Adele Hello video memes

Calling Lionel Richie


The best. Ellen


The real deal

Classics - Love Hurts - Nazareth with Munich Philharmonic Orchestra

One of my old time favs.



Love hurts, love scars, love wounds
And mars, any heart
Not tough or strong enough
To take a lot of pain, take a lot of pain
Love is like a cloud
Holds a lot of rain
Love hurts......ooh, ooh love hurts

I'm young, I know, but even so
I know a thing or two
And I learned from you
I really learned a lot, really learned a lot
Love is like a flame
It burns you when it's hot
Love hurts......ooh, ooh love hurts

Some fools think of happiness
Blissfulness, togetherness
Some fools fool themselves I guess
They're not foolin' me

[1] I know it isn't true, I know it isn't true
Love is just a lie
Made to make you blue
Love hurts......ooh, ooh love hurts
ooh, ooh love hurts

[lead:]

[repeat 1]

Yuna - one of 20 artists to listen to in 2014

The Huffington Post lists Malaysian singer Yuna (real name is Yunalis Mat Zara'ai) as one of the top 20 artists to listen to in 2014. To be honest, I have never heard of her before this but I went to her official YouTube page and was pleasantly surprised. Her songs are really nice. More amazing is the fact that she writes most of here original songs herself.

Here's her single "Live Your Life".



Yuna performing Falling on Jimmy Kimmel live

Carlos Santana's magic - Samba pa ti

Samba pa ti is colloquial Spanish for "Samba para ti" which simply means "Samba for you".

Simply beautiful.

Dancing to Jon Bon Jovi

Old video of Jeremy Fry's crazy dance on YouTube pushes Jon Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" to the number 25 spot in Billboard Hot 100 chart.

New Coldplay album

Coldplay fans will be delighted to learn that the band is releasing their long-awaited fifth studio album, Mylo Xyloto, on the 24th October.

From their 2008 tour. Credit: Karl Axon from Liverpool, England I am really looking forward to how this new album fares as their last studio album, Viva La Vida, sold more than nine million copies worldwide. You can pre-order the album on Amazon now for £7.99.

The CERN rap

Everyone seems to be talking about the Big Bang experiment now taking place at the HQ of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) on the Swiss-French border. No! The World has not ended (yet). However, very few people actually understand what's happening there and how the Large Hadron Collider works.

23 years old Katherine McAlpine, has become famous for her "CERN Rap" video, which has had over 1,700,000 views on YouTube. Even my daughter understands the Large Hadron Collider now. Thanks AlpineKat.

Teachers on strike

Saw a number of kids on the street today and was wondering about it. Later learnt that the teachers are on strike. The one -day strike was called by the National Union of teachers to protest against low wages. A number of working parents are fuming mad as they have to take off from work to look after their kids. I wonder what would happen to the kids whose parents are unable to get the day off.

I don't know why but I suddenly felt like listening to one of my old favourite songs - that we used to sing in school.



Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall

Are you on Facebook?

Miami Univ.


Cambridge



Poke here, Poke there.

New UK music site growing fast

Contrary to what some people seem to think, the UK music scene is truly alive and kicking. Check out TourDates.co.uk, one of the fastest growing music sites in the UK. Offering free gig listings & free music downloads, this site allows unsigned artists, bands, DJs and ensembles to set up free artist profiles, upload promotional music tracks and videos, as well as sell their music online. More information on how to get your gig listed, is given in their press release below.

They have also launched a magazine called LondonTourdates as a companion to their online presence, which will be distributed for free at venues through out London. You can download an online version from the site as well.

Press Release:

The UK's fastest growing new music website, TourDates.Co.UK, has launched a magazine to compliment its online activities.

The magazine, LondonTourdates, is distributed in music venues across London free of charge.

To get listed bands simply need to signup online and add their gig dates. All gigs are displayed online at TourDates.Co.UK with those located in London also being listed in the LondonTourdates magazine which is also available to download at TourDates.Co.UK

Tourdates is an online music community providing free music downloads, news, reviews & gig listings for bands performing in the UK.

Sing your troubles away

If anyone told you that the had no problems in their life, they are either lying or there's something wrong with them. Of course it varies from person to person. While some have really big problems, others on the other hand only have some quite minor one. The fact is totally free from problems.

Is that too philosophical?

Anyway, I was going through the GotTrouble.com directory, and realise that my problems might not be a big deal after all, looking at what some people have to go through. This directory gives solutions to common problems that people go through everyday.

I guess my problem comes under employment. And I even wrote a song about it:

Walking down the road,
searching for a job.
degrees coming out of my ears,
doesn't mean a thing.

It's terrible, I know. If you feel that you are more talented, check out GotTrouble.com’s Video Promotion. Put your pain into music, create a commercial for them and share it with the World on YouTube and you stand a chance to earn US$5,000.00 as a cash prize.

Testing the Godin LG SP90

Our friends Mozard and Nana dropped by our house today. Mozard invited me to accompany to a guitar shop in Lemington Spa - Regent Guitars, to check out a Godin electric guitar. More specifically - the Godin LG SP90. It was pouring down and I was a bit worried that the place might be flooded. A call to the shop revealed that it was ok to go there.

The shop was not as big as I had imaged it would be. Richard, the Director took us downstairs to the basement and left us there with the guitar plugged in. Mozart got down to business right away.

Took this video while he was trying it out.



Mozard has been playing the guitar since he was a kid and really know his stuff. He thought the Godin LG SP90 was great. He recently sold off his Gibson for £750/ and was looking for an affordable but good guitar to play at home. Affordable does not usually go with good, but this seems to be it.

Mozard asked me to try it out but after watching him play, I was not going to even try my "I-am-sure-would-be-painful" rendition of Amanda by Boston.

Richard told us that it's price was £449/. However, Mozard had seen it going for a mere £300 (without shipping) on an eBay shop. That's a huge difference of £149. However, he's a bit wary of buying a guitar online without trying it out first. I can understand as £300/ is still quite a lot of money. Anyway, it was an interesting experience.

Dreaming of the Caribbean

I didn't have much knowledge about the Caribbean before. My sister's mother-in-law bought a holiday home over there and was telling me of the wonderful sunny beaches there. This led me to do some research and I was amazed to learn that the there are some 7,000 islands, islets, reefs, and cays in the area.

There is also more to the place than just bright sun and white sandy beaches. There are more than thirty major islands to choose from in the Caribbean. Each with it's unique culture and attraction. They have something for everyone. As for me, when people used to mention the Caribbean, the first thought that comes to mind is always reggae music and the place where it was born - Jamaica. Though I mostly prefer rock ballads, I love reggae music too and have always wanted to visit the place Bob Marley was born. Jamaica is also the home of several other different musical genres such as ska, dancehall and ragga among others. Would definitely love to visit Jamaica and experience the musical culture there.

Another place I would love to visit in the area has to be Aruba, which has a totally different history and culture than the other islands. Even the vegetation is totally different with desert landscapes as compared to other tropical Islands int he area. What attracted me was the Island's slogan of "One Happy Island."

The music meme

Was just thinking that I haven''t been tagged for a meme for a long time, when I got hit by one from Lillian in Thailand. I thought it would be easy but it turned out to be quite tough in the end. Just realised that I am not that crazy about music anymore. A far cry from my school days when I used to memorize each and every Wham and Duran Duran song before moving into the rock ballad phase.

Here is the Music meme:

5 - You’re going on a long journey, what five albums MUST you take with you? Albums that you need to listen to regularly.

- Rod Stewart - If we fall in love tonight
- Queen - Greatest hits
- Led Zeppelin - Remasters
- Guns N' Roses - Greatest Hits
- 35 favourite Nursery Rhymes (I listen to it regularly even though I don't want to).

4 - What four albums/songs do you most associate with a journey or travel experience? You know, the ones you listen to that instantly transport you back to a place and time.

- And I love her by the Beatles. A simple song which was my favourite love song since my school days. Sang an elongated version at a Univ. event in front of a lot of people. Wish I could go back and NOT sing that song.

- Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple. Reminds me of the time I first heard them live at a concert in KL. I was with my wife, our friend Ita and her then housemate. I have been listening to them since I was a kid and these old guys are still rocking.

- Rod Stewart - If we fall in love tonight. Used to sing the songs from the Album together with my girlfriend (now my wife) every time we went to a karaoke.

- Black Magic Woman by Santana. I don't really like discos and we used to frequent a lot of places where they played live music. And every time we went out, there would be at least one person who would request this song. Kind of addictive.

3 - Your three favorite songs of all time?
- And I love her - Beatles
- I can't tell you why - Eagles
- Love Hurts - Nazareth

2 - Two feel good songs, the ones that are guaranteed to lift the blues and put a smile on your face.
- O bladi o blada by the Beatles
- Is this love by Bob Marley

1 - Absolute, overall, undoubtedly the best album of all time, in your opinion.
Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin

Now I tag anyone who's interested. Might be something you might consider when you have blogger block.

Alleycats' Loga passes away

While going through the Star Online, learnt that Loganathan Arumugam passed away the Mount Miriam Hospital, Penang at 10.50am today at the age 54. He had been suffering from cancer. Read it here.

He is survived by his wife, a son (23) and a daughter (20).

Loga was a member of the Alleycats, one of the longest lasting bands in Malaysia (maybe in the world). The band was formed in 1969 and have been entertaining us since then. They have have 29 albums in their name. besides their love songs, he and his elder brother David, were also famous for their Afro hairstyles, which they retained.

The last time I saw them live was at Uncle Chilli's Fun Pub and Restaurant, PJ Hilton, Petaling Jaya. The group will not be the same without him.



Here are the lyrics:

JIKA KAU BERCINTA LAGI

Jika Kau bercinta lagi
cintalah sepenuhnya
jika kau bercinta lagi
jagalah kau hatinya

engkau yang memilihnya
tanpa memikirkan tentang diriku
kini ku hanya dapat berdoa
agar berbahagia kau disampingnya

Jika Kau bercinta lagi
cintalah sepenuhnya
jika kau bercinta lagi
jagalah kau hatinya

aku tak dapat menghalang
engkau punya kemahuan sendiri
biarku hidup hanya mengenang
peristiwa yang tak dapat ku lupa

kini aku hanya dapat berdoa
agar berbahagia kau disampingnya
selamat tinggal
aku mengundurkan diri

Rest in peace Loga.

Tags: Alleycats Melayu Loganathan Arumugam Music

Do you like classic rock

Classic rock is my kind of music. Unfortunately not many of my friends are into this genre of music. I was lucky that my wife loves the same kind of music I do.

I do listen to the new songs on the radio but if you asked me to name any new singer or band that I really liked, I couldn't come up with any. I simply don't feel a connection.


Give me Led Zeppelin any day. Listening to Nazareth's Love hurts can send shivers down my spine.

It was a great moment when I was finally able to watch the legendary band Deep Purple live, when they last visited Malaysia. It was amazing to see these guys (some of whom are grandfathers) still rocking.

Going through the blogosphere, I find that I am not alone. There are a lot of classic rock lovers out there. Olivia from Canada is one of them. She blogs at "The Funky Olive". Learned that they actually play classic rock in her office. I really envy her. In my last place of work, I was the only guy who liked classic rock music. One guys actually told me that listening to it was giving him a headache.

Anyway, read what happens when a temp comes in to their office and tries to switch the music to "sappy easy listening bla bla" music here.

Related posts:
- Farhan singing the blues on AF4
- Led Zeppelin and the evil one

Tags: classic rock music

What is Emo music

You might have guessed correctly that the term "Emo" is short for Emotional. However, you might be surprised to learn that this refers to a subgenre of hardcore punk music. This music phenomenon is nothing new and originates from the music of the mid-1980s Washington, DC scene. It has evolved since then and now used to describe various emotionally-charged punk rock. Of course I do wonder, soft sentimental music can also be full of emotion.

Anyway, the Emo Hairstyles websites takes a lighter look at the emo phenomenon. They call it the "ugly twin sister of Punk Hair Styles."

Their zany description of famous emo bands based on their pictures are pretty hilarious. For example, read their description of The Appleseed Cast:

Isn't that the Edge himself second from the right? What a hairdo! It looks like a mullet. I'm guessing the guy to the right of him is bald. Why else would he be wearing the hat? To the left of the Edge we have fat Che Guevara who is going for the guillera look there. It's not very emo is it?

When I last checked, they had 12 emo bands/ singers in their list, which is fast growing.

Unsigned artist site

There are a lot of talented artists including singers out there who never got the chance to show off their great work. Without the financial support of a record label, many had to resort to their own means trying to sell their music and other related products. These are the "unsigned artists" - a term is used in the music industry to refer to a singer, songwriter, musician, or band that has no affiliation with a record label.

I just realised how many great undiscovered talent are out there when I was browsing through Unsigned.com. This great site has got to be the one of the best collections of a range of genres ranging from unsigned rock, hip hop, grunge, metal, jazz, country, Ska Artists and much more, on the net.

Don't just believe me, go over there and see/ hear for yourself.



Tags: Music Unsigned artists

Singer Songwriter contest

I am sure all of your are familiar with various singing contests where contestants are judged by their ability to sing and perform. However, The Singer/Songwriter Awards is a contest with a difference. It is a song contest for performing songwriters. Yes! That means that contestants not only perform, but they also write their own songs as well.

The latest We Are Listening song contest winners for 2006 (Round 2) are Michael Logen with his song "Amazing", Debra Arlyn with "FIne" and KIFF with "How It Feels".

You can listen to the songs for FREE. I was a bit skeptical but surprisingly, they were great. I especially liked Michael's song. So go over there and vote for your favourite.

If you are an aspiring singer who also writes your own songs, you can also join in. The entry fee is only £15 or the foreign currency equivalent. You are welcome to join even if you live outside the UK. However, all songs must be in English.

Farhan singing the blues on AF4

Yesterday, some relatives came over to the house. There were a lot of people and we had a buffet nasi lemak lunch. It was delicious. Anyway, this post is not about the food.

Someone put on the TV and the Akademi Fantasia show was on.

I am so out of touch. This was the first show of this season that I watched. For those who didn't know, Akademi Fantasia is a Malaysian reality song competition, somewhat similar to the American Idol format.

Most of the performers were unimpressive. However, one lady made me stop eating and listen. Maybe I am biased because she was singing Gary Moore's Still Got The Blues. Gary was a hard rock/heavy metal musician in the 70's and 80's and later on crossed over to blues-rock. One of my all time fav. singers.


Still got the blues (1990)

Farhan (Nur Farhan bt Azizan) really did a good job and her vocals were really impressive.

However, I am not going to waste my money voting for her or anyone else. One thing I realise is that no lady is ever going to win in Akademi Fantasia. The reason: Majority of the voters are predominantly girls. And they are voting for "who looks the cutest" instead of "she has got talent".

* Added this video of Farhan singing the song on 22 Aug, 2006 due to requests from some of my guests. Enjoy.



Anyway, here are the lyrics for Still Got The Blues

Used to be so easy to give my heart away
But I found out the hard way
There's a price you have to pay
I found out that love was no friend of mine
I should have known time after time

So long, it was so long ago
But I've still got the blues for you

Used to be so easy to fall in love again
But I found out the hard way
It's a road that leads to pain
I found that love was more than just a game
You're playin' to win
But you lose just the same

So long, it was so long ago
But I've still got the blues for you

So many years since I've seen your face
Here in my heart, there's an empty space
Where you used to be

So long, it was so long ago
But I've still got the blues for you

Though the days come and go
There is one thing I know
I've still got the blues for you.

Watch this video and you will understand why I think Gary is one of the World's greatest guitarists.

So long, it was so long....



Related Links:
- Guitar chords
- Wikipedia

Tags: Akademi Fantasia Blues Gary Moore Music Rock