Jena Lee - J'aimerais Tellement

This is the first song I heard by this French artist.  I like the melody as well her voice (especially on those high notes).  Her music videos are really cool too; they look like something out of a comic book.  (It also seems like they often involve some guy dying.)  I can't embed the MV for this song, but it's here.  Her style has been described as mixing emo with R&B, which I think is an extremely fitting description.

Jena Lee - J'aimerais Tellement [I Would Love So Much]:

Jay Chou - 藍色風暴

Jay Chou is a ridiculously popular act in Taiwan.  He's not my favorite as far as singing goes, but I gotta admit the dude's got talent with musical instruments and compositions.  I love the complexity and layers of this song's instrumental.  It has a funky combination of elements (like Gregorian chanting, opera singing, hip hop-style scratching, electric guitars, Indian-style citar, a string quartet, and... dial tones?) that ends up working really well.
Note:  HD video, ya'll!

Jay Chou A.K.A. 周杰倫 - 藍色風暴 [Lan Se Feng Bao - Blue Storm]:

Natalie Grant - Home

I'm pretty sure I found this song through an mp3 rotation site.  I don't know much about the artist except that she's a Christian singer/songwriter and she started an organization to stop human trafficking after being inspired by an episode of Law & Order.  Funny origin, but great cause.  Supposedly she wrote this song for the girls her organization is trying to save.

Natalie Grant - Home:

Submersed - Hollow

I don't know much about this band, but I came across this song through a spoilery AMV for Fullmetal Alchemist (Ah, what the heck, here it is).  Anyway, I think it's cool that the singer implements falsetto in his rock music.  It sounds really nice and I think it works well in the song!

Submersed - Hollow:

Noma Kumiko - Lilium

This song is the opening theme of the anime series Elfen Lied.  I haven't watched much of the series, but I really like this song and have been trying to learn it on the piano lately.  A translation of the Latin lyrics is provided in the description of the video.

Noma Kumiko A.K.A. 野間 久美子 - Lilium [Lily]:

Se7en & Wheesung - She's Mine

I think I found this song through an mp3 rotation site, but I already knew who both of these singers were at the time.  They're both pretty successful and popular Korean R&B singers.   Their styles are pretty different, though, so I think this collaboration works well.  I'm especially impressed with Wheesung's voice.  Pretty catchy!

Se7en & Wheesung A.K.A. 휘성 - She's Mine:

Delta Goodrem - Lost Without You

I discovered this Aussie artist because I heard the lovely Darren Hayes covering this song (which was actually one of the first solo songs performed by Darren Hayes that I heard) and thought it was lovely, then when I looked it up I found a live performance duet with BOTH of them and was impressed by her singing and piano playing.  Of course, then I looked up her other music and found her original solo version of this song.  And now I totally karaoke to this song all the time!

Delta Goodrem - Lost Without You:


Actually, I'm gonna include the live duet, because I think she sounds better in it even though she reportedly was sick at the time.  Impressive!:

Kouichirou Kameyama - 遥かなる残照 ～「戦国残影」より

This was the ending theme of an anime series that was not particularly good...  In fact, I daresay this piece was the best thing about it.  But I was always really captivated by this music and was determined to acquire it.  It took me forever, but I REALLY wanted this piece and, after some aggressive searching, I eventually found it somewhere on the Internet.  I really don't know how to translate the title well, but I tried my best.

Kouichirou Kameyama A.K.A. 亀山 耕一郎 - 遥かなる残照 ～「戦国残影」より [Harukanaru Zanshou ~ "Sengoku Zan'ei" Yori - Distant Afterglow ~ From "Warring States Traces"]:

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Susan Misner, Deidre Goodwin, Denise Faye, Ekaterina Chtchelkanova, and Mýa - Cell Block Tango

It's my favorite song from Chicago! This is from the film adaptation of the play, which is the only version I've seen. Women killing their husbands/boyfriends galore! I really like the wittiness and dark humor of the lyrics.

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Susan Misner, Deidre Goodwin, Denise Faye, Ekaterina Chtchelkanova, and Mýa - Cell Block Tango:

And here's the clip from the movie, because it's awesome:

Mos Def, Pharaohe Monch, and Nate Dogg - Oh No

Wow, this takes me back...  I remember seeing this song's MV playing on TV when I was little and home alone, working on my homework after walking home from school, watching the local music video program.  Those were the days.  I always really liked this song for its overall sound, but its additional significance is that Pharoahe Monch's verse was one of the first moments of my life where I "got" how to listen to hip hop lyrics and appreciate their lyricism.  And I was impressed.  Still am!  R.I.P. Nate Dogg.
Note:  At first I could only find this song uploaded in low quality, but then found this one in HD!!  Hopefully a little profanity doesn't bother you too much.

Mos Def, Pharaohe Monch, and Nate Dogg - Oh No:


And heeeeeeere's the music video that started it all! I really like the style of it... artsy!:

t.A.T.u. - Зачем Я

I know I should get my queer card revoked for posting music by this famous Russian duo that built their career on an exploitative fake lesbian act, but I'm sorry, I really like a lot of their music.  I find this song quite pretty, especially that wind instrument near the beginning--whatever it is.  As for the speaking/rapping part: I asked a Russian-speaking friend of mine to tell me what was going on there, and he said it was just random nonsense.  According to this lyrics translation, it appears to be true.  I heard this song of theirs in an AMV for the very pretty anime Wolf's Rain (which you can watch here).
Note:  This is a very emo video, so beware.

t.A.T.u. A.K.A. Тату - Зачем Я [Zachyem Ya - Why am I]:

John Legend - Rolling in the Deep

Adele's version is great, but I figure a lot of people have already heard it since it was her second single and everyone's getting Adele fever now, so I'm posting John Legend's great cover of it since I really like his voice too.  Plus, I love that this is a capella!  Both versions are soulful, but his has a different feel to it.

