New Album Review: Efterklang's Magic Chairs Anglofiles, May 24, 2010 It’s a nod to a Jorgen Leth film more than anything else, but Magic Chairs does seem like the perfect thing to name your record if you’re Efterklang out of how it evokes both a sense of wonder and ... Slash and The Titans A Side,May 04, 2010 What do Ozzy, Lemmy, Iggy Pop, Chris Cornell, Kid Rock, and Dave Grohl all have in common? These titans of rock all appear in the debut solo album, the self-titled Slash ... A Slice of Sugoi from Shonen Knife March 22, 2010 The female group started out as a tribute band to the Ramones, fueled by vocalist Naoko’s passion for punk rock. It’s remarkable how their rise to cult status in the 80s influenced much of the alternative... New Album Review: We Were Promised Jetpacks Indiscreet, February 23,, 2010 If you follow this thread regularly (and why wouldn’t you?), then you will remember at the end of my bands to watch in 2010 review, I asked; ‘Where are the jetpacks and robot slaves we were ... Rock Out  Japanese Style in a Free J-Rock Concert February 16, 2010 The legendary all-female Japanese band Shonen Knife rocks out with Philippines’ all-male dance and punk band Pedicab in a free J-Rock Concert to cap off this year’s Nihongo Fiesta in Manila ... Down and Out in Limbo City Literatune, February 14, 2010 Fiction written from the song title ‘My Funny Valentine’ ... Top 5 Anti-Love Songs February 12, 2009 Love is many things in pop music. Like oxygen. Thicker than water. All around. Will tear us apart. A tender trap. A battlefield. A mystery. A dog from hell. A bitch. A mix tape. A drug. But it was ... Top 5 Striptease Songs February 11, 2009 Boys know a thing or two about strip shows, and boys who don’t know much aren’t really boys, although they most likely know a thing or two about the action on the other side of the strip... The Real Tuesday Weld Discount Bin, February 5, 2010 Loosely defining their music as ‘antique beat,’ The Real Tuesday Weld’s style is highly regarded, and some of their songs have been used in short animation films, TV, and advertising. Extraordinary ... Celebrity Match Up: Zooey Deschanel vs. Katy Perry Rival Riffs, Februry 4, 2010 No two female American singers have ever looked so confusingly alike - especially two who don't even share a drop of blood. But there is no denying that Zooey Deschanel and Katy Perry are ... Fresh for the Picking: Top New Singles in Asian Popdom for 2010 February 2, 2010 We're officially saying goodbye to the boy band troubles and plagiarism woes that plagued Asian acts in 2009, and happily raising a bubbly to the new music that will hopefully make this year... Elephant Stone’s ‘Hindie’ Rock Discount Bin, January28 , 2010 This Montreal-based indie rock band’s name is an obvious ode to The Stone Roses, but the band has influences that do extend beyond what’s apparent. Lead singer and ethnically Indian multi-... Music Video Review: Blueprint for Success - 3 music videos from Jay-Z’s latest album On Air, January 25, 2010 American rapper and businessman Jay-Z started his career freestyling for other rappers while they were changing backstage for their next sets. He started his own record label after failing to find ... Uffie’s Sex, Dreams, and Denim Jeans: Can this female rapper give you a musical O? Chick Picks, January 22, 2010 If you find smudged eyeliner and the slightly coked-up look (think the Twilight chick) sexy, then Anna-Catherine Hartley is definitely your brand of hot. Uffie, as she would like to be known ... A Reunion at Revelation Rock Literatune, January 20, 2010 Fiction written from the song title ‘Are You Gonna Go My Way?’ ... Song Match-Up: ‘What a Wonderful World’ vs. ‘Imagine' Word Wars, January 19, 2010 Stop listening to My Chemical Romance. Don’t mind the growing number of terrorists and psychopaths. Truth is, our world isn’t really that bad. In fact, it is – or at least it can be ... Puya’s Fundamental:Metal Mayhem from the Carribean Discount Bin, January 18, 2010 The band name Puya sounds almost tribal, and the music they make partly is - it’s visceral and spontaneous. Their sound is the bastard offspring of two genres, both poetic and evocative ... Top 5 Most Anticipated Albums of 2010 January 15, 2009 1. Here Lies Love by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim 2. IRM by Charlotte Gainsbourg and Beck 3. Plastic Beach by Gorillaz 4. Romance Is Boring by Los Campesinos! 5. Wake Up The Nation! By Paul Weller... THE YEAR OF BONO January 13, 2010 Bono will turn fifty on May 10 this year. The new generation of U2 fans would be listening to a man old enough to be their father but hip enough to still be o n the cover of GQ ... Vampire Weekend’s Second Album: A good rollercoaster long lines that ended too quickly A Side, January 12, 2010 After the success of their debut album American indie band Vampire Weekend look set to once again redefine what we expect from the indie vgenre. Contra, the band’s second album has just ... Bands to Watch Out for in 2010 January 11, 2010 What really counts is what hot new music we’re going to be humming along to as the earth splits apart and John Cusack flies past you in a limo. So here it is, the much-fabled shortlist of bands ... An Aswang Love Story January 10, 2010 Flash fiction written from the song title ‘Dude Looks Like A Lady’... Song Match-Up: Never Gonna Give You Up vs Let’s Stay Together January 06, 2010 Our song match-up this week shows the desperate wooing that comes before getting the girl. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ versus Al Green’s ‘Let’s Stay Together’... Editorial: Guitar Hero and Rock Band: Pick Up and Play January 05, 2010 How can the gaming phenomenon of Guitar hero and Rock Band work in our favor? The All Music Junkies Editorial staff answers... The Biggest Music News for Music Fans: The Decade’s Top 12 December 31, 2009 The past 10 years have been quite eventful for music fans. Music itself hasn’t changed much, including our primal instinct as music junkies to hunt and gather the tunes that suit us... Top 12 Albums of 2009 by Music Junkie Dodo Dayao December 31, 2009 My 12 favorite records of 2009,  meaning the noises I spent the most time with  last year, which is not to say they’re the 12 best records of 2009, except of course for the fact that they are... Top 12 Albums of 2009 by Music Junkie Thor Balanon December 31, 2009 Music should have the power to haunt in all the old familiar places, in the corners of your mind. And what a year of obsessively catchy albums it has been... Mudvayne At Decade’s End: Top 5 Mudvayne Songs December 31, 2009 Their onstage performances were tempests, unloading gritty, calculated mayhem that stayed true to the recordings, peppered with some theatrical elements (monkey suits, face paint, alien masks) ... Five Outstanding American Movie Soundtracks of 2009 The Score, December 30, 2009 Movie soundtracks are the musical equivalent of a solid wingman. They enhance a good movie and elevate a dull one. Some of the best ones can come into their own as standalone albums, but ... JYP's Sad Freedom December 29, 2009 You can blame Park Jin Young for that inescapable bubblegum ditty stuck in your head, and the dancing frenzy that goes with it. The Korean singer-songwriter, also known as JYP, is the force ... Top 10 "Indie" Songs of 2009 December 28, 2009 End-of-year list for 2009 ‘indie’ songs - whether defined by record label size, aesthetic, philosophy, politics, or even genre ... 12 Days of Christmas: Working Over The Holidays December 25, 2009 A flash fiction written from the song title 12 Days of Christmas ... Christmas with the Muppets December 25, 2009 In The Muppet Christmas Carol (the film adaptation of A Christmas Carol), Charles Dickens’ classic tale of a miser who eventually appreciates Christmas comes to life through the famous puppets ... Lights… Camera… Jam! The Decade’s Top Movies About Music December 23, 2009 Movies give us a new level of understanding and appreciation of music. In some ways, these carry the electricity of front row seats and the intimacy of backstage passes. Here’s a countdown of the ... Instrument and Gadget Review: A Musician’s Year-End Wish List December 22, 2009 Check out these cool toys and gadgets that will surely make you the buzz of the backstage ... Top 5 Pixies Songs: A Big Big Love December 20, 2009 On the 20th anniversary of the Pixies’ debut album, let’s look back at the alternative rock band’s Top 5 most memorable songs ... Mull Historical Society December 17, 2009 Mull Historical Society is the nom-de-guerre of one-man Scottish indie band Colin Macintyre. He hails from a tiny island of Mull off the coast of Scotland, and the