Tom Read

jmak: Thanks, Steve. Posting designs like this one makes me...

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:32:30 +0800

Thanks, Steve.

Posting designs like this one makes me paranoid, because I can’t shake the feeling that it’s not original. I enjoyed the process regardless, but please let me know if somebody else beat me to the idea!

Thoughts?

The Greatest Speech Ever Made - I know I’ve neglected this...

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:25:59 +0800

The Greatest Speech Ever Made - I know I’ve neglected this site for far too long, but this video is just too amazing so I had to come here and post it immediately. Who knew Charlie Chaplin had such a powerful voice?

A couple of months ago I did this interview with the great folks...

Tue, 17 May 2011 15:37:26 +0800

A couple of months ago I did this interview with the great folks over at CreativesUNITE on “Inspiration and the creative process”

I hate it when this happens!!

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 22:09:36 +0800

I hate it when this happens!!

“A short love story in stop motion” - I love this...

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:50:00 +0800

“A short love story in stop motion” - I love this video and the soundtrack is awesome too

How to create a hit pop song in only 8 hours!

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 17:41:27 +0800

How to create a hit pop song in only 8 hours!

Top 10 Albums of 2010

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 14:22:00 +0800

Ok, here is it folks. I haven’t done this for a while but 2010 was a year of musical re-awakening for me, and so I’ve decided to share my favourite albums of 2010.

10. Brandon Flowers - Flamingo

A latecomer to my list as I only really started listening to this a few weeks ago, it’s fast become a regular on my iPhone playlist. You probably know Brandon as the frontman from well known rock band The Killers. This solo album features Flowers ‘Springsteen-esque’ vocals over anthemic rock ballads.

Stand out track(s): Only The Young

9. Kings Of Leon - Come About Sundown

I’ll admit that I’m very late to the KOL party, but they became one of my favourite bands in 2010, due largely to their 2008 release Only By The Night which I only started listening to this year. After falling in love with that album, I started listening to Come about Sundown. Although nowhere near as good as previous albums, it still deserves a place in my top 10, mostly due to the fact that lead singer Nathan Followill has one of the best voices in rock.

Stand out track(s): Radioactive, Pyro

8. Rend Collective Experiment - Organic Family Hymnal

Hailing from Ireland, RCE are changing the face of modern worship music. Fusing their native Irish folk rock with modern worship, their music brings about a much needed fresh sound to the worship genre.

Stand out track(s): Movements

7. The Merriweather Deer - Archives EP

Hong Kong’s finest rock band of 2010 quietly released their Archives EP, shortly before lead singer Ephraim Bano departed HK for the US. Unfortunately the recording quality doesn’t do the songwriting justice, but it’s still impressive when you consider that the EP was a DIY home recording done on a minimal budget. The fact that the band is made up of some of the best musicians in HK, only adds to the fact that Merriweather will be sadly missed on the HK music scene.

Stand out track(s): Keep it to a minimal

6. Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History

I had the privilege of seeing TDCC performing live in HK earlier this year, and they blew us all away with their upbeat brand of disco rock - think of a cross between Franz Ferdinand and Phoenix and you pretty much have Two Door. Great album, and even better live.

Stand Out Track(s): Something Good Can Work, Do You Want It All?

5. One Sonic Society - One EP

OSS is the new band of former Delirious? members Stu G and Jon Thatcher, joined by Paul Mabury on drums and Jason Ingram of vocals. Their version of Forever Reign is probably the best worship song that I heard in 2010. They have since come out with two more EPs, but neither match the brilliance of One.

Stand out track(s): Forever Reign

4. Brooke Fraser - Flags

I’m a massive fan of Brooke so I was excited to hear her latest release. Flags marks a slight change of musical direction for Brooke, who has obviously been influenced by Mumford and Sons (of whom she is known to be a big fan), which is in turn reflected in her new songs. Her collaboration with Aqualung on Who are we fooling proves that Brooke has still got what it takes when it comes to combining deep lyrics with beautiful melodies.

Stand out track(s): Who are we fooling, Coachella, Betty

3. Jonsi - Go

Having been a fan of Sigur Ros for many years, I was intrigued to hear what vocalist Jonsi’s new solo album would sound like, and I wasn’t left disappointed. Imagine a slightly weirder version Owl City with much better lyrics and less cheesy music, and you sort of have Jonsi. With Jonsi’s trademark vocals at the helm, it’s indie-pop music at its finest, and I love it.

Stand out track(s): Go Do, Boy Lilikoi

2. Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More

Mumford took the UK and the US by storm in 2010, bringing their indie-folk music to the masses, and instantly making anyone who plays the banjo the coolest kid on the block. These guys show just how much power and passion can be made by simple acoustic instruments.

Stand out track(s): Awake my soul, Little Lion Man

1. Gungor - Beautiful Things

As a worship leader, I listen to a lot of worship music as part of my job, and it’s safe to say that it can get a little tedious listening to the same stuff over and over in slightly different variations. Enter Gungor (previously called the Michael Gungor Band), and I think it’s fair to say that these guys are changing the face of what is considered ‘worship’ music. The boldness of the lyrics and the brilliance of the music have easily made this my most listened to album of 2010. Gungor are rightly starting to get the attention they deserve with a recent Grammy nomination and being named ‘Album of the year’ by Worship Leader magazine.

Stand out track(s): Beautiful Things, Dry Bones, The Earth is Yours

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*Note: Two of them are E.P. releases rather than full-length albums

**Note: All of these albums were released on the US iTunes store in 2010, which is where I almost exclusively buy my music these days.

So there you have it. Now tell me what your favourite albums of 2010 are?

The iPad has officially become a “musical...

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 11:06:27 +0800

The iPad has officially become a “musical instrument”

Behind-the-scenes tour video with one of my favourite musicians,...

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:23:59 +0800

Behind-the-scenes tour video with one of my favourite musicians, Mat Kearney.

I’m not really that into dance, but this was just too damn...

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:41:22 +0800

I’m not really that into dance, but this was just too damn good not to share!

All My Friends Are Dead!

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:54:29 +0800

letsgoweird:

View from Discovery Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. 13 Sept 2010....

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 22:22:17 +0800

View from Discovery Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. 13 Sept 2010.
Photo taken using iPhone 4. Enhanced using Autostitch and iPhoto

Rant About Worship Songs

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:32:12 +0800

Rant About Worship Songs:

I thoroughly enjoyed this. And just in case you’re not sure, it’s tongue-in-cheek (click on the links to see why).

So I just got my iPhone 4, and so in honor of my new phone I...

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:39:49 +0800

So I just got my iPhone 4, and so in honor of my new phone I decided to post this video that was shot and edited entirely on an iPhone 4. Pretty awesome.

Video

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0800

"Some of the greatest people in the world are people that we have never heard of, and probably never..."

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 09:18:10 +0800

“Some of the greatest people in the world are people that we have never heard of, and probably never will.”

This video really resonates with me.

Sat, 08 May 2010 15:36:51 +0800

This video really resonates with me.

thevineband: The new album is now out on iTunes. Please REBLOG...

Mon, 03 May 2010 11:10:35 +0800

thevineband:

The new album is now out on iTunes. Please REBLOG and help us spread the word.

The Vine Band: The BIG Weekend

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 07:12:51 +0800

The Vine Band: The BIG Weekend:

Hi everyone,

we are super excited about this coming weekend - it’s a huge weekend for us, and we’d love to invite you all to share in the excitement with us. If you are in Hong Kong we would love to see you at one or both of the events below:

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WORSHIP CENTRAL HONG KONG -…

The Vine Band: April is Awesome

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 07:07:16 +0800

The Vine Band: April is Awesome:

Hey everyone, we’ve got some great events coming up in April, and we’re excited to share them all with you

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JUST WORSHIP - SINGAPORE - APRIL 19 //
We’ll be in Singapore on April 19th to lead worship at the Just Worship event hosted by Integrity Music. This is a night of…