Ruby Ibarra - Guess Who

This hip hop artist was brought to my attention when my friend blogged about her. I was directed toward her Lost in Translation mixtape, which wasn’t bad, and I found this track in particular to be to my liking due to its good message.
Note: HD listening available!

Ruby Ibarra - Guess Who:

Richard Marvin - Driving Away

This is from the soundtrack of the phenomenally good television series Six Feet Under. The score was full of simple but beautiful piano pieces like this one, which convey a peaceful melancholy.

Richard Marvin - Driving Away:

Anna Tsuchiya feat. AI - Crazy World

I found this song’s MV (and consequently, this song) when searching for the MV for another song that these 2 artists collaborated on. This song’s MV made me realize AI reminds me of Missy Elliott. Music video aside, this song sounds pretty cool, even with its Engrish on the part of Anna.

Anna Tsuchiya feat. AI - Crazy World:

Shinedown - 45

YouTube recommended this artist to me recently, and then my sister was blasting their music the other day and it caught my attention, particularly when this song came on.
Note: You can listen in HD!

Shinedown - 45:

Mary Lambert - This Heart

I heard of this artist through a song she collaborated with a hip hop artist on, which seems to be how a LOT of people have discovered her, as the hip hop song really made the rounds on the Internet. I thought her singing was really nice and looked into her solo music and came across this song. This song showcases a different singing style than I first heard her use, but I really like both.

Mary Lambert - This Heart:

Mike Posner - Please Don’t Go

I heard this song a couple years ago on the radio in my friend’s car; I might not have paid attention to it were it not for my other friend in the car pointing out that the artist’s voice is somewhat androgynous and that she liked it. Lately I’ve found it playing in my head quite a bit and decided to post it.
Note: Another HD listening opportunity!

Mike Posner - Please Don’t Go:

Florence + the Machine - What the Water Gave Me

When I listened to the album this song is on, this song didn’t make a huge impression on me, but I guess it did subconsciously because one morning I woke up with this song already playing in my head. This is one of many songs by this artist that seem to be about drowning, which I suppose is a bit worrisome. I was already planning to post this song today, but today I went to a gelato shop where they were evidently playing a playlist of songs by this artist.
Note: And HD once again!

Florence + the Machine - What the Water Gave Me:

Clara Sofie & Rune RK - Når Tiden Går Baglæns

I came across this song when I was looking for Danish music. It has a club/dance feel to it, but it’s not too overwhelming or annoying so I like it.
Note: Another opportunity for some HD listenin’!

Clara Sofie & Rune RK - Når Tiden Går Baglæns [When Time Goes Backwards]:

Evanescence - Listen to the Rain

This song is from before this artist was a big deal, and remains one of my favorites by them, if anything because it stands out from their other work. The vocals are done by a choir rather than Amy Lee, which caused me to doubt the track’s authorship when I first came across it many-a-year ago.
Note: You can listen to the track in HD!

Evanescence - Listen to the Rain:

Jin the Emcee - Gimmick

This is probably my favorite Jin song. I think his flow is unusually good on this one. This artist made a name for himself in hip hop by competing on the Freestyle Friday segment on the BET show 106 & Park. By the vote of the crowd, he won every round of freestyle battles until he got into the Hall of Fame, which is especially notable because he was the underdog by virtue of his Asianness in a Black-dominated forum against Black contenders being judged by a Black audience. His battle raps were more impressive than his writtens, but I think this is one of his better recorded tracks.  Oh, and this track is from before he became a Christian rapper, so there is profanity.

Jin the Emcee - Gimmick:

Sima Bina - Esfahan: Khodjasteh

Yesterday was Persian New Year! So I’m posting a Persian song. I learned of this track through an impossible-to-track-down remix of it that was used in the trailer of the film Circumstance. There is a lot of demand for the remix from the movie trailer to be released, but it appears the remix was made only for the trailer and wasn't made publicly available as a standalone track. Sadface! I figured out that the song I'm posting doesn't account for some of the vocals in the remix, and that therefore those vocals come from another track which I'm still trying to figure out the title of, but I know it exists because a few days ago I recognized those unaccounted-for vocals in another song used in a documentary about Iran.  I'm still working on hunting down the second mystery song, since the documentary didn't credit the song.  So this, the original version of one of the songs used in the remix, is the best I could do.
Note: At least HD is available!
Edit:  SCRATCH WHAT I SAID EARLIER, I FOUND OUT THE SECOND TRACK!!!!  I haven't found it to post here, but I've identified the track used in the documentary, whose vocals were used in the Circumstance remix, as "Esfahan: Esfahan" by the same artist, from the same album.  I WIN!

Sima Bina A.K.A. سیما بینا - Esfahan: Khodjasteh:


Someone put the trailer-included remix on loop here, if you wanna hear what it would sorta sound like as a complete song:

Imagine Dragons - Radioactive

I don’t know how YouTube knew I would like this song by an artist I’d never heard of, but it got it right when it recommended it to me. Coincidentally, one of the singers I posted music by a week ago is listed as having covered a song by today’s artist. (I heard that cover, too, but didn’t know who this band was at the time.)
Note: Listen in HD!

Imagine Dragons - Radioactive:

Dimitra Galani - Στερεότυπα

I think I guessed this Greek artist was male when I first stumbled across her music on YouTube. But nope! Either way, cool voice and pretty song I happened upon. According to the info I found on her, she has a long and prolific career; she’s been making music for decades and she composes her own music.

Dimitra Galani A.K.A. Δήμητρα Γαλάνη - Στερεότυπα [Stereotypa - Stereotypes]:

Weird Al Yankovic - Albuquerque

This artist is famous for his parodies of other artists’ songs, but a parody this is not. It’s just strange. And funny. Because it’s an original song from the genius mind of this famous parody artist. This song is one of the ones that made me laugh hardest on his album Running with Scissors.  It appeals to both my absurd sense of humor as well as my dark sense of humor, at the same time!
Note: HD listening available!

Weird Al Yankovic - Albuquerque:

Celtic Woman - Téir Abhaile Riú

‘Tis Saint Patty’s Day! Most Americans seem to celebrate Irishness by drinking excessively, but I shall celebrate by posting this song (and trying to remember how to Irish dance).

Celtic Woman - Téir Abhaile Riú [Go Home with You]:

Buck-Tick - 月世界

This was the first song by this Japanese artist that really caught my attention. It was in a post of songs by this band on an mp3 rotation site, and this was my favorite among the poster’s selection of songs from this artist’s expansive discography, so it’s really the song that got me into this band in the first place. I learned that this song is the opening theme of the anime Nightwalker, but I’ve never watched it.
Note: The video I found has HD as well as an English translation of the lyrics!

Buck-Tick - 月世界 [Gessekai - Moonworld]:

Karmin - Hello

My friend sent me music by this artist a while ago, and then I saw them popping up elsewhere. I thought their stuff was a little too poppy for my usual taste, but the lead singer’s voice is good and they have talent. The impression I get of the singer’s personality is appealing too, for some reason. The part of the song that repeats “hello” is reminiscent of Nirvana’s song “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and I wonder if that’s intentional.
Note: You can listen in HD! Or super HD!

Karmin - Hello:

Darren Criss & Chris Colfer - Come What May

At the risk of seeming like an obsessive Klainer, I am posting this song from the popular TV show Glee. I didn’t lose my mind sobbing like everyone else when this duet aired in the most recent episode, but I’ll admit, this cover of the epic love song from the film Moulin Rouge has managed to lodge itself firmly into my mind by being persistently stuck in my head since I first heard it about a week ago. I think the two actors’/singers’ voices blend together beautifully here. As usual, I found Chris’s unique voice to be particularly lovely. It’s amazing how he’s managed to retain that heavenly vocal quality even into adulthood.
Note: The video has HD quality available, and I appreciate that it features a picture of my 2 favorite characters from the show.

Darren Criss & Chris Colfer - Come What May:


Normally the show airs an abridged version of the song, but I guess they made an exception this time:

Irma - Mr. Love

I found this artist while looking for good new music on YouTube the other day. It was only after I looked her up on Wikipedia that I learned she’s from Cameroon. So now I have my first post of a Cameroonian artist!
Note: You can listen in HD!

