Evanescence - Even in Death

This artist is well-known for their mildly gothic image and less-than-upbeat sound. This song is no exception, but while many of their songs could be characterized as brooding and melancholy, this one leaps right into unsettling. It’s about someone who’s obsessed with her dead lover, staying at his grave and it even sounds to me like she plans to dig up the body.
Note: I found it in HD, and with a cool background image!

Evanescence - Even in Death:

Richard Marvin - Burying Lisa

This piece is quite a departure from yesterday’s rather upbeat track, and is from the television series Six Feet Under. It’s a pity that this song title is so spoilery, but not much I can do about it. The beautiful and refreshing thing about the series is that it addresses the topic of death in an unflinching way that takes into account its reality and inevitability while not neglecting the sadness that accompanies it. I feel like that tone is reflected in the music, as it conveys a tone of mourning and loss without being overwhelmingly tragic.

Richard Marvin - Burying Lisa:

Lee Jung Hyun - V

Yes, that is the artist attempting to pronounce “V.” The music of this video isn’t what grabbed my attention, but the video itself did. It was sent to me by a friend because the video was directed by none other than Korean filmmaker Park Chan Wook (director of some of my favorite movies, which have unsettling air). Infantile women (i.e. lolita chic) ain’t my style at all, but this video has some distinctive elements of the director’s other work. The harpsichord music, the awkward humor in dark situations, and of course the cinematic nature...
Note: It’s a K-pop video, which means it has HD.

Lee Jung Hyun A.K.A. 이정현 - V:

Tiger Lou - The Loyal

I'm not in love with this Swedish artist, but I found the band through the related videos margin on YouTube and liked the creepiness of this song. The video is up that alley as well.

Tiger Lou - The Loyal:

Snow Ghosts - Murder Cries

Hollyoaks, you’ve done it again. I’d never heard of this artist before this song was used in an episode I watched. Although I heard this song months ago I saved it for now because it seems perfect for the Halloween season. It also has a bit of a Southern (American) gospel sound to it.
Note: I could only find this song in the music video, but that’s OK because it’s in HD! Be warned, though, it features some freaky ish.

Snow Ghosts - Murder Cries:

Gackt - Lust for Blood

Theatrical as always, this artist brings us another song that sounds like it belongs in the ending credits of a Japanese horror film or something. This song actually manages to sound pretty creepy. To me, at least.

Gackt - Lust for Blood:

Angela Lansbury & Len Cariou - A Little Priest

This song is from Stephen Sondheim’s musical Sweeney Todd, the original cast recording. I saw Tim Burton's movie version when it came out in theaters, and from the start of this song I appreciated the macabre humor of the lyrics. They struck me as painfully clever. This version is longer than the movie version, which means even more punchlines packed into one song. In case you aren’t familiar with the play or can’t derive the meaning from the lyrics on their own, the two characters are scheming to use human meat to save their impoverished meat pie business.

Angela Lansbury & Len Cariou - A Little Priest:

Sting - The Last Ship

This British artist is practically a legend in his longtime fame, so I suppose it’s odd that the song I’m choosing by him is from his most recent release. He wrote the music for his own Broadway musical, The Last Ship. This is the title track. I love ghostiness of it, combined with the Celticness and pirateyness.
Note: HD listening here!

Sting - The Last Ship:

Florence + the Machine - Spectrum

Earlier today, my friend got into this artist’s music. Hurray! This is one of the songs she named as among her favorites from her sampling of Florence's music today. The first time I heard this song, the word that crossed my mind was “triumphant.” Although many of this artist’s songs are filled with melancholy, there’s something jubilant, strong, and celebratory about this song’s sound, especially the chorus. Although I haven’t a clue what the lyrics are actually about (and believe me, I’ve tried to figure it out), it feels like she’s singing about a victory of some sort, in a “We shall overcome” kind of way.
Note: Hdeeeeeeeeeeee!

Florence + the Machine - Spectrum:

Jeong Dong In - 홈페이지

From one soundtrack of a horror movie directed by a Korean filmmaker to another… This piece is from the soundtrack of the Korean horror film Arang. I did watch the movie, but not until after I’d listened to the soundtrack several times. By then, I recognized the pieces when they arose in the movie, and this piece, despite its brevity, is what stood out to me the most.

 Jeong Dong In A.K.A. 정동인 - 홈페이지 [Homp’eiji - Homepage]:

Emily Wells - Becomes the Color

When I was trying to think of a likely way to find eerie-sounding music to fit this month’s theme, I thought, “I should look up the song that was used in the ending credits of Stoker.” I didn’t remember the music, but I figured that the disturbing movie’s soundtrack would be a good place to look for the type I wanted. I ended up not even having to look it up myself, because that information came to me shortly after when I quickly searched for information about something else that was, like Stoker, directed by the esteemed Park Chan Wook. This artist is actually the violinist as well, which I think is pretty cool. Compound that with her skills on a variety of other instruments and we have a winner.
Note: This song has HD quality available!

Emily Wells - Becomes the Color:

Delta Rae - Surrounded

A nice song by this group, with a male vocalist singing lead instead of the usual female vocalist. The lyrics of this song appeal to me—they’re unconventional in a way, and are seemingly about how history weighs on us all. (Interesting that this all-white southern group specifically alludes to slavery in the song when evoking the past of the region.) I can’t help but notice the despite the lyrics that might read as forlorn on their own, the tone of the melody is uplifting and—dare I say it?—worshipful. Perhaps this is because there’s something awe-inspiring and beautiful about the knowledge that where you stand now is the site of a deep, rich history that is so formative to your situation as to be all-encompassing and inescapable. All that you are is the culmination of everything that came before, and there’s a certain reverence to be held for the idea that you are built upon generations of a past you’ll never know.
Note: Eyy, HD!

