Memory Drawers – ‘Memory Drawers’ review: Philippines dream pop band descend into grief on strong debut

Dream pop – a genre that’s currently enjoying a revival, powered by the popularity of #shoegaze on TikTok – can sometimes drift in a forgettable haze, without many tunes nor hooks. That’s not the case with Filipino band Memory Drawers, whose self-titled debut is full of melodies that linger. Though this is the first official full-length by Kevin Ingco, Andrea Alegre and Paula Castillo, the trio have known each other a long time. Songwriters Ingco and Castillo met in 2014 and started writing song...

How to calculate a house renovation cost in Malaysia? - iproperty.com.my

This guide on basic home renovation costs according to the different areas in a house will help you get started on your remodelling journey. Also, find out what are the key renovation items you can’t avoid, other cost factors to consider for a home renovation and interior design cost estimates. Renovation is usually an inevitable outcome when someone buys a house. Even if you purchase a new development from a developer, at the very least you would need to get someone in to do the lighting bec...

Lost Spaces faces heartbreak on ‘OCPY’: “Releasing this album is the bravest I’ve ever been”

Music has always come naturally for Samuel Lopez. The Malaysian synth pop artist known as Lost Spaces learned to play the guitar by 10 and by 12, he had already written his first song. “Growing up conservative and religious was not really a bad thing for me,” the Ipoh native tells NME. “I learned my first few songs and how to play in a band from a young age in church. It’s where I discovered I had a compositional brain.” It’s the commercial, outward-facing aspects of a music career that Lopez st...

The Impatient Sisters on their “rebirth” and new album ‘7 Years’: “We’ve come full circle”

It’s the day of release of The Impatient Sisters’ sophomore album and the sisters look relaxed and excited as they sit down for a chat with NME. “I hope people give it a chance even if it is something you don’t normally listen to, that is if you have the time,” says Soraya Taib, the eldest of The Impatient Sisters when speaking about the new album. “If you don’t have the time or maybe you don’t want to, that’s OK as well.” It may appear odd that Soraya would use time as the deciding factor on wh...

Couple – ‘Poptimism’ review: a mature return from Malaysian power pop stalwarts

The last time Couple released an album, Instagram wasn’t a thing, Barack Obama had just been sworn in as President and the iPad did not yet exist. After releasing three records in the first half of their existence, Couple have gone a little quiet in the second, limiting their releases in the last decade to an EP and a handful of singles. To say fans have been waiting for the release of the band’s fourth album ‘Poptimism’, would be an understatement. What should we expect from the record? The ban...

Bathroom tap: Everything you need to know - iproperty.com.my

Thinking of changing the tap or faucet in your bathroom but don’t know what to do? Start here. Some call it a tap, while some parts of the world call it a faucet. The term faucet is more commonly used in American English, while the term faucet is preferred among British English speakers. Whatever you prefer to call it, choosing the right tap or faucet for your bathroom can often be overlooked when putting together your dream home. Yet, given that we use it at least twice a day, once in the morn...

Shower heads: How to choose the best shower head for your home - iproperty.com.my

Thinking of changing your shower head for a quick bathroom upgrade? Here’s everything you need to about the different types of shower heads available out there before diving in. We sometimes underestimate the importance of a shower head. Most of us may not even consider changing the shower head that comes with the property we’ve purchased. Buying the right one can truly make a world of difference to your shower experience. If you think about it, showering is an important daily ritual so surely...

Malaysian indie veterans Bittersweet bow out with best-of collection: “It’s a proper goodbye”

Herri Hamid of Malaysian indie rock band Bittersweet is a survivor in more ways than one. In March 2017, Herri met with a motorcycle accident that put him in a two-week coma and led to the amputation of his right leg. A year later, he was up on his feet with a prosthetic and playing a show. And then there have been the countless personnel changes throughout Bittersweet’s 17 years as a band that left Herri the only founding member remaining when the group – by then the duo of Herri and singer Haf...

Forests – ‘Get In Losers, We're Going To Eternal Damnation’ review: Singaporean emo trio at their most confident

In 2020, Forests found themselves embroidered into an international emo tapestry when they opened Vulture’s list of the 100 greatest emo songs of all time. Though they came in dead last, they had their place cemented among the likes of American Football and Sunny Day Real Estate – important recognition for the Singaporean trio’s unique take on the genre in their marriage of complex progressive rock rhythms with punk melodies and sarcastic wordplay. Perhaps that laurel has imbued the band with mo...

Water leak in your house: 7 areas most susceptible to leakages and how you can avoid them - iproperty.com.my

Keep a lookout at these common places in your house to prevent significant water damage. We’ve thrown in some tips to help property owners manage water leaks too. We can all agree that water leaks are a real pain to deal with, no matter where they occur. The even more annoying thing is that sometimes these leaks are not detected until they’ve already caused a significant amount of water damage to your wall, ceiling or even furniture. Not only that, but a significant leak can also cause your wat...

6 types of traditional houses in Malaysia

Interested to know more about the different types of traditional houses in Malaysia and what makes them so unique? Start here. Malaysia, like a lot of culturally rich countries in the world, is a hotbed of culinary surprises, beautiful art forms and yes, architecture. Malaysian architecture draws from influences around the region like colonial and Islamic designs and Asian touches to create something that is uniquely its own. In time for Merdeka this year, we thought it would be a great time t

The Fridays – ‘No One Realizes This Is Nowhere’ review: ’90s pop culture nostalgia from Malaysian six-piece

The Fridays are really in love with nostalgia. On their 2015 debut record ‘Verklempt’, the Malaysian six-piece paid faithful homage to the classic jangly indie pop sounds of Sarah Records artist of the ’90s such as Another Sunny Day and Heavenly. On ‘No One Realizes This Is Nowhere’, they’ve veered off a little more to the west to embrace the universe of ’90s young Americana instead. The Fridays have weaved together a record filled with compelling tales of heartbreak, teenage indolence and yout

Terrible People – ‘Home, In A Way’ review: a cohesive, mature record from the Singaporean emo trio

Emo, as a genre, has always favoured the young, its themes of romantic angst and emotional isolation like catnip for the youthful and restless. Singaporean emo revivalists Terrible People have grappled with this reality over the course of their journey. On their 2019 sophomore album ‘Like Clean Air’, the band had jettisoned the post-uni hedonism of their 2017 debut ‘Smoking Man’ and reluctantly accepted the responsibilities that come with full-time employment. The record sometimes played like a

What are some house moving-in rituals that are practiced here in Malaysia?

There are as many traditions and ceremonies for house moving as there are vibrant cultures and religions in Malaysia. ✉️ Subscribe to us on Telegram to see more content like this. Malaysia, perhaps more than some others, is a truly multicultural country with a unique tapestry of religious beliefs and ceremonies. This extends to most corners of our lives, including the act of moving into a new home. This does make sense. After all, moving into a home is an important step in our lives. A home

8 Best free online games to play during the lockdown!

From online games to phone games and games for kids, there’s something for everyone and it’s all free. Yes, another lockdown is upon us and we can of course hear a collective sigh from everyone – The ongoing FMCO will be conducted in three phases and we can all social activities will be prohibited at least until mid-July 2021. No one likes to be cooped up at home but being at home doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. The trick is to give yourself something exciting and engaging to do. Beside

Jaggfuzzbeats: Malaysian indie rock duo follow a buzzy debut with an “angrier and heavier record”

“People remember us as the band with the burning pants.” Malaysian indie rock band Jaggfuzzbeats are reminiscing about their last album ‘Rest Now’ and its eye-catching cover. In an homage to Pink Floyd’s iconic ‘Wish You Were Here’, the band set fire to a pair of trousers frontman/guitarist Azrul Zainal used to wear in his early gigging days. “Images like that are an investment, so that people remember us,” Azrul says. But ‘Rest Now’ wasn’t memorable just for the flaming apparel on the cover. T

Subsonic Eye – ‘Nature Of Things’ review: Singapore indie rockers shed the reverb to embrace rougher edges

A line from ‘Spiral’, a track off ‘Nature Of Things’, perfectly described 2020 for a lot of us all around the world: “I’m watching forecasts / Thumbing my knees / Wishing for better luck”. Most of us can agree we were happy to see it behind us. Whether 2021 will bring “better luck” remains to be seen, but the year has already brought an excellent new Subsonic Eye record. The Singaporean band certainly haven’t just been sitting around “thumbing their knees”, this being their third full-length al

Kajang - the ultimate neighbourhood and area guide

There’s way more to Kajang than just ‘satay Kajang’. Not only is this township well-connected with MRT Kajang and KTM Kajang, the area is also packed with other famous landmarks like the Dataran Stadium Kajang, Kajang Heritage Centre, Hospital Kajang and De Centrum Mall. Say Kajang and only one thing crosses the minds of most Malaysians – ‘satay’. These meat skewers have become synonymous with the identity of the township over the years. The truth is, fact is always richer than fiction and a cl

Heymun – ‘HYMN’ review: An ambient rebirth with an organic twist | NME

Heymun has described her record ‘HYMN’ as a book, with each track a different chapter. The metaphor may seem innocuous: the Malaysian-born, Australian-based artist was in a dark place emotionally while she was writing ‘HYMN’, and experimenting with modular synths while completing this record helped her find a way out of it. The beauty of the conceit, though, lies in just how accurately it captures the record, not just thematically, but also sonically. Written, recorded and produced by Heymun, ‘

Cyberjaya - the ultimate neighbourhood and area guide

Many may think that Cyberjaya is just a hub for technology centres, but it has grown into a lovely township to live in. Once dubbed the Silicon Valley of Malaysia, Cyberjaya has come a long way from its cold and clinical beginnings to growing into a thriving and liveable township with great amenities and lifestyle options. It used to be a place where people only travelled for work. But these days, more people are seeing it as a viable place to live in thanks to the amount of development that ha
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