You fly out of Saudi Arabia, touching down in Dubai for a couple of hours and a couple of beers. You land at Suvarnabhumi and pass through immigration despite having a passport that belongs to a serial visa-runner. You get a cab back to your crash-pad in the suburbs, say hi to the clan, dump your stuff and head out into the Bangkok night. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, among other things, three weeks later you end up with a teetering stack of CDs that the Rock Philosopher is bugging you to review pronto. Here we go…
5. Eico “Golden Apple Plant” (date unknown). I went early to see Eico play live at Betty Folks Bangkok on the advice of Ben Edwards (in his article here) and was totally impressed with her haunting acoustic Japanese folk. She is very prolific, and in addition to being a talented painter, has plenty of CDs for sale. I bought “Golden Apple Plant” for 200 baht and you can also grab a copy here. Favorite tracks: Lunatic Giraffe, Sunayama, Sakasama No Sora, Ha-lu.
4. Panic Station “Planet Terra” (2015). Blown away by these guys when I saw them play live at Feedback. The new drummer has fitted in well (sorry Kimmo!), and the songs crack along at pace, and with both venom and feeling. “Planet Terra” replicates the live experience well and there’s a pop sensibility to many of the songs that will have you humming along to them for some time afterwards. Buy a CD from the band when they play, or purchase a download here. Favorite tracks: Against The Wall, Miss Saigon, Satellite.
3. John Will Sail “The City Sea” (2015). This is the solo album by John Bailey of The Sangsom Massacre. It’s got a strong acoustic Antipodean feel to it; up-beat, thoughtful, and with both quiet moments and epic sing-a-long choruses. You can buy a copy to download here, or grab a sampler from John the next time you see him play live. Favorite tracks: Tame, Summer Time, Journeyman, Let Go!, The City Sea.
2. The Sangsom Massacre “The Verses of Vice” (2014). Bangkok’s own kick-ass garage rockers deliver a CD that successfully balances recording polish with live intensity. There’s also a surprising amount of depth here, e.g. The Wolves At The Door. Recommended! You can download it here, or hassle the band for a CD when you see them play. Favorite tracks: Under The Knife, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, The Wolves At The Door, Lizard People.
1. Matthew Fischer “Hangman” (Rabbit Fire Records, 2012). This is the amazing solo album by Matthew Fischer of The Fishes and Fatty’s fame. It’s a rough, raw work of honest acoustic Americana, both wistful and heart-felt. You can buy a copy for immediate download here; you won’t regret it! Favorite tracks: Hangman, Hammer and Nails, Storm Song, Everything For You.
- AW
Well, among other things, three weeks later you end up with a teetering stack of CDs that the Rock Philosopher is bugging you to review pronto. Here we go…
5. Eico “Golden Apple Plant” (date unknown). I went early to see Eico play live at Betty Folks Bangkok on the advice of Ben Edwards (in his article here) and was totally impressed with her haunting acoustic Japanese folk. She is very prolific, and in addition to being a talented painter, has plenty of CDs for sale. I bought “Golden Apple Plant” for 200 baht and you can also grab a copy here. Favorite tracks: Lunatic Giraffe, Sunayama, Sakasama No Sora, Ha-lu.
4. Panic Station “Planet Terra” (2015). Blown away by these guys when I saw them play live at Feedback. The new drummer has fitted in well (sorry Kimmo!), and the songs crack along at pace, and with both venom and feeling. “Planet Terra” replicates the live experience well and there’s a pop sensibility to many of the songs that will have you humming along to them for some time afterwards. Buy a CD from the band when they play, or purchase a download here. Favorite tracks: Against The Wall, Miss Saigon, Satellite.
3. John Will Sail “The City Sea” (2015). This is the solo album by John Bailey of The Sangsom Massacre. It’s got a strong acoustic Antipodean feel to it; up-beat, thoughtful, and with both quiet moments and epic sing-a-long choruses. You can buy a copy to download here, or grab a sampler from John the next time you see him play live. Favorite tracks: Tame, Summer Time, Journeyman, Let Go!, The City Sea.
2. The Sangsom Massacre “The Verses of Vice” (2014). Bangkok’s own kick-ass garage rockers deliver a CD that successfully balances recording polish with live intensity. There’s also a surprising amount of depth here, e.g. The Wolves At The Door. Recommended! You can download it here, or hassle the band for a CD when you see them play. Favorite tracks: Under The Knife, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, The Wolves At The Door, Lizard People.
1. Matthew Fischer “Hangman” (Rabbit Fire Records, 2012). This is the amazing solo album by Matthew Fischer of The Fishes and Fatty’s fame. It’s a rough, raw work of honest acoustic Americana, both wistful and heart-felt. You can buy a copy for immediate download here; you won’t regret it! Favorite tracks: Hangman, Hammer and Nails, Storm Song, Everything For You.
- AW