Music You've Probably Never Heard - Teapacks

Hey y'all. Time for another episode of music you've probably never heard. Today? More Hebrew pop. This group to me is more entertaining, generally speaking, than Sarit's stuff. It's a group that focuses mostly on europop and jazz, with certain songs in the more techno side of things. I'm talking about Teapacks, an up and coming group whose influence in America will likely grow in the next few years. They are a group comprised of several dorky looking guys, but who isn't entertained by dorking looking guys? They can make good music, and that's what counts.

I heard a song from these guys on a cd I bought that was attempting to illustrate Hebrew music of today. I wasn't too big a fan of most of the songs, but a search on youtube got me hooked on these guys. My only complaint is that while I can check out several Teapacks songs on iTunes, I have a really hard time finding these same songs on youtube, because most of them have hebrew writing, which I can't read. I managed to find a goodly amount of songs, but I'm afraid some are just going to have to be posted with no real explanation.

Let's start with the most popular of their songs, Push the Button. It's a satrical bit with english, hebrew, and french, and it describes the plight of modern Israel: a struggle between peaceful living and trying not to die. There are many bad people around the world threatening to try and blow peaceful people up, and this song both laments and mocks them. It's very europop, very crazy, but very fun also.

Push the Button: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz0qww8eKsE

One of my favorite songs by Teapacks, one I was lucky to find at all, was Ve Hapam Shir Ahava, or Love Song This Time. It's a very simple, relaxed song about finding true love and not fake. You will like this song, and even if you don't you'll at least admit that it's well made. I don't really like the music video to it, but I love how it's filmed in an older cinematic style. It sets the mood really well.

Ve Hapam Shir Ahava: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3PSK5gnWBw

The first Teapacks song I heard was Yesh Li Havera, or I Have a Girlfriend. This song is very modern Jewish in style, in a plunky, almost silly kind of way. It's very fun to sing or hear when you're in a good mood.

Yesh Li Havera: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV8n1cuC6c0

Now, Teapacks have a sound that's not for everyone, because it's too quirky for people who take music too seriously. But indeed, anyone who has any serious dislike of this band is full of it. Anyway, one of the quirkier songs is Ma Asit, or What Have You Done?. I like this song a lot, and it's one of theirs available on iTunes.

Ma Asit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HDyHUyZ4y0

Another popular song in Israel is Odd Shabat, or Another Sabbath. It's very fun, and I'm sure you'll like it.

Odd Shabat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4HWINU6gDQ

Hatikva (Hope) is my favorite national anthem. As much as I like Star Spangled Banner and A Soldier's Song (Ireland's), I love the humilty and God-seeking nature of Israel's. All by itself it's a beautiful song, anthem or not. Teapacks actually teamed up with Sarit Hadad to create my favorite version of the song, which you really should check out.

Hatikva: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkwISUGfKnM

Okay, I'm going to admit it. I'm not all that familiar with some of Teapack's songs because of the language barrier. However, while I was trying to search blindly for specific songs on youtube, I came across some that you might like. I don't know them, but if you like this band you'll enjoy these next songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU4YPztoCS0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjHGwvK_-ak
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaToWPI28xA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyRZQko3gIY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6ixe7-V6Fo

I'm really sorry about this, guys. It's so hard to find anything by them on youtube with only english to go by. And I couldn't even find two of my favorite songs, Welcome the Great Crew and Hataklitan (the DJ). However, these guys are so much fun that you can't ignore them. They're perfect for someone who's burnt out on pop crap and yet not dark enough to go venture out into rave. Check 'em out!

Music You've Probably Never Heard -- Andy Hunter

Hey y'all, it's time for another session of Music You've Probably Never Heard.

Now, I like techno. That should be abundantly clear to anyone who's read my blog. Thing is, a lot of techno seems to be repetitive and all about the artist rather than about making good music. It's a modern thing. Back in the 90s, particularly the first half, is the glory period of the genre. Nowadays everybody's remixing everybody's songs, which is why there's forty million inane remixes of the same classic song, and only rarely are these remixes actually worth it. In all this nonsense and bullcrap, I present to you an artist that's actually making new stuff. And this new stuff is good.

His name is Andy Hunter, and he's a DJ from Britain. This guy was introduced to me by a friend of mine when we were driving in the car to a friend's house. This dude is worth a listen, particularly if you're not into the darkest stuff like I am. He concentrates on making stuff that is artistic and yet listenable, and beautiful with or without lyrics. He's hard to classify, as some of his stuff is more dramatic and others are trancier. Still others are just fun dance stuff. I'd call this guy a producer of modern electro pop or electro dance. General house, at least.

Let's kick this off with a good one, shall we?

Come On: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGYjxiGsy8g

Come On is a great song. The beginning is very dramatic, but it quickly jumps into a pulsing beat that's highly energizing. This is not a song you can just listen to for five seconds and move on. If you do, you lose out. This song is not static. You really just need to get this music playing as you're going down the road or messing on the computer, or biking. Good stuff, good stuff.

You want a song with lyrics? Pssht, who needs lyrics? What, really? Well, okay then.

Stars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCxMoeEJexU

Yeah, normally I don't require lyrics in what I listen to (or lyrics that I understand), but heck, these rock. Or they would if they were less chill. Now, this song is very mellow, very poetic, and if you like to relax to music, then this is your tune. It's perfect for being out at night and just cruising in your car. Heck, I think most of Andy's stuff is good car trip material. Better get it on iTunes or somethin', because you won't regret it.

Lifeline: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHIGBKUiR2k

One of the things I really like about Andy Hunter is that he is unapologetically Christian. He's not there to get all up in your face, but at the same time he's not going to fudge about his beliefs. We all really need the things that only God can bring, and that's what this song is about. It starts off kinda mellow, but then it starts jumping and kicking, being all awesome and stuff. This is my favorite, okay, no second favorite Andy Hunter song. It's just so much dang fun.

Open My Eyes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKAwWQjLew0

This song is really pulsing, really awesome. It's not as good as Lifelight, I think, but it's not bad at all. It's fun stuff!

Sapphire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opPTElqesQI

You are legally required to listen to this song. No, really. Sapphire is one of the pwnest things I have ever heard in my life, and it is the pwnest of the pwn. It's a very story-esque piece, telling a story without words. Stop what you're doing right now and click the dang link above. It is your duty! It has this really awesome old-fashioned feel to the music...definitely my favorite.

Let's change up this feel with another favorite of mine.

System Error: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIRYIo4D3Dw

This song doesn't have but two words as its lyrics, and it doesn't need any more. This song just rocks out, is totally weird, and totally uplifting in a weird rock/tech sort of way.

You know what a really good addition to techno is? Or electronic music in general? Black people. EDM and black people is like chocolate and caramel: awesome together. Chicago House is a great genre, for example, because it's all soulful and not pretentious. One of my favorite kinds of songs to hear is black folk songs from like the 1800s (or at least sound like that) done all up in techno. Huh, I really should do an entry about black people in music at some point. Sounds like a good idea for February.

Anyway, for right now, Andy Hunter has done a song sort of in this area, or at least has a really soulful singer. Honestly, it's songs like these that make Andy hard to classify. Check out this song. It really has nothing to do with the others, but it's still good.

Miracle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra1wx8jlWqA

Okay, here's another odd one, very meditative and spiritual. This song is deeper than anything I've ever posted, and is really for getting closer to God. Listening to this just makes you want to be quiet and listen. It really feels me with a sense of humility. A lot of trance tries to pretend that it's spiritual, but it's really that cheap knock-off spirit crap that basically lends credence to every spiritual thing out there. Well, I got news for you, peeps: not all spiritual is alike, and not all of it is good. This song, however, is. So listen to it, why don't you? Lift your hands and open your heart, this stuff is for real.

Translucent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hs3TXH7ey4

This next song, Technicolor, is another reason why Andy is so dang hard to put in a set musical genre. Andy Hunter just pwns. This song just is weird as crap in the beginning, then gets into a synthpop/black gospel groove. Quintessential party groove right there. Pretentious people, leave your drama behind.

Technicolor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd-2v5izhxQ

Let's finish this entry off with some weird techno mess, shall we? This next song is some crazy mess that is all out party. It leans a little more towards techno, but technically speaking it's still house music. This is called Radiate. It's all about the party, all about movement. You just have to check this out.

Radiate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj26p8J6ofQ

I seriously hope Andy Hunter gets more popular. He deserves it. So much pop crap today sounds all the same like it all came out of a cookie cutter. All the genres are suffering from stagnation these days, mostly because music is being more about the artists than it is about people. Okay PSA to all artists out there, underground or glitzy pop. Music is best when it's all about the person listening, not about how great the artist is. People want songs they can connect to, not crap about how much money the artist has, or the latest boring trite the artist has to say.

So that's why Andy Hunter's line of work is so refreshing. It doesn't sound like all the pop nonsense that's out there, and it doesn't even have to stray into the darker, more industrial side of techno to do so. See, good music can be both relaxing and not boring crooners singing boring things to boring tunes.

Music You've Probably Never Heard -- Gaelic Storm

Hey y'all!  Let's listen to some music.

Okay, so I'm a Irish person by ethnicity, and there are a lot of things I love about Irish styles.  Generally Irish people have three distinctive style types: singing very sad songs about real life, singing songs with harsh, mean, or violent lyrics with an extremely upbeat tune, and finally singing ridiculously happy songs about things that are not even possible.  The first song I ever heard by this band was called Johnny Tarr, and it falls into the last category.  It follows the story of a "hard drinking son of a preacher" and his ability to drink bartenders out of stock.  Honestly, this is the kind of song you can just listen to over and over again and enjoy it every time.  You just have to learn the lyrics and sing along!

Johnny Tarr: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlqdqNGhJaA

This song was made by Gaelic Storm, and I just had to get more of their stuff after I heard this song.  I swear that this band is the most addictive thing ever!  Why you've never heard of these guys is beyond me.  I mean, I hang out in hardcore rave city, and I'm all about these guys.  You don't even have to be Irish to love them.  You'll wish you were though.

Okay, so I'm going to review their album Special Reserve, because I own it.  Or I would if I could find the darn cd.  I'm just lucky I copied most of it on my computer before I lost the darn thing.  Remember, don't just listen to two seconds of these and then skip away.  Really play these songs and listen to the whole thing.  That's the real pleasure of them.

Track one is a traditional Irish song, Courtin' in the Kitchen.  I liked it okay, it's a bit cheesy for me, but it's fun nonetheless.  I'm sorry I couldn't find a normal version of it, but here's a link to a live performance.  They didn't have a normal version on youtube.

Courtin' in the Kitchen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jIYj4pIW18

Johnny Tarr is next, and if you don't like this song then you are the most pretentious person in existence, I hope you realize.  

Next is The Schooner Lake Set, a lyricless piece that was done for a movie.  There's no video for it on youtube, I'm sorry to say, but it's a great song that's filled with bagpipes and drums and great to just listen to while you...I dunno, clean the house or write a book or something.  Fun Irish stuff.

The Leaving of Liverpool and Drink the Night Away are actually two fairly similar songs in mood and theme.  The Leaving of Liverpool is about an Irishman leaving for America to gain fortune, leaving his love behind for the time being.  It's one of those songs that's sad, but with an upbeat tune.  It's very nice.  I actually like Drink the Night Away, as more of the sadness shows through its merry beat.  The bridge is especially dramatic, and it makes me happy.  It's a very contented song despite itself, and a lot of fun as it talks about going off to make more money and a fortune, though this one seems to be more about leaving friends than a specific love.

The Leaving of Liverpool: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4wEjAtPaQA

Drink the Night Away: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3n1ZXdKQrQ

After Hours at McGann's is another lyricless piece, one that's fun and merry.  It's more casual than the Schooner Lake Set, but it's still got lots of fun too it.  Again, youtube is being aggravating.  Grr.  Come on people.

Swimmin' in the Sea is actually a song I don't like.  The tune and singing wail mournfully, and it's something I really hate. It's actually sort of a sweet song about the singer's childhood, and listening to it again...well, it's not quite as bad as I thought. I'm still not really into it, but look at it and see if you like it.

Swimmin' in the Sea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz0mx-6nG8E

This next song is the most addictive song on this dang cd.  I let my friend listen to this, and he couldn't get over how fun it was.  It's the story of a man whose life went completely wrong, either by a woman or alcohol.  And that's the best part of this song, as it doesn't say which one is the real culprit but poetically equates wayward women to booze.  It's hilarious.  Match that with a fun beat, and it's one of the greatest songs I've ever heard. It has a long intro, but the lyrics are well worth the wait.

Nancy Whiskey: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0TBwFLW4GY

She was the Prize slows down the cd and get sentimental.  It's a really sweet song about a man and his true love, and it almost makes me cry.  It's very sweet.  Take a listen, y'all.

She was the Prize: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0O2cH_PnMc

Johnny Jump Up/Morrison's Jig is another powerhouse of the disc.  Plain and simply, it rocks.  It's a song about an impossible cider that does a multiplicity of hilarious things.  You're gonna love this one. Gah, I have so many memories of my boyfriend singing this terribly off-tune.  

Johnny Jump Up/Morrison's Jig: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u56R_qHTLVI

Next is Titanic Set.  That's right, these guys were in Titanic.  I bet you forgot all about them if you saw that movie, didn't you?  This is a pretty good song, very peppy and nice.  Feels like two songs in one.

Titanic Set: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LT3XH1ikHk

Ah, now this song is fun.  It's Tell Me Ma, a fun song about men flirting with a pretty girl.  It's very silly, but you've just got to hear it.  Fun as mess.

Tell Me Ma: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlx9tkVpyxI

This album finishes up with Beggarman, the most hyper and lyrically tangled up of the bunch. You've really got to be hardcore to keep up with all these words.  It's a very fast song about the life of a beggar who makes his own life and enjoys every bit of it, just as you'll do with this song.

Beggarman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RkCQKpyllU

Before I leave off, I want to include a song that isn't on this album, but I just heard about and really want to share with you.  It's honestly the funniest thing ever.  It tells the true story of the time the lead singer of this band literally punched Russell Crowe in the face.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xtVipOjTEE

Well, they've done a lot of songs over the years, but I'll let you find more of them.  They are a very silly, fun band, one of the most fun you'll ever encounter. 

Music You've Probably Never Heard -- Ofra Haza

Hey y'all. It's time for some more music you've probably never heard. Y'know, when I pick music for this page, I generally choose artists who aren't mainstream to the normal audience. Therefore artists with their own popularity outside of the mainstream are still available for posting here. And that's why I'm picking Ofra Haza, someone who really deserved a lot more popularity that she got, and she did get a decent amount.

Ofra Haza was a Yemenite Jew, and she was discovered at the age of eight for her singing talent. Her voice has been described as nearly perfect. She sang mostly traditional Jewish songs, as well as eighties synthpop. During the nineties she drifted a little more into pop, but at the end of the day she was always better (in my opinion at least) at bringing out the wild sounds of the Middle East. Throughout the course of her career she released several albums, starred in a few films, and was offered to do concerts with Michael Jackson (which she turned down). She also provided vocals for the movie The Prince of Egypt, where she played the mother of Moses.

That's right, she sang River Lullaby: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GbI2Tlt55w

That's the thing. People know about this song, but they don't actually realize that she's got plenty of other stuff that's well worth listening to. There's plenty of things on iTunes for her. Her most popular song is by far Im Nin Alu, a traditional song that was rearranged for her and to really connect with mainstream worldpop sensibility. I personally prefer the original version, which is a more relaxed song that's fun to sing with your friends. The first line of the song declares "if all the doors on earth are locked, the doors of Heaven are always open". It's a beautiful Jewish song that's really touching.

Im Nin Alu (original): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2xNTzlFSk0
Im Nin Alu (Ofra version): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5px-ppcQDps

Ofra didn't start out popular. She starred in one film where she was the girlfriend of a very boring man, so the character burst out in song about how she is enamored of fashion, makeup and celebrities -- she's a frecha. Frecha is an arabic word that we don't quite have an equivalent to, but it basically means a shallow person only interested in the flashy things of life and having a good time. In certain communities this can be connotated into meaning "slut" or "loose", which is why the english title of this song is "the bimbo's song". It's kind of misleading, because that's not what the song is about and not something a girl like Ofra would stand for, but in any case the song itself is very fun. Though the movie has faded into pretty much obscurity, this song has remained Ofra's classic piece, one she is known for the most. I wish I had the outfit she wears in it.

Shir Ha'Frecha: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqAr-tfjwJY
Lyrics: http://www.hebrewsongs.com/song-shirhafrecha.htm

One of my favorite albums is Fantasy, a very weird eighties album that iTunes doesn't have (darn you iTunes!). It includes tracks like Yad Anuga, Fighter, a version of Galbi (Heart), and the title song Fantasy, which has the trippiest music video you've likely ever seen. I'm also going to include a later version of Galbi, because I like it better. Trippy eighties for the win!

Yad Anuga: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROoBR_WPxbg
Fighter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5DO6N5UKwk
Galbi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UnSh9N-qQY
Galbi (Sehoog Mix): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgr0syGkR9I
Fantasy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOpBWPBz5GE

Here are some other great songs by her. One of my favorite ones is where she's literally singing out of the Bible, in Song of Solomon. It has no background music, making it one of her most remixed songs. It's just called Love Song. I wish I could put up the best remix, but it's no longer on youtube. I haven't really been able to find a very good mix of it, though one of the iTunes mixes is half-decent, if rather mellow. There's also Mm'mma, one of the songs I first found when I started searching for her work. This really shows off the extremes of her voice. A great mix was done of her song Taw Shee, and if you really want to party to something of hers, that's a great example. I also like Ma Omrot Einaich, a quieter, poetic piece. Check 'em out.

Love Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnYV0WFpiCg
Mm'mma: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFrxiCnXQnY
Taw Shee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1nFFP3yODg
Ma Omrot Einaich: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoqR7_wDyr4

Oh hey, while I'm at it, check out Ya Ba Ye, a ridiculously awesome song about becoming famous and leaving home. Oh yeah, and here's this thing where she's hanging out with another Israeli singer, Aaron Amram. It's pretty awesome.

Ya Ba Ye: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jg1FCTyOck
????: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3epMfijuxJ0

Her last album to come out was a self-titled album that came out in 1997 and drifted into more mainstream pop. I'll go into detail for this album, because I actually have the cd. This too they don't have on iTunes. Sheesh, what is it with iTunes and not having the albums I want? The first track is Show Me, a song referring to Jewish traditions. It's pretty good. A bit fluffy for me, but still a fun piece.

Show Me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjDWbwQLyZI

Track two is Amore, a melodramatic piece that's still wonky enough to really be interesting. It's a romantic song, and if you're a lovey dovey sort of person (I'm not really) then you'll like it.

Amore: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UShLFn6ldAs

Track 3 is the worst remix of Im Nin Alu ever. First of all, it's only a little more than her classic remix, secondly, what it does add doesn't enhance the song at all. Just for the sake of completion I'll post a link, but don't bother with it if you don't feel like. I'll throw in another remix for you, one that I don't know the artist's name. For that remix, just ignore all the disturbia crap and listen to the song. That's my favorite non-Ofra mix of the song, and I can only hope that someone else gets the sense to make a good music video of it. There's forty bajillion mixes of this song on youtube, but as is the case with overremixed tunes, most of them are meh at best.

Im Nin Alu 2000: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0TKXyUbxPw
Im Nin Alu (ignore the video mix): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie68bJ-T-JU

Okay, so now we get to a good song. Sixth Sense is a song about hearing from God, and how much of a mystery it is. This song saddens me because I've heard from God some, and it kind of implies that it's impossible. That annoys me. But that's a personal problem, so go ahead and listen to it anyway.

Sixth Sense: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFK9W4iK5KE

My Ethiopian Boy is pretty good, but it annoys me with its pop-sensibility. It's just way too pretentious. As a demi-undergrounder, every time a celebrity sings or talks about foreign countries, I get dubious. I just don't trust famous most people to talk sensibly and realistically about different cultures. I mean, if you have a hard time going to the more country parts of the USA, then I don't trust you to take a logical stance about all people different from you. There's good and bad about all peoples, and glorifying more obscure peoples simply for the exploitation of it in your music just makes me sick. Okay, enough ranting. This song is....eh, decent, but it's way too pop. Ethiopian people are pretty pwn, though. Go google Saint Lalibela.

My Ethiopian Boy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iJILHGFa5o

Ah, now this is the real crown of the album! Track 6 is Ahava, the wonkiest and best song on the cd. I love it so much! It reminds me of eighties movies, where the lead characters are going through the weirdest crap ever. Think Labyrinth or The Never Ending Story (the first one, not the sequels). It's weirdness for weirdness' sake, and I can't get enough. This is a song to really listen to and enjoy how bizarre and pulsing this gets.

Ahava: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1Sjf779_XE

Next up is No Time to Hate, a song that I really should dislike more than I do. Honestly, it's silly celebrity lovey-dovey whatnot, and hate has its time and place. But once this song gets to the part "I hope you see as far as I see, I hope you see like I do", I just get all happy and silly. It makes me want to sing and twirl around like an innocent character in a weird movie who's trying to lighten up the lead character. If you're silly and/or pretentious, you'll like this song. No need to be uptight about it.

No Time To Hate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-853aKmUJVQ

I gotta be honest, I always skip this next song. It's You've Got a Friend, just a remake of somebody else's work. This is way to tame for the great vocal range that Ofra had. I don't like it when artists do covers, unless that cover is basically a remix. There's no need to sing a song exactly the way the normal artist does, unless it's karaoke night or you're a celebrity impersonator. Trivia time: the way to say karaoke bar in korean is "noh-reh-bahng". Not that you needed to know that, but yeah. Next!

You've Got a Friend: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVX5Dz7NV1c

When the customizable internet radio on Yahoo.com used to be free, I would listen to this song a lot. You is a really dramatic song, and now that I've matured as a person, it's too melodramatic for me. Heck, maybe you'll like it. It's mildly hard for an Ofra song, but...eh.

You: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki_NH1G_ePY

Yay! Give Me a Sign is my second favorite song on this album, and it reminds me of my oldest nephew because he was born at the time I started listening more to Ofra. It's really a gem, and if you only listen to two songs of these, listen to Ahava or this one. This is more calm and warm than Ahava, and it's also more sad. Something about it is so darkly tragic, as if Ofra knew she was going to die soon and is saying goodbye. At the Hebrew bit at the end....man, it's so sad.

Give Me a Sign: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGwz4p_ACuE

I think there's another song on this album, but I don't really remember it because it was too pretentious for me even in my pretentious days when I bought the cd. So yeah, none of that now. I doubt I'd find a link to it on youtube anyway. Honestly, I think if Ofra had lasted into the modern age of music, I wouldn't listen to her stuff. She was going the way of mainstream, and I personally dig her more eighties work. The pretentiousness was growing in her, just as it does with a lot of famous singers. People say you can't predict the future, but really there are some things that you should see coming. Like driving into a brick wall, for instance. People just tend to want what they want, and because they want it so bad they ignore all the warning signs and just go do that stupid thing, not regretting it until that stupid thing hits them in the face.
What are we talking about, again?

It was 2007 when I started searching for Ofra Haza's music. I was thinking about the movie Prince of Egypt, and I wanted to check out her singing again. That's how I noticed her other songs, and also how I found out she was dead. She died in April of 2000. There's some weirdness to her death, and you'll see it listed as the flu at some websites. It doesn't take a lot of investigation to find out more details. Apparently she had AIDS. Her husband that she married in 1997, Doron Ashkenazi, was not a good choice, to say the least. Ofra was not the sort of person to sleep around or do drugs, but Doron did them, and quite frankly I don't understand why Ofra married him. There's a lot there that isn't talked about and I can't say.

From what I have learned, apparently Doron didn't want her to get treatment because he was afraid of the stigma AIDS brought with it at the time. If only he knew that the stigma of being responsible for his wife's death would be so much worse. In interview with Ofra's sisters revealed that Doron was afraid to bring Ofra to the hospital even during her very last days, and that they were afraid of him. It's difficult to be mad at Doron, though, because after everything was over, it's quite obvious that he was deep in guilt. A year and a half later he was still very upset about it, and he died from heroin use. I'm almost willing to classify it as suicide.

Heck, this whole thing was a big case of people not turning away from the brick wall they were driving straight for. People, look at what you're doing now, and look at what the results of that will be. Don't just do something because you really want to do it. Think about how this will affect not only you, but other people. Your fate is not yours, but the fate of everyone you meet. You can either be light or darkness, a small bit of happy or slap in the face. Maybe you want to be mad at someone who wronged you, but what will that result in? Screaming at them won't gain you an apology. It will only result in bitterness and anger. Sleeping around will result in emotional turmoil, drugs will result in the loss of motivation and soul, and compromising principles results in a lack of backbone. You know when you're doing something stupid, so stop it.

The bridge of Shir Ha'Frecha says that the fate of every frecha is a good apartment and an ideal husband. If only that were true.

RIP, Ofra.

What is it with artists I like dying? I really need to stop liking people. I totally hate DJ Redlight. Yeah. He sucks.

Music You've Probably Never Heard -- Grab Bag

Hey y'all, it's time for more music you've probably never heard! This week I'll be doing a grab bag mix of different songs I listen to from various artists, but I don't listen to much of the artists themselves. There's lots of reasons for this, depending on each artist, but these songs are still well worth listening to. Mostly I tend to be listening to harder things (either that or foreign pop), but this should include other genres I listen to as well. But like all of my posts, this too is about expanding what you listen to and learning that there's a lot more out there than the boring trash they play on the radio.

Let's start with a song I can guarantee you likely haven't heard, because this is done by a rising artist in California. This is pop, and I guess I'll call it garage pop because the band isn't professional. He's called Pitch Michael, and the song I listen to of his is called "The Happy Song". I love this song because it's just completely silly, and you have to listen to it. Michael is the main singer, and his brother Levi is also in the video, along with their friend Jamal. The main reason I don't listen to more of their songs is because they don't have that much up there on youtube. I met Levi a couple of years ago, and he's a pretty cool guy, and he showed me the video. Really, this is just too cute to miss.

The Happy Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Ys0KhvWWM

The next artist I is also a youtube group, and they're called the Klein Four Group. I don't know much about them, only that I found them one day when I was looking for nerdy parodies of popular songs. Honestly, this occapella group is magnificently skilled, though I suspect that they no longer exist because not only do they have little up on youtube, but they also sing in a college, meaning at some point they're going to graduate. That doesn't mean that this song doesn't deserve a listen. Despite the "Four" in their name, there's actually five guys in this video, and they're singing a love song about complex math. Seriously, you practically need a degree to understand it. That however, does not stop the absolute adorableness of this song from showing through. It's nerdy, but very skillful.

Finite Simple Group of Order Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BipvGD-LCjU

Let's go back to a professional band, shall we? This next song is something from Gabba Front Berlin. It is in the speedcore subgenre, and speedcore is questionably not music. Seriously, it's known for being around 1000 beats per minute. It will give you a serious headache if you listen to it too long. That said, I have found one speedcore song that is actually good and poetic, artistic, even. This song is called Lacrima Mosa Est, also known as Speedcore Lacrima. You can find it by both names on Youtube. Honestly, this song is beautiful: hardcore and pulsing and yet soothingly smooth. I don't listen to other GFB songs, mostly because I don't care for songs that dwell on darkness, and heck, speedcore will make your brain blow up. Warning: this song is for the hardcore only. If you are not hardcore, do not click the link.

Lacrima Mosa Est: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmwkAEHFB60

The next song is from Doctor Who. Now, everyone has heard the Doctor Who theme at one point or another, even if they don't know where it's from. That's not the song I'm talking about. Those of you who are not nerds will not know this, but Doctor Who is going through its second reboot after several years of not being on the air. For this reboot, the British National Orchestra has gotten involved because this is a show Britain really cares about. It's classic for them. Normally I'm not huge into orchestras, but one song in particular written for the character Rose Tyler is gorgeous, and I just had to buy it off of iTunes. It really stands out as something gorgeous and dramatic. You just have to listen to this song. Don't worry about not being familiar with the show, just let whatever images come to mind what will as you listen to this song.

Doomsday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8DURP5xQCA

Let's get more into the electronic arts, as if I don't put up enough electronica as it is. This trance piece, however, deserves mention. Trance is not a popular genre, and the divided halves of trance hate each other, making it even harder to get into. This track by The Traveler and In Motion is absolutely perfect, despite the genre's history. It's meditative, passionate, determined, and absolutely wonderful. This song is called Believe, and the few lyrics it has are very meaningful. Give it a listen. The main reason I don't listen to more of this band is because very few bands in the electronic realm manage to aspire to popularity in any circuit, simply because there are so many of them. They tend to have one song that really pops, and the rest sink into whatever fanbase they have that already exists.

Believe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LozT2iHIu7E

Like I said earlier, I love foreign pop. Korean pop in particular is a favorite of mine, and even if you don't understand a word of it you can't help but try and sing along in whatever broken korean you're familiar with (or think you're familiar with). SNSD is a band of nine girls, and one day as I was puttering around youtube I came across Gee. I looked up the lyrics, and this is a silly love song about melting for a man that doesn't know she exists. It's a really sweet, fun song that really digs itself into your brain without letting go. I don't listen to this band, mostly because it's generally too sugary for me, but this one song reminds me of my man, and how he makes me feel.

Gee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7mPqycQ0tQ

Now, I'm an Irish person, and I love my ancestors. They are crazy people and I love them for it. Now, there are two types of Irish styles that are distinctly of the culture: one is to have a really depressing and/or violent song with an amazingly upbeat tune (their national anthem, for example), and the other is to write a very depressing tune about a personal tragedy. This song falls into the latter category, and it about an Irish battle against the British invaders. Britain and Ireland have had a very bad history, and for over 700 years Ireland has had to deal with some sort of oppression from their neighbors. I will get into this in a later post, but for now suffice to say that the two haven't always been best friends.

This particular song is beautiful and very poetic. Few songs can describe war in such a poetic and yet accurate way. It's lovely, a work by Sinead O'Connor and the Chieftains. I don't really listen to the Chieftans because they're just not what I'm into, and even though Sinead has a great voice, her weird and often contradictory life kinda throws me off. You can really tell that she's the person so desperate to be accepted that she's too willing to be malleable.

The Foggy Dew: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF1KoIQVK5g

Now, Tricky Disco is a band I like very much. I do want to give them their own entry in this blog, but I really can't. Not a lot of their songs are available on youtube, or even iTunes. Plus, this band has changed their names time and time again, so as Tricky Disco they only have so much out. However, I do want to present to you two of their self-titled songs (pretentious, no?) which I like very much. The original is very plunky and wonky, and the music video is even more trippy. It's fun stuff, and it doesn't take itself seriously. The second mix is my absolute favorite, and I just love how story-esque it is. It's fun and beautiful, and very contented.

Tricky Disco: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKTEXhc6IyY

Tricky Disco (Plone Mix): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT_SwIpK4pc

Okay, one more song. This one is by Trip Lee, a rapper. Normally I'm not into rap, but this track really got to me. Like I said in my last post, I am a Christian, so I do listen to Christian tracks. I really love this one, as it's a song about not being stuck on yourself, because life is not about yourself. In fact, it's about everyone besides yourself, God and people. A lot of people don't get the whole "to live is Christ and to die is gain" sort of thing. It's like this: if you're saved, you can just die and go to heaven, right? Good for you, but only you. The whole "to live is Christ" concept simply means you're being like Christ. You're giving up on your life and your happiness to give to others what they could never discover on their own.

This song is very well written, and I just love the background music. In a lot of raps the background music is so ridiculously boring that you couldn't possibly listen to the song without the words. That, I think, is a failure of the genre. Some artists are better than others about the background, but I think too much these days gets put out there without being artistic enough. And then there are those that just rip off some classical piece. Lame. Honestly, rap is in the electronica family, it can afford to be more original. There are some artists out there that understand this, but there are also a lot that don't. I dunno, popular music is going through a really bad period right now, and I feel that a lot of genres are being churned out while being only slightly more distinctive than pop. Country music is the biggest victim of this. Rap sort of evades this, but not entirely.

Gah, I need to post the link before I go all ranty.

To Live is Christ: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CRXnYwJoFg

Music You've Probably Never Heard before -- Turtles

Hey y'all!

Okay, so for this week I picked a band that is very close to my heart. They're not exactly unpopular, but they never achieved international fame, and indeed were only starting to come to fame in their own country when they had to disband. The band I'm talking about is Turtles. Not "the Turtles" the annoying 70s band in America, but Turtles the kpop trio from Korea. I kind of hate how generic their name is, but other than that they're awesome. Their name in korean sounds an awful lot like "go boogie", and that's their first album's title. Cute, isn't it? Keum Bi sang, Z-E rapped, and Lim Sung-hoon, AKA Turtleman, did both.

So I first heard of this band when I spent two months in Korea. It was when their fifth album had come out, Oh Bang Gan Da, and their song "Sing La La" was playing in the stores we went to. Everyone else on the trip was taken up by Wondergirls and their song "Tell Me", but I liked Turtles better. The deep male vocals contrasted with the light feminine chorus was really intruiging to me. I remember sitting somewhere it was playing, and I thought that I might never hear this band again, because at the time I didn't know their names or the title of their song.

I came home, and a few months later I decided to try looking up "sing la la la" on youtube because that part of their song was in english. I was delighted to find out not only did youtube have this song with a translation of the lyrics, but they also had several other videos of their music up. I immediately hoped to stick with this band, following them throughout the years as they got more famous and did more albums. Unfortunately, I also found out through my searches that Turtleman had died April second of a heart attack. He was found dead in his apartment by the manager at the age of 38. He was the lead of the band, so there was no chance that the girls could continue without him. His wonderful goofiness and delightful voice brought a lot to the group, and he was unable to see the success that this band would surely have gotten as they became more widely known.

He was loved a lot, and there were many heartbroken fans upon hearing of his death. It's sort of evil how people filmed parts of his funeral and you can see how Keum Bi and Z-E were crying their eyes out. And did they really need to put so many photographers there? Sheesh, give the family some privacy...
　
So this band only has five albums out, other than the remix album, compliations, and a Christmas album. iTunes recently put kpop in their stores, and they have a lot of Turtles on there. However, one of the really annoying things about iTunes is that they have some of their albums out under the english "Turtles" and some can only be found by either looking them up by their Korean name. I usually got to youtube and copy/paste the proper korean letters so that I can find these albums. Hopefully they've fixed it since last I looked.
　
iTunes has their first, fourth, and fifth albums up, as well as a remix album. If you don't wish to buy any of these, you can try them out on youtube first. I'm going to be reviewing all of the albums that I can, and I'll put up links to whatever songs I can.

Their first album is one of my favorites. It features Su Bin instead of Keum Bi, who joined the band for their second album. It's a moderately relaxed album compared to the more hyper later ones, but it's wonderful and a great intro to Turtleman. I bought this album on ebay before iTunes came out with Kpop, and this is good because it means I have a copy of the lyrics (in korean, but I'm trying to learn it anyway) and because I have the actual cd. Ebay is very unreliable for having these albums, and I was lucky to snatch it up when I did. Given that this album coincides with my true love's R&R from his deployment, it has a lot of personal significance for me.

There are a couple of rap segments, the "Turtles free" songs, but I didn't care for those on this album. They were just too abrasive for me, and freelance rap tends to be riskier. Other than these, the group does some romantic songs, as well as some fun and motivational songs. Turtles has always had a message of working together and doing the right thing in their work, and this album is no exception. "You Can Do It" comes to mind, and is the corniest song on the album. I still love it. "Hip Hop Revolution" is another track in the same vein, but is more successful and less corny. The songs that really gave this band their fame are two rap remixes of the industrial age Korean classic "Four Seasons" [version 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwBGVwWmtSY ] , which depicts the life of a factory worker in the days when South Korea was going industrial. It's a haunting song, made very cool by the rap. Also check out "Everybody Boogie" [link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT-_Ma0jdRE ].
　
By far my favorite song is Hyanggiroun Chueon, a song that inspired me to write. I have no idea what it means, only that it's haunted and optimistic piece that reminds me of a clear morning, free of yesterday's hurt. I really should translate this one.
　
Unfortunately, I haven't heard much from the second album, Turtles Vol. 2. It's not on iTunes and I only found this on youtube, -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-XviHCYATI . Crap, I love this song! It makes me want to be an extra in the music video.

 Turtles Vol. 3, another not on iTunes, has several videos on youtube. These include the fun and vibrant "Bingo" [linkie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDdYAzCqCfY ] which is about enjoying your life even though it's hard. This song is so much fun that I don't know how anyone couldn't love it. Another is How Many, my favorite of this band for all albums. Again, I don't know what this song means (given my love for non-worded music, not surprising I still like it), but it has to be about helping others, at least what I gather from the music video. It's about a guy helping a blind girl, who fails to understand what he has done for her. It's actually very sad, as you can see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWFa7Vr-t_o . Ashipjiman [listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI_rWaku5CA ] is a cool hip hop beat that simply but effectively done.

Turtles Vol. 4 is the album that really helped get Turtles on the scene, and they won their first award for their song Bihaengi or "Airplane" [listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-o64pntFJs ]. This is the most contented song I have ever heard in my life, and it's pure bliss to listen to. Also, the "Turtles Free" songs on this album are a lot better. Turtles Free 4-1 is more of an introductory piece, but 4-2 is absolutely terrifying in a wonderful way, and it's a total contrast to the usual happiness of Turtles music.
"Funny", the second track after Turtles Free 4-1, is a fun song and perfect to exercise to. "Yeah" [linkie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NWveCsTIdo ] is another fun one. There are more mellow songs on here, the best of which is "To My Half", a song that now brings me to tears because of this youtube video -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zQfYUpI-DY&feature=related.

The songs "Trip", "Remember Me", and "Move" are three fun tracks that are well worth listening too, but "Must" is too silly even for me. It's fun, but not my preference. This album competes with the first for being my favorite, though if I hear more of the third then I might change my mind.

The remix album is okay, but I really only like the first track of it. I've been listening to techno for years, and I know when songs don't need mixing. Unfortunately, that hasn't stopped a lot of artists from doing so, particularly noob mixers who can't tell which songs they should let alone. Some songs are just too good to do that too. Then again, if you get a good artist then they can surprise you. I'll go more into that another time.

Turtles Vol. 5, Oh Bang Gan Da, is okay. It ventures too far into the mainstream pop realm, and honestly all singers are better the further away they stay from today's terrible pop. The title song is pretty good. "Sing La La" is one of the two songs that stick out in popularity, and of course I love it. It's about letting yourself have fun and dance, but the music video is about shopping too much. Seriously, you've got to see it. Why not when you can just click this link? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdBipSIl2qs

The other song is "My Name", a song about being just [link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I48Z1mWogYE ]. It's a little harder than their normal songs, but it's very passionate. It reminds me of waking up early, and I need to figure out how I can make it my alarm on my phone.

There are a few good song on the fifth album, as well as a couple of corny ones. It's a grab bag of good and okay, making the album suffer overall from the lack of song cohesiveness. I would get into the specific tracks, but I don't know how to spell these in english letters. There's the "Miami Remix" of Sing La La, but this is really unnecessary and not that well done. There's also "Logo Song Collection", which I feel is an unnecessary shout out to their record company. I'm still glad I have it, though, and it's well worth listening to.

Overall, for people my age this is a hearkening back to the music of the eighties/nineties, in a sense, because these songs are happier and about love, rather than the depressing, boring songs of today that are about sex. Foreign countries, please don't copy America's or Britain's music of today, and keep an eye on Europop. We're going through a very bad period right now and I don't want you to have to do the same thing. Honestly, music is about communicating your soul for the blessing of others, not about sex or wearing stupid outfits. If the music isn't more important than the artist, then the music suffers. Mozart and Beethoven are remembered for their skill, not their extravagance. Don't reward people that croon endlessly about dull things to dull music. So what if music like Turtles is sillier or Techno isn't as pop-accessible? Too many genres today sound like mainstream pop, like country, R&B, and others. You, the listener, are the one that decides where this ends.

Turtles is a happy, fun band that I will always love and treasure. I heard that the girls are joining up with this other dude to make a new band, and I really hope they succeed. I will definitely look into that and have a listen.

For those who want to see a full discography of the band, here you go:
http://community.livejournal.com/k_profile/1846.html
　
　
　
Saranghamneedah, Lim Sansaengneem.

Music You've Probably Never Heard -- DJ Redlight

Hey y'all! It's time for another posting of music you've never probably never heard before. This week it's DJ Redlight, otherwise known as Ashley Carr, and I can almost guarantee that you've never heard of him before. That's because he's an unknown, mostly.  He's new to the scene, but he has the skill to become known some day.

The difference between last week and this is that DJ Redlight's work is not as rave as LA Style or as hardcore as the James Brown is Dead remixes. Redlight tends to stick to house, funk, and downbeat, with a bit of trance from time to time. He doesn't use a lot of lyrics. The song "Computer People" has a few computer generated lyrics describing the plight of little people that make your electronics work, and there is an emo parody song up, but other than that he works without words.

That is something I've always admired in an artist. Words tie down a song to a set meaning, and lyricless tunes take form and shape in the heads of those that listen, and it communicates ideas from the artist that cannot be expressed in any language. Some of the songs seem to even take on words themselves, particularly Dream of You. It sings a song in a most delightful voice without even expressing it in words. Inhibition is also the same way, a passionate song with a life of its own.  Real music is not about words, but the soul, and anyone who says it's less is wrong.

Most of his stuff is not pop sounding, and Ashley prefers to do emotive works rather than things that are good on the surface. So he's automatically better than all the pop artists that all sound the same and prefer to rap or sing about themselves or the high life. Songs are best when they are not focused on oneself, but when they are focused on others or common feeling and desires. Carr understands this better than "artists" of today, who make everything sound alike as they croon in generic and flat tones.

Carr seems to like the time period from 1970 to the nineties, and since he mostly does house music, it's completely understandible. Those were the golden years for house music, with disco, synthpop, and nineties electropop. Funkilicious, Retrospect, and Electrohouse are the three most reminiscent, and Electrohouse in particular is my favorite as the optimistic and adventurous kind of tune I remember from my childhood. Yours Sincerely is a marvelous tune, as is Shades of Grey. They are both soothing tones that sound like the end of a story, with everything ending not entirely happily, but contentedly. Or you can put your own meaning to them. They have such calm and peace that I can't help but love them. Most of his stuff is original, but he has done remixes on Doom, Dr. Who, and Dr. Mario.

My favorite tracks include:
- Stupid Melody. This track has a title that makes you underestimate it, but it's actually a lovely piece that fights its own first impression. I love the irony of it.
- Still Waiting (Waiting for Romero to Play Remix). This song is crazy and powerful, with perfect storytelling drama.
- Girl from Mars. This track is weird, urban, and very picturesque of a street theme.
- Hotwire. I love this song. It makes a strong impact, and it's a very hyperactive piece.

Don't just listen to me. Go to www.djredlight.com and download it for yourself. What tracks do you like? It's all free and legal because the author does it himself.