John Legend - Rolling in the Deep:

Jewelry - Superstar

Super-girly K-pop time.  Don't hate!  I actually like this song quite a bit.  Come on, you know it's catchy.  I think I heard this first on a show that played Korean MVs, but I (I think) heard this song again in the very dark Korean film Voice of a Murderer, when one of the characters was watching TV.  The singers of this group seem to be able to sing better than some other significantly more popular girl groups to come out of Korea recently...  *cough*
Note:  I don't know if this happens to everyone, but sometimes with these types of links the embedded songs don't load all the way for no apparent reason, but if you play the song on the site rather than as an embedded file, they work fine.  o_0

Jewelry - Superstar:

Adema - Giving In

I first heard this song on a compilation album of hits from 2002 or whatever year this came out.  (If it is 2002, then this came out the same year as the song from my previous post!)  I actually hadn't heard it on the radio--in fact, I'd never even heard of the band--and only was exposed to it through that album, but I'm glad I was because I find it really addictive.  I'm not even sure why; it just sounds really GOOD.  Angst is fun!

Adema - Giving In:

Faye Wong - 彼岸花

Whoa, look, it's another song by the legendary Faye Wong, the first Chinese artist I listened to! This is also one of the first Chinese songs whose lyrics I memorized. I used to sing this song all the time. This singer makes such pretty music and has such a great voice; it's no wonder she's a major icon in Chinese pop culture. I've been listening to this song & this artist's other music a lot lately, and I find this song even more beautiful and haunting than I remember it being years ago. When she sings "ta lai," it gives me chills!

Faye Wong A.K.A. 王菲 - 彼岸花 [Bi An Hua - Flower of Paradise]:

Adam Lambert - Can't Let You Go

I was listening to this song practically on repeat a couple weeks ago.  This track would probably strike me as astonishingly generic if it weren't for Adam's CRAZY voice going CRAZY during the chorus of this song!!!!  CRAZY, I tell you!  (Especially that third chorus!)  Holy shiznit.
BTW, I have never watched a single episode of any season of American Idol, and when this guy's name kept popping up everywhere I assumed his fame was riding on his unconventional appearance and the “OMGTEHGAY” factor...  However, when I eventually bothered to look up his music on YouTube I was BLOWN AWAY by how powerful his voice is.  (This song is a testament to that.)  Then I saw interviews with him and discovered he seems like a really freakin' cool, down-to-earth dude and now I have mad respect for him.
Note:  I was gonna use a 480p video that only showed the lyrics, but anything less than HD quality makes the guitars in this song pretty intolerable, so I'm going with this instead.  Whatever, everyone knows what he looks like anyway.

Adam Lambert - Can't Let You Go:


This is relevant:

Janelle Monáe - Many Moons

You knew it was coming. ALL HAIL JANELLE MONAAAAAAAEEEE!!!  I heard her first when I saw her music video for "Tightrope" on a NewNowNext music playlist, and it was love at first sight. She is so talented and cool I can hardly stand it. I love how her music often revolves around a theme of being an outcast, being anti-conformity, and breaking social norms. She herself certainly refuses to conform to convention, and her fixation with android storylines amuses me.  I'm using her MV because it's weird & meaningful, plus GIRL CAN DANCE.

Janelle Monáe - Many Moons:

Deep Forest - Night Bird

These French guys use samples of indigenous people in various African countries speaking/singing to make them into songs. Exploitative? Maybe. Exoticizing? Yeah, probably. But it also sounds very good. This is appealing to me because even without knowing the meaning I think human-produced language and the human voice just sound interesting. My mom has had this album for as long as I can remember.

Deep Forest - Night Bird:

Hans Zimmer feat. Ofra Haza & Eden Riegel - Deliver Us

I have always looooooooooved this song from the Dreamworks film The Prince of Egypt.  Hans Zimmer is one of my favorite composers, and I was in love with this woman's voice from the very beginning.  The singer is the late Israeli pop star Ofra Haza, whose glorious voice I was introduced to through this film's soundtrack when I was little, but by the time I bothered to look her other work up, she had passed away.  R.I.P. Ofra Haza.

Hans Zimmer feat. Ofra Haza A.K.A. עפרה חזה & Eden Riegel - Deliver Us:

Simon Curtis - Beat Drop

I JUST discovered the magic of Simon Curtis through an article of music recommendations on a blog, and I am already well on my way to addiction.  I admit this isn't the kind of music I usually listen to, but something about the production wowed me upon my first listen.  It has an original sound to it, which is refreshing especially now because I've been frustrated with a lot of new music releases lately; they strike me as lackluster, uninspired, and agonizingly generic.  Plus I like his voice; it sounds like if Chester Bennington of Linkin Park sang pop.
Note:  Video available in HD, dawg!  And as a warning to the sensitive, there's a bit of profanity.

Simon Curtis - Beat Drop:

Joey Yung - 赤地雪

It's finally time for some Cantopop! One of my earliest exposures to Chinese music was through this artist's song "My Pride" (the Cantonese version), which is pretty interesting since Cantopop doesn't seem as popular as Mandopop. Nonetheless, she and Faye Wong (who also makes Cantopop) were probably the first 2 Chinese artists whose music I listened to. I think I came across this particular song through an mp3 rotation site.

Joey Yung A.K.A. 容祖儿 - 赤地雪 [Cek Dei Syut - Land of Snow]:

Abel Korzeniowski - Clock Tick

This piece is from the soundtrack of the (excellent) film A Single Man. It was used for the film's trailer, which is where I first heard it and it totally won me over. The music really adds to the cryptic tone of the trailer, but by itself it's great too.

Abel Korzeniowski - Clock Tick:

Brandy & Monica - The Boy is Mine

Both of these singers have such nice voices; my gratitude to whoever thought of having these two sing a duet together. Even though I didn't hear this song for YEARS, the chorus would periodically get stuck in my head, so that says something about its infectiousness. Besides, who doesn't love a musical catfight?

Brandy & Monica - The Boy is Mine:

Renan Luce - La Lettre

Here's an upbeatish little French song I found a few months ago when looking for French pop music on YouTube.  To be honest, I'm not sure why I like this song.  I'm not in love with it, but I figured it was about time I posted something a little happy-sounding.  (I admit my music tastes do not generally lean toward the chipper.)
Note:  I don't know what's up with the pics in the slideshow.  They'd probably make more sense to me if I could understand the lyrics.

Renan Luce - La Lettre [The Letter]:

Park Ki Young feat. Lee Seung Yeol - Mercy

This Korean artist is seriously underrated.  I heard her music first on an American TV show that played Korean music videos and thought her music had a pretty simplicity to it.  It's a shame she doesn't seem that well-known.  She has some really gorgeous songs, including this one.  This kinda reminds me of the kind of song Sarah McLachlan would make.
If you're curious, a translation of the lyrics can be found here:
http://www.lyricsmoon.com/song_229_10876.html?trans=en

Park Ki Young A.K.A. 박기영 feat. Lee Seung Yeol A.K.A. 이승열 - Mercy:

Tom Snow - One of Us

That's right, I'm posting a song from The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride. And? I've always thought this song was fantastic--definitely my favorite from the movie. All the individual voices sound great and of course the choir together does as well.  EXILE KOVU!

Tom Snow - One of Us:

Mahalia Jackson - Trouble of the World

I heard this gospel singer performing this song a month or two ago when I watched the Douglas Sirk film Imitation of Life.  At the time I watched the movie, I didn't even know who the singer was, let alone that she was famous, but the scene where she sang this I was blown away by how great her voice was.

Mahalia Jackson - Trouble of the World:


If you're curious, this is the scene of the movie where I heard it first:

A.R. Rahman feat. Mohit Chauhan - खून चला

This is one of my favorite songs from the Indian film Rang de Basanti.  The composer is A.R. Rahman, one of the most talented & prolific composers in Indian cinema, known for his unusual talent of NOT plagiarizing.  The singer does quite a bit of work for soundtracks as well.  The song is a part of the pro-revolution message of the movie, and there's a translation of the lyrics here:  http://venkythinky.blogspot.com/2006/08/khoon-chala-translation.html
Note:  If you're in Germany, sorry; this upload is blocked there.

A.R. Rahman A.K.A. அல்லா ரக்கா ரஹ்மான் feat. Mohit Chauhan A.K.A. मोहित चौहान - खून चला [Khoon Chala - Blood Rages]:

Kerli - Love is Dead

My friend sent me music by this artist a while ago and I didn't really pay attention aside from noting that it sounded European (and lo & behold, it turns out the singer's Estonian).  Around the same time, I heard this song on an episode of The L Word, and again didn't really pay attention.  Later I was rewatching The L Word and finally noticed the song and went, "Hey, that sounds pretty good!"  The end!

Kerli - Love is Dead:

Hyde - Jesus Christ

This very well-known Japanese artist is not my favorite singer, but he makes some really pretty ballads and some really cool-sounding rock songs.  This song is a nice combination of both and one of my favorite songs by him.
I feel I should point out that a lot of people think this is a Christian song... but I'm pretty sure they're missing the point.  Hyde has not exactly been subtle in his criticism of organized religion, especially Christianity (although he seems fascinated by the imagery), soooo I doubt he's promoting it now.  Besides, my interpretation has always been that this song is from the point of view of a mother whose child is dying, and her prayers to save him go unanswered, so if anything, this song is a manifestation of his criticism.

Note:  I know this video totally goes against the no-images-of-the-artist policy, but 1) the song is in HD, 2) the lyrics are provided, which is useful because his accent makes some of them pretty hard to understand, and 3) everyone knows what Hyde looks like anyway.  Well, everyone who listens to J-music, anyway.

Hyde - Jesus Christ:

Ellie Goulding - Lights

This song has been my current addiction.  I heard of this artist through a music recommendation article on a blog a few months ago.  At first I wasn't that impressed by the song I heard (which wasn't this one) but I couldn't get her voice out of my head.  It's so sweet & pretty!  So eventually I looked into her other music and found this.
Note:  Arg, second time I've had to resort to the music video when I didn't want to.  Oh well.

Ellie Goulding - Lights:

Josh Groban - You Raise Me Up

Wow, I keep posting Irish-inspired music lately.  I swear it's not intentional!  Anyway, I have much respect for this American singer.  Despite the lofty, high-brow opera music he performs, he has shown himself to be pretty funny and doesn't take himself too seriously.  (He's played hilarious versions of himself on the absolutely insane Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job as well as on Glee.)  It's probably pathetic that I heard of him first when he guest starred on an episode of Ally McBeal my mom was watching, but whatever.  I don't think this song needs much introduction, as it's pretty famous.

Josh Groban - You Raise Me Up:


I couldn't resist. If you need proof of his good sense of humor, look no further:

Léa Castel - Pressée de Vivre

I found this song/singer when I was searching for French music on YouTube a few months ago.  To be honest, I think this is the only song by this singer I listened to, but I like it.  And hoooooly shiznit.  That whistle register near the end is seriously impressive.

Léa Castel - Pressée de Vivre [Pressed Lifestyle]:

Moon Hee Jun - Aria of the Will

I came across this track on an mp3 rotation site. I love the mixture of rock elements with classical elements. The funny thing I found out later was that this singer used to be in the boy band H.O.T. so I guess he had trouble being taken seriously in rock music because of his shameful pop music past. XD

문희준 A.K.A. Moon Hee Jun - Aria of the Will:

Within Temptation - Pale

This Dutch band has a lead singer with one of the clearest, purest, prettiest voices I've ever heard.  This band has tons of really beautiful songs, but I went with this one because it was the first track by them that I heard, which was through a fanvideo.  Plus, I like the Celtic vibe it's got going on.
...Ohhh wow, I never really listened to the lyrics before, but now I am and am noticing it's basically an anti-suicide song.  *shrug*  Aiight, even better!

