It's been two years since Chris Ho left this world to join the great gig in the sky, but his legacy still remains, in the form of his music. Kevin and Chris hit the rewind button on his debut offering, Regal Vigor, recorded with his band, Zircon Lounge. Does it actually live up to its reputation as THE alternative album that started it all? Tell us what you think! Pix: Singapore Storeroom ****** LINKS Check out Regal Vigor Listen to Kevin Mathews' music: KayMac Rondo Vitale Kevin's Time Flies al...
Sep 30, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 89
Can you believe this podcast is Two Years Old? We certainly can't. That's because our memories aren't what they used to be. Nevertheless, we decided to recall the highlights of Year Two in the life of Lion City Rock and ask ourselves these questions: What were the biggest learnings we had? (OK, we had more questions but we could only get to this one...) But hey, we never let an occasion like this go to waste, so join the conversation as we look back at the year that was... ****** LINKS Listen to...
Sep 24, 2023•43 min•Season 3Ep. 88
It's a fantastic bumper episode featuring musician and Saylah Studios founder Krysta Joy ! When it comes to music, she's a real trooper in every sense of the word: whether it's making sure she can spend time to write one song a day, or helping others achieve their goals (musical or otherwise). Her tale is an inspiring one, and it's right here on Lion City Rock! ****** Links Listen to Krysta Joy's music Check out SayLah Studios Listen to Kevin Mathews' music: KayMac Rondo Vitale Kevin's Time Flie...
Sep 15, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Season 3Ep. 87
Here's our humble tribute of sorts as we look at the music journeys of two pioneer musicians who recently left this realm to join the great gig in the sky: Jimmy Appudurai-Chua (Meltones, Straydogs) and Peter Thomas (Naomi & The Boys). Both were instrumental in shaping the Singapore music scene of the Sixties and though they're gone, the legacy will not be forgotten. ****** Links Listen to the Straydogs' Freedom and Cold Morning (featuring Jimmy on guitar) Watch excerpt from Jimmy's gig at A...
Sep 03, 2023•36 min•Season 3Ep. 90
We continue our re-listening party with the bands featured in New School Rock III (pronounced "three" ... or "ai ai ai"), the compilation album that was given free with BigO magazine. This time round Kevin and Chris share their thoughts about Pillars of Faith, Swirling Madness, Rocket Scientists and Watchmen - with a bonus tacked at the end too! ****** Links Listen to New School Rock III Listen to Kevin's music: KayMac Rondo Vitale Kevin's Time Flies album New remixes for My One And Only ****** ...
Aug 28, 2023•44 min•Season 3Ep. 85
In 1993, BigO magazine released New School Rock III, the third volume in their music compilation series. Comprising 17 songs (including one hidden track) from bands like ESP, Band of Slaves, Silent Sorrow and more, this album was a microcosm of the music scene at the time. Or was it? Thirty years after its release, Chris and Kevin hit the playback button and give their reaction to the compilation. ("Ooh!" "Wah!" "Eh?") ****** Listen to Kevin's music: KayMac Rondo Vitale Kevin's Time Flies album ...
Aug 21, 2023•42 min•Season 3Ep. 84
Singer-songwriter Leslie Low (Humpback Oak, The Observatory) has come a long way since he started making music as a teen with Twang Bar Kings. He'll be doing live performances of his music journey at The Esplanade Concourse on 17 and 18 Aug (see link below). This rewind episode sees Kevin and Chris review one of the key offerings in the Lion City's music canon: Pain-Stained Morning the debut album by Humpback Oak , Leslie's band back in the 1990s. ****** Links Leslie Low's Esplanade gig Pain-Sta...
Aug 11, 2023•58 min•Season 3Ep. 83
We’re back with a SPECIAL EPISODE featuring the one and only Sanny Veloo (Boredphucks, The Suns, EMPRA). He's been making music not only in the Lion City but also Down Under, with fans from all over the world. The vocalist and guitarist takes a walk down memory lane and recounts how Boredphucks got banned in da Singapura, how they rose again as The Suns, the tragic death of drummer Wayne Thunder, Sanny's own resurgence with EMPRA and how that affected his decision to go solo. Along the way, Sann...
Aug 05, 2023•1 hr 23 min•Season 3Ep. 82
2023 marks the 30th anniversary of Force Vomit, the band that gave the world songs like "Siti" and "Spaceman Over Malaysia". With new reissues of their hit album, Give It Up For The Trust Fund Rockers, there's no better time to get into the punk-power-pop-surf these guys produced. But just how did friends from school who liked music become returning fixtures in the Lion City's music calendar? Listen to this classic chat with founders Dino and Alvin to find out ****** Check out Force Vomit's musi...
Jul 28, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 3Ep. 80
If you were at Guan Chuan Street @ Tiong Bahru last night (21 July 2023), you would have been awash with the sounds of The Analog Girl, who reworked her tracks for the Your Neighbourhood Artist Exhibition 3. It's not the first time she has let her music set the scene for various art forms. Her latest projects include remixing Roberto Montoya's "Polybius" and doing the vocals for There Is Another System's new track, "No One Is Coming For Us", which drops 4 Aug. But hear all about her music journe...
Jul 21, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 80
Wormrot's Singapore gig in September - as part of the Burning Desire Asia Tour - is as highly anticipated by their fans as Tay-Tay's is by her fans or Coldplay's by their fans, but Wormrot has the distinction of being the one who was featured on Lion City Rock! We spoke to drummer Vijesh back when the band was putting the final touches to their latest album, Hiss . Hear about the highs and lows of being in one of Singapore's hardest rockin' and hardest-working bands! Hiss was voted by Rolling St...
Jul 14, 2023•56 min•Season 3Ep. 79
Not many people know this, but though Dru Chen 's latest release, Slower Life , may only be a few weeks old, the idea for it was birthed when he first appeared on Lion City Rock ( "that's not true" - ed. "That's our story and we're sticking to it!" - Chris) Find out what Dru said about the album in this rewind episode, and hear about his music journey, from learning to play and his early influences to blagging his way into joining a band, before finally emerging as a solo artist in his own right...
Jul 07, 2023•52 min•Season 3Ep. 78
Our very first guest returns for a chat! Patrick Chng (The Oddfellows, Typewriter) is back to answer questions about how the Lion City is rockin' these days: ... we've had the Golden Age, Silver Age, Bronze Age of local music – is it time for the Ironic Age? ... the underground live scene today recalls the live scene from 30 years ago, with pockets of gigs all over the island (if you know where to look), but is this sustainable? ... and will Pat survive the home improvement renovations? ****** L...
Jun 30, 2023•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 77
This rewind episode features one of our earliest guests: Ginette Chittick , whom we think is an artist in every sense of the word. She joined the all-girl punk band Psycho Sonique without really how to play bass. But isn't what punk is all about? Psycho Sonique was a key band of Singapore's then-fledgling indie scene in the 1990s, and they made young hormonal teens drool with their spitfire shows on stages in Singapore and Malaysia. Their performances, along with an EP, We Can Do It , showcased ...
Jun 24, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 76
Kevin and Chris conclude their journey through Red Hot & Skin, the double-album that was released to create more awareness about Aids. While the premise for the album is a good one, does the "rojak-ness" of the tracks (yes, that's the technical term) put a spanner in the works? Along the way, they ponder Singapore's alternative music scene (Chris: "alternative to what?") and whether this album stands the test of time. ****** Links KayMac's music Rondo Vitale Kevin's Time Flies album ****** L...
Jun 17, 2023•44 min•Season 3Ep. 75
In 1993, one album tried to encapsulate the wide world of music from the Lion City: Red Hot & Skin , the double-CD various artistes compilation album by Pony Canyon. Comprising 30 songs by 22 artistes, it was a genre-bending collection of songs that went from outrageous to meh. Kevin and Chris hit rewind on this album and along the way, they ask all-important questions like: Why do people say AI is stealing but they don't mind buying cover versions? Who thought adding a Bel Biv Devoe beat au...
Jun 10, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 74
If you love going to gigs, you've probably seen our guest, Bas Linders, who has been checking every single concert on our shores (so it seems) ever since he landed on our shores all those years ago. He shares why he is a fan of local music, even as Kevin and Chris grill him about why he's always the tallest guy in the room. ****** Links Check out the Lo-Cal chat for SG gigs KayMac's music Kevin's Time Flies album ****** Like, follow and subscribe to Lion City Rock on RedCircle , Spotify , Apple ...
Jun 02, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Season 3Ep. 73
This week, Kevin and Chris go back in time as they react to Flower Show Riots , the debut album by Great Spy Experiment. It received rave reviews when it was first released, but what do they think of it now? Along the way, they also discuss hard-hitting issues like: What if Siti in Siti In The City was related somehow to Siti in the Force Vomit song? And what would the album sound like if Chris had his way? ****** Links KayMac's music Kevin's Time Flies album ****** Like, follow and subscribe to...
May 28, 2023•55 min•Season 3Ep. 72
Rock trio Cactus Cactus dropped their new EP, Life Is Short , this weekend, so we thought we'd revisit our conversation with singer Isaac Chiew, who's surely one of the brighter sparks in the music scene today. ***** This podcast series isn't only about musos of the past – this week, we talk to young Isaac Chiew , a music lover and musician who's taking things into his own hands with his band Cactus Cactus and his company, Big Duck Music . How did he get started? What made him decide to stage Na...
May 19, 2023•53 min•Season 3Ep. 71
Our special guest this week has a resume that's as impressive as it is long: he's one-half of the electronic music duo, Cosmic Armchair ; he's the Abyss Simian; he's the principal tutor at the NUS' Electronic Music Lab; he's also a certified Ableton tutor; he's a devoted dad; he's a loving husband; he's... Ben Ang ! Join Kevin and Chris as they delve into electronic music with Ben, and discover why, for Ben, Music really is Life. ****** Links Cosmic Armchair's website Ben Ang's website Cosmic Ar...
May 13, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 70
In this rewind episode, we look back in on our conversation with singer-songwriter RENE, who has a new EP out: Slipped Through My Finger s. RENE started piano lessons when she was only four, and since then, she has taken on the world with her unique blend of pop-punk. Even the pandemic didn't stop her musical journey. In 2021, she released her debut EP, Something To Hide , and rocked the Baybeats stage at the end of the year. Here, she shares... ...about her time in The Lonely Hearts Club Band (...
May 06, 2023•57 min•Season 3Ep. 69
Back in 2013, Inch Chua released her groundbreaking album, Bumfuzzle – an artistic sonic adventure that captured the imagination. To mark its 10th anniversary, Kevin and Chris dive into the tracks as they ponder... ... why Chris gave this album a five-star review ... whether an arts education is necessary to enjoy albums like this ... why nobody has used this album for a soundtrack ... if Bumfuzzle should be in the Singapore Album Hall of Fame ... and the return of the KayMac ("the KayMac is bac...
Apr 29, 2023•52 min•Season 3Ep. 68
In this concluding segment of our discussion on the 30th anniversary of Democracy and Midnight In June , Kevin and Chris recall what was going on in the scene when they were making and promoting these albums. Along they way, they answer some hard-hitting questions like: Why was Kevin called Singapore's premier protest singer? Why did AWOL call their engineer "Passport"? And what did the band do when the audience was told by the authorities not to dance during the gig? (answer: they did nothing c...
Apr 21, 2023•43 min•Season 3Ep. 67
In 2013, rock quintet Obedient Wives Club (OWC) released their sophomore EP, Murder Kill Baby to much acclaim. In the space of a couple of years, the band - Keith (guitars), Yinqi (vocals), Lennat (drums), Cherie (guitars, vocals) and Sulaiman (bass) - had become the talk of the town. On the anniversary of Murder Kill Baby , Keith and Yinqi look back at the birth of the band, dealing with uninterested audiences, achieving their dream of playing at Laneway, while still getting everything to come ...
Apr 14, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 66
It's the 30th anniversary of Democracy and Midnight In June , two local albums that made a splash in the scene back in 1993. Democracy , by Kevin's band, Watchmen , was the result of years of songwriting, demos and braving challenges that were thrown in their path. Midnight In June , by Chris' band AWOL (Artists Without Official Licence), came about after they won the New School Rock/Commitments band competition. In this first part, Kevin and Chris share their experiences on the road to Democrac...
Apr 05, 2023•46 min•Season 3Ep. 65
What does a millennial from Florida know about Singapore's pop music scene? Kevin and Chris find out with Jake Kussmaul , whose YouTube channel Famous Or Forgotten Music has been giving shoutouts to Singapore musicians past and present. These include The Quests, Concave Scream, The Oddfellows, The Padres, Chris Ho and Jake has been collecting SG music for years, and he shares why he has a particular love for music from the Lion City! We also discuss ... ... how music helped Jake cope with cerebr...
Mar 27, 2023•58 min•Season 3Ep. 64
It's a special review episode! Kevin and Chris share their thoughts about things they saw and did in the last few weeks. They spill the tea about... what surprised Kevin at the Arctic Monkeys concert? what made Chris tear up during the screening of Class Acts , the documentary about the Singapore pop culture scene? what did the guys find out about the "Blake" in the Alex Blake Charlie Sessions? (*spoiler alert!) what's coming up for Coming Up Roses? ****** Links Buy Kevin's new album Time Flies ...
Mar 10, 2023•55 min•Season 3Ep. 63
"Young hearts be free tonight... time is on your side". Formed in 2019, motifs made waves in 2022 with their sparkling performance at Baybeats. Remarkably, that was only their third live appearance! Almost as quickly as they formed though, the pandemic put the brakes on the band's aspirations; but in late 2021, they got going again – with a new drummer, no less – and a year later, they released their debut album, Remember A Stranger . As a lauded young band from the Lion City, motifs seem to hav...
Mar 04, 2023•59 min•Season 3Ep. 62
Meet Rae and Cravis , two young people from different backgrounds who met in the Music and Drama Company and began their life journey together. Rae currently hosts the show, Backstage Pass with MDC, which features Singapore's hot young music talents; while Cravis works with musicians and is a dancer too. If you think about it, they, it seems, have done everything, everywhere and (nearly) all at once: Rae has been on TV, on the radio, presenting and performing on stage; while Cravis has been perf...
Feb 25, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 61
When it comes to groundbreaking Singapore bands of the 1960s, we always cite The Crescendos or The Quests. But The October Cherries have often flown under the radar, much to Kevin's chagrin. The October Cherries' drummer Richard Khan joins Kevin and Chris to share his experiences, from joining them after a chance meeting to getting stuck in Belgium to making it big with World Hits, and reveals... ...what happens when you don't appease fans in Asia ...how they ended up staying in a lady's house f...
Feb 19, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 60
