BRIT Winners 2010

British male solo artist: Winner: Dizzee Rascal
British female solo artist: Lily Allen
British breakthrough act: JLS
British group: Kasabian
British album: Florence & the Machine - Lungs
British single: JLS, Beat Again
BRITs performance of 30 years: Spice Girls - Wannabe/Who Do You Think You Are (1997)
International male solo artist: Jay-Z
International female solo artist: Lady GaGa
International breakthrough act: Lady GaGa
International album: Lady GaGa The Fame
BRITs album of 30 Years: Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
British producer: Paul Epworth
Critics Choice: Ellie Goulding
Outstanding contribution to music: Robbie Williams

Chinese New Year 2010 (Feb 13th - 21st)

Chinese New Year In A Nutshell...

Friday: Finished work at 4:30 and went to see the latest Jim Carey movie, ‘I Love You Phillip Morris’. It was actually much better than anticipated. In the evening we went to G Star with Eddie and Richard.

Saturday: New Years Eve. Went to 101 to get lunch then headed to George’s brothers house in YongHe for dinner.

Sunday: Met with Shannon and saw the latest Disney installment ‘The Princess and the Frog’. After we went to the Thai restaurant in Neo19 which was great, fantastic Mojitos too. Then we headed back home for some drinking to be joined by Matt and Adam and Jack as well.

Monday: Train to Kaoshiung in the afternoon and met with Angelina and George’s mum. We headed to Love River to take a walk. The weather was quite pleasant, perfect for walking. After some coffee we headed back to rest.

Tuesday: Started off the day with the worst breakfast ever then started a long day of shopping at the mall and Ikea. Then a train back to ChiaYi.

Wednesday: Breakfast followed by a big hot pot for lunch which was nice as the weather was freezing. Headed home to watch ‘The Reader’ and ‘Casablanca’

Thursday: Went out to buy a DVD player and look around town. Went back home to watch ‘The Exorcist’ and a Chinese movie.

Friday: Back to Taipei after lunch, had to wait two hours for the HSR.

Saturday: Went to Chilis with Shannon and then to the White House and onto the Watershed for more drinking.

Sunday: Slept in till 5pm, had lunch at the diner and then home to prepare for work!

Sade: 'Soldier of Love'

She’s reclusive, releases albums about once a decade, never gives interviews, and has been around for 26 years with next to nothing known about her. Yet, she has had success and influenced artists on both sides of the Atlantic; and her image, voice, and sound are as unmistakable as they are timeless. Not only this, but she has sold in excess of 50 million albums worldwide. She is silky, she is smooth, she is Helen Folasade Adu, better known simply as Sade.

Whether you see her as the forefront of soul which set the standard for the 1980s and 1990s or dreary late night background music, she’s back with intent. I say ‘she’, but that should really be ‘they’ as Sade refers to a collective rather than just the lead singer. Since their debut, ‘Diamond Life’, 26 years ago, Sade have had countless hits which have hit the airwaves and never left. Just as Woody Allen has always gone done better in the UK than he has in his native country, the reverse is true of Sade. Their success is even more remarkable given that they have only released six albums in that time frame. It is this exercise of quality control which gives them an air of sophistication. Added to this is the fact that Sade never tries to be cool or follow trends resulting in their music aging rather well.

It’s been 10 years since their last release, ‘Lovers Rock’ and it was interesting to see which direction they would take. Should they stick faithfully to their tried and tested sound and risk being labeled as unoriginal and repetitive? Or should they change their sound and alienate their large fan base? The result is ‘Soldier of Love’ and it adheres to the sound which made them successful. Like a lot of good single genre bands, they have homed in on their sound; fine tuned and perfected it and consequently become masters of their craft. They are true followers of the theory that If it’s not broken why fix it! It’s full of soul, slow beats, and an overarching mournfulness totally dominates this album.

As usual, they demonstrate restraint both musically and vocally which gives the impression that they are lazy in their approach. Yet listening to the voice it is clear to see she is full of emotion and melancholy, it is just delivered with effortlessness. The themes are also similar; that of love. On a number of tracks she seems heartbroken to the point of being totally wounded.

The album commences with two stunning tracks; ‘The Moon and the Sky’ and ‘Soldier of Love’. The first is built around sustained strings and a fantastic guitar hook. The title track is far different to anything Sade has released before. Set to military drumming ‘Solider of Love’ is moody and aggressive. Depicting love as a battlefield I would certainly not want to cross this soldier in a dark alley. These two are as good as anything Sade has ever produced. If the whole album was this good it would have to go down as a classic. Not to say things go downhill from here, but the standard Sade sound sets in. Many of the songs would not feel out of place on any of the six previous albums. There are some slight diversions; an odd reggae number ‘Babyfather’ which appears out of place both in tone and lyrics on this love torn album. There are also ventures into country with ‘Be That Easy’. Some of the songs are stripped bare instrumentally and let Sade’s voice tower above the tracks such as ‘The Safest Place’, ‘Morning Bird’, and ‘Long Hard Road’, the latter of which being the best of this bunch.

In conclusion, unless they radically changed their sound it is hard to see how Sade could have gone wrong. They stuck to the sound which made them successful in the first place. This release will certainly not win over any new fans but neither will it disappoint loyal fans who hang on her every word. ‘Solider of Love’ will certainly not win any album of the year awards but I, for one, am pleased they are back.

Charlotte Gainsbourg: 'IRM'

After watching Charlottes Gainsbourg’s performance in the disturbing Lars von Trier’s movie, ‘Antichrist’, I had mixed feelings about approaching the third album from this part time actress, part time singer. However, being the daughter of modern French pop (Serge Gainsbourg) endured me to this release.

‘IRM’ was written in response to her life-threatening waterskiing accident in 2007 and subsequent brain hemorrhage and MRI scans. Therefore death is the backdrop to this album. It embraces the physical and the spiritual in equal measures. It could have been a depressing album yet it is not; she almost shrugs off the near death experience and clearly doesn’t invite self pity. She is deeply reflective yet questioningly optimistic; it’s unsettling yet uplifting.

It’s obvious from the outset that Beck is the producer of this album. His sound is all over this release and this is a good thing. Not only is he producer but also composer, co-writer, and virtuoso of the vast majority of instruments. Therefore this could well have been just a chance for Beck to exert his sound through a muse. This would also fit as Beck is no stranger to writing songs about death. However, the results are rather pleasing. Charlotte is certainly no puppet of Beck here. She is firmly in control and directing us through a whole range of styles. Similarly, she demonstrates versatility and depth and makes good use of her rather limited vocals from whispery pillow talk to robotic monotones.

Musically, it ranges from the instrumentally sparse to the point of a cappella such as ‘Vanities’ and ‘In the End’; to grand and complex arrangements such as ‘GMT’ and ‘Looking Glass Blues’. Overall it starts of simply and becomes more complex and explorative as the album progresses. The album starts off with ‘Master’s Hands’ which sets heavy bass against minimal guitar and vocals drenched in reverb. We then progress to the psychedelic rock track ‘Trick Pony’. One fantastic treat is ‘Le Chat Du Café Des Artistes’ which is certainly in the style of her father. ‘Heaven Can Wait’ is a fantastic duet with Beck along to vamping pianos and a 1960s pop feel. Another two standout tracks are ‘Dandelion’ which takes a standard 12 bar blues riff and makes it into something quite sophisticated, and the straightforward pop number ‘Time Of The Assassins’.

A special mention should also be made to the percussion which is often complex and mixes elements of African rhythms. This, no doubt, adds to the psychedelic tracks on the latter half of the album and is a trump card which Beck plays.

Charlotte will inevitably always be compared to her father and it’s unfair to do so, albeit inevitable. There is no doubt that Charlotte Gainsbourg is a talented actress as well as musician who has crafted a fantastic piece of adult pop. This could well be a highlight of the year.

Last weekend flew by. Mostly due to the fact that Saturday was a working day due to the upcoming Chinese New Year. By working Saturday we get the Friday of next week off too so in all it's a nine day affair this year, I can't wait!

On Saturday we headed to Ximen after work to watch the new Taiwanese movie Monga. It was pretty good from what I could make out, although no English subtitles so I will certainly have to watch it again to get the most out of it. After that we headed home and just relaxed.

On Sunday we got lunch and relaxed at home with a movie before heading to Ximen to meet George's dad as it is his 73rd birthday. We went to a newly opened Cantonese restaurant which was pretty good.

This week George is in JiaYi to spend time with family prior to Chinese New Year and as for me it's a nice easy week as there are no Elementary classes going out this week. Therefore it gives me time to relax and sort things out. Nice!

Massive Attack: 'Heligoland'

The anticipation surrounding the expected release of the progenitors of trip-hop, Massive Attack, has finally come to an end. After a seven year hiatus, they have returned with their new studio album, ‘Heligoland’. Since their creation in 1988, they went on to produce three masterpieces in the 1990s; ‘Blue Lines’, ‘Protection’, and ‘Mezzanine’ and rightly earned the title as the forefathers of trip-hop.

However, as with all success this could not last forever. In the 2000s, Massive Attack only managed to release one studio album, ‘100th Window’, to largely muted reception. Therefore, a lot was riding on this release. Not only did they have to prove they were still relevant; they had to compete with a similar band from their genre, Portishead, who like Massive Attack, made a comeback after a long break to critical acclaim. On top of that, they have to deliver something as astonishing as their early output.

Before even listening to the album things look promising. The usual plethora of guest vocalists looks exciting and well-chosen. The guest line-up includes Daman Albarn, Guy Gurney, from Elbow, and Tunde Adebimpe, from TV on the Radio. They should help to make this album very ‘now’ which is exactly what a band whose creative peak was twenty years ago need.

In regards to the sound, there are no surprises; a minimalist approach with deep rhythmic drums, and subtle, simmering undercurrents mixing organic with synthesized sounds. Although it has the ambient suspense expected, it cannot be purely classified as chill-out which tends to leave it confined to no man’s land. This in itself is not a problem but there is certainly no sense of urgency in the sound; in fact it remains so relaxed it becomes lethargic. Also, there are no stand-out tracks such as ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ or ‘Protection’. Possibly the worst part is the inclusion of two tracks with vocals provided by Martina Topley-Bird; ‘Psyche’ and ‘Babel’. If including a vocalist who has been confined to obscurity was not enough, her failure to produce anything of any substance throughout her career should have given a hint of what was to come. In saying that, ‘Splitting the Atom’ wins the title of worst track on this album, it’s just plain awful.

However, the entire album is not a letdown; there are some good parts worthy of praise. There are certainly flourishes of the Massive Attack of old and the genius which they possess. These include the fantastic ‘Paradise Circus’ which is similar to the equally amazing ‘Protection’ from the album of the same name. Other highlights include ‘Flat of the Blade’ and ‘Saturday Come Slow’. ‘Rush Minute’ and ‘Pray for Rain’ are also perfectly listenable songs.

In conclusion, this album would have to have been nothing short of extraordinary to have been rated highly. They are victims of their own success. It simply doesn’t compare to their first three releases and it’s not even as good as Portishead’s ‘Third’. This once-in-a-generation band appears to have reached the end of their creative streak. However, the flashes of genius contained within reveal a glimmer of hope that they could yet still return to form and deliver another great album. That is as long as we don’t have to wait another seven years for one.

History of Deadly Earthqaukes

12 January 2010
Tens of thousands die in and around the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, as a 7.0 magnitude earthquake strikes the city.
6 April 2009
An earthquake hits the historic Italian city of L'Aquila, killing about 300 people.
29 October 2008
Up to 300 people are killed in the Pakistani province of Balochistan after an earthquake of 6.4 magnitude struck 70km (45 miles) north of Quetta.
12 May 2008:
Up to 87,000 people are killed or missing and as many as 370,000 injured by an earthquake in just one county in China's south-western Sichuan province.
The tremor, measuring 7.8, struck 92km (57 miles) from the provincial capital Chengdu during the early afternoon.
15 August 2007:
At least 519 people are killed in Peru's coastal province of Ica, as a 7.90-magnitude undersea earthquake strikes about 145km (90 miles) south-east of the capital, Lima.
17 July 2006:
A 7.7 magnitude undersea earthquake triggers a tsunami that strikes a 200km (125-mile) stretch of the southern coast of Java, killing more than 650 people on the Indonesian island.
27 May 2006:
More than 5,700 people die when a magnitude 6.2 quake hits the Indonesian island of Java, devastating the city of Yogyakarta and surrounding areas.
1 April 2006:
Seventy people are killed and some 1,200 injured when an earthquake measuring 6.0 strikes a remote region of western Iran.
8 October 2005:
An earthquake measuring 7.6 strikes northern Pakistan and the disputed Kashmir region, killing more than 73,000 people and leaving millions homeless.
28 March 2005:
About 1,300 people are killed in an 8.7 magnitude quake off the coast of the Indonesian island of Nias, west of Sumatra.
22 February 2005:
Hundreds die in a 6.4 magnitude quake centred in a remote area near Zarand in Iran's Kerman province.
26 December 2004:
Hundreds of thousands are killed across Asia when an earthquake measuring 9.2 triggers sea surges that spread across the region.
24 February 2004:
At least 500 people die in an earthquake which strikes towns on Morocco's Mediterranean coast.
26 December 2003:
More than 26,000 people are killed when an earthquake destroys the historic city of Bam in southern Iran.
21 May 2003:
Algeria suffers its worst earthquake in more than two decades. More than 2,000 people die and more than 8,000 are injured in a quake felt across the sea in Spain.
1 May 2003:
More than 160 people are killed, including 83 children in a collapsed dormitory, in south-eastern Turkey.
24 February 2003:
More than 260 people die and almost 10,000 homes are destroyed in Xinjiang region, in western China.
31 October 2002:
Italy is traumatised by the loss of an entire class of children, killed in the southern village of San Giuliano di Puglia when their school building collapses on them.
26 January 2001:
An earthquake measuring magnitude 7.9 devastates much of Gujarat state in north-western India, killing nearly 20,000 people and making more than a million homeless. Bhuj and Ahmedabad are among the towns worst hit.
12 November 1999:
Around 400 people die when an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale strikes Ducze, in north-west Turkey.
21 September 1999:
Taiwan is hit by a quake measuring 7.6 that kills nearly 2,500 people and causes damage to every town on the island.
17 August 1999:
An magnitude 7.4 earthquake rocks the Turkish cities of Izmit and Istanbul, leaving more than 17,000 dead and many more injured.
30 May 1998:
Northern Afghanistan is hit by a major earthquake, killing 4,000 people.
May 1997:
More than 1,600 killed in Birjand, eastern Iran, in an earthquake of magnitude 7.1.
27 May 1995:
The far eastern island of Sakhalin is hit by a massive earthquake, measuring 7.5, which claims the lives of 1,989 Russians.
17 January 1995:
The Hyogo quake hits the city of Kobe in Japan, killing 6,430 people.
30 September 1993:
About 10,000 villagers are killed in western and southern India.
21 June 1990:
Around 40,000 people die in a tremor in the northern Iranian province of Gilan.
7 December 1988:
An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale devastates north-west Armenia, killing 25,000 people.
19 September 1985:
Mexico City is shaken by a huge earthquake which razes buildings and kills 10,000 people.
28 July 1976:
The Chinese city of Tangshan is reduced to rubble in a quake that claims at least 250,000 lives.
23 December 1972:
Up to 10,000 people are killed in the Nicaraguan capital Managua by an earthquake that measures 6.5 on the Richter scale. The devastation caused by the earthquake was blamed on badly built high-rise buildings that easily collapsed.
31 May 1970:
An earthquake high in the Peruvian Andes triggers a landslide burying the town of Yungay and killing 66,000 people.
26 July 1963:
An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale strikes the Macedonian capital of Skopje killing 1,000 and leaving 100,000 homeless.
22 May 1960:
The world's strongest recorded earthquake devastates Chile, with a reading of 9.5 on the Richter scale. A tsunami 30ft (10m) high eliminates entire villages in Chile and kills 61 hundreds of miles away in Hawaii.
1 September 1923:
The Great Kanto earthquake, with its epicentre just outside Tokyo, claims the lives of 142,800 people in the Japanese capital.
18 April 1906:
San Francisco is hit by a series of violent shocks which last up to a minute. Between 700 and 3,000 people die either from collapsing buildings or in the subsequent fire.

BRIT Nominations 2010

British Female Solo Artist: Nominees: Bat for Lashes, Florence & the Machine, Leona Lewis, Lily Allen, Pixie Lott

British Male Solo Artist: Nominees: Calvin Harris, Dizzee Rascal, Mika, Paolo Nutini, Robbie Williams

British Breakthrough Act: Nominees: Florence & the Machine, Friendly Fires, JLS, La Roux, Pixie Lott

British Group: Nominees: Doves, Friendly Fires, JLS, Kasabian, Muse

MasterCard British Album: Nominees: Dizzee Rascal - Tongue n'Cheek, Florence & the Machine - Lungs, Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You, Paolo Nutini - Sunny Side Up

British Single: Nominees: Alesha Dixon - Breathe Slow, Alexandra Burke Ft Flo Rida - Bad Boys, Cheryl Cole - Fight For This Love, Joe McElderry - The Climb, JLS - Beat Again, La Roux - In For The Kill, Lily Allen - The Fear, Pixie Lott - Mama Do, Taio Cruz - Break Your Heart, Tinchy Stryder Ft N-Dubz - Number 1

Critics' Choice: Nominees: Ellie Goulding, Delphic, Marina and the Diamonds

BRITs Album of 30 Years: Nominees: Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head, Dido - No Angel, Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms, Duffy - Rockferry, Keane - Hopes & Fears, Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, Phil Collins - No Jacket Required, Sade - Diamond Life, The Verve - Urban Hymns, Travis - The Man Who

International Female Solo Artist: Nominees: Lady Gaga, Ladyhawke, Norah Jones, Rihanna, Shakira

International Male Solo Artist: Nominees: Bruce Springsteen, Eminem, Jay-Z, Michael Bublé, Seasick Steve

International Album: Nominees: Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion, Black Eyed Peas - The End, Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream, Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3, Lady Gaga - The Fame

International Breakthrough Act: Nominees: Animal Collective, Daniel Merriweather, Empire of the Sun, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift

2 weeks of weekends rounded up.

The weekend before last we met up with Noah, Eddie, Richard and CS in the afternoon at the art village near Giraffe School for some coffee and a catch-up before we headed back to Noahs and then off to Shi Da to meet some of George's friends in Bistro O. We then went to Watersheds which was incredibly crowded.

Last weekend we went to the book exhibition at the WTC with Noah and then we went to see the new Terry Gilliam movie, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. It was surprisingly much better than I thought. We also saw Invictus a couple of weeks ago which was a great movie also.

Vampire Weekend: 'Contra'

There is something disconcerting about listening to an array of songs perfect for luxuriating on a beach in summer in the middle of January. Vampire Weekend have now done this twice as the New York City natives release their sophomore release in response to their hugely successful eponymous debut two years ago. As with its predecessor ‘Contra’ is produced by the bands keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij. However, whereas their first release combined Afro-pop with an indie sound, their new offering attempts to be even more ambitious by broadening their musical palette to include; reggae, ska, synth pop, calypso and even rockabilly. What results is a rather complicated affair and yields a mix bag of songs. However, the overall feel is sufficiently cohesive as an album.

Mixing African elements into mainstream western music is nothing new, Peter Gabriel has made a living out of it, Paul Simon did it amazingly well with ’Graceland’, and more recently Daman Albarn has done the same. Therefore this is not a groundbreaking album. However, with ‘Contra’ there is enough difference to signal progression away from just African elements but does that make it any better?

Tracks such as ‘Diplomat’s Son’ signal a resounding yes, here they demonstrate their ability by mixing an M.I.A sample into a soft laidback Calypso number. Also, ‘White Sky’ is similar to something one would find on ‘Graceland’ but with a more modern take on it. Other highlights are the dance-floor inspired ‘Taxi Cab’ and synth heavy ‘Rain’. ‘Cousins’ with its frantic rockabilly tempo is also a great demonstration of their abilities. Nonetheless, probably the most worthy of praise is ‘I Think UR a Contra’ which somehow uses a Nicaraguan Counter-revolutionary movement as a metaphor for a failed relationship.

However, other songs such as ‘California English’ and its use of vocal auto tune just feel dated. Even worse is ‘Holiday’ which is bordering annoying. I always find it hard to take ska seriously without first devouring half a bottle of vodka. There is also the impression that the band is rather pretentious. There lyrics are not very accessible and anyone who rhymes Horchata with balaclava is just showing off. They are intelligent and they want you to know it which may render them being seen as elitist. There is nothing wrong with intelligent music but when it comes off as trying to hard there could be complications. Also, despite the array of genres and instruments some of the songs feel vapid.

Therefore, this is not a great album but it is certainly half a good album at least and clearly demonstrates potential for better things to come. It’s hard to see where the band goes from here but greatness may very well impose itself on them in the future.