Due-East.org » Music http://www.due-east.org Musings on Things Asian Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:12:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 And the “Best Whitney Houston cover ever by a male singer” award goes to… http://www.due-east.org/2010/04/09/and-the-best-whitney-houston-cover-ever-by-a-male-singer-award-goes-to/ http://www.due-east.org/2010/04/09/and-the-best-whitney-houston-cover-ever-by-a-male-singer-award-goes-to/#comments Sat, 10 Apr 2010 01:04:18 +0000 孙智谦 http://www.due-east.org/?p=272 I came across this video about a kid singing Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” on the Taiwanese “Idol” show Super Star Avenue the other day on TheSun.co.uk, but since I was at work, I didn’t actually watch it. But by the time I got home, I had received email from [...]]]> I came across this video about a kid singing Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” on the Taiwanese “Idol” show Super Star Avenue the other day on TheSun.co.uk, but since I was at work, I didn’t actually watch it. But by the time I got home, I had received email from at least 5 friends who wanted me to watch it. So I figured it must be pretty good. And it was! This kid does a pretty amazing job. See for yourself.

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Sure, nobody cried during his performance, so this isn’t quite my favorite cover of a female’s song by a male singer, but it’s still a pretty amazing performance for an amateur singer, especially in that key!

]]> http://www.due-east.org/2010/04/09/and-the-best-whitney-houston-cover-ever-by-a-male-singer-award-goes-to/feed/ 0 Wang Li Hong: So much talent, it makes you sick http://www.due-east.org/2009/10/28/wang-li-hong-so-much-talent-it-makes-you-sick/ http://www.due-east.org/2009/10/28/wang-li-hong-so-much-talent-it-makes-you-sick/#comments Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:55:38 +0000 孙智谦 http://www.due-east.org/2009/10/28/wang-li-hong-so-much-talent-it-makes-you-sick/ this article and interview about Wang Li Hong/Leehom Wang on Berklee University’s web site this morning, and I thought I’d [...]]]>   WangLiHong   It’s always interesting to find out how creative people get started creating their works of art, what drives them in their craft, and how their personal creative process works. I came across this article and interview about Wang Li Hong/Leehom Wang on Berklee University’s web site this morning, and I thought I’d share it because Leehom addresses a lot of those points directly in the interview. I knew he was talented, but I’m finding out that it’s pretty much to the point of being ridiculous. How do you pack so much talent into one person? Seriously. Not only does he play several instruments (the guitar, piano, drums, violin, multiple traditional Chinese instruments), he also composes and produces all of his own music as well as directing some of his music videos. He’s also an accomplished actor and screenplay writer. I’m starting to wonder if the cause of so many people being uncreative is his family hogging all the good genes.   ]]> http://www.due-east.org/2009/10/28/wang-li-hong-so-much-talent-it-makes-you-sick/feed/ 2 Best news in a long time… http://www.due-east.org/2009/05/19/best-news-in-a-long-time/ http://www.due-east.org/2009/05/19/best-news-in-a-long-time/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 15:11:57 +0000 孙智谦 http://www.due-east.org/2009/05/19/best-news-in-a-long-time/   The news is depressing lately. Well, it’s actually pretty much always depressing. But I just got some great news to offset some of the doom and gloom! After almost 4 years, InLove is finally releasing a new album in July! The singer, Lu, kindly stopped by the site to leave a message about it. Here are her comments (in part) below:  

。。。inLove的新專輯將會於七月中推出, 到時會有發佈演出, 場地是香港藝術中心的一個小型演奏廳。

我們都很興奮, 因為已經接近四年沒有推出專輯, 所以今次有點緊張, 但也會盡力做好。希望也能得到Chris你的支持。^－^

最後想說的是, H1N1病情似乎愈來愈嚴重, 敬請大家都要保重身體, 也一起祈禱, 希望病者早日康復, 以及全球病情盡快得到控制。。。

Lu

  I’m really excited about this because their first album was awesome. Every song on it had a certain warmth that kept me wanting to listen again and again. If this were the 80s, when all we had were records or cassette tapes, I’d probably be on my 4th or 5th copy of it because I would’ve worn out several copies already from listening so much. Check out the video below for a taste of their sound:   [There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]   ]]> http://www.due-east.org/2009/05/19/best-news-in-a-long-time/feed/ 2 A turn…for the worse http://www.due-east.org/2009/05/06/a-turnfor-the-worse/ http://www.due-east.org/2009/05/06/a-turnfor-the-worse/#comments Wed, 06 May 2009 19:19:51 +0000 孙智谦 http://www.due-east.org/2009/05/06/a-turnfor-the-worse/ Visit the blog entry to see the video.]   When I first heard the opening piano of this song, I thought, “Wow, this is gonna be good!” But then Wilber Pan started to sing, and I quickly realized that this was going to [...]]]> [There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]   When I first heard the opening piano of this song, I thought, “Wow, this is gonna be good!” But then Wilber Pan started to sing, and I quickly realized that this was going to be a case of a great song ruined by a bad vocal performance. Like I said, the piano is very nice, and the melody is nice, too. But who gave the recording of the vocal track the green light? And how close was he standing to a jet engine when he did so? I’m not saying it’s an absolutely horrible vocal performance, but it’s more suitable for karaoke in a private room with friends than being put on an album for the whole world to hear. It’s just a very amateur performance. His vibrato sounds forced, it sounds like he’s having a hard time singing as low as low as he does in the verses, and his tone isn’t very good in the chorus, either. Even the background vocals sound rough to me. It could be that it was done on purpose so that they didn’t overpower the lackluster performance on the main vocals, but if you have to do that, either key the song differently for the singer, or just have someone else sing it. I haven’t heard any other of Wil’s ballads, but if they’re all like this, he needs to avoid them in the future and stick to hip hop (which he does well), for our ears’ sake.   ]]> http://www.due-east.org/2009/05/06/a-turnfor-the-worse/feed/ 0 Check out Neocha.com for Chinese indie music http://www.due-east.org/2008/06/29/check-out-neochacom-for-chinese-indie-music/ http://www.due-east.org/2008/06/29/check-out-neochacom-for-chinese-indie-music/#comments Mon, 30 Jun 2008 03:46:44 +0000 孙智谦 http://www.due-east.org/2008/06/29/check-out-neochacom-for-chinese-indie-music/   Neocha image   Are you tired of Chinese popular music? I am. Over all, it stinks. I mean, I’m a huge Jay Chou fan, and I like almost everything Sun Yan Zi and Wang Li Hong put out. But for the most part, Chinese pop music – like pop music everywhere – all sounds the same, and it’s all pretty mediocre. No creativity, no individuality. I really appreciate the traditional Chinese value of putting the group over the individual and not rocking the proverbial boat, but sometimes it just doesn’t work. It absolutely fails when it comes to music. Music is supposed to be creative, so just following along with the crowd definitely doesn’t cut it. Thankfully, in every culture there are always those independent people who like to experiment with new sounds and ideas and create something fresh. (Really, if you haven’t checked out InLove, do it. Yes, Lu, I’m always advertising your music!). I recently came across a post at Lost Laowai reviewing a great site called Neocha (aka “new tea”). I won’t go into what the review says since that would be totally redundant. Just check it out for yourself or head on over to neocha.com to get connected with great (and of course some not-so-great) Chinese indie music.   ]]> http://www.due-east.org/2008/06/29/check-out-neochacom-for-chinese-indie-music/feed/ 4 Rain Vs. Stephen Colbert http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/28/rain-vs-stephen-colbert/ http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/28/rain-vs-stephen-colbert/#comments Fri, 28 Mar 2008 21:04:14 +0000 孙智谦 http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/28/rain-vs-stephen-colbert/   I never would’ve guessed it, but apparently Stephen Colbert and Korean pop star Rain have been battling for supremacy in the Korean pop scene for years. And based on the examples in the video below, I gotta say that Stephen Colbert has Rain beat hands down. He’s so much more manly and tough and a much better singer than Rain…   [There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]   ]]> http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/28/rain-vs-stephen-colbert/feed/ 0 Lee Hom, Jeong Hee, and Rain – Perfect Interaction http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/28/lee-hom-jeong-hee-and-rain-perfect-interaction/ http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/28/lee-hom-jeong-hee-and-rain-perfect-interaction/#comments Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:53:47 +0000 孙智谦 http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/28/lee-hom-jeong-hee-and-rain-perfect-interaction/ cultural music is the best. Check out Perfect Interaction (完美的互動) by Wang Li Hong (a.k.a.: Wang Lee Hom), featuring Lim Jeong Hee and Rain (who isn’t actually IN the video for some reason). This song puts me in a good mood [...]]]>   Cross-genre music is awesome, but cross-cultural music is the best. Check out Perfect Interaction (完美的互動) by Wang Li Hong (a.k.a.: Wang Lee Hom), featuring Lim Jeong Hee and Rain (who isn’t actually IN the video for some reason). This song puts me in a good mood when I hear it. Love the sound, and their voices go together perfectly, which is I guess why the song is named what it is. A catchy song in 3 different languages with English subtitles in the upper left of the screen? I can’t ask for a much cooler video experience than that! It’s too bad there aren’t a lot more of these kinds of cross-cultural collaborations in music.   [There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]   ]]> http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/28/lee-hom-jeong-hee-and-rain-perfect-interaction/feed/ 1 Mariah Carey’s “Ken Lee” http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/24/mariah-careys-ken-lee/ http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/24/mariah-careys-ken-lee/#comments Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:20:42 +0000 孙智谦 http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/24/mariah-careys-ken-lee/ think they can sing make fools of themselves in front of a public audience. And I hate seeing people who can sing decently get severely criticized by stuck-up, arrogant judges. But this [...]]]>   I hate American Idol and just about any other “Idol” show, especially the failed auditions. I hate seeing people who think they can sing make fools of themselves in front of a public audience. And I hate seeing people who can sing decently get severely criticized by stuck-up, arrogant judges. But this is pretty awesome. I’m not sure what the language is they’re speaking, but I think it’s Bulgarian? And that’s Eastern Europe, which is close to Asia, so there’s your connection. Plus, Ken Lee sounds like an Asian guy’s name.   [There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]   Painfully funny, eh? Now I recognize that English isn’t her native language, but seriously…if you’re gonna try to sing a song in a foreign language for any kind of TV show, at least make sure you can properly pronounce the words, especially when they’re pronounced so clearly by the original singer. She gets an F for her overall performance and an A+ for inventing that awesome cockamamie dialect thing…   ]]> http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/24/mariah-careys-ken-lee/feed/ 6 Hey, Jealousy http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/21/hey-jealousy/ http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/21/hey-jealousy/#comments Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:52:03 +0000 孙智谦 http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/21/hey-jealousy/ might some day? My fantasy when I was a kid was that [...]]]>   You know how when you were a kid you’d have these highly implausible fantasies about totally awesome things happening to you, and no matter how unlikely it actually was that those things would ever happen, somewhere deep down inside you thought they might some day? My fantasy when I was a kid was that I would be at my favorite band’s concert and then for whatever reason my thirteen-year-old mind could come up with, I would get invited up on stage to sing along with or instead of the singer of the band. I used to lie in bed at night and drift off to sleep imagining that kind of thing happening. But in the words of Noel Gallagher of Oasis, “While we’re living, the dreams we have as children fade away.” Reality eventually set in, and I realized that kind of thing doesn’t happen…unless you’re a Sammi Cheng fan in Singapore. Check out the video below:   [There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]   Well, it’s pretty close to the fantasy, anyway. My Cantonese is horrible (read: all but nonexistent), but someone in the comments section on Youtube said something about Sammi making fun of the girl for being fat or not sexy (but in a good-natured way?!). Being called fat in front of thousands of people? That’d sting a bit, but it’s a small price to pay for being given the chance to live out a fantasy like that. The next time I’m at a Jay Chou concert (probably never), I’m bringing a poster that says, “Let me on stage to make a fool of myself in front of thousands!” or maybe just “Can I have Landy Wen’s phone number?”   ]]> http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/21/hey-jealousy/feed/ 3 Paur McCarrney – Or a small Korean child sings Hey Jude http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/16/paur-mccarrney-or-a-small-korean-child-sings-hey-jude/ http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/16/paur-mccarrney-or-a-small-korean-child-sings-hey-jude/#comments Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:12:04 +0000 孙智谦 http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/17/paur-mccarrney-or-a-small-korean-child-sings-hey-jude/ Visit the blog entry to see the video.]   This is pretty cute. Not as cute as the 3-year-old girl telling the story of Star Wars, but still cute. And it’s related to Asia, so you’ll watch it and you’ll like it. [...]]]>   [There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]   This is pretty cute. Not as cute as the 3-year-old girl telling the story of Star Wars, but still cute. And it’s related to Asia, so you’ll watch it and you’ll like it. He can carry a tune pretty well for a child his age! I’ve included lyrics below, so feel free to sing along!   Hey Jude, don make eet bad.
Take a sad song and make it beh-urrr
Rerember to rerrerr into yer haaaar
Then you can staaarrrrr to mrake eet berrer
So rerrir owr an rerember to rerrerr into your haarr
*grunt*
Then you can staaar, hmm, hmm, to make eet beh-rer
hmm, hmm, Hey Jude, mhmmhmm, don mayafray, mhmm, mmh
You rere maydoo cole-owrt in keterr
Remember to rerrer into your har, mhmm, mmh,
Den you can staaar, hmm, hmm
To make eet berrer, berrer, berrer, beherr, beher, aaaaaaaah!!!
*cue awesome guitar solo* Na, na, na, na-na-ah-na, na-na-ah-na, Hey Jude
Do-Do-ee-dut-deh, naaa…   ]]> http://www.due-east.org/2008/03/16/paur-mccarrney-or-a-small-korean-child-sings-hey-jude/feed/ 0