I discovered Sia Furler while we watched last episode of the TV series “Six Feet Under” a year ago. The song “Breath Me” is unforgettable and wonderful ending for the TV series. Thereafter, I have been listening Sia’s since then. Sia was one of the vocals in Zero 7 previously and went solo in 2005.

In Shepherds Bush Empire night on 9 Oct, the concert set decorated with toys and fluorescent, I guess it matches her third album’s image - funky and cartoonish. At the beginning, surprisingly, Sia and her band members all dressed up in a halloween skeleton outfit approaching the stage. Sia sang the most from the album “Some People Have Real Problems”, including Destiny and The Pageant of the Bizarre wrote for Zero 7. Sia used her popular hit ” Breath Me” end the show. The fans were so enthusiast with big applauses and on-call, and Sia moved into tears in the end.

Sia has a gorgeous, dusky voice, sometimes it reminds me as a Jazz vocalist. I enjoyed the concert and so pleased to see her performance.

I recommend her best album “Some People Have Real Problems”to you, especial “Breath Me”, “Sunday”, “The Pageant of the Bizarre” and “Soon We’ll be Found” - they are my favorites.

Here is her amazing music video of this song in Youtube: Sia-Soon We will be Found

Go to see more pictures of the concert in Flickr by Preamble . The cover picture was taken by him too.

I have been using lastfm for almost a year and I love it so much. last.fm is a UK base internet radio for music lovers to listen music, or explore similar artists. All you need to do is to apply for an account and add all your favorite artists in to the library. The system will look at your music taste and introduce more good music to you. You might find that other users will recommend various music to you as well.

The web site is stylish and very easy to use! Besides, it also has HK and Taiwan popular artists in Chinese.

I use it to play music when I surf the internet. I know there are a lot of similar websites, but I highly recommend this one to you.

用了lastfm这个在线音乐网站一年了, lastfm是一个英国十分流行的internet播放器，它让我爱不释手，几乎一上网就习惯要打开它，作为我音乐的背景。网站设计十分时髦，新型和使用超级简单。你要登记一个账户，然后找寻你喜欢的音乐歌手，系统会跟你介绍类似你喜欢的歌手，让你接触更多你喜欢的音乐；也有些歌迷会介绍好听的歌曲或歌手给你。

它不仅有英文歌手，还有中文歌手介绍，我极力推荐给爱音乐的你。

Some people might have heard the song from the Apple Nano advert “1234″, but not known who sang it. The singer is Leslie Feist, from Canada. I am so lucky to have seen her perform in London at the Royal Albert Hall, which is situated in the Knightsbridge area facing Hyde Park. Before the concert we walked for a while in Hyde Park and it is huge, beautiful ,and peaceful.

The Royal Albert Hall was opened by Queen Victoria in 1871 in memory of her husband, Prince Albert. The exterior of the building is very distinctive and looks like a giant mushroom. We went inside and there was a guide to show us to our seats, which turned out to be a small private room containing four seats, as well as a private dressing table. I was so thrilled! The interior is amazing, with a huge open circular space in traditional English style. I felt like I was a princess watching some opera.

The show started at 8: 30 PM. Wearing a short white vintage dress with frilly sleeves and high top tennis shoes, Feist played most of her songs from the recent album. Set against a backdrop featuring a woman drawing live finger paint art, this was also a highlight of her concert. Nearly everything about the performance was flawless. She didn’t have any edgy voice, and sang with such dexterity and clarity. She can move from breathy to yelping to full-bodied and elegant. I have to say that her voice is so beautiful and powerful.

Feist was also a very good conversationalist, making jokes, and coercing the audience to join in various songs. It was hard not to like her, and it was a pity that she didn’t sing one of my favorite songs - “Secret Heart”.

Anyway, I am very pleased to watch her professional performance at the Royal Albert Hall. Absolutely it is worth five stars.

On the second day after I arrived in London I went to see the Delays play in concert at KOKO on Camden High Street. KOKO is a strange place - it is an old opera house, once one of the largest in London, and is spread over four floors. We chose to go to the first floor and look over the balcony where we could easily see the band. I have to admit that the concert was amazing and I enjoyed all the songs. Greg Gilbert, the lead vocalist, has a very special high voice and the atmosphere was very exciting. I can’t believe that he looks so young, but is so talented, to create so such distinctive music.

They have released three albums and my favourite album is “You See Colours”. One of their songs was featured in an episode of Veronica Mars.

Here is their myspace page.

Last Saturday we went to Hong Kong to see Muse play in concert. It was one of the most amazing live concerts I’ve ever seen, and over six thousand people came to see them at the Asiaworld Expo centre.

We went there about 7 o’clock (concert starts at 8pm) and already fans were queuing up and hoping to get a good position. The setting was perfect, with stars on be the background just like “starlight”. The drummer sitting in the middle, Matt standing on the left, and base guitar on the right. There was very little space between the stage and fans so the early queuers got a real treat.

Muse played most of the new album, with a good selection of earlier music (including one from the first album). Matt Bellamy is an extraordinarily musician and singer, leaping from guitar to piano without blinking. The crowd feedback peaked during “Time is running out” with everyone joining in. The last song saw five giant balloons descend from the sky, with everyone trying to jump and hit them. There is no doubt that they deserved the award for Best Live Band at the Brits, as well as Best British Band from NME.

2 hours passed far too quickly. I didn’t expect Muse would be such a big hit in Hong Kong, but everyone was very energetic and responsive. Being on the small side I didn’t see as much as I would like, and often found myself being crushed by jumping guys, stepping on my feet and swinging their sweat next to me. Beside that everyone was awesome and you could feel their love of the music.

It was an outstanding concert to watch and I’m glad I went. Even though Jazz has an irreplaceable place in my heart, Rock is now part of my rebellion and I wish more concerts will be held in Hong Kong (even better, in Guangzhou) so we can appreciate talented musicians. Their music is a work of art.

Here is their MySpace

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I know it’s a late discovery, but I’ve recently found YouTube and have spent far too much time watching music videos.

Many music fans like me sometimes go to great lengths to find band’s music video online. Before YouTube, your only options were to either hope the band’s website had a few videos, or to try and find it elsewhere (such as on MTV). Most of the time these options were incredibly slow, didn’t work, or were a real nuisance. In YouTube, however, you type your favourite artist and the song and it’s all there. Click on the video, pause it until its all loaded (otherwise it may stutter while it downloads), then play it; the quality of the music video might not perfect, but it’s acceptable and at least it loads fast. You will find various music videos, including the original video as well as live performances.

YouTube also has a lot of home-grown videos, ranging from people recording themselves doing funny things, to students wanting to make a break in the movie world. Google thought enough of YouTube that they paid $4 billion US for it… a staggering amount.

It’s good news for music fans but don’t use it too often - you will become addicted. Enjoy!

也许发现得比较晚，但一但被你知道它的存在，你会情不自禁的坐在电脑前疯狂的使用它，我叫它是（录像点唱机），它就是YouTube。一个让你随时查找你喜欢的乐队或歌手的最新的Music Video（音乐录影带）。

许多喜欢音乐的歌迷像我一样有时候疯狂的在寻找自己喜爱的乐队或歌手的录影带，在YouTube诞生之前，电视播放的音乐录影带往往都不是你喜欢的歌手或乐队，所以都是上MTV 或其他网站查找我喜欢的歌手的MV，超慢打得开或缓冲太长，打开几分钟，之后最终还是打不开，索性不看了。但有了YouTube，找寻最新最快的音乐录影带2-3分钟搞定，有现场的，原版的音乐录影带，满足各位音乐迷的渴望，我的秘诀是，打开，按暂停，然后等它全部下载后就可以享受不缓冲的音乐录影带了。

You Tube的创意是提供平台给大家把自己喜欢的音乐录影带传上去分享给其他人，甚至有些录制自己的录影带传上去也有；有些人觉得这样有点违法或有点盗版行为，确实如此，但音乐迷们对YouTube得如痴如醉，这也使全世界的音乐迷对它的热衷支持。

好消息就得和大家分享，别像我一样爱不释手，或看上瘾了！

I missed Sebastian Schunke’s Jazz concert last year, which made me feel sorry for myself. However, their manager recently mailed their fans to announce that Sebastian Schunke and his band will be playing again in Guangzhou, as well as，Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Malaysia, in October 2006. This thrilled me. Here is their MySpace website with some of the band’s music, and lots of information.

Due to their successful performances in 2005, this years tour brings together internationally renowned Jazz musicians living in Berlin and New York. They unify the intense energy from their different home cultures to create a complete new song concept in a jazz environment. This is hip experimental world jazz, with musicians from Europe, USA and Cuba - totally new and unpredictable. In the centre is the new vocal star from Cuba - Olvido Ruiz - is member of the new Cubanian generation. This year they present the new songs for the new cd “Seba meets Olvido” exclusively for China and Malaysia.

To all fans who like this new style Jazz music, don’t miss out on this opportunity!

9.10. Guangzhou, BackStreet, Jazz Club, 21.45 -23.45
10.10. Guangzhou, Back Street Jazz Club, 21.45- 23.35
11. 10. Xinghai Konversatorium, 19.00

塞柏斯顿•舒特，出生于1973年的德国塞柏斯顿•舒特从小就学习古典钢琴， 12岁便开始接触拉丁爵士音乐，音乐受到Eddie Palmieris，Chick Corea, Gonzalo Rubalcaba等音乐家的影响；包括他吸收了拉丁美洲的旋律，特别添加到他的爵士音乐中。舒特去了纽约，被多种文化的融合迷住了，并开始从事创作自己的音乐，把现代美国的拉丁爵士与欧洲的传统音乐结合一起。他不仅熟悉运用了拉丁音乐的旋律，创造出自己的爵士曲风。

2005年曾来中国香港/广州/上海/深圳演出；因自己错过德他们首次在广州的表演爵士乐队的表演而感到遗憾，昨天收到他的经理人对广大爵士歌迷的宣布：10月份Sebastian Schunke终于再次到中国，广州，深圳，上海和马来西亚表演。这次到10月9号在广州大使馆表演，11号在广州的后街爵士餐厅表演，我一定不会错过的。如果你想知道他们在其他城市或国家表演的时间表，给我留言，我会在这里告诉你。

Yesterday I finished watching the last episode of HBO’s Six Feet Under - Everyone’s Waiting. The soundtrack was amazing and I am now trying to find the song ‘Lonely Little Petunia’, by Imogen Heap’s. While looking I discovered she had a MySpace website with some of her music, and lots of information.

Imogen’s first album, I Megaphone, was released in 1998. It took her another seven years to follow up with 2005’s ‘Speak For Yourself‘. The British vocalist was far from idle during the interim, having formed Frou Frou with Guy Sigsworth. I then realised that the song ‘Let Go’ (theme to the movie Garden State) is also by her. Amazing! This album, like Frou Frou’s electronica / pop hybrid, also carries a more sweeping and dynamic singer/songwriter aesthetic and presents Heap’s bold-yet-breathy vocals lounging on a bed of electronic effects. Some songs have been used in the popular series The O.C

Heap is an amazing talented composer, singer, and producer as well. Her music is a beautiful work of art; the songs become more and more addictive the more you play them. Her music makes me think. If I travel on a journey it’s the best CD that to pick. She has a dreamy, light, soft voice, before she blasts you with drums and guitars that slowly turn up the volume. It opens your imagination; it opens your inspiration; it brings your memories - sadness, joyful, bitter of life.

Thanks to Imogen Heap for giving us all these remarkable albums and her contributions to music. “Music can be like perfume,” suggests a Frou Frou. “It’s almost a scent, you know, where the right smell changes an environment and makes life more bearable.” So right.

昨天刚看完（六尺之下）的专集看到Imogen Heap’s 的歌曲，上网找了她的歌曲，最终在她的空间听到她的4首歌，首首都很精彩，Imogen 原来是英国乐队Frou Frou其中的主唱，1998年出了个人专集 I Megaphone，事隔7年2005年出了专集‘Speak For Yourself‘’，这张专集真是精品，有点流行电子风格，带有轻快摇摆，柔美，Launch的风格，它那天使般的声音和独特的风格，美国电视剧常拿她来做插曲象明珠台的The O.C…

她的音乐才华是种艺术，自己作词作曲包监制。 听她的这张CD让我沉思，让我沉迷，去哪里旅游我一定带上它。她的音乐让你感到自由，让你飞翔，打开你想象之窗，给你生活的灵感，让你体验到生活带给你的喜和悲。感谢她对音乐的创作，就像Frou Frow其中一员说：音乐如香水 - 一种气味, 适当的气味可以改变环境,且让生活显得更可忍受一些。（或音乐几乎就是一种香水，散发着迷人香味，改变您的环境，让您的生活更加美好）

Everyone is excited about Keane’s new album due to their successful last album (Hopes & Fears), which was a big hit. I gave the album Hopes and Fears 4.5 out of 5 as it was a near-perfect album, with every song being immediatley likable. This one I give 4 stars, as it takes longer for you to like certain songs. However, there are still many songs that stand out, with my favourites being:

• “Nothing in my way”
• “Crystal ball”
• “Hamburg song”
• “Try again”
• “Broken Toy”
• “The Frog Prince”

经过Keane 上张专集《希望与恐惧》大热之后，喜欢Keane 的音乐的朋友都纷纷期待这张新的专集《在铁海之下》，风格还是Keane的英伦格调。这张前个星期听后，让我需要多点时间去慢慢投入音乐的铁海中，要反复去听才深深的喜欢上这张碟，不像上张，一听钟情；上张我给4. 5星，铁海这张我给4星。大家可以买来听听，有什么感受我们都可以在这里分享的。

There are only 2 jazz bars in Guangzhou. One is the Blue Note, where my friends band has been performing for several couple years (although they had to perform in the Garden Hotel - everyday I can listen to live jazz music between 6pm – 7 pm). The other one is the Backstreet Jazz Bar, situated in the lovely surroundings of Guangzhou’s Ersha Island. Around the corner is the Xinghai Concert Hall, and at the end of the street is the Pearl River. You can’t be any better situated. And also it’s one of the few areas where you can enjoy a walk in peace.

