Coffee Talks & Doppelbocks

For Your Aural Pleasure - Rachael Yamagata @ Mosaic Music Festival 2007

2007-03-22T02:07:00.003+08:00

My apologies for the dearth of recent blog posts. To say recent is quite a stretch, really. 4 months is the longest i've gone without posting anything. Alas, i must have lost a few worthy blog readers as a result.

Anyway.

Over the weekend, Q and i caught New York-based singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata (MySpace) in concert at the Esplanade. She was a hoot to watch, wowing the audience with her trademark songs on (heartwrenching) relationships and witty humour. Rachael and her band kicked off the show with a rousing rendition of "Letter Read", then played songs like "Be Be Your Love", "Meet Me By The Water", "Worn Me Down" and "Sunday Afternoon" in a span of 90 minutes.

At one point she went off-key, laughed it off and made a quip about how she sounded like she was "going through puberty." She also gave everyone a taste of her soon-to-be-released sophomore record by doing the track "What If I Leave", and joked about how she had changed its initial title from "What About Steve" because not many would be able to relate to it.

I managed to get a photo (above) with my digital camera before an usher came and tapped me on my shoulder.

During the course of the gig, she moved from grand piano to acoustic guitar, and back and forth again, displaying immense musicianship.

For the encore she closed the set with a heartfelt performance of "Reason Why". Going off-key midway through the song (again), i seriously thought she was cracking up. Either that, or i guess she was teetering on the edge of sobriety.

We headed for the post-concert autograph session soon after, but not before we managed to work our way through the large crowd dispersing from the concert hall. I think it was 9.20 pm when we reached the section of the foyer where the autograph session was being held. We were greeted by this very very loooooooooong (must emphasise this) queue. There, the staff duly informed us that the session would last for an hour only. Now, if you are near the end of the queue and you work your maths, you'd think, "Shit, there won't be enough time for us all!"

In any case the foyer doors closed on us slightly after 10, cordoning off the section where Rachael was in. Many left, crestfallen.

So Q and i made our way to the exterior of the building to have a closer look at the singer behind glass walls. Along with 20 odd fans i think. And guess what? I saw Pam in the midst -- she's a writer-reporter with the Philippine Daily Inquirer and i was reading her blog earlier (while sourcing for news on Ms. R). Omigosh! After approaching her (and possibly giving her the shock of her life) and introducing myself, we had a conversation under the stars. Literally.

Rachael Yamagata continued to sign autographs for the last few people remaining.

It wasn't too long before Rachael spied a group forming outside the building (Edit: now i realise Zombiebite and her friends were the ones who rapped on the glass walls and got Ms. R's attention, wow, i salute you), and she made her way through the already shut side doors, much to the dismay of the Esplanade staff. 20 odd people flocked towards her to get their autographs and snapshots.

I got mine of course, along with a hug, and i promptly told her she'd just made my day. God, i love her for being so obliging and down-to-earth. Everyone was gushing about how sweet she was.

I couldn't resist taking a photo with her foxy drummer Chris Giraldi as well.

We took pictures with Pam (it was great meeting you!) to mark the end of the awesome day. Pammy: That was a great evening, i couldn't have agreed more. Not forgetting Q, whom i dragged along: Thanks girl -- now tell me, exactly how many ice cream sundaes do i owe you?

Why of course, thank you Rachael Yamagata... for making it such a magical evening indeed.

----------

About (via wikipedia)

Rachael Yamagata is an American singer-songwriter who plays piano and has a dark, raspy alto. A child of divorced parents, Yamagata divided her time growing up between her Sansei Japanese American father and her Italian/German mother.

Yamagata became the vocalist for the Chicago funk-fusion band Bumpus, spending six years writing and recording three albums with the band and touring the country. In 2001, after having written a number of songs that didn't fit with the funk style of the band, Yamagata decided to take the songs and launch a solo career. In September 2002, she landed a two-record deal with Arista's Private Music and her self-titled EP was released in October.

Her first full-length album, Happenstance, followed in June 2004. Happenstance mostly consists of layered vocals, rhythmic piano, and production flourishes. Her second album, yet untitled, is slated for release for late-spring of 2007.

Mp3 · Rachael Yamagata - What If I Leave (KCRW session) (removed)
Buy · Happenstance
Read · The Straits Times Life! concert review, clickety-click
Read · Yamagata Wraps 'Darker, Grittier' New Album

Milestone

2006-11-25T13:05:00.000+08:00

I turn 21 in a couple of hours time and i haven't the slightest idea how i'm going to celebrate my coming-of-age. My handphone died on me 2 days ago so i cannot ask anyone out for a drinking session. This is just great.

Since there isn't much time to plan anything, i think i'll have a meal with my family and friends, and go bungee jumping in my dreams later.

Why i need to get a life

2006-10-06T21:19:00.000+08:00

Please accept my apologies for not having updated this space in such a loooong time. I say loooong because 2 calendar months roughly equate to 2 virtual years, and that's loooong enough to banish me to the department of forgotten blogs. Honestly. So much has happened in this space of time (e.g. one of my favourite blogs is shutting down, boo hoo) i don't know where to begin. Simply put, i've been busy (who isn't) and have thus neglected my blog.

But the last thing i need is to fade into virtual oblivion.

So there. I'll try to post whenever i get the time. That, or when i have something fancy i wish to share with the world (e.g. me having a crush on some Korean tv star/getting my front teeth punched out/shit like that).

Elsewhere, the weather is worsening in Singapore. I feel extremely stifled like some cranky old lady because the haze is blocking up my pipes. Ah yes -- that, and the moon as well. Ahem.

Happy National Day

2006-08-09T13:48:00.000+08:00

Happy 41st National Day, Singapore!

And they call this marketing skills

2006-07-27T13:57:00.000+08:00

No trip to one of those drugstores is ever complete without the saleswomen asking me, "Girl ah, woot euw like to try this new pimple cream? See euw got big pimple on yor face there, euw know?"

My face has got an ego of itself too, but these folks simply can't be bothered.

Previously · I've this big problem with my face. Really.

Etiquette

2006-07-25T19:00:00.000+08:00

Everyone knows that eating is our national pastime. You can find people traversing this island each and every day in search of superb food. I just didn't know we had to eat while travelling too. Yesterday i was on the bus with a bunch of young stinkfarts (read: schoolchildren) who were having the picnic of their lives. They were munching ice cream, french fries, and whatnots on board. Anyone with common sense knows that eating ice cream on a hot day will reduce it to a fugly mess.

If i were in my shitty mood i would have marched right up there and told them off. Since i was in my plain lousy mood i cussed silently under my breath, wishing that they would have non-existent waistlines very soon.

Someone oughta teach these kids some manners.

Holiday

2006-06-02T16:39:00.000+08:00

Going to The Land of the Morning Calm. Internet cold turkey for a week.

Carpe Diem

2006-05-26T21:51:00.000+08:00

Sometime ago, a cancer-stricken Joan Chan appeared in the local rags as part of a feature on cancer patients. I was scanning the same publication today when i discovered she had, in fact, passed away 2 days ago. Pity. She had everything going for her until this illness came along and grinded everything to a halt. For the record, the fiesty lady didn't go down without a fight. I do wish Joan is in a better place right now, one devoid of pain and teeming with life.

Consensus

2006-05-03T12:28:00.000+08:00

Singaporeans can be so pragmatic. The consensus among some constituents seems to be "I'll vote for whoever can solve my problems, can answer my questions, and can upgrade my estate" because "the taxes i pay go towards my MP's paycheck and therefore i am entitled to do so". Huh? I fear some Singaporeans may be casting their votes without making truly informed choices. Perhaps a considerable populace will be voting for so-and-so because they've recieved Progress Packages of $1,600 and they're laughing all the way to the bank (and henceforth, the polling station). I don't think it's that hard to keep a clear head, to read political blogs, to leaf through manifestos, to attend rallies, etcetera. It's whether or not you are willing to take the time.

And oh. Stop harping on the Gomez issue already.

Read · The PAP and WP manifestos.
Read · PAP Character Assassination 101 (via Singabloodypore)

For Your Aural Pleasure - Lunarin

2006-04-27T00:26:00.000+08:00

I have a confession to make: i'm not big on the local indie music scene. I can pretty much count the number of gigs i've been to with one hand. I own only these 2 albums. Sounds dismal, doesn't it? I'm thinking, hey, maybe i should dismantle this wall of ignorance to explore the world that thrives behind it.

I chanced upon on modern alt-rock trio Lunarin (MySpace) sometime back when they'd just released their debut album The Chrysalis. I hadn't heard about them back then, but they showed me 2 things:

· Lawyers can rock
· Engineers can rock

That said, The Tower -- the 8th track off the album -- starts off delicately, but as we delve into the tune, vocalist Linda's voice turns husky with emotion and the guitar riffs grow frenzied. Ooh. The dudes provide background vocals on this one, all at once blending neatly into a beautiful killer rock track.

Mp3 · Lunarin - The Tower (removed) (via pure rock)

Intermission

2006-04-02T18:41:00.000+08:00

They should make April Fool's Day an official holiday, since everyone takes the whole hoax thing real seriously.

GodithinkineedLASIK

2006-03-30T02:42:00.000+08:00

An online search for a book leads me to a seller on Yahoo! Auctions. At $2, it looks like a genuine basement bargain. I thought i might have to fork out $10 for a 2^nd hand copy. This is fantastic. I don't have to cough up a hefty sum for shipping fees and all else that comes with purchasing a book from abroad either. I suppose this must be my lucky day.

An email comes in slightly later, triumphantly announcing that i am the (sole) winner of this auction and that i am to transfer my money to the auctioneer, whereupon the book will be emailed to me.

Email?

And then i realise, to my horror, that i am the ignoramus who paid $2 for a crappy electronic book!

Postscript · I checked the page again and saw some itty-bitty fine print -- "title of the book.eBook". On hindsight, i should have scanned everything fastidiously, but i'd still say this is an outrageous marketing ploy. The disclaimer reminded me to Ask whatever question in Q & A before bid, which i did. I asked: So how's the condition of the book?

No wonder the seller never did bother to reply.

Gall

2006-03-24T01:18:00.000+08:00

Sometimes a teeny-weeny dose of impudence is all it takes to make you sit up and listen.

Previously · Wanna read this?

For Your Aural Pleasure - Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Show Your Bones

2006-03-23T00:42:00.000+08:00

I eschew radio nowadays for the most blatant reason: local radio stations often play unintelligible urban music (read: rap) and mindless bubblegum fare to the hilt, it makes me cringe real bad. Sometimes it's like hearing Nickelback (sorry, Nickelback fans) play twice in a row, and you think: Hey, the songs sound the same. A moment later the reality dawns on you: It's the same shit, anyhow.

Originality has gone out of the window.

But i digress. Turn to the internet, you radio-eschewers. There's a plethora of music out there waiting to be unearthed. That's how I discovered NY's art-rock trio The YYYs (MySpace), and like they say, the rest is history. Their soon-to-be-released sophomore effort, Show Your Bones, remains my most-anticipated release of the season, and for the most obvious reason so: they keep reinventing themselves to stay at the top of their game. Don't believe the naysayers who say they loathe this new album 'cos it has none of the pyrotechnics nor panache of the first (Fever To Tell). Damnit, i don't think the posse has lost any of their edge or musical flair, whichever it is. They've taken their music to a different dimension.

Bonus mp3 · Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Deja Vu (removed)
Buy · Show Your Bones
Buy · Fever To Tell
Read · The Straits Times Life! cd review, clickety-click
Previously · Read my other YYY posts. Pt 1 2 3

Slumberland

2006-03-16T23:53:00.000+08:00

Sleep is such a rare commodity these days, even the lions try to catch forty winks whenever they can.

Kinesics

2006-03-09T23:07:00.000+08:00

I didn't know they had a guide for all sorts of offensive gestures, but i'll give that particular someone the finger all the same. You bastard.

For Your Aural Pleasure - Jewel: Goodbye Alice in Wonderland

2006-03-08T17:59:00.000+08:00

It's hard to say whether Jewel Kilcher "sold out" with 0304, that Lester Mendez (Shakira, Enrique Iglesias) produced, dance-pop infused effort. In any case, the lady with the natural, crystalline pipes will return to her folksy-pop roots come 2nd May with Goodbye Alice in Wonderland. It'll be an autobiographical album, or the story of her life, as she so aptly puts it. The title track is a impassioned take on dreams and expectations.

It is the story of my life - from the extreme solitude of Alaska to my first trip to Hollywood... from my rise to fame to the cliché crisis of betrayals by those closest and most dearly trusted.

Mp3 · Jewel - Goodbye Alice in Wonderland (removed)
Stream the video · Jewel - Goodbye Alice in Wonderland
Buy · Goodbye Alice in Wonderland

Natalie Raps!

2006-03-07T09:25:00.000+08:00

Can you imagine a sweet, innocent thing like Natalie Portman living a gangsta lifestyle? Watch this SNL digital short to see what i mean. Hilarious.

Stream the video
Natalie Portman - Gangsta Rap

On the Oscars

2006-03-06T21:22:00.000+08:00

The 78th Academy Awards are, well, officially behind us. The curtains have been drawn and the red carpets have been rolled up. The twee golden men have their pride of place now in many a new display cabinets. There were some upsets and surprises throughout the course of the show (but of course), most notably in the Best Picture category, when Crash triumphed over crowd-favourite Brokeback Mountain to take home the coveted prize.

Perhaps the AMPAS folks don't like overtly gay themes.

The whole coverage was safe but bland, and most of my predictions materialised. There were but few heartfelt speeches. Incidentally, i had no luck with Brokeback Mountain, Transamerica, or A History of Violence either. The local board of film censors passed those 3 Oscar-nominated films with R21 ratings so i'd no chance to catch 'em.

So much for breaking my piggy bank.

Some of my priceless Oscar moments

This year's Oscar nominees get goodie bags filled with -- get this: diamond-encrusted bra & panty sets, 22-carat gold leaf and crystal hammers and $25,000 luxury packages from Halekulani Hotel on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. The least expensive item, by the way, is a $600 Krups XP4050 Premium Pump espress machine. Now, that's what i call priceless.
Jon Steward, i.e. "I do have some sad news to report. Bjork couldn't be here tonight. She was trying on her Oscar dress and Dick Cheney shot her" or "Martin Scorsese: No Oscars, Three 6 Mafia: One Oscar"
Oh, Three 6 Mafia of course, for winning the Best Song. Someone give the men a Golden Globe already.
Tom Hanks getting smashed by a violin after demonstrating how not to drag an acceptance speech on for too long.
Ben Stiller and his green "invisible screen" suit.
I thought Jessica Alba was an atomy.
Did J.Lo morph into one of those plush, red Kodak Theatre seats they were sitting on?
Watching Lee Ang win the Best Director Oscar. Hurray, asians!
Watching the cast and crew of Crash jump up into the air after their win was announced.
Playing a spot-the-difference game, i.e. spot the differences in oceans of false breasts and botoxed faces. Boy, that was hard.

Sometimes i write nonsensical, spur-of-the-moment posts. This must be one of them.

More · 2006 Academy Award Winners

Heart Thyself

2006-03-02T13:20:00.000+08:00

This makes me sound like an utterly desperate, sexually-deprived midget. Quick, someone attach an amplifier to my cervix!

For Your Aural Pleasure - The Fiery Furnaces & The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

2006-03-02T00:01:00.000+08:00

I have The Fiery Furnaces' Bitter Tea and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Show Your Bones playing on my stereo right now. They are leaked versions, not retail ones, so they sound somewhat unpolished, but still throughly fascinating and unpretentious. Do check these mp3 blogs out for a sweet selection of tunes.

The Fiery Furnaces

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Previously · Read my other YYY posts. Pt 1 2

An Open Letter To My Neighbour Upstairs

2006-03-01T17:48:00.000+08:00

I live in what I call high-quality communal housing, as do 85% of this island's population, while the rest are roughly scattered in private apartments and landed properties. I like to think ours is the most successful public housing project in the world, which I must say, is true to a large extent, considering we are one densely-populated nation.

There are downsides to high-quality and high-density living, but of course. One common pet peeve among residents is incessant noise pollution, which was recently highlighted in the papers. I don't know what's worse: noisy neighbours, nosy neighbours, or neighbours without noses. I'm rather happy where I am now, for my neighbours are mostly very sociable beings. The joneses next door, for instance, are a friendly and outgoing family who like to borrow random items like onions and eggs. They sometimes turn the stereo to full blast, engage in riotous Mahjong parties, and they have a helluva noisy kid, but I can live with that. I have a high threshold for noise. Besides, they satiate me with chocolate eclairs. Often.

But the neighbour who refuses to wring the laundry before hanging it out to dry is one neighbour I can live without.

