Category: Music

  • Top-Rated Songs of 2010

    I know it’s pretty late, but I guess that I always put the list off because there was always that “haven’t listened to that yet” issue. I will be probably adding 2010 stuff later on, but it won’t hurt to put my top rated songs — according to iTunes and iPod numbers.

    Surprisingly, or not surprisingly… the majority of top-rated songs that are equal or greater than 5 stars are Asian artists with their Asian songs and albums. LOL As you know, I’m trying to mix everything up with languages, so I’m also trying to pick one song per artist xD

    I hope you like this compilation, there are links to preview the tracks… and also links to buy the albums via affiliate programs, so if you like anything – please support this blog (or YAM)

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  • MinxZone vs. Salyu – Fight!

    I think this might turn into a new feature xD

    So I was checking YouTube uploads as I do now to see what to post on YAM Magazine, and saw this new Avex upload of MinxZone, whom I’ve never heard of. The intro (after the text) is kinda cool with the literal Paper Piano (the song title is Kami PIANO 紙ピアノ), but I thought it sounded familiar. Funny to find that one of the comments in it was the same.

    See for yourself~

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  • DBSK – Before U Go Long-form Version

    After DBSK pretty rocking dance tune of Keep your Head Down, the guys decided to release — alongside a repackaged version of their album — the single for Before U Go with a music video styled as a slick action crime drama. The regular 5min. version of the video is actually pretty interesting, because it’s packed with some fighting, and some sort of story that we can follow.

    It’s like the teaser of a quality Korean drama. LOL

    And then… they decided to release the long-form video. I like to talk about it when MVs get turned to short films. So we must talk about it. Yes, the long version is still pretty slick, but there’s one BIG problem.

    The remaining DBSK guys Yunho and Changming end up the 16min run of the MV looking like lousy one-dimensional goodies, while the baddie is an anti-hero. I actually felt a lot worse for him than the “good” guys. What’s up with that?

  • Ken the 390 vs. Vico C – Fight!

    I grew up with a song by Vico C called Me Acuerdo, which was on constant rotation those days when we still listened to the radio. I listen to that song, and I immediately think of those days.

    So when clicking on the video for Ken the 390 titled 壊れやすいもの (Koware Yasui Mono) – Breakable, it brought me back to that song. Must be the male vocal, the slow hip hop thing, and the female backing vocals.
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  • MissTer 101

    There’s a pretty personality-insightful making-of article in regards of Taiwan’s first and brand-new Boi-band, who in their second single Super Lover are urging a pretty lady to not give up on love.

    I think I’ve finally figured out who is who. Ha!

    First, there’s leader Jin Tai (the one with the glasses). Then there’s Qiu Qiu the former dance instructor (top third on the left), Milk is the one with the blueish tones on her hair, Chris (? Zi Lun?) (the one with the humping face), and finally Chiao (Qiao) the one with the blond hair.

    And I’ve already picked my favorite. LOL

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  • Old BiBi Interview with English Subtitles

    I think this is the only video of Bibi with English subtitles. It’s short, barely three minutes of it… but makes me miss BiBi circa her NOW/WOW albums… which reminds me, gotta review those.

    [iframe src=”https://www.tudou.com/v/_H6cID-4vsU/v.swf” width=”480″ height=”400″]

    Her last bit singing gives me the shivers.

    From the last few performances she’s done, something is amiss. Her voice is quite not right, and I think it might be due to the production of her last album.

    *sighs*

    Forgive the lack of updates, but then again… you do know there’s YAM, right?

  • The Best Mistake I’ve Ever Made: Sholly

    Ahh fandom… NSFW fandom.

    Shane and Molly have Asian fans! It figures~ I wonder if some pairings are more popular in each region just because of cultural preferences. The fact that Shane wanted to become a better person… more studious, more knowledgeable for Molly is what sold me on the pairing. I also think it’s a very Asian thing xD

    Plus, they’re hot… but Shane and Carmen was hot– but too much drama.

    I liked they used a song by a Taiwanese singer called Joanna Wang. She reminds me of the style of those easy listening tracks by Kendal Payne, or those tracks used so often in Grey’s Anatomy xD And the ending of the video, so sad.

  • The Best Performance on NHK’s 61st Kouhaku? DREAMS COME TRUE

    I’m not even a fan, but woman knows how to work that stage. She certainly knows how to close a show! On a very VERY long new year night… imagine having to download 11Gb to watch a roughly 6hr show, Jpop duo DREAMS COME TRUE was the most memorable number of the night — which includes a giant tsuru (crane), and a rock n’ roller tongue-wiggling ojiisan,

    [iframe src=”https://you.video.sina.com.cn/api/sinawebApi/outplayrefer.php/vid=44605592_1463781897_Z0LkG3M5B2LK+l1lHz2stqkP7KQNt6nkjWy3vFqlLQdeQ0/XM5GdZtsH5SzfAtkEqDhAQJw5dfsj3h8/s.swf” width=”480″ height=”370″]

    Are you kidding me? A marching band (the Kouhaku Marching band) with a lead singer jumping in a kimono? That’s an automatic win. xD Plus, Ikite yuku no desu (生きてゆくのです) is super catchy, the performance just brings it to the level of memorable.

    This is the best I can do for the moment, the only clip I’ve been able to find. If/when I find something better, will re-post. Now, if NHK was smart, they’d be posting the Kouhaku performances on their own site for embedding, instead of taking down the performances that make it online…

  • The BiBi Discography

    I told you BiBi was going to be my first post of 2011! xD

    It’s common knowledge I don’t buy singles… or usually “best of” compilations — unless it’s an artist with too many albums that I don’t want to “catch up” on with.

    Julz also knows I don’t do mini-albums.

    But I do own all of BiBi’s albums ;P I have named myself her biggest fan living the farthest away. LOL Unless BiBi has a fan living in the Patagonia, I’m taking the title, thankyouverymuch.

    Bibi’s latest albums are far from perfect. Really respect that she’s trying to expand her style, her vocal range, as well as her image. Though it sometimes feels like her label doesn’t know what to do with her, like they need to change her style (from Time to i.fish.light.mirror) to sell well in Taiwan and Hong Kong – where she probably did sell well after the change.

    I sat today listening to her first album (not counting her EP), Who Touched My Violin String?, and it was really quite good. Very strong, except for maybe two skippable songs.

    Her second effort, her double album NOW and WOW — UMPH! They’re a killer combo. After over two years of listening and discovering Chinese pop music artists, I have learned to appreciate NOW a lot more. But WOW blew me away right away for its hard to figure out sound.

    In NOW, she is a lot more traditional sounding… a few “Chinese” or I guess zhongguo feng songs, nice ballads with tight vocals, great production values, and lyrics. In WOW, she does the opposite. She’s R&B without sounding R&B, she’s a bit Rock without being Rock, she’s Pop without being truly Pop — she’s got funk, soul… her lyrics are whack, and she sounds like no one else.

    If Leehom coined Chinked-out style, BiBi was able to pull it off in WOW.

    I really believe those two albums have been the highlight of her career, and hope that her new contract with Gold Typhoon lets her — as an artist — experiment with those styles more.

    Hopefully, I will be able to get the pinyin for Bibi’s songs. In the meantime, you can check the one that’s already done for the WOW album. If you’re lucky, I will learn Chinese hahaha… tough luck!

  • Paypal in China?

    I is very excited about this news? I don’t know, all this business talk at this time of night gets me confused, but I seem to understand that Paypal is opening business in Chongqing. Did you know my grandpa was from Chonqing? Dumb-dumb gave away — gave away!!! — his properties. Ahhh… my grandpa.

    Anyway, I digress.

    I’m very excited about this bit of news because Modern Sky‘s online store, or I guess online catalog we could only ordered with a money order because… obviously, there was no Paypal in China — but now there will? Too bad Milk@Coffee is no longer with Modern Sky xD