The bar is a two storey glass building set inside a bamboo forest. A lower ‘Jazz’ floor opens out into a small upstairs restaurant area, and the two are joined together, and with the outside world, by a complicated series of stairs, bridges, and sliding doors. The decor is dark, metallic, and subdued, with lots of glass and mirrors. Look very modern, fancy, and you feel naked, like you are walking in the air. Pretty cool.

The restaurant ostensibly serves Latin-American styled food, although it borders on the generic American Italian. The prices are high and portions are small. Drinks, although available in a wide array of forms, are equally served in small quantities. Ask for a glass of wine and you’ll think yourself the butt of a joke; drink it fast otherwise the meagre serving will evaporate.

The staff are nice and friendly, and some of them are from other countries of Asian who speak English only. The restaurant is focusing on attracting foreign people in Guangzhou so English speaking staff is necessary. The food itself is very tasty.

At around 8.30 a quartet of musicians arrive on the tiny downstairs stage, boasting musicians from Canada, Russia, Brazil, and China. Quite a mix. A smooth talking Geraldo Lucio sings, trying his best to draw the small crowd into the music. Herein lies the main problem with the Backstreet: it’s too big and the crowds are too small. The music is excellent, and Lucio prowls the audience trying to get some feedback, but they are too thin and from a very different cultural background to provide him what he wants.

To cut a long story short, we enjoyed the food and the new jazz band. The band only stay here for 2 months. So if anyone who like jazz and want to experience different music passion, I highly recommend it’s worth to be there and enjoy the music.

Show this month

Backstreet Jazz invited Sebastian Schunke on October 2007 to perform in GZ. Jazz fans, don’t miss this chance

9.10. Guangzhou, BackStreet, Jazz Club, 21.45 -23.45
10.10. Guangzhou, Back Street Jazz Club, 21.45- 23.35

在广州爵士吧只有两间，一间是“蓝调”在淘金路，一间在二沙岛的星海音乐学院的隔壁，叫“后街爵士餐厅& 酒吧”，在一个很隐蔽的地方，外面都是绿色的灯和竹子为起来的，只是看到“后街”用大红色的灯格外突出，楼进门的楼梯都用玻璃做成的，再由一道自动的铁门进入，里面的装修很有品位和时尚，里面基调都是红色和透明的玻璃的结合，连过道都是一道磨沙玻璃连接起来的，二楼是餐厅，7-8张桌子，后面是一个长长的调酒吧台，陈列和几百种酒；楼下是一个摆放Live的乐队的乐器，和10几张吧台和很 Cozy的沙发，装修来说，无懈可击，就想JAZZ 一样充满鲜红的热情，象玻璃一样能看穿人们的心理…

我们周末去那里吃饭听爵士，因为刚在花园认识了新来的一只乐队，所以去捧他们的场，东西很贵，从头盘50块不等，主食150—400不等，当然拉，这样的装修需要差不多的价格的，再说，听说老板希望以高档的餐厅为主；酒水都是55—100一杯不等，所以两个人下来就要差不多500了，说到服务人员，几个是说外籍服务人员，从其他亚洲城市来的，餐厅为了吸引多些外籍人事，所以花了比较多精力在管理里面，服务还不错；亲切和附带笑容；

说到重心点：一只好的爵士乐队才是餐厅的灵魂，9：30乐队才开始演出，钢琴手从加拿大请来的叫Doug Louie (douglouie.com) 后来和他们成为好朋友之后我才知道人家的来历都还不小呢，想过来这边看看中国，还有一个多重国际的巴西人事Geraldo Lucio，和一个刚从上海请来的鼓手Tom Lee, 大提琴低音是由我朋友现在在花园酒店表演中跳选过去的，算是一个很难得的结合；我之前因为朋友生日，去过“后街”一次，说是澳大利亚来的女歌手，真是一般再一般啊；因为我在上海希尔顿听过很专业的爵士再说这么多年对爵士的热爱，你就会知道什么是好，什么是不好；所以，这次他们的新组合真的很棒！真希望广州能多点爵士听众！长话短说，可惜这只乐队在这里逗留的时间仅限两个月；所以“后街”这只新的乐队是值得大家去听一下的，感受不同音乐带来的给你不同感受•

这个月的表演嘉宾：
2005年曾来中国香港/广州/上海/深圳演出；因自己错过德他们首次在广州的表演爵士乐队的表演而感到遗憾，昨天收到他的经理人对广大爵士歌迷的宣布： 10月份Sebastian Schunke终于再次到中国，广州，表演。这次到10月9-10号在广州的后街爵士餐厅表演，我一定不会错过的.