Leng Pleng - Live Music and DJ Gig Guide of Cambodia: Weekly Wrap - Commencing Thursday the 21st January 2016

Dengue Fever – pic: Marc Walker

The FCC have announced three upcoming Dengue Fever dates. The original Cambodian-Western psychedelic-fusion rockers will soon be visiting the Kingdom for the first time in nearly three years. Cambodian lead singer Chhom Nimol and her band of Californian cohorts will touch down at the FCC Angkor in Siem Reap – as part of the larger Chub Met music festival - on Wednesday the 17^th February. The band will then head down to Phnom Penh for a brace of shows at FCC – The Mansion on Friday the 19^th and Saturday the 20^th February. For more information about Dengue Fever, check out the band's website. Click here to read the Leng Pleng interview with Chhom Nimol published last year, on the release of their latest album The Deepest Lake. Watch this space for more details of Chub Met music festival, taking place in Siem Reap between the 15^th and 20^th February.

pic: Conrad talksto Leng Pleng athis home in Phnom Penh

Conrad Keely will celebrate the release of his first-ever solo record with two shows on Friday night. Original Machines is the product of months of recording sessions in wide-ranging locations – at the singer's home in Phnom Penh, in the back of a taxi to Kampot, in a tour bus on a European highway and, latterly, at a former Catholic Church in Drummondville, Canada! The 24-track opus is officially available via Superball Music this Friday. While the eagerly-awaited Original Machines goes on sale around the world, Conrad will be performing right here in Phnom Penh. See him at Farm to Table during the early evening and at Meta House later on Friday. For an in-depth look at the album and the creative spirit of ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead frontman Conrad Keely, click here to read the Leng Pleng review of Original Machines.

The Zeppelin Bar in Phnom Penh is famous for late-night drinking sessions, a huge in-house record collection, and taciturn DJ sets performed by Taiwanese owner 'Jun' (strictly vinyl, strictly no requests - unless the request is for a piece of classic 1970's heavy rock). The Zeppelin has not, until now, been noted for its live music facilities. That is set to change with a planned relocation from its current Street 51 home to a larger building on Street 278. Scott Bywater is leading the charge with a special farewell concert at Zeppelin this Sunday night. He has spent the last three weeks diligently assembling a crack team of local expat players to sing the venue out in appropriately 1970's rock style. Expect a great party filled with covers of classics by ACDC, Neil Young, Motorhead and a healthy dose of David Bowie.

Vollbrecht pic

Meta House will pull another special gig out of their impressively large bag this Tuesday night. German saxophonist and band-leader Timo Vollbrecht is an improvisational jazz player with roots in Berlin and New York. He is visiting Cambodia together with long-time collaborator, German-Japanese guitarist Keisuke Matsuno. Should be a very cool, original and interesting show!

Check out the new music video below, posted by Phnom Penh-based collective RFM Nation. 'Ready', the second video to be shot by RFM Nation in Cambodia, was filmed at Loby nightclub in Phnom Penh. See if you can recognise any familiar faces!