Music : Feeling Good and iTunes Music Indonesia

I'm currently in the middle of an obsession toward one particular song, and unlike any other songs that I usually listen to, this song actually a jazz... The title is Feelin' Good, popularized by Nina Simone. I've been fascinated by the song for quite sometimes, and it has been covered by many singers, Muse for once, has covered it in one of the most popular cover song by an artist ever.

I don't know what attract me toward the song. But the moment I heard its opening phrase...

"bird's flying high, you know how I feel..."

I know I'm a goner. It's like having someone whisper on my neck and his breath tingle my spine. I don't really understand the meaning of the song. It feels more like the song that you will sing whenever you want to feel happy and good without paying attention to anything in particular. So, my playlist for the morning is just this one song but sung by many singers, from Nina Simone, Michael Buble, Muse, Rebecca Ferguson, to the current contestant of X-Factor USA, Carly Rose Sonenclaire. I love them all.

Another music related news. Apple finally open the iTunes music and movie store for Indonesia today.

I don't know whether to feel happy or down. I think as a user, I feel extremely happy. Finally, I can purchase the song I want to listen legally. iTunes library covers variety of genre from a wide timeline. It's not that difficult to find an old song there. 

On my professional side, I feel a little bit sad. Years ago, when I start my job at current office, my first project was an online music store. I feel quite a strong emotional bonding toward the service, eventhough I'm no longer in charge for it. So, after learned about the launch, for a moment I feel like there's somekind of evil aura haunted me from behind and threatening to throw me out of my place. It's like having a long time rival in the other school and abruptly he's moving to your school and snatched away your 1st place in class. Annoying to the level of infuriating.

I know that maybe I have to look at it on the brighter side. That maybe with the push of global player like Apple, finally Indonesia's music scene can move to a better condition. That maybe, starting from the higher economic level society, people will realize the importance of purchasing legal content. And with the fact that there is a widely known music store available, there's no longer excuses to buy or download the pirated one. In business side, well, there will always be enough business for us all.

I have purchased a song through it. I kinda feel foolishly dramatic when picking the first song I'll buy, I want to buy a song that I really like and appropriate to be a milestone of my digital lifestyle experience, buying a song through iTunes. So, after a long time browsing, I decided to buy Travis's Love Will Come Through. It is one of my all-time-favourite song, and accidentally, not part of my current songs library. I purchased it for IDR 5000 (approximately USD 0.5), a little cheaper than average song's price in US iTunes. The currency has already in IDR, for all store access from Indonesia has already changed its currency to IDR for a while. I browse through its library and found a genre of Malay and Indo Pop, featured singers and musicians from Malaysia and Indonesia. The library for this genre is still limited, but I think it just a matter of time until local artist put their musics in iTunes. Afterall, its the most reliable digital music store available right now.

Can you save me?

Lunafly - Superhero

Music: TVXQ - Catch Me

I've been restraining myself from doing this post, but actually, I think I have to do it anyway. It almost 2 years since TVXQ release an album, the last one is Keep Your Head Down, which is great and now they're back with Catch Me.

Before I talk about the album, let me introduce you to the group. TVXQ or Dong Bang Shin Ki in Korean, is South Korean boy group debut under the biggest entertainment agency in South Korea, SM Entertainment. Me, myself, has been their fan for almost 6 years. In the beginning, I was a fan of Japanese music, Japanese Rock music in particular and coincidentally, the people around me also japan-maniacs. One of my friend at the time, recommend me to listen to Tohoshinki (TVXQ's japanese name). Me, never put interest to a boyband before, dismiss the recommendation almost immediately, quoting: "even their name sounds ridiculous!".

Feel So High

It just one calm Sunday afternoon with Ayu and Zakki. We visited a little cafe called Carlo the Hut at Senayan City. It feels a little bit odd, because we visit Senayan City for God knows how many times, yet we never come to this little place. The cafe is homey, with unplastered brick wall, flowers -daisy, a lot of daisies, wooden furniture, comfy sofa, great food, and music...

There's one particular song that caught by my ear and stay on my mind for days after I visited Carlo the Hut. I was pretty sure that it is Des'ree, I googled it and found out that the title is 'Feel so High', and it turns out as Des'ree's first single. I like Des'ree, and I love the song. There's somekind of serene optimism and innocent carefree-ness that I feel when I listen to it. Who said that a girl have to always whining about everything. We can serenade a lovely tune and keep positive mindset about the world. This song is one of the proof for that, love it :)

I'm living for tomorrow not today, gotta make my plans so in caseI'll be prepared when I see you smiling

Cause I feel so high away, I'm reaching out for your skyI've boundless energies, I feel I could run a million miles

Reblog: Taufik Ismail tentang Chrisye

*transkrip ini didapat dari http://kambing.ui.ac.id/onnopurbo/library/library-islam/knowledge/ketika-mulut-tak-lagi-berkata.txt

Penyair Taufiq Ismail menulis sebuah artikel tentang Chrismansyah Rahadi(1949-2007) atau lebih dikenal sebagai Chrisye di majalah sastra HORISON. 

Chrismansyah Rahadi (1949-2007): KETIKA MULUT TAK LAGI BERKATA

- TAUFIQ ISMAIL

Di tahun 1997 saya bertemu Chrisye sehabis sebuah acara, dan dia berkata, "Bang, saya punya sebuah lagu. Saya sudah coba menuliskan kata-katanya, tapi saya tidak puas. Bisakah Abang tolong tuliskan liriknya?"

Karena saya suka lagu-lagu Chrisye, saya katakan bisa. Saya tanyakan kapan mesti selesai. Dia bilang sebulan. Menilik kegiatan saya yang lain, deadline sebulan itu bolehlah. Kaset lagu itu dikirimkannya, berikut keterangan berapa baris lirik diperlukan, dan untuk setiap larik berapa jumlah ketukannya, yang akan diisi dengan suku kata. Chrisye menginginkan puisi

relijius.

I wanna do something that matters, say something differentSomething that sets the whole world on its earI wanna do something better with the time I've been givenI wanna try to touch a few hearts in this lifeLeave nothing less than something that says "I was here"

[Lady Antebellum - I Was Here]

L'arc en Ciel 20th Anniversary World Tour

May 2nd, 2012 is perhaps one of the day of the year that certainly I will always remember. It's the time when, finally, I watch L'arc en Ciel live!

I know L'arc en Ciel since I was in 2nd grade of middle school. Some of my friend at the time were into this band. And the simple and britpop worshiper me, didn't understand the fascination. It was not until I was in highschool I actually listen to their music, and I love it!

Some people called them freak and weirdo, oh... yes, they're quite a weirdo, but that's what make them uniquely remarkable. L'arc en Ciel is the one that mainstreaming rock music in their homeland, Japan. Bring rock music to a wider audience through anime and movie. And among others, they are the one that introduce japanese rock music scene to the world. I bet on my hat that every non japanese j-rock fans starting with listening to L'arc en Ciel.

Birdy

Once upon a time, UK is the center of the world's cultural movement. From punk, skinhead, working class music... britpop, doc marten... name it. And then there's a shift, with the help of a bunch of good looking boys that adding the word 'band' as their last name and also some teenage girl with revealing outfit and ability to move as elastic as rubber, American music become the dominant force in the world. But maybe, just maybe, like what The Beatles did in the 60s, and britpop in mid 90s, once again british music will dominate the world.

And the first strike is a group of heavy talented girl with over the top voice, Amy Winehouse and Adele. Those two girl dominate the US chart and also global chart without being half naked or move like agitated snake, they does it with their amazing voice and beautiful live performance. They just great just the way they are. From Amy and Adele, I travel over the web and found other talented british musician like Ellie Goulding, and now Birdy. This girl is only 15, yes, and yet she can play the piano, she can sing and she can write and compose a song, duh! I fall in love with her voice, and her modest composure. Hey, not every teenager has to be like Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez or whoever else. She just amazing in her own way. 

Wonderful Adele

I watched this trailer of Adele's concert in Royal Albert Hall and feel so emotional. Adele is a wonderful singer. I fall in love with her music from the first time I listened to Chasing Pavement in the radio. I scream with joy when she won her first Grammy, and I definitely one of many people who swore that 21 is the best female singer album ever!

She shared the same birthday as my mother in the same year as I am, which make her just 3 days older than me, yet, she has inspired many girls in the world. You know, when I listen to her music, as a girl, I always think... "it is alright to be brokenhearted, it is great to pour your heart out of your sadness, but the most important thing is to get back to your feet and show the world that you are a big girl! Yes, big girl do cry, but we're not crying forever!"

Twilight the movie soundtrack

Kembali soal Twilight... karena saya lagi tergila-gila banget ama Edward Cullen... ^^

Baru buka official site nya Stephenie Meyer, dan dapet info soal soundtrack untuk Twilight the movie...

1. Muse — Supermassive Black Hole
2. Paramore — Decode
3. The Black Ghosts — Full Moon
4. Linkin Park — Leave Out All The Rest
5. MuteMath — Spotlight (Twilight Mix)
6. Perry Farrell — Going All The Way (Into The Twilight)
7. Collective Soul — Tremble For My Beloved
8. Paramore — I Caught Myself
9. Blue Foundation — Eyes On Fire
10. Rob Pattinson — Never Think
11. Iron & Wine — Flightless Bird, American Mouth
12. Carter Burwell — Bella's Lullaby

Pas pertama baca daftar penyanyinya saya langsung WOW... hahaha... menambah beberapa nilai plus buat menunggu-nunggu filmnya rilis. Saya sudah denger Decode dari Paramore, dan selayaknya saya suka Paramore, saya pun suka lagu ini (bisa didenger di offi site nya stephenie kalo mau).

Ha... I love every bit of this novel... and I LOVE EDWARD CULLEN!!!