Shane Mack - Lie to me

Shane wrote a couple of brilliant songs for the gay themed movie 'Shelter', a picturesque, heart-warming romantic flick. The movie features a strong performing soundtrack and through this form of collaboration, the amount of exposure an otherwise obscure artist gets to a new audience is undeniably effective.

Shane Mack's a country/folk artist from Nashville. Pop in his myspace page to listen to more tracks. Frankly there's little I know about him...'Lie to me' can touch a few heartstrings.Hear the tender anguish rippling through his voice, it's very emotional.

Lie to me (Download here)

Aoi Teshima - Niji no Kashuu

The angelic Teshima's back with a new album 'Niji no Kashuu'(Songs of Rainbow), another line-up along her therapeutic soothing style.I'm yet to go through the whole album. The first couple of tracks have lovely folksy elements and you can tell she's adding new vocal techniques which break the mundane flow of story telling (I do love it! But obviously a little change is a nice surprise.)

Title track 'Niji' (Rainbow)




Download here (77mb,expires 7days or 100 downloads)

Niji no Kashuu (Songs of Rainbow)
Release: 2008.7.23
Normal Edition | First Press Edition (CD+DVD)

Romaji and suggested translation in bracket. Click here for more info.
01. 虹(Niji, Rainbow)
02. 恋唄 (Koi uta, Love song)
03. 空へ(Sora e, To the sky)
04. 恋するしっぽ。(Koisuru shippo, Tail of love)
05. CHINESE SOUP
06. 元気を出して(Genki o dashite, Cheer up)
07. 奇跡の星(Album Version) (Kiseki no Hoshi, Star of wonder)
08. 家族の風景 (Kazoku no fuukei, Family scenery)

100s (Hyaku shiki)

First one on the right is leading songwriter/guitarist Kazuyoshi Nakamura (staring up profoundly).

Official website: http://www.100s.jp
Last FM profile: http://www.last.fm/music/100s

100s(pronounced 'Hyaku shiki' in Japanese) is a 6 piece rock band led by frontman Kazuyoshi Nakamura (kanji:中村一義) who started as a popular solo artist and later started the band. '100s' is in fact the title of Nakamura's solo album. He was once acclaimed a songwriting prodigy that comes along once every 10 years. Although I haven't listened much to his solo pieces, what he wrote for 100s is infused with vibrant energy, abstract imagery and set apart from others by a distinctive vocal boasting beautiful falsetto and unique pronounciations somewhere between Japanese and English. It's very intriguing and expressive. I tried to 'appreciate' the lyrics of Honeycom.ware (from their '05 album OZ) which, even to native Japanese, is rather gibberish. It's one of their best songs that has the pop-ish,shoegazing post-rock timbre, and is both romantic and philosophical. It's interesting to note Nakamura's influenced by impressionist Van Gogh, and Brit-pop group Primal Scream, both of which can possibly feed his inspirations and help to define the playful elements in his songwritings.

They've released two studio albums so far,OZ in 2005, and ALL!!!!!! in 2007. (By the way, if you care to notice there're 6 exclamation marks!!!!!!Just remember they have 6 members in all). There're 21 tracks on OZ, a rather weighty album to hold.

Here comes a string of youtube videos. I wanna recommend them all!!!!!! even if it irritates you. Scroll down down to download the albums.

Manmaru
- Hilarious! The members hang out to enjoy pizza and poker games. The loser is forced to wear a bumble bee outfit and flaunt it on the street.


Honeycom.ware
- dazzling neon lights and speedy travels, a modern city life


Mata ashita (see you tomorrow) live
- They invited a fan on stage to sing, wonderful! It's a sentimental piece definitely.


Naa, mirai (Ah, future)
- bombastic, high energy rock


Moshi kono mama (If it remains as it is)
- a soft ballad I find extremely touching. Maybe I'm just being maudlin lately.


K-ing
- You can lose yourself in melodies like this.


キャノンボール (Cannonball)
- Nakamura's solo work, from album '100s'.


Album Discography and Downloads
2005. OZ: Download here


1. OZ I
2. A
3. B.O.K (looking at the lyrics, it possibly stands for 'Bands are gonna be O.K.)
4. BASUTOREIN
5. Koko ga harete nara (If this is the end)
6. Nano motoni
7. OZ II
8. (For) Anthem
9. Sonata
10. Yasashi raion (gentle lion)
11~12. Leek Rag's Leek ~ Santa's Helper
13. Honeycom.ware
14. Tobira no mukou ni (beyond the door)
15. OZ III
16. Hikari wa hikari (light is light)
17. Ikiru mono (things that are alive)
18. K-ing
19. Mata ashita (see you tomorrow)
20. Bahahai
21. Haru to Fuyu (spring and winter)

2007.ALL!!!!!!: Download here


1. Sousa Sekai wa (Right, that's the world)
2. Kibou (Hope)
3. Manmaru
4. Naa, mirai (Ah, future)
5. Q&A
6. Shingarongu
7. Ano Kouya ni hanataba o (the bouquet in the wasteland)
8. Tsuta eru yo
9. Soshuu Yakyoku (Suzhou Nocturne)
10. Momotose
11. Moshi kono mama (if this remains as it is)

Jewel live in Vancouver 2008

Just came back from Jewel's concert held at River rock theatre in Richmond. Upon realizing the theatre's located in a casino, I thought, hey, this place is tailored for Jewel! =D Her easygoing self fits beside neon lights and busy people, maybe a cup of beer to complement the picture.

I took two photos before concert starts. No recording device is allowed throughout the concert. Why didn't I sneak a few shots with my cell phone? I don't know.Our seats are in the 2nd row on the side.R says Jewel's side profile resembles Paris Hilton XD No doubt they're both blondes but one can sing the other does not.



Stage prop is simple: a corner table with a book and a vase (fake flowers?), two guitars and a mic.That's it.Jewel style.


As the lights dimmed, Jewel came on stage in black boots amidst a round of applause and whistles which quickly died away as she belt out 'Some~~~~where over the rainbow~~' It gave me quite a start. My hands jerked a little for two reasons: 1.It's very very very loud (Yes I'm in 2nd row). 2.She sounds wild. I'm not sure which effect weighs more on me, the amplifier or her soulful singing.

As usual, I don't remember the set list. The first couple of songs are picked from earlier albums, most of them from 'Pieces of you'. She told stories of her childhood and teenage hood in between, made fun of Celine Dion (a slim person like her spotting double chin when straining her neck to hit high notes), and 'a scandalous encounter' with Bob Dylan who invited her to his dressing room for an artist chat without coming onto her. Guess what Jewel's thinking 'O he must be gay!'And many more jokes that sparked sporadic laughters from the audience.She could be a great stand-up comedian =D

Jewel pulled the usual vocal tricks freewheeling between deep, powerful operatic voice to innocent saccharine whispers. Seeing her live before on TV, nothing's sparkling new to me. Still for some reason I found it a bit hard to breathe. Tension grabbed my chest disturbing the usual rhythm of breathing in and out, as if the presence of her voice wields like a knife resting on my blood vessels. At that moment I realized how authoritative she is on stage. It's impossible to turn away. My favourite pieces tonight are 'Hands', followed by 'Life Uncommon'. I was downright touched by her exuberant strength and spirit. A wondrous belief that we can truly free ourselves from life's slavery is starting to overwhelm me... as she determinedly strummed her guitar. What a hearty vibration.

However I was a bit sad? the sensitive love songs no longer touch me, like 'foolish games', 'morning song', 'you were meant for me' etc. Her performance is beautiful but I am simply numb. Like I've never experienced this emotion before, never known any heartaches. Jewel's a romantic poet falling in and out of love. The weight of every break-up and scratch apparent in her moaning, so are the sweet blesses. I can't help a little disappointment that my empathy has unknowingly slipped away.So be it!What an apathetic thought I had.I probably need a painful stab.

She also performed three or four pieces from the new country album. The title track 'Perfectly clear' is a still mental image, 'a pretend picture' she had in her mind: A man and a woman stand in the doorway. The sky is blue. The man was all packed, ready to go, and fumbling for some awkward words to say. The woman said to him 'Save it.'Not until she started to sing did I feel how heavy the picture was. 'Five years of kisses packed in your bag' - I thought of my friends and their winding relationships, and this burden called time. Why are we made nostalgic?

The last piece she sang was 'Who will save your soul'. I've heard the little talk before, won't blame the repetition though. Jewel wins my uttermost respect as an artist and a role model with enriching experience of overcoming endless struggles. Way to go girl! (no longer a girl, but...) She came back for encore and performed three more songs. The last one was a traditional folk song 'Chime Bells' and she didn't shy showcasing her yodel tricks. 'The crazy yodel singer' - no doubt.

Jewel yodeling Chime Bells - Atlantic City 12.02.2006


If there's only one word I can use to describe Jewel, that would be 'soulful'.

Backup descriptives are 'crazy', 'fun', and 'crazy fun'. XD

Jewel - Perfectly Clear

From the young girl who debuted with a stunningly raw folksy rocksy piece of Pieces of You, Jewel certainly has experimented along her way (though sometimes to shocking results--I still abhor the neon terror that is 0304!) and now she has come full circle, sort of, to her folk/country roots. Opinions are divided here--I find it quite a strong, welcome return and zhu says meh. But/and we agree that both of us miss the emotional rawness, that bleeding, searing heartrenchingness of her early work. (Something only a young girl and young love could produce, probably, and clearly she can't be in that place for ever.)

Either way, we'll let you be the judge =) Download it here and tell us what you think! (Thanks to zhu for the upload!)

Tomiko Van - Tokyo Biyori

After doing 2 cover albums, Tomiko's finally releasing something original. New single 'Tokyo Biyori'(東京日和) is out June 18! It's a lovely ballad that reminds you of warm sunlight on an ordinary day. What a happy voice. Great job, ban-chan!



After watching the PV, I can't help drawing a parallel between this and 'Baby don't cry' by Namie Amuro.

柴田淳 - ふたり

Languid web-wandering on gloomy Sunday afternoon leads me to this...Futari ('Two People') by Jun Shibata. Love the calm piano and the clear, rich flow of her voice in it!