offbeat name actually comes from ... Cat Empire December 15, 2009 A sextet backed on tour by a solid horn section and string section, a massive rotation of guest artists, a turntablist, and a bevy of dancers, Australian indie band Cat Empire is a revelation as an already ... The Top 5 Asian Boy Band Singles of 2009 Top 5, December 14, 2009 There’s no other place in the world where boy bands thrive as successfully - with sparkles on top - as they do in Asia. 2009 witnessed the unstoppable domination of K-Pop and J-Pop boy bands across ... Uh Huh Her Is this electropop duo pretty good or pretty plain? A Side, December 12, 2009 They are hot. That much is undeniable. They are the women you either want to be or want to be with. Meet Uh Huh Her - an electropop duo composed of the stunning blonde Leisha Hailey and the ... Song Match Up: Let’s Get It On vs Do It All Night Word Wars, December 10, 2009 Who gets the girl? A song match up between Marvin gaye’s Let’s Get It On and Prince’s Do It All Night ... When Stars Align: Them Crooked Vultures’ Debut Album Review Indiscreet, December 8, 2009 The rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures (TCV) comprises rock ‘n roll juggernauts Dave Grohl on the drums, Josh Homme as lead vocalist and guitar, and John Paul Jones, of legendary American ... Muses of Music and Fashion Chick Picks, December 7, 2009 They are called Pop Icons, and the term itself demands that they titillate not only the eardrums but also cause fans to salivate with starstruck lust as well. Their hits are measured not only by how ... The Drums: The Happy American Indie Band A-side, December 4, 2009 American Indie Band The Drums is all about having fun and their sunny optimism is evident in Summertime! -- a six-song collection that could easily be a soundtrack to any vintage beach party ... Music Video Review: Music in Motion - The Videos of Aerosmith On Air, December 4, 2009 American hard rock band Aerosmith hasn't forgotten how it's supposed to be done. Jaded + Janie’s Got A Gun + Crazy... Heart Songs: The Love of Siam Soundtrack Review The Score, December 4, 2009 The movie Love of Siam was initially marketed in Thailand as your run-of-the-mill teen romance, audiences were taken aback by the nature of love explored: a bittersweet awakening of ... Top 5 Funeral Songs Top 5, December 1, 2009 The hormonal thrill of dying young in a rock and roll way dissipates at the imminent probability of it actually happening to you - life may sometimes suck, but could I have more of it, please? ... Soundtrack Review: High Fidelity The Score, November 28, 2009 Rob Gordon, the misanthropic lead of the pseudo-classic movie High Fidelity (2000), ruminates on his Top 5 Most Memorable Breakups amidst the motherlode of all vinyl collections, right after his ... A Showdown Between Two English Musicians: Thom Yorke vs Chris Martin Rival Riffs, November 26, 2009 It’s a showdown between Thom Yorke and Chris Martin - a music celebrity death match without the ring. We’ll try to analyze the qualities that make one musician better than another... The Weepies: American Indie Duo Indiscreet, November 23, 2009 American indie duo The Weepies is getting more and more inseparable from success ... New Album Review: Hsu-nami’s The Four Noble Truths A-side, November 22, 2009 In Hsu-nami’s second album The Four Noble Truths, the Asian-American band proves that the real test of a group’s music-making philosophy isthe extent of how far the strings can be pulled without ... SHINee Happy People Dancing Orientation, November 20, 2009 Korean R&B just got quirkier and a lot more fun in SHINee’s new mini-album, Year of Us ... Songs for Sci-Fi Adventures Top 5, November 19, 2009 Rock and rollers have dabbled in science fiction with a frenzy, not just in etymology but in actual content... Music Video Review: Three Famous Uk Bands On Air, November 18, 2009 UK has pioneered music and pop culture. They keep the rest of the world in awe of the kickass music, films, and cultural trends that they pioneer... Music Video Review: Die, Weezer, Die On Air, November 17, 2009 Music Video Review for Weezer’s new song ‘I Want You To,’ plus ‘Buddy Holly’ and ‘Pork and Beans’... Peanut Butter Bets On Hawthorne A Side, November 16, 2009 American Indie artist Mayer Hawthorne is a singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from