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
First off - I apologize for this rotation being late, and for the fact that it's relatively small. I changed up the format a bit too - there are only two songs that I commented fully on, and they're more of a bonus than part of the actual rotation since ... they're not winter/holiday-themed, haha.
White X'mas - KAT-TUN
japanese | ballad | emotional, sad, sweet, sincere
Only You (Winter Special) - 2PM
korean | pop | sweet, driven, energetic
Snow Dance winter session - DEPAPEPE
instrumental | acoustic | calm, relaxing, soothing
The Call - Regina Spektor
english | soundtrack | sincere, bittersweet, hopeful
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - AAA
engrish | pop | happy, light-hearted, cheerful
So This Is Christmas (Live) - Luna Sea
japanese | rock | uplifting, powerful, energetic
Winter - ELLEGARDEN
japanese | rock | uplifting, energetic, sincere
Yeo Haeng Gi - Dong Bang Shin Ki (Travelling)
korean | pop/ballad | emotional, uplifting, sweet
Winter Gold - Stephanie
japanese | pop | upbeat, driven, confident
Cirque du Soleil - KA
I had the opportunity to watch this amazing show when I was in Las Vegas, and immediately searched out the soundtrack when I got home. Even listening to it without watching the show is a wonderful experience. I was intending to share the entire album as another rotation, but I couldn't wait. Here are two songs from the soundtrack of Cirque du Soleil's show, KA. These songs are both highly recommended.
Track 1. O Makunde
Track 5. Deep
Both these songs stayed with me because, like many songs on this soundtrack, they are capable of bringing up so much emotion, no matter what that emotion might be. Their vocal work is simply fantastic and has a quality that you simply cannot find in popular music today. O Makunde starts out with a sad tone, but rises with more and more confidence and hope. Deep is extremely sorrowful, but also exquisitely beautiful. The string accompaniment is just amazing.
Labels: 2PM, AAA, Cirque du Soleil, Depapepe, Dong Bang Shin Ki, ELLEGARDEN, KAT-TUN, Luna Sea, Regina Spektor, Stephanie
Uploaded Tim's latest single (no instrumental track, but I can upload it if anyone wants it) as well as the first three tracks from Depapepe's new album, Depanatsu~drive!drive!!drive!!!~.
Depapepe | Depanatsu~drive!drive!!drive!!!~
Instrumental (Acoustic Guitar)
01. Lahaina
02. Sky!Sky!Sky!
03. Over the Sea
Tim | At the End of the World
Korean | Ballad
01. 세상 끝에서 (At the End of the World)
02. 세상 끝에서 (Piano Solo Vers.)
Valentine's Day Special
첫키스 (First Kiss) - Ajoo (아주)
I've been looking forward to Ajoo's debut single; there's been a lot of hype about it. He's signed to the same label as Younha, and I believe that she is his teacher as well. Supposedly he is a very good singer, dancer, model, etc. First Kiss is a fairly upbeat song. Though the energetic accompaniment pretty much overlaps his voice, it does back off in parts and the chorus is very catchy. I think it's more the song itself than Ajoo's voice that makes this song good ... but it's so catchy ... O_o XP Anyways, definitely worth a listen. If you scroll down to the "my picks" section, I've uploaded the other song in this single. (By the way, some random eyecandy for you: here's a picture of Ajoo.)
Love Sweets - AILE
I love Aile. <3 This is an awesome song by them, the vocalist hits some very high notes. Not too overly-oshare but still keeping the roots of the style. I love the guitar solo too, it's quite simple but has some very nice melodies. Highly recommended.
Forever Love -acapella version- - Tohoshinki
Not a big fan of Tohoshinki's ballads, but Forever Love is one of the few that I really enjoyed listening to. While still a tad generic, I really like this acapella version. I find it shows their voices nicely, though I could have heard more of Yunho. I especially love the first verse of this song. They manage to capture a lot more emotion in this song, something that I find lacks in some of their other ballads. I especially love Xiah Junsu in this song, I find that his verses are the ones that stand out the most.
Aishiteru - Base Ball Bear
A very good band that I think is slowly gaining more and more popularity. Aishiteru is a fairly light rock song that I really enjoyed listening to. By the way, just in case you didn't already know this, "aishiteru" means "I love you" in Japanese. I especially like the female back-up vocals, they add a nice balance to the song. The main vocals are also very good, though I'm not really getting very much from the accompaniment. Try them out. =)
Once Upon a Time With Two People - Hiro
Despite the cumbersome title of this song, it's fairly good. I don't know much about the singer, but she has a very nice voice. The first time I listened to this song, I didn't really find that it was anything special, but I listened to it again and it's starting to grow on me. I love the chorus where while the accompaniment doesn't slow down, she seems to be singing at a slower tempo. If that makes any sense.
How Do I Say - Shinhwa
Ah, Shinhwa. They were one of the first Korean bands I discovered, so I've always had a bit of a bias when listening to their music. This is from "Winter Story 2004-2005", which is supposedly pretty hard to find. It's a pretty typical Shinhwa song, but they lyrics in English are sweet if quite cliched. The chorus is pretty catchy. K-pop fans will probably like this song, not so sure about everyone else.
My Picks
Seven to Date - Amano Tsukiko
OMG PIANO. The piano part in this got stuck in my head and it took me forever to realise it was from this song. There's also little random four-note saxophone licks that spice things up, and Amano Tsukiko's voice isn't outstanding, but it's solid and strong. Download this if just to hear the piano solo.
Alarm 06:00 - Ajoo
Here's the other Ajoo song, as promised. I think First Kiss is catchier than this song, but Alarm 06:00 is more energetic. It has more rock influences, but is still very much a pop song. Still, it's well executed and a worthwhile b-side.
미녀와 야수 - KCM
As with the Amano Tsukiko song, an awesome piano part. In this song it's consistent throughout the whole track, though more prominent in some places than in others. When it comes to k-pop KCM is one of my favourite artists and I definitely enjoyed his latest album, Kingdom. 미녀와 야수 is very upbeat and catchy, and KCM's voice is lovely as always. Listen for the syncopated bass drum, too.
START - DEPAPEPE
Since the last Depapepe song I uploaded got quite a good response, I decided to upload another. I like Summer Parade more than this song, but I love START too. I like just about every Depapepe song. XP For those who've never heard of them, they're an awesome guitar duo. I especially love how they play acoustic guitars in just about every song I've ever heard by them. Definitely try them out if you haven't already.
Wo Men - Nan Quan Mama
Just a note, "Wo Men" means "we". I've heard a lot of good things about this band but only got to trying them out a couple days ago and I'm glad I did. They have a male and female vocalist and this is a fairly slow song. I love the accompaniment. It goes from Mandarin to Cantonese and I'm not sure whether they're Taiwanese or Chinese. Their Mandarin sounds more Taiwanese but I'm not positive. I'd love to hear more from them; I've added them to my requests list on the front page of this site.
Fuyuyasumi ni Tsuki - Swinging Popsicle
I would almost call them alt rock ... Swinging Popsicle is awesome. They have a female vocalist. I love their "Go On" album, though this track isn't from it. This isn't really one of my favourite songs by them, I don't think it shows their unique style as well as some of their other songs. I'll be sure to upload some more stuff by them; I was intending to upload a different track but somehow it turned out to be this one. O_o Try them out anyways, this isn't a bad song either. =)
Labels: AILE, Ajoo, Amano Tsukiko, Base Ball Bear, Depapepe, Hiro, KCM, Nan Quan Mama, Shinhwa, Swinging Popsicle, Tohoshinki
사랑해도 될까요? - Yurisangja
genre ballad
language korean
An absolutely gorgeous ballad. I realised I knew absolutely nothing about this group, so I googled them. Did you know there was such a thing as kpopwiki? O_o Click here for a very, very brief description of the group. Anyways, this is a very typical Korean ballad but I love it. It gets a bit tedious after a while but I love the melody. It's very relaxing and calm. overall rating: 4.5/5
Isshunfuran - B'z
genre rock
language japanese
I cannot express how much I love the intro and first verse of this song. It's a very upbeat rock song. I love this band, I'd definitely suggest you try them out if you haven't already and this is very likely my favourite song by them. I also love the bass. <3333 Very addictive and catchy. Highly recommended. overall rating: 5/5
Urineun - Lee Seung Yeol
genre ballad
language korean
The beginning of this song is so nice. Another ballad, another artist I'd never heard of before this song. XP It builds in tempo a little, I would call it a mid-tempo ballad. This nice sort of blended bass sound. My favourite parts of this song are the slower parts where the accompaniment kind of dies off, leaving just Lee Seung Yeol's voice. The first time I listened to this I didn't like it as much, but his voice and the song itself is growing on me. overall rating: 4/5
한 남자 - Kim Jong Kook
genre ballad
language korean
Random note: the title of this song, 한 남자, is romanized as "han nam ja" and translates to "one man".
When people ask me what my favourite song is, I usually have no idea what to say because I have so many, and my favourites change so fast. If you really pressed me for an answer, I would say it was this song. It's another ballad (seems to be a lot of them this rotation xP) by one of my favourite singers, Kim Jong Kook (he was a member of Turbo, if that rings a bell). He has a very high range but it doesn't seem as high in this song. I have the lyrics for this song, translated, and they are just so beautiful. I'll probably post them up sometime. (If I don't/haven't yet, feel free to e-mail me for them.) The first time I listened to this song I didn't actually think much of it, but after listening to it a few more times and reading the lyrics I just love it. overall rating: 5/5
Drink it Down - L'arc~en~Ciel
genre rock
language japanese
From the Devil May Cry 4 OST. I love love love how this song starts out and how the drums come in. This song is very catchy - I listened to it once and put it on repeat right after. The chorus is gorgeous, as is Hyde's voice. It differs from Laruku's usual style a little, probably because it was for Devil May Cry. Definitely worth a listen. overall rating: 4.5/5
Shiroi Hana - THE LOCAL ART
genre rock/ballad
language japanese
The Local Art needs more love. I happened to download their "KiZUNA" album and just fell in love with this song. Another song I've had on repeat lately. I love the vocals. It's rock, but almost like a rock ballad without losing tempo too much. The chorus is <3333333. It makes me sad but happy at the same time. If that makes any sense. Every time I listen to this song, I notice something else I like about it. Highly recommended. Overall rating: 5/5
Summer Parade - Depapepe
genre guitar instrumental
language none
OMG GUITAR DUO. XP Yeah, I love Depapepe. How can you not? It starts out kind of melancholic, and then is suddenly upbeat and very summer-y. It reminds me of being out on the beach. (And yes, I uploaded a summer song in January.) Please please please listen to this. I have to say I love "Morning Smile" better, if for the only reason that it was the first Depapepe song I heard. Summer Parade comes in close, though. They have the most beautiful little melodies that seem so simple yet sound amazing in the way they're put together. overall rating: 5/5
冬の唄 - xTRiPx
genre visual kei/rock ballad
language japanese
Listen to the very first seconds of this song; they are the reason I love it so much. This is an awesome rock ballad. I have no idea what the vocalist's name is. T_T I tried looking it up but ... -is lazy-. Anyways, I love it when he hits higher notes, and when the accompaniment is stripped away to leave just the vocals. I've always been a fan of xTRiPx's more upbeat songs, but I didn't know their slower tracks were just as good, if not better. overall rating: 4.5/5
Ari no mama - Se7en
genre pop
language japanese
Random Se7en song. XP (Random note: the cover image for this song is <333) A more upbeat track, not really one of my favourites. I've always liked his Korean songs better. I love the chorus, though. And his accent when he sings in Japanese. xD In case you didn't know, Se7en is currently preparing for his US debut, which is supposedly going to come out in a few months. But they said that a few months ago, too. -_- Anyways, I'm really looking forward to his American debut although I don't know what to expect from it. -is going off topic- Yeah, overall rating: 3.5/5 By the way, sorry this is only a 128kbp rip. I thought I had a 320kbp one but I don't know where it is. O_o
Girl Friend - Se7en
genre pop
language korean
Korean Se7en! Again a more upbeat track and again, not my absolute favourite, but I used to listen to it a lot. From the Se7olution album, his fourth Korean album. I find the random snippets in English amusing. overall rating: 4/5
Bo Go Ship Da - Kim Bum Soo
genre ballad
language korean
More ballads! I love Kim Bum Soo's voice, but listening to this song I wasn't that impressed. I do like the verses in it where his voice is stronger, though. overall rating: 3/5
Memory - Kim Bum Soo
genre ballad
language korean
Finishing off this rotation is ... yeah, a ballad. xP More Kim Bum Soo. It gets pretty tedious, but I get bored whenever I listen to more than a few ballads in a row. I actually like Bo Go Ship Da a little better. overall rating: 3/5
Labels: B'z, Depapepe, Kim Bum Soo, Kim Jong Kook, L'arc~en~Ciel, Lee Seung Yeol, Se7en, THE LOCAL ART, xTRiPx, Yurisangja
