I have managed to create a blog (another one?) on Yahoo just so I can interact with Luat Danh, Dieu Hien, and Diem Thuyen—the 360’s circle. And I am not ashamed to admit that I rape both of Luat’s and Dieu’s site to get the latest goodies. They are my weed suppliers. As for the name, why Jazz Me Boo? Beat the hell out of me. I really don’t know what to do with the blog either. So I just post up whatever pleases my eyes. So far only pretty chicks catch my sight.

I have designed a new theme to celebrate iLoveNgocLan.com‘s 3rd anniversary. Ngoc Lan was simply magnetizing.

Let’s “Samba” with Ngoc Lan (even the drummer went buck-wild) and share the sentiment she brought to Duc Huy’s “Xin Mot Ngay Mai Co Nhau.”

Interview clips of Nguyen Khang and Thanh Lam on RadioVNCR. Nguyen Khang is handling himself much better in this interview than the one he did with Truong Ky. Keep it real, man. Don’t sell your soul to those trendy tunes. As for Thanh Lam’s piece, nothing special, just a day in her life.

The New Yorker’s music critic, Sasha Frere-Jones, called Stephin Merritt, a rock musician and songwriter, a “rockist cracker” because Merritt dismisses hip-hop. The controversial issue has been heated up among the critic’s circle. Even The New York Times has mentioned it in an article entitled, “One Man Musical Tastes as Fodder for a Flame War” written by David Carr. Even as a fan of hip-hop, I have to disagree with Frere-Jones’s accusation of someone being racist just because that person doesn’t appreciate hip-hop. I don’t listen to cracker music either, but that doesn’t mean I am a cracker-hater. Merritt dislikes hip-hop not because he is a racist or a rockist, but because he is gay. I would be offended by hip-hop too if I am a fagot. In addition to their ignorance toward women, rappers are a bunch of homophobic thugs and pimps who aren’t afraid to admit so. Furthermore, the gay representation in hip-hop community is equal to none; therefore, Merritt, who embraces ABBA, doesn’t value the aesthetics of hip-hop is nothing new.

“I’m like fuck critics; you can kiss my whole asshole
If you don’t like my lyrics, you can press fast forward.” – Jay-Z

When reading a pathetic piece like Clive Davis’s “Hip-hop: 50 Cent Short of a Dollar,” I understand why Jigga disrespects critics, especially from an old, white, bigoted head who knows shit about the music. I don’t consider myself an expert in hip-hop, but anyone who only uses Black Eyed Peas, 50 Cent, and Kanye West to desecrate hip-hop is a joke. Mr. I-am-too-old-for-hip-hop should listen to lyricists like Rakim, 2pac, Biggie, Nas, Jay-Z, Common, and Ghostface before making such a foolish, generalized statement. Better yet, he should just stick to jazz, blues, and his Motown collections.

Oh, what kind of dumb shit is this? A bunch of Asian chicks spitting white-trashed lines with screwfaces, real cute!

What a great sucking commercial.

Do me a favor folks. Listen to the lyrics in this kick-ass video then transcribe them for me. Go! Go! Go!

Hoang Viet Khanh’s “Bien Dong” (Raging Sea) peformed by Bich Van. What a gorgeous voice she has. Dig the mid-tempo arrangement by Hoang Cong Luan too.

“Ho Nhu,” music by Nguyen Minh Chau, lyrics by Quynh Huong, performed by Quynh Lan. Beautiful voice melts inside the intoxicating piano and violin works.

Pham Duy’s “Tam Su Gui Ve Dau” and Vu Thanh An’s “Tinh Khuc Thu Nhat” showcase Nguyen Khang’s live performance: raw, rough, and rugged. Dusty style, baby!

“Nguoi Yeu Dau” Ngoc Lan. Live video.

Duy Manh is incorrigible. His vol. 3, Kiep Ban Do, is another distasteful, disdainful piece of crap. He needs to leave the saxophone alone because he’s using it wrong. He desecrates the instrument and rapes the culture. Manh, if this is a sickness, get some help pulling your shit together.

I have heard quite a few negative comments about song-writer/song-lifter Quoc Bao. To be honest, I only know his music (not that impressive) and not his personality. Not that I am interested in getting to know him, but when I came across his interview, I am more than shock to read his view on women. The sucker said that he’s afraid of women who have confidence in their talent. If women only talk about their “talent,” they will miss many things they wouldn’t know. He suggests that women should only be confidence in their beauty instead of talent. What a sexist bastard!

Every Vietnamese magazine I flip through these days, there’s coverage of Ngoc Lien. Yes, she’s the one that makes The Son looks like her dad in their duet on Paris By Night. No disrespect to The Son because I would look like a grandpa next to her even though I am much younger than The Son. That’s how good and fresh she looks. In a broadcast she did with Truong Ky, she told him that she is influenced by Khanh Ha, Tuan Ngoc, and Ngoc Lan, but she won’t perform music of Trinh Cong Son, Ngo Thuy Mien, and Tu Cong Phung because their music only attracts a small chunk of listeners. So she decided to go for more popular music for the mass audience. You want to slap her, but you sympathize her. Her voice isn’t strong enough to carry out those tunes, and she knows damn well that she can’t express these songs to their fullest potential. Basically, what she saying is that she has a good taste, but her listeners are idiot so she has to dumb down her music for them. Well, good luck. When people get tired of looking at your face, they won’t listen to your voice either.

I sure do appreciate this:

In my opinion, Donny is a born communicator. Moving to the U.S. from Vietnam when he was eleven radically altered his ability to communicate in his new environment. He spent his playground time in those early years trying to learn English. He learned quickly, and even prior to the time I’ve known him, he has been publishing an online blog, or journal, where he reviews music, books, film, and software, and keeps up conversations about life in general with others who read his writing. This past year, he became a rather high-profile figure among the population of the international Vietnamese diaspora, and others interested in Vietnamese culture, for his Flash pieces combining music with images of Vietnam. As a result of his public voice on his own website, he has corresponded with people from all parts of society in different countries. Donny is clearly not a person who needs perfect English to be a communicator, yet he sets as a goal for himself working to perfect it. He has my respect and admiration for that.

With the negative comments about me pouring in lately, I decided to keep the author’s name off the site. I don’t mind being criticized at all since Visualgui.com welcomes unobstructed, honest opinions. Like I always say, you can attack me but not the folks I respect.

Bounce, Bush, bounce…

Red, why and how the color was created.

Anh Bang’s “Noi Long Nguoi Di,” a blues-inflected rendition performed by Tuan Ngoc.

Ngoc Tu Anh’s “Hay Giu Lay Hon Day,” an intoxicating presentation by Nguyen Khang.