California. His current body of work has had critics and fellow musicians comparing him to ... Ally Kerr: Rising UK Indie Artist Extraordinaire Discount Bin, November 14, 2009 Ally Kerr is one of the fastest-rising UK Indie Artist to come from Scotland. He’s getting some much-deserved recognition with his second album Off the Radar that was released in 2008 ... Hwanhee Bares H Soul Orientation, November 13, 2009 Hwanhee is no longer the other half of high-flying Kpop duo Fly to the Sky, but his mini-album ‘H Soul’ shows he’s comfortable taking the solo flight. A darn good singer and ... Waiting On the World to Change vs The Times They are A-Changing Word Wars, November 12, 2009 A song match-up of two American singer-songwriters’ most relevant tracks: John Mayer’s Waiting on the World to Change versus Bob Dylan’s The Times They are A-Changin’. Both songs call for social ... The Ultimate Music Showdown: Elvis vs Jacko Rival Riffs, November 11, 2009 Who will rule in Music Heaven? It’s Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson celebrity death match without the ring. We’ll try to analyze the qualities that make one musician better than another ... Music Video Review: Mad World in Duplicate On Air, November 10, 2009 Mad World by Tears for Fears had two versions: One from Clive Richardson, the other from Michael Gondry. Was the remake better than the original? ... Songs of Melancholia Top 5, November 9, 2009 Happiness is a trick pop never pulled off with much conviction. Melancholia suits it better. Here are five songs that will kill you softly ... Clazziquai: A Much-awaited Comeback Orientation, November 8, 2009 Clazziquai keeps its finger on the pulse of electronica with the new album Mucho Punk. They’re far removed from their days as a Korean indie band, having found a place in a music scene ... Dinosaur Pile-Up: Indie Rockin’ with an 8-track Recorder Indiscreet, November 7, 2009 Dinosaur Pile-Up, the UK indie band who released 'The Most Powerful EP in the World' recorded their songs with an 8-track recorder... Secret Sound:My Dream Wedding Song Secret Sound, November 6, 2009 It’s all part of my dream wedding - set up on a private beach with the finest, whitest sand. Marquees adorned with flowing curtains and vines with wildflowers enclose the place... Music Video Review: On Asian Girl Groups and Why Words Don’t Matter On Air , November 5, 2009 A music video review of two all-female Asian Groups: Jewelry from Korea and Scandal from Japan... Memoirs of an Ex-Zombie Literatune, November 2, 2009 Flash fiction written from the song title ‘Purple haze’ ... Guitar Effects Review: ZOOM A2 Acoustic Effects Pedal Techtonic, November 2, 2009 Zoom has put the acoustic guitarist in the captain’s seat with the ZOOM A2 Acoustic Effects Pedal... The Mathematics of Little Boots Chick Picks, November 2, 2009 Victoria Hesketh, a.k.a. Little Boots, makes every lovelorn song seem to be made of lyrical and musical genius... Music Videos: Japan in Three Takes On Air, October 31, 2009 The country that’s often referred to as the ‘ land of the rising sun’ is characterized by its popular culture’s colorful excess. From its youth’s fashion choices to its quirky game shows, Japan is... Scrubb Behind Your Ears Discount Bin, October 31, 2009 Thai power-pop and rock group Scrubb highlight their softer side on the brilliant ‘Best of’ album... Loney, Dear: Swedish Indie Artist Discount Bin, October 31, 2009 Emil Svanängen, a.k.a. ‘Loney, Dear’ is one of the many indie musicians who came from Sweden - where they probably have more indie-music artists per square mile than any other place on Earth! The Hardy Souls Indiscreet, October 31, 2009 The Hardy Souls are among the many great Scottish bands who continue to bring new sounds to the indie scene ... Bass Guitar Review: SX Jazz Bass 5 Vintage Series Techtonic, October 31, 2009 I can’t get enough of my mistress, but I guess that’s ok. My Squire P-bass (that’s the ol’ ball and chain, kids) doesn’t mind.I was just on the lookout for a good, reliable, and affordable back-up... Youth Group: Not Your Average Indie Act  from Down Under Discount Bin, October 18, 2009 The Youth Group were virtual unknowns from Australia until the American teen tv drama The O.C. picked it up and started playing the band’s cover of ‘Forever Young’ by Alphaville incessantly for ...

