What had happened to the mysterious, gothic Thuy Tien who rocked my world with Ngot & Dang and Narcissus? Her newest release, Em Da Quen, is a complete transformation from an innovative gal to a complete mediocre pop chick, as if Tori Amos has turned into Britney Spears.

Thuy Tien used to bare her soul in her songs even when she sang over a minimal arrangement like “Ao Dai Trang A Oi.” Now she hides her voice behind Auto-Tune and dance beat in the title track, but shows more skins in the video. Don’t give me wrong. I don’t mind the video and glad to see that she has gained so much confidence in her appearance. What makes my heart sink is seeing her musical talent gets wasted. Not a single track on Em Da Quen isn’t crappy.

It’s easy to dismiss the path Thuy Tien has chosen, but let’s walk in her shoes (or high heels) for a minute. Thuy Tien is now more popular than before. Em Da Quen probably sells more than both her first and second album combined. Why spend so much time and energy creating something that only a handful of people can get it? With her talent, she could churn out catchy pop tunes in her sleep and make much of money off them. The choice is between the starving artist and the glamorous celebrity. Thuy Tien obviously has picked her choice. Hate the game, not the player.

Washington Post‘s Tim Carman:

One of the many attractions of pho, the Vietnamese noodle soup, is its open-endedness, its willingness to let slurpers customize their bowls however they please. Pho parlors, of course, enable diners with a small bounty of tabletop garnishes and sauces: hoisin for sweetness, Sriracha for kick, bean sprouts for crunch, limes for tang, jalapenos for heat and Thai basil for an element of anise. You, the eater, become the flavor agent in the house of pho.

Via big bro HmL.

I got mad love for Ho Hoang Yen’s sensuous vocals (something about that slightly smoky timbre) as well as her voluptuous figure. In fact, I got so much love for her that I treated her debut, Bao Tinh, from a clean slate, as if I have not heard of the songs she performed on Asia’s video before. It really is a damn shame that her first album is nothing more than a collection of tracks Asia production gathered from its various video series.

Even if I try to get past the repackaging scam, I can’t get over Asia’s sleazy method of recycling old beats. At least two of Truc Ho’s arrangements have already been used in the past. “Mot Mai Em Di” and “Khuc Thuy Du” were taken straight from Thuy Duong’s version. Ho Hoang Yen just has to sing over the same old productions. Her version of “Hanh Phuc Lang Thang” and “Bao Gio Biet Tuong Tu” is just flat and uninspiring. The “Lien Khuc Vu Thanh An” with Tuan Khanh sticks out like a soar thumb.

I am so glad that “Xin Thoi Gian Qua Mau” has been rearranged and not reusing Ngoc Lan’s. While Ngoc Lan’s gorgeous rendition remains matchless, Ho Hoang Yen’s version takes on a different direction. It’s more tender and the jazz keyboard adds some nice touch to the tune. The title track is decent as if she has brought the quiet storm to the sentimental lyrics and her version of “Bai Tango Cho Rieng Em” is simply sexy, not sure if it’s the tango or the dress.

Bao Tinh is a disappointment because Asia places her in such a rigid template that she has very little room to wiggle, let along the space to be creative. With such a hypnotizing voice, Ho Hoang Yen can offer much more than this if she is willing to explore outside of the Asia’s box.

Sure, you have always liked train, but it has become your obsession lately. We spent hours on Saturday at Curiosity Connection with your buddy May and all you focused on was a red train. We did have a great time though. Co Linh was very sweet. I was in awed watching you and May eat the pretty food she prepared for the two of you. I was also very happy that you and May getting along so well even though you two have complete opposite personality. May ran all over the place and you just glued to the train table.

After saying goodbye to May and co Linh, we went to visit grandma and your cousins. You picked up Eric’s Thomas train and didn’t let go even when you went to bed. Sunday we met up with May and co Linh again at the Hands-on House. You didn’t seem to enjoy the place too much because you didn’t get to take your nap and the place also had no train. After about an hour and a half, you went back to the front desk to play with the little trains that were for sale.

The long week went great until we went to bac Tram’s house for dinner. You misbehaved and didn’t want to eat your dinner. The result was that you got your first timeout. You will get more standing and facing the wall if you keep that up.

My Dzung’s sweet, slightly raspy voice and her nonchalant manner are a perfect combination for nhac sen (over-sentimental ballads). Unfortunately she commits two major crimes on her new release Tu Luc Em Di.

First, not hiring the best producers to accommodate her voice is like not hiring the best lawyer to defend her case. Her vocals on Ngan Trang’s “Mat Nhau Roi” is so heart-wrecking that you could just feel her pain, but the cheap, poppy beat makes the song mediocre. It’s a damn shame that the dull production ruins what could have been a chill, emotional rendition of Truong Xa’s “Xin Con Goi Ten Nhau.” Hoang Trong’s “Khong Bao Gio Quen Anh” suffers even more. The mechanical production works against her expressive delivery.

Second, she makes a huge mistake of inviting Dam Vinh Huong for a duet of Tran Thien Thanh’s “Lau Dai Tinh Ai.” The drama queen drags her down the soapy gutter with his saccharine, over-emphatic delivery. Tu Luc Em Di is a heartbreaking album not for its content, but for its wasted opportunity from such a potential vocalist.

Like Tran Thai Hoa, Ngoc Quy has a fine baritone and a taste for pre-war classics. Unlike Tran Thai Hoa, Ngoc Quy is not limited to Thuy Nga’s perfunctory productions. In his new release, Hon Co Mo Xa, Ngoc Quy covers good old standards with fresh, luscious arrangements.

Backing up by Tran Manh Hung’s exuberant semi-classical orchestration, Ngoc Quy gives a marvelous interpretation of Cung Tien’s “Huong Xua.” His effortless flow on the high register displays his vocal ability to sing classical-inflected music. With Doan Chuan and Tu Linh’s “Gui Gio Cho May Ngan Bay,” he maneuvers his way around Luu Ha An’s intoxicating jazz arrangement. His version of Pham Trong Cau’s “Mua Thu Khong Tro Lai” is tender and mellow. The bossa-nova groove adds a nice touch to Le Trong Nguyen’s “Nang Chieu.” The decision to keep the saxaphone to the minimal level when accompanying the vocalist is a wise one.

With its classiness and warm intimacy, Hon Co Mo Xa is perfect for late-night relaxation. So put your kids to bed, uncork a bottle of wine, sit back and enjoy the album with your partner. Let the music and the spirit put all your worries behind.

With Pho (small town not the well-known noodle soup), Tan Son has come up a clever concept. He covers 10 of Trinh Cong Son’s songs in which listeners will get to hear the songwriter’s love, memory and passion, compassion for the small town. Tan Son also recruited Dang Khoa, Thien Quoc and Hong Dieu to craft some modern-pop productions and electric arrangements to back up his gentle vocals.

The issue is that Tan Son is being way too modest with Trinh’s compositions. He stays faithful to the written melody. His flow is rigid and he delivers each tune dead on. “Roi Nhu Da Ngay Ngo” clocks at 7 minutes with gorgeous, spacious arrangement but his singing is so static that the tune sounds like the ending never comes. He doesn’t shift keys, accent on a weak beat or get inside the harmony, which make me think of Tung Duong and what he can do to this arrangement.

With that said, Pho is a decent cover of Trinh’s well-worn standards including “Trong Noi Dau Tinh Co,” “Chieu Mot Minh Qua Pho” and “Yeu Dau Tan Theo.” The quality surpasses big, mechanical productions like Thuy Nga’s and Asia’s. The problem is that Trinh’s music has been covered this way so much already years after years. There are rooms to move beyond. In one of Trinh’s interviews, he pointed out that he liked both Khanh Ly’s and Hong Nhung’s rendition of his songs. They brings different colors and tones to his songs; therefore, his music continues to live on. So yes, he did encourage singers to take his music to a new level.

