Archives For new album

I’ve seen a better more fun Clap your Hands video. LOL

The Ting Tings is another group that I liked in… 2008? Their debut was one of my fun albums of that year, thought that’s worn out due to overexposure as well. Very much like Maroon 5, The Ting Tings’ suffered from That’s not my Name exposure… with a bit of Shut Up and Let me Go. But “not my name” was  everywhere, the duo was even included in the first few episodes of Japanese drama Sunao ni Narenakute (aka. Hard to Say I Love You) earlier this year. By that time, I was already fed up.

But here they are, preparing for a new album. And their YouTube Vevo page is not letting me stream their videos, so F U. I’m posting some other source. I’m tired of them not letting me stream content.

I promised myself I would keep up with music… at least the one I used to follow, but don’t have time for anymore. I used to be a huge Maroon 5 fan – along with a friend… thank you illegal downloads – before radios began overplaying them in 2005. I’m literally sick of She Will Be Loved and This Love.

And just so you know, I did get them through… I think it was Limewire or Kazaa that time. Circa 2002? Anyway, I liked them so much that I paid a John Mayer concert to see them open the show. LOL

Anyway, they’ve got a new album… and someone’s offered to review it, so it’s saving me the trouble! xD

So… Give a Little More sounds pretty much like your average funky catchy Maroon 5 song. The video is nice too, with warm hues and all. I thought the song was a bit slow at first, but luckily it picked up.

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Ahh, that’s how I like my commercial pop. Slick and spoon-fed to me. It’s super surprising to see 2NE1 releasing 3 singles at a time — with music videos and promotions. From this 3 singles and the early Try to Follow Me, I can guarantee passing marks for the album already without listening to it yet. xD

I have to admit, however, LOVED Clap your Hands as a song. Liked Go Away as a video, and by the third Can’t Nobody, I was beginning to feel tired… but by the middle of the song I was at it again. It’s something about these girls — how old are they anyway? They must be in their 15s it feels — having fun. It’s hilarious to see them playing around.

First impressions~

Clap your Hands, I must admit… gave me a bit of a reggaeton vibe (in the fake forest scene, what’s up with that? Came out of nowhere… xD That’s CL, right? Haven’t learned their names, ha!) – it’s the autotune, the instrumentation, and the whole production – but the fact that I can’t understand what they sing about, and they look completely adorable and cool at the same time, it makes me take in the song in a whole different way. It’s slightly disturbing seeing them saying “let me rock your body” while swinging their hips that way.

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Ah, I knew I had heard about Jiang Yingrong before. And of course, I had. It was that time I was passionately discussing the state of Cpop as commercial pop compared to commercial pop in America, and commercial pop in S.Korea — I don’t think I discussed Jpop.

Anyway, Jiang Yingrong won last year’s Supergirl (yeah, that same contest that found us Chris Lee, BiBi and Jane Zhangthankyouverymuch), and it just goes to show you the changing tides in the cpop scene. In her third single Bad Angel (aka. Hui Tian Shi – but, you know, Bad Angel is so much easier), she looks a little bit Zhao Wei, a little bit Rihanna, and a little bit Natalie Portman on V Mag by Mario Testino — yeah, I just pulled that out because I know a lot of NP’s photoshoots…
plus, you know, it’s Testino. xD

She sounds a little too electronic on it too, so you won’t be able to judge much.

Not really feeling Bad Angel, but I really REALLY dug her first single (was it the first? or second?) titled Ba Wo Ni de Mei… or you know, subbed – Seize your Beauty. It’s really catchy, and the hook “everything” line is funny. Everysing xD Everysing.

If you know me, you probably wouldn’t think that I’d be a fan of Milk@Coffee, why? Because Milk@Coffee is happy poppy simple music. My friends think it sounds like children’s music. Obviously, they have that certain vibe because the female part of this duo, Kiki, sounds like a little kid singing, and the music in itself sounds very playful and catchy. However, looking into the songs, they reveal a certain maturity.

Of course you’ve got catchy favorites like Wo Bu Shi Rock n’ Roll (I’m not Rock n’ Roll), the wacky Curry Coffee, or Burn! Little Universe, and Yi Qi Lai (Together). However, there’s also songs like The Older the Lonelier – you gotta admit that’s a really REALLY sad title – or Accustomed to Loneliness. How about the most off-beat of their songs? The Zhongguo Feng-styled (traditional Chinese sounding) Die Lian Hua.

In this new single titled No Time — the album will be out by September… in a mayor label, so Milk@Coffee is no longer indie –, they seemed to have struck a balance with that maturity and the catchy. Yes, No Time sounds like a kid’s song, but it talks about a thing kids will never mind until they grow up a bit. How many of you keep telling the people you know that you don’t have enough time to do something. It’s a tale as old as… well, time.

The begins with a minute of various celebrities saying what they lack time for.  “I am __” they say, “I have no time for ____”.  These neglected activities include listening to music, dating, losing weight, studying abroad, visiting relatives,  having kids, and so many other commonplace ones that every listener should hear one they too pushed back at one point. The spoken introduction ends abruptly with Laure Shang saying: “My name is Shang Wenjie. I have no time to record whatever this is for you”.

via Cfensi.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOkMEpOQRJg

Hi, guys!

YAM011 is almost done. The Lima Film Fest ends tonight, so I’ll be closing the issue — hopefully on time, for a release on the 15th at 00.00hr. My timezone, not yours. GMT -5, FYI.

While I was writing the editor’s note — and addressing everyone on the Facebook group — I wondered what to call YAM readers. I thought YAMMIES would be nice, but then the Urban Dictionary told me those are tits/knockers. But then again, Penn & Teller said that pretty much any noun in plural can mean knockers. LOL Watermelons, lemons, air bags. There you go, wouldn’t be much of a difference.

So… then I thought about YAMMERS, but that can’t be good, right? So maybe YAMMIES is fine. Sounds a bit like “jammies” because you know… I’m a Spanish speaker. To me, the sound of a Y with a vowel, and the sound of a J with a vowel is the same. When I first moved to Canada, Yellow and Jello were the same to me. Well, I still can’t get it right. Frak.

Anyway, it’s getting late. I just wanted to post the streams to some of the albums we are reviewing and rating in the new edition of YAM. Not all, but most of them~ Thank you, Xiami ;P

* denotes that they have a written review.

Anyway, happy listening! Off to zzzz. Busy day today.

5th single already? If you paid attention, I posted Jing Chang’s 4th single just a week ago.

Otherwise known as 義氣 (Yi Qi), referring to the spirit of loyalty and self-sacrifice. Aiya They Didn’t is reporting Jing Chang will be releasing a re-packaged album by the end of the week (Aug. 13th), which will include:

  • 6 music videos [4 singles + Loyalty + 不再聯絡 (Bu Zai Lian Luo) – Lose Contact]
  • a Loyalty commemoration poster
  • a Mending card [is this Hao Le?]
  • and a birthday party invitation (????) xD

Not sure why this is a 5th single, since it’s not included in the copy I’ve listened of The Opposite Me, but it’s kind of a nice rock/dance song. Kinda weird… but I could dig.

I’m considering purchasing this re-packaged album. Seems like a good deal.

The album will be released on August 13th, to coincide with the release of his directorial film debut Love in Disguise. 18 Martial Arts, which contains the first single Chai Mi You Yan Jiang Cu Cha (Daily Necessities), will be released in different versions including the Love Key HK version, Taiwan version, the House Key HK version, Taiwan version… as well as a Normal Edition HK and Taiwan,  and a Taiwan version with a mini-photobook and a DVD with the MV and trailer for his film.

So…………… am I the only one thinking “I’m too sexy” by Right Said Fred.

At least in the first few seconds. LOL Right, you gotta admit that~

and the choreography. not warming up to c-pop dancing. Dance music is fine… it’s the dancing that gets to me. Like I said, there’s so many capable dancers in China/Taiwan… so graceful, so rocking. It’s just argh!

Ahhh… I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with BoA. Why? I know she can perform, I know she can dance… but for the love of me, I can’t stand most her pop music. My friend liked her a lot, and I wanted to like her… but I never could get into her.

Now, if only BoA and Hyori could make up one person. She’d be Queen of the world. LOL

Now, call me crazy and what not, but BoA with this blond hair, and wacky clothing. I swear to god, she looks exactly like Hyori in some of those shots. It’s crazy. I was even thinking to myself that it couldn’t be because “not all Asians look alike,” but GOSH. Anyway, not gonna say that I’m crazy about this video — I mean, compared to I Eat You Up which is a very silly song… Game lacks a bit of HMPH.

Seems like everyone’s making a comeback. What is it? Comeback year?