#local feature

[jumpintolimbo]

Lulu’s Swing // Gypsyfication

Walk into the Esplanade. There’s music. It’s good. You’re intrigued. You go closer. Three dudes are onstage. They’re all charming, lively. There are theatrics thrown in, and easy smiles. The crowd smiles back. It’s beautiful to see the band savour the music they’re making. You feel transported, perhaps to a street in Italy or Turkey. But wherever you are, it feels like a party. People are jiving along, nodding their heads. Your toe starts to tap. Hmm, it’s been a long time since that happened. You don’t expect to stand there for one song, two songs, three songs. During the third song, things slow to a lull. The double bass player pretends to fall asleep. Darn, is it over? That was too quick. The crowd hesitantly begins to clap. Then, you watch as fingers snap back to life, strumming quickly, the song galloping along in How High The Moon. Now it really is over. You clap loudly, triumphantly. “The discoveries you make when you least expect them,” you think. There you go again falling in love - with a new genre of music, that is. And this band. Man. 

Gypsyfication is a four-piece gypsy jazz band, comprised of Alvin Wong and Stefan Mockenhaupt on guitar, Yi Zhe Seow on double bass, and Corey Manders on saxophone, clarinet, and flute. With an interest-provoking genre and such splendid musical talent, I highly recommend you discover them for yourself. Keep in touch with their gigs on Facebook, or on their brand new website, which Stefan wittily described as “free”. (I’m definitely adding sense of humour to their list of good qualities!)

[jumpintolimbo]

Bender // Stopgap

My first foray into the live local music scene was pretty late. IGNITE! Music Festival 2014, to be exact. It was enjoyable in its entirety but the night was made significant by the one band that truly stood out for me (no prizes for guessing!) 

On Facebook, Stopgap describe themselves as an independent rock band that "delivers high energy grooves" and "strives to create music that's not only heard, but felt". I couldn't agree more. 

One factor which adds to their performance however, isn't musical talent, quirky like-ability or an understanding of what makes their melodies unique, though the band has it in spades.

Rather, it is the culmination of diverse personalities which carries the music so well. Members vibe off one another's energy, and it is the real camaraderie and friendship between them that pushes them to deliver every song fully and passionately. 

When seen live, Adin, the lead vocalist, is often moving around onstage, and is the understated but charismatic showman of the group. Yew Jin and Calvin on guitar, Eldad on drums, and Grayson on bass deliver equally strong performances. As a whole, the band enjoy themselves and are so immersed in their music that the audience cannot help but be drawn in.

Since then, I've gone to more local concerts and can proudly say that I'm Team Stopgap/ Team Local Music because liking one band is equivalent to supporting the local scene.... right?

Clearly, I have some way to go before I can call myself a full-fledged local music supporter, but these guys have shown me the path to embracing other local talents in our midst, and I'm excited to walk down it.

[culturedpost]

Very Sloppy Shirts

Hello, all! Cultured Post would like to introduce a local company to you. 

Two of our friends, Anthony and Tyra, run a shirt business called Very Sloppy right out of their garages. We couldn't wait to get our hands on their merch, and decided to feature them while we were at it. 

Anthony and Tyra began Very Sloppy with just a few mindless doodles; the drawings quickly evolved into potential t-shirt designs. After investing in screens and paint, the two used their screen printers to create several different trademark shirts on white, tie dyed, and baseball shirts.

The shirts' designs range from Tech Deck skateboards to their signature Sloppy Joe burger decal. Their drawings have already caught the attention of both students and teachers around school. Very Sloppy is growing popular our little Southern Californian community; merchandise may be available for shipping in the near future.

Follow their Instagram to keep up with new Very Sloppy designs.

Check out Very Sloppy and comment your favorite designs!

- Shelby and Francine

*photos taken by Shelby - sketches contributed by Very Sloppy Shirts

[superchinadeliciousfood-blog]

 wonton noodles with Shrimp---Guangzhou  local features

[jumpintolimbo]

Local Feature // Jonathan Meur

Folk. Pop. Classical undertones. Great diction. These are a few phrases that come to mind when I think of the ruggedly charming Jonathan Meur. His recently released EP Woodnotes is a wonderfully distinctive addition to the local music scene. It's also incredibly addictive - after stumbling upon his album, I had it on replay for days! Find out what Jonathan had to say in our interview with him.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. I’m a French-Mauritian part-time singer-songwriter with a full-time job. I released Woodnotes, a seven-song EP, in April this year, and I’m currently arranging the songs that will be on my first full-length album. I love performing live and I have a soft spot for grand pianos.

2. How did you first become interested in music? I’ve always loved singing and when I was presented with the option of enrolling in my primary school’s performing arts CCA when I was 10, I jumped at the chance. That was in Mauritius and for about six years I was fortunate enough to be in productions that involved singing. 

3. Your music is best described as… ... folk-pop for now. But I hope to keep my music evolving and charting new territory. 

