***for full gig listings jump to the bottom***

Greetings,

Well worthy to single out for a mention this week is the Tuol Tom Pong venue Sunset Boulevard, who for the last few months have been putting on a range of interesting shows, culminating last Friday with the Original Artists Showcase featuring songwriters Arone Silverman, Rob Narciso and Lewis McTie sharing their own (often rarely played) material.  Always an interesting concept, and a damn nice venue for it.  This weekend Sunset Boulevard present up-and-comers Japan Guitar Shop on Friday and Spiked Gravy on Saturday, both nights well worth a look; keep an eye on their Wednesday night California Dreams performances by a range of acts.

On Friday night find Billy Page & Phil Javelle at Odom Gardens, an acoustic jam at Boran House, Alli G at Central Café, and As The Heart Betrays lead singer Amily performs an acoustic show at Cloud.  Then K’n’E take it late at Oscar’s on the Corner.

On Saturday Summer Lee Carlson & Phil Javelle are at Lantern, Billy Page at Little Susie, and Gerard & Tony at Central Cafe.  Later on, The Blue Souls are at Oscar’s on the Corner, followed by K’n’E.  In Siem Reap Jam-Cha are at Star Bar.  In Kampot, Joe Wrigley is a special guest at the Samurai Saloon open mic.

On Sunday afternoon Geography of the Moon are doing an acoustic seat at The Vine, and late The Extraordinary Chambers take Sunday duties at Oscar’s on the Corner.   Looking forward to St Valentine’s Day on Monday, Christina is at Green Pepper in Phnom Penh, and Sokunthea Duk, Colin Grafton and Keiko Kitamura are at Fellini in Siem Reap.

Don’t forget to get your tickets for The Secret Garden concert on 19 February, a Saturday afternoon celebration on the grass behind Sofitel featuring Master Kong Nai, Sophia Kao & Metta Legita, Intan Andriana & Friends and the long awaited return of Maki Orkestr.  Seating is available, and space for picnic blankets.  Much more information in this article by LengPleng roving reporter Guillermo Wheremount published on KhmerNights.com.

Allow us to re-introduce our revived sister publication, kumnooh.com, that aims to provide a lengpleng.com service for the wider arts – painting, sculpture, literature, dance, architecture and classical music – across Cambodia.  Check it out every Tuesday – to subscribe send a subscribe email to fabianhipp@kumnooh.com.

**For the rest of the gigs check out the listings at the bottom of the page**

Note:  LengPleng.com has returned to its weekly email service.   If you wish to receive LengPleng in your inbox every Thursday please send an email saying Subscribe to gigs@lengpleng.com.   And tell your friends.

And introducing the perfect St Valentine’s Day gift for your loved ones:

Passing Chords: a few things you might not know about…

Photo: supplied

Cove Aaronoff, of Japan Guitar Shop.  Japan Guitar Shop is a Phnom Penh-based original rock, blues, and hip-hop group.  Formed in 2020, the band takes its name from the legendary Tuol Tom Pong secondhand store and studio space where its members first wrote and rehearsed.  Cove is the son of international school teachers, born in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands; he grew up in Cairo, Egypt and Vienna, Austria.  He started writing songs as a teenager, tree-sitting outside Eugene, Oregon. “After over a decade of living and playing in NYC, I’ve found the music scene in Phnom Penh to be one based on love and support, and feel beyond fortunate to be surrounded by such a wealth of talent and a seemingly bottomless well of generosity.”  Japan Guitar Shop play Sunset Boulevard this Friday night.

Do you have a pet musical hate?
I don’t know if I could think of one. You’d have to ask Colin.

A private musical indulgence:
Maybe writing songs when nobody else is around.

The year you first came to Cambodia:
I think it was 2016.

An early music memory:
Catching the Tom Waits video for I Don’t Wanna Grow Up on MTV Europe. Then asking my aunt to send me a CD from this Waits character to Vienna, and disappointingly receiving Nighthawks at the Diner and being, like, what the hell is this? And then slowly falling in love with it walking my dog through the parks.

The last thing you had to eat:
Bread and wine.

A country you want to visit:
Open to suggestions.

A book or movie you keep going back to:
Jackie Brown.

What languages can you speak?
English. And an embarrassing amount of German.

Your primary instrument, and when you started playing it:
Guitar. Early on, but mainly lately. Still working on it.

Something people might be surprised to know about you:
I’m not that laid back.

You have a time machine and a magic ticket to one gig or festival in the past. What do you choose?
Probably The Last Waltz, but on stage somewhere, somehow.

A question from the last participant: Would you have done something different in your last relationship that broke up to make things right?
Quite a bit, but no.

What We’re Making a Fuss About This Week

LengPleng has had something special fall into its digital lap this week: the upcoming new EP from Geography of the Moon, The Unravelling, to be released on 22 February.  The follow up to 2020’s Fake Flowers Never Die, the four songs are shorter and punchier; the familiar sound seems tighter and more direct, retaining their mixture of the playful and the ominous but with a certain streamlining.  LengPleng is enjoying it – for the rest of you it’s available for pre-order on Bandcamp –  but if you’re absolutely jonesing for new GOTM check out the video released this week for the first single from the EP, Nowhere to go but everywhere, full of familiar food, furniture and street scenes.  Definitely an early favourite for the Radio Oun Top 100 Songs of All Time poll at the end of the year.

 

Released last week on Bandcamp is a scorching new EP by Sam Sandak, aka Ozymandias collaboration with Professor Kinski: four micro-songs entitled Twisted Ball.  Find it here.

Last Friday also saw the release of a new single from singer-songwriter Gone Marshall: Seven Steps West comes to all platforms.  Find out more at www.gonemarshall.com.

Steve Porte Photo of the Week


Lewis McTie and Robin Narciso listen thoughtfully to Arone Silverman and await their turn to play at the Original Artists Showcase at Sunset Boulevard, Friday 4 February, 2022

Musicians, venues, punters:  if there are things that you know that LengPleng should know, please tell us and we’ll do our best to tell the world.

See you around the traps.

your correspondent,

Guillermo Wheremount
LengPleng.com
gigs@lengpleng.com (mailto:gigs@lengpleng.com)

Weekly Gig Guide – week commencing Thursday 10 February 2022

** residency/weekly

 For DJs and clubs, we recommend Phnom Penh Underground

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Coming soon:

Coming later:

  • U2 tribute by Joshua Chiang, 25 February, Central Café
  • Little Thieves farewell performance, 26 February, venue TBA

 

By Weekly Wrap