The firefight is good, hopefully they can come up with a good album. Good live show, good songs.
Allura has pretty decent songs, but their live show is lacking.
GSE has okay songs, but their frontman is too much of an anglophile and it rubs off on his voice in some songs, and most their stuff is just them ripping off the killers, very filleresque.
Force Vomit is good and genuine. I like them a fair bit, what I've heard anyway.
Giants must fall is pretty good too. nice songs.
Bad bands, where to start. I'll get alot of shit for this that's for sure.
YAWA. Boring ass live show, lead singer has this i-think-i'm-really-mysterious voice, probably thinks he's thom yorke, except his songs are just a linear progression of verbal and musical jerking-off without ever reaching the climax, doesn't work. Bassist is lame and annoying, if you've been to a live show you'll know what I mean. The other guy, i think his name is james, the guitarist, is good though i like his playing.
Caracal. Probably going to get lots and lots of flak for this. The instrumentation is good, they should play post-rock, the vocalist ruins everything. The vocal melodies are so predictable and boring as hell.
Armchair critic. I know visa posts here frequently but I can't spare what in my opinion is one of the worst local bands. I don't think I can critically break down what makes their music bad, I think if you listen to the songs you might get what I mean. Maybe it's just me, but I honestly do not think so.
Midnight marvel. horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible.
Leeson. Boring songs, boring live show. Marketing style: Caucasian lead singer in oriental context = profit
I am david sparkle. Not a bad band, they don't have bad songs. But goddamn, how much can you rip mogwai off? They should've just been a cover band.
Cardinal Avenue. Again, they don't have bad songs, and they don't have a horrid live show, though not that great. But their songs sound really similar to each other, and the vocalist's tone,lyrics and the vibe he gives off aren't my cup of tea.
Monofone. "Hey guys, lets rip Muse off and add some shitty talking vocals with our useless chick keyboardist!"
Countless Paramore/TBS/Falloutboy ripoffs.
Countless ripoffs of assorted bands. As in, bands that fixate on one band alone.
I could definitely go on and on but i'll stop here.
All this is with me enjoying SG bands more because of the sentiment. I'm sure most people will agree with me when they hear a singaporean band they like, they'll enjoy it more than western bands, because of the sentiment.
In summary I think these are the problems(which are related to each other), in order of importance.
1.Boring bands playing boring songs
2.Lack of support from people
Solution?
Use those air raid sirens to blast good music.
If not, then god only knows.
Honestly, the only solution is more musicians who are established to go out and help young and upcoming bands with potential. Introduce them to different music, help them get gigs, etc etc. This will definitely get better bands, hopefully, this is just a hypothesis. Of course, no musician is obliged to do so. And even with established musicians, there are lots that I don't think would help much even if they did this.
To visa: I think the problem is that too many shitty bands are going out and doing it. This isn't intended to be a back-handed swipe so i hope you don't take it that way, there are other bands, really really really horrid bands that somehow get to play gigs with good bands like firefight and others.
Okay, i'm done.
