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)

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

Matt Watts - the ever seeing bird

Seems like this budding indie artist is totally new on the scene, another young guy with an acoustic guitar and a breezy voice to confide and enchant, and not much other info the net--besides this blurb on last.fm, written apparently by the artist himself:

im from the west coast of the states, but i’ve been living in belgium for the past year. thank you very much for listening- i try to update this page as often as i can. you can also check out my myspace page if you’d like. (which contains new material not collected in the album, pretty nice too - jady's note.)

The debut album, the ever seeing bird, has all the wide-eyed youthful charms and soft, flowing simplicity of a new indie folk artist, but he stands out a bit more from the other indie folksy albums I've been listening to; I don't know if it's a good mellow-and-melancholic mix or the unhurriedness sweetness, but it definitely makes good company for some quiet nighttime reading. You can listen to one of my favourite tracks in the pink radio above, or download it here.

Rie Fu

Per request(winks,Jady,bin bin), I'm throwing in a quick post on Rie Fu's latest album 'Tobira Album' released on 21st of Nov. You might think the word 'album' redundant(we appreciate its clarity) but it's in fact part of the official title. Refer to her previous album 'Rose Album'. Following this trend, we expect her next album to be 'X(a noun) album'.

I'm so lame. Forgive me.

Here's the download link about to expire. Grab it now or never!



part 1 (~60mb)
part 2 (~50mb)
Tobira Album (translation: Door Album)

A little introduction on Rie Fu - A Japan-based Maryland-London educated pop and folk artist who has her shot of fame with 'Life is like a boat',the ED of Anime 'Bleach'. Although anime/drama brings tremendous airplay, but please, don't define artists by anime tags. If you're not aware whether you belong to the 'anime tagging' group, think if these scenarios ring a bell:

'Oh she's the new Bleach ending.'

'They are the 4th Naruto opening.'

You get what I mean.

Thanks to Bleach, Rie Fu starts to get instant recognition. 'Life is like a boat' is an extremely melodious song, a little sad, a little melancholic, a crystal clear voice that's trademark Rie Fu. She's inspired by artists such as Sheryl Crow and the Carpenters. The oldie taste lingers in her folkish singing. One remarkable thing I find about her is how she manages to make music easy,clean and sweet. Voice is the single most powerful weapon she wields to penetrate your defense. She's a truly talented songwriter with a quality guarantee stamp on her credit. If you think 'Life is like a boat' is her limit, you'll be surprised how she stretches and goes way beyond her typical self. 'I wanna go to a place' and 'Tiny tiny melody' prove she can write as many 'Boat' classics easy breezy but she can also be humorously romantic in '5 mintues', 'Funny dream', or a bit edgy in 'Decay' and 'Conversation'.

I'd like to think there's a style-defining focus in each album. The debut eponymous album 'Rie Fu' shows her strength in writing sweet melodies. Beautiful voice, beautiful songs, but kind of two dimensional. As she promised to show more of the third dimension to the world, the 2nd album 'Rose Album' is incredibly romantic and smart. You get nostalgia fading in and out. Simply put, smart is the word. The latest release 'Tobira Album' is a lovey dovey heavily pop-oriented piece of work. It sounds bright and cheerful, with songs '5000 miles','Until I say'and 'Come to my door' paving the popish undertone. You also get a peek at the unavoidable graduation crisis in 'London' where she's currently schooling. 'What to do afterwards?' We wish you continue with song writing!

Seriously I have nothing more to write... I've exhausted all adjectives, verbs, nouns,adverbs,punctuations(not really)... So now I make way for tubie time!

Why not have a listen and decide whether you like her?

Life is like a boat


Decay


Until I say


あなたがここにいる理由 (The reason why you're here)


Live gig in London - 'The air was dry in London'
I have to say she's a natural performer with great integrity. Even when the set-up is damn noisy and people are chit chatting like crazy, she still manages to pull it off great. This song 'The air was dry in London' is include on 'Tobira Album' but the title is simply 'London'.

The Ditty Bops

Hmmm, what should I say about the Ditty Bops...um, try, "I ADORE THEM!"? Yes, yes, that sounds about right.. =D

It wouldn't be too exaggerating to say their eponymous first album is one of the most delightful finds of the year for me. It is playful, joyous, wicked, smart, mellow, funny. It's what I'd happily put on on a sunny morning, or a cold rainy afternoon, or jogging to it, or dance a bit. I feel I could listen to it the whole day and indeed I have for a fair bit. These girls are just such fun. =))



Come to think of it, I know but one other girl duo, t.A.T.u., and even that is for all the (old) buzz around the fetishsized image and not the music--which, incidentally, is some pop and probably worth a listen, or so I heard. Oh wait, HOW did I forget Tegan and Sara! Really dig this lovely (real) twin duo from Canada...but that's for another day and I digress too much...and oh, the Ditty girls too have some rather interesting pictures, check them out... and I realize I was just thinking of the European-American scene, I am sure most of us would agree we've more than a fair share of girl duos in Asia, no? OK, end of freewheeling digression..

Some general biography:

The Ditty Bops is a band from Los Angeles, California that play a blend of folk, bluegrass, jazz, swing music, ragtime and musical theater. They are headed by Abby DeWald (vocals and acoustic guitar) and Amanda Barrett (vocals, mandolin and dulcimer). They are noted for their excellent harmonies and generally playful style and tempo.

Official site.

Download The Ditty Bops the album here. Link expires one week from now.

Due to chronic laziness I usually do my research as I write along, so I regularly get embarrassed by my outdatedness / shocked / pleasantly surprised. And this piece of old news I just found...well, will complements the above photo link real well, and may I call out to all my dear lesbo friends, it's worth your special attention, *winks*.
----------------
Now playing: The Ditty Bops - Wishful Thinking

Dylan Biopic trailers

Just read this from Uncut (I am dying! to subscribe but being bankrupt, either the pound depreciates pretty damn soon now or I must just die) --

The first teaser trailer for Todd Haynes' Bob Dylan "biopic", I'm Not There, has gone online.

The film stars six actors as Dylan Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett (pictured above), Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger and Ben Whishaw.

"I'm Not There" debuts at this year's Venice Film Festival on September 4.

It's a rather old piece of news really, I remember reading (and squeaking) about it in production like ages ago. Long gestation baby eh Todd? But of course this being from Haynes (Velvet Goldmine! among other acclaimed pieces) about the pure brilliance Dylan and starring those names (for Bale alone I'd have elatedly gone for it--he also starred in Goldmine. Rock on Bale! and yeah you've read it right, Cate Blanchett as Dylan too, *grins*) it incites some pretty lofty expectations (and let's hope deservedly so)...Without further blabbering, some clips for your perusal--

Official 1 min trailer


A doubly long unofficial teaser


A Cate Blanchett clip -- boy she's excellent! But still finds her trademark sharp chin+thin lips+those grooves under the cheeks (what do you call it?) combination an amusing distraction...you just can't hide your Blanchett-ness with those features out and about, Cate. Should have done a Kidman trick à la The Hours. ;)


And erm...some other trailer that caught my eye--again quoting Uncut

The first trailer for Martin Scorsese's Rolling Stones concert doc, Shine A Light, is now online. The documentary, shot last October at New York's Beacon Theater, features the Rolling Stones, plus cameos from Jack White, Christine Aquillera and Bill Clinton - as well as Scorsese himself.

Filming captures the band - at the peak of their worldwide spectacular 'A Bigger Bang' tour - at the end of a year which included many band related mishaps, including Keith Richards 'falling out of a tree.' Originally due for release in the UK in September, it is now scheduled to open next Spring.

What a rock cinema feast the coming months would be~~~~~~~~~~*droolz*

Random stuff: what do you listen to when everything seems to leave you cold and uninspired (like now for me)? me: probably Love Psychedelico. Or Philip Glass. And via last.fm I stumbled across this advanced addict——chart’s all but exclusively Philip Glass! Dude.

----------------
Now playing: Philip Glass - Liquid Days, Part One
via FoxyTunes

Keren Ann - Lay Your Head Down (video)

keyword: keren ann, new release, folk, blues, acoustic, ballad.

LOVE PSYCHEDELICO - new PV - Rain

O me gawd they did it, they just released the first PV to the new album! (Getting instant gastric ulcer on hearing news..) But people, keep your expectation normal, and by 'normal' I mean down...I dunno, me I felt a little disappointed. The tune was an odd piece, the opening even felt discordant somehow, although it got better towards the second half...Repeated listening needed, maybe? I still can't wait for the new album.

On a side note, this PV is probably the most expensive addition (if they didn't take the footages out of some documentary) to the line up of LP's always cheaply produced and ill-or-laughably-directed PVs (with few recent exceptions). BUT--no Kumi or Naoki for the entire thing?! The only animate things a bird and two goats kangaroos!? (some mammals, thank you! Oh wait, did they go to Australia by any chance?) It was as if we had seen too much of them lately or ever and would rather prefer some refreshing shots of nature. Victor records, have mercy on our hearts...

In other hearsay news, it is posted on last.fm forum that there will be a new compilation album due for release soon in the U.S., meant as the introduction to the American audience. Hmmm..

KOKIA

I just started listening to KOKIA. There're 2 or 3 tracks in Red Garden OST that caught my notice and I tried other songs. Her voice is classically trained, perfect control and tuning. Her singing style is a strange blend of opera, folk and pop ('opera' being her strength and highlight).

Basic info from Wiki.theppn

KOKIA is a Japanese singer-songwriter hailing from Tokyo. She is mostly associated with games and anime soundtracks; having appeared in eight different game/anime soundtracks to date. KOKIA has an extremely talented voice - she even held a long-tone Opera note for a little over 29 seconds on national TV once. She is most well-known in Hong Kong and Taiwan for her song Arigatou..., which became so popular it was even covered by star Sammi Cheng. Her biggest hit in Japan was the single The Power of Smile / Remember the Kiss, which reached #15 on Oricon charts.

External Links
Official web (old)
Official web (new)
Happii KOKIA (fansite in Eng & French) - very resourceful!

Some live clips from youtube,
She always performs barefoot! It seems she has a large fan base in France.

[Live] KOKIA - Bataclan 2007 part 1/2


[Live] KOKIA - Bataclan 2007 part 2/2


[Live] KOKIA - Arigato (in France)


KOKIA - Aishiteirukara
This one makes me a bit nostalgic.Coz I sure heard it when I was a kid,on radio!lol.

Keren Ann

Shrugging off the education/informational-column-writing feeling from the last post…and finally do this long overdue one!

Keren Ann!
Keyword: singer-songwriter, acoustic, folk, Nick Drake-ian (oh which means there need a Drake post…or read last.fm bio for now)
Language: English, French

A mini-bio:

Born 1974 in Israel, Keren Ann is singer-songwriter/producer based largely in Paris, New York and Israel. She began her solo career in 2000 with La biographie de Luka Philipsen, "Luka" in homage to the Suzanne Vega song-- written with and produced by Biolay, who also co-wrote and -produced its follow-up, La disparition (“Disappearance”). In 2003, Not Going Anywhere which includes several songs from La disparition re-sung in English, was her first U.S. release, but the American breakthrough came with its bilingual follow-up, Nolita, named after her neighborhood in lower Manhattan. She also collaborated with Barði Jóhannson of the Icelandic group Bang Gang for the album Lady & Bird. The fifth album, the eponymous Keren Ann, will be released April 23rd, 2007 in Europe and May 8, 2007 in the United States.

(Groans...not another eponymous album! What's so cool with eponymousness besides a fair touch of narcissistic smiles into the mirror? Or maybe eponymous has proven to be always critically acclaimed and commercially successful and thus an auspicious move…Okay I’ll keep the grumbles to me self. Getting that album, eponymous or not!)

Keren’s style takes a lot of influence from folk while blending in elements of rock. One special thing about her is the serenity in her music—it’s not just melodious or soothing—it exudes tranquillity (not the Zen-master kind though), yet underneath her lightly sung, almost dreamlike vocal it goes deeper, takes on brooding tones and sometimes dark turns. Just like what could be said of Nick Drake’s sounds, pretty much the same could be said of Keren’s—gentle, autumnal, intimate, and can be at once so beatific and melancholic.

Besides the addition of English on top of French to sing in, Keren's approach to music has been, IMO, consistently and relentlessly herself through the last four albums. You may hear the changes, the quiet transition from one album to the next, in theme or music arrangement, but it's always her speaking true to you.

Not Going Anywhere was the first album I ever listened to, and remains my favourite. The light nonchalance of her vocal totally belies and sometimes hides the dissecting disillusionment in the lyrics, if you float buoyed by the tunes and don't listen closely. A gem.

A selection of a few tracks from three of her albums may be obtained here (expires arrgh today, should've posted earlier). Ask me to re-send if you are interested.

...And this freakin thing happened

what's wrong with this picture?

Elliott Smith - Ballad of Big Nothing

Just want to test out the iJigg radio really. Elliott Smith (1969 – 2003) was an American singer-songwriter and musician - "bleak, almost uncomfortably unsparing and yet tragically beautiful make Smith something of a Nick Drake for the indie rock cognoscenti." I'll put up more about him later. Enjoy this first~ =D

Ballad of Big Nothing

Throwing candy out to the crowd, dragging down the main
The helpless little thing with the dirty mouth who's always got something to say
You're sitting around at home now waiting for your brother to call
I saw him down in the alley, having had enough of it all

Said you can do what you want to whenever you want to
You can do what you want to, there's no one to stop you

All spit and spite, you're up all night and down every day
A tired man with only hours to go just waiting to be taken away
Getting into the back of a car for candy from some stranger
Watching the parade with pinpoint eyes full of smoldering anger

You can do what you want to whenever you want to
You can do what you want to, there's no one to stop you
Now you can do what you want to whenever you want to
Do what you want to whenever you want to
Do what you want to whenever you want to though it doesn't mean a thing
Big nothing

upcoming album releases (to be completed)

Dixie Chicks - Taking the Long Way

The nine time Grammy-Award winning Sony Recording artists will release this highly-anticipated fourth album on May 23, 2006. Release notes and review.

---

Jewel is returning to her folk roots after the 0304 stint, releasing album GOODBYE ALICE IN WONDERLAND on 2nd May. news and review on the new album.

---

Zhu: added a promotional video on Jewel's upcoming album.

The innocent can never last ...

Today I'm here to talk about Green Day and their epic ballad

Wake me up when September ends

The link leads u to their 7 minute long music video of the song. It's a production by Samuel Bayer ( producer of their previous few MVs and of other well known artistes such as Nirvana).
I must be honest and tell u that besides all the hype and the new stance Bayer has taken by having more than the band walkin through streets ( i.e Boulevard of Empty Dreams MV), I still think it kinda sucks.

Well, blame me for being a realistic, apathetic and unromantic creature but...for goodness sake!
Do u not feel the pain, the anguish the regret in the song?!!!
Fine, so it's an elegy dedicated to the personal loss of lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong's father, and along the way also a dedication to the "pain and suffering" the US has suffered these past few years ( recall september 11 and the bloody consequences of stupidity that occured after tat), but honestly....is teenage love the only way to show love and anguish amongst human beings?

I can think of a hundred and more ways that the pain of seperation and loss can be expressed.

The old couple that have been together for 50 years and one suddenly dies, leavin the other alone with the uncertainty of wat tomorrow brings and the loss for the will to live.

The young father to be who has to choose between letting his his beloved wife die to let his unborn child be born.

The mother who has to see both her husband and son go off to war, and even with years of being a soldier's wife , can never shake off the miasma of fear that shrouds her from day to day, knowin that one day, there will be a knock on her door tellin her that all that she cherishes are gone.

u get my drift?

well, sure so it's kinda like an american cliche to show young love and all the coodles that go with it. But puhleeze........it dun have to be THAT Cliche...
meadows of gold, melodramatic acting ( this is probably the main reason why i dun like it ), cheesy lines....
oh man...all that seems to be MOCKIng the whole tragedy of the ballad.

But i must say, the most touching scene in that MV was right after the scenes of frolicking youths and Billie comes on in a shadowed profile singing the first, most poignant lines of the song " Summer has come and passed, the innocent can never last, wake me up when september ends..."


Well, that ends my rant.
the song comes from their excellent album ' American Idiot' in it also contains one of my all time favourites " Boulevard of Broken dreams"

For the record, I really support this band , so I've spent the 20 bucks to buy their album.
sorry guys, no yousendits for this

Summer has come and passed

The innocent can never last

wake me up when september ends

like my fathers come to pass

even years has gone so fast

wake me up when september ends

here comes the rain again

falling from the stars

drenched in my pain again

becoming who we are

as my memory rests

but never forgets what I lost

wake me up when september ends

summer has come and passed

the innocent can never last

wake me up when september ends

ring out the bells again

like we did when spring began

wake me up when september ends

here comes the rain again

falling from the stars

drenched in my pain again

becoming who we are

as my memory rests

but never forgets what I lost

wake me up when september ends

Summer has come and passed

The innocent can never last

wake me up when september ends

like my father's come to pass

twenty years has gone so fast

wake me up when september ends

wake me up when september ends

wake me up when september ends

Postscript:



what's your cowboy bebop theme song?

cowboy bebop the real folk blues

Once upon a time, in New York City in 1941... at this club open to all comers to play, night after night, at a club named "Minston's Play House" in Harlem, they play jazz sessions competing with each other. Young jazz men with a new sense are gathering. At last they created a new genre itself. They are sick and tired of the conventional fixed style jazz. They're eager to play jazz more freely as they wish then... in 2071 in the universe... The bounty hunters, who are gathering in the spaceship "BEBOP", will play freely without fear of risky things. They must create new dreams and films by breaking traditional styles. The work, which becomes a new genre itself, will be called... COWBOY BEBOP


Haha don't grimace! (I know Jady's gonna, probably) Here comes the wonderful wonderful music from Cowboy Bebop, an all time classic! This's a LONG post so be warned! I know I'm spoiling the review even before I start, by simply shouting 'this's great great great great music' a thousand times and more. You'll HAVE to agree with me! (audience: what a horrible tyranny...)

First of all, who's the 'cowboy' and what is 'bebop'? (inmitating Jady's previous post 'what is Bossa and who is Ono?') The director of the anime series, Shinichiro Watanabe, is well known for his unconventional idosyncratic style typified by a bold concoction of cross-culture out-of-time-frame kick ass genres. 'Cowboy Bebop' is set in the cosmo world of 2071, where a group of 'cowboys', or your old-fashioned bounty hunters travel in space claiming bounties for a living. As for bebop, it's a newly defined music genre which starts to gain popularity in the closely knit cosmic community, and the leading band 'Seatbelts' dominates the music chart. There you have an odd mix of out of fashion cowboys misplaced in the far future where a new genre of jazz rules the universe.

Take a step back and poke your nose behind scenes. All these fanciful 'artifacts' are masterminds of one talented genius - Yoko Kanno, one of the most influential and in my opinion the single most versatile composer in the Japanese entertainment biz (correction: mostly anime, and some movie scores). She and her band 'Seatbelts' (the band's real name as well as a fictional name in Cowboy Bebop the anime), wrote and performed all of the soundtracks. One side note, 'The Seatbelts' was a 'temporary band' assembled for cowboy bebop and they were not active outside the realm. It was mentioned in the fictional setting that during live performances by the band, one has to wear seatbelts for security reasons and that's where the name comes from :p The style is mostly jazz, with nice little intermissions of samba, classical and techno.




Album Overview
1. OST 1
2. OST 2 - No Disc
3. OST 3 - BLUE
4. Maxi CD - Vitaminless
5. Movie Mini Album - Ask DNA
6. Movie OST - Future Blues
7. The Remixes - Music for Freelance
8. Tank! THE BEST!
9. CD Box Set - Limited Edition

For detailed information, vist
>> Emily's CB Page
>> The Real Folk Blues

It's impossible to talk about every single track there is so I've picked two albums for your reference: Tank! THE BEST! and Limited Edition CD Box Set (5CD) which basically covers everything...

Disclaimer: The album shared here is for evaluation only. Please purchase their original CD to show your support :P



COWBOY BEBOP Tank! THE BEST! --> YSI link (~128mb)
Victor Entertainment
Release Date: December 22, 2004

Track 01: Tank! (TV stretch)
Track 02: What Planet is This?
Track 03: Cosmic Dare (Pretty With A Pistol)
Track 04: Diamonds *
Track 05: Don't Bother None (TV Edit)
Track 06: PIANO BLACK
Track 07: Mushroom Hunting
Track 08: No Reply
Track 09: Blue
Track 10: Einstein Groovin' *
Track 11: Pearls *
Track 12: Gotta Knock a Little Harder

* = new track recording, not used in the anime

This album is a collection of best cowboy bebop music released so far (whose choice lol? I think they're all pretty cool!) but you get a wide range of selections featured here, from the representative of style 'Tank!' which's an upbeat swirl of jamming jazz, to the naughty pop flavoured 'Cosmic Dare', or a newly recorded track 'Pearls' featuring Ilaria Graziano whose voice is deeply moving and gentle. 'Blue', 'No Reply' and 'Gotta Knock a Little Harder' (the ending song of Cowboy Bebop movie) are performed by Mai Yamane, one of Yoko Kanno's frequently associated vocalists. 'Blue' is the track used in the last episode of CB anime: The badly wounded Spike wobbled down the staircase, he lifted his hand to the sky and with the last mocking smile on his face, said 'Bang!', and fell. A short intermission of silence, then the music started to float above, higher and higher. It was a poignant scene which I found personally very memorable and touching. Even if you know nothing about the plot or where the music's used, the track alone is enough to draw you in. 'Gotta knock a little harder' is penned by the talented lyricist Tim Jensen, who wrote many lyrics for Yoko Kanno's projects. I highly recommend this track if you love a bit of spice and good hard rock. Mai Yamane's voice could be very misleading but I assure you, it's 'SHE'. 'Mushroom Hunting' and 'What planet is this?' are truly jolly songs and they sure lighten up the mood of the whole album. Overall this's a FANTASTIC album.




COWBOY BEBOP CD BOX SET LIMITED EDITION ---> YSI link (~241mb)
Victor Entertainment,
Released: June 21, 2002

If only I could have THIS!!! Ultimate collection! (I vow to get it when I have enough money. Make a mental note. Not sure if it'll be out of production by then sobz)

There're 5 CDs enclosed that come with a beautiful booklet. For complete track listings, you can refer to Emily's Cowboy Bebop Music page. Disc 1-3 contain original recordings interspersed by selected dialogue clips from the anime (really fun to listen to if you're familar with the anime). Dsic 4 is a collection of live performance audios while Dsic 5 is a mini CD that's otherwise titled '8cm' (3 super cute tracks).

Here're the vocalists frequentenly featured in CB music (some already mentioned in 'TANK BEST' review). I've also recommended 1 or 2 tracks entitled to each artist. Link leads to artist's profile/lyrics. In the bracket is the disc number where you can locate that track.

Carla Vallet : Adieu (CD3-20)
Mai Yamane: The Real Folk Blues (CD4-08),
Steve Conte: Words that we couldn't say (CD2-19), Call me call me (CD4-06)
Gabriella Robin: Green Bird (CD1-31), Cats on Mars (CD2-2)
Raj Ramayya: Ask DNA (CD4-10)

Equally brilliant are the instrumental tracks and I highly recommend Yoko Kanno's live piano solo (CD4-9), which's a jazz hodgepodge of CB melodies nicely arranged with strong improvisional flavours. Ah, scrolling back... I'm such a lunatic. Somehow I feel I still haven't spoken enough. Well, CB music might not be your cup of tea if you're not into Jazz. Honestly speaking, I wasn't into Jazz at first and I found CB music really odd but you'll be surprised how 'adaptive' you can be lol.

Finally some fun stuff
-> which Cowboy Bebop song are you?

Mine - Cat on mars



and Jady's - Blue


My roommate's - Adieu