Within Temptation - Pale:

Chris Colfer & Darren Criss - Baby, It's Cold Outside

I realize I posted another Glee cover by one of these singers not long ago, but I wanted to post this duet now to celebrate the events of the most recent episode, which I figure by now everyone who follows the show should have already seen or had spoiled for them (as it went to the Internet exactly 3 weeks ago and people went nuts).
The first 20 million times I listened to this cover I just couldn't get over how stunningly similar to a female singer from 1950s America Chris's voice sounds.  His voice is so perfect for this song!

Chris Colfer & Darren Criss - Baby, It's Cold Outside:


I'm including the clip from the episode it aired in, even though it's an abridged version of the song, because it's painfully adorable (and in SUPER HD):

TLC - Unpretty

Back when the music on the radio was catchy AND had meaning!  Girls kinda get screwed over in the self-esteem department in the U.S., but I like to think this song may have done just a little something to help.  R.I.P. Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopez.  (Wow, this song is from the same year as my previous post!)

TLC - Unpretty:

And the music video, because it goes directly against the message of pretty much every other music video:

Eiffel 65 - Too Much of Heaven

Speaking of heaven...  AGHHHHHHHHH TRIP BACK IN TIME!!  It is now amazing to me that this group's debut album is one of the first albums I owned, 'cause this is totally not my typical kind of music.  This Italian group became famous in the U.S. for the song "Blue (Da Ba Dee)," but I personally liked this song more.  And kinda replayed it over and over and over and over.

Eiffel 65 - Too Much of Heaven:

Kokia - Siúil a Rúin

Kokia's voice + Irish music = Heaven.  I've posted music by this Japanese singer before (actually, it was my first music post on this blog!), but this time she's singing a traditional IRISH song!  IN IRISH!  (And English.)  And she does a fantastic job.  I was so excited when I found out one of my favorite singers ever released an ENTIRE ALBUM of Irish music, and this is one of my favorite songs from the album.

Kokia - Siúil a Rúin [Go, My Dear]:

Savage Garden - Two Beds and a Coffee Machine

I used to dislike Savage Garden when their singles were constantly playing on the radio, because all that got popular in the U.S. were their sappy love songs.  Thank God I gave them another chance after I got into Darren Hayes's solo music (which I've posted on this blog before).  A large part of what appealed to me about Darren's solo work that I felt Savage Garden lacked was sincerity, but this song is a break from that pattern, since it actually is about Darren Hayes's childhood.

Savage Garden - Two Beds and a Coffee Machine:

Gigi - Guramayle

I heard this Ethiopian song in the ending credits of the documentary God Grew Tired of Us, which I watched last weekend.  Unfortunately, this is the only copy of this song I could find on the Internet, but fortunately it's in good quality.  For a description of what the lyrics mean, I suggest reading the YouTube comment on this video that attempts to summarize the meaning.

Gigi - Guramayle [Caramel-Skinned]:

Talib Kweli - Get By

This song is amazing.  Lyrically, musically, contentwise, everything.  I'm convinced that if this played on the radio instead of "Lollipop," the world would be a better place.  BTW, this track was produced by Kanye West, back when he stuck to what he actually knew how to do: producing.

Talib Kweli - Get By:

Sarah McLachlan - Full of Grace

My mom owned the album this song is from, so I heard this many, many times throughout my childhood and loved the entire album, but when I had to live in cold, lonely Oregon for a year and was basically depressed, this song suddenly took on a whole new meaning for me and it grew to be my favorite song on the album.  Dramatic, yes, but I guess that demonstrates how much I absolutely hated living there.

Sarah McLachlan - Full of Grace:

The GazettE - 蜷局

This song is kinda weird so I find it addicting.  I love the "kara kata kata kara kata kata katari" part, and the scream.  :D  I think I found this band (formerly known as just Gazette) through an mp3 rotation site, and eventually found this song through an mp3 rotation site too.  They're pretty popular among fans of Japanese rock.

The GazettE - 蜷局 [Toguro - Coil]:

P!NK - Most Girls

A lot of people diss P!NK's earlier R&B-style music like this, but I tend to be partial to R&B over pop rock in general so I love this song (plus, as far as I'm concerned, P!NK's voice at any point in her career is the definition of "sexy"). I've been a fan of hers ever since I heard this song, which was her second single, on the radio back in 2000, and I'm amazed that a female artist who has always deviated from the typical touted image of femininity in American pop culture has managed to maintain her fame and success for so long. She is STILL churning out albums, just as popular as she was 10 years ago, and making music that I love, even though it's a different genre.

P!NK - Most Girls:

Libera - Recordare

British boys' choir.  Need I say more?
OK, fine, I will.  I believe I first found a song by them through an mp3 rotation site, then I looked up more songs by them and found this.  INTENSELY PRETTY!!

Libera - Recordare [Remember]:

J - The Crush of Love

This is the English version of another song by this Korean singer.  Her voice is not really powerful... it's actually pretty soft, but I love the subtle little vibrato she does.  Also, her voice (and this song) are just really pretty to me.  I only have one album by her (which has the same name as this song), but this is probably my favorite song from it.

J - The Crush of Love:

Rufus Wainwright - Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk

It took me a while to warm up to Rufus Wainwright's music, even though I knew he was very well-respected as an artist and really liked his cover of "Hallelujah" (as played in Shrek).  Fortunately, when my friend sent me this song years ago I saved it in the hopes that I would eventually grow to like it, and it worked.  Much later, after listening to another song that made me start to really like his music, I went back and listened to this song again, and appreciated its ironically cheery tone and clever lyrics.  Which are about drug addiction.  o_0  So yeah, some dark comedy right here!

Rufus Wainwright - Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk:


And how could I NOT include the live performance? (I am SO JEALOUS of his piano skills!!):

Luxuslärm - Unsterblich

I heard music by this German band in a German soap opera that evidently has a music department with very good taste.  This isn't the song I heard there, but once I heard one song by them I listened to their entire first album and found myself especially liking this song 'cause it's purdy.  I thought the whole album was pretty strong though, and was impressed that the lead singer, unlike in many rock bands, can actually sing.

Luxuslärm - Unsterblich [Immortal]:

Pep's - Melodie

Time for a bit of light-hearted French reggaeish pop, no?  Actually, their other songs are more obviously reggaeish than this one, but this one is quite catchy and energetic so I went with it instead.  I found this song/band a few months ago when I was aggressively scouring YouTube for modern French music.  I came across this song's MV and was impressed by the band's interesting sound.

Pep's - Melodie [Melody]:

Neil Patrick Harris & Felicia Day - My Eyes

If you don't like Neil Patrick Harris, there is something wrong with you.  This is a fact.  I don't know as much about Felicia Day, but she seems quite dandy as well.  Anyway, this is my favorite song from the musical Internet sensation Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog.  I've also seen this song floating around under the title "On the Rise."
Note:  I'm also including the clip from the short film in which it is sung.

Neil Patrick Harris & Felicia Day - My Eyes:

And the clip from the movie:

Tokyo Jihen - 喧嘩上等

I think I found this song through an mp3 rotation site long ago.  At the time I knew who the singer Shiina Ringo was, but didn't know she had a band in which she was the lead singer (this one).  Her voice is pretty distinctive, though, so I figured it out quickly.  Anyway, I like this song's quirkiness in message, sound, and structure.  (This song also made me feel better after a fight recently because it seems to make light of that sort of situation.  Behold the power of music!)

Tokyo Jihen A.K.A. 東京事変 - 喧嘩上等 [Kenka Joutou - Active Fighting]:

Matthew Good - Weapon

This moving song by this Canadian artist was apparently popularized by its usage in the American version of the originally-British series Queer as Folk... but I heard it in a Naruto AMV.  XD  Anyway, there's something really tragic and desperate-sounding about the music.  So naturally I love it.

Matthew Good - Weapon:

The Good Natured - Fortune Teller

I heard of this artist about a week ago through a music column on a blog; I wasn't expecting to like her music that much when I first listened to a song by her, but it grew on me as the song progressed, so I looked up more songs by her and found this one.  This song really did it for me in making me decide I like her music.  I am not particularly impressed with her voice by itself, but the harmonization sounds really nice and something about her melodies is interesting.

The Good Natured - Fortune Teller:

Sodagreen - 暫時失控

Qing Feng, the lead singer of this formerly-indie Taiwanese band, has the most adorable voice I've ever heard.  Good God.  AND he knows how to use it!  The band has an original sound, not just because of the singer, and this is one of my favorite songs by them.

Sodagreen A.K.A. 蘇打綠 - 暫時失控 [Zan Shi Shi Kong - Temporarily Out of Control]:

Invincible feat. Abeer - People Not Places

This Detroit-based emcee (whom I had the pleasure of seeing live a couple years ago) goes hard all day, every day, son!!  But really, she's undeniably skilled.  Invincible is Israeli-American and outspoken in her anti-Israel political beliefs, and she makes no secret of it in this hip hop song, so if your stance is pro-Israel in the whole Israel vs. Palestine mess you probably won't care for it much.

Invincible feat. Abeer - People Not Places:

CunninLynguists feat. Tim Means - America Loves Gangsters

This group is one of the best hip hop acts around, easily, and this song is just one of many amazing tracks for their much-praised album A Piece of Strange. The title pretty much explains the theme of the song: America has an unhealthy fascination with gangsters.

CunninLynguists feat. Tim Means - America Loves Gangsters:

Laura Pausini - Como si no nos Hubieramos Amado

I heard this song in my Spanish class in high school.  The teacher played it for us and had us fill in the lyrics, so I've had the lyrics memorized for a number of years now.  It remains one of my favorite Spanish-language songs to this day.  Also, sidenote: due to its intensity, fun to karaoke to, preferably with other people who know the song well!

Laura Pausini - Como si no nos Hubieramos Amado [As if We Hadn't Been in Love]:

Malcolm McLaren - About Her

When I was rewatching Kill Bill 2 last semester and this song started to play in a scene, I went, "What is this song?!  I must have it!" and immediately rushed to my computer to investigate.  Turns out it was this one.  It's kinda eerie and I believe goes under the classification "trip hop."  (Despite how often I listen to music, I don't really "get" genre classifications.  They all seem too ambiguous and numerous since people keep inventing new sub-sub-subgenre names, and it seems like no matter what you call it someone will disagree with you.)  Apparently, the artist died last year, so even though I didn't know much about him, R.I.P. Malcolm McLaren.
Note:  HD!

Malcolm McLaren - About Her:

3LW - Is You Feelin' Me

Girly pop R&B from my childhood.  Whatever; I like their voices, they can sing well, and the music is veryyyyy catchy.  I remember getting this album for Christmas, so many, many years ago...  Aww, I miss 1990s R&B...
Note:  HD!

3LW - Is You Feelin' Me:

Sigur Rós - Sæglópur

I had heard of this Icelandic band years ago, but didn't go out of my way to listen to them until I heard this song used in a commercial for a Prince of Persia video game on TV.  The song was so pretty I looked up the game trailer on YouTube, and found it with tons of comments asking about the song as well, so the uploader had included an mp3 link in the video description for just the song.  After that, I looked into the band's other music and was still impressed, but this song remains one of my favorites by them.
Note:  I really don't know why the video shows some dude's back, but the song is in HD, so deal with it.   :-P

Sigur Rós - Sæglópur [Lost at Sea]:

Natalie Imbruglia - Smoke

This song is one of my favorite tracks from one of the first albums I ever owned, Left of the Middle.  I always liked it, but it seemed even prettier after I saw a Serial Experiments Lain AMV that used it many-a-year ago.

Natalie Imbruglia - Smoke:

Altan Urag - Requiem

Music by this Mongolian band reminds me of a cross between Russian music and Chinese music, which makes sense, considering the geographic location of Mongolia relative to those two areas.  Anyway, this group is so gangsta and this song by them is especially pretty!

Altan Urag - Requiem:

Dresden Dolls - Girl Anachronism

What a crazy, intense song.  I found this years ago on an mp3 rotation site; the sound took some getting used to, but I found the lyrics rather funny so I kept it, and now I'm glad I did.  It conveys the mania so well!

Dresden Dolls - Girl Anachronism:

Gackt - Oasis

If you know anything about modern Japanese music, you probably already know who Gackt is.  This song is from early on in his solo career, so his voice is pretty different from how it sounds now.  (His voice has changed over the years and I don't like it as much now.)  Despite his overwhelming popularity, which normally predisposes me to not wanting to like an artist, I believe he actually is deserving of recognition for his talent, since he composes, writes, sings, and sometimes plays instruments for his own music.

Gackt - Oasis:

Lisa Miskovsky - Still Alive

I found this song by this Swedish singer when I saw the trailer for the video game Mirror's Edge.  I think it was on TV...  Anyway, I always thought it was really pretty and looked it up later.

Lisa Miskovsky - Still Alive:

Jason Mraz - 10,000 Motherf***ers (Live Acoustic Version)

Obviously, this song has a bit o' profanity, but it's probably not what you're expecting based on the title. His voice is gorgeous, the message is meaningful, and the lyrics are full of quotables.  This is actually one of my absolute favorite Jason Mraz songs.  I was SO HOPING he would perform this when I saw him in concert the year after this live performance was recorded, but no such luck. :(
Note: I've included multiple versions of this song; one is in HD quality, but I prefer the versions that were uploaded in lower quality. One is with piano, the other with guitar, and both are beautiful. The 3rd one, I think, was recorded before Mr. A-Z got very famous.

Jason Mraz - 10,000 Motherf***ers (Live Acoustic):

With piano:

With guitar:

Vitaa - Une Fille Pas Comme Les Autres

In a way, this sounds like typical dance/club music... which I generally don't care for much, but I really like something about this song.  The R&B elements probably help.  Anyway, found this one YouTube when I was mining for French artists.
Note:  Yet another song YouTube won't let me upload...  So I have to settle for this video.

Vitaa - Une Fille Pas Comme Les Autres [A Girl Like No Other]:

Jones Shi - 曙光

This guy doesn't seem very famous, even in Singapore and Taiwan, but I really like his work.  I think he's pretty underrated, as his songs are all really nice, his voice is good, and his falsetto in particular is quite pretty.  I picked a song by him that is one of my favorites but wasn't his "big" hit.

Jones Shi A.K.A. 石康軍 - 曙光 [Shu Guang - Sunrise]:

Dido - Isobel

Here's a lovely, depressing song from one of the first albums I ever owned.  Hurray!  I like pretty much every song on Dido's first album, but I chose this one because I was relistening to the album a few months ago and paid attention to the lyrics of this song for the first time, which led me to go, "Whoa, that's dark!"  So here it is.

Dido - Isobel:

Adam Lambert - Voodoo

It's probably weird that this is one of my favorite songs by this singer, considering it's one of the few tracks that doesn't really show off his incredible, powerful voice that much (which is my favorite thing about his music), and I must admit the lyrics are pretty corny at times... but I like the "dark" feel of it and I find the New Orleans imagery kinda unique.

Adam Lambert - Voodoo:

Tori Amos - Gold Dust

I'm starting off the new month with one of my absolute favorite artists of all time.  This is one of my favorite songs by the genius that is Tori Amos.  She's known for having ridiculously opaque lyrics, but this is one of the few songs by her that I feel I actually understand the meaning of with relative ease.  In a word, nostalgia.  It's about longing for your childhood and realizing as an adult how precious the random, fleeting moments of your childhood were.
Note:  Wow, my YouTube upload of this song was blocked worldwide, so I am resorting to another source.

Tori Amos - Gold Dust:

One OK Rock - Liar

Last year my friend who's a fan of this Japanese band showed me the music video for this song, and I was surprised by how good the singer's voice was (I'm used to low quality of vocals from male singers, especially in rock music, and especially in Japanese music).  His singing reminds me a bit of that of Chester Bennington, the lead singer of Linkin Park--it's kinda high-pitched for rock, he can actually sing well, and he can scream in-key.  Also, I just really like the energy of this song.

One OK Rock - Liar:

Julia Savicheva - Если в Сердце Живёт Любовь

I honestly can't remember how I first came upon this song (I suspect it was from some sort of fanvideo), but I'm glad I did.  This singer has a really good voice, and for years prior to my discovery I had been on the lookout for good Russian pop music with little success, so this came as a welcome addition to my collection.

Julia Savicheva A.K.A. Юлия Савичева - Если в Сердце Живёт Любовь [Yesli v Syerdcye Zhivyot Lyubov' - If Love Lives in the Heart]:

Lupe Fiasco feat. Sarah Green - Intruder Alert

Oh man, so many great songs by the brilliant Lupe Fiasco to choose from.  I eventually went with this one because I think it's the most widely-accessible, but you can pick pretty much anything by him at random and it will be gold.  I especially love the third verse, how he takes the concept of the alarm, which is established in the first two verses as a positive element, and then turns it on its head.  Even if you don't like hip hop, listen to this track.
Note:  Available in super HD!  And it looks like YouTube is back to letting people change the quality of embedded videos.

Lupe Fiasco feat. & Sarah Green - Intruder Alert:

Angel Haze - 6'7 Freestyle

OMG OMG OMG, I think I'm in love.  This girl has SKILLS!  I just discovered her through a recommendation on a blog I frequent.  This is the first track I heard by her and I was immediately impressed.  And don't get it twisted; she can spit rhymes that are inspiring and conscious as easily as those that are venomous and lethal like in this track.  This is hip hop, and it has profanity, so you have been warned.

Angel Haze - 6'7 Freestyle:

Arash feat. Shaggy - Donya

This song is pretty catchy, but then I saw the music video I knew I had to post it, even though it's not in HQ.  I must admit I don't understand why the MV involves a Jamaican guy and a Persian guy stealing all the white womenz from the Japanese guys, but OK.  Anyway, "donya " means "world" in Farsi, and it's also a Persian girl's name.
Note:  The first video is the song in HQ, the second is the music video.

Arash A.K.A. آرش feat. Shaggy - Donya:

And the music video:

Vienna Teng feat. Alex Wong - Antebellum

This is a very pretty song by the very talented Vienna Teng, whose music I first discovered on an mp3 rotation site years ago, then shortly after saw her performing live on PBS.  My friend sent me this song, and it quickly became one of my favorites by this artist.

Vienna Teng feat. Alex Wong - Antebellum:

Yang Pei An - 這該死的愛

My friend showed me music by this Taiwanese singer back in high school, and I was immediately impressed by his awesome voice.  A pretty high pitch with extraordinary control rarely found in Taiwanese pop music.  So when I first started listening to this guy, it seemed like he was relatively unknown, he only had one album, and I couldn't find almost any information on him in English.  Now he has 3 more full-length albums and a fairly detailed English Wikipedia page.  Wooo!  Anyway, I love this song; it's SO PRETTY and shows off his gorgeous, powerful voice.
Note:  I am also posting the actual music video because I LOVE IT and it's obviously inspired by the intro credits of the Park Chan Wook film Sympathy for Lady Vengeance.

Yang Pei An A.K.A. 楊培安 - 這該死的愛 [Zhe Gai Si de Ai - This Cursed Love]:

And here's the music video:

Ayako Ikeda - Prism

From the first sung note of this song, I knew I had to have it.  Seriously, the singer's voice is that pretty.  I heard this first when I saw the anime Dennou Coil being screened, since this song is the opening theme to the series.  I admit that I never finished watching the series, but this did lead me to look into more of this singer's music (which, like this song, is very pretty).

Ayako Ikeda A.K.A. 池田 綾子 - Prism:

Sixx: A.M. - Life is Beautiful (Acoustic Version)

I found this song through an AMV.  Call this song dark, but I think it's actually pretty uplifting.  I love its meaning (and not just because it reminds me of one of the best TV series ever, Six Feet Under): witnessing the death of others can be a wakeup call to live your own life to the fullest and can lead you to appreciate the life you have.  (I really like the original, non-acoustic version of this song too, and recommend it; I just went with this version because it's "prettier.")
Note:  Available in HD!  BTW, it appears that now embedded YouTube videos don't allow you to change the quality unless you watch them directly on YouTube, so you may have to watch it there to listen to it in HD.

Sixx: A.M. - Life is Beautiful (Acoustic Version):

Rihanna - G4L

This song is about as far away from the previous entry as it can get: lacking in sentimentality and acoustic instruments, vengeful and ominous.  Rihanna is not one of my favorite music artists, but I like a some of her songs (Unfaithful and Umbrella, for example)--although some of them are pretty annoying (Only Girl (In the World) and S&M).  I really like her attitude in this song; it just sounds so cool.  This whole album got a reputation for being her "edgier" side and this song is a pretty good example.
Note:  This song has profanity.  A surprising amount of it, coming from her music, I guess.

Rihanna - G4L:

Nell - Thank You

I heard of the Korean formerly-indie band Nell back when my TV had Channel AZN instead of the International Channel, and when they had a show that aired current Korean music videos.  They sound pretty unlike all the other Korean artists I've heard, yet they've managed to become increasingly popular over the years.  I think Kim Jongwan's voice is pretty and emotive, and their music strangely bittersweet.  This is one of my favorite songs by them.

Nell - Thank You:

Jem - Keep On Walking

This song by the Welsh singer-songwriter was used in the finale of the second season of Damages, which is where I heard it.  Very niiiiiice!  It keeps getting stuck in my head lately.  It sounds like a modernized version of gospel or something.
Note:  Wow, so, my YouTube upload of the song was blocked in the U.S. and Germany because Sony is a biznitch, and the ONLY copy I could find on YouTube was a Damages fanvideo that cuts off part of the song, so I have resorted to a different source.

Jem - Keep On Walking:

Something a la Mode feat. Adam Joseph - Little Bit of Feel Good

This song was originally sung by Jamie Lidell but I prefer the R&B-style vocals of Adam Joseph, and the gangsta violins as employed by the French group Something a la Mode definitely enhances the song too.  (If you're looking for an interesting music video, though, go for the original Jamie Lidell version.)

Something a la Mode feat. Adam Joseph - Little Bit of Feel Good:

Tan Dun feat. Jane Zhang - 我用所有报答爱

This is the theme of the Ang Lee film The Banquet, and the first song I heard by this Chinese singer.  Her other music is more pop/R&B-oriented, but this song is so gorgeous and epic I had to post it first.  Also, you may recognize Tan Dun's name/style because he's composed music for other movie soundtracks, including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Fallen, and Hero.

Tan Dun A.K.A. 谭盾 feat. Jane Zhang A.K.A. 张靓颖 - 我用所有报答爱 [Wo Yong Suo You Bao Da Ai - I'll Use Everything to Repay Love]:

Ryuichi Sakamoto feat. David Sylvian - Forbidden Colours

This is the main theme from the Japanese film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (which I've never seen but probably should, even if only because of it starring both David Bowie and Takeshi Kitano).  The famous composer Ryuichi Sakamoto composed this piece, and British singer David Sylvian sang it.  This is one of very few songs that was made before I was born that I actually like!

Ryuichi Sakamoto A.K.A. 坂本 龍一 feat. David Sylvian - Forbidden Colours:

Eisblume - Eisblumen

I found this German band through someone's YouTube channel, where the music video for this song was posted.  I don't know much about them except that they're kinda gothy (which I like), but I like the lead singer's voice; it's very pretty and clear.

Eisblume - Eisblumen [Frost Flowers]:

Letto - Insensitive

I found this artist years ago when I was looking for more Indonesian music to add to my collection.  I came across a website with music by a bunch of different Indonesian music artists, including this group.  This is one of my favorite songs of theirs--the lead singer's voice is very soothing to me, and for some reason I really like the opening lines of lyrics.  I normally don't even pay attention to lyrics, but these caught my attention.

Letto - Insensitive:

Ane Brun - To Let Myself Go

I discovered this Norwegian singer when I heard one of her songs in a commercial and instantly loved her style, and I discovered this rather haunting song by the same singer when I watched a fanvideo that used it.
Note:  This video is available in HD, and accompanied by some really awesome photographs!

Ane Brun - To Let Myself Go:

Placebo - Protège-Moi

This is the French version of the song "Protect Me From What I Want" by the world-renowned British band, but somehow it's wayyyyy better than the original.  I think this is the first Placebo song I ever heard, at least that made an impression on me and drove me to look up their other music (they're now one of my favorite music artists), and I heard it on a pretty popular Fullmetal Alchemist AMV (which you can see here)--which, now that I think about it, also convinced me to watch the anime series in its entirety, despite its length.

Placebo - Protège-Moi [Protect-Me]:

Gummy - 어른아이

Gummy, whose name can be written a number of ways and translates to "spider," is one of my favorite Korean artists.  While she's not completely obscure, she doesn't seem to get the fame & recognition she deserves.  Which is lame, 'cause she has the perfect R&B voice.  I first heard her when her music video for "기억상실" was played on a Korean music video show on the now-defunct Channel AZN.

Gummy A.K.A. 거미 - 어른아이 [Eoreunai - Childish Adult]:

Stanislas - Le Manège

This song sounds to me like it belongs on a soundtrack of a musical or... something, I dunno.  I have read that the lyrics of this song are clever.  Too bad I can't understand them, 'cause I know almost no French.  Even without understanding the lyrics, though, I like this song that I stumbled across on YouTube because of the pretty instrumentation and the singer's pretty voice.  The more I listen to this, the more I like it.
Note: I couldn't upload my own copy of the song, and the only HQ copy of this song I could find on YouTube was this video, which doesn't let me embed so I'm just posting the link.

Stanislas - Le Manège [The Carousel]:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCW7VCskmXU

La Roux - Tigerlily

I heard this British artist before on her more popular singles, and didn't care much for the sound, but when I heard this song on a German soap opera I really liked its intensity.  I also kinda like the weird subject matter--stalking someone and deluding yourself into believing she likes it.  Creepy.  But interesting!

La Roux - Tigerlily:

Chevelle - The Red

Aaah, childhood memories.  I loved this song from the first time I heard it, many-a-year ago, when I was at my dad's house watching the rock music video lineup on MTV or VH1.  The anger in it is palpable, and I love it.  (You wouldn't believe how it difficult it was to find a HQ video of this song that had the correct lyrics, considering how many times this song was uploaded with lyrics.)

Chevelle - The Red:

Yuja Wang - Flight of the Bumblebee

This is not one of my conventional music posts, but I had to post it anyway because this is one of the craziest things I've EVER seen.

Yuja Wang - Flight of the Bumblebee:

Rob Dougan - Clubbed to Death

This song was on the soundtrack of The Matrix, though I don't remember actually listening to it until after a high school friend recommended it to me, and at some point another high school friend burned the artist's music on a CD for me.  As you can imagine, this track is far from unknown since it was on the soundtrack of a really friggin' famous movie, but I'm posting it anyway.
Note:  This clip is in HD!

Rob Dougan - Clubbed to Death:

Sia - My Love

SIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  *primal scream*  Apparently this song was used on the Twilight: Eclipse soundtrack, but I swear that is not how I heard it.  My friend recommended it to me.  I had already heard "Breathe Me" by this artist, which is gorgeous, and a few of her singles, which I had shown to my friend, who then discovered this song and showed it to me.  This is one of my favorite songs I've heard by this awesome Aussie artist.
Note:  HD quality!

Sia - My Love:

JJ Lin - 编号89757

Whoa, look!  Autotune before autotune was obligatory!  Back when it was cool and actually made sense in the context of the song!  And was implemented by singers who didn't rely on it for their careers because they could REALLY sing!  Anyway, I adore JJ's voice.  And--oh, whoa, a pop star who actually writes his own music?!  And has released an album every year since he started in 2003?   I'm afraid it's true.  Every time I hear this song I want to do a hip hop dance routine to it.  Umm...  This song is about a robot.  Obviously.

JJ Lin A.K.A. 林俊傑 - 编号89757 [Bian Hao 89757 - Number 89757]:

Zazie - Je Suis un Homme

When I first heard Zazie, on some random song with a silly music video years ago, I didn't think much of her--she just seemed like an average pop artist.  When, only recently, I bothered to listen to a different song by her--this one--I had no idea it was going to be a socially-conscious track.  But behold!  The lyrics basically talk about the mindless destruction mankind exacts upon the earth while only caring about material comforts and personal success.  The lyrics speak to me because sometimes I feel suddenly & inexplicably overwhelmed by the sentiments expressed in the song.

Zazie - Je Suis un Homme [I Am a Human]:

And in lower quality but with English translations of the lyrics: