I totally missed the news last December about my favorite Taiwan band Wonfu's reincarnation as Wonfu Jr. (not to mention their appearance at SXSW last month). Inspired by their 2009 visit to the Rock ’n’ Roll Camp for Girls in Portland, Oregon, Wonfu decided to append a "Jr." to their name and make an album geared towards children — which I think is pretty cool. They sound as bright and fabulous as ever. And I'm very much looking forward to hearing their new album. Here's the title track, guaranteed to make you hit replay!
"Flying to You, Flying to Me"
Showing posts with label Video Jukebox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Video Jukebox. Show all posts
Soft Film Video Jukebox: Billie Tam
Hong Kong singer Billie Tam (蓓蕾) started off singing traditional ditties and standard shi dai qu but eventually found her success with an image and style more in tune with the times. In 1964 she scored a huge hit with "Enjoy Yourself Tonight", which was subsequently featured in The Joy of Spring (1966). It's one of the "Missing Shaw Films" that I've been dying to see — even more so after getting a glimpse of my favorite tomgirl Allyson Chang Yen in the video below.
Next up is a song from the Cathay film Little Matchmaker (1967). The scene shows an annoyed Zhang Yang stuck on the dance floor with an eager Fanny Fan, but the real attraction is the vivacious and foxy Miss Tam, seen here in a rare on-screen appearance.
Next up is a song from the Cathay film Little Matchmaker (1967). The scene shows an annoyed Zhang Yang stuck on the dance floor with an eager Fanny Fan, but the real attraction is the vivacious and foxy Miss Tam, seen here in a rare on-screen appearance.
2 x Wonfu
OK, here's some infectious bubblegum pop from my new favorite band Wonfu to cleanse your palate after yesterday's death-filled post. The following songs from their 2007 album Dance of Youth are sure to put a smile on your face. Look out for their dog (and bandleader) Ringo, who makes an appearance in both videos.
"Everyday"
"Wei Wu"
"Everyday"
"Wei Wu"
Soft Film Video Jukebox: Wonfu
One of the shopping highlights of my recent Hong Kong trip was coming across the new CD by Wonfu. I first heard about them several years ago on the sadly defunct Chinese indie music blog, My Randomness, but never got around to buying any of their albums.
However, thanks to the latest issue of Giant Robot, which I brought along to read on the plane, I was reintroduced to this wonderful Taiwanese band. Evidently, they visited the U.S. last October as part of a cultural exchange program sponsored by the government of Taiwan. Needless to say that I'm bummed about missing their shows in Berkeley and San Francisco.
So when I saw their new CD, Wonfu Loves You, at a shop in Hong Kong, I snatched it right up. Their music is pure pop delight and — as they say on their MySpace page — sounds like a smiling face.
Here's one of my favorite songs from the album: "印倫情人" (Indian Lover).
Soft Film Video Jukebox: Rebecca Pan
If you missed Hong Kong in the 60s on Lucky Cat Zoë's radio show last week, then you are in luck. The podcast is now available on her blog. It was a fun — and funny — show. Besides debuting their new song, "When You Were Dreaming", the band also shared their recent discovery of a delightful tune by Rebecca Pan called "Willow Pattern Blues", released in the U.K. in 1965 as the B-side of "Will the Orange Blossoms Smile" (which they played on the show).
The single was one of several that Rebecca recorded for the Parlophone label under the name Ching. Both songs were written by Iain Kerr and Roy Cowan, a musical comedy duo who toured internationally for years as "Goldberg & Solomon" in their popular show Gilbert & Sullivan Go Kosher. A newspaper ad for their follow-up, Slightly Jewish and Madly Gay, touted them as "those two crowned gnomes of nonsense" (The Sydney Morning Herald, March 14, 1977).
As for "Willow Pattern Blues", it's a tasty little morsel of tongue-in-cheek Orientalism that's addictively charming all by itself. But the following homemade video by boogetman65 will have you playing the song over and over again!
The single was one of several that Rebecca recorded for the Parlophone label under the name Ching. Both songs were written by Iain Kerr and Roy Cowan, a musical comedy duo who toured internationally for years as "Goldberg & Solomon" in their popular show Gilbert & Sullivan Go Kosher. A newspaper ad for their follow-up, Slightly Jewish and Madly Gay, touted them as "those two crowned gnomes of nonsense" (The Sydney Morning Herald, March 14, 1977).
As for "Willow Pattern Blues", it's a tasty little morsel of tongue-in-cheek Orientalism that's addictively charming all by itself. But the following homemade video by boogetman65 will have you playing the song over and over again!
Soft Film Video Jukebox: PixelToy & at17
A musical oasis in Hong Kong's wasteland of prefab Cantopop, record label People Mountain People Sea is the home of my two favorite Hong Kong bands, PixelToy and at17. Both are featured in this charming DIY video for the song 漂亮 ("Beautiful"), which appeared on PixelToy's debut album Science of Love (2005). They are joined by PMPS founder, Hong Kong alt music pioneer, and drama queen, Anthony Wong Yiu-ming.
Soft Film Video Jukebox: Mavis Fan & 100%
Whenever I go to Hong Kong, I always miss something cool that's happening either the week before or after my visit. This trip was no exception. Just days before my arrival there was a two-day music festival featuring two of my favorite Taiwanese singers, Mavis Fan and Cheer Chen. Damn! :'(
Oh well... at least I was able to console myself with Mavis's new CD, Innocent, her first full-length album in nearly five years. As always, Mavis has a cool new look and sound. Here's "Zhu Ren" ("Master"), one of my favorite songs off the album.
Soft Film Video Jukebox: Cheer Chen
This week I'm featuring another one of my favorite Taiwanese singer-songwriters, Cheer Chen. While I'm not that familiar with her earlier acoustic work, two of her later rock albums that I own — Groupies (2002) and A Fabulous Adventure (2005) — are among my most frequently played CDs. For an overview of Cheer's career, listen to this webcast from China Radio International's "China Beat" program. Or just check out the following video for "Groupies", a delightful and humorous take on the starry-eyed, adrenaline-rush fantasy that comes with being a devoted fan.
Soft Film Video Jukebox: Grace Chang
I'm sure you won't find this song on any of Grace Chang's greatest hits CDs, but "The Flying Car Song" from the 1959 film Our Dream Car is so charming that even people like me, who dislike cars and the inherently selfish culture of the automobile, will find themselves whistling along, nodding their heads in agreement to such memorable lines as "I can drive as fast as I like without any worries / It's like a rocket flying in the sky / I'm so happy that I can fly". So fasten your seat belts and let the lovely Miss Grace take you on a road trip back to the golden days of capitalist consumer culture!
Soft Film Video Jukebox: Mavis Fan
The first time I came across Taiwanese singer Mavis Fan was opposite Jacky Cheung in The Private Eye Blues (1994), where she played a hyperactive teenage girl with paranormal powers on the run in Hong Kong from mainland China's Communist government. It was only much later that I found out about Mavis's music at My Randomness (a wonderful, but sadly defunct, blog about alternative Asian pop) and instantly fell in love with her quirky personality and eclectic style.
From cute-as-a-button bubblegum pop star to tattooed indie rock diva, Mavis is in constant transformation and always full of surprises. To learn — and hear — more about her unique musical career, check out this webcast from China Radio International's "China Beat" program. And take a peek too at her super cool website.
The following song "Why? Oh! Why?" comes from her 2004 album Is There Another Way? The video — candy-colored and psychedelic-lite, featuring an all-Mavis band — pretty much captures everything I like about the enchanting Miss Fan.
From cute-as-a-button bubblegum pop star to tattooed indie rock diva, Mavis is in constant transformation and always full of surprises. To learn — and hear — more about her unique musical career, check out this webcast from China Radio International's "China Beat" program. And take a peek too at her super cool website.
The following song "Why? Oh! Why?" comes from her 2004 album Is There Another Way? The video — candy-colored and psychedelic-lite, featuring an all-Mavis band — pretty much captures everything I like about the enchanting Miss Fan.
Soft Film Video Jukebox: Connie Chan
Before I started this blog, I spent nearly two-and-a-half years creating and maintaining a website devoted to Connie Chan, 1960s Cantonese teen idol extraordinaire. Yep, Connie did it all: Chinese opera, action, comedy, martial arts, melodrama, romance — sometimes all within a single movie!
Connie's contemporary films almost always featured a couple of songs, which were also released on 45rpm EP records. Mixing elements of Cantonese folk melodies and Western popular music, her songs helped give birth to what would later become known as Cantopop.
A splendid example of Connie's hybrid pop sound is the following song from Lady Bond Strikes Again (1966), which takes "Do-Re-Mi" from The Sound of Music and turns it into “Let’s Practice Kung Fu Fighting”!
Although Connie's legendary Lady Bond movies are criminally unavailable on DVD, you can at least get a taste from M59's wonderful homemade music video. The translated lyrics below are courtesy of Connie Chan fans Webbburt and Cindy Law.
Connie's contemporary films almost always featured a couple of songs, which were also released on 45rpm EP records. Mixing elements of Cantonese folk melodies and Western popular music, her songs helped give birth to what would later become known as Cantopop.
A splendid example of Connie's hybrid pop sound is the following song from Lady Bond Strikes Again (1966), which takes "Do-Re-Mi" from The Sound of Music and turns it into “Let’s Practice Kung Fu Fighting”!
Although Connie's legendary Lady Bond movies are criminally unavailable on DVD, you can at least get a taste from M59's wonderful homemade music video. The translated lyrics below are courtesy of Connie Chan fans Webbburt and Cindy Law.
“Let’s Practice Kung Fu Fighting”
from Lady Bond Strikes Again (1966)
Throwing a punch and a kick requires method
(repeat verse)
The energy and agility must be appropriate
(repeat verse)
Eyes in four directions, while ears in eight
Keep the cool, facing battle without haste
(Practice our kung fu, even better than James Bond
The fast paced attack is fun)
Attack the enemy while he is not on guard
(Let’s practice till we are strong as King Kong)
Hope everybody will be diligent in practicing
(But we must strengthen our physique first)
This kung fu tactic is fierce as it uses both fists
(Yes, this one is very fierce)
This kung fu tactic is to target the enemy’s stomach
(Yes, hit the enemy’s stomach)
This kung fu tactic is to make the enemy underestimate our tiger-fierce attacks
(Yes, this tactic is really tricky and very effective)
Attacking the enemy with a few quick punches is hard to defend
(repeat verse)
This kung fu tactic flies like a butterfly, stings like a bee
(repeat verse)
This kung fu tactic flies like a ruthless eagle
(repeat verse)
This kung fu tactic kills without the enemy even knowing
(repeat verse)
This kung fu tactic gives the enemy a misty eye so he can’t defend
(repeat verse)
Soft Film Video Jukebox: PixelToy
Today, I suddenly had the urge to expand the parameters of my blog a bit. Inspired by Todd's weekly blog feature "Friday's best pop song ever", I've decided to do something similar and showcase some of the Chinese pop — both old and new — that I like to listen to.
First up on the Soft Film Video Jukebox is "喘一口氣" by PixelToy, one of my favorite Hong Kong pop duos. When I visited HK a year and a half ago, I had the good fortune of catching them perform in an intimate show (most of the audience was sitting on the floor) at kubrick, one of HK's coolest bookstores. The following song from their 2005 debut album, Science of Love, is typical of the delectable and surprising pop confections cooked up by band members Shan Ho and Candy Wu.
First up on the Soft Film Video Jukebox is "喘一口氣" by PixelToy, one of my favorite Hong Kong pop duos. When I visited HK a year and a half ago, I had the good fortune of catching them perform in an intimate show (most of the audience was sitting on the floor) at kubrick, one of HK's coolest bookstores. The following song from their 2005 debut album, Science of Love, is typical of the delectable and surprising pop confections cooked up by band members Shan Ho and Candy Wu.
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