This is the last week of freedom. Starting from next week, I'll be stepping into a new phase of life, a phase where I have to start to plan for my studies and future more seriously.
My brain has suffered from more than 2 and a half years of long break from studies and in order to drive the dormant engine again, I went to browse through some of my JC Maths notes. Bits and pieces of academic memory started to flow in once again, but clearly my ability to analyse problems has weakened significantly. Had to refer to the answer keys to understand what was required.
Being so used to clear instructions passed down directly during my NS days (eg. standing orders, RO, etc), I find it difficult to adapt to how I have to search for information myself regarding university admission, registration and module bidding. Since last week I have been frequenting the NUS website almost everyday, browsing through severals pages and links in search for relevant information. Fortunately I'm also able to find some tips and advices from seniors though online forum threads.
Attended the freshmen welcome briefing yesterday and was slightly disappointed. Most of what was mentioned is what I have already known through my 'research', and some important issues which I felt were necessary for freshmen to know, weren't covered. Basically everything presented was very general, mostly available from the website. But well, I can't expect everyone to surf the NUS website regularly.
Module bidding worries me the most. As my pre-allocated lecture and tutorial slots are not even out yet, it makes timetable planning extremely difficult. Furthermore with my miserable bid points I really doubt that I can secure 2 desired non-core elective modules. Worried that I might end up studying for a module which I have zero knowledge or zero interest in. Of course it will be better to take the same modules with friends, but with all the uncertainties this has become a secondary concern. Not to forget that my weekday evening Japanese classes add a burden to my planning.
Orientation starts this Saturday and I hope I can make new friends. Many thanks to Jin Hin for accompanying me throughout this period. However I am getting a bit uptight at the fact that my crucial bidding rounds lie in the midst of orientation week.
Guess I'm now in need of seniors' help and advice. (probably an academic advisor too haha) Or am I just worrying too much?
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Bolts N' Nutz: Overrated Songs
Since we already have a 'Underrated Songs' coverage, why not a 'Overrated Songs' to make it complete? The following songs are those that did well in music charts, and are well-known to most listeners, but in my opinion don't deserve that much popularity. However it does not necessarily mean these songs are substandard or not nice to listen, just that I feel they were receiving too much attention.
牵牵牵手 – 吴克群
From what I remember, this song did well in the Global Chinese Music Chart, but personally I don’t feel much about this song. The only deep impression I had is probably his hair when he waded in the sea in the MV haha. I still think he is better off in performing ballads with style like 越爱越难过, and wacky songs like 什么东西. On the other hand I think he writes really good songs for others, like 男人女人 and 傻瓜.
达尔文 – 蔡健雅
I agree that the lyrics are unique, as we rarely ever see songs about evolution. However the tune is hard to absorb and doesn’t seem to create any atmosphere. Quite atypical for a mainstream song. This song was initially written for Eason but was rejected. I wonder why. I guess 当你离开的时候 would be better accepted by general music listeners.
爱在 – 方大同
There is too much of ‘love’ and ‘爱’ in his songs to the extent I feel this song was unnecessary. I think he should break out of the cliché love-themed songs and produce more unique ones, and I believe he is able to make it with his style of singing. Somehow the repeated emphasis on ‘爱在’ in the song annoys me haha.
小太阳 – 五月天
Was eagerly looking forward to listening to this upon knowing that this is a new song for their latest concert theme, as well as being the final song of their 宇宙四部曲. But I was rather disappointed. It doesn’t seem to live up to the hype of the other 3 songs. It sounded too ‘伍佰’ and the ‘high’-factor is rather weak, compared to 离开地球表面. Not only it failed to raise my spirits much, it made me get bored after repeated listening.
为你存在 – 飞轮海
Eeeks I hate the MV. When I first heard the song in the net, I wished it wasn’t the 2nd 主打. Then it really was, and the rest of the songs in their album wasn’t any better. (except Ti Amo) A big disappointment compared to their debut album which I think was much much better. I think they are better off developing in the drama sector, after all they win in looks more than their singing.
特务J – 蔡依林
I think it would be better not to include the James Bond jingle into this song. It makes this song very showy and superficial. This makes a good dance music, like those played in the background while someone is performing a dance. However as a song alone its impact isn’t that great. From what I feel, Mandarin dance hits in general are not very well done.
不会分离 – 光良
Liked this song at first, but after a mere 2-3 times of listening, I got a bit bored. Maybe the chorus repeats itself too much, maybe the chorus is rather bland, or maybe the singer did not perform this song well enough. Whatever the case I found myself inclining towards 烟火 after some time.
结果咧 – 大嘴巴
When I first heard this song, I was thinking, ‘Wah, what a silly song name for such a silly group name.’ Few weeks later my friend told me he liked this song. Another few weeks later, this song became super popular. In my view, I don’t see what is so attractive about this song, it sounded like another wacky song by 吴克群. My only impression of this song is, ‘结果咧, 结果咧…*rap rap*… 结果咧, 结果咧 …*rap rap rap*’. Not to discredit this group so much (after all they got the Best Group in the Taiwan Melody Awards), I can say I like their 我就是喜欢你 and I think 911 is pretty creative. (eeyo~ eeyo~)
路一直都在 – 陈奕迅
This song hovered within Top 3 of 933 龙虎榜 for an amazing 6 weeks (currently the longest staying song in chart), however I still prefer his style in 爱情转移. Despite listening to this song several times, I still don’t have much impression of it. It seems so easily forgettable. Hopefully his new album has better songs but unfortunately the 2 other new songs I heard on radio have yet to craft any impression in my mind. This is so unlike his previous album where I enjoyed most of the hits.
一枝独秀 - 罗志祥
Similar to 特务J. I don’t really like the chorus. It usually ends before I realise it started. The heavy beats have dominated the whole chorus and there is nothing much left to sing except the wordy verses. The only melodious part of the song is probably the pre-chorus which is worth listening and remembering. Felt they should have chosen a better song for the 1st hit in his album.
That's all for the overrated songs. No flames pls!
牵牵牵手 – 吴克群
From what I remember, this song did well in the Global Chinese Music Chart, but personally I don’t feel much about this song. The only deep impression I had is probably his hair when he waded in the sea in the MV haha. I still think he is better off in performing ballads with style like 越爱越难过, and wacky songs like 什么东西. On the other hand I think he writes really good songs for others, like 男人女人 and 傻瓜.
达尔文 – 蔡健雅
I agree that the lyrics are unique, as we rarely ever see songs about evolution. However the tune is hard to absorb and doesn’t seem to create any atmosphere. Quite atypical for a mainstream song. This song was initially written for Eason but was rejected. I wonder why. I guess 当你离开的时候 would be better accepted by general music listeners.
爱在 – 方大同
There is too much of ‘love’ and ‘爱’ in his songs to the extent I feel this song was unnecessary. I think he should break out of the cliché love-themed songs and produce more unique ones, and I believe he is able to make it with his style of singing. Somehow the repeated emphasis on ‘爱在’ in the song annoys me haha.
小太阳 – 五月天
Was eagerly looking forward to listening to this upon knowing that this is a new song for their latest concert theme, as well as being the final song of their 宇宙四部曲. But I was rather disappointed. It doesn’t seem to live up to the hype of the other 3 songs. It sounded too ‘伍佰’ and the ‘high’-factor is rather weak, compared to 离开地球表面. Not only it failed to raise my spirits much, it made me get bored after repeated listening.
为你存在 – 飞轮海
Eeeks I hate the MV. When I first heard the song in the net, I wished it wasn’t the 2nd 主打. Then it really was, and the rest of the songs in their album wasn’t any better. (except Ti Amo) A big disappointment compared to their debut album which I think was much much better. I think they are better off developing in the drama sector, after all they win in looks more than their singing.
特务J – 蔡依林
I think it would be better not to include the James Bond jingle into this song. It makes this song very showy and superficial. This makes a good dance music, like those played in the background while someone is performing a dance. However as a song alone its impact isn’t that great. From what I feel, Mandarin dance hits in general are not very well done.
不会分离 – 光良
Liked this song at first, but after a mere 2-3 times of listening, I got a bit bored. Maybe the chorus repeats itself too much, maybe the chorus is rather bland, or maybe the singer did not perform this song well enough. Whatever the case I found myself inclining towards 烟火 after some time.
结果咧 – 大嘴巴
When I first heard this song, I was thinking, ‘Wah, what a silly song name for such a silly group name.’ Few weeks later my friend told me he liked this song. Another few weeks later, this song became super popular. In my view, I don’t see what is so attractive about this song, it sounded like another wacky song by 吴克群. My only impression of this song is, ‘结果咧, 结果咧…*rap rap*… 结果咧, 结果咧 …*rap rap rap*’. Not to discredit this group so much (after all they got the Best Group in the Taiwan Melody Awards), I can say I like their 我就是喜欢你 and I think 911 is pretty creative. (eeyo~ eeyo~)
路一直都在 – 陈奕迅
This song hovered within Top 3 of 933 龙虎榜 for an amazing 6 weeks (currently the longest staying song in chart), however I still prefer his style in 爱情转移. Despite listening to this song several times, I still don’t have much impression of it. It seems so easily forgettable. Hopefully his new album has better songs but unfortunately the 2 other new songs I heard on radio have yet to craft any impression in my mind. This is so unlike his previous album where I enjoyed most of the hits.
一枝独秀 - 罗志祥
Similar to 特务J. I don’t really like the chorus. It usually ends before I realise it started. The heavy beats have dominated the whole chorus and there is nothing much left to sing except the wordy verses. The only melodious part of the song is probably the pre-chorus which is worth listening and remembering. Felt they should have chosen a better song for the 1st hit in his album.
That's all for the overrated songs. No flames pls!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Bolts N' Nutz: K-Songs
Bolts N' Nutz is here again! This week I will comment on a selected few K-songs, discuss about their technical aspects and judge the difficulty based on personal experience. Other related songs will be judged for comparison as well. Hopefully this will spur your interest to try out some of these songs in KTV! Haha.
Shall start off with simple ones first. =p
那些女孩教我的事 – 品冠
Generally his songs doesn’t have much of a difficulty, thus they are pretty K-friendly. One thing to note about this song is that it has a wordy chorus in a continuous melody, so some breath control is probably needed. I realize he has a few songs like that too, like 无可救药 and 我以为. Somehow I like ballads with wordy and fast lyrics haha. (another example: 爱情转移) Back to subject, this song has its chorus repeat several times, so it might be good to adopt a different approach to each one.
Difficulty: ★★
( 漂流 ): ★★★
错爱 – 张栋梁
He is not called K歌王子 for nothing haha. His songs are pretty easy to catch and absorb. And there is no need for you to squeeze high notes through the chorus. Just relax and put your emotions and sing his songs. Be careful of the profound lyrics in this song that can be hard to anticipate. I still insist that this song has a chorus that sounds awfully similar to 错了再错. Even the title is similar. And their composers are Singaporeans…
Difficulty: ★★★
(新歌试唱): ★★
(寂寞那么多): ★★
为你写诗 – 吴克群
With its catchy tune and simple lyrics, there is no reason to fumble at this song. It may be used to liven up the spirits after listening to a series of emotional ballads. Just catch and feel the groove of this song and it should be fine. Need not mind the spouts of high notes, since the beat and rhythm are more important here.
Difficulty: ★★
(越爱越难过): ★★★★
虽然我愿意 – 伍家辉
This song is really high for males haha. Most people mistook this song as one sung by a female when they first heard it, including me haha. It starts off with an already high verse, and reaches a peak note in the chorus that is rather hard to voice and pitch well. Even 伍家辉 himself reduced the key when he sang this song live. Then why set the original key so high in the first place?
Difficulty: ★★★★★
(无家可回): ★★★
伯乐 – 林宥嘉
This song has a simple chorus that is easy to get into the mind. However singing it well with emotions is another thing. By the way this song has only one verse, so make sure you give it your all. (No 2nd try lol) This song doesn’t have a bridge and there is sufficient time during the interludes to 蓄势待发. His other songs are harder to sing IMO.
Difficulty: ★★★★
(神秘嘉宾): ★★★★★
(眼色): ★★★★★★
收藏 – 萧敬腾
A rather 大气 song. It starts off quite calmly and peacefully, just like the MV when he is walking along the highway. But it gradually builds up until the final chorus when the piano starts to burn. One of the best MVs I have seen, though I think it got into some trouble. I think the difficulty of this song lies in how to make the climax build-up comparable to that performed by Jam, especially when his voice has a huge power range.
Difficulty: ★★★★★
(原谅我): ★★★★★
(奋不顾身): ★★★★★★
洋葱 – 杨宗玮
First of all let’s credit the talented 阿信 for composing such wonderful song. Watched some of his videos and it seemed he had difficulty in singing this song too haha. It starts off very low at the verse and becomes very high at the chorus. Wow, hard to find so huge a musical range in one song. I think this makes a perfect examination song to test one’s low and high register haha. Fortunately the lyrics are easy to remember, so you can safely shut your eyes tightly, gek your face muscles and give a very constipated look when performing this piece.
Difficulty: ★★★★★★
(鸽子): ★★
(幸福的风): ★★★
Last but not least:
逃生 – 张信哲
We know his songs are never easy to sing. Not many could reach his vocal range. Moreover this song requires lots of power, right from the start. And it has a double-melody chorus, which is rather rare. (one example: 欧若拉). This makes singing the chorus very exhausting as the climax has to be build up again to reach the next melody. Overall I think you must really have the powerful vocals to accomplish this song.
Difficulty: ★★★★★★★
Yup 逃生 is the most difficult song I've graded among all. Almost died when I sang this song.
Feel free to rebut my judging haha!
Shall start off with simple ones first. =p
那些女孩教我的事 – 品冠
Generally his songs doesn’t have much of a difficulty, thus they are pretty K-friendly. One thing to note about this song is that it has a wordy chorus in a continuous melody, so some breath control is probably needed. I realize he has a few songs like that too, like 无可救药 and 我以为. Somehow I like ballads with wordy and fast lyrics haha. (another example: 爱情转移) Back to subject, this song has its chorus repeat several times, so it might be good to adopt a different approach to each one.
Difficulty: ★★
( 漂流 ): ★★★
错爱 – 张栋梁
He is not called K歌王子 for nothing haha. His songs are pretty easy to catch and absorb. And there is no need for you to squeeze high notes through the chorus. Just relax and put your emotions and sing his songs. Be careful of the profound lyrics in this song that can be hard to anticipate. I still insist that this song has a chorus that sounds awfully similar to 错了再错. Even the title is similar. And their composers are Singaporeans…
Difficulty: ★★★
(新歌试唱): ★★
(寂寞那么多): ★★
为你写诗 – 吴克群
With its catchy tune and simple lyrics, there is no reason to fumble at this song. It may be used to liven up the spirits after listening to a series of emotional ballads. Just catch and feel the groove of this song and it should be fine. Need not mind the spouts of high notes, since the beat and rhythm are more important here.
Difficulty: ★★
(越爱越难过): ★★★★
虽然我愿意 – 伍家辉
This song is really high for males haha. Most people mistook this song as one sung by a female when they first heard it, including me haha. It starts off with an already high verse, and reaches a peak note in the chorus that is rather hard to voice and pitch well. Even 伍家辉 himself reduced the key when he sang this song live. Then why set the original key so high in the first place?
Difficulty: ★★★★★
(无家可回): ★★★
伯乐 – 林宥嘉
This song has a simple chorus that is easy to get into the mind. However singing it well with emotions is another thing. By the way this song has only one verse, so make sure you give it your all. (No 2nd try lol) This song doesn’t have a bridge and there is sufficient time during the interludes to 蓄势待发. His other songs are harder to sing IMO.
Difficulty: ★★★★
(神秘嘉宾): ★★★★★
(眼色): ★★★★★★
收藏 – 萧敬腾
A rather 大气 song. It starts off quite calmly and peacefully, just like the MV when he is walking along the highway. But it gradually builds up until the final chorus when the piano starts to burn. One of the best MVs I have seen, though I think it got into some trouble. I think the difficulty of this song lies in how to make the climax build-up comparable to that performed by Jam, especially when his voice has a huge power range.
Difficulty: ★★★★★
(原谅我): ★★★★★
(奋不顾身): ★★★★★★
洋葱 – 杨宗玮
First of all let’s credit the talented 阿信 for composing such wonderful song. Watched some of his videos and it seemed he had difficulty in singing this song too haha. It starts off very low at the verse and becomes very high at the chorus. Wow, hard to find so huge a musical range in one song. I think this makes a perfect examination song to test one’s low and high register haha. Fortunately the lyrics are easy to remember, so you can safely shut your eyes tightly, gek your face muscles and give a very constipated look when performing this piece.
Difficulty: ★★★★★★
(鸽子): ★★
(幸福的风): ★★★
Last but not least:
逃生 – 张信哲
We know his songs are never easy to sing. Not many could reach his vocal range. Moreover this song requires lots of power, right from the start. And it has a double-melody chorus, which is rather rare. (one example: 欧若拉). This makes singing the chorus very exhausting as the climax has to be build up again to reach the next melody. Overall I think you must really have the powerful vocals to accomplish this song.
Difficulty: ★★★★★★★
Yup 逃生 is the most difficult song I've graded among all. Almost died when I sang this song.
Feel free to rebut my judging haha!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Evil Blue Moon
Last night my graphics card caught fire...ya with a luminous flame. It was really unexpected.
Was playing Cabal when the comp suddenly shut down unnaturally. No blackout lag or anything, just immediate shut down as if there was a power failure in the house. Then some creaking noise was heard and a strong burnt smell started to diffuse. Looked through the transparent panel of my CPU casing and to my horror, my graphics card was burning. It was a traumatizing sight, resembled what we normally see within an incinerator. (it was crucial moment so no pics)
Fortunately the fire died out soon after the mains was cut. Can't imagine what the situation will be if there wasn't a transparent panel for me to look through. Will the fire unknowingly spread throughout the entire CPU and create a big fire/explosion? To think I just changed the casing last week...
Thanks to the spacious casing, the rest of the parts were unharmed. If the fire were to occur within my previous mini-casing, it would be a disaster.
For such a rare occurrence to happen, I wondered if I had pushed my comp too hard. Leaving it switched on for more than 14 hours per day, watching tons of videos, stretching its graphics by watching TV and playing graphics-intensive games like Cabal. Hopefully after University starts I can be more disciplined in my computer usage.
Despite ventilation, the burnt smell lurked in my room throughout the night. Becos of this I think lifespan has been shortened by a few months.
Was playing Cabal when the comp suddenly shut down unnaturally. No blackout lag or anything, just immediate shut down as if there was a power failure in the house. Then some creaking noise was heard and a strong burnt smell started to diffuse. Looked through the transparent panel of my CPU casing and to my horror, my graphics card was burning. It was a traumatizing sight, resembled what we normally see within an incinerator. (it was crucial moment so no pics)
Fortunately the fire died out soon after the mains was cut. Can't imagine what the situation will be if there wasn't a transparent panel for me to look through. Will the fire unknowingly spread throughout the entire CPU and create a big fire/explosion? To think I just changed the casing last week...
Thanks to the spacious casing, the rest of the parts were unharmed. If the fire were to occur within my previous mini-casing, it would be a disaster.
For such a rare occurrence to happen, I wondered if I had pushed my comp too hard. Leaving it switched on for more than 14 hours per day, watching tons of videos, stretching its graphics by watching TV and playing graphics-intensive games like Cabal. Hopefully after University starts I can be more disciplined in my computer usage.
Despite ventilation, the burnt smell lurked in my room throughout the night. Becos of this I think lifespan has been shortened by a few months.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Two Blue Moons
1) Trip to East Coast
Thanks to Zhui Xing, I was able to ride a bicycle for the 2nd time in my life! The 1st was 2 years ago. Luckily I still remembered how to keep my balance, and still had the courage to lift both legs off the ground onto the pedals, though my turning still sucks. The feeling of having strong winds blown into the face while speeding downslope once again is indescribable.
Fortunately the weather was fine, though it threatened to rain at times. Overall it was a really enjoyable trip!
2) Family Buffet
Went to Orchard Cafe @ Orchard Hotel for a high class buffet feast in celebration of my Mum's birthday. Everyone was present, including my bro whose attendance in family outings is very rare. The previous family buffet was 2 years ago, without my bro. This is the most extravagant dinner we ever had, amounting to $48 per pax. Of course for such price, the food was mouth-watering and the desserts were heavenly. Wished I could pack some home. Once again I ate the most (tried to taste as much variety as possible) and the bloated feel lasted till next afternoon.
Took the chance to take a rare family photo. I suspect the last time every family member was present in a photo was almost 10 years ago... (even before my sis came)
I think last week was really an astronomical phenomenon for me.
Thanks to Zhui Xing, I was able to ride a bicycle for the 2nd time in my life! The 1st was 2 years ago. Luckily I still remembered how to keep my balance, and still had the courage to lift both legs off the ground onto the pedals, though my turning still sucks. The feeling of having strong winds blown into the face while speeding downslope once again is indescribable.
Fortunately the weather was fine, though it threatened to rain at times. Overall it was a really enjoyable trip!
2) Family Buffet
Went to Orchard Cafe @ Orchard Hotel for a high class buffet feast in celebration of my Mum's birthday. Everyone was present, including my bro whose attendance in family outings is very rare. The previous family buffet was 2 years ago, without my bro. This is the most extravagant dinner we ever had, amounting to $48 per pax. Of course for such price, the food was mouth-watering and the desserts were heavenly. Wished I could pack some home. Once again I ate the most (tried to taste as much variety as possible) and the bloated feel lasted till next afternoon.
Took the chance to take a rare family photo. I suspect the last time every family member was present in a photo was almost 10 years ago... (even before my sis came)
I think last week was really an astronomical phenomenon for me.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Bolts N' Nutz: Underrated Songs
From today I will introduce a new segment for my blog, ‘Bolts N’ Nutz’. These are what a robot is rich in right? As a Servbot, I hope to serve bits and pieces of my mind to my blog readers. This segment will probably cover comments and views of my interests, and other miscellaneous stuff. Hope you enjoy it. =)
For a start I have decided to make a list of underrated songs. It refers to songs that are aired in radio stations but are not very well-known to general music listeners, and did not have much luck in music charts. I think these songs deserve more attention than what they are getting. Only recent songs will be discussed.
I won’t be spamming videos here, makes the page very cluttered. If you are interested in any songs you may go search for them yourself =p. Watch the MV for better effects.
(SARANGHAEYO) 我爱你 – 萧贺硕
What’s up with the rise of Xiaos nowadays haha. Yeah her name sounds awkward when pronounced. This is the first hit in her debut album released last year, but I guess not many know abt her. She’s a songwriter too, and won Best Newcomer in the recent Taiwan Melody Awards. These days there are quite a few songwriters who have decided to release their own albums too. Though this song uses the most clichéd phrase in Mandarin songs, the melody is not clichéd at all. Was attracted by the chorus when I first heard it.
YESTERDAY – 蔡淳佳
Overshadowed by 依恋 and庆幸有你爱我. This is a light hearted song with a sweet melody. As you have probably suspected, this is originally from a Korean song. With Joi’s vocals, she is able to pull off such songs very well. That’s perhaps the reason why she could get nominated in the Taiwan Melody Awards.
左边 – 苏打绿
Recorded in无与伦比的美丽 album. The first time I heard this song was actually in 1003FM while on the way back to camp at night haha. And this song was able to calm my moody spirits. This song did pretty well in 1003 charts, the radio station that first promoted Sodagreen’s songs in Singapore, whereas 933 only aired this much later. The chorus sounds a bit ‘opera-ish’ and outdated but nevertheless it is a song worth listening.
手写爱 – 许茹芸
Same album as 男人女人. How I like her airy voice in this song! This is the kind of song to listen when you are relaxing in a café, enjoying a cup of coffee. Just an example haha. Though she doesn’t really sing powerful songs like 泪海 nowadays, I think her recent songs will still be able to move our hearts with a gentler approach. =)
够不够 – 方大同
Heard this song on radio before 爱在 but in the end the latter gets the popularity haha. Like most of his other songs, this tune is rather catchy. Caught my ears in the first listening. Because of its 洋腔洋调, this song may probably be welcomed by English music listeners too. Only heard this song once or twice on radio (really shows how low its exposure is) but it’s able to leave an impression on me.
靠近 – 李圣杰
No, it’s not the same as Harlem’s song lol. Because of the strong K-factor in his other hit 擦肩而过, this song is often ignored, even though I think it has a potential to become one of his another popular K. The chorus is rather easy to absorb and much K-friendlier than the other hit 光年. Anyway the MV is quite interesting…
I Believe In Love – WOW
A little introduction to WOW: It is a band group consisting of a male and a female, where the female is the main vocalist. They released their debut album late last year and so far this is their only song I have heard haha. But it sounds really nice IMO. It gives a 大气磅礴 feel yet soothing. Can be quite inspiring as it probably encourages us to believe in love too. (sorry I have no experience lol)
花很迷惘 – 吴忠明，叶玮庭
For your information, both are 星光二帮 contestants. Initially I did not really think much abt this song and felt it was too ‘loud’, until I went to listen more attentively and realized it is actually a nice song. Both have powerful voices and I like how they form beautiful chords within the song. Listening to this could heighten your spirits too.
像个小孩 – 元卫觉醒
Was attracted to this song the moment I saw the MV. No idea why watching a MV will make me appreciate a song more haha. I think they pull off their own compositions really well. With the rise of other singers with unique and outstanding voices, I am beginning to appreciate the simplicity and sincerity of their voices.
平行线 – JS
Applause to Justin for presenting his voice for the first time! It is also the first duet with his sister Sophia, who has always been the vocalist so far. Feels weird to hear siblings singing a male-female duet. Nevertheless it was well sung. The balance between their voices was good. Just to add on, their latest album is travel-themed, and I think the line-up of songs was pretty well-done. Gives me kind of a travelling mood, something which I really lack now haha.
That’s all for this week’s Bolts N’ Nuts. Might have missed out certain songs but I think these are enough. You might or might not agree with my opinions, but basically I think these underrated songs deserve more attention.
For a start I have decided to make a list of underrated songs. It refers to songs that are aired in radio stations but are not very well-known to general music listeners, and did not have much luck in music charts. I think these songs deserve more attention than what they are getting. Only recent songs will be discussed.
I won’t be spamming videos here, makes the page very cluttered. If you are interested in any songs you may go search for them yourself =p. Watch the MV for better effects.
(SARANGHAEYO) 我爱你 – 萧贺硕
What’s up with the rise of Xiaos nowadays haha. Yeah her name sounds awkward when pronounced. This is the first hit in her debut album released last year, but I guess not many know abt her. She’s a songwriter too, and won Best Newcomer in the recent Taiwan Melody Awards. These days there are quite a few songwriters who have decided to release their own albums too. Though this song uses the most clichéd phrase in Mandarin songs, the melody is not clichéd at all. Was attracted by the chorus when I first heard it.
YESTERDAY – 蔡淳佳
Overshadowed by 依恋 and庆幸有你爱我. This is a light hearted song with a sweet melody. As you have probably suspected, this is originally from a Korean song. With Joi’s vocals, she is able to pull off such songs very well. That’s perhaps the reason why she could get nominated in the Taiwan Melody Awards.
左边 – 苏打绿
Recorded in无与伦比的美丽 album. The first time I heard this song was actually in 1003FM while on the way back to camp at night haha. And this song was able to calm my moody spirits. This song did pretty well in 1003 charts, the radio station that first promoted Sodagreen’s songs in Singapore, whereas 933 only aired this much later. The chorus sounds a bit ‘opera-ish’ and outdated but nevertheless it is a song worth listening.
手写爱 – 许茹芸
Same album as 男人女人. How I like her airy voice in this song! This is the kind of song to listen when you are relaxing in a café, enjoying a cup of coffee. Just an example haha. Though she doesn’t really sing powerful songs like 泪海 nowadays, I think her recent songs will still be able to move our hearts with a gentler approach. =)
够不够 – 方大同
Heard this song on radio before 爱在 but in the end the latter gets the popularity haha. Like most of his other songs, this tune is rather catchy. Caught my ears in the first listening. Because of its 洋腔洋调, this song may probably be welcomed by English music listeners too. Only heard this song once or twice on radio (really shows how low its exposure is) but it’s able to leave an impression on me.
靠近 – 李圣杰
No, it’s not the same as Harlem’s song lol. Because of the strong K-factor in his other hit 擦肩而过, this song is often ignored, even though I think it has a potential to become one of his another popular K. The chorus is rather easy to absorb and much K-friendlier than the other hit 光年. Anyway the MV is quite interesting…
I Believe In Love – WOW
A little introduction to WOW: It is a band group consisting of a male and a female, where the female is the main vocalist. They released their debut album late last year and so far this is their only song I have heard haha. But it sounds really nice IMO. It gives a 大气磅礴 feel yet soothing. Can be quite inspiring as it probably encourages us to believe in love too. (sorry I have no experience lol)
花很迷惘 – 吴忠明，叶玮庭
For your information, both are 星光二帮 contestants. Initially I did not really think much abt this song and felt it was too ‘loud’, until I went to listen more attentively and realized it is actually a nice song. Both have powerful voices and I like how they form beautiful chords within the song. Listening to this could heighten your spirits too.
像个小孩 – 元卫觉醒
Was attracted to this song the moment I saw the MV. No idea why watching a MV will make me appreciate a song more haha. I think they pull off their own compositions really well. With the rise of other singers with unique and outstanding voices, I am beginning to appreciate the simplicity and sincerity of their voices.
平行线 – JS
Applause to Justin for presenting his voice for the first time! It is also the first duet with his sister Sophia, who has always been the vocalist so far. Feels weird to hear siblings singing a male-female duet. Nevertheless it was well sung. The balance between their voices was good. Just to add on, their latest album is travel-themed, and I think the line-up of songs was pretty well-done. Gives me kind of a travelling mood, something which I really lack now haha.
That’s all for this week’s Bolts N’ Nuts. Might have missed out certain songs but I think these are enough. You might or might not agree with my opinions, but basically I think these underrated songs deserve more attention.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Losing Steam
If anyone notices at the archives bar there is number bracketed beside each month. That represents the number of blog entries I have in the particular month. Last month saw the lowest number of entries I've written, though before this there was also one month which has achieved that. Guess my himajin life is too mundane to blog about. Or rather nowadays I tend not to blog about the things I did, and the outings I've attended.
Looking at the archives bar again, was shocked to see the record for the highest number of entries is 28, clocked in November 2005. This is almost an average of 1 entry per day! Wow, can't believe I was in such a blogging mood last time. Heh, it was actually during my A levels period, the time when most students were studying while I was here blogging away haha. Went to look at those entries again and felt that those are the most creative entries I have produced in my whole blogging life. Interested parties may go revisit those entries =p.
I doubt University life will be that fulfilling and eventful for me to blog as rigorously as last time.
Of course the rate of churning blogger entries could not compare to that in my 'Old Servbot's Corner' (yea, the unstylish myriad of colours) Those were the times when I churned out at least an entry everyday. Though almost every entry was long, wordy and descriptive, it seemed like junk haha. Junk that is only meaningful for the blogger to read but not for the blog readers, which made it very reading-unfriendly. But it really showed how eventful my life used to be, compared to now. Wonder how I managed to write so much...
一山还比一山高. 'Old Servbot's Corner' is not the period when I wrote the most. Used to keep a personal diary back in 2000-2002. (Some of you might have seen it) Made a point to write an entry every night, until I got bored haha. It really takes a lot of determination and motivation to pen down thoughts and incidents on a personal diary DAILY. Not an easy task at all.
Sorry for the lack the content this entry. I have already planned on what to write for the next one. Inspired by XH =).
Looking at the archives bar again, was shocked to see the record for the highest number of entries is 28, clocked in November 2005. This is almost an average of 1 entry per day! Wow, can't believe I was in such a blogging mood last time. Heh, it was actually during my A levels period, the time when most students were studying while I was here blogging away haha. Went to look at those entries again and felt that those are the most creative entries I have produced in my whole blogging life. Interested parties may go revisit those entries =p.
I doubt University life will be that fulfilling and eventful for me to blog as rigorously as last time.
Of course the rate of churning blogger entries could not compare to that in my 'Old Servbot's Corner' (yea, the unstylish myriad of colours) Those were the times when I churned out at least an entry everyday. Though almost every entry was long, wordy and descriptive, it seemed like junk haha. Junk that is only meaningful for the blogger to read but not for the blog readers, which made it very reading-unfriendly. But it really showed how eventful my life used to be, compared to now. Wonder how I managed to write so much...
一山还比一山高. 'Old Servbot's Corner' is not the period when I wrote the most. Used to keep a personal diary back in 2000-2002. (Some of you might have seen it) Made a point to write an entry every night, until I got bored haha. It really takes a lot of determination and motivation to pen down thoughts and incidents on a personal diary DAILY. Not an easy task at all.
Sorry for the lack the content this entry. I have already planned on what to write for the next one. Inspired by XH =).
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