My mum went ballistic last week when she found stains on the laundry that was left out to sun. I don't know which pea-brained idiot threw bits of leftover spaghetti out the window; everything promptly splattered on our clothes and bamboo poles and left distinguishable orangey-yellow marks everywhere. Think of it as a Molotov cocktail of sorts, or bird poops, if you may. In fact, it was the second time it had happened. There was another, one metallic wok lid, measuring at least 45cm in diameter that was flung down a couple months back. I called for the police when I realised one of our bamboo poles went crashing down with it. The police arrived shortly after the incriminating evidence had been removed. Nothing much we can do, they told me, we'll just have to keep track.

I swear to god I will wring my neighbour's clothes (and neck) the next time i catch him/her in the act. That is, if I do. Some people are far too wily.

I decide to write my own tongue-in-cheek letter to whoever lives upstairs. If the town council cannot resolve a problem like this, i'll have to do it my own way. Here goes my letter that was penned in 5 minutes:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to tell you how happy I am to recieve your showers of blessing.

You know, God can only shower us with love and bless us with good health, but you always go one step further: You shower us with delicious chicken noodles, water, toilet paper, towels, Kotex, and the occasional G-string, I actually think you are far more well-stocked than the minimart downstairs. Yes sir/mam, I think you are one hell of a generous person, I can't say how much I adore you! I mean, look, who the heck are you. I want to meet you sometime.

Remember the last time you sent us a flying wok (cover)? Or was it a frying pan? I forgot to tell you we already have a wok at home. It's a little worn but still quite the trusty wok. That was a really nice gesture though, thanks. The next time I will return your kindness, yet again, by placing a call to 999. The people on the other line were immensely friendly, I tell you. But I guess no one can really match up to your kindness yet.

I suppose it might be wiser to bless us with money next time.

Yours sincerely,
Michelle.

I say, throw nothing out of the window; throw away your kampung mentality if you must. Please have some consideration for the ones living below you.

Sg Blogsites List

2006-02-26T23:58:00.000+08:00

Here's what I got in my inbox on Friday.

Dear Sir/Madam

Hi, my name jon,
We were juz setting up a new Singapore Blogsite list website.
The reason i email is i was wondering if u would like to JOIN in to our
blog toplist.
Iz a standard toplist website wif web statistic review.
http://Singaporeblog.net click join to sign in...
Appreciate it if u do join us...

Whatever, I thought. So I signed up... and happily watched my stats climb.

Postscript · If you have a Singapore-based blog, yeah, might as well go ahead and sign up with 'em. And watch your stats climb. If not, you can make Michelle sibeh happy simply by voting for this blog (1. click 2. enter 3. vote).

Tammy did a Paris Hilton,

2006-02-24T17:58:00.000+08:00

or a Colin Farrell, or a Chu Mei Feng, for that matter. Her case is (as the figures go) the biggest sexcapade to have hit our shores since Annabel Chong and is presently kicking up a storm in our otherwise 'conservative' city-state.

Well. Sex was supposed to be an erstwhile sacred activity, but now the mere mention of the word makes all of us ditzy. See. Everyone around the globe is lapping up everything pertaining to Tammy and her ilk. Seems to me this scandal is going to be bigger and bolder than your oft-watched tv soap opera.

Seriously, what is the phone-snitcher out to prove anyway? The only thing he/she has proven so far is his/her immaturity and insecurity.

I have a confession to make: i've seen the clip in question, and all i'll say is that it's comparable to your homemade porn tapes. Anyway, if you've landed here because you're looking for the said video, well you B.M.F.A. (i'm speaking for myself too), sorry! Now, go look elsewhere.

Excuse me now, I have to stow my handphone away lest someone gets to it and ups my details on some xxx site.

Karma usually bites you back in the ass, you know.

On S. Rajaratnam

2006-02-24T17:32:00.000+08:00

Prior to S. Rajaratnam's passing, the only knowledge I had of him was derived from my history textbooks, as I think was (and still is) the case for many other third and fourth-generation Singaporeans. When he quit the political scene 2 decades ago, many of us were still too young to understand the ways of the world. Only recently did I read more about him, this pioneer of Singapore, and how he worked tirelessly like a craftsman to mould and shape our modern day Singapore.

I didn't even know it was he who wrote our national pledge!

Yes sir, you will be sorely missed.

Read · Mr S. Rajaratnam - His Life and Times