Vertical Horizon - We Are

I did NOT realize this artist was still around. One of the first albums I ever owned was Everything You Want by this band. That’s also the only music I know by them, so that’s what I’m posting again. Unlike last time, though, the song I’m posting by them was not a single. This was the album opener.

Vertical Horizon - We Are:

Christina Aguilera - Hurt

This song is a favorite to sing at karaoke, despite the high bar this popular artist sets with her vocals. It seems like this song is about her father, and the official music video reinforces this point. Side note: I recently came across an article that charted and ranked the vocal ranges of the most popular artists, and I remember Christina was near the top of the ranking and may have been the top-ranking female singer.

Christina Aguilera - Hurt:

The Colourist - Little Games

I found this song through a music recommendation column. Despite the spelling of the name of the artist, they’re American. At the start of this song, it sounds like the typical style that does nothing for me, but once the chorus kicks in it’s more my style.

 The Colourist - Little Games:

Walk Off the Earth - Cheers (Drink to That)

This artist of YouTube fame became well-known through their cover of Gotye’s overplayed hit “Somebody That I Used to Know.” When I saw this song being promoted in a music column on a website, I didn’t realize it was the same duo who’d done that cover, though. This song is originally by Rihanna, and has a little profanity.
Note: This is a live performance, and in HD!

Walk Off the Earth - Cheers (Drink to That):

World Order - Permanent Revolution

I meant to post a music video by this Japanese artist, but forgot to--until a video of theirs was shown at Fanime, that is! Like Kazaky, they’re more of a dance group than a music group. Their style is characterized by slow, carefully-synchronized, robotic motions in public places. This video features them in Korea. Look at those guys, single-handedly (or 12-handedly) improving Japan’s relations with Korea and China, 2 countries that don’t have the best relationship with Japan. It’s a feel-good video, too, because it has a nice meaning.
Note: I recommend listening AND watching in HD!

World Order - Permanent Revolution:

Marina & the Diamonds - Oh No

I heard this song in an AMV that I saw yesterday at the anime convention I’ve been at this weekend. I heard of this artist right when she first debuted, through the music video for her first single "Mowgli’s Road," but didn’t care for it. I’m glad that since then I’ve heard a number of songs by her that are much more to my liking.

Marina & the Diamonds - Oh No:

You Me at Six - Forgive and Forget

I heard this song on the British show Hollyoaks. I really dig that little vibrato the lead singer does. This is the only song I know of by them, but I plan to look into more.
Note: You can listen in HD!

You Me at Six - Forgive and Forget:

Jessie J - Who’s Laughing Now

In light of me attending a nerdy convention, I am posting this song of nerd revenge by this immensely talented artist. I appreciate that she has a variety of subject matter in her songs. This one, clearly autobiographical, is about being bullied as a child and coming out the victor through her current success.
Note: I think the official HD music video is a must.

Jessie J - Who’s Laughing Now:

Hyde - Perfect Moment

I just came home from an event where they played a song by this mega-popular Japanese rock artist, reminding me of his existence. I’m not the biggest fan of his voice, but he makes some lovely songs, including this one. It feels like I’m watching the end of a movie when I listen to this song, because it paints a vivid picture and describes a specific moment while implying a backstory. The lyrics are so rich, because with only a few simple words it expresses the complexity of putting a miniscule fragment of time into the context of eternity.
Note: It’s surprisingly difficult to find mainstream Japanese songs in good quality, but somehow I knew this song would be available in HD.

Hyde - Perfect Moment:

Miranda Lambert - Mama’s Broken Heart

I found this song first through my friend’s blog, where she had a post promoting current country music songs she liked. The sassy lyrics appealed to me. I later found out my mother liked the song because of its baldfaced rejection of the (by my standards, old-fashioned) convention that dictates women should maintain a prim & proper appearance while keeping their feelings pent up so they don’t seem hysterical or overly emotional. Later, another friend, who doesn’t typically listen to country but also found the song funny, sent it to me as a recommendation. Fun fact: This hit song was written by the country artist whose solo music I posted recently, Shane Mack.
Note: I’m using the official music video, which has HD, because it adds… attitude.

Miranda Lambert - Mama’s Broken Heart:

Sneaker Pimps - Bloodsport

I've already posted a couple songs by this trip-hop group, as well as songs by its leader singer Chris Corner, A.K.A. IAMX. I had heard/seen their name many times before, but only listened to their music when I heard this song in a fanvideo.

Sneaker Pimps - Bloodsport:

Kate Havnevik - Castaway

Music by this Norwegian artist reminds me a lot of Imogen Heap’s music. This song isn’t the best example of that, but it sure sounds nice. This is good music to chill to, and the undulating beat reminds me of ocean waves, which is probably intentional.
Note: HD listening is available!

Kate Havnevik - Castaway:

MC Sniper - Gloomy Sunday

If this isn't a tragic-sounding hip hop track, I don't know what is. It’s like it’s trying its hardest to be as much of an acoustic downer as possible. I do love them violins, though! I remember listening to this song years ago and my dad overhearing and asking what violins were doing in rap music. I said, “There are tons of rap songs with violins,” he made a pun about too much violins/violence in rap music. Har har.

MC Sniper - Gloomy Sunday:

Vas - Mandara

If you’ve been following my music blog for some time (or just music in general) then you might recognize this artist’s vocals as those of Azam Ali, another artist I’ve posted music by in the past. So far, I’ve posted music by her as a solo artist and in her group Niyaz. This is her project collaborating with Chris Ellis. The music tends to be new agey world music with a variety of Middle Eastern and South Asian influences.
Note: You can listen in HD!

Vas - Mandara:

Dominik Joker - Если Ты Со Мной

A little Russian-language R&B fo yo earholes. When I was looking for Russian music, this artist’s name kept popping up. I guess he’s a big deal, especially since his Wiki page attributes a number of titles (poet, composer, arranger, etc.) to him.

Dominik Joker A.K.A. Доминик Джокер - Если Ты Со Мной [Yesli Ty So Mnoyi -If You're with Me]:

F(x) - NU ABO

OK, I actually don't really like this song... Heck, I don't even really like this group. They're your typical poppy Korean girl group... with one exceptional element: OMGAMBER!!! Yes, my one reason for watching this video repeatedly is the group's Taiwanese American rapper, Amber. Actually, I remember that before my classmate posted the link to this video on FB, my friend recommended them to me, saying their music was mostly not my style, except the rapper was awesome. Right she was. Interestingly enough, she is by far and by numerous measures I’ve observed the most popular member of the group—among Americans, that is. In Korea, when I told my coworker that Amber was the only member of the group she was shocked, claiming that in Korea nobody liked her because she’s “like a man”. The very trait that makes her the favorite among Americans, her tomboyishness that sets her apart, is evidently the cause of her unpopularity among Koreans.
Note: As this is a K-pop music video, naturally it’s in HD.

F(x) - NU ABO:

Revolverheld - Unzertrennlich

I heard this song on a German soap opera because the show used it repeatedly for one particular couple; it practically became their theme song. Sehr dramatisch, ich weiss. (Feel free to correct me on my German, haha!) Lately it’s been stuck in my head, and the lyrics are simple enough that I actually understand most of them, even with my very cursory knowledge of the language. Simple lyrics may not sound like a flattering description, but they sure make me feel accomplished!

Revolverheld - Unzertrennlich [Inseparable]:

Yelyena Yesyenina - Мир без тебя

I came across this song while YouTube surfing for Russian-language pop music a little while ago. It starts out sounding kind cinematic, then turns into a more conventional-sounding pop ballad with a bit of Eastern European flavor mixed in.
Note: You can listen in HD!

Yelyena Yesyenina A.K.A. Елена Есенина - Мир без тебя [Mir Byez Tyebya - World Without You]:

Ed Sheeran - I See Fire

I’d heard music by this artist before, including an entire album, and liked it, but I didn’t hear this song until my friend pointed it out to me. It’s from the soundtrack of the recent movie The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. What a gorgeous theme it is! I love the layering of the singer’s voice in two different octaves.
Note: HD listening recommended so you can hear the details of its gorgeousness!

Ed Sheeran - I See Fire:

Ilaria Graziano - Dew

Another song composed by the talented Yoko Kanno with one of her signature go-to vocalists, this song was used in the soundtrack of the anime series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. This Italian artist is often utilized as the vocalist in the Japanese composer’s music. I love the song’s mysterious feel.
Note: You can listen in HD!

Ilaria Graziano - Dew:

Exo-K - Mama

A colleague mentioned that she liked this song, and I later realized I hadn’t heard it. I saw it listed on a website’s article about K-pop videos and decided to check it out. Now I get why my colleague was such a fan of the song. It’s certainly much more epic-sounding than I had expected. I appreciate that the lyrics are about something other than what I typically hear in K-pop (love songs); they are lamenting the state of the world today, in which people are disconnected from one another.
Note: This HD video has a translation of the lyrics, which is helpful. Some sources translate the word in the title as “Your Highness,” while others interpret it as the same thing it means in English, mother. I honestly don’t know what to think; since I’ve seen the official title written with English letters I’m inclined to think the latter, but this video’s translation uses the former.

Exo-K - Mama:

Janelle Monáe feat. Big Boi - Tightrope

The music video for this song, which I found on a NewNowNext playlist, was my first exposure to this talented artist, and her suave dance moves and classy attire won me over almost immediately—her voice and lyrics were just icing on the cake. It’s a song of motivation; don’t let your haters get your down, and keep doing your thing. The featured hip hop artist was one half of the famous duo Outkast, which is quite an endorsement.
Note: Listening in HD is recommended!

Janelle Monáe feat. Big Boi - Tightrope:


And here’s the music video:

3rei Sud Est - Alaturi de Ingeri

I think I found this song by this Romanian group through an mp3 rotation site. It's not amazing or anything, but I like it. I think this group is basically a Romanian boy band.
Note: You can listen to the song in HD.

3rei Sud Est - Alaturi de Ingeri [With the Angels]:

The Tiny - Closer

I heard about this Swedish artist through a music recommendation column on a blog. It’s a simple song, but it serves its purpose. Pretty much any song sounds richer with the inclusion of cello. It’s just unusual enough to be interesting, and just conventional enough to be pleasant to listen to.
Note: You can listen to the song in HD!

The Tiny - Closer:

IAMX - Volatile Times

In another installment of Chris Corner’s bitterness, I present this song! It’s about being fed up with the ridiculousness of society and wanting people to wake up and realize the corruption around them. There’s some profanity. This song (and entire album, as a matter of fact) helped keep me sane while I myself was feeling quite consumed with cynicism.
Note: I recommend listening in HD!

IAMX - Volatile Times:

Etwas - Halt Mich

I discovered this band when I heard one of their songs used in a German soap opera. For a while, I kept visualizing the lead singer as resembling one of the show’s characters, even though I knew that was ridiculous—maybe their voices were similar or something. It was to the point that when I saw what this band’s lead singer looked like for real and that she looked nothing at all like the character, I was disappointed. Quite silly.

Etwas - Halt Mich [Hold Me]:

Wordsworth - Shoulder

This hip hop artist should probably get more recognition than he gets. His music is largely about daily life—nothing too extreme or outlandish—but this means it’s relatable to a lot of listeners. This song is meant to convey a message of comfort and consolation, taking into account the variety of situations that could generate feelings of distress. As opposed to telling the listener to put a brave face on, it encourages the listener to let his or her emotions out and seek out someone to talk to rather than bottle everything up.

Wordsworth - Shoulder:

Park Ki Young - My Favorite Song

I finally get to post this song!! I’ve wanted to put this song up for years, but never could find a high-quality version anywhere. That changed today. The downside of trying to promote lesser-known songs is that they can be pretty difficult to find… Anyway, this is from the first album by this artist I owned, which I found through a Korean music message board back around the time the album came out. I really like the cello parts.

Park Ki Young A.K.A. 박기영 - My Favorite Song:

Daichi Miura - Delete My Memories

I’ve liked this Japanese R&B artist since I first heard his early singles. He seems like a manufactured pop product type, since he’s a singer whose popularity largely comes from his dancing skills, but it turns out his talents go beyond that, as he often writes his own music and lyrics, and choreographs his own dance routines. Enjoy the Engrish!

Daichi Miura A.K.A. 三浦大知 - Delete My Memories:

Meaghan Smith - Have a Heart

I looked up this song when I saw the artist listed on a music website. This song is pretty boring for me, but the music video is interesting. The guy is so good at the robotic movements!
Note: This is the official music video, with HD quality.

Meaghan Smith - Have a Heart:

Placebo feat. Michael Stipe - Broken Promise

This song, according to interviews with the band members, is about a lovers' quarrel in which one guy had cheated on the other, so the cheated-on guy resolves to hurt his partner by also cheating. The guest artist, playing the role of the “first cheater,” is the lead singer of the band R.E.M., in case you didn't know. I like the opening piano sequence of this song, and after figuring out how to play it on the piano I ended up making a (admittedly basic) piano arrangement of the entire song, which I play sometimes.
Note: You can listen in HD, but I don’t recommend having the sound up too loud because the song switches between quiet and noisy.

Placebo feat. Michael Stipe - Broken Promise: