This is a very different record of Trong Tan. For one, he doesn’t pound the songs with his sledgehammer-like voice. For two, he tries to sing northern folk music that requires tremendous versatility. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the chops to maneuver his way around the nuances of Quan Ho. Sort of like banh beo without fish sauce; his flow misses the key ingredient to deliver the folk tunes. Standout is the title track thanks to the jazz tinge and Thanh Thanh Hien whose vocals give colors to song.

When I first heard that Danny Boyle’s new film Slumdog Millionaire has something to do with the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, I was kind of turned off. After seeing the film, however, I was stunned. Boyle has incorporated the game into the story in such a brilliant manner.

The contestant Jamal Malik (a fantastic performance from Dev Patel) answers the questions not based on his book knowledge, but his past experiences. Every time a question is asked, we get to see the flashback of Jamal’s life in the slum of Mumbai corresponding to the question. Right from the first scene, we get to experience the ghetto part of the city through a breathtaking chasing scene (polices go after the kids) with M.I.A.’s blasting beat.

With an incredible cast, stunning visual, brutal violent and sweet romance, Slumdog is simply irresistible and every scene will leave you breathless. Highly recommended.

With seventeen tracks clocking in around an hour and twenty minutes, Ho Ngoc Ha’s latest release, Noi Em Gap Anh, is unnecessary long. The record goes into one ear and out the other. Except for her timbre, which has become raspier, nothing is worth noting. While her sentimental vocals on Trinh Cong Son’s “Bien Nho” try to capture your heart, the glossy, poppy production tries to capture your feet. Not sure if you should break down and cry or break down and dance. Still, nothing beats her duet with Duc Tri on “Van Biet The.” Like the title suggested, he already knew he can’t, but he still sings. Do us all a favor by staying behind the board and away from the booth, dude.

A real-life female robot built by Le Trung. She’s a bit freaky though.

In the cold morning commuting to work, Johnny Hartman’s romantic baritone warms up our hearts with “My One and Only Love.” The lyrics say it all:

The touch of your hand is like heaven.
A heaven that I’ve never known
The blush on your cheek,
Whenever I speak,
Tells me that you are my own
You fill my eager heart with
Such desire,
Every kiss you give
Sets my soul on fire
I give myself in sweet surrender,
My one and only love.

John Coltrane’s saxophone is no less lyrical and sensual. Thanks both for a romantic morning. Big shout out to my lovely wife at work. Can’t wait to see you this evening at GWSB Christmas party.

The house hunting is coming along. The contract will hopefully be ratified today. In the mean time, I am shopping around for mortgage loan. My preference loan consists of no origination fee, low lender fees, and of course, low interest rate with zero point. If you have any recommendation, please leave a comment or contact me. Thanks!

The rock remix of “Jocking Jay-Z” is banging. Gotta love his punch line: “Haters like ‘Hov, why you still talking money shit?’ / Cause I like money, bitch.”

Ao Trang’s new calender is out. Some of the shots are quite curvy.

What is going with the Vietnamese male singers these days? Most of them sound so dieu (rounded). Le Anh Dung ruins his debut, Duong Cam Thu Khong Em, with his word-molding phrasing. He wrecks the gorgeous semi-classical arrangements with his flowery flow. His take on Tran Hoang’s “Em Nghi Gi Khi Mua Xuan Den” is simply too wimpy. His vocal instructor should have cracked his ass every time he sounded like boneless bitch. Eventually he would straighten up.

Listening to Hartman for Lovers on my way home from work gave me a holiday spirit. His lust, romantic baritone and straight-to-heart flow over the simple, slow (sometimes light-swing) jazz rhythm bring a sensational sound of the holiday. Christmas is coming.