Super Junior finally earns the ‘Super’ title Orientation, October 18, 2009 Sorry, Sorry, the third album from K-pop super boy band Super Junior (nicknamed by fans as SJ or SuJu), has conquered Asia with its more mature sound, sleek production, and insistent ...

Arashi Storms into the Decade Orientation, October 18, 2009 Arashi is thankful. For one phenomenal group in Jpop entertainment, it's been a stormy yet fortuitous ride through ten years of maddening boy band existence ...

Haymaker: The New Grunge Sound A Side , October 18, 2009 There is one place above all others when you think of grunge music - Seattle. The city that gave us some of the most influential and successful bands of the 90’s is still seen by many as a music ...

Mary Win’s Golden Harp and My Everyday Soundtrack Chick Picks, October 18, 2009 A thought I love to dwell on is that life should be equipped with an omnipresent music player with a personal playlist for each individual.  Whenever something significant would happen, this ...

Skunk Anansie: Of Skin, Grit, and Rock Anglofiles, October 18, 2009 Skin scares me. Skunk Anansie’s fiery frontwoman has the kind of demeanor that would intimidate grown men. It is the same kind of female aggressiveness that she brings to her music ...

Tears of a Little Fox Orientation, October 18, 2009 Mahasmut Bunyaraksh: So On Dry Flower Music, 2007. Little Fox exposes the softer, more vulnerable side of Thai performer Gene Mahasmut. His latest role as folk musician perhaps ...

The Hsu-Nami: Face-melting Er-hu Rock Discount Bin, October 18, 2009 Anyone with an appreciation for experimental rock should sit up and pay attention because The Hsu-Nami is unlike anything you’ve heard before. This Taiwanese-American group ambitiously ...

To Taiwanese Pop Singer Alexander Lee Hom Wang Chick Picks, October 18, 2009 It was an ordinary day. Being bored, I was typing random phrases into Google search – ‘funny cats’, ‘famous chickens’, and finally, ‘hot Asian singer.’ It is undeniable: fate played a part in ...

TOP 5 Songs for a Hong Kong Rewind Top 5, October 18, 2009 Songs have a way of capturing time and preserving memory, much like prehistoric mosquitoes in amber. That’s pop music’s most fundamental magic - nearly all our swatches of nostalgia come ...

Allow Him to be  'Prank' Orientation, October 7, 2009 I thought my earphones were broken. The pair cost me a thousand flat, and yet I wasn’t getting that crisp hi-fidelity sound I’m so accustomed to.  Perhaps my discman is suspect ...

The Ballad of Day Cart Indiscreet, October 7, 2009 That’s a Jim Morrison pose right there. In Day Cart’s MySpace page, Graham Madden greets visitors with his version of the lizard king’s self-effacing homage to himself ...

Last NIN Concert in the Philippines Specials, October 7, 2009 When you love what you do, how can you go wrong?  In their first and possibly last live concert in Manila, Trent Reznor and the rest of the band floored Nine Inch Nails fans and first-timers alike ...

The Real Poker Face: Ayumi Hamasaki vs Lady Gaga Rival Riffs, October 7, 2009 Lady Gaga enters the ring and the crowd goes apeshit. Ayumi Hamasaki jumps in and half the stadium goes wild… well not really half - mostly just the South Asian section ...

Original Poker Face vs Lady Gaga’s Version Word Wars, October 7, 2009 Po-po-po-poker face po-po-poker face. Who doesn’t know this line? Put down your hand, liar. Everybody knows Lady Gaga’s ‘Poker Face’. It’s number one in the US. It’s number one in ...

Did Ayumi Hamasaki Rule? Orientation, October 7, 2009 Jpop icon Ayumi Hamasaki is no stickler for convention. Her single ‘Rule’, which was the theme song of Dragonball Evolution, showcases her unperturbed dominance in the music scene ...

The Franks Indiscreet, October 7, 2009 Let’s be frank. When it comes to UK Indie bands, there are those who are great, and those who simply mimic the great. Some bands can convey emotions and sentiments in a new and ...

The Slants: Chinatown Rock Discount Bin, October 7, 2009 If you think everything that can be done has been done, you obviously haven’t heard this band. The band hails from Oregon and is possibly the only American Asian electroclash band around ...

Addictive Shock Therapy from an Electronic Rock Band Orientation, October 7, 2009 Thai band Nologo mixes post-punk riffs and bleeping electronica with dizzying infectiousness. Nologo’s third album, aptly titled Gravity,’ shows the band armed with heavier guitars ...

