Mai Hoa has a husky contralto that is reminiscent of Le Thu without the pitch issues. In Duong Cam, she covers eight extremely well-known ballads like “Le Da,” “Thu Quyen Ru” and “Hoai Cam.” Mai Hoa brings nothing new to these tunes other than her distinctive voice. As a result, the album becomes boring and predictable by the third track. With such dark, hypnotic vocals, she could do much more than that such as turning these songs into soulful blues rendition.
Biola University’s undergrad web site is strikingly beautiful. The background illustrations are fun, engaging and surprisingly not distracting at all. The color-coded navigation adds a nice touch to the design as well as enhances the user experience by differentiating the sections of the site. Each individual tab invites visitors to click through and explore. The content is organized and straightforward. Scrolling through the main pages, which divided into several segments, feel like scanning through brochures. The design is not only well-executed but also speaks to its targeted audience: the young undergrads.
Out of the box, HTML5 Boilerplate, “the professional badass’s base HTML/CSS/JS template for a fast,” robust and future-proof site, is quite overwhelming. Before diving into the files or giving up, I highly recommend watching Paul Irish’s 40-minute video, in which he walks through the codes line by line, and you’ll see all the awesomeness of the boilerplate.
RxBx Music who produces Thanh Ha’s forthcoming The Evolution of Thanh Ha teases fans with two new tracks “Anh Thi Khong” and “60 Nam Cuoc Doi.” They both sound pretty fresh and promising. Listening to the preview, however, I am a bit disappointed that the records are all over the place. I’ll definitely share my thoughts once I get my hand on the album and spend more time with it.
CBS News’ Betty Nguyen traveled to her birth country of Vietnam to distribute humanitarian aid to those struggling to survive. You go, Betty!
Last year before Christmas, I was at Lang Van music store in Eden Center looking for some Vietnamese children DVDs for my son and overheard a guy who was at least my age or older eagerly asking the saleslady for Minh Tuyet’s latest album. With excitement, he told her that Minh Tuyet’s newest album should have been released on that day. He appeared to be disappointed when the lady told him that the album was not in store yet.
Over the weekend, my in-laws took a road trip to Foxwoods Casino. I played Minh Tuyet’s Xin Loi Anh in the car and my sister-in-law’s husband who came to the U.S. when he was two and could only understand limited Vietnamese commented on the title opening track, “It sounds like a perfect Chinese pop song.” In one sentence, he basically summed up Minh Tuyet’s collection of bubble gum duets that comes with many artificial flavors ranging from sour (Bang Kieu) to tender (Tran Thai Hoa) to everything in between. They complement well with Minh Tuyet’s sweetener vocals.
From the pure-Chinese “Du Am Tinh Ta” (featuring Trinh Lam) to bittersweet-ballad “Vi Ngot Doi Moi” (featuring The Son) to the over-sentimental “Bai Ca Ky Niem” (featuring Quang Le), Xin Loi Anh is the bubble gum du jour. The melodies are catchy and the story lines are shallow enough for everyone to get hooked. Minh Tuyet is indeed a bubble gum pop queen with a long-lasting flavor.
In another hour and half, 2010 will be gone. While waiting for the countdown, let’s take a quick retrospection.
2010 treated me not so bad at all. Our little family was doing great. It was a wonderful experience to see Dao’s progression from walking to talking to learning something new everyday. It was a joy to see him grows and I am looking forward to even more exciting activities from him next year.
In the tough economy Dana and I managed to pull through. Although I am glad that neither of our job was affected, I hope that we will do even better next year.
As for my work as GWSB, the Unified Web Project was one of the best things that happened at the university. I had a chance to know and work with a group of talented web developers from various schools within GW. I am looking forward to more collaborative effort next year.
Looking back at my own work, I am very proud with the sites I have launched, particularly Sketches of Miles, Le Mekong Vietnamese Cuisine, Julie Tran Law, Easy License Renewal and United Green Solutions. I am looking forward to more exciting projects next year.
So 2011, bring it on.
I picked up Coleman Hawkins: Portrait and Lester Young: Portrait today at the closing-out F.Y.E. for $25. Each boxset contains 10 CDs with a 40-page booklet. I can’t wait to listen to them next year.
Pianist Vijay Iyer brings his solo chops to a variety of compositions ranging from Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Michael Jackson as well as his own. Solo kicks off with an elegant rendition of the King of Pop’s “Human Nature.” By taking an opposite direction Monk’s spacious approach, Iyer completely reworks “Epistrophe” with his blazing harmonization. With “Black & Tan Fantasy,” he stays close Ellington’s left-hand stride, but creates some soulful blues melodies with his right hand. “Patterns,” which starts off gentle then progresses into swells of notes, reveals Iyer’s very own compelling style. Solo, as a result, showcases both Iyer’s versatility and personality.
Guitarist Marc Ribot is a minimalist master. In Silent Movies, he makes every note counts. What causes his solo guitar so damn intoxicating is that he picks only the most telling notes and yet manages to squeeze tremendous emotion out of a single string at a time. The opening “Variation 1” and “Empty” are exemplary examples of Ribot’s spare technique. The setting is so closed and intimate that you get the feeling he is playing right in front of you in a dimmed room. From the striking, finger-picking rhythm on “Delancey Waltz” to the gorgeous, distorted glides on “Natalia In E-Bemol Major” to the beautiful ambient vibe on “Postcard From N.Y.,” Silent Movies is a must-listen if you’re in the mood for some pure, atmospheric, melodic and cinematic soundscapes.