4. Why is making music important to you? Music is my fuel. It’s the best way I know to express myself.

5. What inspires you in the music creation process? I usually work from the main idea, the main theme of the song and decide what it wants to say. From there, I usually work on a basic melody and accompaniment, and then expand. Everything and anything can inspire a song. 

6. What is your favourite song from Woodnotes and why? Strangers In Motion is a bit special because it seems to be the one people connect with instantly when I play live.

"I love performing live and have a soft spot for grand pianos."

7. How would you describe the local music scene? Unfortunately, I think many people still attach a negative connotation to “local” music when there actually are many talented musicians and creators of original music here. It is more vibrant and diverse than it was 10 years ago, and it just keeps getting better. It’s just a matter of time before people realise that and start really supporting music made in Singapore, and I am glad I get to witness this encouraging change in attitude.

8. What's been your favourite gig so far? I always love performing at the Esplanade. This year I’ve really enjoyed performing there with my musicians for the launch of Woodnotes in April, and also at the Red Dot Design Museum with One Hat Town in May for MAAD Sounds!. 

9. Name an artist you would love to perform with. There are many. The first name that comes to mind is Lisa Hannigan.

10. What do you like about living in Singapore? Many things. The food. How safe it is. How easy many aspects of life here are. Having my family around.

11. What's on your iPod right now? Right now, I’m listening to Alt-J, Ben Howard, Fiona Apple, Inch Chua, Kishi Bashi, KT Tunstall, Villagers...

12. Name one thing you can't live without. Music. I can’t imagine a day without music.

//

Stay connected with Jonathan:

1. Check out his EP, Woodnotes, on BandCamp.

2. Like his Facebook page and follow him on Twitter for news about his upcoming gigs! 3. You may also listen to his music on SoundCloud, and watch recordings of live performances on Youtube.

For more on Jonathan Meur, head on over to Jump Into Limbo's review of his track "Strangers In Motion" here.

[jumpintolimbo]

Love Somebody // ShiLi & Adi (Maroon 5 cover) 

Class up your Friday evening with ShiLi & Adi's rendition of Maroon 5 in this live acoustic session. To be frank, I didn't care much for the original version of this song (sigh, Adam Levine's voice couldn't save it from the thick, bland synths and pseudo-emotion - look at the lyrics, come on). ShiLi & Adi completely revamped this song, keeping all of its best parts and adding an easygoing jazz vibe that's fresh and definitely not overpowering. I could listen to this cover all day, e'rr day, and marvel at the stage chemistry between these two. 

This duo has impressed me with their distinctive yet cohesive vocal stylings, so of course I wanted more. Great news - ShiLi & Adi have been recently signed to local record label S2S (which also released this live session video), so that means more of their unique, charismatic acoustic harmonies.

But wait! You might also have noticed our previous post featuring The Elevated Pitch performing a version of the 90's medley that they created. I spoke to ShiLi about their signature sound, and she confessed that "our trademarks are the medleys", where their vocal finesse and ear for musical arrangement have come together to make for pleasant listening. Cycle through familiar classics in their Disney Medley; click here to watch them perform it live at the Esplanade At The Waterfront. 

Pop on by their Facebook and Youtube, or catch them live any day of the week! Tuesdays at Timbre Gillman, Wednesday at Five Tapas Bar, Thursday and Friday at Beer Market and Saturday at Reddot Brewhouse Dempsey! 

Bonus! ShiLi & Adi are performing live at the Singapore F1 Grand Prix TOMORROW NIGHT and SUNDAY NIGHT! This is their second time performing at F1, and they'll be showcasing their arrangement of mashups and covers at the Marina Pit Stage (Zone 1) on 21 Sept and Esplanade Park Stage (Zone 4) on 22 Sept, 5pm. 

Yeah, we wish we were going too. If you're lucky enough to have tickets, don't miss out on their performance! 

[jumpintolimbo]

90's Medley // The Elevated Pitch (Lounge Session Premiere, ShiLi & Adi Cover)

I am so addicted to this arrangement of the classic 90's hits, performed by local acoustic band The Elevated Pitch. The name might be a play on the elevator pitch, but their sound is nothing to sneeze at, and this live session proves it. Performed in a lounge at Tembusu College at NUS, where The Elevator Pitch is a resident student band, the video is surprisingly professional with excellent sound and of course, great singing and acoustic backing. This isn't your ordinary Youtube cover. 

We have Caleb and Adeline on vocals, Lijie on bass and Kevin on guitar in this version, sans 2 members (Justin on percussion and Wensong the other vocalist). Can you believe it was recorded at like 2am in the morning? We can't either, but that's true musical talent. Check out that pitch modulation and Adeline's totally cute Kermit puppet! 

Track listing in Medley:

Barbie Girl | I Want It That Way | Picture of You

For more of The Elevated Pitch, follow them on Facebook and their Youtube channel. 

**Editor's note: We had initially left out the credit that this song is a cover of an arrangement created by ShiLi & Adi. 

Do you know an amazing undiscovered campus band? Send us a submission to be featured on this blog!