Despite a handful of obscure local acts, it would be wrong to describe Singapore as a hotbed of musical talent; the country’s hottest bands are virtually all imported. Singaporeans are raised and educated to become engineers, computer technicians, and business executives. The intense focus on convention leaves youths with little opportunity for the exploration of music – unless, of course, one counts the thousands of schoolchildren who stand at attention early every morning in school yards across the nation to sing Majulah Singapura, the country’s national anthem. Even the domestic situation of Singaporeans conspires against musicians: 85% of Singaporeans live in densely-packed housing estates with cardboard-thin walls; a youth practicing, say, the drums would immediately receive a litany of complaints from irate neighbors; sighting a guitar case on the subway or on the bus is cause for comment.

Nevertheless, the city where eighties pop, boy bands and Britney reign supreme boasts two lively music publications that manage to cover the spectrum of artists from local punk bands to Asian pop stars to major international acts.

Big O, an independent monthly that originated as an underground newsletter in the eighties, is an edgy publication and very focused on the local scene: Singapore’s first punk band, Opposition Party, glares forth from its March cover; the director of Wayne’s World, Penelope Spheeris, stares blackly from its April Cover – the feature story in this edition is an exclusive interview with Spheeris about her latest movie, We Sold Our Souls for Rock N’ Roll, a documentary about Ozzfest 1998-1999, which featured acts such as Slipknot, Rob Zombie and Slayer.

In the article about Opposition Party, which had to call itself "OP" in the early eighties to avoid controversy, the band members complain of the difficulty of getting gigs in Singapore, and police imposed restrictions in Singapore: slam dancing is banned here, and the police prevent people from dancing in the aisles.

In April, Big O’s Buzz section tells us that local rock band The Stray Dogs are in the studio recording their first album in thirty years; the Homemade Cookies section reviews new albums from Opposition Party, homegrown metal-band Urbankarma, and homegrown electronic outfit Tofu – all three of which have received little or no exposure in Singapore’s government owned mass media.

In Big O’s The Shop section readers can peruse free advertisements listed under Musicians Wanted, Music Wanted, and Miscellaneous. One ad seeks three musicians (no experience necessary) who have been influenced by Nirvana, Sonic Youth and Radiohead. Other ads offer complete music libraries, bootleg CDS from the US, and instruments ranging from bass guitars to full percussion sets.

While Big O does not offer twelve month subscriptions, readers can subscribe to 24 issues (two years) for S$60 or 36 issues (three years) for S$72.

Big O’s website, www.bigo.com.sg, is rather thin in that it does not provide free access to articles – readers must buy the magazine for this. It does, however, feature a regularly updated Gig Guide link that lets surfers see what’s happening on Singapore’s music scene in a given month. The site also offers additional reviews and a free ezine called Spread The World, distributed as a regular email reviewing CDs, movies, and books.

Standing at the opposite end of the spectrum from Big O is Lime: a waist-up photo of Britney Spears wearing only a lace bra and a denim jacket pouts from March’s cover; boy band Plus One graces April’s cover. Most of the magazine’s March and April editions are dedicated to acts such as brit pop’s Craig David - whose April concert at local disco Zouk was Singapore’s musical highpoint of 2001, ex-spicegirl Mel C, and, of course, the ubiquitous Jennifer Lopez. The magazine, however, gives some space to local talent such as Singapore Mandopop export Joi, Taiwan’s Stanley Huang and Japanese pop queen Utada Hikaru.

Unlike Big O, Lime’s music reviews disappoint by focusing exclusively on international acts: the heaviest album reviewed in March or April is Aerosmith’s Just Push Play, with the section populated by acts such as The Backstreet Boys, Jennifer Lopez, some less popular boy bands and, you guessed it, Britney. In keeping with Singapore’s passion for eighties retro – one in three songs played in local discos seems to be from such acts of yesteryear as Culture Club, The Eurythmics, The Village People, Michael Jackson, etc. – Lime’s April issue carries a six-page photo spread of youths dressed in eighties punk kit that promises to help readers "flash back to the ultra-glamorous 80s" and "hit town in these super-cool outfits."

Lime readers can subscribe to 12 issues (one year) for S$30 or 24 issues (two years) for S$60. Subscribers receive a special Lime membership card that lets them enjoy discounts at select shops in addition to other special offers.

Lime’s website, limemag.com, does not provide free articles, although surfers can look back through Lime’s extensive archive to find pictures and commentary on bands covered in past issues. Limemag.com’s bandwatch section is also useful for staying on top of what pop bands will be visiting Singapore.

Singapore’s two most popular mass media publications – The Straits Times and The New Paper – tend to give little attention to the local music scene; they instead dedicate about half a page daily to glowing reviews about new Top 40 albums; a look at six recent Straits Times classified sections reveals that instruments are for sale, but only pianos – and these seemingly the same ones, day after day.

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