The seven-song album features a variety of sounds, which vocalist Kritsada Rungrasee says reflects the band’s new direction. Kritsada adds that two songs in particular are representative of the alt rockers reincarnation: “60 Winatee … Mee Kee Chuamong?” which speaks about how time passes slowly when we feel bad yet flies by when we are happy, and “Yang Yoo”, which he wrote for a friend who recently broke up with his girlfriend.

Also worth a listen are “Jaak Pai Yang Sangob”, “Yim Thang Namta” and “Thang Wibak”.

The other members of Harem Belle are guitarist Pongsathorn  Mongkholsakulrit, bassist Samrit SaeFoong and drummer Panatsanite Sirirojanavanich.

Follow Harem Belle’s updates at Facebook/srplabel, or Facebook/HAREMBELLEROCK.

Folk from both directions

Folk rock trio West of East, who recently picked up the prize for Best New Artist at the 29th Season Awards, has just released their first album, “Western Music on Eastern Player” on Sanamluang Music, a subsidiary of GMM Grammy. The first single, “Rak Nai Nithan” (“Love in Tales”) features Isarakorn “Jan” Tuntrakool, guitarist with rock and roll outfit Sanim Yok.

Songwriter, singer and guitarist Chananan Chantorn, whose bandmates are Nattakorn Intaraprasert on electric guitar and Thitinun Kesorn on drums, describes the number as a portrayal of how the trio thinks.

The album is mastered by producer Howie B, who has worked with U2 and Bjork.

West of East have played at the Wonderfruit festival for the last two years and gained quite a following.

For more information on the trio, check out Facebook.com/westofeastband or Facebook.com/SanamluangMusicOfficial.

All that jazz

Boyd Kosiyabong, Nop Ponchamni & The Groovetomatix Band join up with the Groove Riders Trio, Pomelo Town , Mellow Motif, Sunny Trio & Natt Buntita, Snapper Town, Siam Jazz Orchestra, College of Music from BSRU, RSU Quintet  and special guest singers for “Jazzin’ It Up with Smiles – No 1” being staged at Aksra Theatre King Power on June 910.

Tickets costing Bt1,500 are on sale at Thai Ticket Major counters and online at http://www.ThaiTicketMajor.com. Only 500 seats are available per show and tickets must be purchased between today and May 25.

Jung Hae In comes to town

K-pop star Jung Hae In, who has been stealing women’s hearts with his warm smile, will be in town for a “Smile Fan Meeting” at Ultra Arena Hall of Show DC on Rama IX Road on June 2 at 6pm. The star of wellloved drama “Something in the Rain” captivated viewers with his performances in “While You Were Sleeping”, “Prison Playbook”, “Conspiracy: Age of the Rebellion”, “The King’s Case Notes” and “Heungboo”.

Tickets cost from Bt2,000 to Bt4,800 at Thai Ticket Major.

Pongchuk “Aeh” Pissathaporn would love to be a singing superstar onstage and in the charts, duplicating the global “Gangnam Style” success of South Korea’s Psy.

Until recently, though, he was stuck in his day job – as singing-dancing-cheeriness coach for BNK48, by far the most popular idol-girl group that Thailand has ever produced.

Aeh is happy, confident and full of drive and self-esteem and sees no reason he can’t be the next Psy or perhaps Pikotaro, the Japanese comedian-turned-singer who had his own smash hit with “Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen”.

“I’ve been struggling to make it as a singer since I was a teenager and I’m 45 now,” he says. “But everybody has the chance to make the impossible possible. Psy and Pikotaro are my role models – they inspire and motivate me and put me in the right mindset. I believe in myself as a singer-songwriter and I believe I’ll be able to go international.”

Aeh is hugely grateful for the support of Pichai “Teng” Chirathivat, founder of the Spicy Disc record label, who told him to come up with a new look and musical style to convince listeners he’s “the Thai Apple Pen” or “the Thai Gangnam”. “Because Thailand doesn’t yet have the artist like them,” Aeh says.

