Category Archives: Music

“This Girl” by Punch Brothers

Another great band I discovered on a rerun of late-night television, this one from The Late Show with David Letterman (April 4, 2012).

To be honest, I probably would have overlooked it if Chris Thile wasn’t in it. But once I saw his face and realized it was him, I really listened closely.

Punch Brothers have such a unique sound. It’s definitely bluegrass, but it’s a different bluegrass (I suppose the technical term is “progressive bluegrass”). According to their Wikipedia article, their style has been described as “‘bluegrass instrumentation and spontaneity in the strictures of modern classical’ as well as ‘American country-classical chamber music.'”

A lot of it, undoubtedly, comes from the unique instrumentation of the group — mandolin, bajo, guitar, bass, and fiddle. But, that’s not all of it. As important, or even more important, is the music itself — it’s structured in a style I can only describe as heaven-like.

And the lyrics are thought-provoking, if not genius. It took a while, but it finally hit me that the song is about someone asking God to help someone fall in love with him. Definitely refreshingly original.

“You and Me” by Sara Watkins

I just discovered this song from a rerun of the Tonight Show. It is totally awesome because:

  1. She’s a fiddler
  2. The song has a wonderful, nostalgic tone, and the imagery evoked by the lyrics just completely add to this effect.
  3. “I remember the night, I remember the sound, I remember the light, When the moon came ’round, the night flowers bloom, the air so sweet, I remember you, I remember me”

SPEED – Shooting Star (live)

Music, , ,

I spent about an hour surfing on YouTube to procrastinate doing actual work or J-Term reading. It started because this Shimatani Hitomi song was stuck in my head and I was trying to figure out what song it was (I’m not a huge Shimatani Hitomi fan by any means, but this song was very catchy). From there I ended up jumping from video to video, before I found this:

The song is “Shooting Star.” It was originally recorded by this 90s group called “HIM,” and was later covered by a singer named Hattan Amika. The song was used as the theme song for this Japanese drama called “LxIxVxE” that I watched exactly one episode of. Nonetheless, I did love the theme song, and I remember thinking that the actresses from the Japanese drama were pretty talented…or, maybe just pretty.

I didn’t realize till a little later that the actresses were from this music group called “SPEED.” Aside from the fact that I liked the theme song of the drama two of the members appeared in (which, I emphasize, was NOT sung by SPEED but rather by Hattan Amika), this group was notable to me for three reasons: 1) the group was started in Okinawa, 2) they shot their most popular single’s promotional video right here in Hawaii, and 3) my college friend James Wang was in love with them. I’m posting this video partly in honor of this song that I still really like, but also partly in honor of James Wang, who I still consider to be one of my closest friends, even though he’s gotten married and relocated to Japan.

The group broke up back in 2000 but got back together about four years ago (has it been that long? I feel very old.). Mind you, I did not realize that this group existed until after they had broken up. The video above was made before they broke up the first time, which helps explain why they all look so young!

“High Flight” by John Magee

Just Thoughts, Music, ,
(Photo by Muriel Gottrop)
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunwards I’ve climbed and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds – and done a thousand things
You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hovering there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air,
Up, up the long delirious burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace,
Where never lark, or even eagle, flew;
And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of god.

Maybe I should become a Navy pilot and become one of America’s millions of heroes who serve or served in the armed forces, along with my cousin Soyong.