Nothing speaks to my dogged, obsessive pursuit of a great Christmas song than the inclusion of 'Give Me Love on Xmas Day'. I can't for the life of me remember how I discovered this 2012 release from Singapore's The Lilac Saints, a pop/rock band who peaked in popularity during the mid-to late '90s. Formed in 1989 the band is comprised of Ric Liu (vocals), Bhaskar (vocals, guitar), Desmond Sim (drums), Eugene Wee (bass), and Kevin Tan (vocals, guitar, keyboards). They scored local hits including "Gina" and released albums including Awake (1997) before retiring the band around the turn of the century. They later reunited periodically for live performances including Baybeats 2008 and new recordings, including the astoundingly good charity single "Give Me Love on Xmas Day." Huge thanks to Kevin Tan (guitar & keys) for his super-helpful approach in making the song available. The rest of the line-up: Ric Liu (vocals), Desmond Sim (drums), Patrick Chng (bass) and Andrew Chen (lead guitar).
The enigmatic Frank Ene's solo record lives in a magical world where Serge Gainsbourg fronts Yellow Magic Orchestra. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 17, 2022
Swirling goth-rock from the big voice behind '90s outfit Sunshine Blind, featuring a who's-who of dark underground denizens. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 31, 2020