“If Thai people believe in me, I could tour Asia and overseas like Psy and Pikotaro – I can speak English, Japanese and Chinese – and neither of those guys is young either. It will have been worth waiting more than 30 years.”

Phase 1 is already on the airwaves. Aeh’s debut solo album, “Aeh Syndrome”, features a dance-pop lead single called “Chukachu”. He’s pitching the music as “Aeh Syndrome-esque style”.

“The word ‘syndrome’ refers to a group of symptoms, and I’m a relatively optimistic guy, even if I’ve lived a dull, boring life,” he laughs. “So to say someone has Aeh Syndrome, it’s means he’s happy. I’m bringing everyone happiness and I’m going to be an inspiration for everyone.

“‘Chukachu’ is about how men like looking at good-looking women even if they’re married or otherwise attached, but whatever they’re thinking, it’s only thoughts. They’re adulterers only in their mind.”

Aeh unveiled the song in a live performance at the Melody of Life music festival at Bangkok’s CentralWorld last month.

“I want everybody to see that this 45-year-old can do everything – sing, dance and energise. If you’re original, you have to go beyond whatever other people are doing – do more than just sing and dance.”

On the tube, in your face

– Check out the single “Chukachu” on Butter’s YouTube Channel.

– Keep up to date with Aeh Syndrome at http://www.Facebook.com/AehSyndrome.

Hit songs today are “happier”, more danceable and more likely to be sung by women than songs that fail to make it to the charts, a study into 30 years of musical evolution revealed Wednesday.

But also it noted a sombre trend: while people clearly prefer happy music, there is less and less of it.

“More and more unhappy songs are being released each year,” a research team from the University of California Irvine reported in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

Overall, they found that “happiness” and “brightness” in music has declined, “while ‘sadness’ increased in the last 30 years or so”.

But hit tunes defy the trend, and tend to be “much” happier than unsuccessful ones – think of Pharrell Williams’ “Happy”.

The findings of the study, which analysed the “sound” characteristics of popular tracks but not their lyrics, echoed earlier research showing that “positive emotions” in music was dwindling, the team said.

A previous study covering 1980-2007 found that music lyrics have become more self-centred, with increased use of the words “me” and “I”, fewer social words such as “we”, and more anti-social ones such as “hate” and “kill”.

This trend in lyrics is in tune with overall increases in loneliness, social isolation, and mental disorders across society.

The new study, based on a massive data trawl of 500,000 songs released in Britain between 1985 and 2015, found that as “happy” music declined, so did the popularity of songs sung by men.

“In the recent years, successful songs are more often sung by females,” said the authors.

“This is particularly interesting given a large debate about the role of women in the music industry, especially the issues of gender inequality, stereotypes and the sexualisation of female singers.”

Songs were considered successful if they made it into Top 100 charts, which less than four per cent of new releases do every year.

Also rising in popularity are songs described as “relaxed” and “danceable”, possibly linked to a rise in electronic music and a converse decline in rock and heavy metal.

The research showed that classical and jazz songs were “unlikely” to be successful. Dance and pop music were the most popular genres.

The team gave examples of happy songs from 1985, including “Live is Life” by Opus, “Freedom” by Wham! and Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days”.

More recent songs with a low happiness index included Sam Smith’s “Stay with Me” and “Whispers” by Passenger, both from 2014.

Can the research help songwriters?

“In a way it could, if they look at the trends that we found and try to follow them,” said study co-author Natalia Komarova.

“But of course a large component of success is still something that even mathematics cannot quantify.”

Shinoda is a songwriter, rapper and producer who has been a major driving force behind the global success of Linkin Park for 22 years. The American rock band has claimed several prestigious music awards, including two Grammies, five American Music awards, and 10 MTV Europe Music awards. The band has sold 55 million albums and has fans around the world.

He is also a member of the Fort Minor Project, which release a spate of hip-hop tracks including “Where’d You Go” in 2005. “Post Traumatic” is the first album released under his real name as a solo artist. This album is about healing from the death of his band mate, Chester Bennington. He named his first solo album and accompanying tour “Post Traumatic”, he says, because “it’s a journey out of grief and darkness, not into grief and darkness.”