Delta Rae - Surrounded:

Poe - Haunted

I looked up music by this artist because of her work as the featured vocalist in the Conjure One song I’ve previously posted. Her singing style is pretty lacking in flourishes and embellishment, which I’m normally a sucker for, but in this case it’s actually the smoothness of her voice that appeals to me.

Poe - Haunted:

Puscifer - Rev 22:20

I can’t remember how I heard this song, but it sounds darn good. I didn’t realize this artist consists of the lead guy from Tool and A Perfect Circle. This song is not family-friendly and it has Christian references that might be considered offensive…

Puscifer - Rev 22:20:

Lana Del Rey - Once Upon a Dream

This song takes the cheery love song from the 1959 Disney movie Sleeping Beauty and reappropriates it for the modern Maleficent movie. Just as Maleficent twists the original fairytale into a haunting story, this song twists the upbeat song to suit the mood of the movie, infusing it with a haunting quality.
Note: HD listening is recommended.

Lana Del Rey - Once Upon a Dream:

Placebo - Sleeping with Ghosts

One of my friends said this artist’s music has a sound of “emptiness” to it. I think I know what he meant by that, because their songs are indeed imbued with a sense of melancholy, like a hollow ache. Somehow, though, this is part of what’s so appealing about them to me. This is one of the first songs I heard by this British band, and clearly it made a good impression because it still ranks among my favorites by them and led me to look up more music by them.
Note: HD quality, yo!

Placebo - Sleeping with Ghosts:

Tribalistas - O Amor é Feio

It’s October, which means, at least for me, Halloween season! This is one of the eeriest-sounding songs about love I’ve heard. Nothing in the lyrics is explicitly spooky, but the sound of the song overall sounds well-suited to the Halloween season.

Tribalistas - O Amor é Feio [Love is Ugly]:

Sam Smith - I’ve Told You Now

I find this artist’s voice interesting. It sounds like John Legend in the low notes, and someone else entirely on high notes. I just saw him live in concert and, needless to say, he was great. This artist has blown up massively in the U.S. over the past couple months, and with good reason, so the concert was “the event” of the year and sold out in less than 10 minutes. And I got in FOR FREE, BOOYAH! This song took some time to grow on me, but the richness of his tone eventually got to me. It starts out so unassuming and graduates into a soaring piece.
Note: Finally found this version of the song, and in HD!

Sam Smith - I’ve Told You Now:

Yolka - Около тебя

This is a nice, chill song. It doesn’t sound like it’s overextending itself, although you get the feeling that maybe it could go for a more grandiose sound if it wanted to. I found it through roaming the Russian-language annals of YouTube. I don't know why all the artists I come across with Russian-language music are in fact Ukrainian.
Note: It’s uploaded in HD!

Yolka A.K.A. Ёлка - Около тебя [About You]:

Pentatonix - See Through

This artist primarily does covers of other artists’ songs, so when I heard this and didn’t recognize it I figured it was just a song I hadn’t heard the original version of. Turns out this IS the original version, written for the group by Estonian pop star Kerli! This song sounds like the kind of music I’d normally find uninteresting, but with Mitch’s voice at the helm I’m a captive audience. Every member of this a cappella group is freakishly talented (Seriously, Kevin’s a cellist AND a beatboxer!? That just ain’t right.), but there’s an uncommon quality to Mitch’s voice that makes the songs he sings lead on more beautiful. Now I can’t stop playing this song.
Note: HD listening is available!

Pentatonix - See Through:

Stefanie Sun - 渴

This artist was part of my recent push to catch up on Chinese-language artists’ most recent album releases after a gap of years from the previous album of theirs I listened to. I’m happy to say: she’s still got it! There’s something distinctive about this artist’s style, and she has that “singer/songwriter” vibe to her (which is an accurate vibe).
Note: Someone was kind enough to upload the song in HD, with accompanying lyrics!

Stefanie Sun A.K.A. 孫燕姿 - 渴 [Ke - Thirsty]:

Nicky Romero - Toulouse

This song’s music video is entertaining, if not a little unsettling. That’s actually why I’m posting it, as the song itself isn’t all that captivating to me. Typical club dance music. But it’s also been too long since I posted Dutch music.
Note: Naturally, the video has HD.

Nicky Romero - Toulouse:

Tracy Chapman - Broken

I found this song when I was cruisin’ YouTube for music by this artist. Since my sister is her fan, I’d heard her music quite a bit, but didn’t know specific songs by her. I knew I liked her voice, though, so she was a safe bet!
Note: You can listen to this tune in HD!

Tracy Chapman - Broken:

Merry - 六本木ジャジー喫茶

As much as I love the lead singer’s vocals, this instrumental track is one of my favorites by this Japanese artist. It’s quite sassy, for a song with no lyrics.

Merry A.K.A. メリー - 六本木ジャジー喫茶 [Roppongi Jazzy Kissa]:

Beyoncé - Pretty Hurts

This song, a single of this artist’s, was written by Sia (whose solo music I’ve posted a number of times already) and Queen Bey. I heard this song was supposed to go to Rihanna first, but she missed out. Anyway, the melody doesn’t do much for me but there’s a nice meaning about the absurd beauty standards women are held to obsessively, and I just watched a clip lampooning the Miss America pageant so it seemed well-timed.

Beyoncé - Pretty Hurts:


Here’s the official music video:

Romeo Santos - Eres Mía

Holy shiznit. When I listened to this song I found by YouTube surfing, I wasn’t watching the video and wasn’t paying attention to the lyrics, and I swear I thought the singer was female. Sooooo interesting voice! This artist is American, but he’s of Dominican heritage.
Note: HD listening, yo!

Romeo Santos - Eres Mía [You’re Mine]:

F.I.R. - 花疯

I had doubts about this artist’s most recent album, released earlier this year. I mean, after so many albums how could they keep up the quality? To my relief, I found that, on the contrary, the album overall was more to my liking than some of their earlier work. When I listened to the album all the way through, very shortly after this song started I could tell it would be my favorite from the album. And then it just got better. I’ve tried to pinpoint what it is about this song that sets it apart for me (aside from the obviously pretty melody), and I think I’ve determined that it’s the combination of instruments, particularly the bass, and the sound in Faye’s voice that’s slightly more indieish than her usual style.

F.I.R. - 花疯 [Hua Feng - Flower Crazy]:

Jim Cummings, David Ogden Stiers, and Judy Kuhn - Savages (Part 2)

This song is from the Disney movie Pocahontas. I didn’t really appreciate this song that much when I was young. Of course, I understood its message of dehumanizing the “other” and the danger that entails, but for some reason the artistry of the imagery as well as the song’s construction are more appealing to me now. My favorite part even as a child, though, is the part where Pocahontas sings, “How loud are the drums of war?” Just that one line, which deviates from the rest of the melody. One of the voice actors/singers is the same as in the last Disney song I posted (I somehow never noticed the archdeacon from The Hunchback of Notre Dame has the same voice as Governor Ratcliffe in Pocahontas!).
Note: This has HD quality!

Jim Cummings, David Ogden Stiers, and Judy Kuhn - Savages (Part 2):


And here’s the part from the movie that includes both parts 1 & 2 of the song:

Hannah Schneider - Fences

I like the instrumental aspect of this song. Its arrangement is pretty interesting, and I like how the instruments are constantly changing, with some phasing out while others phase in. By the end, it reminds me of some kind of nighttime fairy waltz, although that has nothing to do with the song’s meaning, I’m fairly certain.

Hannah Schneider - Fences:

Bastille feat. Maiday - Adagio for Strings

Despite the title, there are no strings to be found here. This song is a cover of Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” and Haddaway’s hit “What is Love” mixed with Rihanna’s “We Found Love”. I found this British artist’s cover mashups interesting, and the particular mix of artists who were covered across the cover album is interesting too, running the gamut from 90s Eurodance to 2000s rap to 2010s pop hits. Although this band is all over American airwaves with their original singles these days, the first songs I heard by them were these covers. A dreamy style blended with moody pop makes for a weird but pleasant mix of covers that had me thinking, “Is this really the theme music from Requiem for a Dream combined with a Lana Del Ray pop hit? Did they seriously set Kerli’s lyrics to an Outkast beat?” But it works.
Note: This HD video helpfully provides indicates of what’s being sampled.

Bastille feat. Maiday - Adagio for Strings:

12 Girls Band - My Heart Will Go On

This instrumental artist took the massively famous song from the movie Titanic and turned it into something else—something perhaps more palatable to the many who despise the hit track? I’m not sure if it’s people’s hatred of the original artist, Celine Dion, or just their disdain for the theatricality of the song, but somehow it has gone from being the most popular song (when I was in elementary school) to the target of scorn. Maybe playing it with traditional Chinese instruments will reduce its rage-inducing effects!

12 Girls Band A.K.A. 女子十二乐坊 - My Heart Will Go On:

Kaoru Wada - 時代を超える想い II

This piece is from the soundtrack of the movie for the anime InuYasha, which shares a name with the song except for the “II” part. I never watched the movie, but I somehow came across this theme years ago and loved it. For some reason, part 1 of this song (which features harp and oboe or something) is much easier to find, but I think this one is more beautiful so I was determined to post it instead. Always go with the strings!

Kaoru Wada A.K.A. 和田 薫 - 時代を超える想い II [Toki wo Koeru Omoi II - Affections Touching Across Time]:

Elaine Paige and Helen Massie - Memory

It’s that song that everyone has to learn when they take voice lessons! This song is from the musical Cats. I watched the video version of it quite a few times when I was little, and recently was reminded of it because my family dug up the long-lost VHS of it. This song is easily the saddest of the show, sung by an aging character called Grizabella who is shunned and lonely. (Fun fact: in the Philippines performance of Cats, the famous Lea Salonga played this role.)
Note: HD quality for an oldish recording!

Elaine Paige and Helen Massie - Memory:


Here’s the part from the stage performance:

Gang Starr - The Dark Revolution

That is a niiiiiice beat. To be honest, the primary ear-catching thing about this song to me is the dreamy instrumental that takes you in, but I also have to note my appreciation for the number of times the emcee correctly uses the phrase “too few” in world dominated by incorrect uses of “too little”. R.I.P. Guru.
Note: Another one you can listen to in HD!

Gang Starr - The Dark Revolution:

Seven Lions feat. Kerli - Worlds Apart

My friend sent me the music video for this song because he’s a fan of the featured artist. The song’s not my favorite genre but it reminds me of music by Loreen or Ellie Goulding because it’s electronica with enough of the “pretty” elements to make it enjoyable to me. On top of that, the video has some nice fantasy imagery.
Note: This official music video has HD!

Seven Lions feat. Kerli - Worlds Apart:

Chasing Grace - Free

I think I heard this song in the background of an episode of the British show Hollyoaks. There’s been some confusion regarding the artist, whom I didn’t know of before. At first I looked them up and saw a result saying they are a Christian band from Virginia. Fair enough, although strange for them to be featured on a British show. But I looked them up again later and still couldn’t find a Wiki page, only pages regarding their collaborative work with British artists, many of them my favorites (Jessie J, Ellie Goulding, Sam Smith, John Newman, Naughty Boy). This suggests there are two artists called Chasing Grace, and this one’s British.
Note: 2 days ago I posted a song from an Indian movie. Today I post a music video shot in India. In HD! (Also: The Kite Runner much?)

