I got hooked up! Rihanna - Umbrella

I never even try to resist!
Ever since the first time I listened to it, I got hooked up. Rihanna’s voice and the catchy melody really work well together. I especially love the beat and the haunting synth line! (Yes, my past life was a robot…)

When the sun shines, we’ll shine together
Told you I’ll be here forever
Said I’ll always be a friend
Took an oath I’ma stick it out till the end
Now that it’s raining more than ever
Know that we’ll still have each other
You can stand under my umbrella
You can stand under my umbrella

Simple but catchy. By the way, the new album Good Girl Gone Bad of Rihanna is totally synthesized. Cool job Jay-Z!

How Rebellious is your Gaze?

One thing about being gay is that you can never easily ignore the interaction with your surroundings. You would always wonder the difference between you and other people: why do other boys stare at other girls’ bosoms when you stare those goggling boys? With that awareness, it might lead to a grander vision of so-called “communities”. When I was back in the college learning about the evolution of media history, and how they were capitalized and controlled by corporations, with alarming examples of Taiwanese press as reference, I began to wonder, “what if the media don’t tell us the ‘Truth’?”

For a long time, gay people have been considered as an inferior community, as well as females and some special diseases sufferers, such as albinos and lepers, which explains why there are non-profit organizations and supporting groups to proclaim the human rights to these minorities. I have read Iron (張鐵志, Chang Tieh-chih) before I met him briefly once. His first book, 聲音與憤怒: 搖滾樂可能改變世界嗎? (Sounds and Fury: Can Rock & Roll Change The World?), was a bomb to my barren mind.

I heard of “punk” the term, but didn’t know much about its origin is mainly to fight against the authority. It’s a non-violent(!?) war between classes and ideologies. It’s a desire to reform the society. It’s an urge to change the world. The stories Iron told in his book lightened my mind, blasted out my path to the social root of rock music, and also seeded me a hope that “Another World Is Possible”. Coldplay is not anymore a band to me, but a band with social conscience; Live 8 is no longer a big extravagant international gig, but a global event to get everyone’s attention to Make Poverty History. I came to believe that through music and other arts, or personal act, the world could be changed.

In February 2007, Iron released his second book 反叛的凝視: 他們如何改變世界? (The Rebellious Gaze: How Have They Changed the World?). As a PhD candidate in political science at Columbia University, he took various examples of American social events and icons to narrate the struggles and changes of people who wish for a better world. The book is composed of three main parts: How Has History Inspired the Current Struggle?, How Does Culture Change Politics?, and How Do People Have the Power?. The interesting thing I discovered during my reading is that I didn’t feel I was reading it as a gay man who has the reason to be angry and fight for the denied legal rights, but as a single human who is concerned about the future of this declining world. You can sense his innocent passion through his tone, while his “rebellious gaze” rayed through the paragraphs and structures. He urges us the readers to pursue the ideals to bring out a better place, and encourages us to overcome the complicated reality little by little. I find conscience, in his words, and also within his handshake.

I don’t think I could ever forget his handshake. It was Formoz Festival 2006 in Taipei. Dirty Pretty Thing was in the town to rock the house, and I was one of the local crew. The press interview before the gig was set in the hotel they stayed. Iron came in the room with other two acquaintances of mine. When he introduced himself, I was so thrilled that I could only reach out my hand to him and say, “I have read your book and it inspired me!” He gave me a firm smile. I admire that innocence, and I wish it would never be gone.

Iron’s music blog: A Radical Rocker
Iron’s social/politics blog: Sounds and Fury
and they are all in Chinese mainly.

Yoga Mama and Unrecognizable Veggies

Time to kick myself in the butt and squeeze out some going-ons and have-beens in my side of story.

This year I got the chance to plan the whole Mother’s Day event (before me, it seems to be my dad who’s in charge, and he’s the only one frankly). According to my developing LOHAS lifestyle and health awareness, I chose a vegetarian restaurant. Hui Liu is not a regular one that common veggie lovers or Buddhism practicers would go frequently, since it presents an innovative, exquisite, and eastern-and-western styles mixture cuisine. Also the retro, natural, and bambooish interior design adds more trendy and hip texture to it, which may imply that it is for people who want to spend the money on eating green leaves to make them feel better, healthier, and “in” (the trend). But to me, being a fancy son, I only try to feed my family some creative stuff.

Somehow I forgot my younger sister, Eileen, has a severe ill-balanced appetite about vegetables. She really had a hard time dining there. The food mixed up organic veggie chunks and delicately cooking skills. While Eileen put aside most of the food after one sip or bite, my parents and I were having our own fun guessing what those plants/ingredients actually were.

“I think those little tarts are made of corn powder and millet…”

“Yeah! And those eggplants with tomato sauce taste like pizza!”

“Is that red stuff on the steamed tofu Monascus?”

“Or beet powder?” I felt like going back through my high school biology course. Don’t get it wrong, I enjoyed it.

As for the present, two weeks before the Day I came up with the idea to sign up my mom to a yoga course. Owing to she didn’t do much exercise ever since she had her knee replacement surgery, and I really am concerned about her gaining weight and weakened knee. When I discussed with Eileen about yoga idea, she did have some fun with that!

“Oh! Mom’s gonna hate us for this one!”

She pointed out the course schedule and jokingly sneered, “Power Yoga: Good for sweat!”

“Yeah, she will hate us for sure, and I will hate you too. ‘Cause I would waste the money on some course that mom would never go.”

“Well then how about this?” I just ignored the “Cardio Yoga” she smiled at.

Anyway we ended up with a reasonable choice: “Soothing yoga: for beginners”. Even so, I still wonder if my mom would be a good girl to show up in the class regularly. Sometimes it’s not easy for people to accept/try new things after they pass certain age gap. Probably I would sign up also for being her company, and make my 2,500 dollars worthwhile.

Indie Invasions

2007 destines to be a marvelous and exciting year for indie scenes. In January, The Shins‘ Wincing The Night Away debuted at No.2 on the Billboard 200, and now we have another phenomenon.

Eagerly anticipated sophomore album, Neon Bible, from this Montreal-based new hot sensation, Arcade Fire, just likewise embraced an amazing No.2 on Billboard, for 92,000 copies moved in its first week. It seems their international tours and live gigs pulled a massive growth of huge devotees over the world. Even the Weekly Top Chart of Last.fm is overwhelmingly taken over by this 7-piece band. Awesome!

Neon Bible comes in standard edition and special edition. The later contains one cardboard box with 3D cover art (a neon bible, of course), a booklet with lyrics (context arranged as Bible, you will know what I mean) and 2 flip books designed by the band. Compared to their 2004/2005 debut The Funeral wrapped in only paper case (not saying the quality is not good though), this is really extravagant to own. I think we probably should thank Mercury UK for its distribution. But, to support the indie label Merge Records, please purchase it here.

Related news can be found on Pitchfork and CMJ. To find out their promo tour schedule, please go here.

Check out their brilliant live performance of “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)” on Later with Jools Holland (BBC).

Queen Bjork release Volta in May

I was just thinking about the answer when people ask me, “who is your favorite artist?” then I saw this title on my personal start page.

Icelandic alternative queen Bjork, my all-time favorite, is going to release her latest studio album in May. “Volta” is the name. 10 songs produced by herself and guest list includes infamous hip-hop producer Timbaland (he DOES produce everyone!), two African artists, and a Chinese pipa player(!!). It is extraordinarily surprising to know that after Medulla which has Japanese collaborator, now Chinese tradional instrument will have its place in her music. Exciting!!

Thorough information please check her official website here.

For warming up, let’s review one of her best singles “Pagan Poetry”, live in Riverside Church, New York, 2001.