Tickets for the show start at Bt1,600 and are now on sale at Thai Ticket Major outlets and online at http://www.ThaiTicketMajor.com.

For more on the “Post Traumatic Tour”, check out Facebook.com/bectero,

The six selections played by Siam Sinfonietta in a programme of music by Thai and American composers selected by maestro Somtow Sucharitkul and Trisdee na Patalung, consisted of new adaptations of music by His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Trisdee’s autobiographical tone poem “Perception” and film music from “Naresuan 5” by Pantawit Kiangsiri. The American works were Aaron Copland’s iconic “Appalachian Spring” and the title music from “Star Wars”.

As the showcase of the festival, Siam Sinfonietta was chosen as an example of a youth ensemble and the audience response was heart-warming. At the end of the first piece, in which violinist Chot Buasuwan played an affecting interpretation of HM King Bhumibol’s “Alexandra”, the audience spontaneously rose to its feet. The excitement increased with each performance until the final rendition of “Star Wars”, which the production manager of the New York Festival described as “incredible beyond measure”.

It was a programme of uncompromising technical difficulty, with a dynamic range that stretched from the sheerest whisper to the most thunderous roar, and emotional range from the dreaminess of Somtow’s “Architect of Dreams” to the self-examination of Trisdee’s “Perception” and the “epic fantasy” sound of “Naresuan” and “Star Wars.”

World renowned composer Johan de Meij, who was in the audience, remarked “ I would love to work with those amazingly talented young people some time. The clarity of the sound was stunning, especially in ‘Appalachian Spring’.”

Prominent New York pianist Kimball Gallagher commented that the Siam Sinfonietta is remarkable as an ensemble, from the standpoint of sheer passion and energy while Japanese musician Erina Iwasaki echoed his words, praising the orchestra for being full of passion, energy, and lyricism throughout the whole programme.

Following this concert and an outdoor concert in Central Park’s famous Naumberg Bandshell, Somtow and a team from Opera Siam went to Washington to discuss with Dr Paul Michael Taylor of the Smithsonian Institution a forthcoming concert in Washington, which will be coordinated with news of the exciting discovery of manuscripts and documents in the Library of Congress that shed new light on the music of HM King Bhumibol during the 1950s.

Dr Pathorn Srikaranonda of Kasertsart University, one of the leading experts on His Majesty’s music, and historian Dr Sirilaksana Khoman also attended the meeting.

The US tour of Siam Sinfonietta, which will continue with “Part Two” in Washington later this year, is being sponsored by TAT, PTT, Bangkok Bank, the JFK Foundation, Hemaraj, and many private donors.

Fundraising efforts continue to ensure the second leg of the tour.

Siam Sinfonietta, created by Somtow, is an orchestra of young people who are trained using a revolutionary new holistic music education method devised by Somtow to fast-track talented young musicians into professional status. To make sure that students are chosen based on talent alone, the orchestra is a full scholarship programme, meaning that the students and their parents are not asked for any financial contribution for their participation.

The Siam Sinfonietta works with some of the world’s top musicians from major orchestras including the Deutsche Oper orchestra, the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, the London Symphony, and the Hungarian Radio Orchestra. Now in its eighth year, the orchestra has won five first prizes in international festivals and competitions, and has performed to critical acclaim in New York, Los Angeles, Prague, Vienna, Munich, Abu Dhabi, and other major cultural centres.

This festival, which is organised by the hotel and the Thailand Guitar Society in association with Savarez Strings, presents Southeast Asia’s finest assembly of international guitar players, makers and enthusiasts.

Internationally acclaimed guests include Gerard Abiton (France), Paul Cesarczyk (USA/Poland), Roberto Aussel (Argentina), Giovanni Grano (Italy), Luciano Pompilio (Italy), Ruben Parejo (Spain), Gen Matsuda (Japan), Bruno Pancek (France), Andres Madariaga (Chile), Huy Thanh Nguyen (Vietnam), Jorgos Panetsos (Austria), Anton Isselhadt (Germany), Woratep Rattana-umpawan (Thailand), Pongpat Pongpradit (Thailand), Ruttasart Weingsamoot (Thailand), Apichai Chantanakajornfung (Thailand).

