Tacit Closet

A great new band who I'd really like to see play live, Tacit Closet were interviewed this month in BC Magazine. Jacky, the singer and guitarist, was asked why he writes and sings lyrics in English. As we have a professional interest, here is his answer.

"Actually, I'm not a very good English speaker, I'm not raised in any kind of background with English or anything. I never even knew any foreigners before university. But I listened to a lot of English music and so when I wrote lyrics all those phrases and sentences started to come to my mind in English. Also I find writing in Cantonese quite difficult; the tones in Cantonese are quite hard to rhyme whereas in English you can twist a word phonetically to easily match it with the sound of another so it's easier in that sense."

Back to the music, there are six excellent songs on their MySpace page. Not far off an album. Make it, guys, and I will buy! While I've been typing this I listened to Sleep is the enemy twice - really cool guitar break!

The Lee's - Smoking on the Shoulders of Giant

This, I believe, is wing, one half of stealstealground, who made the amazing Bad Waves of Paranoia, sung by his sister pennylane (still up there on their MySpace page). You can also hear Smoking on the Shoulders of Giants, or something like it, on track 13 of My Little Airport's We Can't Stop Smoking In The Vicious And Blue Summer, which makes MLA the giants, right? Seems like at that point, The Lee's hadn't decided on the lyrics yet, but it's not that easy to tell because MLA are rambling on over the top of it. It doesn't get more indie than this! Is there more to come?

Jacky Cheung - Everyday is Christmas

Jacky Cheung's English track from his Private Corner album, which came out on January 29th. For once I am not a year out of date! It is a jazz album with songs by Roxanne Seeman, including Everyday is Christmas. A bit early for Christmas, but then every day is Christmas with Jacky, right? A cool track with a little Hong Kong English in the title - 'everyday'?

Mensheng

This is Mensheng (which means disciple in Mandarin), who put out their debut CD last year. Love the cover. Not my kind of music and I don't have the CD. But from the two tracks on their MySpace, I'd say they are pretty good at what they do. Is that what you young people call screamo?

Get your shit together, man!

Chochukmo

Here is Chochukmo, The King Lost His Pink, one of a hundred odd Hong Kong indie CD covers in a new Flickr set. Now, you can't just walk into a shop and buy any Hong Kong indie CD you like, so please tell me what I am missing!

Chochukmo won a Time Out Hong Kong 'we'll make your album' competition and brought out the album at the end of last year. The production is good, which is nice because there's some pretty clever stuff going on in there. Whatever indie means, Chochukmo are definitely indie because they say so on their sleeve notes: 'we're still indie and we'll stay indie'. They also say that nobody forced them to wear anything they didn't enjoy, which I guess explains the cover.

How about A-day? Are they indie? Well, they did have a track on the excellent 3-CD Come Out and Play compilation in 2004. Now they have an album and credits for hairstyling, make up and styling (okay, I'm just jealous). Some nice acoustic tracks, but overall a bit cantopoppy for me. Wish them well!

Top Hong Kong indie track 2009

I am taken task for my last post by Chris B. There were far more indie CDs out in 2009 than the four I bought and I am going to hunt some of them down and post them up here. Meanwhile here's my top track of last year - Mongolia Song, the debut (free!) download only single by Modern Children. Go to their website, download it, watch the 'making of' video (love the bit where the neighbour complains about the drumming in the corridor), and tell your friends.

http://modernchildren.net