System of a Down - Ego Brain

I used to play this band’s first three albums on repeat, and this was one of my favorite tracks (although I had many favorite tracks, admittedly). One of this band's strengths is the harmonization of Serj Tankian's and Daron Malakian's voice, which this song nicely displays.
Note:  Listen in HD!

System of a Down - Ego Brain:

Kiroro - Best Friend

Wahhh, this song brings back memories. It’s one of the first Japanese songs I memorized. Obviously, it’s about friendship. Yay!

Kiroro - Best Friend:

The Piano Guys - Rolling in the Deep

Cellos are my weakness. This cover of Adele’s famous single by the same name is GORGEOUS.
Note: Listen to this magnificence in HD.

The Piano Guys - Rolling in the Deep:

Jenifer - Tourner Ma Page

I came across this song last year while looking for French music. Catchy!

Jenifer - Tourner Ma Page [Turn My Page]:

Hirasawa Susumu - 白虎野の娘

This is from the soundtrack of the trippy anime film Paprika (R.I.P. Satoshi Kon). I probably heard it when I saw the movie in the theatre, but didn't really notice how freakishly cool it sounded until my friend (who saw the movie with me in the theatre) made this his ringtone and played it for me. This composer has a lot of work with the film’s director that sounds both appealing and unnerving at the same time.

Hirasawa Susumu A.K.A. 平沢 進 - 白虎野の娘 [Byakkoya no Musume - The Girl from Byakkoya]:

Flyleaf - I'm So Sick

My friend sent me this song last year, knowing that female-fronted rock bands make me happy. Supposedly this is a Christian band, though I’m not sure how that’s related to the song, other than that it makes me go, "God, her screaming sounds cool."
Note: Rock out in HD!

Flyleaf - I'm So Sick:

Cosmo Jarvis - Gay Pirates

I found out about this somewhat odd young artist through an article on a website a while ago. This guy makes music that isn’t exactly a style a typically like the sound of, but the themes of his songs and his music videos are so interesting I end up enjoying his work. This is, I believe, his most famous song, and although I knew about it shortly after it came out, it seems to have gained a considerable amount of popularity recently. The appeal of this song largely seems to be that people expect it to be cheeky, much like his other songs and as the title indicates, but it catches them by surprise.  As a warning, there are references to violence.  BTW, this artist is slightly younger than me, once again reminding me of how underaccomplished I am.
Note: Watch and listen in HD!

Cosmo Jarvis - Gay Pirates:

Eivør - Trøllabundin

I came across this artist while YouTube surfing some number of months ago. I’m not sure if this song is supposed to be inspired by Native American songs, but it sounds like it to me. Call it cultural appropriation if you want, but it sounds awesome!
Note:  Watch/listen in HD!

Eivør - Trøllabundin [Spellbound]:

Binary Star - Reality Check

This is some fantastic wordplay right here. This song is so clever! The two hip hop artists that make up this collaboration duo are truly are masters of lyricism, and grossly underappreciated.
Note: Take advantage of the HDness!

Binary Star - Reality Check:

The Good Natured - Red Skin

‘Tis another song by this artist! The title of this song kinda grosses me out, but the song sounds cool.

The Good Natured - Red Skin:

Dicta License - Falling Earth

I discovered this Filipino band when I saw their music video for “Ang Ating Araw” playing on television on the Asian channel. I listened to their whole album and liked this song the most.

Dicta License - Falling Earth:

Carole Samaha - حدودي السما

I came across this singer when looking for Arabic music, and since then have seen her name come up a number of times. This sounds like a tango but with Arabic lyrics and singing style. Pretty cool combination. BTW, I don’t speak Arabic at all, so I don’t know the translation of the title. I did the best I could using Google Translate, but if someone knowledgeable has a better translation I’d be happy to hear it.

Edit: A helpful commenter has told me the proper translation of the title, and explained that the title is written as it is pronounced in the Lebanese dialect, hence Google Translate’s failure to translate it well.

Carole Samaha A.K.A. حدودي السما - سماحة كارول [Hodoudi El-Sama - Boundaries of the Sky]:

Fischerspooner - Infidels of the World Unite

I came across this song not long after I found the previous song I posted by this artist. For some reason lately I’ve been playing it a lot. I like the lyrics. I’ve posted religious songs before, but this is kinda the opposite, as it talks about how religion is used for evil and to control people.

Fischerspooner - Infidels of the World Unite:

Angela Aki - Creep

Chances are good that you’ve heard Radiohead’s famous song “Creep,” but have you heard this artist’s Japanese cover of it? I’m not a big fan of the original, but it turns out it sounds a lot better to me when performed with pretty singing and piano chords. I came across this pianist/singer/songwriter a few times over the years and have always appreciated her natural talent and carefree appeal, although I never discovered a song by her that I really loved.

Angela Aki - Creep:

Mindless Self Indulgence - B**ches

This is what insanity sounds like. I heard this song in an AMV. I love the weirdness. Although the lead singer usually just kinda yells, his vibrato falsetto amuses me to no end. Bonus points for the fact that half the band consists of female members! Obviously, this song has profanity. (This is an appropriate post-Valentine's Day song, right? Right?)

Mindless Self Indulgence - B**ches:

Naya Rivera - Songbird

NAYA, WHAT YOU DO TO ME. This is the cover of Fleetwood Mac’s song, from the popular TV series Glee. I'm so glad they're having this artist sing more on the show, because she is one of my favorite singers on there. Her voice is usually so sultry so it was interesting to hear her sing such a sweet, heartfelt style for a change.  This gets me all sentimental, probably in large part because the scene it was used in was a rare moment of vulnerability for the character.

Naya Rivera - Songbird:


She’s great at emoting with her voice AND her face:

Jerry Goldsmith - Short Hair

I remember being a little kid and seeing the SUPER INTENSE AWESOME TRAILER for the Disney movie Mulan that used a version of this SUPER INTENSE AWESOME MUSIC and had Mulan sitting all depressed in the rain and then cutting her hair and riding a horse and I WAS SO EXCITED.

Jerry Goldsmith - Short Hair:


Dude, I was so in love with this trailer:

Blu Cantrell - Hit ‘Em Upstyle (Oops!)

I distinctly remember listening to this song in the car back when it was on the radio all the time. I loved her voice enough to buy her album, but I think this is probably the best song on it. This song doesn’t showcase how amazing her range is, but it is pretty catchy.

Blu Cantrell - Hit ‘Em Upstyle (Oops!):

Eiffel 65 - Living in a Bubble

Another song from my oft-listened-to debut album by this artist. I think this is probably the only song on the album that used non-electronic instruments.  And HOLY CRAP, I totally forgot there was a reggae-style rap in this!  That's pretty unique to this song too.

Eiffel 65 - Living in a Bubble:

Tattle Tale - Glass Vase Cello Case

I heard this song in the hilarious movie But I'm a Cheerleader, which seems to be where everyone else first heard this song too. It sounds kinda raw and unrefined to a fault (although some might find this element charming), but I like the fact that it has cellos. I also like the title.
Note:  Found it in HD!

Tattle Tale - Glass Vase Cello Case:

Sting feat. Cheb Mami - Desert Rose

This song is how I discovered the Algerian rai singer Cheb Mami. Of course I already knew who Sting was, but I liked this song for the Arabic vocals. Years ago, I mentioned that I liked the female singer’s voice in the song, and my father’s GF at the time got confused and told me there WAS no female singer in the song. Then she informed me that the vocalist singing in Arabic is a popular MALE singer from Algeria. Either way, I think his voice is beautiful.
Note: Listen in HD!

Sting feat. Cheb Mami - Desert Rose:

Ayumi Hamasaki - Seasons

Ya'll are surprised I'm posting a song by this J-pop star, huh? Admittedly, she is far from a favorite artist of mine. I typically find her voice annoying. However, she has quite a few catchy songs, including this one, and this was one of the first Japanese songs I ever acquired.

Ayumi Hamasaki A.K.A. 浜崎 あゆみ - Seasons:

The Mars Volta - Inertiatic ESP

This might be my favorite song by this band. I like the lead vocalist’s voice, and the instrumentation in this song is oddly energizing. I think their lyrics are somewhat… influenced… by drugs…

The Mars Volta - Inertiatic ESP:

t.A.T.u. - 30 минут

This song is deliciously creepy! I remember first hearing of this artist years ago at my dad's house, when MTV or VH1 was airing music videos, and their music video for "All the Things She Said" came on and I thought it was the most tragic, beautiful MV I'd seen. XP  Then I looked up their other music and really liked it despite it being pretty "dancy."
Note: I'm including the video, which is kinda racy but awesome. It’s actually one of my favorite MVs.

t.A.T.u. A.K.A. Тату - 30 минут [30 Minut - 30 Minutes]:


And the music video:

Anthony Hamilton - I Used to Love Someone

I’m no expert on his music, but he’s got a wonderful voice. I’ve known about him for a long time, though I don’t remember where from.
Note: Listen in HD!

Anthony Hamilton - I Used to Love Someone:

Snow tha Product - Unorthodox

Listen to her flow!! I found out about this artist a few months ago through a website that has virtually nothing to do with hip hop; they just really liked her so they decided to promote her. This song is about defending her place in hip hop. Let ‘em know. This song is short but she raps so fast it counts for as much content as a regular-length song. There is profanity, so if that bothers you you’ve been warned.
Note: Listen/watch in HD!

Snow tha Product - Unorthodox:

Matt Alber - End of the World

This song is just classy. I think I may have found it through a New Now Next playlist years ago.  The artist’s style and voice remind me of Rufus Wainwright. At first I just liked the song’s strings, but I found the lyrics playing in my head and the whole song ended up really growing on me. The song feels to me like something out of a musical play, perhaps because the lyrics and piano chords invoke ferris wheel/rollercoaster imagery pretty strongly for me.
Note: I can’t believe I found this relatively unknown song uploaded in hi-def, but I did! Make use of it!

Matt Alber - End of the World:

No Doubt - Running

This song used to make me feel REALLY sentimental for some reason. I guess it still kinda does. I associated the lyrics with a close friend (even though I think they're supposed to refer to a lover). My first exposure to the song was through the music video, which I saw on TV many a year ago.
Note: HD, yo.

No Doubt - Running:

Placebo - Twenty Years

I’m not sure why, but this song always stood out to me as one of this band’s absolute best. The lyrics in particular stand out to me. I think they’re about the rapid approach of the future and what we have to look forward to, as well as how the fate of the world will be in the hands of the young listeners, not the idols they look up to now. Even before I had that figured out I really liked the line, “You’re the truth, not I.”
Note: Listen in HD!!

Placebo - Twenty Years: