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Like a shot of strong tequila, Black Diamond Folds' music burns with a sort of matured melancholia that alludes to those moments of intense solitude and introspection we all have at some point in our lives. Coupled with the able musicianship of members from local legends like Fishtank, Sideshow Judy and various other bands who have made their mark in the scene, the result is a repertoire that is both nostalgic and fresh in this current musical landscape.

By Biddy Low

So I heard from the Chief Editor that Reuben Wang, the Saint Andrew’s Junior College (SAJC) boy who infamously used the F word on our Deputy Prime Minister 3 whole times on his blog, has apologised. Well good for him, it takes a fair amount of courage to admit to and atone for a mistake. In his case, a gesture made more daunting since it was given a generous half page coverage in the Straits Times.

I have read Reuben's offending blog post. It was feverishly shared over and over by friends on my Facebook newsfeed. I would have shared too, if not for his liberal use of expletives. Before you label me a hypocrite, since I'm quite the potty-mouth myself, let me make myself clear: I'm not against swearing per se, but there is a time and place for it.

On a sidenote, I've always resented the power society gives to naughty words, supported no less by an alarmist attitude that paints our society out to be so fragile, that any slightest sign of disobedience and rebellion will inevitably lead us all into a apocalyptic state of anarchy. It is not a balanced prejudice, given that there are so many other things we could be alarmed about, but it is there anyway. If Reuben had thought it through and perhaps intended for the blog post to affect any sort of change, he would have known better than to write in that manner.

I have a love-hate relationship with post rock. It can be deeply engaging at times, especially when enjoyed at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre, where the sound is always impeccably balanced and the smoke machines ever billowing. But it can also breed a sort of pretentiousness that somehow plays against the genre. Maybe it is because the appreciation can be quite open ended, like how each of us may appreciate a sunset in a different way, even though it's the same indifferent star disappearing into the horizon.

Hear ye hear ye! Baybeats, Singapore's largest indie music festival, is upon us once more!

The boys from A Town in Fear settled into the interview, all having rushed down from different locations. Like many bands here, this was time given after a hard day's work. They write and play hardcore music, a genre most might typify with images of rowdy moshpits, tattooed torsos and complex melodies played to chaotic rythm and screaming guitars.

It can be quite polarising at first sight, specially if one is not inclined to such forms of expression. But in reality, hardcore and metal is not as frightening as the imagery that represents it. In fact, the stronghold for the genre has always been defined by a message of strength and community, kept alive by an unrelentingly roar of a sound.

Guitarist Wayne, for example, attests to the positive nature of hardcore metal, quoting the influences of straight edge, a subculture born out of a rebellion against the hedonism of punk rock, as a motivation to his own resolve to be a vegan and stay away from alcohol. So really, one ought to be proud to have a metalhead son.

Good times were had, as we picked the brains of four out of the five who make up this promising young band, with what I think is an album that is worth anticipating, based on the tracks made available so far.

Find out in the videos below, about how they started, what they hope for and their thoughts on the Backstreet Boys.

Wait... "stay away from alcohol"? :(

Find out more about A Town in Fear on:

www.facebook.com/atowninfear
www.myspace.com/atowninfear
www.atowninfear.bigcartel.com
www.atowninfear.bandcamp.com
www.atowninfear.tumblr.com
www.twitter.com/atowninfear

Baybeats is on from 29th to 31st June 2012 at the Esplanade.

Thanks to Hermione, housemates and Chewy the cat for letting us use their lovely apartment.

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