This year’s agenda includes master classes, guitar exhibits, competitions and concerts by world-class musicians hailing from around the globe.

A varied programme sees four days of activities, each day culminating in a concert by one or more celebrated guitar maestros.

The event will also feature a guitar competition open to all, with the winner receiving a free guitar, case, string sets, certificate and performance rights at four prestigious events.

Tickets for concerts are Bt600 for adults and Bt400 for students, inclusive of coffee break. Afternoon concert tickets cost Bt300 for all audience members, excluding coffee break. Observers of master classes and competitions pay Bt200.

To book, call (02) 247 0123, extension 1916-1918. To find out more, visit http://Aigf.weebly.com/ or Facebook.com/pages/Asia-International-Guitar-Festival-and-Competition-Bangkok.

An extraordinary jazz vocalist, Scott will be backed by the acclaimed Randy Cannon Group.

For more than four decades, the vocal artistry of the Arkansas-born vocalist has encompassed the swing of jazz, the soul of blues, R&B, and the sacred stirrings of gospel music.

Discovered by the late Ray Charles, she has a following from New York to Africa, Europe and Asia, and is a favourite of such musicians as Wynton Marsalis.

“I learned from Ray Charles to tell the story and do it your way, with all your roots included,” she says.

A true natural, Scott was exposed to a wide variety of music at an early age. “I loved Carmen McCrae. I heard her story when she sang. Roberta Flack … I could sing her ‘Chapter Two’ album straight through, note per note. Aretha Franklin always amazed me with the way you could really feel her. And then later there was Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday … talk about emotions on your sleeve,” she enthuses.

Scott moved to Dallas after she graduated from high school in Arkansas and honed her craft with some of the best musicians on the jazz scene. Her big break came in 1972 when she received a call from Ray Charles asking her to be a Raelette backing singer. Scott worked with the genius for two years. “I felt like I knew Ray’s spirit because when you work with someone as closely as I did with Ray, you learn so much,” she recalls. She also toured Europe with Oscar Peterson, with Joe Pass and the Count Basie Orchestra with Joe Williams.

In 2016, Scott was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, an honour that marks a lifetime of outstanding achievements and dedication to jazz.

Cynthia Scott and the Randy Cannon Group perform Tuesday to Thursday from 9.15 and Friday and Saturday from 8.30.

Book a table at (02) 649 8353 or email dining.sgs@luxurycollection.com.

Organised in collaboration with acclaimed Thai violinist Dr Paye Srinarong, the event presents a series of sophisticated music constellations from the masters to the young and rising stars in Thailand.

“The St Regis Bangkok remains one of my favourite comfort zones. It is such a pleasure to bring my passion and expertise in music to this collaboration with this luxury Bangkok property. More importantly, we are looking forward to presenting a unique variety of music acts, from the little ones to the professionals, as we continue to underline Bangkok’s status as a cultured city,” commented Dr Paye.

The show starts at 8pm.

Find out more at (02) 207 7777, e-mail: fb.bangkok@stregis.com or visit http://www.StRegisBangkok.com. Connect with The St Regis Bangkok on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

“The English line ‘The stars hold our destiny’ sprang to my mind when I was talking to Mango Team and became this song,” says frontman Athiwara Khongmalai, a national hero after his cross-country run for charity. “Mango Team and I wrote the song with Po Posayanukul.

“But I believe we can control our own destinies if we’re willing, just once, to do what we love and what we believe in. ‘Khrai Khue Rao’ is the album’s opening song and I’d like everybody to find the answers in their lives.”

In the music video directed by Wuttisak “Un” Anakporn, a strange object, like a cocoon, falls from the sky, frightening residents of the rural village where it lands. They keep their distance, but one day a local girl sneaks out of her family’s home and examines the object, discovering the entire Bodyslam lineup inside. As she draws closes, she’s swallowed into it and connects with them, finally releasing them so that can resume playing music once more.

