click here for an audio-visual look at the gig highlights

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

Greetings:

On Friday in Phnom Penh find Summer Lee Carlson & Mute Speaker at Botanico, Antonio & the Playfund Minds at The Tin Hat, DNA at Cloud, Jun Martinez at Little Susie and later on Temple at Oscar’s on the Corner.  In Siem Reap, Jaeann’s Soul Urge are at Arin’s.

Saturday in Phnom Penh there’s Mirasol, George & Mika at Craft, Two Country Drunks at Botanico, Lakhon Luong at Back Street Bar and Visa Runners at Hometown Hangout, while Naran Vatra are at Little Susie and Chor Yee & Lim at Samai Rum Distillery.  Going late at Oscar’s on the Corner are The Extraordinary Chambers. 

Come Sunday poolside you can find Miss Sarawan & Scoddy at Villa Grange and Alli G Rockustic at Mad Monkey.   Clay George is at The Vine and Scott Bywater hosts the Sunday Sundowners open mic at Tacos Kokopelli.  Stu Cottom at Bar Oz, Phil Javelle is at Little Susie, Melody & Joe are at Back Street Bar, and going late are Bart-Psar featuring Aisha at Oscar’s on the Corner.  In Siem Reap, Jae Ann’s Soul Urge are at New Leaf.

Department of Recording and Touring

Friend of Leng Pleng 60 Road Studios are offering a special deal until the end of October – $250 for a full eight hour day of recording, $130 for a half day of four hours.  Prices include all staffing, access to studio equipment and delivery of tracks.  Follow in the steps of Kampot Playboys, Japan Guitar Shop, Joe & the Jumping Jacks, Scapegoat Candy, Coz Collective and more – get international  quality recording done in sleepy Siem Reap.

Summer Lee Carlson & Mute Speaker continue the track-by-track release of their new album – you can find the first six songs from Respectable People exclusively on Bandcamp.

Former Phnom Penh band Little Thieves are pleased to announce the release of their long-awaited album Never Frightened.   Find it on YouTube and Spotify.

Geography of the Moon have announced dates for their upcoming tour of Japan over the next couple of moths, and Japan Guitar Shop similarly are heading for Seoul in October.

Passing Chords – a few things you may not know about

Benjamin Jimenez (Ben Jim). “I am French, Parisian to be precise. I left France in my late teens and moved to San Diego, California, which is where music really took me away.  I played as a passion with the single goal of getting better at the guitar, did a lot of open mics nights and jammed with loads of musicians, not ever thinking I would have a band.  It wasn’t until I moved to the UK in 2010 that I joined my first proper band, a psychedelic Scottish outfit called The Valkyries.  I created Frankie Teardrop Dead 13 years ago, initially influenced by synth punk band Suicide; it slowly turned into a seven-piece psychedelic band.  These days it’s just me and my partner Carling Vail, with the more techno/electro rock sound I originally wanted.”
Frankie Teardrop Dead play Karma Traders in Kampot on Tuesday 13, and then return to Phnom Penh to perform at Back Street Bar on Friday 23 and Cloud on Saturday 24.  Check them out on Spotify and Bandcamp.

Do you have a pet musical hate?

People clapping out of time, or just anyone out of time with percussion.  I have a thing with rhythms and I love a good groove but I can’t stand too much metal being used – when we’d audition for a drummer I would make them play with just the snare and kick and hi hats, nothing else, just to see their abilities with just grooving. I prefer gospel and hip hop drummers over rock drummers – that’s never been a secret.

A private musical indulgence:

I absolutely love pop music, mostly 90’s pop.  I grew up listening to all sorts and I find something interesting in most music. I always wanted to be able to formulate a perfect pop song and I am still searching for that.

The year you first came to Cambodia:

Carling and I first came to Cambodia in 2017. We were looking for the perfect beach in Southeast Asia, and whilst in Vietnam we were advised to go to Koh Rong.  We then discovered the musical history of the country and fell in love with it.

An early music memory:

One of my early music memories – which is quite weird – was Mariah Carey whistle tone and the song she does with the tomtom club sample. I thought her voice was amazing.  At the same time I was falling in love with the Beach Boys, especially Don’t worry baby. My dad listen to a lot of older stuff like Pink Floyd and Genesis, so I had a very eclectic background.

The last thing you had to eat:

A chicken tostada with beans – basically a disk of hard shell corn with beans and chicken, lettuce, tomato and cheese.

A country you want to visit:

I am really curious about China; I really want to see if it’s what the media portray it to be.  I want to try to play our music there as well, see how the music scene is.   Oh, and also Mexico, for the food.

A book or movie you keep going back to:

When we were kids my brother and I were obsessed with Natural Born Killers.  Maybe not the best thing to watch as a kid, but it had a major influence on my music taste and on my way of seeing life.  Bonnie and Clyde syndrome.  I always loved science fiction too so I’d say the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov.

What languages do you have?

I’m bilingual French-English.  I now have been speaking English longer than I’ve been speaking French, which is weird because French is my mother tongue.

Your primary instrument, and when you started playing it:

My first instrument was probably the keyboard.  During the holidays my grandma used to put me and my brother in a room with a metronome and a keyboard and expected us to just pick it up and learn.  We’d just take turn pressing a few keys and playing with the metronome.  I picked up the guitar way later when i was about 18 years old but got absolutely addicted to it – now I’m never without a guitar.

Something people might be surprised to know about you:

I used to be a rollerblader – still am when I can – with my brother Jeremy, through most of my teens.  I got pretty close to professional level, with sponsors and a lot of travel invoxlved, but I fell in love with playing music so much that I ended up putting that first.

You have a time machine and a magic ticket to one gig or festival in the past. What do you choose?

I would love to see The Velvet Underground at Andy Warhol’s Factory. I prefer intimate gigs, not really a big crowd type of person.

A question from the last participant – what has been the best experience in all your travels abroad?

Thailand last year was amazing – we had just sold our house in Manchester and weed just got legalised, there were literally weed stalls and shops everywhere.  Also great street food and we didn’t have to work at all.  We went to Koh Samui and Koh Phangang with incredible beaches after leaving rainy and cold Manchester.  There is no better feeling.

Department of Mutual Support:  Friends of LengPleng

As mentioned above, Friend of LengPleng 60 Road Studios are offering a special deal until the end of October – $250 for a full eight hour day of recording, $130 for a half day of four hours.  Prices include all staffing, access to studio equipment and delivery of tracks.

     

 

 

 

 

 

Being a Friend of LengPleng is open to venues, acts, and even private individuals; if you value the service we provide please consider assisting us financially.   For a modest contribution ($25 for three months, $40 for six months, $75 for 12 months), you get the logo of your choice into the weekly email and onto the weekly wrap page, and an automatically click through to a page on our website for further information, photos, videos and so on – we like to think of it as an alternative to Facebook.

We also pay special attention when you have a good story for us – an upcoming event or an artist you wish to highlight.  Email gigs@lengpleng.com for further details or bail up Scoddy wherever you see him.

Steve Porte Photo of the Week

Summer Lee Carlson & Mute Speaker belting forth at The Bay in Kampot, Saturday 3 August, 2024

 

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Musicians, venues, punters:  if there are things 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 8 August 2024

** residency/weekly

For DJs and clubs, we recommend Phnom Penh Underground

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

*Note that Wednesday events are often not announced until early in the week – check back here for updates*

Coming soon:

 

 

 

 

 

By Weekly Wrap