Sorry for the lack of updates from me lately! Thanks, Carmi, for keeping the site active. :) This is a mixtape/rotation for the morning (I intended it as a "mixtape" but uploaded the songs individually). There's a lot of variety in this mix, for different moods and days. Some are for the times where you wake up to a nice, sunny day and you just need a nice, light song to wake you up. Some are energetic, uptempo songs for the times you really, really can't get out of bed. Enjoy the music!

- Haruhi

001. Yellow Wings - Ferraby Lionheart
English | Folk Pop/Acoustic
A pretty, light song that relies mostly on delicately crafted acoustic guitar and Ferraby Lionheart's warm voice, which is perfectly suited to this brand of folk pop. Great for those warm, bright mornings where you're looking forward to the day ahead.

002. Eternal Love - mink
Japanese/English | Pop
mink is a Korean singer based in Japan, who sings a lot of songs with English lyrics. She's one of my favourite female vocalists. This song alternates between Japanese and English. mink's creamy, warm voice has such a lovely tone, and the hopeful melody of this song, sweet harmonies, and minimal accompaniment based on piano and acoustic guitar makes it a perfect choice to start your day with.

003. アイシテル (Aishiteru) - MONKEY MAJIK
Japanese | Pop-Rock
I love MONKEY MAJIK. I chose Aishiteru because of its beautiful accompaniment - I love the warmth of the piano, and how it contrasts with the crisp, faint acoustic guitar chords (later some electric guitar is used too), not to mention the light strings. It's a little downtempo in tone at times, but picks up during the chorus.

004. Sunday Morning - Maroon 5
English | Pop/Rock
I don't think this song needs much of an introduction. I really love Maroon 5's Songs About Jane album although their newer work is a bit hit-or-miss with me, so this song is really familiar to me and I love the rich piano chords paired with Adam Levine's chocolatey voice. The smooth, laid-back feel of this song is great for mornings.

005. Always Running Out Of Time - Motion City Soundtrack
English | Pop/Rock
This song is from the Alice in Wonderland OST, it's got a bit of an indie-rock feel to it, featuring quick guitar work and catchy melody.

006. Mother Woman - As In Rebekkamaria
English | Alternative Pop
She's a recent find of mine, but I love her - this song in particular. Between a light, airy atmosphere, Rebekkamaria's refreshing vocals, and an innovative percussion and bass line, what is there not to like? She might not be for everyone, but at the same time I don't think that her music is so out-there that it's inaccessible - it's definitely very unique though. Give her a try, you won't regret it.

007. Shut Up And Explode - Boom Boom Satellites
Japanese | Electronic
This is for those mornings where you just can't get out of bed. Like you might have guessed from the name, this song is high-energy, in your face, and unapologetic. While it's not a song for all occasions, it's not just mindless noise either. Boom Boom Satellites mixes elements of rock and electronica - gritty electronic guitars, smooth synths - to create a fantastic atmosphere. If you need a song to get you pumped, this is it.

008. Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars
English | Pop
I don't know about you, but waking up to a creamy, smooth voice like Bruno Mars sounds pretty good to me. This is the single from his latest album. It's very feel-good and sweet, but it's all about the vocals - his voice is so unique and such a pleasure to listen to.

009. I was Wrong - capsule
English | Electronica
I uploaded this in my electro-pop rotation, but since this is the song I usually play when my first alarm goes off, I just had to include it here. It's the perfect song to listen to while you're taking your five-more-minutes of sleep before you really have to get up. This ambient track is just a little downtempo without being too slow, and the mixture of echo-y percussion and rich piano, coupled with gorgeous vocals, is just flawless. It's such a sophisticated song, and shows capsule's ability to do not only upbeat club tracks well, but also something very mature and beautiful.

010. Wake Up! - DEPAPEPE
Instrumental | Acoustic
Whenever I hear this song, I see a bright, sunny morning. DEPAPEPE is an amazing acoustic guitar duo. Just looking at the name, it's pretty clear this song is perfect for mornings. It's so summery and warm, and it always puts me in a good mood.

011. Hot! - Minwoo ft. Son Dambi
Korean | Pop
An upbeat dance track from Shinhwa's Lee MinWoo. It's energetic, bright, and refreshing.

012. Thieves in the Night - Hot Chip
English | Electropop/rock
Starting out with warm synths that lead into a bass drum backbeat before the vocals drop in, there's something about how constructed this song is that I really appreciate. It's not too heavy on the synths, but they're definitely there. Indie fans should check this out.

013. Running Out of Time - Hot Hot Heat
English | Indie Rock
Steve Bays has such a distinctive voice; it's definitely a bit of an acquired taste but I think it's perfectly suited to Hot Hot Heat's brand of upbeat rock. I'm not a fan of everything this band does, and their newer material is generally a miss for me, but I really like the bright energy of this song. It just makes you want to dance.

014. Tell 'Em - Sleigh Bells
English | Electronic
This is the first song I've heard from this Brooklyn-based duo, but so far, I'm hooked. Tell 'Em's rapid-fire synths/drums are perfectly executed, paired with anthem-like electric guitar riffs. Its energy is infectious, and it's so unique.

015. She Owns the Night (ft. Mohombi) - Far*East Movement
English | Hip-Hop
As much as I want to support Asian-American artists, Far*East Movement has always been a little too Americanized for my taste. That being said, She Owns the Night has a fantastic synthy bass part which is really boomy and deep, it provides a great contrast with the lighter synth lines over top (if that sounds like a lot of synths, they're handled well and the song itself is surprisingly light-sounding). You could still consider it a club song, but at the same time it's toned down enough to listen to outside of parties as well.

Labels: Boom Boom Satellites, Bruno Mars, capsule, Depapepe, Far*East Movement, Ferraby Lionheart, Hot Hot Heat, Lee Min Woo, Maroon 5, mink, Monkey Majik

Rotation 52 is unthemed; I just chose a mix of recent releases and older songs that I hadn't shared before. Sorry, my commentary isn't too great this time around but I tried to mark a few songs as recommended to help you decide what to take. Enjoy the songs!

- Haruhi

Emerald Lake (Catherine North Demo Version) - Said the Whale
English | Indie pop
This band is based in Vancouver, where I live, so I was excited to hear a local artist. At first, I thought they were a pretty standard indie pop band, but they've really grown on me. I love the lines, "What a fine life we are living, what a fine life we are living" which get repeated throughout the song, there's something charming and catchy about it, but, as the song clocks in at only 2:05, it doesn't get too repetitive. If you're an indie pop fan, check them out.

그대 내맘에 들어 오면은 - MBLAQ
Korean | Pop/R&B
This is a cover of a Jo Duk Bae song, I really love the collaboration album it's from which is all covers of Jo Duk Bae's songs. To be honest, I'm far too new to k-pop to know anything about Jo Duk Bae but I have listened to the original version of this song as well as a cover by a singer I'm a little more familiar with, Jo Sung Mo. While Jo Sung Mo's cover basically keeps the flavour of the original but, of course, with a different vocal performance, MBLAQ really makes the song their own. I mean, I couldn't recognize it as the cover until the chorus, which has a fantastic melody. I'm not a big MBLAQ fan, but this song might just have converted me. I love the soft, layered synths and the keyboard intro as well. It's very modernized and contemporary, and their vocals really work.

오! 나의 여신님 (Oh! My Goddess) - TRAX
Korean | Rock
I can't believe these guys are back! Things have definitely changed. The TRAX (or I guess they're just going by TRAX now) used to be more of a "real" rock band as they were then produced by X-Japan's Yoshiki, but - well, they are an SM Entertainment band, and after losing a few members they sound more like F.T. Island than X Japan. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing - I love this song. It's so catchy and addictive, and has a bright pop-rock sound that I usually don't like, but they make it work. It's energetic, and definitely the kind of song you'd put on repeat. A great comeback.

Parachute (Radio Mix) - Cheryl Cole
English | Pop
Member of UK pop group Girls Aloud, Cheryl Cole has released quite a bit of solo material before. This is the first song I heard from her (or Girls Aloud, for that matter) but it's so good. I love the catchy chorus and the way the lines lead into one another not just musically but lyrically as well. It's got a bit more edge than your typical pop song, and I really love the military-style percussion, thick bass line, and dramatic but careful use of strings and the way everything flows a little more in the chorus as opposed to the less melodic verses.

널 사랑한다 - Park Hyo Shin
Korean | Ballad
I am still waiting for Part 2 of 'Gift' to release. =( While an OST song is certainly better than nothing, I still wish he'd focus on his album instead. Compositionally, it's pretty straightforward: a hopeful, mid-tempo string-based ballad. I appreciate the pace, actually - it's a bit faster than your typical ballad, and a lot more energetic as a result. Park Hyo Shin's vocals are spot on as always, but because of the richer accompaniment you don't hear its depth and richness as much although it's still evident.

화해하지 말아요 - Code V
Korean | Ballad
Another OST track, this one from new boyband Code V. With all the new groups k-pop is churning out, there are very few I find memorable or even passable, but Code V is one of the best of the bunch. I mean, they can actually sing. I liked their debut songs better than their OST work (another recently released OST song by them is below) but this is still a great, straightforward ballad. They all have distinctive voices that work together really well - one member's is a bit huskier and deeper, another's is lighter and sweeter in tone. A promising new group - and I rarely get the chance to say that.

지금 만나러 간다 - Code V
Korean | Pop/Ballad
Here's another Code V song, it's a bit brighter than the previous song and I love the pretty keyboard in combination with the light strings, it's rare that strings step back to let the piano shine through, but that's what happens here. Sweet and well-executed.

Candy Red - Scars Borough
Japanese | Punk/Pop-rock
Scars Borough was put together by drummer Hirotaka, formerly of the band ELLEGARDEN. I loved ELLEGARDEN, but was interested to see what their members would pursue in their solo activities. I'm not a big punk fan (ELLEGARDEN was really the only sort of punk-rock that I liked) but this song is just so fantastic. They have a female vocalist, which was unexpected but great. The bright vocalizing in the intro is so energetic and catchy, and the song just has such a bright pop-rock energy paired with gritty guitar work and heavy percussion typical of punk that, somehow, comes together beautifully. An addicting song.

아파 (SLOW) - 2NE1
Korean | Pop
To be honest, I can't stand 2NE1. I can't even listen to "FIRE" or "Try to Copy Me" all the way through. But there was one song I did like by them, that kept me following their releases (although without much interest), and that was "I Don't Care". There was just something different about that song: not just deviating from their normal, heavily-electronicized and auto-tuned style but from what you typically see in k-pop in general (although I suppose that nowadays, that's basically heavily-electronicized, auto-tuned stuff). I listened to their new album sort of half-heartedly and skipped most of the songs, but as soon as I got to this one I could tell just from the waltz-inspired piano intro that I was going to like it. Like "I Don't Care", it has a reggae-touched, stripped-down, breezy style that is so different from their usual fare: and to me, that's a very good thing. To be honest, I still don't like them vocally. I think that if another group had handled this song, it might have been even better. Their vocals sound at time strained and thin and at times sort of artificial, not with a real auto-tune affect but definitely like some sort of editing was done. Despite that, I still like the song (especially the bridge) and think it's a highlight of their discography, even if that's not saying much. It's not quite as catchy as "I Don't Care" though.

Somewhere in Brooklyn - Bruno Mars
English | Pop
I shared a few Bruno Mars songs previously; this is another track off his debut EP. I love the melody of this song, especially in the intro where he sings "She was covered in leather and gold, twenty-one years old." The song basically describes a girl he met briefly on the street but never got the name of, and he's been looking for her since. It's sweet and catchy, and you can't go wrong with a voice like Bruno Mars'. It's so clean and refreshing.

淡淡的歌 (A Faint Song) - Xu Fei
Mandarin | Acoustic Pop
The title can also be translated as "A Light Song" or something to that effect. It's a very pretty, simple acoustic guitar track. Songs like this - especially considering how light the accompaniment is - can tend to get bland pretty fast, but there's something charming and genuine about this song that kept my attention. I love the stronger chorus and the soft strings that come in for a short solo and then fade out again.

Over - miss $ ft. JiEun
Korean | Pop
last.fm says they're a "female hip-hop group that specializes in ballads", I listened to their "Miss Independent" digital single - it's called a digital single but there's three songs, I don't really know what that's about. Anyways, this is the third song and the one I found most promising. There's something about the soft, digitalized strings and chorus of "Love is over" that makes it stand out. It's not outstanding, but it's refreshing to see female rappers who are actually decent. The vocalist has a nice voice as well.

헤어지러 가는 길 (feat. 조권/JoKwon of 2AM) - Lim Jeong Hee
Korean | Pop/Ballad
I'm not a big J-Lim fan and got this mostly because of JoKwon. The percussion has a bit more edge and depth to it than you might expect, and the light, feel-good accompaniment comes together nicely. I love the way JeongHee and JoKwon's lines overlap, and strangely enough the melody of the chorus has a bit of a rock-anthem air. There's some pretty harmonies, but I wish they'd taken them further and added a little more complexity to the song. I'm not very fond of the way it just dies off at the end, either. A very simple, straight-forward song that's worth a listen.

Labels: 2ne1, Bruno Mars, Cheryl Cole, Code V, Lim Jeong Hee, MBLAQ, miss $, Park Hyo Shin, Said the Whale, Scars Borough, the TRAX, Xu Fei

I've done a couple of posts like this in the past, just five songs that I've been listening to a lot recently. I avoided songs that I've already uploaded, or else zia's 웃음만.. and BoA's 한별 (Implode) would definitely have made this list. I'll be posting again in the next couple days with some uploads/reviews I did for other sites that I thought I'd share here, too.

I also changed the layout, I thought something with a bit more colour would be nice. =) Hope you like it.

Also, since the site's updates have become kind of sporadic - eg. I'm planning to update quite often in the next couple days but once school starts I might not have time to post as much, I decided to take Musical Chair's lead and start a mailing list. If you would like to be e-mailed when the blog is updated, send an e-mail to mzk.haruhi@gmail.com and you will be added to the list.

- Haruhi

#5. Electric Heart - SHINee
Korean | Pop
I'm a fan of SHINee's, but for some reason I never really listened to their Lucifer album very carefully. I basically only skimmed through it when I first got it, and now that I'm taking a more careful listen, I'm finding a couple of songs I really like. Electric Heart is one of them. The infectious beat and stylized vocals remind me of Se7en's Crazy or Passion, both songs I love. While it's not quite as energetic and passionate (thought to be fair I'm quite biased towards Se7en), its atmosphere comes as a breath of fresh air. I especially love the guitar, which ranges from crisp chords to rich, full-bodied riffs.

#4. The Other Side - Bruno Mars ft. B.O.B. & Cee-lo
English | Pop
To be honest, songs #1-4 are kind of ranked randomly, I reconsidered the order a lot so it probably doesn't really mean much in the end considering these four songs were all, at some point, #1. Anyways, The Other Side is from Bruno Mars' EP It's Better If You Don't Understand whose title is taken from the lyrics of this song. It's nice to see Bruno Mars not being the featured artist this time, although he does get some help from B.O.B. (who was also his collaborator for the hit "Nothin' On You") and Cee-lo (I have no idea who this is). Honestly, I love this whole EP, and it was hard for me to just choose two songs on it to upload. You will probably see the others soon despite the fact that I try not to upload too much English music. The Other Side is an energetic, rock-influenced track with a bit of a dark atmosphere. Cee-lo's thick, velvety voice is a wonderful contrast with Bruno Mars' lighter, higher sound, and B.O.B. contributes a nice rap verse. He mentions Narnia, okay? I love Narnia.

#3. Shark In The Water - VV Brown
English | Indie Pop
I first heard this song on MTV with this accompanying video, which features the Degrassi cast. At first I thought it was just the music video and was just confused as to why everyone in the video looked so young, and wait, that guy looks like he's in Degrassi. I really don't like Degrassi (although admittedly I haven't bothered to watch much of it) but I love this carnival-themed video and I'm sure Degrassi fans could find tons of references to the plot, etc. in it. After seeing the video I found out what the song was. It's so catchy, and I love how powerful VV Brown's voice is, especially on the strong chorus. I'm really spending more time explaining background info rather than describing the songs themselves today, aren't I?

#2. 라라라 (La La La) - Supernova
Korean | Pop
I like Supernova, but I've never loved any of their songs until this (btw, I have them tagged by their Korean name "Cho Shin Sung" since that's what I tagged them as in the past). It's so energetic and infectious. I love the synth-y beat and confident atmosphere, not to mention the catchy hook and amazing falsetto lines. It's not particularly innovative, but something about it just caught my attention.

#1. Talking to the Moon - Bruno Mars
English | Pop
For once, we get Bruno Mars all by himself. Not a featuring artist; no featured artists. And the results are spectacular. The concept is basically a guy talking to the moon imagining that his girlfriend who has left is somewhere "on the other side" listening. Yes, it's cheesy, and to be honest, lyrically the song doesn't appeal to me much. But this song is a heartfelt, powerful pop ballad, and Bruno Mars' voice really shines. It's so sincere and warm. I don't really know what's in the accompaniment instrumentally but it sounds fantastic. Pair that with a chorus that will work its way into your head and refuse to get out (but not in an annoying, I-don't-actually-like-this-song way), and you have a hit.

Labels: Bruno Mars, Cho Shin Sung, Shinee, VV Brown

Sorry for the lack of updates from me lately! Thanks, Carmi, for keeping the site active. :) This is a mixtape/rotation for the morning (I intended it as a "mixtape" but uploaded the songs individually). There's a lot of variety in this mix, for different moods and days. Some are for the times where you wake up to a nice, sunny day and you just need a nice, light song to wake you up. Some are energetic, uptempo songs for the times you really, really can't get out of bed. Enjoy the music!

- Haruhi

001. Yellow Wings - Ferraby Lionheart
English | Folk Pop/Acoustic
A pretty, light song that relies mostly on delicately crafted acoustic guitar and Ferraby Lionheart's warm voice, which is perfectly suited to this brand of folk pop. Great for those warm, bright mornings where you're looking forward to the day ahead.

002. Eternal Love - mink
Japanese/English | Pop
mink is a Korean singer based in Japan, who sings a lot of songs with English lyrics. She's one of my favourite female vocalists. This song alternates between Japanese and English. mink's creamy, warm voice has such a lovely tone, and the hopeful melody of this song, sweet harmonies, and minimal accompaniment based on piano and acoustic guitar makes it a perfect choice to start your day with.

003. アイシテル (Aishiteru) - MONKEY MAJIK
Japanese | Pop-Rock
I love MONKEY MAJIK. I chose Aishiteru because of its beautiful accompaniment - I love the warmth of the piano, and how it contrasts with the crisp, faint acoustic guitar chords (later some electric guitar is used too), not to mention the light strings. It's a little downtempo in tone at times, but picks up during the chorus.

004. Sunday Morning - Maroon 5
English | Pop/Rock
I don't think this song needs much of an introduction. I really love Maroon 5's Songs About Jane album although their newer work is a bit hit-or-miss with me, so this song is really familiar to me and I love the rich piano chords paired with Adam Levine's chocolatey voice. The smooth, laid-back feel of this song is great for mornings.

005. Always Running Out Of Time - Motion City Soundtrack
English | Pop/Rock
This song is from the Alice in Wonderland OST, it's got a bit of an indie-rock feel to it, featuring quick guitar work and catchy melody.

006. Mother Woman - As In Rebekkamaria
English | Alternative Pop
She's a recent find of mine, but I love her - this song in particular. Between a light, airy atmosphere, Rebekkamaria's refreshing vocals, and an innovative percussion and bass line, what is there not to like? She might not be for everyone, but at the same time I don't think that her music is so out-there that it's inaccessible - it's definitely very unique though. Give her a try, you won't regret it.

007. Shut Up And Explode - Boom Boom Satellites
Japanese | Electronic
This is for those mornings where you just can't get out of bed. Like you might have guessed from the name, this song is high-energy, in your face, and unapologetic. While it's not a song for all occasions, it's not just mindless noise either. Boom Boom Satellites mixes elements of rock and electronica - gritty electronic guitars, smooth synths - to create a fantastic atmosphere. If you need a song to get you pumped, this is it.

008. Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars
English | Pop
I don't know about you, but waking up to a creamy, smooth voice like Bruno Mars sounds pretty good to me. This is the single from his latest album. It's very feel-good and sweet, but it's all about the vocals - his voice is so unique and such a pleasure to listen to.

009. I was Wrong - capsule
English | Electronica
I uploaded this in my electro-pop rotation, but since this is the song I usually play when my first alarm goes off, I just had to include it here. It's the perfect song to listen to while you're taking your five-more-minutes of sleep before you really have to get up. This ambient track is just a little downtempo without being too slow, and the mixture of echo-y percussion and rich piano, coupled with gorgeous vocals, is just flawless. It's such a sophisticated song, and shows capsule's ability to do not only upbeat club tracks well, but also something very mature and beautiful.

010. Wake Up! - DEPAPEPE
Instrumental | Acoustic
Whenever I hear this song, I see a bright, sunny morning. DEPAPEPE is an amazing acoustic guitar duo. Just looking at the name, it's pretty clear this song is perfect for mornings. It's so summery and warm, and it always puts me in a good mood.

011. Hot! - Minwoo ft. Son Dambi
Korean | Pop
An upbeat dance track from Shinhwa's Lee MinWoo. It's energetic, bright, and refreshing.

012. Thieves in the Night - Hot Chip
English | Electropop/rock
Starting out with warm synths that lead into a bass drum backbeat before the vocals drop in, there's something about how constructed this song is that I really appreciate. It's not too heavy on the synths, but they're definitely there. Indie fans should check this out.

013. Running Out of Time - Hot Hot Heat
English | Indie Rock
Steve Bays has such a distinctive voice; it's definitely a bit of an acquired taste but I think it's perfectly suited to Hot Hot Heat's brand of upbeat rock. I'm not a fan of everything this band does, and their newer material is generally a miss for me, but I really like the bright energy of this song. It just makes you want to dance.

014. Tell 'Em - Sleigh Bells
English | Electronic
This is the first song I've heard from this Brooklyn-based duo, but so far, I'm hooked. Tell 'Em's rapid-fire synths/drums are perfectly executed, paired with anthem-like electric guitar riffs. Its energy is infectious, and it's so unique.

015. She Owns the Night (ft. Mohombi) - Far*East Movement
English | Hip-Hop
As much as I want to support Asian-American artists, Far*East Movement has always been a little too Americanized for my taste. That being said, She Owns the Night has a fantastic synthy bass part which is really boomy and deep, it provides a great contrast with the lighter synth lines over top (if that sounds like a lot of synths, they're handled well and the song itself is surprisingly light-sounding). You could still consider it a club song, but at the same time it's toned down enough to listen to outside of parties as well.

Labels: Boom Boom Satellites, Bruno Mars, capsule, Depapepe, Far*East Movement, Ferraby Lionheart, Hot Hot Heat, Lee Min Woo, Maroon 5, mink, Monkey Majik

Rotation 52 is unthemed; I just chose a mix of recent releases and older songs that I hadn't shared before. Sorry, my commentary isn't too great this time around but I tried to mark a few songs as recommended to help you decide what to take. Enjoy the songs!

- Haruhi

Emerald Lake (Catherine North Demo Version) - Said the Whale
English | Indie pop
This band is based in Vancouver, where I live, so I was excited to hear a local artist. At first, I thought they were a pretty standard indie pop band, but they've really grown on me. I love the lines, "What a fine life we are living, what a fine life we are living" which get repeated throughout the song, there's something charming and catchy about it, but, as the song clocks in at only 2:05, it doesn't get too repetitive. If you're an indie pop fan, check them out.

그대 내맘에 들어 오면은 - MBLAQ
Korean | Pop/R&B
This is a cover of a Jo Duk Bae song, I really love the collaboration album it's from which is all covers of Jo Duk Bae's songs. To be honest, I'm far too new to k-pop to know anything about Jo Duk Bae but I have listened to the original version of this song as well as a cover by a singer I'm a little more familiar with, Jo Sung Mo. While Jo Sung Mo's cover basically keeps the flavour of the original but, of course, with a different vocal performance, MBLAQ really makes the song their own. I mean, I couldn't recognize it as the cover until the chorus, which has a fantastic melody. I'm not a big MBLAQ fan, but this song might just have converted me. I love the soft, layered synths and the keyboard intro as well. It's very modernized and contemporary, and their vocals really work.

오! 나의 여신님 (Oh! My Goddess) - TRAX
Korean | Rock
I can't believe these guys are back! Things have definitely changed. The TRAX (or I guess they're just going by TRAX now) used to be more of a "real" rock band as they were then produced by X-Japan's Yoshiki, but - well, they are an SM Entertainment band, and after losing a few members they sound more like F.T. Island than X Japan. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing - I love this song. It's so catchy and addictive, and has a bright pop-rock sound that I usually don't like, but they make it work. It's energetic, and definitely the kind of song you'd put on repeat. A great comeback.

Parachute (Radio Mix) - Cheryl Cole
English | Pop
Member of UK pop group Girls Aloud, Cheryl Cole has released quite a bit of solo material before. This is the first song I heard from her (or Girls Aloud, for that matter) but it's so good. I love the catchy chorus and the way the lines lead into one another not just musically but lyrically as well. It's got a bit more edge than your typical pop song, and I really love the military-style percussion, thick bass line, and dramatic but careful use of strings and the way everything flows a little more in the chorus as opposed to the less melodic verses.

널 사랑한다 - Park Hyo Shin
Korean | Ballad
I am still waiting for Part 2 of 'Gift' to release. =( While an OST song is certainly better than nothing, I still wish he'd focus on his album instead. Compositionally, it's pretty straightforward: a hopeful, mid-tempo string-based ballad. I appreciate the pace, actually - it's a bit faster than your typical ballad, and a lot more energetic as a result. Park Hyo Shin's vocals are spot on as always, but because of the richer accompaniment you don't hear its depth and richness as much although it's still evident.

화해하지 말아요 - Code V
Korean | Ballad
Another OST track, this one from new boyband Code V. With all the new groups k-pop is churning out, there are very few I find memorable or even passable, but Code V is one of the best of the bunch. I mean, they can actually sing. I liked their debut songs better than their OST work (another recently released OST song by them is below) but this is still a great, straightforward ballad. They all have distinctive voices that work together really well - one member's is a bit huskier and deeper, another's is lighter and sweeter in tone. A promising new group - and I rarely get the chance to say that.

지금 만나러 간다 - Code V
Korean | Pop/Ballad
Here's another Code V song, it's a bit brighter than the previous song and I love the pretty keyboard in combination with the light strings, it's rare that strings step back to let the piano shine through, but that's what happens here. Sweet and well-executed.

Candy Red - Scars Borough
Japanese | Punk/Pop-rock
Scars Borough was put together by drummer Hirotaka, formerly of the band ELLEGARDEN. I loved ELLEGARDEN, but was interested to see what their members would pursue in their solo activities. I'm not a big punk fan (ELLEGARDEN was really the only sort of punk-rock that I liked) but this song is just so fantastic. They have a female vocalist, which was unexpected but great. The bright vocalizing in the intro is so energetic and catchy, and the song just has such a bright pop-rock energy paired with gritty guitar work and heavy percussion typical of punk that, somehow, comes together beautifully. An addicting song.

아파 (SLOW) - 2NE1
Korean | Pop
To be honest, I can't stand 2NE1. I can't even listen to "FIRE" or "Try to Copy Me" all the way through. But there was one song I did like by them, that kept me following their releases (although without much interest), and that was "I Don't Care". There was just something different about that song: not just deviating from their normal, heavily-electronicized and auto-tuned style but from what you typically see in k-pop in general (although I suppose that nowadays, that's basically heavily-electronicized, auto-tuned stuff). I listened to their new album sort of half-heartedly and skipped most of the songs, but as soon as I got to this one I could tell just from the waltz-inspired piano intro that I was going to like it. Like "I Don't Care", it has a reggae-touched, stripped-down, breezy style that is so different from their usual fare: and to me, that's a very good thing. To be honest, I still don't like them vocally. I think that if another group had handled this song, it might have been even better. Their vocals sound at time strained and thin and at times sort of artificial, not with a real auto-tune affect but definitely like some sort of editing was done. Despite that, I still like the song (especially the bridge) and think it's a highlight of their discography, even if that's not saying much. It's not quite as catchy as "I Don't Care" though.

Somewhere in Brooklyn - Bruno Mars
English | Pop
I shared a few Bruno Mars songs previously; this is another track off his debut EP. I love the melody of this song, especially in the intro where he sings "She was covered in leather and gold, twenty-one years old." The song basically describes a girl he met briefly on the street but never got the name of, and he's been looking for her since. It's sweet and catchy, and you can't go wrong with a voice like Bruno Mars'. It's so clean and refreshing.

淡淡的歌 (A Faint Song) - Xu Fei
Mandarin | Acoustic Pop
The title can also be translated as "A Light Song" or something to that effect. It's a very pretty, simple acoustic guitar track. Songs like this - especially considering how light the accompaniment is - can tend to get bland pretty fast, but there's something charming and genuine about this song that kept my attention. I love the stronger chorus and the soft strings that come in for a short solo and then fade out again.

Over - miss $ ft. JiEun
Korean | Pop
last.fm says they're a "female hip-hop group that specializes in ballads", I listened to their "Miss Independent" digital single - it's called a digital single but there's three songs, I don't really know what that's about. Anyways, this is the third song and the one I found most promising. There's something about the soft, digitalized strings and chorus of "Love is over" that makes it stand out. It's not outstanding, but it's refreshing to see female rappers who are actually decent. The vocalist has a nice voice as well.

헤어지러 가는 길 (feat. 조권/JoKwon of 2AM) - Lim Jeong Hee
Korean | Pop/Ballad
I'm not a big J-Lim fan and got this mostly because of JoKwon. The percussion has a bit more edge and depth to it than you might expect, and the light, feel-good accompaniment comes together nicely. I love the way JeongHee and JoKwon's lines overlap, and strangely enough the melody of the chorus has a bit of a rock-anthem air. There's some pretty harmonies, but I wish they'd taken them further and added a little more complexity to the song. I'm not very fond of the way it just dies off at the end, either. A very simple, straight-forward song that's worth a listen.

Labels: 2ne1, Bruno Mars, Cheryl Cole, Code V, Lim Jeong Hee, MBLAQ, miss $, Park Hyo Shin, Said the Whale, Scars Borough, the TRAX, Xu Fei

I've done a couple of posts like this in the past, just five songs that I've been listening to a lot recently. I avoided songs that I've already uploaded, or else zia's 웃음만.. and BoA's 한별 (Implode) would definitely have made this list. I'll be posting again in the next couple days with some uploads/reviews I did for other sites that I thought I'd share here, too.

I also changed the layout, I thought something with a bit more colour would be nice. =) Hope you like it.

Also, since the site's updates have become kind of sporadic - eg. I'm planning to update quite often in the next couple days but once school starts I might not have time to post as much, I decided to take Musical Chair's lead and start a mailing list. If you would like to be e-mailed when the blog is updated, send an e-mail to mzk.haruhi@gmail.com and you will be added to the list.

- Haruhi

#5. Electric Heart - SHINee
Korean | Pop
I'm a fan of SHINee's, but for some reason I never really listened to their Lucifer album very carefully. I basically only skimmed through it when I first got it, and now that I'm taking a more careful listen, I'm finding a couple of songs I really like. Electric Heart is one of them. The infectious beat and stylized vocals remind me of Se7en's Crazy or Passion, both songs I love. While it's not quite as energetic and passionate (thought to be fair I'm quite biased towards Se7en), its atmosphere comes as a breath of fresh air. I especially love the guitar, which ranges from crisp chords to rich, full-bodied riffs.

#4. The Other Side - Bruno Mars ft. B.O.B. & Cee-lo
English | Pop
To be honest, songs #1-4 are kind of ranked randomly, I reconsidered the order a lot so it probably doesn't really mean much in the end considering these four songs were all, at some point, #1. Anyways, The Other Side is from Bruno Mars' EP It's Better If You Don't Understand whose title is taken from the lyrics of this song. It's nice to see Bruno Mars not being the featured artist this time, although he does get some help from B.O.B. (who was also his collaborator for the hit "Nothin' On You") and Cee-lo (I have no idea who this is). Honestly, I love this whole EP, and it was hard for me to just choose two songs on it to upload. You will probably see the others soon despite the fact that I try not to upload too much English music. The Other Side is an energetic, rock-influenced track with a bit of a dark atmosphere. Cee-lo's thick, velvety voice is a wonderful contrast with Bruno Mars' lighter, higher sound, and B.O.B. contributes a nice rap verse. He mentions Narnia, okay? I love Narnia.

#3. Shark In The Water - VV Brown
English | Indie Pop
I first heard this song on MTV with this accompanying video, which features the Degrassi cast. At first I thought it was just the music video and was just confused as to why everyone in the video looked so young, and wait, that guy looks like he's in Degrassi. I really don't like Degrassi (although admittedly I haven't bothered to watch much of it) but I love this carnival-themed video and I'm sure Degrassi fans could find tons of references to the plot, etc. in it. After seeing the video I found out what the song was. It's so catchy, and I love how powerful VV Brown's voice is, especially on the strong chorus. I'm really spending more time explaining background info rather than describing the songs themselves today, aren't I?

#2. 라라라 (La La La) - Supernova
Korean | Pop
I like Supernova, but I've never loved any of their songs until this (btw, I have them tagged by their Korean name "Cho Shin Sung" since that's what I tagged them as in the past). It's so energetic and infectious. I love the synth-y beat and confident atmosphere, not to mention the catchy hook and amazing falsetto lines. It's not particularly innovative, but something about it just caught my attention.

#1. Talking to the Moon - Bruno Mars
English | Pop
For once, we get Bruno Mars all by himself. Not a featuring artist; no featured artists. And the results are spectacular. The concept is basically a guy talking to the moon imagining that his girlfriend who has left is somewhere "on the other side" listening. Yes, it's cheesy, and to be honest, lyrically the song doesn't appeal to me much. But this song is a heartfelt, powerful pop ballad, and Bruno Mars' voice really shines. It's so sincere and warm. I don't really know what's in the accompaniment instrumentally but it sounds fantastic. Pair that with a chorus that will work its way into your head and refuse to get out (but not in an annoying, I-don't-actually-like-this-song way), and you have a hit.

Labels: Bruno Mars, Cho Shin Sung, Shinee, VV Brown

Welcome to Fashion Scans, an mp3 rotation that features Korean, Japanese, and Chinese music as well as the occasional English song. Fashion Scans was created in October 2007 and is run by Haruhi with contributions from Carmi.

Please send all affiliate requests to Haruhi. Carmi is currently open to requests.

Files are for sampling purposes only, I am not responsible if you keep them for longer than the 24-48 hours permitted. Please support the artists by purchasing their CDs.

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