FRENCH HOUSE IS SO TROPICAL

Working in retails during the holiday means constant blaring of holiday music in the ears. The night is not so silent now if Rudolf can't decide whether "his" Christmas blue is caused by over-laboring or gender confusion. Beside, it's so damn cold outside baby, I can't wait to roast your chestnuts and go fah la lah la lah all over your face. And no, you are not all I want for Christmas, I also want your lovers and all your lovers' revenge, maybe an iPad too. Yes, they manage to throw in a Lady Gaga song once in a while to change the mood. Amen to that. Whether or not you work in retails, you need to break away from an overdose of holiday music, unless you're one of  those people who listen to O Tannenbaum in May just because you can (e.g. my sister.) With that in mind, I offer you a mix of very tropical French house for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!

HIPSTERS IN THE WOOD

Untitled

Into the woods go the hipster boys and girls. The city is just so overly populated with too much technology disrupting the flow of nature. I dare you to go completely unplugged from this mundane world and immerse yourself in the deep green of the woods. That dude from Emory did it, he wrote a book about it, and got a big fat bag of cash from everybody from the vegan nature lovers to the bacon sucker rednecks down the trailer parks.

I think they might have wifi in the woods? I need it to upload live photos of dead branches and other significant flora and fauna like squirrels, moss, and stuffs. I will have so many followers on Tumblr, and that makes me so damn happy I won't mind making another tofurkey for my brutal meat-eating friends even though it's not even thanksgiving yet.

DOWNTEMPO LOVE

I present to you a mixtape of melodic rhythm, cool vibes, and provocative lyrics to make it easy for you to drop 'em down low, keep it intimate, and get your groove on. You are guaranteed to have up to an hour of pure audiorgasm. Well, I'm starting to sound like a bad infocommerical here, so please excuse me and enjoy the music!

An Ode to a Pin-up Girl

Alright, It's Betty Page, y'all

Betty Page was such a bad ass. She dropped the devil's horns and put on the angel's halo, yet her leaving the dark side didn't offer much peace to her. I wonder what should one do to be happy? To do what her heart desires or to restrain herself from natural instincts for a higher purpose? I may sound like a hedonist, but I don't advocate the exclusive choice of either self-deprivation or indulgence of any earthly pleasure. What we need is a fine balance between indulging and abstaining. This leads to the concern of what guideline there is to help us achieve this equilibrium.

For Betty, she chose Christianity, which obviously doesn't endorse indulgence in its teaching. After all, it is entirely up to the person's own judgement, whether there has been responsibility and mindfulness when an action is done. If Betty had loved what she did and her action harmed nobody, she wouldn't have had to rely on a higher entity to justify herself. However, people sometimes lose trust and hope in themselves. When the mind and heart are weak, their vulnerability is easily taken advantage of, all in the name of love and salvation.

What exactly happens when a person is saved from being lost, what does she realize when her blind eyes suddenly start to see? The awareness of her own self and the discovery of a meaning for her existence in the world are the answer. Religion can be a mean to this end. Sadly, the person has to avoid such realization in worship of a higher being that her lowly self wouldn't dare to match. Again, I want to stress that if you don't regret your choice of dedicating your life to god, then you are doing the right thing. That is how you define your identity and your place in this world, I respect your intention. However, always keep your mind open. Even if there is guidance, you can close your eyes yourself, fail to see, and ultimately become a lost wanderer in this monstrous confusion called life.

Anyway, enough indoctrination, it is time for some music. This mix offers a refreshing interpretation to the classic repertoire, some vintage inspired pieces, and a bit of old school goodies near the end. Enjoy.

Tracklist:

1. It Don't Mean a Thing - The Puppini Sisters
2. Mambo Italiano - Club de Belugas ft. Dean Martin
3. Soul Bossa Nova - Quincy Jones and His Orchestra
4. Rum 'n' Coca Cola - Tim Tim
5. We No Speak Americano - Yolanda B Cool
6. Whipped Cream - Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
7. The Mambo Craze - de Phazz ft. Pat Appleton
8. Maria Elena - Xavier Cugat

The Ultimate Music for Studying

Well, instead of studying, ironically I've been compiling music to help me study. I can't study if I make music, and I can't study either if I don't have music. Whatever, my procrastination has reached a higher level. My test is coming on the second of September, yay! I even turn down my sister's invitation to go to the beach so I can study. Ugh, that means I'll be really pale. My friend Lauren told me that I look sick and pasty last time, what a tramp!

Many of the songs here come from my favorite movies. Classical music has this tendency to make a scene become more classy, probably because of its timeless quality. Even though many songs in this particular mix are neo-classical, the same effect is achieved. 

Oh yeah, I assume you are here 'cause you've been stumbling instead of studying eh? This music mix may help, trust me, after I'm done posting this, I'm gonna listen to this and study like a boss and ace it like a Brain god! 

Track List

I'm smokin 'cause the music is so good

1. Sympathy for Lady Vengeance - Yeong-wook Jo
2. Dark Chariot - Peer Raben
3. Yumeji's theme - Shigeru Umebayashi
4. Bolero - Zbigniew Preisner
5. Rachmaninoff's Vocalise - Itzhak Perlman 
6. Adagio from 2046 - Rolf Lovland
7. And Just Like That - Abel Korzeniowski
8. To Zanarkand - Nobuo Uematsu
9. Sposa Son Disprezzata - Cecilia Bartoli
10. Les Marionnettes - Zbigniew Preisner
11. Georges Watlz (Take 2) - Shigeru Umebayashi
12. Ombra Mai Fu - Philippe Jaroussky
13. Meditation from Thais - Sarah Chang
14. Ruhe Sanft - Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
15. Song to the Moon - Stjepan Hauser
16. Lascia Ch'io Pianga - Philippe Jaroussky
17. Meeting - Roman Rewakowicz
18. Song for the Unification of Europe - Teresa Salgueiro

Tango Mix

I love listening to tango while studying. I have made a mix on 8tracks, which I am showing you right below. Normally, the site won't let you download the music directly, so I think it may be a good idea to find another way to share music with you.

Yes, I own these tracks, and if anybody gets offended by my non-benefit sharing here, please let me know so I can remove the download link. Remember, my blog doesn't host the music files, and I am totally broke so don't sue me, thank you very much.

I really love the music, and so will you.  You can thank me by keeping me in your thoughts and sending me some positive energy so I can study well. Oh, you can also check out another related post about tango right here.


Track List:

It's the Tango, yo!

1. A Media Luz - Trio Pantango
2. Peliculas - Demoliendo Tangos
3. Malena - Sexteto Mayor
4. L'ete Indien - Quadro Nuevo
5. Fruta Amarga - Lidia Borda
6. La Comparsita - Villurca
7. El Choclo - Maria Grana
8. Oblivion - Astor Piazzolla

Alright then, Peace, love, and sexy rhythm.

Coloratura

It's Coloratura

Coloratura: A soprano or tenor voice of great range, agility and delicacy. Famous coloratura roles include The Magic Flute's Queen of the Night, many bel canto heroes and heroines and various opera lyrique female role (notably by Gounod and Thomas.) This is verbatim from the fourth edition of Rough Guide to Opera. One of my classes at Goucher required the book, which is currently listed at Amazon.com up to nearly a thousand bucks!

I don't include the notoriously difficult Queen's aria though, yet I throw in Figaro  from Rossini's Il Barbiere di Sivigliato, just because it's awesome!

Baroque Arias Mix

Oh so Somber

I made this mix ages ago. I enjoy the very well-structured measure of Baroque music, yet sometimes I dread the numerous recitative in the company of the oh so somber basso continuo characteristic of operas at the time. Personally, I prefer listening to some Bach or Vivaldi when I study as I focus more, and my emotions don't stray too far from the desk as in the case of music in the Romantic period.

In this mix, you will get to hear two of my favorite artists - Cecilia Bartoli and Phillipe Jaroussky. I've heard people criticize the former for not having a strong voice and the latter for being too commercial. Frankly, my dear, I don't give a dime.

You can also check out my other jams here at 8track. 

Verdi's Chorus

La Traviata

Well, growing up in Vietnam means that I got to listen to Red Propaganda music all the time. When I was in elementary school, my first operatic experience came from a remix of The Flowers Duet randomly played in the background of a radio ads. I remember thinking that it was the most heavenly sound any human could make. When I moved here, I didn't care much for opera until this one fateful night during my Sophomore year at Goucher. I was miserable writing this lab report on fruit flies while I clicked on an internet radio that happened to play opera. I found myself dropping everything to listen to the first two acts of Verdi's Il Trovatore. On that night, I found myself a life long companion.

I often find the opera plot confusing, and it was quite hard for me at first to see why someone has the strength to sing on for another twenty minutes before dying of consumption. A possible argument is that the chronological perception of everyday life shouldn't be clumsily applied to operas. The never ending arias that seem to delay actions are actually elaboration of several highly dramatic moments that generate the whole plot. Moreover, I know someone dies right away without uttering a note when death comes for her, ask Carmen for more information.

Yes, it's the Anvil Chorus of Il Trovatore! They are obviously drunk and boasting about their bosomy women. I like this clip since it also includes the haunting Azucena's Burn Baby Burn aria. The old gypsy in her mad rage threw in the fire her own child instead of her enemy's. This is supposed to be a secret, but being old and bitter, she bursts it out anyway. Of course, her "son" is there listening to the whole thing. As he confronts her about this, she goes "Nothing, child" on him while probably thinking "Crap!" inside.



This clip below comes from Verdi's Nabucco. The Jews are lamenting their exile from Babylon. I have a feeling that personal tragedy is a powerful source of inspiration. Verdi lost his whole family around the time he composed the opera. When Verdi died of a stroke in his late 80s, thousands of people mourned him with this famous chorus. As you can see, it receives such popularity that there is an encore!



I think that the Sassy Gay Friend will have a day trip talking to the title character of Verdi's Aida. The slave princess hides in the tomb in which her lover is to be buried alive, but I will save this talk for the future. For now, I'd like to present the glorious Triumphal March celebrating the Egyptian victory over the Ethiopian.



Do you know why I choose these to show you? I sang once. Consider that my singing voice sounds like a voodoo princess in heat, I faked my way to nearly the operatic top by singing once in the Naval Academy's chorus through the yearly collaboration of Goucher College. Or shall I say, pretending to sing and mostly fawning over guys with toned abs showing majestically through their impeccably white attires?

Tango

You know what is really hot? That's right, it's the tango. You know what is even hotter? Let me tell you, it's when two men dancing the tango together. In Argentina, it's called Queer Tango. The videos I am about to show you do not focus on the romantic same-sex relationship between the dancers; more likely, I intend to applaud the freedom from the hetero-normative codes in ballroom dances.

Men Tango

My dancer friends at Goucher are probably more knowledgeable than me about the aestheticism of ball room dances. I like ballet, ballroom dancing and dance composition and all, but the whole mechanistic minimalist modern dance sometimes performed at Goucher just didn't claim its place in my heart. I don't want to have a fixed prejudice against any art form. If I did, I would be in perpetual lamentation whenever an aria is sung and I wouldn't be risking my life taking the ghetto bus to go see old opera shown on a screen at the local movie theater. Anyway, There is a ball room dance class at Goucher, which is always in dire need of dancing guys. I decided to take the Jujitsu class instead, and I regretted my decision till this day.

Excuse my digression, the men in the clip below don't execute the common tango moves I see in the ballroom, yet I love the music very much. It's La Cumparsita, authentically tango, interpreted through modern dance - the good kind.



As you can see, the more the merrier. I like the staging here, you can play around with the Yin-Yang ideas, good vs. evil and the whole cornucopia.



And finally, when you decide to bring the dance out of the stage onto the street, and it's New York city. They are brothers, by the way. What a sumptuous visual experience.



Totally hot, I know.

Chopin Piano Concerto No.2 in F Minor Op.21

Frédéric François Chopin

I love the second movement, which makes me feel so peacefully pensive. I was thinking about Evgeny Kissin's rendition, but I decide to post Aimi Kobayashi's instead. She has a very distinct vivacity that is quite exhilarating to enjoy. I find her expressive nature genuine, not hysterically histrionic like Lang Lang. Ugh, maybe he deserves a second chance, who knows?

My MCAT prep is quite physically draining. I found this studying schedule some guy posted on the Student doctor forum, and am trying to catch up with it. Basically, it tries to squeeze my entire career of science undergrad in three months. What a bitch. Consider that the test is allegedly the only thing that stops me from obtaining the entrance ticket, I shouldn't be complaining.

My sister saw a ghost in the hallway this weekend. She diverted her fear to merry-making quite skillfully by poking fun at me since I am forever haunted by that movie The Hills Have Eyes (the remade one, I haven't seen the original, and I don't ever want to.) The story is that we got lost once in Nevada on the way back from Las Vegas to Orange County. I refused to leave the car as the household went into this sketchy gas station in the middle of the nowhere-but-the-desert to ask for direction. I was literally screaming and hissing and begging them to leave that god-forsaken hell-hole even though the car was running out of gas, the air conditioning system stopped working, and my infant nephew passed out from the heat.

Anyway, to calm me down, here is the beautiful Second Concerto. Enjoy.

[Update 05/03/12] The clips were removed. Please savor Mr. Kissin's rendtion!

Chopin Piano Concerto No.1 in E Minor Op.11

Frédéric François Chopin

Garrick Ohlsson and Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Antoni Wit, from Chopin's 200th Birthday Celebration Concert at the Polish National Opera, Warsaw, on the First of March, 2010. This is such a stupendous performance. I'm not savvy enough to interpret the playing and analyze the nuts and bolts, but I really enjoy the experience. I've never heard of Mr. Ohlsson before this, but he is getting on my list of favorite pianists. I find Lang Lang very irritable to watch, so excuse me if you think he's entertaining.

I have this strange sensation whenever I listen to music in this period. I feel like there is a cluster of  hidden sentiments churning down from my stomach, incubating into this undulating mixture of very conflicting emotions rising up to my throat - and I realize that I am holding my breath listening to the music, fixing my eyes at the musicians without a blink. I wish Chopin could have written more concertos like this. He was such a bad ass: this piece was among the only orchestral pieces he ever wrote, of course to honor the beauty of the piano. There are also chamber versions existing somewhere, I've heard!

In a piano concerto, which one do you think is more important: the piano or the orchestra? Which one enlivens the other or they are there equivalently to make sweet love to each other and spill the orgasmic juice in your ears? Ah! I must be thinking about that movie already, you know what I'm talking about, yes, Jane Campion's very poetic The Piano.

Okay alright, enough rambling, enjoy the magic, y'all.

[Update 05/03/12] Well, obviously, since the "YouTube account associated with this video has been terminated due to multiple third-party notifications of copyright infringement..." blah blah blah, I have to post another performance instead. This is Daniil Trifonov with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

Dubstep your mom

This is a very nasty dubstep mix I put together from some of my favorites. For some reasons, it only works with Firefox.