The Ukulele Ensemble: chinese

Showing posts with label chinese. Show all posts

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Cao Fang - Live in Spring EP

filed under: asian, chinese, downloads, indie, pop, singer-songwriters

Frankly I'm not a fan myself, but since we seem to get quite some responses to the previous posts, here's another one for all the Cao Fang (曹方) fans out there--a new EP called 住在春天, or Live in Spring, and you may download it here.

@Shrota: if you visit here again, please leave your email so that you can get notified when the previous album is uploaded.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Cao Fang - "Farther Than The Sky" EP

filed under: chinese, downloads, indie, pop, singer-songwriters

Popular Chinese indie popper Cao Fang (曹方) just released a new EP after two years, called ’Farther Than The Sky' (比天空还远).

Tracks:
01. 夜晚 | Night
02. 比天空还远 | Farther than the sky
03. 最小的海 | The smallest ocean
04. 忽略 | Ignore
05. 夏末的萨克斯手 | The sax player at the end of summer

Download the EP here.

Friday, August 31, 2007

Musicians are linguists

filed under: asian, brazilian, chinese, downloads, indie, japanese, pop, trip-hop

…and probably have to be, if they are to be widely recognized? It is hardly surprising the whole world is eager to release pop music in English and, for certain romantic styles, French/Spanish too. Market rules. Not that I am complaining at all, though sometimes I do wish to hear a Swedish indie pop band sing in Swedish for once. ;-)

For the day I'm recommending three indie pop bands (I vow to take a break from twee soon) hailing from Japan, Brazil and China, who sings (exclusively?) in a language other than their own.

First up, mondialito. A two-piece Japanese band established in 2002, they are closer in style to their Swedish counterparts than their indie pop compatriots (ref. the more experimental and quirkier Spangle Call Lilli Line). Fueoka Toshiya's gentle guitar picking coupled with the airy vocals of Junko who sings in French with a lovely accent gives their sound an all too dreamy feel. A perfectly melodious and quiet companion to bedtime reading (or whatever you see fit!)

Download mondialito - cher mon amoureux. (Link valid for 14 days.) If YSI asks you to sign up I guess you'll have to, but it's fast really.

Summer time is almost over (though not much difference here in the tropics, *pity self*) a little late for an album named 'Summertime' perhaps? Well, only if you are the kind that fails to be moved by happy beats and jangly guitars--what kind of miserable are you then? ;-) Well I really like this band, its easy and bright-as-Brazilian-sunbeam sound and soft vocal...(the album was released two summers ago actually...I'm forever late.) wonder why they call themselves Pale Sunday?--a reference to Gloomy Sunday, I suppose not? Click on the album cover to read a better review.

Download Pale Sunday - Summertime. (Link valid for 14 days.)

Last but definitely not least, a strong 2002 debut album comprising of 10 English tracks, composed and performed by the very talented Tian Yuan (田原) with band Hopscotch（跳房子) released when she was still in high school. I still feel awed thinking that this girl is of my age, from my hometown (a frustrated megacity in central China) have soared up all like a strong, lone bird and already left such an awesome trail behind (and still much under-appreciated). But that's another story. This trip-hop and punk rock(? or so they claim) influenced album is unabashedly experimental, (sometimes I cringe a little at the monologues) sharp like a freshly cut lemon yet sports a sophistication and stuns even without considering the age and language and debut factors. A great shame I hunted it down only now!

Download Hopscotch - A wishful way. (Link valid for 14 days.)

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Now playing: 彭靖惠 - 呆瓜
via FoxyTunes

Monday, May 15, 2006

Cao Fang

filed under: alternative, asian, chinese, singer-songwriters

i believe you guys have all received Cao Fang's album sent by Zhu, who was asking me to write something for the newly emerged singer in China mainland. i hope her songs will leave a good impression to ppl who has never listened to Chinese pop before.

(to zhu: it's hard to write an original review... i should just put the Chinese review into google translate and get the English text...)

initially i didn't have a high expectation for her. since i'm already used to the old, traditional styles of most mainland Chinese songs. however her production came to me as a shock. she has adopted a very unique folk-song style lacked by most of her counterparts, and her voice is so natually integrated into her songs. this album "Encounter Me" is her second one so far, released 2 years after her first album, "Black Perfume". i like two of her songs in "Encounter Me" best, "Straw Man" and "Wind Blows over Rainy Days". her monologs in the front part of the songs have characterized Cao Fang's unique singing style well.

zhu:
Added Discography translations. I suck at translations. Bear with me.