Chasing Grace - Free:

Despina Vandi - Να τη χαίρεσαι

I came across this Greek artist by YouTube surfing. I haven’t had much exposure to Greek music. I suppose it shouldn’t be that surprising how similar it sounds to Turkish pop music. On a purely linguistic (non-musical) note, I was pretty excited listening to this song’s lyrics because of how many words I recognized from Russian cognates.
Note: You can listen in HD!

Despina Vandi A.K.A. Δέσποινα Βανδή - Να τη χαίρεσαι [Na ti Xairesai - Enjoy Her]:

Atif Aslam - आ भी जा मेरे मेहेर्मान

I listened to a “best of” collection of this Pakistani artist’s songs and came across this lovely song. The singer is prolific in soundtracks for Bollywood movies, and this track is from the movie Jayantabhai Ki Luv Story (which I haven’t seen, but looked up and learned is a remake of a Korean film). I always love this singer’s voice, but in this song the little nuances of the instrumental part stood out to me as well.
Note: HD listening is available!

Atif Aslam A.K.A. عاطف اسلم - आ भी जा मेरे मेहेर्मान [Aa Bhi Ja Mere Mehermaan - Come to Me My Beloved]:

Big Mama - 날아오르다

When I was looking for music by this Korean artist, I ran into some trouble. I already knew I liked the voices of the women who comprised the group, but all the songs I could find by them were lackluster ballads or more upbeat tracks that were too disco-sounding for my liking. Then I stumbled across THIS song, which is quite different from their others. Although it’s a ballad like many of their other songs, it has a distinct traditional flare to it that makes it more interesting, and it sounds like it could be the theme song to some movie.

Big Mama - 날아오르다 [Naraoreuda - Fly Up]:

James Vincent McMorrow - We Don’t Eat

I probably heard this song in a TV show, but I don’t remember. I’m not familiar with this Irish artist outside of this song, and I’m not crazy about his voice, but the song overall is quite nice. (It totally sounds like the type of song that would be in the background of some TV show, though, doesn't it?)

James Vincent McMorrow - We Don’t Eat:

Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass

This song is SO not what I expected when I saw the title. I was expecting an electronica-bordering-on-dubstep club hit about how much the narrator loves dancing. Then I saw the music video thumbnail all pink and girly-looking, and I thought, “Bubbly pop song?” It turned out to be neither of these. Instead it was an acoustic track with a retro feel and mature vocals and sassy lyrics. It goes for the same sort of cheeky juxtaposition as Lilly Allen’s work, setting a message with attitude against a backdrop of cutesy imagery. Although there’s a message of “you look fine the way you are” I wouldn’t necessarily blast it for little girls because there’s profanity.
Note: The official music video (with HD) should be watched for full effect.

Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass:

Gackt - Story

In light of my recent coming across a sizable stockpile of sheet music I gathered some years ago, I am posting an instrumental track for which I have the sheet music. I adore this piece. After creating this gorgeous work near the beginning of his solo career, this Japanese pop/rock star made a new version of the song that included vocals. The vocal version is nice, but it lacks the emotionality of this one, which is largely due to that violin. In fact, it packs enough of an emotional punch to have grabbed the attention and admiration of my former boss, a professional violinist.

Gackt - Story:

Portishead - Roads

The album this song is from, Dummy, reminds me of Madonna’s album Ray of Light (which I heard first although it came out later). I read other people’s assessment that it holds up well against time, and I would say the same. I didn’t even identify the music as being from the 1990s. I heard that Ray of Light helped popularize trip hop, but I read the same thing about Dummy, and that album came first.

Portishead - Roads:

PackFM - Click, Clack, & Spray

There need to be way more songs by this hip hop artist on this blog! This is the song I know of that’s about tagging. As you can probably tell, this emcee also has a history as a graffiti artist. And guess what? My first hip hop concert for this guy’s record label, and when he was performing he got off the stage and waded into the crowd until he was standing right in front of me and continued performing from there. Unexpected front row seats!

PackFM - Click, Clack, & Spray:

Mýa, P!NK, Lil’ Kim, and Christina Aguilera - Lady Marmalade

I can’t help it; this was one of my all-time favorite songs from when I was a youngun’. It was not exactly age-appropriate, but I adored the overall sound and these individual ladies’ voices were already among my favorites at the time. This is a cover of Patti LaBelle’s famous song, but this was the first rendition I encountered. I think it was for the release of the movie Moulin Rouge.

Mýa, P!NK, Lil’ Kim, and Christina Aguilera - Lady Marmalade:

Gripin - Vazgeçtim Ben Bugün

I think I’m going to have to listen to a lot more music by this artist. I came across this band by YouTube surfing for Turkish music. The first song I heard I liked enough to take note of, and was driven to seek out more later. That led me to this song’s music video, which I think is interesting enough to include here. At first glance (listen), it doesn’t stand out to me much, but as I keep listening something about it strikes me as beautiful. That in itself is intriguing…
Note: This is the official music video, with HD.

Gripin - Vazgeçtim Ben Bugün [I Gave Up Today]:

Gabrielle Aplin - The Power of Love

What a heavenly voice! This was one of a couple songs by this British artist I heard on the show Hollyoaks, but, having already posted the first one, I thought, “No, I’m going to be more original and post a song from her album that I didn’t hear through the same avenue.” But upon listening to her album, I concluded that this was the next best song to post after all.
Note: HD with some nice imagery!

Gabrielle Aplin - The Power of Love:

Up There: The Clouds - Roots in the Air

I don’t post music by Italian artists often enough… It’s also not often that I post instrumental rock music. I came across this track recently through YouTube surfing. This could be music on some kind of indie film soundtrack. At first I didn’t expect the song to be so moody, and it goes through various phases. It almost feels like multiple songs stitched together. In fact, surprise emo vocals at the end!
Note: HD listening available!

Up There: The Clouds - Roots in the Air:

Agnes Monica - Ku Disini

Whoa, I don’t know what happened, but apparently this Indonesian R&B artist is now collaborating with American artists and going under the name Agnez Mo. Years ago when I was into her album Whaddup A…? she was an actress in Indonesia as well, but I checked out for a while and when I looked her up again to see what was up with her, I found she has a song with Timbaland and T.I. Not small names either! However, I’m still partial to the first album I heard by her, and that’s where this song is from.

Agnes Monica - Ku Disini [I'm Here]:

Bo Burnham - Rant

This is more along the lines of what I’d expect from fellow comedian Tim Minchin, what with the railing against the church and all. This young artist/comedian’s irreverence is permitted by his talent, and his shock value is balanced out by his intellect. You don’t get to hear him sing in this track, but his rapping’s not hard to listen to. Although it starts out as a cohesive lambasting of the doctrine and kind of devolves into more random wordplay. And yes, this is the instrumental of “Believe Me” by Fort Minor. There is profanity, blasphemy, and generally offensive content.
Note: Hurray for comedy in HD!

Bo Burnham - Rant:

Rökkurró - Hún

Iceland’s going through some hard times right now. Coincidentally, I’ve also been listening to Sigur Ros, another Icelandic artist, lately, so it seems like a good time to post something else from that region. I came across this peaceful track through YouTube surfing for nothing in particular.
Note: Why, yes, there IS HD!

Rökkurró - Hún [She]:

Brother Ali - Forest Whitaker

The album this song is from, Shadows on the Sun, is one of my favorite albums and widely considered to be praiseworthy, from hip hop fans and critics alike. This song is a self-esteem booster and means a lot coming from a guy who got teased for being albino (hence the lyrics). It’s not meant to be the epitome of lyricism, just humorous and motivational.
Note: HD, with (messy) lyrics!

Brother Ali - Forest Whitaker:

Ikuko Kawai - Violin Muse Based on Two Chaconnes

This piece is based on compositions by Johannes Sebastian Bach and Tomaso Antonio Vitali. Not only does the fusing of the chaconnes work well, but the fusing of different types of instruments does as well. The flute adds an Asian or Celtic hue to an otherwise Western-sounding piece, and there are even some bells and pipe organ in there for added intensity. All this makes for a rich combination of sounds that somehow work.

 Ikuko Kawai A.K.A. 川井 郁子 - Violin Muse Based on Two Chaconnes:

Burhan G - I Stedet for Dig

This Swedish artist has SUCH a nice voice. That’s less obvious here, since this is more dance music than R&B and there isn’t much fancy stuff goin’ on with the technique. (For that, see my previous post with a song by him.) I encountered him through his more R&B-oriented songs first, but this electronic (read: European) pop song is sufficiently catchy.
Note: HD listening is available!

Burhan G - I Stedet for Dig [Instead of You]:

Julia Savicheva - Прости за Любовь

I meant to post a second song by this Russian artist a few months ago, but apparently that didn’t pan out. Better late than never, though. This song may be a little on the melodramatic side, but I’m fondest of her voice when she’s belting, and her more uptempo piano-infused pop songs have less of that.

Julia Savicheva A.K.A. Юлия Савичева - Прости за Любовь [Prosti za Lyubov’ - Sorry for Loving]:

Wali Band - Yank

This artist is an Indonesian band, but this song has a Spanish sound to it. I think I came across them through YouTube surfing. I don’t know what the deal is, but I can’t find a translation of the title anywhere.

Wali Band - Yank:

Bridgit Mendler - Postcard

I got a postcard today! That’s almost irrelevant to this song except in the title. At first I thought this was a girls’ empowerment song, which is cool since her status as a Disney star makes it relatively likely that young girls will hear this song and the message with it, but then it ended up being an even broader and rarer “gender roles are stupid” song, which I personally find even cooler. I like that this song doesn’t stop at the message, “Girls can do anything,” and goes on to suggest that boys, too, can do anything, since teaching boys it’s shameful to do “girly” things is poisonous to girls just like teaching girls they can’t excel at “boyish” things is.

Bridgit Mendler - Postcard:

Trey Songz - Can’t Be Friends

This song was apparently released 4 years ago, but it was only a few months ago when I kept hearing on the radio for some reason. The R&B radio station was being played on the bus I rode in the mornings, so I took note of the lyrics on my phone to look up the song with later. I didn’t realize it was by this popular artist, whose name I knew of and knew another song or two by.
Note: Listening in HD available!

Trey Songz - Can’t Be Friends:

Cirque du Soleil - Alegría

I think this song was my first exposure to this artist, an immensely famous circus performance collective. I vaguely recall finding this song through an mp3 rotation site, and didn’t really get why a circus would have its own original music, but I liked it. For the record, I’ve never seen the specific show that this song came from.

Cirque du Soleil - Alegría [Happiness]:

One OK Rock - Mr.現代Speaker

I was listening to the album Zankyo Reference for the first time while multitasking, and while listening to albums as I do other things normally causes the songs to blend together in my mind, that didn’t really happen with this album, and especially not this song. This track gripped me immediately and didn’t let go. I like how varied it is, and every part appeals to me, from the verses to the chorus to the falsetto to the scream.
Note: It’s a miracle: a Japanese song available in HD!

One OK Rock - Mr.現代Speaker [Mr. Gendai Speaker - Mr. Modern Speaker]:

Émilie Simon - Flowers

I just came across some compilations of music I made years and years ago, and this song was among them. Just from the title, I called the mind the melody and lyrics with no problem. It was never one of my favorite songs, but I guess the weirdness of it made an impression.

Émilie Simon - Flowers:

Wheesung - 손톱달

This song was the theme of a Korean movie I never saw called The Restless, but I came across this song nonetheless (I think through an mp3 rotation site). Although this singer specializes in R&B of the modern variety, this song is clearly intended to have a traditional sound to it. The ancient-seeming fantasy setting of the movie accounts for this. This song is also commonly known in English as “Memories of Midair.”

Wheesung A.K.A. 휘성 - 손톱달 [Son T'op Dal - Crescent Moon]:

Zaho - Kif’n’Dir

Although most of this song’s lyrics are in French, the title and chorus lyrics are in Arabic. If you detect a tone of sadness to the track, it’s for a reason. The song is expressing the artist’s feelings of doubt and anxiety when she left her home in Algeria to move to Canada. They seem to convey both her loyalty and attachment to her home as well as the necessity to leave. You can find a translation of the French lyrics into English here: http://lyricstranslate.com/en/kif039n039dir-kif-n-dir-what-shall-i-do.html#songtranslation
Note: HD listening available!

Zaho - Kif’n’Dir [How Will I Do?]:

Sivu - Family Tree

I did not take note of where I heard this song, nor do I remember where it’s from. Nonetheless, it’s some nice, relaxing music with a pleasant accent. And of course, true to the current trend this artist is a young, British, singer-songwriter. Kids these days, with their creativity and whatnot.

Sivu - Family Tree:

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - Tiny Light

I heard about this artist from an interview with the singer Adam Lambert; he said he’d been listening to her music lately, and that her voice was amazing. I figured that if HE of all people was calling someone else’s voice amazing, that person must really be an impressive singer. And indeed it was so! Listen to that scream!

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - Tiny Light:

Zion I - Soo Tall

What the…? I’ve only posted this artist once before! Bay Area hip hop represent! I’ve seen these guys live a few times now. I don’t think I’ve seen them perform this song live, but it’s one of my favorites by them because of the wordplay. The switching around of words and sounds from where they’re expected to be (metathesis), repetition, linking together of lines, and so on not only adds a layer of intellectual complexity but also makes it exceptionally thrilling to the ears somehow. It’s songs like this where the poetry of hip hop really shines through. As if that weren’t enough, I LOVE this song’s production! It’s the very definition of infectious, and I love the use of the non-looped violin, like in the previous song I posted by them. There’s a little profanity.

Zion I - Soo Tall:



I wasn’t at all expecting to find a dance performance for this song, but this popped up and was too cool to not share:

Angel Haze - A Tribe Called Red

Get ittttttttt, girl! I can’t help but be proud of this young hip hop artist for making it as far as she has. It’s rare enough for a female emcee to get mainstream-level recognition at all, but for her also to be genuinely good (that flowwww!) is almost unheard of. Add to that that this success story didn’t hear music until the age of 16 and started making music of her own shortly after, and she’s nothing short of remarkable. I think the last time I posted something by her she was still relatively unknown, but now she's blowing up massively.
Note: This is the official music video, and in HD.

Angel Haze - A Tribe Called Red:

Ed Sheeran - Afire Love

When I found out that this song about the artist’s late grandfather and his suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease was chosen as a single for the latest album, I was a bit surprised. It’s not exactly charting pop hit fare. Good on him, though, for making a song with subject matter that strays off the path that’s been beaten well beyond tedium.
Note: This is the official audio, in HD!

Ed Sheeran - Afire Love:

Utada Hikaru - Final Distance

This song has long been one of my favorites by this massive J-pop star, simply for its sound. I like the melody, even though Hikki’s voice isn’t quite enough to cover the range. I think in high school I acquired this song through a friend lending me the album it was on, but I’d heard it before that because it was quite popular. I only just now found out the story behind it, though, which is that the song was arranged into a ballad when it was dedicated to a little girl who was murdered. The young student had won an essay contest by writing about how this artist was her idol. I guess that accounts for the songs’s eerie and decidedly unromantic music video.


Utada Hikaru A.K.A. 宇多田 ヒカル - Final Distance:



You can check out the official music video here:

Megaherz - Herzblut

I believe this band’s music would be classified as industrial metal. This song seems to be narrated by a really creepy version of the Sandman. Years ago I bought the album this song is on, Herzwerk II, and paid a pretty penny for it because it was out of print AND an import. Now I come to find that in 2008 not only was the album re-released, it was released in the U.S. -_-
Note: Someone was kind enough to upload this in HD about a month ago!

Megaherz - Herzblut [Heartblood]:

Sara Jackson-Holman - Cellophane

Thank you, Netflix series Orange is the New Black, for another likeable song in your ending credits. This artist, whom I haven’t heard other music by, has a rich, jazzy voice mixed with a modern sound.

Sara Jackson-Holman - Cellophane:

Woodkid - Run Boy Run

Someone at my company uploaded this song as an audio file to our system, and that’s how I heard it. I didn’t realize this French music artist also dealt even more prominently with the world of visual art, directing music videos and working as a graphic designer in addition to writing and singing songs. This song’s music video is apparently the sequel to the previous music video I posted by this artist.
Note: Judging from the two music videos I’ve seen for his songs, which I assume he also directed, there’s a particular aesthetic to his signature style. You can watch in HD!

Woodkid - Run Boy Run:

Fever Ray - Now’s the Only Time I Know

I heard this Swedish song on a German soap opera that I watched years ago and have been reviewing lately. That show supplied me with lots of music to look into, but I didn’t notice this song until my episode reviewing yesterday because it was used to accompany a scene had skipped past previously.

Fever Ray - Now’s the Only Time I Know:

Elbow - Grounds for Divorce

This song just sounds kinda cool. I don’t know any other songs by this artist, and I can’t even remember how I heard it. It may have just been through YouTube surfing. It’s rock with a bluesy feel.
Note: Here are the lyrics in HD!

Elbow - Grounds for Divorce:

Yolda - Eski Resim

I noted down this Turkish artist some time ago because I liked her singing style. However, when I looked up her songs they have a Western-style folk flavor, which isn’t exactly to my liking. Finally I came upon this song, which is much more obviously folk leaning toward Eastern-style, and is more my taste.

Yolda - Eski Resim [Old Pictures]:

Brown Eyed Soul - 시계

Ballads are extremely popular in modern Korean music, and as much as I love a good slow song these can end up sounding pretty bland and cliché after a while. For some reason, though, this Korean ballad was a standout track to me on this R&B artist’s first album.

Brown Eyed Soul - 시계 [Shikye - Clock]:

Natalie McCool feat. Bernard Butler - Thin Air

I posted a song by this artist a while ago and then virtually forgot about her. Fortunately, a recent episode of Hollyoaks reminded me of her existence when it used this song as the intro music to an episode. Moments of this song, she sounds to me like a pleasant combination of various other female singer/songwriters I like, including Tori Amos, Florence + the Machine, and Sarah McLachlan.
Note: I could only find the official music video, and it’s in HD!

Natalie McCool feat. Bernard Butler - Thin Air:

Eminem feat. Royce Da 5’9” - Renegade

Renegaaaaaaaaaade! Em’s essentially boasting about how adept he is at offending people, and Royce is doing the typical braggadocio thing in terms of physical intimidation. Fun fact: Back in the day Em and Royce were friends and made this track, then they got in a feud and Em redid this song by collaborating with Jay-Z and replacing the Royce parts with Hova. RUDE. Supposedly Em and Royce are cool again, in case you’re wondering. Obviously, there’s profanity, violence, and other stuff intended to offend—because that’s the point. The song's not here to make friends.
Note: It’s old, but has HD!

Eminem feat. Royce Da 5’9” - Renegade:

Tessanne Chin - The Messenger

When I came across this artist’s album on YouTube recently, I didn’t know anything about her, including that she is the winner of season 5 of the singing competition show The Voice. When I learned that, though, it didn’t come as a surprise. Somehow, she seemed like the type who would do well on that show. Although she competed on the American version of the show, the soulful singer is actually from Jamaica. Hence the reggae!

Tessanne Chin - The Messenger:

Paul Kandel, David Ogden Stiers, and Tony Jay - The Bells of Notre Dame

What a way to kick off a kids’ movie. My friend and I like to quote this song to each other, “Ring the bells, bells, BELLS, bells, BELLS, BELLS, BELLS, BELLS.” And of course the end of the song is one of the best moments of the whole movie. “Bells of Notre… DAAAAAAAAAAAAAME!”

Paul Kandel, David Ogden Stiers, and Tony Jay - The Bells of Notre Dame:

Sia - Don’t Bring Me Down

This Australian artist just released her 6th album, and it’s full of potential hits. Although she’s currently being thrust into the very mainstream spotlight, it’s relatively late in her career. This track is from a previous album, as a reminder that she’s actually been at this for years, and while her most recent album showcases how powerful her voice can be in song after song, much of her older music is like this: lowkey and with vocals barely above a whisper.
Note: HD listening!

Sia - Don’t Bring Me Down:

Rise Against - Disparity by Design

I really like the lyrics of this song. They’re meaningful and poetic, but not to the point of obstructing the message. They rail against the socioeconomic gap in the U.S. that is only getting worse, and the erroneous (or willfully deceitful) narrative people are presented with about the upward mobility of all Americans being in direct proportion to how hard they work. “We pulled these bootstraps so hard that they broke.”
Note: The lyrics are helpfully displayed in the HD video.

Rise Against - Disparity by Design:

Flyleaf - Fire, Fire

You don’t have to be Christian to enjoy this Christian artist’s music. The band has a good sound, and there’s something commanding about Lacey’s voice. My first impulse was to interpret the lyrics as referring to teenage rebellion, but I don’t really know and it seems like no one else does either. Interpretations range from deadbeat fathers to false prophets to 9/11.
Note: Yay, HD!

Flyleaf - Fire, Fire:

Novastar - Mars Needs Woman

I liked this Belgian artist’s whole album Almost Bangor, but somehow this song ended up being the most memorable to me. Although I haven’t listened to the album in a few years, I can remember this song fairly clearly while the others I don’t.
Note: HD listening available!

Novastar - Mars Needs Woman:

Inga & Anush - Իմ անունը Հայաստան է

Let’s get into some Armenian folk music now. In case it’s not obvious, this song’s a patriotic piece about how awesome Armenia is. The artist is composed of two singers who are sisters. The music video makes it look like the song was intended as an anthem for some event, but I’m not sure what.

Inga & Anush A.K.A. Արշակյան քույրեր - Իմ անունը Հայաստան է [Im Anune Hayastan e - My Name is Armenia]:

Peter Anthony Red - Climb

This artist is actually another pseudonym for the emcee Tonedeff. In addition to hip hop, he has a fervent love for different kinds of music and is a self-professed fan of piano-based singer/songwriters like Rufus Wainwright and Tori Amos as well as new age and trip hop artists like Portishead and Enya. Eventually, he released an EP under this nom de plume as a way to express this less hip hop-oriented musical side of himself, using his self-taught singing, piano-playing, and composing abilities.
Note: You can listen to the clearly new age-influenced track in HD!

Peter Anthony Red - Climb:

Juli - Wenn Du Lachst

Heyyyyyyy, it’s been a while since I posted something in German, eh? I was looking for music by this artist to post, and came across this pretty ballad. Do let me know if the title’s mistranslated so that I can correct it!
 
Juli - Wenn Du Lachst [When You Laugh]:

Maverick Sabre - These Days

OMGGGGGGGGGG, I’ve been trying to track down this song for YEARS! I heard a live performance version of it in the background of an episode of Hollyoaks years ago, but it was muffled and people were talking over it, so I couldn’t make out enough of the lyrics to look it up. I’ve tried many times over the past few years to find it but was never successful, until tonight, when I decided to give it another shot. This time I caught just enough of an uncommon phrase in the lyrics to find it, so I’m feeling quite victorious right now. Interestingly, I thought to myself as I was searching, “This sounds like a male Paloma Faith,” and when I found the song on YouTube it recommended a Paloma Faith song to me as a related video.
Note: Found in HD, too!

Maverick Sabre - These Days:

Joan Baez - Where Have All the Flowers Gone

I just heard this calming song in the ending credits of an episode of the popular Netflix series Orange is the New Black. The artist is a noted activist in addition to her music career, which was appropriate because the theme of the episode it was used for was social activism. This song is a cover; the original is by Pete Seeger and has been covered many times, by various artists.
Note: HD listening, despite the oldness of the song!

Joan Baez - Where Have All the Flowers Gone:

The Civil Wars - Disarm

I made a note to look up music by this artist a little while ago through a music recommendation post, but then I ended up not having to go out of my way to do so because then I came across this song by them through a fanvideo. This is a cover of a song that’s originally by Smashing Pumpkins.

 The Civil Wars - Disarm:

Emily and the Woods - Never Play

I heard this song on the excellent British series In the Flesh a few days ago. It has that effortless indie quality to it, but it manages to not annoy me. The somber, brooding mood and slightly dark imagery suits the series as well.
Note: HD listening, yo!

Emily and the Woods - Never Play:

Jurassic 5 - A Day at the Races

I went to a concert of this hip hop artist a week ago. They put on a great show, but I wasn’t familiar with much of their music so I didn’t have the benefit of song recognition. I like that this group sings in addition to rapping. In the live performance, I couldn’t hear the particular lyrics very well, so I gave their music a listen with headphones to better appreciate it and it left me wondering why I didn’t get into them sooner. The rhyme scheme of this track in particular impressed me. There's some profanity.

Jurassic 5 - A Day at the Races:

Kelly Clarkson - Stronger

I first heard this song through a cover of it (on Glee) and liked it already—the cover was good. Later I heard the original version by this artist on the radio, and liked that one too, which isn’t surprising because it’s friggin’ Kelly Clarkson.
Note: You can listen to her powerful voice in HD!

Kelly Clarkson - Stronger:

Brinck - N.Y.

It’s pop rock with electronic influence, with just the right mixture of each. I’ve been meaning to look into more music by this Danish artist, but keep forgetting. I’ve liked almost every song I’ve heard by him so far, though.

 Brinck - N.Y.:

Frou Frou - Must Be Dreaming

A single AMV, the much-lauded “Euphoria” by Koopiskeva, was my introduction to not only this song, but also this music artist AND the anime series RahXephon. All three things, it turns out, are excellent, so I have a lot to thank that AMV for.

Frou Frou - Must Be Dreaming:



Here’s the AMV through which I first experienced the song, which is recommended viewing even if you don't normally watch AMVs:

John Newman - Love Me Again

In another installment of British singers with inexplicably soulful voices, I present you with this new artist. I just listened to his debut album Tribute, which I discovered through the album opener that it is so titled because the album is intended as the young songwriter’s way of paying respect to the soul artists who came before him. Even without the introductory track, the influence of soul music of decades past is clear, as many of tracks, including this one, have a decidedly old school sound to them in their construction and instrumentation.
Note: HD, yo!

John Newman - Love Me Again:

Supearls - Fame

Say what you want about the superficiality and manufacturedness of Korean pop music, but the artists tend to be able to genuinely sing well. I don’t know a thing about this… girl group? Duo? I don’t know, but apparently they were competitors on one of the many singing competition TV shows in Korea, KPop Star. I came across this track on YouTube, and it’s a cover of a song from the musical Fame (which I haven’t seen in any form).
Note: It’s K-pop, which means it’s available in HD.

Supearls A.K.A. 秀Pearls - Fame:

Daichi Miura feat. Utamaru - No Limit

I swear, I thought I posted this song years ago! But I guess I never got around to it. Better late than never! Seriously weird, though… Anyway, this is one of the first songs I heard by this artist, long before I heard the other two songs I’ve previously posted by him. I found it so catchy and danceable. Which makes sense, since this artist is a dancer.

Daichi Miura A.K.A. 三浦 大知 feat. Utamaru - No Limit:

Meaghan Smith - Friends Like You

In a previous post I commented on the scarcity of songs about traitorous friends, and immediately afterward stumbled across this song about just that! I can gladly say this isn’t a problem I have much experience with. This song has an upbeat, old school sound to it.
Note: Typography lyrics videos are fun, especially with HD.

Meaghan Smith - Friends Like You:

Poets of the Fall - Carnival of Rust

I made a note a long time ago to eventually post this song, which I first heard who-knows-where, and then totally forgot about it. Then, only a week or two ago, I heard it again in a fanvideo and didn’t even realize it was the same song I’d noted down ages before, but at least was consistent in my liking it, since I noted it down again.
Note: Hey, hey, HD, eh?

Poets of the Fall - Carnival of Rust: