Tuesday, June 30, 2009

M83 - Before the Dawn Heals Us

What can I say about M83's eponymous Before the Dawn Heals Us? I can hardly recall when this album came to my awareness, but when it did - trust me - it made a mark. Not necessarily my drug of choice at first, but definitely a gateway drug of sorts. A majority of the songs are about teen angst (don't worry, no emo none-sense). I use to listen to it during long drives in the middle of the night on the 405/5 from Bakersfield to Irvine. Tripped out my mind especially when passing through the bright lights of LA. Makes you feel...infinite.

Not forever.

But for just a moment.

And sometimes.

A moment is all you need.

Download.



Beautiful Katamari

This is a song from the XBOX 360 game Beautiful Katamari.

Beautiful Katamari OST - Sayonara Rolling Star

Monday, June 29, 2009

Tomas Kalnoky



This guy is a modern Ska icon of sorts. He has a terribly bad habit of forgetting lyrics, has a really bad reputation of reputation of continuously delaying release of albums, and despite that second issue, has set up an incredibly ambitious project known as 99 Songs of Revolution that no one has seen much of yet (though, not quite as ambitious as Sufjan Steven's Fifty States Project.

Anyway, his resume includes garage band Gimp, being the original singer for Catch 22, his main band Streetlight Manifesto, and the 14 piece Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution. This song is a pretty cool acoustic version of a song of Streetlight's most recent album. Gotta appreciate him realizing he starts off out of tune.

UVERworld

I first heard this band when I watched the anime Bleach. I'm starting to get mellow, so when my mood changes, my music kinda changes as well. Whatever sooths my ears and state of mind, I'm good.


UVERworld - Chance

Japandroids - Post-Nothing (album)

[Download]

Recently gave this a spin. If you're in to the whole garage rock scene you'll dig this. It actually reminds me of early 90's emo-rock (before emo became what it is now known as). Pretty sick stuff; reminds me of music you'd listen to while cruising the cost at 90+ MPH, soaking in the skin-cancer-inducing rays of the sun and the salty breeze. Check them out on MySpace.

Note: I've also decided that I will specialize my postings to albums only with links to free downloads. So if you ever need music ask me. And if you like what you download, buy a copy!

Note II (07/01/2009): Rapidshare link got removed. I'll avoid Rapidshare in the future (they just got dealt a hefty lawsuit).

Sunday, June 28, 2009

ASL: Charlene Grace

Name: Charlene Grace
Location: [currently] Irvine, CA, but my heart lies in Diamond Bar
Favorite Genre of Music: 90s, 80s (Who doesn't love the 80s?), 70s, 60s, Indie, folk, electronica, pop, alternative rock, techno
Favorite Artists:
(currently into) I don't have specific artists that I'm into at the moment
(wanna look into) Bloc Party; Metric; Tegan and Sara; The White Stripes; Passion Pit; Brand New; Bat for Lashes; other indie and electronica bands, music that's out of the ordinary
(will always love) Backstreet Boys; Earth, Wind, and Fire; The Beatles; America; The Eagles; Journey
Posting Style: Posting up recent discoveries. Or posting videos/songs/albums/song lyrics that I enjoy and I think other people would enjoy. I may put up some videos, album art, etc. for songs that I think are particularly artsy or meaningful.
Random/Corny Fact About Yourself: I like to Yelp!

---------------------------------------------------

To start things off, here's a video of a song I just recently found on Youtube. It's a song called "What's a Girl to Do" by Bat for Lashes, an Indie band. I thought the video was pretty interesting, and the song is pretty cool too. The video is a bit weird, though, I have to admit, but check it out anyways:

A Different Kind of Crazy

This is an acoustic cover of "Crazy", performed by Ray Lamontagne. Compared to the original by Gnarls Barkley, this version seems much more sedated and tenuous. If Cee-Lo Green were the raving hobo in the street, Ray Lamontagne would seem like the asylum patient trying to figure out just what went wrong. So if you think you knew the song -- think twice.

Ray Lamontagne -- Crazy

Thanks, everyone!

First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who has posted & contributed so far (as well as beared with the guidelines while posting)!! I love learning about the different types of music you listen to, and I hope everyone else feels the same. You guys are awesome!!!

However, if there's something about the blog that you think can be improved, please give me your feedback and let me know what you think! I'm open to comments/suggestions!

- - -

BLOGGER TIP:
**By the way, here's a little tip if you want to have Blogger e-mail you when someone comments on your post. Click on the "comments" link found underneath your post and you'll find a link that says "Subscribe by email" directly underneath the comment box on the right side. That will notify you when someone comments on your entry!**



I love shopping at (or around, haha) The Lab! The music there is awesome. My friend and I were at American Apparel yesterday when "Little Secrets" by Passion Pit went on (from their first full-length album Manners). I loved the song right when it started playing! Again I asked the cashier what song it was, to which another employee responded it was Passion Pit (I thought of Angie when he told me that, haha). I first heard about Passion Pit through another Blogger who posts playlists full of "indie dance music". "Sleepyhead" was what first drew me to Passion Pit (check out the video! It's definitely different, ahha). Enjoy!

ASL: Will

Name: William Sapigao
Location: Bay Area/ San Jose, CA
Favorite Genre of Music: Classic Rock, 80's, 90's, Rap, Hip-Hop, R&B, Alternative, Doo Wop
Favorite Artists:
(currently into) adele, kanye west, the fray, t.i., black-eyed peas, the dream
(wanna look into) ANYTHING. I'm not a music guru like many of you but I'm open to new things.
(will always love) green day, air supply, michael & janet jackson, the temptations, lauryn hill, boys II men
Posting Style: Whatever comes to mind, I will post. I like details but I'll also keep it short and sweet.
Random/Corny Fact About Yourself: Someone once thought I was Indian. Lol.

Anyway, I was at work and some kid asked what type of music I listen to. FYI, he's 13. I named a few genres and he told me some of his. And I started telling him about some of the first artists I used to listen to as a kid. When I got to hip hop, I mentioned Naughty by Nature. Although, he had NO IDEA who they were. Crazy, huh? I was pretty shocked. But worse, he made me feel really old. Anyway, I thought about it that night and remembered how naughty by nature played a big role in the era of 90's music, especially for hip hop. So just to jumpstart this post, here's a taste of that music for your listening pleasure.

Paper Boy

My friend introduced me to this song freshmen year of high school.

Paper Boy - The Ditty

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Who Is She

Nice song.

Kris Mark - Who Is She feat CP, Kinh Nguyen, & Matt Clores


Friday, June 26, 2009

Not Much to Say

I just like this song.

San Francisco

This song is played during the Credits of the anime "Samurai Champloo" on the final episode.
Another chill and relaxing song. Good anime to watch as well. The artist Nujabes plays some songs for the anime Samurai Champloo as well so it's chill =D.


Midicronica - San Francisco


In Tough Times

A lot as been going on with me lately: I'm beginning to feel more and more distant from my family, financial troubles have really started to hit me and my family harder than I could ever imagine, I've started a new job in a new area for the summer, and there just seem to be more and more things to worry about each day. It's times like these that I lounge and think ... and get thrown into minor pits of depression. And nothing soothes depression like a good song with real emotion in it. Lately, that song for me has been Crossfade's "Never Coming Home". Although the song is obviously more about a broken relationship, the subtle bluesy sadness of the piano and the slight voice of anguish really help me channel my mood. And singing along is just a really cathartic experience sometimes. :)

Thursday, June 25, 2009

RIP Michael Jackson

"Smooth Criminal" is one of my favorite Michael Jackson songs though there are so many more I could name. Like what Derrick said, despite all that has been going on in Michael Jackson's life within the past couple years, his impact in the music world is immeasurable. Rest in peace.

RIP MJ

I'm tripling the entry following Jerick and Anna's post.

Despite all the odd things that have occurred with Michael Jackson in these last few years, I can still say that he is STILL one of the best musicians that has walked the face of this Earth.

Michael Jackson - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough



Rest in peace.

The KING of Pop.

I'm sorry to double up on Jerick's post but I was also really shocked, upset & sad when I heard the news. Contemporary pop stars like Britney, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Chris Brown (and so many more) have ALL been influenced by Michael Jackson: his timeless songs, his smooth moves and choreography, his captivating & mesmerizing stage presence... and especially his music videos which were huge productions in themselves! Even as a kid, I came to appreciate the stories he would tell through the songs that he sang & danced to. "Thriller"? "Billie Jean"? "Remember the Time?" Need I say more? I can't even imagine where music would be without him. He wasn't just a singer or dancer, he was & always will be a music icon. Rest in peace, M.J. We'll miss you but your music will truly live on forever.

Michael Jackson & Britney - "The Way You Make Me Feel"

R.I.P.

Sorry for breaking the rule for double posting. I'm only probably going to do this once.

Michael Jackson: 1958 - 2009

The Jackson 5 - Life of the Party




Michael Jackson - Rock With You



The list of my favorite songs for him goes on and on.
Feel free to post other favorites of your Michael Jackson songs/tracks/hits as well.
Today is another sad day.

Black Kids

A song that makes me yell/sing while I'm driving.

Black Kids - Hurricane Jane (Twelve Kids Remix)

N*Sync - It's Gonna Be Me

This one is for Anna. I'm not going to be afraid to admit that I was a fan of groups like N*Sync, Backstreet Boys, and 98 degrees. These are the people that introduced em to popular music (I was more of a Backstreet Boys fan though). I recently saw Kris Mark and his friends do a cover of this song, but I couldn't remember who the original singer was. Once someone told me it was N*Sync, I remembered that this was my favorite song they sang. I'm sure it will bring back memories to lots of people. Enjoy =)

It's Gonna Be Me (oh, yeah)

You might've been hurt, babe
That ain't no lie
You've seen them all come and go (ooooh)
I remember you told, me
That it made you believe in
No man, no cry
Maybe that's why

Chorus:
Every little thing I do
Never seems enough for you
You don't wanna lose it again
But I'm not like them
Baby, when you finally
Get to love somebody
Guess what, it's gonna be me

You've got no choice, babe
But to move on,and you know
There ain't no time to waste,
You're just
Too blind, to see
But in the end you know it's gonna be me
You can't deny
So just tell me why

Chorus:
Every little thing I do
Never seems enough for you
You don't wanna lose it again
But I'm not like them
Baby, when you finally
Get to love somebody(somebody)
Guess what, it's gonna be me
It's gonna be me (eeaeayeh)
Hoo yeah yeah

Bridge:
There comes a day
When I'll be the one
You'll see
It's gonna, gonna, gonna, gonna
It's gonna be me

All that I do
Is not enough for you
I dont wanna lose it
But I'm not like that
When you finally (finally)
You get to love
Guess what, guess what (guess what)

Chorus:
Every little thing I do
Never seems enough for you (for you babe)
You don't wanna lose it again (don't wanna lose it)
But I'm not like them
Baby, when you finally
Get to love somebody (love)
Guess what,guess what, it's gonna be me

Every little thing I do(hoooo.. yeah)
Never seems enough for you (for you)
You don't wanna lose it again (don't wanna lose it)
But I'm not like them
Baby, when you finally
Get to love somebody
Guess what, it's gonna be me

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

King Crimson -- Matte Kudasai

King Crimson is regarded as one of the great pioneers of progressive rock, known for their incorporation of unusual styles and sounds that skirted mainstream influence. The band's lyrics have always been cryptic and melodramatic, and Matte Kudasai is no exception. It's perfectly matched by the bluesy tones of the guitar - what seems like seagulls cawing, is actually all done by guitar.

Be sure to check out the second entry for the live performance.



Nothing In This World

Traphik aka Timothy DelaGhetto wrote this song for his girlfriend on Valentines Day. He explains how this song is for everyone who are in a relationship and have love, but people still doubt and don't expect them to last.

I'm currently going through a similar conflict right now, and this song helps me not let all the haters get in my head.

Traphik - Nothing In This World

Fox Rox

So, back in the day, San Diego's music scene was awesome enough to warrant its own TV show on one of the major networks. So late every Thursday and I think Sunday night, there would be the Show Fox Rox hosted by some cocky white guy and his slightly larger counterpart who sits in a music scene office of some sort and tosses out music trivia. But that's not the point of it. The point of the show was to announce major local shows around San Diego and showcase live performances. Sadly, it has since gone off the air, but the link a I gave you guys is a youtube collection of a pretty good amount of the live performances.

And these aren't all small acts. They got Aqualung, The Go! Team, The Fiery Furnaces, Maroon 5, TV on the Radio, Ben Kweller and countless other acts that have since gotten bigger.

Of course, there are also the San Diego Acts like Noise Ratchet, Slightly Stoopid, Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower, My American Heart, No Knife and of course Switchfoot.

So yeah, sorry this just was a list of links. I leave you with a band with a cello off Conor Oberst's label known as Cursive.

I heart the 80s.

The Electric Light Orchestra is definitely one of my favorite bands (thanks to Cristina for introducing me to them). One of my favorite albums by them is "Time" (released in 1981).

"Yours Truly, 2095" is my favorite song in the album. Kinda pop. Kinda electronica. Kinda rock. Here it goes:

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Nelly Furtado is Portuguese-Canadian...

And Universal is lame and won't let me embed, but I'm currently listening to Juanes and Nelly Furtado - Fotografia.

Other things getting extra play from my itunes library:
Brand New - Jaws Theme Swimming
Dispatch - Drive

Walking on a Dream

The song reminds me of just venturing in life, searching for answers to our questions. Curiosity is good and bad, but when we live, we experience.

Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream

Monday, June 22, 2009

Funny Love

This song is just smooth and relaxing to the ears. Reminds of me being in a coffee shop or any elevator.

DJ Deckstream - Funny Love

Indietronica

I first heard this song on this imeem playlist a few weeks ago. It's called "Parallel Lines" by Junior Boys. I love the beats, lyrics, vocals, etc.! I'm a big fan of indietronica.



Other songs I like in the playlist:

The Juan MacLean - One Day
Papercuts - Future Primitive
Animal Collective - My Girls
Royksopp - Happy Up Here

First sharing post! Shiina Ringo!

I guess I'll start off with my favorite artist ever: Shiina Ringo (last name first, though I normally use Western nomenclature with Japanese artists, "Ringo Shiina" has always looked and sounded kind of weird to me). I discovered Ms. Shiina during my freshman year of college when trying to listen to Japanese music that wasn't in anime. I fell in love with her versatility as an artist as well as her prescence on stage. Anyway, some people have compared her to Bjork, and if you've listened to either artist, you'll have no idea how that comparison came about. xD

Okay, I know it says only one video, but I'm trying to demonstrate Shiina's versatility. So...I'll post a video and a link to a video! It's the same song, but two different versions. The first link is the recorded version, sort of a chill, jazzy, bossa nova type of song, and the video is how she performs it live; pretty much a punk version.

Oh! Also, if you like any of this, I'll be happy to give you better quality versions. Just IM me, I'm usually online as long as I am at home.

Listen to this one first!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

SORRY I AM NEW TO BLOGGING ASL: RagamuffinKing

Name: Christopher N.


Location: Currently: Irvine, CA Normally: Burbank, CA

Favorite Genre of Music: Classical, the blues, and their derivatives. So...pretty much everything. xD Hrm, mostly rock and anything with a good melody.

Favorite Artist: Favorite favorite? Shiina Ringo. Current favorites? Blankey Jet City (or any of Kenichi Asai's other bands) & Taj Mahal.

Posting Style: Erm, erratic.

Random/Corny Fact About Myself: I've been an iai swordsman for about as long as I've been a guitarist.

Influenced

My friend from high school Pano Pan got me into metaphorical music. It's just so calming and just makes me reflect on anything in my life. Pano influenced me with his taste in music. One artist that got me hooked was Nujabes. Some of their songs are instrumental, but some are combined with hip hop, rap, soul, and jazz. Just the stuff that's been playing on MTV or BET just makes me want to turn off the tv. I don't even listen to the radio anymore, aside from ESPN radio. The song I'm posting is Nujabes - Latitude.

This song reminds me of whenever Pano and I would hang out after school on Fridays to celebrate the weekend. We would just go to Camelot's and play DDR and Initial D. And everytime I'm in his car, this song always pops up. It's also a reminisce of how things are really calm and relaxing when it's just us hanging out when school ends.

2 lines of the song sticks with me.

"You could fall from the pressure
Or could you take the weight."

So much pressure nowadays, whether it's school or friends, that it's easy to just panic. But we just have to be willing to take the hits, in any situation we encounter in life.

Nujabes - Latitude


Let's Double Up on the French



As sung by Edith Piaf and some guy I'm not sure who he is. The song is nice, but I think the animation is better. This guy did a nice little live-action version of the animation.

Lounge

I just heard this song on imeem and knew I had to post. This is "Lebanese Blonde" by Thievery Corporation, a group I learned about today. I began looking up bands with a style similar to The Radio Dept. and discovered Cocteau Twins. As I listened to one of their songs on imeem, the Thievery Corporation was mentioned in one of the comments by a user and I curiously looked them up. Glad I did!



The bossa nova/jazzy beat is what I love most about this.

Incubus -- Drive

The album Make Yourself by Incubus was one of the first albums that introduced me to Alternative rock. The lyrics are simple and flowing, and the message on confidence and maturity still rings true as ever. Clean and mellow with a hints of hip-hop, it's definitely easy on the ears.

Aerosmith - Super Bowl Halftime Show

Remixes are always great, but this has to be one of my top 5 of all time. All of my favorite singers at the time performed during the halftime show, which resulted in my favorite halftime show EVER, past, present and future. I don't think there could ever be a better halftime show than this, even if Megan Fox had a wardrobe malfunction.

The reason I posted this is because Aerosmith is one of my favorite bands of all time, and I think this video shows how much fun they can be. Also, N*Sync, Britney, Mary J. Blige, and Nelly all performed during this song too.

angfoo's Sunday Links

Via gree(blue)n:
Lil Wayne - Kobe Bryant - BLACK MAMBA KB24
Architecture in Helsinki - That Beep - Indie-electronica for the summer!
Feist - Inside Out - Cover of the moment!
T.I. - All Night - Samples Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles" YAWK!

Via The Funcooker:
The Mixtape Circuit: TRV$AM - Free download from DJ AM & Travis Barker
Review: Sparklehorse - Dark Night of the Soul - Recommended bootleg album download

ASL: anna liza

Name: Anna Liza
Location: Irvine, CA and then in August, it’s back home to Los Angeles - Silverlake/ Historic Filipino-town area
Favorite Genre of Music: R&B/Soul, Hip-hop, POP!, Funk (The Isley Brothers, Prince), Indie, 80’s & 90’s
Favorite Artists:
(currently into) Vampire Weekend, Mayer Hawthorne, Keri Hilson and I’m really into Taylor Swift right now
(wanna look into) Anything, I’m always open to suggestions!
(will always love) Lauryn Hill, Common, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Notorious B.I.G, John Legend, & last but not least, BSB, *N Sync & Britney (no shame).
Posting Style: I’ll probably post whatever I’m into at the moment: youtube videos, song clips/lyrics.
Random/Corny Fact About Yourself: I’m 22 years old and I have yet to outgrow the teenybopper phase of my life. Also, I have never been on a plane before but I hope to change that this summer.

ASL: wordyshaman

Name: Yuan Fang Fu
Location: Berkeley, CA; Diamond Bar, CA.
Favorite Genre of Music: prog rock, alt. pop, alt. rock.
Favorite Artists: Incubus, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, The Eagles.
Posting Style: Anything with a distinct sound and has some bearing on my life. Format? few and in between, haha.
Random/Corny fact: If I can bike there, I probably will. I am also FOB.

ASL: Vitaly

Name, Location (only 'cause not everyone is from Irvine here), Favorite Genre of Music, Favorite Artist, Posting Style, Random/Corny Fact About Yourself.

Name: Luis Rosales
Location: Pomona, CA & Berkeley, CA
Favorite Genre of Music: Hard one because I don't really gravitate around one genre of music too often: in my car my preset stations are KROQ(AltRock), AMP (Top40), KISS (Top40), KLOS (Classic Rock), Power 106 (HipHop) and KUSC (Classical)...but if I had to choose one I'd prolly go with plain ol' Alternative Rock.
Favorite Artist: Prolly equally as hard as trying to choose a favorite genre. I have always really enjoyed Pink Floyd, My Chemical Romance, Green Day, Avenged Sevenfold, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, 30 Seconds to Mars, Bad Religion, NoFX, Strung Out, Britney Spears, Mozart, Vivaldi, etc...
Posting Style: I usually try to put the Artist's name and video at the top, add my own two cents about the video/song and then I put the video embedded. or wait...I don't know, just go with it...
Random/Corny Fact About Myself: I've seen a man get shot 5 times in the chest, drag himself across a street to die on the door of his own car; I've been the victim teller during a bank robbery; I've lived more in my 20 years of life than most adults do in a lifetime. Thanks, Berkeley.

ANYWAY.

This song has been a huge huge HUGE favorite of mine for the LONGEST time. I think my good friend Krzysz introduced me to Emmanuel Moire Fall semester this year.

Emmanuel Moire - Ça Me Fait Du Bien

This song is a very touching use of piano with enduring lyrics for the hopeless romantic in all of us. If you know a little bit of French or look up the lyrics you'll see what I mean...Audio quality not the greatest but the video is still very nice :].



Increase the Peace!
-Vitaly...

Saturday, June 20, 2009

ASL: ddumo3586

Name: Derrick Dumo
Location: Bay Area, CA; Irvine, CA (few times in the year only)
Favority Genre of Music: Hip-hop, Rock/Alternative, R&B, Classical, and others (I'm open to many things.)
Favorite Artists (Organized from my favorite genres of music.):Common, The Roots, Weezer, Erykah Badu, Atonin Dvorak, George Gershwin
Posting Style: If it sounds good, I will post!
Random/Corny Fact About Yourself: I still have my Disneyland Autograph Book when I was a kid, and it does have the signatures of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and others (Does anyone still remember Launchpad McQuack?).

Since I haven't posted anything yet, I'll hit the ground running on this blog by posting a playlist that gives everyone an idea of what I like listening to (I even have songs that fit the "others" category.). Enjoy! Unfortunately, you do have to sign in to imeem if you want to listen to the complete playlist.

Songs in playlist:
Doomtree - Kid Gloves
People in Planes - Last Man Standing
George Gershwin performed by NY Philharmonic - An American in Paris
Melody Gardot - Baby I'm a Fool
Ibrahim Ferrer - Ay, Candela

How About Some Modern Disco?

I love these guys, though they're weird at times.

ASL: Justin

Name: Justin
Location: Usually Irvine or San Diego
Favorite Genres of Music: Ska, Funk, Hip Hop, Things Unsure or Unwilling to Categorize
Favorite Artists: Elliott Smith, Pedro the Lion, Suburban Legends, Big D and the Kids Table, Less Than Jake, Kanye, Ne-Yo
Posting Style: Whatever. Typically I've been posting a youtube video and some links.
Random/Corny Fact About Yourself: I have a freaking Charmander.

ASL: angfoo

Name: Angie A.
Location: So. Cal
Favorite Genre of Music: Hip-hop, Jazz (particularly Modal, Fusion, & Bossa Nova), Soul, Funk, Indie, Folk-rock, House, 90's
Favorite Artists:
(currently into) DâM-FunK, Grizzly Bear, Sparklehorse, Mayer Hawthorne
(wanna look into) Anything Wire Box DJ's recommends!!
(will always love) Common, A Tribe Called Quest, Miles Davis, Erykah Badu, Owen
Posting Style: Most likely a song that I'm feelin' at the moment accompanied by a YouTube video (until I figure out how to use imeem, LOL). Also, I'll probably post weekly links to music posts on my other blogs.
Random/Corny Fact About Yourself: I'm turning 25 in three months and I've never been on a date. How do you date people?

ASL: canobot

Name: Cristina
Location: California (Pomona, Los Angeles, San Jose [for this summer]). Yeah, moving is the life of a student ... heh.
Favorite Genres of Music: Rock (alternative, 80s, metal ... very diverse), Japanese/Korean Rock/Pop ... and other miscellaneous things. :)
Favorite Artists: LM.C, Muse, Orange Range, A.F.I, Coldplay ...
Posting Style: playlist of the moment, and will try to do themed playlists in the future
Random/Corny Fact About Yourself: I have 4 younger siblings ... and I can speak Japanese. よろしくおねがいします!:)

ASL: Charmaine

**ATTENTION AUTHORS! To those who already posted their profile, I added the label "profile" for you so that you can go back to these profiles whenever you want. Check it out under "the label box." in the right side menu. TO THOSE NEW TO THE WIRE BOX, don't forget to add the "profile" label when you introduce yourself! If you need help with the label, check out the "Update: Reactions" blog.

ALSO, I added an "update" label on the right hand side so you can click it and have easy access to all the updates right before your eyes. TO THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY POSTED, please add your author name as a label for all your previous entries, including your profile. For example, I go by "Charmaine" on this blog, so I'll make a "Charmaine" label where you can see all the music posts I've made. This is the only way I can figure out how to filter your music by author name.

Sound good? Holla.**



Name: Charmaine
Location: Irvine, CA/Diamond Bar, CA
Favorite Genre of Music: Indie, 70s, 80s, Alternative, Rock, Folk, Electronica, Psychedelic, Hip Hop... I have a very eclectic taste, but I'm currently in an indie phase
Favorite Artists:
(currently into) Starfucker, Iron & Wine, Dr. Dog, MGMT, Of Montreal, Coconut Records
(wanna look into) The Radio Dept., The Bird and the Bee, Junior Boys, Animal Collective, Cocteau Twins, Pet Shop Boys, Cut Copy, Passion Pit
(will always love) Crosby Stills & Nash, America, The Eagles, Seals & Crofts, Supertramp
Posting Style: If there's a song I like that I heard that day I'll post it on the same day. I'll try doing a themed post some time.
Random/Corny Fact About Yourself: I recently bought "left-handed shorts" without knowing it.

Friday, June 19, 2009

ASL: Hazel (or Hazelnut. or Hazelina(fofeena).)

Name: Hazel Eng
Location: Irvine/Walnut CA
Favorite Genre of Music: Rock, Alt, Indie, Folk, "oldies," almost anything Acoustic
Favorite Artist: hmm. the Killers, Coldplay, Switchfoot, the Fray, Iron & Wine
Posting Style: whatever i feel like. stream of consciousness ftw
Random/Corny Fact About Yourself: man, i hate things like this. idk, i bake cupcakes and sew pillows? oh i'm like 1/8th filipino.

ASL: 918particle

Name: Jordan Christian Hanson a.k.a 918particle
918 = area code for Tulsa, OK
particle = I'm a physicist and I focus on neutrinos and cosmic rays.
Favorite Genres of Music: All electronica, Old School Country and Folk, Assorted Rock & Grunge, Underground Rap
Examples:
1) Electronica: Paul van Dyk, The Chemical Brothers (especially pre-2000), Sound Tribe Sector 9
2) Old School Country and Folk: Brooks and Dunn (see Greatest Hits vol. 1, Red Dirt Road), Toby Keith, Indigo Girls
3) Assorted Rock and Grunge: Metallica, Nirvana, AC/DC (Live from Donnington - amazing)
4) Underground Rap: Jurassic 5 all the way live baby (see Quality Control)
Posting Style: I don't know what this means because this is my first blog. I'll probably just mix my own stuff and post that. I mostly stick to mixing techno music on my computer using a program called Dance eJay 7. I know it sounds lame, but trust. Trust.
Random fact about yourself: I'm a convert to Roman Catholicism despite being a dedicated scientist.

ASL: Mark a.k.a. Rice Eyes a.k.a. Vanilla Rice

Name: Mark
Location: Irvine, CA/Bakersfield, CA
Favorite Genre of Music: Indie, experimental, avant garde
Favorite Artist: Blink-182 (in my younger days), Brand New (in my older days)
Posting Style: Song title then why I suggested it and possibly ending with a YouTube video.
Random/Corny Fact About Yourself: I was in a pageant.

ASL: Jerick

Name: Jerick Galang
Location: Garden Grove, CA
Favorite Genres of Music: Metaphorical, Instrumental, and Breakbeats.
Favorite Artists: Nujabes, My American Heart, Sigur Ros, DJ Deckstream, Explosions in the Sky.
Posting Style: Any song that has relevance and meaning to my situations past, present, or future.
Random/Corny Fact About Yourself: I'm allergic to peanuts, grass, and dust.

ASL: Steven

Name: Steve Forton Oil Son Yeah
Location: in yo face (aka Garden Grove, CA)
Favorite Genre of Music: Indie
Favorite Artists: Everybody Else, The Morning Of, The Higher, My American Heart, Hootie and the Blowfish, Jimmy Buffet, Hillsong
Posting Style: Whatever I feel like (I like to give a little personal background to a song to make the posting more interesting).
Random/Corny Fact About Yourself: Whenever someone texts with a Sidekick, I can hear the message being sent or receiving, and it hurts my ears =X

**Update: Reactions**

Hey everyone! I added "reactions" at the bottom of each post (kind of like the "Like/Unlike" application on Facebook). If you want to undo a reaction you've clicked, simply click the reaction again and it will clear (but if you press it again after going to a different page on the blog then coming back to it, it will no longer clear). If there are any other "reactions" I should put (or if you don't like the ones I put up), let me know!

Also, a few people have had ideas for themed posts. Charlene suggested that I should post a theme perhaps in the header of the blog every so often so that users can know the theme and post accordingly. Angie suggested posting themed projects like "Post Your Top 5 Guilty Pleasure Songs" or "Your Favorite Decade of Music". What do you think?

Plus, we've decided to make profiles before posting! Feel free to copy & paste the profile layout below. Don't forget your labels! Your profile post MUST have a label of the word "profile" as well as your author name (not your real name--unless that IS your author name!). To add a label onto a post, simply go to the "Labels for this post:" section right above the "PUBLISH POST" and "SAVE AS DRAFT" buttons below the blog entry box!


**Here is a profile format so you can copy & paste it onto your post**

Name:
Location:
Favorite Genre of Music:
Favorite Artist:
(currently into)
(wanna look into)
(will always love)
Posting Style:
Random/Corny Fact About Yourself:


(For examples of profiles that have already been posted, click here. Note: Title your profile post as "ASL: [your author name]".)


Thank you for joining and happy posting!


Sincerely,
Charmaine

I'm on A Boat A Capella

Arranged and performed by Acquire A Capella at UC Santa Cruz.



Also, there's a new Auto-Tune the News.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

The Mars Volta -- Meccamputechture

loud, brash, and surprisingly intricate. Imho the best part comes at the 2/3 mark, where the pace picks up considerably.

The Mars Volta -- Meccamputechture

The Bird and the Bee - Diamond Dave

I just heard this song on the "Adult Alternative" channel on my TV (those music channels). I first learned about The Bird and the Bee at Milk + Honey, though (always from M + H, huh?), about a month ago. The intro of "Diamond Dave" is what hooked me. A few songs later I heard "Don't You Evah" by Spoon, a song that my friend told me about last summer. Anyway, Spoon is an indie rock band from Austin, Texas. The Bird and the Bee is actually from L.A.

I think I heard "Polite Dance Song" by The Bird and the Bee @ Milk + Honey.
I do like the song "Love Letter to Japan" though.

Death of Autotune... Autotuned

I don't actually think this is a very good remix, but it's clever.

Juice Lee

This guy is really cool. I heard of this guy through Kutiman's stuff, specifically the mazing song "I'm New." Juice Lee's bit of free-styling that made it into that song was pretty cool. The other really cool artist out of the Kutiman mashup is ElexisTrinity.

Anyway, I looked up this guy and his stuff is pretty good. It's not gangsta rap - most of his stuff is about being a struggling artist. This particular video is pretty cool because it shows us how to really drop a beat.

Explosions in the Sky

I first heard this song during a breakdance video. It was just a video about the crew Zombie Hunters and their love for breakdancing. Thinking about this song makes me view life and how far I've progressed in breakdancing as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0o8JCxjjpM

The link above is the original version which is 9 minutes.

The video I'm posting is the Zombie Hunters version. It's a 3 minute version of the song in which they loop the intense part of the song.

Hey everyone!

Is this width okay? Leave your comments, please! :)


Sincerely,
Charmaine

Since we're talking covers:


Feist - Inside Out

Jazzy cover of the Bee Gee's 1979 disco hit "Love You Inside Out".

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Knock You Down Cover

This is a response to Justin's Knock You Down post.

I never heard the original song, but when I heard Cathy Nguyen and Andrew Garcia cover this song, I immediately fell in love with it. I truly believe that we are going to find the best music of the next generation on Youtube. This is cover is one of those gems. I like hearing about good youtube artists and I would recommend that everyone post their favorites (people like Gabe Bondoc, Kris Mark, Cathy, etc.).



(Sorry I couldn't make the video any smaller Charmaine!) :(

Knock You Down



I'm obsessed with this song. I'm also sad to see there are no good covers of this song yet *hint, hint*

So, this is the first I've ever heard of Keri Hilson. After looking her up at Wikipedia, I haven't heard any of her other songs. Hopefully she isn't a one-hit wonder.

Karma...

Radiohead - Karma Police



I've never been much of a Radiohead fan, but every now and then they come out with something so intoxicating it's hard to hold partisan lines.

I mean, it's a very "you-have-to-be-in-the-mood" kind of song, but hey, I guess I'm in that mood: called in for work, major nausea, so I'm in bed, sifting through files and listening to Pandora--and this is what came up.

So sit back, throw your inhibitions to the wind and just dig the sweet hypnotic sound of Thom Yorke.

Similarly, another English band that has my attention at the moment is an 80's revival attempt at the cool sounds of electronica infused with hard riffs and nice synthesization.

Depeche Mode - Wrong
Depeche Mode has come back swinging with their whole album, "Sounds of the Universe" with the track "Wrong" really catching my attention. The video is really trippy and very movie-esque which is always pretty cool in my book when it comes to music video production.

DIG IT.
It's not possible to embed the song as per DM's request, so just follow the link on over to YouTube really quick. I promise you'll like it.


click me PLEASE

**Update: Clutter**

Hey everyone!

So it appears that the posts are getting cluttered quickly because of the amount of videos being posted per blog. I was thinking of using the following guidelines to just reduce the clutter and to make the blog more reader-friendly. Here are some suggestions (YOUR IDEAS/FEEDBACK IS ENCOURAGED):
  • Limiting one video per post and adding links to the rest of the videos you want to post
  • Limiting one to two posts per user, per day.
  • Making a playlist and adding it to your post (e.g. via imeem)

  • That's all I can think of at the moment.... What do you all think? Please post your comments ASAP! Thank you!


    Sincerely,
    Charmaine

    Just an Idea

    What's good, Wire Box-ers? Ang checkin' in with a quick suggestion...

    When Charmaine posted the initial "let's start a music blog" FB note, I was reminded of a previous project of mine. A few years ago, a handful of friends and I participated in a monthly CD exchange--unfortunately, after a couple of months, the group lost steam and faded into oblivion.

    I was thinking we could reproduce something similar, such as a monthly themed project: i.e., "Post your Top 5 Guilty Pleasure Songs," or "Your Favorite Decade of Music." One featured blogger a month could devise the assignment and everybody responds. Just an idea to keep things fresh!

    That's all! Before I go, I write for the music section of an entertainment blog--check out some of the music I've highlighted at The Funcooker. And also, for more music that I like, check out the streampad on gree(blue)n (my personal tumblelog for sporadic posting of music and random finds).

    Metal Gear Solid 4

    I listen to this before I take a quiz/test/exam/final. It pumps me up and makes me feel like I'm in a war when it comes to my education/grade.

    Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - Main Theme

    R Kelly

    R Kelly - World's Greatest

    Tuesday, June 16, 2009

    **Update: Labeling**

    Hey everyone! I just made a quick edit to the first blog. It's about the labeling. I've noticed that some of you have labeled the name(s) of the bands/musicians/singers, song, or album. Please try to keep the labeling strictly to categories/genres of music or the media that you're using for posting your entry (i.e. video, playlist, lyrics, etc.). This will just help limit the amount of labels on the right side and keep the list more broad for other people's music.

    NOTE: I may edit your label myself if you do tag the name of the musician/band, song, or album. So if you find that your label has changed, it's just me trying to narrow down the tagging.

    Thanks for your cooperation! And thanks to all who have already posted! I love hearing your music!


    Sincerely,
    Charmaine

    Ian Brown

    So I heard this one song playing as I was making a purchase at The Buffalo Exchange (on Bristol). I asked the cashier, "What song is this?" He asked me to hold on as he called a co-worker on the phone. Then he said, "Ian Brown - On Track."

    I fell in love with the song immediately.


    Ian Brown - On Track

    I'm not sure if you can hear this if you don't have an imeem account, but if you don't, I strongly encourage you to sign up! That's where I found the majority of the bands that I currently love.

    And if you DO have an imeem account, here's my profile: http://www.imeem.com/people/j_i4eDs. If you have an imeem account please post your profile link!

    Currently listening to...

    Anthony Green - I've Been Dying To Reach You

    Upbeat

    Kenna - Say Goodbye to Love




    DJ Deckstream feat Lupe Fiasco, Verbal, & Sarah Green

    Incubus

    My cousin was playing this at his car yesterday that made me feel nostalgic.

    Incubus - Stellar

    Monday, June 15, 2009

    Actually first heard this one from a TV ad for the video game "Lost Odyssey". Little did I know it harks all the way back to the 60's and the beginning of the psychedelic rock movement. What I found striking was the tone and force of the lead singer's voice, and the use of ...vivid backdrop colors.

    Jefferson Airplane -- White Rabbit

    What's in a name?

    Bright Eyes - Lover I Don't Have to Love



    I've always been interested in the song titles that bands use nowadays. With the likes of Panic at the Disco using ridiculously long sentences for their song titles to the very succinct one-worders, song titles have always been really interesting.


    Lover I Don't Have To Love is a cool blend of the progressive use of classical instruments in an alternative rock tune. Lyrically, it's quite straight forward--always susceptible to the critical eye of the hyper-analyst.

    Just dig the tune for what it is, a pleasant treat for the ears.

    Indie pop

    I recently went to Milk + Honey (a cute little tea/yogurt cafe on Bristol) and heard a song called "The Worst Taste in Music" by The Radio Dept. (I had to ask the cashier what the song was 'cause it was so good.) After looking them up on Wikipedia (haha), I found out they were an indie group est. in 1995! I don't know many songs by them yet but I love "Strange Things Will Happen". Also, the video for "Pulling Our Weight" has a cute style.








    [Expand post] for the lyrics to Strange Things Will Happen.


    The Radio Dept. - Strange Things Will Happen
    Today was a pretty day
    No disappointments
    No expectations on your whereabouts
    And oh, did I let you go?
    Did it finally show that strange things will happen if you let
    them?

    Today I didn't even try to hide
    I'll stay here and never push things to the side
    You can't reach me cause I'm way beyond you today

    Today was a pretty day
    Autumn comes with
    These slight surprises where your life might twist and turn
    Hope to unlearn
    Strange things will happen
    If you let them come around and stick around

    Today I didn't even try to hide
    I'll stay here and never push things to the side
    Today I didn't even look to find
    Something to put me in that peace of mind
    You can't touch me cause I'm way beyond you today

    [ Strange Things Will Happen Lyrics on http://www.lyricsmania.com/ ]

    Some Current Faves

    Here's a list of 25 of my current favorites, listed in no particular order. It contains a mix of Korean, Japanese, Latin, Pop, Rock and all sorts of goodness. I included videos for the first 5 and got sorta lazy after that ... feel free to look the rest up as they're all great songs! :)

    • Yu Yamada - Free [Basquash anime ending song]




    • Super Junior - 너라고 (It's You)

    • m-flo - Cosmic Night Run

    • Toyasaki Aki & Hisaka Youko & Satou Satomi & Kotobuki Minako - Don't say lazy [K-ON! anime ending song]

    • Yui - Again [Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood anime opening song]

    • Jay Brannan - Zombie [The Cranberries cover]
    • Juanes - La Vida es un Ratico
    • Meredith Bragg & The Terminals - Shattering
    • The Dear Hunter - The Bitter Suite
    • Abingdon Boys School - ReBirth+ReVerse
    • Faded Paper Figures - Logos
    • Coldplay - Yes
    • The Back Horn - Kakusei
    • The Back Horn - Karabinika
    • The Back Horn - レクイエム (Requiem)
    • The Back Horn - 夢の花 (Yume no Hana)
    • Ligabue - Happy Hour
    • Massive Attack - Teardrop [House, M.D. opening song]
    • T.M.Revolution - Madan -Der Freischutz-
    • T.M.Revolution - 群情-GUNJOH- (Gunjou -GUNJOH-)
    • Megumi Nakajima - Aimo [from Macross Frontier anime]
    • Megumi Nakajima - Infinity [from Macross Frontier anime]
    • Kanoko Itou - Desire Blue Sky [Chaos;HEAd game ending song]
    • VELTPUNCH - CRAWL [Nabari no Ou anime opening song]
    • Orange Range - papa



    Enjoy!

    Jack's Mannequn - The Resolution

    I heard about this band, Jack's Mannequin, from a friend of mine on Stickam. She sent me a couple of the songs, and I ended up really liking them. My favorite song from their first CD is definitely Dark Blue (which I highly recommend you listen to because it's so catchy). I started talking to some of my friends about this band, and it turned out that Ace was a fan of them too. He ended up making me a CD of their new album, The Glass Passenger. A lot of people compare their new album to their first and say it's not as good. The problem is that their first album was REALLY good, but I think the new album has a place of its own. Sometimes you can't compare things, you just have to enjoy it for what it is. The song that really stood out to me on The Glass Passenger is "The Resolution." Check it out, I'm sure a lot of people can relate to this song.


    There's a lot that I don't know
    There's a lot that I'm still learning
    But I think I'm letting go
    To find my body is still burning
    And you hold me down
    And you got me living in the past
    Come on and pick me up
    Somebody clear the wreckage from the blast

    And I'm alive
    And I don't need a witness
    To know that I survived
    I'm not looking for forgiveness
    I just need light
    I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution

    And the bars are finally closed
    So I try living in the moment
    'Til the moment it just froze
    And I felt sick and so alone
    I can hear the sound
    Of your voice still ringing in my ear
    I'm going underground
    But you'll find me anywhere I feel

    That I'm alive
    And I don't need a witness
    To know that I survived
    I'm not looking for forgiveness
    I just need light
    I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution
    I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution

    You hold me down
    You hold me down
    I'm alive
    And I don't need a witness
    To know that I survived
    I'm not looking for forgiveness

    I'm alive
    And I don't need a witness
    To know that I survived
    I'm not looking for forgiveness
    I just need light
    I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution
    I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution
    I need light, I need light

    Videos, parody/cover, metaphorical, instrumental

    Traphik - First Asian Boy (American Boy Parody)




    Nujabes - Aruarian Dance

    Videos, breakbeats and a lyrical cypher.

    Hatsumi Shibata - Singer Lady




    Dj Ben - Fove 2 Son Ancien 2




    The 5th Dimension - Let the Sunshine in



    There's a breakdance jam at Laguna Hills on Saturday. So I'm trying to listen to breakbeats to stay hungry and hype.

    Traphik - Lyricist Cypher

    Video, hip hop, rap.

    Mos Def - Life is Good