Kpop: Jay Park - Want It (원해)

OK, I can't let this go and that is just because (as some people would say) the sick beats. Jay Park is a great artist and just that intro is worth listening to the song. And then the slightly psycedelic end. This album has really been getting some love production-wise. I also like it when he taps into his crazy side with out going all cute-crazy G-Dragon "Crayon".

• Jay Park ft Genius Nochang & B-Free - Want It (원해)

Jpop: Aimer - If I Hadn't Met You (Winter Flowers in the Summer Snow)

A bit unusual this one; this is the ending theme for a fairly uninteresting anime called "Natsuyuki Rendezvous", but the video and song with japanese singer Aimer is instead eclipsing the series as it has so much emotion and empathy to make it hard not to like. The video is not directly related to the series (I think) but is instead about a love between two girls depicted quite sweetly. The lyrics you can find here.

• Aimer - If I Hadn't Met You (Winter Flowers in the Summer Snow)

Jpop: Rebecca ft Charisma.com

This is a really cool cooperation - the front singer Rebecca of a 80s rock band Nokko and modern rap duo Charisma.com does a nice electronic dance track out of a hit from 1985. Love the sound and contrast between the voices.

• Rebecca ft Charisma.com - Friends (フレンズ)
• Rebecca - Friends (original sound)

Mandopop: Tizzy Bac

The indie trio Tizzy Bac from Taiwan has been around since 1999 and with the vocals of Chen Huiting they have a nice sound that I really fits the small hours of night, both a little dark but still hopeful somehow.

• Tizzy Bac - Forgot (忘記丟掉)
• Tizzy Bac - One by One oh We're Gonna Die
• Tizzy bac - After Dinner Sweetheart (飯後甜心)
• Tizzy Bac - The Sunday Afternoon Housewives Hour (周日午后的婦女時間)
• Tizzy Bac - Someone (有人)
• Tizzy Bac - Who ate my brain (是誰吃了我的腦)
• Tizzy Bac - That cost me too much (達特寇斯特米吐馬齊)
• Tizzy Bac - Russian roulette (俄羅斯輪盤)
• Tizzy Bac - Anything can tempt me (甚麼事都叫我分心)

Mandopop: Xiao Ai & The Flowers band (小愛與花兒樂隊)

The Flowers Band (花兒樂隊) was disbanded in 2009 after 11 years of existence, but now it has revived with a new constellation where young Chinese-American calling herself Xiao Ai ("Lille Love") heads the band into the territory where several western rock bands has been very successful - rock with a female voice.

• Xiao Ai & The Flowers band - Return of the King (王者歸來)

Kpop: 9Muses - Sleepless Nights (잠은 안오고 배는 고프고)

9Muses last video "Heart Locker" was one of my summer's disappointments, but with winter returning (and before the month of corny Christmas kpop songs) there was plenty of possibilities for a comeback with the new song. Hearing that it would be more like a ballad, I felt the odds was stacking against them as I usually don't like slow tempo kpop, but as such things goes this is pretty OK. Having Brave Brothers as producers helps ofc too. But I still their more usual stuff like we saw last in "Drama" last winter...

• 9Muses - Sleepless Nights (잠은 안오고 배는 고프고)

Jpop: Bed In (ベッド・イン)

This odd band with the name Beddo In (which comes directly from the english words "bed in", and which in Japan means to seduce someone and/or get them into bed) at first glance be easy to dismiss as a kind of bad taste version of the idol bands that use scantily clad young girls. But below the surface they are actually more than that. The first obvious thing is that the two female singers is obviously "overage" for this genre where you're usually ripe when over 25. The second thing is that their songs is actually quite interesting, and one of the girls even play an instrument when live. No, this another typical example of the Japanese taking something established and then turning it on its head or more extreme. This is basically Bad taste done good.

• Beddo In ft Ijiri Okada - C-tone beauty-eggplant (C調び～なす)
• Beddo In - Poker Game (♂×♀×ポーカーゲーム, live here)
• Beddo In - Posion (プワゾン)
• Beddo In - ワケありDANCE たてついて