GJan - Not Afraid

I’ve been wondering when I would find some Lithuanian music that caught my attention! Turns out the answer is today, when I clicked on the music video for this song on YouTube’s related videos margin. The song has some profanity, BTW.
Note: Once again, you can listen in HD!

GJan - Not Afraid:

Ferhat Göçer - Yanına Kalmaz

I’ve been YouTube surfing for Turkish music a lot lately, and I just came across this track and liked it. I don’t know any Turkish, though, so if there’s a problem with the translation of the title I’d be happy to hear corrections.  (Wow, I only noticed as I was typing the tags for this post that I've never posted Turkish music here before!)
Note: You can listen in HD!

Ferhat Göçer - Yanına Kalmaz [Do Not Stay Close]:

Nan Quan Ma Ma - 槍與玫瑰

I’ve had this track for quite a long time, and I think I got it through an mp3 rotation site. I also think this is the only song by this Taiwanese artist that I really like.

Nan Quan Ma Ma A.K.A. 南拳媽媽 - 槍與玫瑰 [Qiang Yu Mei Gui - Guns & Roses]:

Diane Birch - A Strange Kind of Love

‘Tis just a random pretty song I came across on YouTube.
Note: Which has HD!

Diane Birch - A Strange Kind of Love:

Kendrick Lamar - F**k Your Ethnicity

I heard this on somebody’s Tumblr. The title of the song struck me as funny because it can be interpreted two ways: One, that he’s racist against you, and two, that he doesn’t care what race you are (which is kinda the opposite meaning). The intended meaning is the latter, but it turns out to have very little to do with the rest of the song. I suppose he’s suggesting the rest of the song can apply to anybody. (Obviously this track has profanity.) I’ve been hearing this guy is the future of hip hop so I plan to look into his work more soon.
Note: You can listen to the track in HD!

Kendrick Lamar - F**k Your Ethnicity:

Marina and the Diamonds - State of Dreaming

I found another song by this artist that I like! I ran across it on Tumblr.
Note: HD again!

Marina and the Diamonds - State of Dreaming:

The Piano Guys - Carol of the Bells

I already knew who this artist was (and have posted a song by them before), but I only heard this particular piece because the popular Korean pianist Yiruma posted this video on his Facebook recently. This is my favorite Christmas carol, and the cello is one of my favorite instruments, so I was excited about this.
Note: HD listening!

The Piano Guys - Carol of the Bells:

Celtic Woman - Níl Sé'n Lá

I think my mom might have an album by this Irish artist, but I’m not sure. Anyway, this festive song somehow seems appropriate for Christmas Eve.
Note: The video has the song in HD!

Celtic Woman - Níl Sé'n Lá [Not Yet Day]:

Stanislas - A D’Autres

I love this track, even though I didn’t really notice it the first few times I listened to this artist’s album. It goes through a series of stages as it progresses, and I think all of them sound beautiful, even when it turns all dance clubby near the end. BTW, I’m really unsure about the translation of the title, so it’d be nice if someone who knows French could help out with that.

Stanislas - A D’Autres [To the Others]:

Delilah - Go

Another song that was brought to my attention courtesy of the British soap Hollyoaks.
Note: You can listen in HD!

Delilah - Go:

Jeffrey Cheng - 我們真的都沒有失去嗎？

I think "heartwrenching" would be a good word to describe this piece. This was the music used in the trailer for the excellent Taiwanese film Eternal Summer. This piece is so intensely tragic that I immediately fell in love with it and not only went, “I HAVE to see this movie!" but also, "I HAVE to get this soundtrack!"
Note: There seems to be some MAJOR confusion out there as to who the composer is. I’ve seen at least 5 different names credited for the score, but I’m just going with the one.

Jeffrey Cheng - 我們真的都沒有失去嗎？ [Wo Men Zhen De Dou Mei You Shi Qu Ma? - Did We Really Not Lose Anything?]:

Luxuslärm - Solang es Noch Geht

Last time I posted music by this German artist, it was a pretty ballad, so this time I’m going with a more uptempo rock song by them. This style is more representative of their usual sound.

Luxuslärm - Solang es Noch Geht [As Long as It Still Goes]:

Quest Pistols - Разные

I came across the music video for this song on YouTube. Not gonna lie, I had no idea what it was supposed to be about, but I found the song REALLY good-sounding. According to my reading about this Ukrainian artist on Wikipedia, the group’s formation may have been an April Fool’s joke that turned into real success.

Quest Pistols - Разные [Razneuye - Different]:

Sinusstøv - For Whom the Bells Toll

I came across this Danish artist through YouTube. Everything I’ve heard by them is a little on the odd side, but not unpleasant.
Note: HD quality available!

Sinusstøv - For Whom the Bells Toll:

Hyde - Prayer

Although this artist is Japanese, he makes an effort to use English lyrics much of the time. His English can be pretty difficult to understand sometimes, but bless him, he tries. Growing up, I knew of this artist because he’s kinda Japanese rock 101, but when I started paying attention to his lyrics (both as a solo artist and in his uber-famous band L’Arc~en~Ciel), I noticed the recurring themes of criticizing war and religion. This song seems to combine both themes by being about a soldier fighting a war on what he believes to be on the side of God, but ultimately doubts the morality of this act. Alternatively, this could also be interpreted as being about suicide. Certain words led me to the former theory, but since he’s not a native English speaker it’s kinda hard to tell.

Hyde - Prayer:

Adele - Set Fire to the Rain

I think it’s about time for some more of this famous artist. I don’t have a particular reason, but this is one of my favorite songs by her.
Note: HD!

Adele - Set Fire to the Rain:

Tokio Hotel & Kerli - Strange

This collaboration consists of two gothy Europe-based artists, Kerli being from Estonia and the popular band Tokio Hotel from Germany. But the song’s in English, and I think it was used in the soundtrack of the recent American movie Alice in Wonderland.
Note: Available in HD!

Tokio Hotel & Kerli - Strange:

Han Hong & Sun Nan - 美丽的神话

This is the theme song of the Jackie Chan film The Myth. I’ve never watched the movie, but I've really liked this song for quite some time, especially Han Hong’s beautiful voice. This is also a karaoke favorite of mine!  (For your reference, the English version of the title is "Endless Love," even though this is not what the Chinese title translates to.)

Han Hong A.K.A. 韩红 & Sun Nan A.K.A. 孙楠 - 美丽的神话 [Mei Li De Shen Hua - Beautiful Myth]:

Marques Toliver - White Sails

Dang, I have a hard enough time playing piano and singing at the same time. I imagine playing violin while singing would be even more difficult. BUT that’s exactly what this artist was doing in the video of him performing live I came across recently.

Marques Toliver - White Sails:

Maki Yano - Honesty

I heard this groovy song through an mp3 rotation site I’m not even sure how long ago. I was impressed by this singer’s voice, which doesn’t sound characteristic of a lot of Japanese pop music.

Maki Yano A.K.A. 矢野 真紀 - Honesty:

Mr. J. Medeiros - Constance

Oh dang, I haven’t posted this hip hop song already! This can be filed under the subgenre “conscious hip hop,” as it deals with the issue of child trafficking, prostitution, and pornography. It lives up to its subgenre label in that it deliberately seeks to raise awareness of how people in the west can be complicit in fueling these problems in what might seem to be far away places like the Philippines. Needless to say, the content of the song could be considered disturbing, but it has a powerful message and led to the launch of an anti-human trafficking campaign called the I Am Constance Campaign.
Note: Listen in HD!

Mr. J. Medeiros - Constance:


You can watch the music video here:

Niyaz - Sosin

Lately I’ve been listening to this Iranian artist’s latest album, Sumud, and think I’ve ruled this to be my favorite track from it. While it was clear most of the tracks on the album are in Farsi or Urdu, I couldn’t place what language this was and finally had to look it up—it’s Kurdish! Not only is it the first album in which this artist attempted a song in Kurdish, it’s also the first time I’m posting a song in Kurdish.

Niyaz - Sosin:

JJ Lin - 跟屁蟲

This song is interesting. It’s this Singaporean artist railing against the lack of creativity in the music industry, in which everyone just copies everyone else and other artists copy his style, which I don’t know of firsthand but honestly wouldn’t surprise me. And he did do the autotune thing (selectively) before it really took off. He specifically references that in the part where he quotes his own previous song that implemented it (which I’ve posted here before, so you can get the reference!). And yes, that really is him speaking English with an Indian accent in the beginning.

JJ Lin A.K.A. 林俊傑 - 跟屁蟲 [Gen Pi Chong - Copycat]:

Tori Amos - Precious Things

I *think* this song is about the process of growing up and losing innocence. Or maybe just being haunted by bad memories that serve no purpose but to bring you down.  It’s not exactly family-friendly and kind of intense, but it’s one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite artists from a musical perspective.  I'm always in awe of her piano work!

Tori Amos - Precious Things:

René Aubry - Amnesie

I can’t remember exactly how I discovered this French artist, so I probably found him through YouTube surfing.

René Aubry - Amnesie:

Sarah McLachlan - Possession (Piano Version)

The legendary Sarah McLachlan! This artist has been a part of my life since I was little, since my mom is a fan of hers. I bought the album this song is on a whim one day a few years ago, and for some reason I really liked this song in particular.
Note: HD available!

Sarah McLachlan - Possession (Piano Version):

Linkin Park - My December

It is officially December, and I am in the midst of experiencing the onset of a “real” winter, so it is time to unleash this song! I had a hard time choosing between this, the original version, and Josh Groban’s cover of it. I ultimately chose this one because, although Josh Groban’s version is more epic-sounding, orchestrated, and, being by an opera singer, has more polished vocals, I actually prefer the more low-key, raw sound of this one.

Linkin Park - My December:

Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo - Bones

I came across this lusciously-instrumented track on YouTube some time ago.
Note: I recommend HD listening!

Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo - Bones:

In Extremo - Liam

German music with a Celtic twist!

In Extremo - Liam:

Cherry Filter - Snowman

It snowed on me for the first time this winter a couple days ago. I am in Korea. Therefore, I am posting this Korean snow-themed song. This is the first song I heard by this band, and I think I acquired it through an mp3 rotation site. Youjeen's whistle register is unreal!

Cherry Filter - Snowman:

Sodagreen - 小情歌

Qing Feng has the CUTEST voice, gah!! This song makes me super happy and it’s so adorable it’s frustrating. Naturally, this is the song that got me into this band in the first place. I even sang this at karaoke!
Note: I’m including the music video because it has HD plus an English translation of the lyrics!

Sodagreen A.K.A. 蘇打綠 - 小情歌 [Xiao Qing Ge - Little Love Song]: