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Faye Wong’s baby girl is no longer a baby. Leah Dou (Dou Jingtong, 竇靖童) is freaking 16 years old, and I just discovered that she’s posted a song online. Daughter of Chinese musician Dou Wei (窦唯) and Asian diva Faye Wong, you’d think their daughter would be predestined for musical haven — Of course, in this day and age, you would be more inclined to think that she’d be a spoiled brat. But her introduction makes it seem like she’s a composed young adult.

Seems like Dou and Wong have been decent parents.

Move over Taylor Swift, as much as your first two albums seemed to pave an okay-ish path of songwriting skills with some… vocals, Leah Dou has arrived and hasn’t even started yet. Is not only that she’s Faye Wong’s child (and she’s enormous) , that just got me mildly interested. I clicked on the link thinking “oh, great! Another kid on the internet with a guitar.” But passed the first few chords, the quality of her voice is just… mind-blowing. And I don’t think she’s even trying to impress. She’s just chilling.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/80849421″ params=”color=ff0090&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Of course this comes after her mom’s latest release that has already shot up to my favorite tracks this year, and I doubt any other track will snatch the #1 spot for my yearly music countdown.

You can follow Leah’s activities on Facebook, YouTube, Soundcloud and Twitter… and Weibo.

Yuguo Withdrawal Symptom

April 11, 2013 — 1 Comment

I am having serious Yuguo Withdrawal Symptom, especially because I thought Yuguo’s latest album would be out and about in March — it’s nearly mid-April and I’m still dry. I need my next fix! ASAP. Especially considering they do have the promo images for the album, and the official track listing. What happened???? I’m freaking out O_O

yuguo-sunset-strip-2013-album-promo

I’ll have to settle for replaying one of my favorite albums of them, which by the way, I got my aunt to buy for me in her last trip to Shanghai coz- it’s like impossible to get online if you’re not a resident.

yammag-interview-laure-shang-plympton-crowd-lu-guangzhong-esteman

From left to right.- Laure Shang Wenjie, animator Bill Plympton, Crowd Lu, and Esteman.

For the past couple of months I’ve been able to interview some of these awesome people. But that you knew if you were following all my ramblings on YAM Magazine.

For some other of my interviews, click here.

I was browsing albums, when I stumbled upon this album cover by Elliot Tupac.

chicha-libre-cuatro-tigres-elliot-tupac

Of course, for those in the know, you’d know that’s a super Chicha style type of typography [1], so interested to see what it was all about, I did a quick search. You’d be happy to know you can stream all of the EP Cuatro Tigres on Soundcloud, as well as their new album Canibalismo. Chicha Libre is a multi-ethnic Brooklyn-based group formed by Americans, Mexicans, Venezuelans and French musicians mixing Peruvian Chicha music with 60s psychedelic music and stuff. It’s pretty trippy.

I never in my life would’ve thought that I’d be sitting through more than one album of Chicha music. The most interesting thing is that there’s no Peruvians in sight on core members of the group. You can check them out on Facebook or Twitter. I’m not entirely a Chicha convert, but I appreciate the variety in the concept of the group. I do think they sound a lot like Chicha groups, but sing in English instead. Novelty, but it gets a bit tiring by the fourth track.

Conveniently, the group was asked to do a The Simpsons tune for one of the episodes.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/81093323″ params=”color=ff0090&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

What do you get when you put rap, hip-hop and swing together- besides Simon D. [1]. How about adding some western into the mix? With a dash of Esteman and Andrea Echeverri [1]. And how about adding a dash of Swedish into it too? That’s MOVITS! yo~~~

At least that’s them on their latest single [1].

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/76836117″ params=”color=ff0090&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

It’s like… it’s like Glen Hansard rapping in Swedish. LOL

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Just been discovered!

Escape Plan (逃跑计划, Tiao Pao Ji Hua), aka. Perdel Band. Spotted on CNN Travel… as always [1]. Their Rock in China page isn’t up to date, but it’s always a good spot to start with. Besides their 2008 EP titled Take Me Away (带我离开), they released a full length album in early 2012 titled Earth (世界), which contains all the songs from their EP in more slick production, as well as a version of Zaijian Zaijian (再见再见) with lyrics instead of the instrumental piano.

From all the endless bands coming out of China, they seem to be a good substitute of Yuguo while I wait for their new album, which is supposed to come out this March (if I didn’t read wrong)

Sorry, no music embeds.

You can preview web shorter versions of their album on their Douban page or Weibo Music.

Ever since I listened to Esteman’s feature length debut, I’ve been loving the album. I know I haven’t actually built my Top10 albums this past 2012 (I’m unsure I have enough quality to make a Top10) but 1er Acto is definitely included in this.

Allen, Keaton y Johansson, Presley, Minelli, Sinatra, Cotillard et Piaf, Funes, Bardot, Gaga, Madonna, Davis, Andersson, Lauren, Newman y Travolta, Taylor, Mercury, Coppola, Almodovar, Cruz, Leguizamo, Winehouse, Lennon, Jackson y Monroe.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/44616062″ params=”color=ff0090&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Though, his track with Andrea Echeverri, Aqui Estoy Yo, made it to my Top10 tracks of last year.

Just like I would say in Spanish… “uff, temazo”

This year, Colombian music really threw me off with a few couple of tracks. Monsieur Perine is one of those new groups. Their sound is infectious, taking me into the world of Sylvain Chomet’s Triplettes of Belleville. xD

Exciting things are going to be happening in the musica latina scene, it feels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWK-4a7J31M

You Me by Hamacide + ChaCha

October 15, 2012 — 3 Comments

Just ran into this song- a collaboration between producer Hamacide and Shanghai singer ChaCha on vocals. The EP — which seems more like an elaborate single really — has different remixes by Downstate, Jared Turinsky, Lightswitch Lafayette as well.

With artwork by Lily Xiao.

You can also buy this on Bandcamp.

I really REALLY REALLY am loving Chochukmo, and not because I interviewed them. I actually accepted to interview them because I really liked their first album, which you can listen to on Xiami or Bandcamp ;O

Don’t forget to check out my interview with Mike Orange from the band.