Just came across this guy on YouTube. He talks like a ghetto chick, but quite hilarious, particularly his latest rant: “You Don’t Need A Boyfriend To Feel Good!.” His view on “Sexual Orientation Is Not A Choice” is intriguing. He argues, “I didn’t choose to be gay. Gay chose to be me.”

Thai Chau is apparently very old school. His new release, Bai Tinh Ca Cho Em, is what you would expect from the man with the cool, ageless baritone: good old time ballads that either grooves you or gives you nostalgia.

The album kicks off with Khanh Bang’s “Sau Dong,” one of the Vietnamese’s favorite party jams. Thai Chau shows off his flawless breath control and slick, effortless flow for the cha-cha-cha beat. The next track, Nguyen Anh 9’s “Ai Dua Em Ve,” slows down the vibe, but on Lam Phuong’s “Co Ua” is when he gets real sentimental with the support of Ngoc Anh whose smoky contralto is a perfect match to Thai Chau’s charming baritone. Their rendition of “Co Ua” is as hypnotic as the version of Don Ho and Lam Thuy Van. In fact, their version could be even more intoxicating if the programmed drums were left out and just let the piano backs up their vocals.

On Manh Chuong’s “Thuong Hoai Ngan Nam,” Thai Chau sings like a bird with a broken wing. He glides up and down the octave in such an easygoing effort. Sadly, the mechanical production brings the song down a notch. On the other hand, his up-tempo duet with Loan Chau on Duc Huy’s “Yeu Em Dai Lau” is horrendous, as if an old man trying to take a young girl to the club. The dance remake of Anh Bang’s “Nhung Tam Hon Co Don” is also horrible thanks to Back Kieu whose falsetto on the high register makes the song unbearable.

Bai Tinh Ca Cho Em is without a doubt a throwback to the good old time. Sure, Thai Chau’s voice doesn’t really need any update, but he needs to take his beat to a higher level. Thuy Nga’s robotic productions simply do him no good. They are a waste of his soul and talent. He should definitely put more thoughts and investment into the arrangements.

Kara Lynn, a dear friend and former designer at Vassar, passed away last Friday after a long, heroic battling with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Kara was an awesome designer, a loving mother, a technologist and a fighter.

I met Kara through an interview for the web design position at Vassar College. At the time the group was made up of four women; therefore, one of the questions was, “How do you feel about working with four women?” Although I didn’t know if I said the right thing, but I replied without hesitation, “I love it.” Kara lid up a big, beautiful smile and that was the moment I knew I wanted to be part of the team.

On my first day at the job, I was assigned to create a welcome back homepage banner. I wanted to come up with something nice to make a good impression, but I was stuck and didn’t know what to do. I came to Kara and she immediately gathered a number of people in the office and we headed to the front building to make a photo shoot. Kara helped me cropped the photo from the waist down just to show feet walking into the building as a welcome back banner. The banner was not approved because it was showing some butts so we went back and cropped out the butts as well. That was when I began to learn about Kara’s sense of humor. Working with her and absorbing her elegant design helped me out tremendously. I had many fond memories of Kara. She was strong, independent, articulate and very artistic.

When she took her maternity leave to give birth to her adorable Aiden, Kara never returned to work even though everything in her office remained the way it was when she left. Later when I found out that she was diagnosed with ALS and her blog about that topic, I followed her writing. Her personal accounts, particularly on her daily struggles with everyday life, broke my heart. Sometimes her words almost put me to tears. She went through a lot and life didn’t even give her a break. She not only fought for her life, but also for those in similar situation. She raised the awareness of the disease and challenged insurance companies for speech-impairment remedy.

Rest in peace, Kara. You will always be missed.