The Jhai Alai
The Jhai Alai – Here’s some great Singapore screamo music, re-released in 2014, but originally released in 1999. Great music from a short-lived band (December 1997 to July 1999), the 10-track CD comes with some bare notes, pics, and lyrics. Interspersed with samples from movies (or somewhere), the songs are spastic and tight. Each song starts off with relatively relaxed instrumental moments, before blasting off into the atmosphere. “Parking Coupon?” has more (relative) feeling to it, sounding a bit more like something from Fugazi/a Dischord band. “Wise Old Man” also has some nice, moody jazzy stretching out, but also some hardcore screamo. Yay! “The Quiet Desperation” is some cool noise with the occasional juicy riff, and some cool bass interplay, mistakes and all. “Sometimes Blueberries Are Red”, the final song (and the longest), starts off with Fugazi-like moodiness with voices talking over voices (or is that Velvet Underground-like artiness?), then some awesome hardcore. Love this.