Flyleaf makes beautiful rock

Flyleaf is one outfit that rocks my world! They're loud, a pinch dark, melodious, and raw. Headed by rock chick Lacey Mosley, she delivers songs that carry a positive message although it's musically brought across as heavy. Medium-to-heavey actually. So, to all you pop people out there...rock is not always about death!

Flyleaf's self titled debut album echoes songs about abuse, neglect, addiction and dysfunction, and messages about overcoming adversity. Take f or example the lyrics from Fully Alive:

Telling layla's story spoken,
About how all her bones are broken,
hammers fall on all the peices,
two months in the cover creases,

Fully alive, more than most
ready to smile and love life.
Fully alive and she knows,
How to believe in futures.

What does 'flyleaf' actually mean? A flyleaf is ablank page at the front of a book. It's a dedication page, the place you write a message to someone you're giving a book to. According to Mosley, that's what their songs are about - a personal message that provide a few moments of clarity before the story begins.

Great album folks!

My rating: 7/10

Scarlett Johansson to sing?

That’s right! Yet another film star is having a go at musical stardom. Is it so easy these days? We've seen Hillary Duff, Lindsay Lohan, and *gulp* David Hasslehoff! Now Scarlett? I mean, a basketballer can’t actually be good in baseball can he? There’s no offence to you MJ.

But anyway, Scarlett Johansson is already said to be working on her debut album, Scarlett Sings Tom Waits. Yes, the singer-songwriter Tom Waits who’s responsible for the hit, Ole '55 which the Eagles covered So, little miss beautiful intends to do a cover album of Tom Waits. It’s not gonna be easy, gal! But if she does cut it, she might as well be the perfect celebrity who can sing, act and seduce the fans!

Incubus' 5th Studio Album - 28 November, 2006

Brandon Boyd and the boys have always gained good praises for their sense of alternative rock. I was so delighted to hear that Incubus are at it again with their latest release, Light Grenades, due 28 November.

They've had 3 years of absence and I'll be expecting a whole damn lotta adrenaline rushing songs from them.

Guitarist, Mike Einziger said in an interview with MTV, "...it sounds like 13 different bands playing 13 different songs."

Alright, to some fans, that may sound like a dissapointment. But come on, maybe they won't be way too experimental. They've done so well with the freedom the fans have given them. Their first single, Anna Molly sounds damn good. The music video is even better (it should be playing on the right side of the main page).

Don't forget the grab the album!!!

Track Listing:
1. Quicksand
2. Kiss to Send Us Off
3. Dig
4. Anna Molly
5. Love Hurts
6. Light Grenades
7. Earth to Bella (Part I)
8. Oil and Water
9. Diamonds and Coal
10. Rogues
11. Paper Shoes
12. Pendulous Threads
13. Earth to Bella (Part II)

CRANK - the motion picture soundtrack

To those of you who have watched this bloody awesome movie, you'll be dissapointed to know that the soundtrack doesn't live up to the movie's praises.

Song list:
Metal Health - Quiet Riot • Trix are for Kids - The Crowd • Bandera - Control Machete • New Noise - Refused • China Town - Paul Haslinger • Kill all the White Man - NoFX • Everybody's Talkin' - Harry Nilsson • Turn Me Loose - Loverboy • Haitian Cab Ride - Paul Haslinger • Achy Breaky Heart - Jarrett & Long • Adrenalina - David Rolas • Bring us Bullets - Rocket from the Crypt • Let's Get it On - Gerald Levert • Does She Know? - Paul Haslinger • Stayin' Alive - The Sleeping • Meva Juan - Roberto Tuscon feat Erica Garcia • Guasa, Guasa - Tego Calderon • Miracles - Jefferson Starship

Fish Leong - Kissin the Future of Love

I would say that Fish's new album, Kissing the Future of Love (親親) is what you should be listening to on an easy weekend. Some of the tracks are ‘cute’. The marriage of guitar-violin works and her sweet vocals are perfect. The whole album gives me a feeling of bedroom-made songs. It's like 'dreamy' in a sense. Oh, and there’s a Hokkien track to! Good stuff. Out in stores now.

My favourite tracks are Nuan Nuan" (暖暖), Xing Fu Yang Guo Zi Dian" (幸福洋菓子店), and Fei Yu" (飛魚).

My Rating: 6/10

Track Listing:
•Si Ji" (四季)
•Nuan Nuan" (暖暖)
•Ke Le Jie Zhi" (可乐戒指)
•Shi Yi" (失忆)
•Qin Qin" (亲亲)
•Xing Fu Yang Guo Zi Dian" (幸福洋菓子店)
•Xiao Shou La Da Shou" (小手拉大手)
•Fei Yu" (飛魚)
•Bu Shi Wo Bu Ming Bai" (不是我不明白)
•Xiao Xin Yan" (小心眼)
•Han Guo Tou" (憨过头)
•Xu" (序)

Ryan Star to perform in Kuala Lumpur

Wo Wo Wo Wo. Ryan 'The Darkhorse' Star rides down to KL, Malaysia this November 16, 2006 with his swordlike vocals. The man who rocked the socks out of Supernova is set to rock its Malaysian fans at Zouk. Pretty small scale huh? I expect to see loads of chicks flocking over to catch a glimpse of dear Ryan.

Will keep you guys posted on ticketing.

Rocktoons anyone?

Hey Peeps... Ever imagined how your favourite rockers would look like if they were from a cartoon. This is cool check out http://rocktoons.com/.

Welcome to the Black Parade - a taste of chemical

This is probably one of the few recent bands that have caught my attention due to their dynamic musicality and drummer boy beats and simple riffs (even though it may sound a little mainstream).

My Chemical Romance first got my interest when I listened to Helena sometime back. And now, I'm eager to see what they have to offer with a new album from their popish like couldron of so called darkness - The Black Parade is due October 24 on Reprise Records.

I'm not sure what to expect but their single, Welcome to the Black Parade sounds like a decent song. The Black Parade has been rumoured to have offended some people due to its racist conotation. But come on...did anyone sue Johnnie Walker with its BLACK LABEL?

So anyway, check out more on MCM at http://www.mychemicalromance.com/. Be it you glorify these lads or not, they're doing their job well in their own way. OK, maybe I shouldn’t say it’s their job…..They’re expressing their passion well in their own way.

Hinder - And rock came back to life. Thank goodness!

"Honey why are you calling me so late
It's kinda hard to talk right now
Honey why are you crying is everything okay
I gotta whisper 'cause I can't be too loud
Well, my girl's in the next room
Sometimes I wish she was you
I guessed we never really moved on
It's really good to hear your voice saying my name
It sounds so sweet
Coming from the lips of an angel...."

Part of the lyrics from Oklohoma's vey own Hinder hit - Lips of an Angel which is receiving good response in the airwaves now. Lead by charismatic leadman, Austin Winkler, Hinder is aiming at bringing rock back to life. Honsetly, we need it. Enough showboaters. It's about time someone did something about it. And I gotta hand it to these five lads...they actually took a personal loan just to record their stuff. Talk about dedication!

Fans of bands like Default, Seether, and Buckcherry would probably be receptive towards Hinder's offerings which was released 2 days ago on 27 September 2006 under the Universal label. Notable tracks are Get Stoned, Room 21, and my personal favourite Lips of an Angel.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Ryan Hui follows father's footsteps

Son of Sam (Sam Hui that is) , Ryan Hui is out with his solo album entitled RYANEP. Now, what really got me interested into reviewing this lad was actually his japanase sleeve tatoo (saw it in a magazine) so I figured, we hardly see canto singers with exposed tats, so why not review Ryan). His EP was released 10 August 2006 and he's currently doing shows around Hong Kong, more details can be found at his site: www.ryanhuimusic.com.

Well, from what I've listened - In My Mind is mind blowing in a sense that it has that Greenday like riff and melody. You know, the muted riffs in verses and full fledged distortion guitarworks in the Chorus. If you ask me, it's got that Western touch to it.

On Her Own is a little mainstream, ballad-like number. I won't be surprised if this is already a favourite. Nice violins at the background. But somehow, the energy of Ryan's voice can't be felt.

Another number - Black Clouds... I like the indie feel to it. Sounds a little Taking Back Sunday woithout the screams.

All in all, pretty good stuff.

My Rating 5/10

OneRepublic. Ever heard of 'em?

I was doing a search on some bands and I came across this wonderful track which had a beautiful riff and warm lyrics. It was from a band called OneRepublic and the track's called Mercy and starts of like this:

"Angel of Mercy, how did you find me? Where did you read my story? Pull from the paper, desperate and hardened, seeking a momentary fix"

Now how would lyrics like that not stop your curiosity of listening on, especially when it's got great music backing it. So I carried on listening to this band's other tracks - All We Are, Apologize, Goodby Apathy, and Stop and Stare. Most of them were beautiful, simply beautiful. They were songs of hope, frustration and despair.

Fans of U2, The Fray, and Keane would probably love the sounds of OneRepublic. Check 'em out at http://www.myspace.com/onerepublic. Lyrically, I love them. But I don't really see them being as big as U2.

Cheers!

Ryan "the darkhorse" Star - Supernova will regret kicking him off

Supernova said he was the most evolved talent on the show but yet they kicked him off? I was devistated when they eliminated Ryan Star. It was a ridiculous call. If you asked me who should not still be there, it's Lukas. Man, he's goth material, not Supernova-like! Ryan's such a talented songwriter/musician/singer. I became a fan of him immediately when I heard his phenomenal performance of R.E.M.'s Losing My Religion. The video clip is at the right side of this page. Just click on it to watch.

So be it. Let Supernova make a mistake. Ryan's already departed from his band, Stage (Maverick Records) and since then pursue his solo career. And he's got some good stuff that will definitely capture the ears and hearts of fans which listen to Coldplay, Fiona Apple, and Ben Folds just to name a few to describe his genre. He's already been rumoured to be soon touring with brit, Corrine Bailey Rae.

Ryan's career WILL sail smooth. He's already having his share of publicity in the industry - opening for Avril Lavigne and Gavin DeGraw, toured with Bon Jovi and Chevelle, and hit many headlines.

His debut album, Songs From The Eye of the Elephant is a burst of intense talent (more than one will ever expect from Supernova). He performed one of his originals on the show - Back of Your Car. A song about making love as the world was coming to an end. The concept itself speaks his creativity. It's such an emotional song and you can just feel every single word in your bones. So Ordinary is gonna be another hit for its beautiful lyrics and great melody. Losing your Memory will haunt its mellow tune. Watch out for the bridge on this song...it's so so so passionate!

Ryan.....you deserve more than just being in a rock band like Supernova. You deserve to take on the music world.

Album Rating: 7/10

Still Fantasy. Still King of Mando-pop.

Right. Right. He's back with his 6th, 7th album? 7th full-album I think. Yes, yes. Titled Still Fantasy, it'll be released on 8 September 2006. Sometimes I wonder if we'll ever get sick of his stuff. I mean you gotta admit it's all sappy love songs....but damn man he's a talented lyricist.

The significance of this album would be him teaming up with veteran Taiwanese singer, Fei Yu Ching (the dude who sang "The Song of the Republic of China"). I saw Fei on TV just a couple of days ago. He had this show where he performed a few numbers with many Chinese singers. Man, he can sing...a very technical singer from what I've heard. Both music giants will portay their talents in probably the first single of the album, A Thousand Miles Away (Qian Li Zhi Wai) which was premiered on August 23.

Well, I guess as always, the album's gonna be a hit. So keep a lookout!

The Panic Channel

Right. Just in case you didn't know...this outfit consists of 3 Jane's Addicton members and a fresh talent who used to be in Skycycle. Drumroll please..... Presentingggg Dave Navarro(guitar), Chris Chaney(bass), Stephen Perkins(drums), and Steve Isaacs!

The Panic Channel's debut album, (ONe) is out in stores now. It's said to be packed with variety of styles...and probably away from the experimental touch. Well, maybe a pinch of it, I feel.

Two singles out, one for the radio: Why Cry and one for the beloved internet: Teahouse of the Spirits. The latter being a more edgy track and sounding like a real race car song! Why Cry is my current favourite. It's ballad like. Vocally, dynamic. A similar number to that would be She Won't Last. I love the guitar works on this one. It's mesmerizing.

This here, ladies and gentlemen...is a fantastic rock band. Diverse. Dynamic and spirited to rock on! Click on their banner to visit their very very informative site.

My album rating: 6/10

Leigh Nash out with debut album - Aug 15

The pretty face from Sixpence None the Richer finally gets a go at a solo debut album titled Blue on Blue this August 15. Leigh Nash is set to present her admirable voice with divine melodies. I’ve already listened to a couple of tracks from the album and, I’ve just got one word…"Beautiful!".

The album's got loads of piano and the tracks tend to be mellow. Good CD to be playing with candles lit and wine a when you’re all alone at home thinking or whatever. Lyrics were well written and with Pierre Marchand (worked with Sarah McLachlan) producing the album, it’s just gotta be one of those great ones.

Just a Little has that dreamy feel to it with the organs playing, sounding almost like a church hymn. It gets a bit boring after a while though.

Cloud Nine is a little more upbeat accompanied by piano. The good hook to the song makes it a sing-a-long.

My personal favourite is Blue, probably because of the bursting guitars and haunting melody of Leigh’s angelic voice.

Watch out for her first single which is already playing in US airwaves – My Idea of Heaven.

Album rating: 7/10

Nan Quan Ma Ma has got a colourful palette

OK! I've got another chinese music review. I'm kinda getting the hang of this.

So, here's a quartet fronted by female vocalist Lara (who is also a composer by the way) and backed by 3 talented dudes, Devon (drummer/DJ/Rapper), Yu Hao (Pianist/Rapper), and Zhang Jie (Guitarist). Their latest masterpice, Colour Palette was launched a couple of weeks ago and from what I've listened, it's not too bad. For those who love the sounds of Jay Chou, we'll you gotta get a hold of this album. Most of the tracks you hear are somehwat sinilar to Jay's style. After all, they are buddies of him and have been definitely influenced by Jay.

Track 2 on the album sounded like a Mayday/Jay Chou number. It's got a nice rythm to it. But my guess is, the hit will be Track 5 - it's mellow, dreamy, it's pleasant and easy. Among my other favourites are Track 7 & 12. However, don't expect any 'pick-me-up' tracks. They should've at least had one. Tsk Tsk.

The Return of the Dog

DMX returns with his 6th album, Year of the Dog...Again (due August 2006). 3 years since his last solo album, DMX is set to bring a more focused rap prophetic vision with singles like Lord Give Me A Sign, We In Here, and Give 'Em What They Want.

There was a delay in the album release due to a leak. Album leaks are getting viral these days, even Paris Hilton's singles were leaked several times before Stars are Blind became her single. Anyway, back to the Dog. We can expect some blistering hip hop numbers on this one. It's powerful, punchy and back to rap's roots. What else can you expect from a man that's the only artist to have the first 5 albums debut consecutively at #1 on the Billboard 200?

Hammer Me Timbers!

So he did it huh? The scary kid when screaming, Marty Casey managed to gain fame even after being placed only second in the INXS search. Let's just see now if Marty can lead the Lovehammers ahead of JD Fortune and INXS. I wouldn't be surprised, hearing how Marty Casey & The Lovehammers's second album (this ain't their first people) is so juiced with energy compared to INXS's Switch (no offense guys I still like your music).

First single - Trees. Simple lyrics, grungy, great sing along. More grungy works can be heard on Straight as an Arrow. My personal favourite so far is Rain on Brain. Now this number has got that modern rock touch to it.

All in all, a good noisy album. I only wished they put in more guitar works that just pure grungy riffs. My rating's 7/10. Out now from Epic Records. For more on the band check out: http://www.lovehammers.com/

John Mayer - All Blue-zy this September

John Mayer fans, be prepared for a bluesy album titled Continuum this September 12. He's had some time off, so this album had better be good. What was he doing for the past 2 years or so? Touring, touring, and more touring with Sheryl Crow and also his 'project-X': John Mayer Trio.

Continuum's first single, Waiting on the World to Change is already being embraced by airwaves all over. The track arrested me with its boppy tune. To be honest, great music, but I'm just not too sure if his soft vocals suit this whole new bluesy outfit. Well, we're yet too know...

Breaking the Norm of Taiwanese Music - Deep White

Alright. Here's my first ever Chinese music review. I was simply impressed when I heard a few tracks from this duo - DEEP WHITE ( 深白色 and 端妤 (主唱) ) otherwise known as Arys Chien & DY). Impressed simply because the musical arrangements were all done so nicely. And bear in mind that this is their first ever album and from the sounds of it, they planned it really well.

Moving along to what you will be listening to... I am confident to say that their self-titled album brings a fresh branding towards Taiwanese music. The track which stopped me at my tracks were the upbeat ones, namely, Nothing Wrong and That is Me - great guitars, sexy vocals, great beat. Then there are tracks that are accompanied by beautiful piano sounds like the one you'll find in I'm Cryin - I may not fully understand every chinese word there, but her sweet vocals just express it all in a way. And one more notable track is That Person (那個人).

We don't hear Arys on vocals much. Guess he's just one of those powerful but quite ones. After all, he has been writing songs for other artistes for quite some time. As for DY, I like her voice - unique & passionate. They're a perfect combo. Oh, and before I forget, this whole record was done by the both of them. Hats off to DEEP WHITE.