Irma - Mr. Love:

Mumford & Sons - Roll Away Your Stone

I listened to this artist’s debut album Sigh No More whilst going for night walks by a river, and at that time noticed this song in particular becomes more and more emotion-laden as the song goes on.

Mumford & Sons - Roll Away Your Stone:

A-Mei Chang - 人質

This song more or less introduced me to this popular Taiwanese artist. I had heard her name before, but this was the first song I heard by her that caught my attention, thanks to a fanvideo that used it.
Note: The video has HD as well as an English translation of the lyrics!

A-Mei Chang A.K.A. 張惠妹 - 人質 [Ren Zhi - Hostage]:

Jukka Poika - Mielhyvää

DUDE. IT’S FINNISH REGGAE. This is a magical discovery.

Jukka Poika - Mielhyvää [Delight]:

Niyaz - Lovesong

This song is originally by The Cure, but a number of covers of this song exist, including the version of this song I first encountered, Tori Amos’s cover. I came across this rendition not too long ago and liked it too, because it gives it a cool Middle Eastern flair. This song was my first exposure to this Iranian artist.

Niyaz A.K.A. نياز - Lovesong:

System of a Down - Sugar

This song is a longtime favorite of my friend’s and mine—one day we discovered that we had inadvertently memorized this song by listening to it so many times when we attempted to recite it all the way through. Much of the time whenever sugar is mentioned, this song’s chorus (guitar and all) plays in my head. “Do do! Do do, do! Do dooooo! SUGAAAAAA!” Also, this song is fun to karaoke to but it’s not good to play around people who can’t abide by profanity.
Note: You can listen in HD!

System of a Down - Sugar:

Ayaka Hirahara - Jupiter

I think I heard this song a long time ago through an mp3 rotation site or something, but a couple years ago my friend who loves this song played it for me to demonstrate the singer’s great range. Later, she requested that I learn the lyrics so we could sing it together at karaoke, with her handling the low notes (which are kinda her thing) and me the high ones (which are kinda my thing). The video also has an English translation of the lyrics!

Ayaka Hirahara A.K.A. 平原 綾香 - Jupiter:

Frank Ocean - Forrest Gump

Not trying to hate, but while everyone was flipping out over how good this artist’s debut album, Channel Orange, was, I listened to the whole thing a few times and in all honestly don’t see what the big deal is about. The only song that stood out to me enough to play in my head later was this one. I like the lines in the lyrics about cigarettes; something about that struck me as poetic. This young R&B artist shook up the mainstream hip hop/R&B world right at his mainstream career’s inception. He made a bold move by announcing directly PRIOR to the release of his first album that it was inspired by his first love, who was—GASP—a man, but in spite of that revelation (or perhaps because of it?) his album charted at number 1 so I guess the career gamble worked out for him.
Note: Listen in HD, yo!

Frank Ocean - Forrest Gump:

Ailee - Heaven

I heard of this Korean artist when one of my FB friends posted a link to this song’s music video. It’s cool how her voice oscillates between breathy and beautiful to strong and powerful.
Note: The video has HD, as well as an English translation of the lyrics.

Ailee A.K.A. 에일리 - Heaven:

Guniw Tools - Baby’s One Do

In all honesty, this is the only song by this Japanese artist I have, but it’s a catchy one. I think I found it through an mp3 rotation site.

Guniw Tools - Baby’s One Do:

Sheryfa Luna - Si Tu N'étais Plus Là

I came across this R&B artist while YouTube surfing for French music. I just found out she was born about the same time as me. ANYWAY, this is the first song I came across by her, and it was enough to convince me that her other music was worth looking into.

Sheryfa Luna - Si Tu N'étais Plus Là [If You Were No Longer Here]:

Savage Garden - Break Me Shake Me

I’m so glad I went back, years after this mega-popular Australian duo had split up, and listened to their albums despite not liking their big hits, because otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten to hear this awesome song by them. You can definitely hear the Michael Jackson influence in this one.
Note: And you can listen to this song in superrrr HD!

Savage Garden - Break Me Shake Me:

Gabrielle Aplin - The Power of Love

I found this young British artist through YouTube surfing, but was reminded of her existence when this song was used in an episode of the British soap Hollyoaks.

Gabrielle Aplin - The Power of Love: