Monday, November 30, 2015

Placebo - Pierrot the Clown

It’s tiiiiiiime for another track by this artist, a longtime love of mine! This song is yet another example of what my friend referred to as this band’s “empty” sound. Not very noisy, but effective in conveying a sense of despair, whether chaotic or lethargic. This piece actually sounds like the wallowing in sorrow it’s singing about, and makes me think of a characterless, lifeless hotel room with the glow of a sunset cast across it. The image is oddly depressing.
Note: HD quality is to be found heah!

 Placebo - Pierrot the Clown:

Sunday, November 29, 2015

India.Arie - Brother’s Keeper

This artist’s fans sent in photos of the men in their lives for this video. The theme is pretty straightforward but not often heard: men/boys need the guidance and emotional support of people in their lives, and people bear the responsibility of being a good role model and example for boys.

 India.Arie - Brother’s Keeper:

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Aquilo - Calling Me

This song’s music video was a recent discovery of mine. Not mind-blowing, but enjoyable. I like the inclusion of dancing in the video, too. The song is of a genre that’s pretty prevalent these days, with a chill but electronica beat to allow for mild danciness, and a pondering and almost melancholy sound to the melody and vocal style. Lots of reverb is a thing too, for dreaminess effect…
Note: This is the official music video, with dancing and HD!

Aquilo - Calling Me:

Friday, November 27, 2015

Zaho - Assassine

Songs by this Algerian artist are practically begging for hip hop dance routines. I’ve had this song on my list of songs to eventually post for ages. Despite having listened to this song over and over, I didn’t notice until today that the guy in the beginning is yelling in English. Oh well. Here’s a “special delivery to your speakers,” as promised!

Zaho - Assassine [Assassin]:

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Tim Minchin - Thank You God

‘Tis time to give thanks! If you’re the type to take the holiday very seriously, you probably won’t appreciate this song’s snark. I personally am thankful for this artist and his well-constructed songs full of snide, clever lyrics lampooning faith-based belief systems and irrational thinking. In this particular song, the comedian mocks the vain but common behavior of crediting a god with an already-fortunate person’s successes and using it as circular evidence of said god’s existence, while not accounting for less-fortunate people’s undeserved miseries. There's profanity. Happy Thanksgiving!
Note: HD qualitayyyyyy!

Tim Minchin - Thank You God:

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Ayako Ikeda - 三日月

This artist’s voice is painfully pretty. Her tone is already so pure, and the fluttery vocals in this song put it over the edge. I envy her. It seems like her most famous song is the intro theme to the anime series Dennou Coil, which is how I heard her first too.

Ayako Ikeda A.K.A. 池田 綾子 - 三日月 [Mikazuki - Crescent Moon]:

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Ba Cissoko - Silani

NO WAYYYYYYYY. I searched for a decent upload of this song so many times throughout the course of me running this music blog with the intention of posting this song, but never managed to find it until now. I was always so frustrated because I was eager to post this song and had almost lost hope. Such tight instrumentation! This is the first artist from Guinea I've posted, it seems.
I hope y'all appreciate the ridiculous amount of research that went into ATTEMPTING to title-translate and language-tag this post. I mean like combing through translation dictionaries for 3 different African languages, reading about how to play scales on the kora, researching grammatical particles type research--and even after all that I'm still not sure of either the language or the title translation. But I did my best. Can't say I didn't try!
I never found a translation for the word "silani", but I did find that words related to paths in Mandinka start with "sila," and I also found that "-ni" is a Mandinka suffix that means "little." "Sila baa", literally meaning "the great way," is the name of a scale of the kora, the instrument played by the primary member of the group, so I wonder if the title is maybe a play on words that reverses the size of the way that's normally referred to in relation to the kora. But of course if anyone knows the REAL translation of the title I'd love to be informed of it!

Ba Cissoko - Silani [The Little Way]:

Monday, November 23, 2015

The Pack A.D. - B.C. is on Fire

I heard about this artist through my dad, of all people. He recommended them to me knowing my penchant for female-fronted bands. This Canadian band not only is fronted by a woman, it only consists of women. All two members. Haha!

The Pack A.D. - B.C. is on Fire:

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Darren Hayes - Words

It takes all my willpower to restrain myself from posting half this artist's entire discography. I love way too many songs by him, and I adore this music video. From the very first chord of this song there’s a sensation of my heart being gripped. This is one of the former pop star's simplest songs, as it only uses his voice and a piano, but its simplicity lends itself to its aching beauty.
Note: The official song upload has HD!

Darren Hayes - Words:


And here’s the music video:

Saturday, November 21, 2015

FKA Twigs - Pendulum

Not gonna lie, this artist scares me. A lot of her music videos are actually TOO weird for me and turn me off of her songs by making me feel like I’m in a nightmare. This song, though, was tame enough for me to appreciate her pretty voice in. After finding it on YouTube, I heard it again more recently at a café and quite enjoyed it, reaffirming that I really do like this song on its own, not just as compared to her other songs.
Note: You can listen to that vocal layering in HD!

FKA Twigs - Pendulum:

Friday, November 20, 2015

Sleeping with Sirens - Heroine

I came across music by this artist while YouTube surfing, and then coincidentally I saw them perform live only a few weeks later, when I attended a multi-artist rock concert. I didn’t even know they were among the bands in the lineup. The lead singer was the most impressive part for us, as my friend was convinced he was female and I couldn’t rationalize in my own head how such a pretty, high voice could be produced by a dude. It’s a little more discernible when listening to the tracks with headphones, but even under those conditions there are still some songs where my ears deceived me. This song has drug references, but only as a metaphor for the symptoms of a type of love.
Note: HD listening is available!

Sleeping with Sirens - Heroine:

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Siti Nurhaliza - Kurniaan Dalam Samaran

YOOOOOOO, I’m approving of this whole official YouTube upload thing that I’ve been seeing as of late! Said to one of her more difficult songs, this track by the reigning queen of Malaysian music is applauded by critics. If it sounds Japanese to you, that’s probably because it’s influenced by enka. I don’t know Malaysian and didn’t see an official translation of the title, so I’m relying on Google Translate for the title here.
Note: This was graciously uploaded in HD after a while of my searches yielding only low-quality results.

Siti Nurhaliza - Kurniaan Dalam Samaran [Hidden Presents]:

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

The Neighbourhood feat. Raury - Warm

This song goes through so many distinct phases, it’s like 3 or 4 songs in one! First it’s mellow R&B, then it gets kinda epic and choral, then it turns into hip hop, then it transforms into a spooky outro... and I like it all. The album this song is from isn’t the first time a free mixtape earned a place as one of the most consistently listenable/high quality albums in my collection, but it is the last one so far.
Note: This upload has HD as an option!

The Neighbourhood feat. Raury - Warm:

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Song Jieun - 쳐다보지마

SK is impressing me lately… I was originally planning to post a different song by this artist, but after looking into her music I found this and decided to go with it instead. By Korean standards, this song’s lyrics about judging unconventional relationships are “controversial” and “experimental” (in the words of the video’s own description!). I myself was a bit surprised by the provocative nature of the song theme. I first encountered this artist’s solo work when another music video of hers was playing on TV. That video, too, was a bit edgy for the world of K-pop to which she obviously belongs, so I took note. (I also just realized I saw yet another MV of hers even before that, and it too was a little edgier than I expected, with a 19+ rating.) The artist is a member of the girl group Secret, with whom I'm not very familiar.
Note: This official music video is whatever, but it has optional English subtitles and HD!

Song Jieun A.K.A. 송지은 - 쳐다보지마 [Chyeodabojima - Don’t Look At Me]:

Monday, November 16, 2015

Parra for Cuva feat. Anna Naklab - Wicked Games

I’ve found that this song, originally by Chris Isaak, has been covered maaaaany times. London Grammar, Emika, Three Days Grace, Thomas Azier, HIM… All of those are artists I’ve posted music by, too. Both the main and featured artist for this song are new to my blog, though. It’s a lovely song, so I get why it was covered so many times. This version is on the low-key dancey side.
Note: You can enjoy the low-key danciness in HD!

Parra for Cuva feat. Anna Naklab - Wicked Games:

Sunday, November 15, 2015

P!NK - U + Ur Hand

My longtime hero! This song is line with the artist’s signature mocking, crass attitude. I always appreciated that about her, her refusal to “act like a lady” and opting for “cool” instead, but I also was kind of in love with the song’s music video (as I am with a lot of her music videos, come to think of it), Admittedly, in this case it's for shallow reasons. Despite the less-than-innocent motif in the title and chorus, this song has a valid and relatable meaning that speaks for a lot of women who want to be able to go out in public without being harassed by annoying, egotistical dudes. There’s a little profanity.
Note: This has HD!

P!NK - U + Ur Hand:

Here’s the official music video:

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Kendji Girac - Andalouse

How about something a little more upbeat, huh? I found this track by YouTube surfing. This young artist was a competitor and winner of the French version of the reality singing competition show The Voice. His first language is Catalan, and he’s released songs in Spanish. (This song has a little bit of that.)
Note: This upload has HD quality!

Kendji Girac - Andalouse:

Friday, November 13, 2015

Nicole Scherzinger - Run

I wasn’t inspired to post anything by this artist until a couple months ago when I heard this lovely song. I always thought this well-known singer, lead of the Pussycat Dolls and even known to me when she was in Eden’s Crush, was a very good vocalist, but I didn’t hear any songs of hers that grabbed me. When YouTube recommended her songs to me recently, though, I decided to give her solo stuff more of a chance and went through a handful of tracks.
Note: HD quality upload herrrre!

Nicole Scherzinger - Run:

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Gackt - Fragrance

Wahhhhhhhhh, this song sounds so cooooooooool. It has so much mixed in, even though it’s so chill. It’s got harp! It’s got piano! It’s got tambourine! The delicate interplay among all the instrument layers is my favorite aspect of the song, although I find the melody itself captivating as well.

Gackt - Fragrance:

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Peiyu Hong - 踮起腳尖愛

This is a simple little song that YouTube recommended to me. It’s true to Taiwan’s tradition of indie soft rock/pop. There’s a song in the same language I REALLY wanted to post, have in its original quality, etc., but for some reason it’s not available anywhere online in good quality that I can find, and my copy refuses to upload anywhere. So this!

Peiyu Hong A.K.A. 洪佩瑜 - 踮起腳尖愛 [Dian Qi Jiao Jian Ai - Tiptoe Love]:

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Justin Cross - Drink the Water

I was on a gothic South kick recently and came across this song. It was actually a fanvideo I stumbled across somehow, using this song paired with clips from a short animated film called The Backwater Gospel. You can bet I immediately sought out the short film in its entirety and watched it—it’s excellent. The fanvideo for it is here, but be warned that the visual content is violent. The song lyrics criticize people’s tendency to use religion only when it’s convenient for them.
Note: This upload has HD quality!

Justin Cross - Drink the Water:

Monday, November 9, 2015

Puer Kim - 은행

Upon my initial discovery of this artist, I could tell right off the bat that she was not conventional K-pop. She projected a mature style, flouting K-pop conventions of youthful vocals, modest fashion, and light subject matter. She deviates to a style that’s dark, cynical, and provocative instead, and I appreciate her for pursuing her own artistic vision in an industry where that’s difficult. This song is about selling your soul, working your heart away in the pursuit of material wealth. It describes the rationalization people create that keeps them on the grind. I doubt that the pun in the ending line of the chorus, where the repeated Korean word “manhi” (meaning “a lot”) sounds suspiciously like the English word “money,” the topic of the song, is unintentional.
Note: This is the official music video, which has HD and English subtitles!

Puer Kim A.K.A. 퓨어킴 - 은행 [Eunhaeng - Bank]:

Sunday, November 8, 2015

The Young Professionals feat. Anna F. - All of It But Me

Israel keeps popping up in my life lately, so I guess it’s time to post a song from there. I tried listening to a few of the main artist’s songs and found them pretty boring, but this one has a catchy chorus. So catchy, in fact, that after only one listen through I could recall the tune days later, and after two listens I found it playing in my head instantly every time I was reminded of the song. The music video has some cool visuals too. Plus the image of the guy getting pumped while pressing keys on the synthesizer as if he’s rocking out on an electric guitar is funny to me. It’s just a synthesizer! Calm down! Gamers are finding out about this song now because evidently a remix of it is going to be used on the soundtrack of the game FIFA 16.
Note: The upload has HD!

The Young Professionals feat. Anna F. - All of It But Me:


And for fans of grayscale like myself, the music video:

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Mecca Kalani - Feel Me

Only a few lines into this song and not knowing what to expect from it, I went, “WOW.” Her voice was so simply flawless. I was so excited at the discovery of this song! I’ve been having a great stroke of lucky lately when it comes to finding good new music. I stayed up way too late one night not long ago, delving into what music YouTube uploads had to offer, and found a number of gems. This was one of the top discoveries of the night. Worth it!
Note: This upload has HD!

Mecca Kalani - Feel Me:

Friday, November 6, 2015

Tackey & Tsubasa - Diamond

OK, I'm not a T&T fan... but I like this song. It’s… fun! I forgot about this song for years, but was somehow reminded of it. I’m pretty sure I originally heard this song through an mp3 rotation site ages ago, but at the time I already was familiar with the artist due to their songs that were used in anime and even their work on J-dramas.

Tackey & Tsubasa - Diamond:

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Selah Sue - Reason

This Belgian artist has newer music that is vaguely Ellie Goulding-esque and I’m enjoying its intensity. This song semi-qualifies, but it also has a retro sound to it. There are some parts where her voice sounds raw and others where it sounds polished and instrument-like. I really like a lot of the music I’ve heard by her, old and new, even though it varies in style.
Note: This is an HD upload!

Selah Sue - Reason:

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Jaymes Young - I'll Be Good

I'm crushin' on this music video, and the song is like the ultimate redemption theme. It’s about turning a new leaf, waking up to the realization that you’ve been a force for destruction and committing your remaining time on earth to changing that. The artist explained that the video is supposed to reflect how doing harm to others is also doing harm to yourself.
Note: It’s another official MV with HD quality!

Jaymes Young - I'll Be Good:

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Alessia Cara - Here

The voice won me over first, then the meaning sealed the deal. GOD. THAT OLD SCHOOL SOUND and alla dat! Jesus! Relaaaaaaaatable… This is for all the people who feel way out of place in a cliché party atmosphere. It encapsulates the bitterness and regret that goes with putting yourself in such situations when it’s not something you genuinely enjoy. It’s such perfection.
Note: This official music video drives the point home, with HD if you like!

Alessia Cara - Here:

Monday, November 2, 2015

Lupe Fiasco - Hurt Me Soul

This song is one of my favorites by this artist. It expounds on the wealth of subject matter and pain experienced by people in the world that can be channeled into music and expressed through hip hop. The genre has such power to therapize and raise awareness of various kinds of struggles, but it’s often sadly squandered on materialism or banal topics. In spite of this misuse, for a fan of the genre and culture, you can’t help but love it still, and rather than desert its fanbase you recognize and mourn its flaws. Since it covers such a range of topics, mostly dealing with people’s problems, the lyrics are laced with some mature and disturbing subject matter, and a little profanity.

Lupe Fiasco - Hurt Me Soul:

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Christine and the Queens feat. Tunji Ige - No Harm Is Done

Weird story: I came across this artist only a few weeks ago through looking for music on YouTube. The next day, I was working at a Marina & the Diamonds concert, and found out after I got to the venue and learned that this popular French singer-songwriter was the opener for the show. She rocked it and, like her music videos, incorporates some suave, well-placed dance moves into the performance.
Note: So here’s the official music video, with HD!

Christine and the Queens feat. Tunji Ige - No Harm Is Done: