以色列有一支玩流行乐的乐团The High Windows成立于1966年,其中唯一的女成员就是Josie Katz。偶尔在面子书游览发现有人推荐这首《After All the Love is Gone》,听了听还觉得蛮不错的。就在这里介绍给大家。因为二月的情人节就快到来,我在寻找和整理情歌,也将陆续和大家分享恋曲。
Josie Katz is one of the Hebrew pop group "The High Windows" (החלונות הגבוהים = HaHalonot HaGvohim)in the 60s. Israel is a stranger to me. As a Malaysian, it is stated in the passport that we could not enter Israel. And sometimes I fantasize I run away to Israel. I would love to listen to this record if I have a chance. I guess Hebrew songs are not forbidden here.
Have you heard of Caucasian or other non-Chinese races sing Chinese song? Besides funny and weird, actually there are some extraordinary feeling about it. You'll feel that everyone on the planet is celebrating. I feel of globalization and all cultures are mixed up. I feel like someone's business is everyone's business.
This Chinese New Year song is a cover version by Pink Martini. They released an album called "Joy to the World", and obviously it is a festive album. So by listening to this song, it is like someone not-really-related is celebrating with you and I feel happy. Silly thought. Never mind, it would be a happy new year.
This is the first trailer of Wong Kar Wai's upcoming movie "The Grandmasters". As we know it, this film is still undergoing production and God knows when it can be done, there will be a real trailer coming, but we do not know if it is coming soon. So this teaser is zero-plot trailer, of course this kind of trailer is not a new thing, we might have seen some of the blockblaster trailers with zero-plot and would only be shown next summer, or next next xxx season. But not only just that, the teaser shows neither the names of actors nor director. Not only you need to have some guts, but all the previous and continuous hard works will one day make your darings come true . Good luck and work hard.
Adele的新专辑要发行了,这是首发的单曲'Rolling in the Deep',听起来有武术敲打的节奏,钢琴弦的连续重击,和福音式反复唱和,带些布鲁士和迪士高的调子。听过Adele的嗓音,你很难会不记得。新专辑《21》应该比《19》有更多成熟的感觉。有时我觉得我说了的话等于没说,如果年岁增长而还是以前那副德行,真是白活一场。Adele,好期待哟!
"Hospice" is a 2009 self-released album by Brooklyn-based The Antlers. I like the dreamy and electro ambient, indie rock or dream pop is always my favourite, remind me those coming-out-of-age youth. Frontman Peter Silberman said The Microphones' song "Antlers has become the band's name. I would be always fascinated by the incident of naming. Such as 'The Catcher of the Rye", when I finally knew how the book was named, I dropped my tears.
Stewart Mac来自英国伦敦北部,乃是英伦创作才子。这样子介绍Stewart Mac,留不下太深的印象。如果你看过这首MV,听起来一定觉得很熟悉。Stewart Mac唱的这首“I Love You”乃是陶喆《爱很简单》的英文版。说实在,这个卖点很受用,因为我因此而认识他。陶喆《爱很简单》再怎么好听,我还是认为这是打入亚洲市场的策略。专辑《I Love You》也有大陆版和台湾版。大陆版的封套印着“史蒂麦克/我爱你/Stewart Mac/I Love You”,台湾版则是“摇滚情人/史都華麥克/Stewart Mac/I Love You”。是台湾的英文水准比较高吧,I Love You根本不需要翻成‘我爱你’。
专辑曲目的翻译,又有大陆/台湾版之分。让我逐一列出:
01 I Love You 我爱你 / 我愛你
02 Turn This Thing Around 扭转乾坤 / 改變自己
03 Fall To Pieces 心碎 / 為愛心碎
04 Misery Loves Company 同病相怜 / 同病相憐
05 California (On My Mind) 加利福尼亚(让人牵挂)/ 加州陽光(魂縈夢繫)
Stewart Mac's album "I Love You" includes an English cover version of 爱很简单(love is very simple) by Chinese R&B star David Tao. It was a smart strategy to enter Asian markets. The pictures above show two version, one for China, the other for Taiwan. Even the translation of track names have differences.
The Antlers应该是美国的乐团吧。Two是我认识他们的第一首歌,是专辑"Hospice"里的其一单曲。我喜欢歌曲electro的成分,一直都是我需要的音乐养分。这些音乐分子在身上发生奇妙的化学作用,像某些东西和某些东西结合然后产生某些新东西然后从此有了不一样的东西。是的周六的午夜,好像就是这个感觉。
On a Saturday night like tonight, I felt subtly bother, a little bit similar to unbearable lightness of being. Then there were those music bubbles appeared from the music. It was 'Two' by The Antlers. Those music bubbles had some effects in my mind, like a composition chemical reaction. It felt like the origin had a new look. I liked this feeling, I have always looked forward for these reactions.
Great Day Trailer. After local Chinese New Year movie "Woohoo!", this new CNY film "Great Day" talks about modern people have dedicated much time to work and money, and forget about the precious family and loves. A great story for coming Chinese New Year.
Honestly, I enjoyed watching the amazing choreography and stunning visuals, albeit the mundane plot or ordinary acting. I was happy overall, actually satisfied and paid more attention to the actions. I would not like to criticize so much on the plot, as long as it had no intolerable mis-plot. Every ordinary people might know to say it was a movie with no exciting plot or twist. So if you were a critic and please give critic that is a little bit more than an ordinary people.
p.s. 本来我要贴youtube的预告,但是该视频刚刚遭到禁播:This video has been removed as a violation of YouTube's policy on nudity or sexual content. 请到metacafe网页观看预告片。
Gregg Araki's film Kaboom won him a Queer Palm for its contribution to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender issues during 2010 Cannes Film Festival. Kaboom comes with a sci-fi story and portraits the sexual awakening of adolescence.
Chang Chen Yue, also known as A-Yue, is a Taiwanese pop rock singer-songwriter. 1993 album "I Just Like You" was his first album, with image as sweet as a neighbourhood boy. This image was considered safer for the road of an idol, backed to the time before his military service. You might wonder what he had become after the service... forget the sweet neighbourhood boy.
日本乐团Southern All Stars(サザンオールスターズ,简称SAS)的流行魅力其实很重量级,严重到很多歌手翻唱他们的歌曲。这首由桑田佳祐谱写的流行情歌Tsunami在2000年爆红,苏永康翻唱,国语版“她爱了我好久”,及粤语版“其实我很担心”。如果真继续侦查下去,Southern All Stars的歌还真很多歌手翻唱,可以和中岛美雪媲美。
JPop band Southern All Stars is one of the best selling groups in Japan. They had amazing chart records and their songs had been cover versions by many Hongkie artists. This single Tsunami is an all time favourite.
寻寻觅觅一些情歌时突发奇想—有哪些日语情歌是大家久久不能忘怀的呢?找到了介绍,有三首,其一是尾崎豐(おざきゆかた)的“I Love You”。尾崎豐的名字很特别,浅陋的我还是今天第一次听见。一听I Love You之下,就即刻喜欢这首情深款款的情歌。这首歌有着浓厚的80年代风味。我未免也白说的,这本来就是80年代的歌。情歌一句一句唱尽心坎,歌手的感情完全付诸于歌里,也将灵魂附了上去。相比于现在这个年代—什么都轻易方便的年代,我更怀念那个还用情书传情的年代,情真意浓。
Ozaki Yukata (1965-1992) 's "I Love You" is a great valentine song, only discovered by me just then. His Japanese rock songs had stirred the affections for freedom and loves, against the conservative community, stubborn school and routine life. It was not late, to know those 80s Japanese pop rock songs. Click Oh My Little Girl to listen.
来自英国曼彻斯特的Karen Elson是世界超模。她也搞音乐了?是的,但并非那种趁红什么也想插上一脚的情况。她是纽约市效力餐馆或夜总会歌舞表演乐团The Citizens Band的表演者之一。之中她翻唱了不少The Velvet Underground、Kurt Well、Elvis Presley、Marlene Dietrich的名曲。同时她也和成员们一起创作歌曲。唱歌的路走得缓慢。2006年在专辑《Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited》中和Cat Power合唱“I Love You (Me Either)”,即来自原版法曲"Je t'aime... moi non plus"。
丈夫Jack White听见Karen Elson私密地躲在家里的各个角落唱着自己的歌曲。老公就问为何要隐瞒他。从此收到激励的她不停创作,直至她终于创作了第一张个人专辑《The Ghost Who Walks》,从此为她的歌唱事业真正用力推开大门。
Supermodel Karen Elson's debut album "The Ghost Who Walks" was produced by her husband Jack White. It receives good reviews for her folk rock indie songs. I actually like her identity of being a supermodel and singer-songwriter, the subtly coolness is what I fascinated most.
Click this youtube link to listen the duet "I Love You (Me Either)" with Cat Power.
After a Delicious birthday dinner, we headed to Vintry at Damansara for wine. Two excellent bottles made our night. The selections made were surprisingly good, first Saint Clair Pioneer Block 5 Bull Block Pinot Gris 2009, then followed by Villa Maria Cellar Selection Marlborough Pinot Noir 2008. Laid-back on the sofa and chatty for nothing important, such as nude beach, sun-burned on private place and blah blah blah... It was a fantastic night.
Mei Ying, Farah and friends bought a chocolate cheese cake for Jonathan, only to remembered during the dinner that he had minor allergic reaction towards lactose. As a matter of fact, I did not know that till that night. As you could see, the outer layer is cheese, the inner is mostly chocolate cake. So, we still had an applicable solution.
The chocolate cheese cake was not bad. I could only had a tiny piece, and thanks to skillful Mei Ying, who knew how to cut tiny pieces real nice. 8 of us surely could not finish that big cake. Sorry Jonathan, you ought to keep the cake, and omit the cheese. Happy birthday !
From left, Trio of Bruschetta with tomato, mushroom, eggplant with grilled capsicum, Grilled Balsamic Mushrooms on Toasted Multigrain, Seriously Delicious Burger. Check out: http://delicious.com.my
Jonathan's 29th birthday celebration at Delicous, Bangsar Village. As I age, I hardly get birthday celebration invitations, as we normally do not celebrate at our age now. Yet, if celebrate, there must be closed friends, and I felt honoured. It was great, simply with food, wine and happy chat. A delicious birthday celebration.
Veppam isa hard-hitting action movie based on slums in Chennai. The story isbased on Chennai Municipal Area as like Bollywood 'Slumdog Millionaire'. Telegu hero Naani plays the lead role, it would be as Slumdog as it seems.
In searching of some Tamil songs, I found some, most of them from Indian movie soundtracks. There was this song from the movie Veppam, called Mazhai Varum (I did not have a clue what it means). It was sung by a playback singer Naresh Iyer. I went google his photos. I found some and I did not wish to go further, such as making sure that was him. This R&B liked Tamil song and his soothing voice were just what I were looking for.
I read an old article during my yearly spring clean (and I typed out the extract as below). Out of those essays about vegetarian living, there was one introduced the documentary film "Food, Inc.". It is cruel and inhumane how we treat those animals. Eat less meat, and give more loves to our planet and animals.
自从其余4子频频再次出击,我就对Take That刮目相看。他们很诚实地面对自己,甚至在演唱会打着can boy band sings?的号子,然后真的给我们唱歌,非主唱团员也纷纷加入写曲行列,不单是Gary Barlow一人独揽风骚。这也可能是一种宣传手法。但如果真的只是一种宣传,那这头炮也给他们拿了。所以我说,英俊青春固然吸引,但是如果是搞歌唱事业的话,最好把歌艺磨炼好好。靠年轻挤来的知名度,可以续得较久。
The first single is from the first track, the second single is from the second track of "Progress". I still think this is a good rule to order your tracks in an album. I do not think their music genre runs far from previous, yet Take That members get more involvement in music writing. I like the fact that, you need not hide your aging, accept it and be happy. I like their progress, and hopefully more great music will come.
Take that trick - masculineness, and make it a hook. The almost-nude male dancers in the Take That's royal variety performance of the song The Flood, I do not have a clue what were they doing, why were they there and was it more entertained? (perhaps yes). I do not feel art or entertainment but flood of flesh. And that Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow's Shame with Brokeback mountain-liked MV, I had expression of an O-shaped mouth throughout the video. It was an entertainment.
西方男团曾一度没落,我们告别boy band时代。拜韩国男女乐团风吹起,随之吹向西,西方男团开始复苏。最快复苏的男团,该属英国男团Take That。boy band给人的印象乃是打着偶像牌、歌唱水准一般的吸金团体,在一度男团过剩的时代,音乐频道甚至还有No Boy Band的节目。现在,倒好像是缅怀过往男团鼎盛时期一样,大家纷纷出来唱歌。
2010年又一个超长的字母男团,即NKOTB BSB。谁人何队?什么来的?就是New Kids On The Block及Back Street Boys,串成NKOTBBSB,在美国音乐颁奖典礼上让大家看着熟男重温昔日男团的风采和经典歌曲。熟男的乐团一点也不逊于青春绽放的宝宝。再说,防腐剂和化妆品减缓老化,年龄的界限模糊了。缅怀熟男乐团的年代,来了。我们准备迎熟吧。
承接第5张专辑《The E.N.D.》,Black Eyed Peas的最新专辑《The Beginning》开始攻城了,不愧是“有终有始”。但说实情,The E.N.D.并非结束的意思,而是The Energy Never Dies的缩写。乐团由饶舌歌手及唱将组成,在歌曲中编入饶舌不是什么新鲜事,但是偏偏他们的音乐作得刚刚到位。激动人心的音乐是好的,流行味也加了不少,受欢迎程度很高。这些因素,很快就叫人爱上黑眼豆豆的音乐。他们创作出来的音乐分子特有舞曲的潜能,在俱乐部可是叫好叫座。我也就是这样很快就投入在他们的音乐中起舞作乐。
还有,那几句简单的歌词,让人快速联想并投入状况中。那首I Gotta Feeling,简单的I gotta feeling, that tonight gonna be a good good night...配上音乐就可即刻进入快乐状态,可谓是现代寂寞城市人的快乐速成剂。想当年的一首Where Is The Love?,我在俱乐部内,和其他游乐青年在舞至高潮时分共喊where is the love?。虽然俱乐部内充满我不认识的派对达人,本应感觉寂寞。但是那晚,大家where is the love?的频率一致,让我少了那份孤寂凄凉的心情,而在俱乐部留下好快乐的回忆。
I still remembered clearly. One night at a club in London, where Black Eyed Peas song were playing. We danced and we sang along with the line 'where is the love... where is the love...'. I thought, we might be loners, but we never gave up searching for loves. I was happy, the feelings from the atmosphere made me happy. Since then, I had loved Black Eyed Peas.
黑眼豆豆在2010年美国音乐颁奖庆典的表演很精彩。唱live,很容易就可以秤得出歌手的斤两。就拿Katy Perry唱Fireworks的现场表现作借鉴吧,再相比Rihanna,前者给我O型嘴的惊吓。看见Fergie穿高高跟鞋在升降机内战战兢兢也为她捏一把冷汗。这首The Time (Dirty Bit)很适合俱乐部的舞曲风格,成为主打单曲一点也不惊奇。或许专辑中有两三首特受欢迎的歌曲就可以好好红一年多啦。加油哟,黑眼豆豆:)
Do you feel old? Please do not feel that way. Switch on. dance to the music, shake your ass and ask who's the chick? Come, let's dance and join the happy nation.
Again I am impressed by David Guetta. From One Love, When Love Takes Over, Gettin' Over You to Club Can't Handle Me, I Gotta Feeling and Who's That Chick?, I was having a great time on the dance floor, like a happy nation. Allez! Je veux plus!
我经常错过电视节目的音乐颁奖典礼。庆幸从youtube看到Rihanna新专辑《Loud》的3首单曲表演- Love The Way You Lie、What's My Name、Only Girl (In The World)。首先,比起之前雷汉娜阳刚庞克头的造型,我更喜欢她现在的形象。再说,上一次的专辑《Rated R》并没有得到大热欢迎的反应。无可否认,这次出击,Rihanna的曲风少不了R&B,却很聪明地加入dance pop曲风。单曲Only Girl (In The World)推出后,即可被DJ们强着混音然后在各俱乐部不时打碟。之前被Beyonce、女神卡卡的锋芒遮掩得差点被众人遗忘。这一次,Rihanna又可以再LOUD一次!
Honestly, I find her more approachable this time in "Loud". Perhaps my taste for pop-driven music is rooted in me. Or perhaps more like karaoke songs that I could nananana... sing along. Anyway, the hottest singles - Only Girl, What's My Name, Love The Way You Lie - are all my favourites. It is good to see her again, especially the red hair. Rated remarkable!
New Year Eve gathering at friend's 26th floor condo is soothing. The food is simple: rice pudding and olive tomatoes appetizer. Riesling and home-made cocktail (Absolut Raspberry, Absolut Vanilla, orange juice, grenadine and soda) got us tipsy and opened our hearts. Looking the nightly city from 26th and smoking cigarettes, we enjoyed the non-hard beat music. There was this song from Karina, made the last night of 2010 in slow motion.
友人也是特能喝的高手。她醉酒的时候很搞笑,经常逗笑得不知所措。听着她滔滔不绝的同时,音乐也同时飘进耳里。那些选曲真的还不错,包含了许多流行经典,如Sixpence None The Richer的Kiss Me、Chantal Kreviazuk的Leaving On A Jet Plane、Donna Lewis的I Love You Always Forever……音乐和友人的助兴实在让一个普通的下午生色不少。
Several days before the New Year Eve, Nini and I went to this bar to have some beers and food. It was Overtime (why overtime?). We were interested at the lunch deal on the menu and they did not serve them yet. We looked at each other eyes and shrugged. Never mind. 1 for 1 Starker beer could be a good compensation. Surprisingly the music caught my ears, and made my afternoon at ease.
在Fullhouse Cafe点了一份套餐,和老朋友/好朋友其实感觉真好。如果我的好朋友是什么celebrity的话,我觉得沾光。当旁人认出你的朋友并给予微笑和招呼,那也是很过瘾的事情。很多人一朝得志,可以变得像一个从不认识的陌生人。除了这些些许的微样不同,从以前累积下来的友情不变。坐下来聚餐闲聊,也可以很简单制造愉快的下午。我不喜欢少了要见对方的冲动却又排在时间表上的约会。发生在朋友和自己周遭的事情,可以交换得不亦乐乎。这个朋友都和Norah Jones的三张专辑(Come Away With Me、Feels Like Home、Not Too Late)扯上关系,所以也每次回想起Norah Jones的Sunrise。
After all these years, I am still fascinated by her voice. Started from liking 'Come Away With Me', and a gift of "Feels Like Home" before I went to travel, till shopping at local CD shop for Norah Jones' 'Not Too Late', I see our friendship growing. That would be lovely, like a soundtrack for friendship, and it could grow better with times.
I admire her youth, I love her 'Love Story', and she "Speak Now". I know in most weddings, if you have objection, you should speak now. Be fearless, speak now, tell the lines from your heart. Tonight, I do speak what I felt. I might be grumpy and mean (actually I was), and probably I should be a better person. But I have to speak now, allow me to speak now. PS I like the song 'Never Grow Up'.
Swedish House Mafia去年推出的‘One’让许多人惊喜。第1,我喜欢house音乐。第2,他们的名字很特别。第3,这支MV我有喜欢。这个名字是这些唱片骑师无心插柳之作,听起来很有那个气势。我希望来自Stockholm的他们以后或有更赞的音乐问世。就此,他们让我有个愉悦的新年。
I found Swedish House Mafia when I was browsing some DJs last year. Immediately I like the track 'One'. Its music video is fun in a fundamental way, telling me how to mix and broadcast your music. Hopefully more new music will come very soon. Happy New Year!
I wanted so much to watch this film after the trailer and I did. I would not complain about the ordinary storyline, as I too fascinated by the LED lights. I love the art direction in a retro-futuristic way, even the font is impressive. Plus the electrifying orchestra soundtrack, love it.
没有计划的元旦又无意中和友人参加Passion热情派对。派对的音乐才是我享乐的决定因素,那些在灯光下的美人和各类酒品还是其次。骑手Princess Ann当晚的表现超越平常一般的素质,没有突现/坚持自己的品味,用力推玩dance pop,让派对达人异常投入新年欢庆,以致高潮气氛一波一波来,害我喘不过气来。其中David Guetta两首超受欢迎的舞曲——Gettin' Over You及One Love——让我高呼新年快乐。
David Guetta被DJ Magazine推选为2010DJ排行榜#2,主打house音乐,乐种主要包括electro house、hip house和dance。2009年黑眼豆豆Black Eyed Peas推出的单曲“I Gotta Feeling”由David Guetta监制,红遍全世界一年有余。如果不想错过任何超赞的舞曲,别忘记浏览davidguetta.com。
So I had to say, I enjoy my New Year Eve indeed. Great music matters. I am not saying 30-something-people like me could concur the dance floor physically and dramatically like those highly energetic teenagers, but I did move my ass with Princess Ann's spin of the fabulous night, and I sang along David Guetta's Gettin' Over You. It was a total great start for 2011. Happy New Year everyone!