Jpop: Saku

Guitar-indie girl Saku was slightly interesting with Zombie Morning last summer, but it is with the new "Fight Like A Girl" that the harmonies of she and her support band lifts to a level of really being worth noticing. I especially like the low key sounds and orchestrations that reminds me of the best of grunge with Saku's voice hovering over it.

• Saku - Fight Like A Girl
• Saku - Zombie Morning
• Saku - 1st Q&A

Jpop: C-ute - Love take it all

Disco, disco, it is all disco, in C-ute's "Love take it all", with a jpop touch of course. Especially the visuals has a more flow and less cutesy than normal for the group and it works very well for them, and a love the synth *and* guitar solo. ;-)

• C-ute - Love take it all

Mandopop: Karen Mok (莫文蔚)

Karen Mok from Hong Kong is a charming actress and singer born in 1970 who still charms and enchants with her sensual voice in english and mandarin, jazz being her forte. Her latest video, The Face That Launched A Thousand Ships from last winter just shows again that good singers can become better (and more beautiful) with age. Her voice is soft and like a caress for the ears. Read more about this 17th album here.

• Karen Mok - The Face That Launched A 1000 Ships (傾國傾城)
• Karen Mok - While My Guitar Gently Weeps
• Karen Mok - You Are So Beautiful
• Karen Mok - Without You (如果没有你)
• Karen Mok - Close To You
• Karen Mok - Cloudy Day(陰天)
• Karen Mok - live (4 songs)

Kpop: Brand Newjiq (브랜뉴직)

I'm not usually that keen on R&B and even more so asian R&B as I then dont even understand what they are singing. The new "Stay By Me" with Brand Newjiq is an exception. It's a duo consisting of singer/producer Francis and rapper Hoody, but as far as I can tell Francis has taken a step into the background on this one and Hoody has really taken the center stage, and *wow* how he does it well. The second thing is the guitar which must be the best guitar sounds I have ever heard in an asian song. I mean they really like them 80s guitar solos in the east, but this kind of sensitive and emotional backing to the vocals makes me think of for example Gary Moore where the instrument almost carries the whole song. The guitarist is called Captain CyrusNine at has a Twitter account.

• Brand Newjiq ft. CyrusNine - Stay By Me
• Brand Newjiq - Excuse me