Sometimes I feel lazy: Presenting Jose Gonzalez

So I simply don't search, but just present stuff that isn't 'new'. Now before you start howling at me like a monkey given a rotten banana, just tell yourself, do you know who Jose Gonzalez is? By the look of you throwing the rotten banana splat back at my face I'm assuming you do know him. If not, then shove the banana in your mouth.

The first time I ever got acquainted with Jose Gonzalez was back in 2006, when I was into watching machinimas. Don't ask me what that is, look it up man. In this blog, only I have the right to be lazy. Anyways, I was watching this battlefield 2 machinima and Jose Gonzalez's version of 'Heartbeats' was on.

Instantly fell in love.

I looked him up, then found more of his music, all equally enchanting. This man is quite the master of the guitar. His vocals are simple, but god they can't be more right.

There's nothing dishonest about it really. He doesn't try anything fancy with his voice, neither does he put in unnecessary amount of instrumentals, let alone any sort of electronic sounds, even a synth. I love some great simple instrumentals, something that draws me to piano virtuosos as well. In this case, Mr. Gonzalez is truly a virtuoso.

And did you know, he was featured in the soundtrack for the Rockstar game, Red Dead Redemption? With this one:

Just simply amazing. His new music only gets better and better. This one was from the film, the Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

There's something about Mr. Gonzalez that doesn't hide anything. He shows his music as it is, if you get what I mean. Well, that's how I feel it, but I really do get that these songs sound, and come to me much more personally than any other guitar/lyric song that I've heard in my lifetime. Maybe save for other few artists I might feature here because I got lazy again, and some that I'll discover later, who knows. What I do know though, is that Mr. Gonzalez is a talented man, with a great career ahead of him. If you didn't know him, no shame on you, since that's my job, to keep you all informed of what's good out there. Albeit what I think is good. I shall be indoctrinating you into my musical empire.

This was the jukebox, always attempting to brainwash you. Cheers!

What's With Japanese Guitarists Being So Good?: Presenting Kotaro Oshio

Or what's with me being such an Orientophile when it comes to music? Hello, my name is Alex the menace and today we have Kotaro Oshio as the feature of this corner of the world wide web where you literally get random music (GOOD music, I tell you), selected by a random Asian guy.

In any case, let's get started. So I was talking to a friend, whose name is coincidentally Kotaro, and he literally just blurted this guy out. Like a typical music junkie who needs constant injections of syringes full of new music, I searched and came upon this:

Pretty nice and calm huh? There's no lack of technical dexterity with this guy though. I'm not going to go into explaining his bio because, honestly a musician speaks with his music, ergo, I justify my laziness again. But seriously though, I do enough don't you think?

Moving on, here's one that sounds more like Depapepe

What a nice smile. I can swim in that, like, swim in his mouth or something as he smiles. That sounded weird but I'm not going to edit that, since I never edit anything here. This blog is about honesty and showing my deepest fetishes. In any case, that piece just demonstrates his superior technical dominance on the guitar fabulously. He literally employs everything possible that comes with steel string acoustic guitar playing. Gives a nice pace and a hooky melody line too.

He's quite popular with Koreans too I think. So much that the title of this next song has been translated into Korean on Youtube. Well, anyone could have done that but yeah, Koreans are great, and I'm not speaking under any bias. Shoot me if you don't believe me.

Just in case you were curious that song was called, 'that summer's white clouds'.

A couple more because I'm a bit running out of steam trying to type.

Gosh, another reason for me to keep coming back to this blog with my earphones on. Yes, I primarily upload on this blog for my own pleasure, but that should be a good news for you too! That's basically a guarantee on quality control, since why would I love to throw shit into my own ears? That's why next post will be on Nicki Minaj.

Just kidding, if no one gets humour among you that is. Or maybe I'm just bad at telling jokes. This was Alex, and for those who are getting on the subway in time with the London Underground's strike, better hurry your ass up in the morning, like this guy.

Since Robocop got rebooted, I'm rebooting stuff too: 'Re'presenting Depapepe

Actually the real reason is, fucking Sony took down all the videos I had attached to the post about Depapepe before this one, and because I discovered some new stuff from the duo lately. Thanks Sony, as if your film company's rehashing films over and over again isn't enough. Fortunately, Depapepe never get's old though.

So for those who haven't seen the old post yet, they are an acoustic guitar duo from Japan. Their style usually goes: one guy plays the chords, and the other plays the melody. Then they alternate. Check it out for yourself, this one is called Ripple.

So smooth, and so crisp. I used to cover these guys with a friend and believe me, it was damn hard to coordinate two guitars, especially the way they did it.

Here's a live clip of them.

Aside from the melody and all that, the fullness of their sound really gets me. It rings, but just enough so that it fills up the sound space when you listen to it. They're just two guitars, but it sounds like an entire ensemble of instruments playing altogether. Like this one.

Just, great, stuff. I'm not even going to waste words on it anymore.

Well okay I think that's enough for today. I think you get the point, that these guys are damn amazing.  And Sony, if you're reading this, I dare you, I double dare you to block me again. Man I'll be beating you at rebooting so much that you'll have to hire me. Motherfuckers. 

As for you my listeners. Thank you for being patient through my vulgar language and lack of explanations, which is another way to spell my laziness. This was the Dreaming Jukebox, peace out. 

Study Music Time: (Presenting Ludovico Einaudi)

No, actually not study music. More like drinking tea while scrolling down Facebook casually looking at other people's gorgeous lives while crying about mine music.

Ludovico Einaudi is an Italian pianist and composer who writes often for films. I first encountered his music on Les Intouchables, that beautiful movie. Check it out if you have time. Frankly I need to get some work done so I'm going to keep this short. Very short.

First off, Primavera:

Film scores are often my significant personal pleasures. Watch me as I put the Dark Knight and Man of Steel soundtracks here. I might as well, since the most listened to album on my smartphone is indeed: the Man of Steel OST, and the Halo OST. I'm not even kidding.

Kettle's boiling and I need some more tea. Let me occupy you with some more music. Here you go.

That was the music from Intouchables. Incredibly soothing isn't it? By the way for those of you who are wondering, yes I did go to get tea. What do you think I am, a liar? Do you think the internet is a place for lying? Do you? DO YOU?

Of course you don't. That's why you're here to listen to some music put up by a pompous showoff who thinks he can totally pull off an cravat.

But let me not do Mr. Einaudi further injustice.

Here is Oltremare

Why do these videos keep on showing landscape photos? Are they trying to do something zen-ish where you are supposed to relax looking at bundles of leaves on sticks while you listen to soothing music.

Anyways, let me not make this blog a garbage can of my thoughts (actually it is if you haven't noticed).

Mr. Einaudi's music does have that film score feeling to it, but it can certainly stand alone very well in my opinion. Not just as a background music but also a performance music. It's superb. Contemporary piano music just do not get the recognition it deserves in my opinion.

Anyways I am going to sign off by leaving you this other one from Les Intouchables. Beautiful piece once again. My name is Alex and you have been the most patient audience tonight. Ciao.

After Graduation, Is There Life? Morrie겠어.

If you got that awful pun above, my god, hats off to you. After three months I came back to this blog, because I honestly missed it. Amongst the frenzy of after graduation planning, I had forgotten about the Jukebox. But I don't want to forget about the Jukebox. There are so much memory, and so much joy that I left here! Therefore, today I moved on and accepted that I could not live without looking for new music, especially K-indie. So here goes another round of searching, and I pray I stick to my plan this time!

Morrie: born 1985, debuted in 2010, and has released three albums since. One album per year, and just from that I can see how dedicated she is.

What really grabbed at me first, was her voice. Soft, almost tickles my ears, and just flows very naturally. She is not overly exerting herself at any point, and becomes one with her singing. Try her music out first with this one.

The calm guitar melody just lets her voice seep into the music, and in the end you have this really comfortable feeling that makes you crave for more. Now you might know, if you've been here with me for the past year, you would know that I always have good music up. But seriously, I feel that Morrie ups the bar this time. A perfect artist to start off my new beginning.

This song I especially like. Particularly due to the horn section that gives a different spice to this song than her other songs, let alone other indie acoustic songs. The level of polyphony she achieves in the above song is truly remarkable.

Now you may ask, why is she wholly singing in English? The answer is that it's a Korean song. Korean songs nowadays will almost all the time have English. Point is though, with Morrie, I think the fact that it is English works perfectly as it would have if she was singing in Korean. Because here, she doesn't sing for the lyrics. She is singing for the music, as if her part is merely a gear in the entire mechanism that forms the music, and her voice just naturally glides along amongst the other instruments. And with her, you simply need to take in the music, and enjoy it as something unified, and wholly-made. In other words, just sit back and relax.

In closing, I shall leave you off with something that sounds very lively and makes you want to bounce around like a little princess, as I am doing now. I feel that it's a perfect song for the fresh start that I am making myself today. Enjoy!