SINGAPORE – Music, like art, is about expression. It’s about holding a belief so strongly that we can create something out of nothing that allows us to connect and relate to each other.
 
MANILA STREET CLASHThere really is no easy way to describe Manila street style. Like the city itself, the sartorial affections of Manila’s indie kids reveal a hodgepodge of global and regional influences, injected with a personality that is distinctly our own. The only real trend in town is to do your own thing. 
GIG NIGHT EATS in Quezon City:
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IT CAME FROM THE ‘60SSINGAPORE – Despite the power of modern day fashion statements, there are still bands that are obsessed with the heydays of rock ‘n’ roll, the 1960s. Singapore indie bands like The Pinholes and Love Jets fashion themselves after the vintage style of the ‘60s, both in their look and their sound. Just what is it the about the ‘60s that influenced and inspired them so much? 
RECLAIMING THE DANCEFLOORIt wasn’t until relatively recently that one could find the rather high-minded punk-bred indie rockers of Manila busting out their dance moves. 
D2210 years ago Wudaokou was the core of Beijing indie music and the “new voice of Beijing” generation. Since the demolition and transformation of the new millennium it has been completely different; dominated by foreign idlers, IT white collar types, wage earners and punks. The only venue for a long time was 13 Club, a metal club, surrounded by restaurants and internet cafes. But in May 2006, next to 13 Club, a little place called D22 quietly opened. |
Streetsnap Hong KongBaldwin Pui, 34, fashion designer 
Cubao XSet against the backdrop of an increasingly modern commercial district, Cubao Expo may look a bit out of sorts. Its vintage mom n’ pop feel is a stark contrast to the sleek malls and condominiums rising around it. But while Cubao Expo may look like a throwback to a simpler time, the performances and shows held there are unquestionably bleeding edge. 
The Making of a My Little Airport Music VideoMy Little Airport is the impossibly cute Hong Kong indie band, founded by songwriter Ah P and vocalist Nicole. Their music is twee, their aesthetic coy, and their live shows are happy, clappy affairs. Quaint keyboards and lightweight call-and-response ditties about “toddling” in the zoo and forbidden romances are their calling cards. Since 2004 they have released 3 albums to much acclaim from the comfort and privacy of their own homes. The elusive, anti-tech My Little Airport seldom play live, but every time they do it is a wondrous full band affair. |