Smells Like Teen Spirit Literatune, September 23, 2009 I think it would be right to say that for a generation, Nirvana was the flag-bearer of the ‘90s. As the most prominent of the Seattle bands, singer-songwriter Kurt Cobain and Nirvana tapped into ...

Four Kings Literatune, September 23, 2009 ‘Smells like teen spirit’ is one of my better songs. Call me Piper, everyone does. I write songs for a living, you might say. But I get paid more than the usual, and the money’s worth every note ...

Operation Big Brother Literatune, September 23, 2009 “If we want our children to respect us, they have to respect authority first.” Senator Hubert Webb on the 2016 Youth Patrol Act. “Smells like... teen spirit,” said the female voice acidly ....

Don’t Cha vs Girlfriend Word Wars, September 23, 2009 If adultery’s your thing, then you’re in luck. I’m pitting two of the decade’s most popular homewrecker songs: Pussycat Dolls’ ‘Don’t Cha’ and Avril Lavigne’s “Girlfriend” ....

A Trip on The Subways Anglofiles, September 23, 2009 First time I heard of the Subways was in the music forums I frequent. From the name alone, I was thinking that their sound may be another attempt at the retro ‘70s rock The Strokes ....

Portastatic: Mac McCaughan’s Audio Journal Discount Bin, September 23, 2009 Side projects could be strange entities; you can never predict where it’ll go. Take Portastatic – a shining example of how underrated greatness could emerge from the periphery....

Hikaru Utada: The One That Got Away Orientation, September 23, 2009 When Japanese American singer-songwriter Hikaru made her US debut in 2004, her album ‘Exodus’ didn’t lead to the promised land of fame and stardom. A few years passed, she’s back ...

Wonder Girls vs Spice Girls Rival Riffs, September 23, 2009 Which girl group will land on top? Time to place your bets. Forget critics wielding words like arpeggiated and capriccio, a quick look at the size of their fan databases reveals the undeniable ...

The World Needs More Intolerant Music Orientation, September 23, 2009 As the longhaired juggernauts of heavy music retreat to the fringes of mainstream, the genre of churning guitar riffs and skull-pounding drumbeats predictably takes a backseat. Once again, ...

When Rock Music and Basketball Collide Specials, September 23, 2009 A rock band is like a basketball team. The Point Guard who calls the shots is the Lead Singer, the vocal maestro. The Shooting Guard, often the star player with a multitude of moves, is the...

Money vs Love Word Wars, September 9, 2009 The Beatles were fun, and they were innovative. Paul McCartney was one of the most talented bassists to walk this side of Abbey Road. ‘Imagine’, one of the most relevant and meaningful...

Swing Boys A-ha! A-ha! Orientation, September 9, 2009 Thai pop upstarts August Band swing their way through teen love and heartaches with giddy horns and youthful abandon...

Rock n Roll Icons: Jon Bon Jovi vs James Hetfield Rival Riffs, September 9, 2009 It could easily have been Jon Bon Jovi against Axl Rose, or Hetfield vs Mustaine. I assured my editor that a Bon Jovi and Hetfield rivalry was more interesting. I told him that Bon Jovi ...

On the Flip Side Specials, September 9, 2009 Music has been a part of me as long as I can remember – that’s not uncommon in Manila, where I grew up. We have literally surrounded ourselves with music. Our household wasn’t the only one ...

Jitterbug: TOP 5 Playlists to Wake You up Top 5, September 9, 2009 If I were to take that brief to heart - pop as alarm clock, pop as morning pick-me-up - - I’d foist some serious volume on you and be done with it:  Mastodon, A Place to Bury Strangers. But I ...

UK's Music Scene: Bubbling Under Anglofiles, September 9, 2009 A few weeks ago, electronica artist and hardcore vegan Moby got uncharacteristically crabby and declared that UK’s music scene is no longer sexy or exciting. He then continued lambasting it by ...

Sunday Ear Candy Discount Bin, September 9, 2009 This Chicago psych-pop septet would fit right into a playlist that has The Shins, Rufus Wainwright, and Belle & Sebastian. The band 1900s is arguably this generation’s spunkier version of ...