Frank Sinatra forever

PhotoCredit — franksinatrafans.com

During ski break, I dined at Maggiano’s Little Italy with a group of friends to celebrate a goodbye party for the departure of a Japanese exchange student. Although the quaint interior design, dim yellow lighting, and black-and-white pictures of a bygone era added to the overall romantic and homey atmosphere, an endless track of Frank Sinatra’s songs seemed to be the impetus behind the bittersweet mood that pervaded the restaurant that night. Even while I wasn’t partaking in a conversation, I felt like an integral part of the moment just by leaning on my elbow and letting my mind wander off with the mellow and dreamy melody of Sinatra’s songs. 

Sure they are of the oldies, but I believe that Sinatra’s music is classic of the classic. There seems to be a subtle tone of sadness behind all of his songs despite their chirpy melody and lyrics–as if it were his purpose to plant a little seed of romantic hope in the lives of exhausted souls worn out by the repetition of their mundane lifestyle. To me, his music is a souvenir from history and a source of respite from today’s demandingly computerized society whose music is also now increasingly a hard-edge product of technology. Yay for real voices and real instruments instead of synthesizers and plugged-in devices!

Metric’s “Help I’m Alive” Official Acoustic Version

Museician for Muse

PhotoCredit–Guitars101.net

A peer of mine has once told me that he doesn’t like Muse because they sound “bombastic” and “over the top.” For me, those are the exact reasons why I appreciate Muse. Rarely do I come across rock music that is so powerful and energizing without sounding like a cheezy, wannabe punk-rock band like, say, Simple Plan (I am vehemently averse to them, if you haven’t noticed already).Yes their music may sound “bombastic” and “over the top.” But at the same time, it is genuine and unique, puissant and profound.

Plus, Matt Bellamy (their lead singer) is a musical genius who knows not only how to sing and play the guitar, but also how to perform the piano. What is wrong with bombastically flaunting his skills if he has the extraordinary talent to do so?

This is the music video of my favorite song, Plug in Baby, whose introduction guitar riff made #5 Kerrang!’s Top 50 Riffs.

Zion I meets the eye

PhotoCredit — Prefixmag.com

Meet Zion I, a hip-hop duo that consists of producers AmpLive and MC Zumbi. Although from Oakland, California, they do not rap about “dummy juice” or putting their cars on ghost-ride mode; instead they compose poems out of the ordinary, delivering politically rebellious and soulfully inspirational messages with sick, earthy beats.

For starters, I suggest Bird’s Eye View, Luv, One, Temperature (a collaboration with Talib Kweli), and Current Affairs.

Metric – Fantasies

Photo Credit — Phillyist.com

Metric released its new album Fantasies on March 14th after four years of hiatus since their successful Live It Out. According to PrefixMag.com, vocalist Emily Haines opted for more “genuine” and “simple” lyrics, while guitarist Jimmy Shaw described the album as having “very big” and “very dreamy” sounds. Although the album has its down, the overall quality stays true to the artists’ descriptions, deviating from the zesty and childlike spunk from Live It Out while staying loyal to the band’s hypnotic style.

Particularly mind-blowing  are Satellite Mind, Help I’m Alive, and Gold Gun Girls–although somewhat disturbing (If I stumble, they’re gonna eat me alive//can you hear my heart beating like a hammer//hard to be soft, tough to be tender), their lyrics are catchy yet mesmerizing as they merge into a repetition like a haunting echo from a euphony of chaotic sounds. The mellow guitar riffs escalade into tragic crescendos, which later fall back again to nonchalant beats that leave the listener in a trance. Less efficacious are Sick Muse and Collect Call, which both lack a magical hook evident in the other songs, thus easily deteriorating into a bog of flatness.

Nevertheless, the album overall is more than satisfying. It is colorful and mature, deep and resounding.

Lady Gaga

I didn’t really understand the hype about Lady Gaga until now; all I knew of her before was that she had platinum blonde hair, sang catchy music, and wore strange clothes. So I decided to check out her songs other than Just Dance to find out what mad her so popular despite her mediocre singing skills.

One thing I admire is her amazing talent for producing songs. Her style is reminiscent of some legendary pop artists like Madonna and Gwen Stefani. Yet she spins their elements into her own unique signature that is more fluid and infectuous. Although not as renowned as Just Dance, her other songs like Beautiful Dirty Rich, Honest Eyes, and LoveGame boast of feisty, slick, and hardhitting grooves. Her razorlike lyrics echo her cutting attitude as a self-reliant artist with shocking yet artistic originality.

Her songs from the album Fame summed into one video:

American influence on KPop

I am not a huge fan of Korean pop-music other than a few artists. According to a friend who does appreciate KPop though—which is fascinating because he is Taiwanese and he knows KPop more than I ever will—Korean artists “branch off into their own type of pop.” I am not sure whether or not I agree with him, but I must admit that the mainstream KPop industry seems to have risen to a whole new level with higher-quality artists and producers who are increasingly presenting themselves to and attracting an international audience (or at least in the realm of Asia).

 

American influence is still—and it seems to me more and more—evident, which reminds me of the discussion in my International Issues and Public Policy class on the spread of English culture and media. Perhaps that is why I have been listening to more KPop recently. The synthesized yet catchy and semi-techno motif characteristic of Timbaland’s songs is predominant in much of KPop music these days.

 

Take, for example, Eun Ji Won’s “Dangerous.” I had no idea that Akon himself had a song called “Dangerous” before I heard the former, which I liked to a certain degree because of its adaptation of the style of popular U.S. hits today. When I listened to both of them, however, I couldn’t help but be shocked by the almost jarring similarity between these two songs. Check out Won’s “Dangerous”:

 

Now listen to Akon’s “Dangerous” if you are not familiar with the song already:

 

Striking, no? I do like Won’s version more though, mostly because I don’t really have a penchant for Akon’s peculiar voice that verges on being annoying to me.

János Starker and Contemporary Music

János Starker performing Kodály Sonata 3rd Movement, 1989 at a recital in Tokyo, Japan.

János Starker‘s performance of the Kodály Sonata 3rd Movement will make the jaws of even those who find classical music boring drop in awe. Actually, the Kodály Sonata isn’t classical at all–it’s an unpredictable composition typical of the 20th century Modernism characterized by random absurdity. The piece reminds me of a Jackson Pollock painting, its incisive notes exploding out of order and intertwining in an irrational yet beautiful melody. This is why I love the Modernist movement–how everything doesn’t make sense but makes sense at the same time. The genius lies in the artists’ unique ability to make aesthetic beauty out of the broken, to create meaning within the chaotic.

YES I DO ACTUALLY LIKE A MILEY CYRUS SONG, thank you very much

Photo Credit — TheInsider.com

I just realized that the title of this post may result in a significant decrease in the number of potential subscribers to this blog as well as in the level of credibility people attribute to my taste in music (no offense to any Miley Cyrus fans out there). But I will say it again anyway: I actually like a Miley Cyrus song called “See You Again.” I first heard it last year in my friend’s car while we were heading to his after-prom party; the song was on the playlist of a mix CD his cousin burned for him (and why his cousin–a college student–had a Miley Cyrus song on HIS playlist, I don’t even know).

Quick review of See You Again: it is catchy and upbeat, kiddish and silly. Great song to listen to when you feel like taking a temporary respite from the all-too sophisticated young-adult world.

It’s really actually pretty good.

…

Don’t hate.

– Museician

K’naan–the voice of Somalia

Photo Credit — buzznet.com

“Where rocket-propelled grenades are fired around you on a daily … a guy bragging on TV talking about how gangster he is? For us, it’s more a source of entertainment. It’s more like a comedy or something we watch and say, ‘Oh wow, that’s kind of cute of American gangsters.’ But it isn’t hardcore, it isn’t that bad. Let’s get things in perspective, you know?” 

I came across the above quote a couple months ago on the Verbatim page of the Time magazine. Not only did the comical quote grab my attention, but the unusual juxtaposition of the artist’s bohemian attire with his label as a hip-hop artist instantly piqued my curiosity; indeed, K’naan is not the typical gangster rapper with the bling-bling and a condescending swagger. Born in Mongadishu, Somalia, K’naan escaped to Canada when he was a young boy. Now, as an established and renowned hip-hop artist, his music echoes the haunting cries from his mother-country ravaged by poverty, violence, and anarchy.

Although his music is labeled as hip-hop, there is a soulful and ethnic touch to his beats. His poetic lyrics and witty rhymes (“Our roads have seen electric hate//and Our women labor beneath stubborn fate“) strike an uncomfortable yet poignant note that makes the listener wonder about the future of humanity. His latest album Troudabour–featuring legendary artists Mos Def and Damian Marley–has been critically acclaimed by L.A. Times and The Guardian. The album particularly verges on reggae with dominant drum melodies.

For starters, I suggest my favorite songs–I Came Prepared, America, What’s Hardcore?, Smile, If Rap Gets Jealous.