Nueng shows his moves

Apiwat “Nueng” Pongwat, singer in the pop band ETC, has surprised fans by appearing with sexy model-actress Davika “Mai” Hoorne in the music video for his new love song on Mono Music, “Close Your Eyes and See”.

The video was shot at Stadium 29 on Bangkok’s Chaiyaphruek Road and finds Nueng and Mai in 1980s attire dancing weirdly to choreography by Nicky the Zoo. Nueng also plays bass, synthesiser, guitar and an electric drum.

“The fans are a little surprised because they’ve never seen me dancing before,” he admits. “Honestly, I’ve ever taken dance lessons, so just enjoy it!”

Mr Big back again

American hard rock band Mr Big are beloved in Thailand and will be back again for a concert at GMM Live House at CentralWorld on June 12. Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, Billy Sheehan and Matt Starr will perform the hits plus songs from their ninth and latest album, “Defying Gravity”, their final release featuring late drummer Pat Torpey. Seats cost Bt2,000 and Bt3,000 at http://www.ThaiTicketMajor.com and (02) 262 3456.

Music, then classes

Genie Records’ campus tour “Genie Back to School” is roaming the country this month through July. Big Ass, Potato, Paradox, Cocktail, 25 Hours, Noom Kala, the Mousses, the Yers, Instinct, Sweet Mullet, Retrospect, Kwang AB Normal, Palmy, Yes’sir Days, Pun Basher and Paper Planes will be at Nawamintharachinuthit Horwang Nonthaburi School on May 24. Get the rest of the schedule at http://www.Facebook.com/genierecords and Line TV.

The move marks the first application of Spotify’s new policy on “Hate Content & Hateful Conduct,” which states an artist’s behavior may result in changes in how Spotify promotes their content.

“When an artist or creator does something that is especially harmful or hateful (for example, violence against children and sexual violence), it may affect the ways we work with or support that artist or creator,” a spokesperson for the Swedish streaming service said.

Users of both the free and subscription-based versions of Spotify will still be able to find R. Kelly’s music on the service. However, he will no longer appear in playlists curated by the platform or algorithm-generated recommendations.

“We don’t censor content because of an artist’s or creator’s behavior, but we want our editorial decisions — what we choose to program — to reflect our values,” the spokesperson added.

A representative for R. Kelly said in a statement carried by various US media outlets that there was no basis for the move by Spotify and that R. Kelly is innocent of the allegations against him.

“R. Kelly never has been accused of hate, and the lyrics he writes express love and desire,” the statement said.

“He is innocent of the false and hurtful accusations in the ongoing smear campaign against him,” it said.

R. Kelly — real name Robert Sylvester Kelly — is accused of sexual abuse against young women and underage girls dating back over a decade, but he has never been convicted.

The “I Believe I Can Fly” singer and producer, who is 51, was charged with child pornography offenses in 2002, but was acquitted in 2008.

According to a BuzzFeed investigation published last July, Kelly is also accused of holding six women in virtual slavery at his homes in Chicago and Atlanta, with power over their clothing, diet and sexual encounters. He has not been charged, however, and has denied all the allegations.

Meanwhile, in April, police in Dallas, Texas, opened an investigation into allegations Kelly gave a 19-year-old girl a sexually transmitted disease without telling her.

At the end of April, the Time’s Up movement — created in the wake of a watershed of sexual harassment allegations involving powerful men across several industries — demanded that all these allegations be investigated appropriately.

The organization also called upon several music industry heavyweights, including streaming services, as well as Kelly’s record label to cut ties with him.

“It may be a cultural milestone,” Larry Miller, clinical music associate professor and director of the music business program at NYU Steinhardt, said of Spotify’s decision.

“There’s no question that Spotify’s curated playlists… are bigger and more influential and more listened to than any radio station on earth,” he said.

“So it’s not an overstatement to say that this is likely to have a significant effect on the amount of listening that happens around R. Kelly’s catalog for a period of time.”