Never mind the ill-designed cover (horrendous use of typography and colors), Flyboy in the Buttermilk: Essays on Contemporary America is packed with Greg Tate’s ingenious criticisms ranging from music (jazz, funk, punk-rock and hip-hop) to book to film. No matter what materials he chooses to write about, Tate’s bold approach, thoughtful thinking, and creative writing, take his pieces beyond the aesthetics of the artwork and delve into social, political and racial awareness. Yet, his passion and appreciate for music is what I admire his writing the most. On “Cecil Taylor’s Monster Movie,” Tate writes, “One reason I’m writing about a record 10 years old rather than reviewing Cecil’s new Garden—as I’d originally intended—is that while I’ve heard of Solo’s story so many times I could recite chapter and verse, I realized Garden’s four sides would require years of digging before I could hum a few bars.” And I must admit, I have to read some of his essays twice to full absorbed his points. Now I can’t wait to get my hands on Flyboy in the Buttermilk 2. Hopefully, the cover design will be improve on the new book. Although readers should never judge a book by its cover, a well-designed front enhances his impression, if not his credentials.

“Rung Chua Thay La” was the first song that I felt in love with Ngoc Lan. Her mellow, pitch-perfect vocals floated like clouds around the suave Latin rhythm. After that I would try to get my hands on every rumba tune she performed. Oh my god! Her rendition of “Xin Thoi Gian Qua Mau” left me speechless with the way she maneuvered her voice in and out the smooth sax and sensual beat. She continued to take my breath away with “Giong Song Que Huong,” “Chuyen Phim Buon,” and later on with “Tuyet Roi.” I loved the rumba so much that I had to cop me a self-taught instruction video so I could get my groove on. And the ladies loved it when I ushered them on the dancefloor. I was a slick operator. “Dang Tien Nu” was the joint that helped me get there. I was practicing with it over and over again. Many years later, I can still rock these tunes and the freshness never seems to diminish.

Reading other people’s deep secret could be addictive, especially when we come across something we can relate to. I find myself flipping through PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions From Ordinary Lives compiled by Frank Warren again and again. Not only because of the shocking, disturbing and amusing stories, but also the clever designs that bring out the messages. People get creative and passionate when they try to convey their secrets. If I ever become a design instructor, I would apply the concept of PostSecret to encourage students to explore their creativities. Even as simple as cutting and pasting texts from magazines. They have chosen the appropriate typography to express their emotions. In any rate, pick up PostSecret if you want something interesting to read. Send Warren a postcard if you have a secret to share. Want to see some examples? Drop by PostSecret.com.

So if you’re feeling inspired and would like to design a PostSecret to enlightening your life. D.I.Y. Design It Yourself is a book you might want to look into. I like the way Ellen Lupton, author of Thinking With Type, defines design as, “an instrument for packaging ideas and making them public. People who have access to design tools can make tangible their own knowledge and concepts.” From electronic media (blog, Web sites) to print materials (books, logos, stationary), the faculty and students of Maryland Institute’s Graphic Design MFA program put together a fine book helping you to do your own things. As a web designer, I can always turn to this book for quick solutions if I need to do anything that is not web-related. With gorgeous illustrations and clear instructions, you can’t go wrong with just twenty bucks. In fact, you can check out the accompanied web site to see some samples of the book.

The rule is simple. If a new singer wants to cover popular tunes, he must take them to a new level. Or else, what is the point? Why should listeners waste their time, if not only their money, listen to him singing the same old songs? Viet Hoai doesn’t follow that rule, however. He doesn’t want to reinvent them even though the result is rewarding when he does. He just wants to sing from his heart. Fair enough.

Viet Hoai’s debut, Tam Su Nguoi Ca Si, kicks off with a reviving rendition of Doan Chuan and Tu Linh’s “Tinh Nghe Si.” His warm, well-built voice and his straightforward delivery work gracefully with the beautiful, blues-flavored production. The title track, Phu Quang’s “Tam Su Nguoi Ca Si,” is also refreshing thanks to the bossa-nova rhythm section and the exquisite muted trumpet. Yet, Quoc Truong’s “Hoang Hon” is where he’s at his best. The arrangement eases back to allow his clear, quiet voice dominates, but when he needs the strident accompaniment to make a statement, they are right behind him, especially the subtle violin sound. Escorted by a simple strumming acoustic guitar, he pours his soul into “Duong Doi” like he uses the lyrics to tell his own story.

His version of Huy Xuan’s “Thuyen va Bien” is an idiosyncratic one. Despite the gorgeous orchestration, which includes a sinuous sax solo, he sounds way off keys compare to Quang Ly and Thu Minh. The beauty of the song, however, is the weirdness quality in his interpretation, once we get it. Even though his vocals get breathy and his falsetto falls short on those long notes, he manages to pull off Tran Long An’s “Dem Thanh Pho Day Sao.” The album leans toward bland and dull side when he tries to work his ways into the up-tempo Luong Khai’s “Tinh Khuc Chieu Mua” and Tran Tien’s “Mua Xuan Goi.” He simply can’t ride the bouncy beats.

50 and Spider Loc’s well-crafted “Not Rich, Still Lying” is whipping the Game up. Fiddy doesn’t even rap, he just blows out Game’s secret, “Didn’t you say you woke up out a coma 2001. Well, your brother says you never were in a coma!”

Typographic illustration (Flash ActionScripts and type). Check out Biggie’s “Juicy.” Via Tim

“The Mysterious and Miraculous Mangosteen” (my favorite fruit, Mang Cut). Still craving for that sweet, juicy and exquisite taste, which is similar to D.H. Lawrence’s sex descriptions, “moist, fragrant, snow-white segments of ambrosial flesh.”

Inspired by Pham Quynh Anh’s “Bonjour Viet Nam” and striking shots of Viet Nam’s landscapes, I put together a slideshow for my personal pleasure. I have read the translation and understood Marc Lavoine’s lyrics; however, I was not interested in accommodating the content of the song. I just needed the melody to complement the gorgeous images; therefore, no film-de-Coppola or war graphics are included. Furthermore, I have always wanted to incorporate French music into one of my motion pieces, and this song is just perfect.

As for the magnificent photos, I found them over at Vietnamese Meetup forum. I knew one day I will find a good use for them; therefore, I saved the images and asked for the photographers’ credits. The only guy that knows the authors is Andy who posted the photos. Although I didn’t get the authors’ permission, Andy said, “Donny, feel free to use [them]. I’ll update you when I locate the author(s) of these stunning sets.” I am going to take his words for it and hopefully the authors will be cool with it too since I am only using the photos for my own reflections of my homeland and won’t make a penny out of them.

I am feeling what Ray Charles is saying in “Busted,” especially when I look at my utility bill for the winter, “I hate to beg like a dog without his bone, but I’m busted.” That’s alright, I’ll survive. Money ain’t a thang.

Bembo’s Zoo, typographic alphabet, is very cute. Gotta share it with my niece.

It’s been almost five years when I came across this Flash piece from InsertSilence. The music is hot and the animation is just amazing.

On her debut Moon and Wind, Huong Thanh, daughter of an accomplished Vietnamese opera (cai luong) singer Huu Phuoc, gives Vietnamese folk music a contemporary flavor. Thanks to her producer Nguyen Le who is brilliant at weaving traditional melodies with western instruments, the album is a multicultural splendor.

With clear enunciation, pitch-perfect vocals and pliable delivery, Huong Thanh applies her exoticness to any folk tune regardless of its region (south, north or central). Yet, what makes her performances stand out is that she doesn’t belt out like Phi Nhung or screech high like Nhu Quynh. Her soft, gentle approach works just fine. Her rendition of “Co La” (The Soaring of the Heron) is both playful and adorable. The hand-clapped effect provided by Tino Di Geraldo’s palmas added a spontaneous Latin rhythmic to the tune. On “Coi Nguoi” (The Source), she gives a recital of folk lullaby from the south, and then heads up north on “Ru Con Mien Bac” (All is Peace). The differences in accentuation demonstrate her versatility in conveying the aesthetic beauties of each coast.

“Sam Hue Tinh” (One River Two Streams) has to be my favorite track on the album. The sound of Karim Ziad’s charming gumbri (bass) cascaded with Paolo Fresu’s exquisite muted trumpet flowed behind Huong Thanh’s sensuous Hue accent is ear-opening. The harmony comes together like a lustrous potpourri. If Miles Davis was still alive and he knew the possibility of mixing jazz into Vietnamese folk music, he would have moved beyond fusion. With the speed Miles pushed his music and his keenness for new sounds, we might have had a Sketches of Viet Nam arranged and conducted by Nguyen Le. Who knows?

On “Ly Qua Cau” (Crossing the Bridge) “Ly Con Sao” (Blackbird Song), songbird Huong Thanh flies to the south with her enchanting voice supported by the calm but colorful arrangements. Then she travels back to Hue with “Ho Hue” (The Awaiting) and “Ai Ra Xu Hue” (Going Back to Hue). Again, her Hue intonation is irresistible on these two tracks. I know, I love Hue female voices, what can I say?

Listen to the Motown Remixed online. Pretty funky, groovy stuff.

Chris gives Vassar’s Biology a gorgeous, fresh makeover.

Mad props to the Rice Raiser project. The site is well-designed.

The Wed Design Times featured web-related news, articles, reviews and resources.

Web Design from Scratch seems like a good starter kit.

Wicked Black + White motion graphic from Erik Natzke.

Scroll to the bottom of this site, Tiara is there making sure Visualgui.com looks good.

Trinh Cong Son’s “Vet Lan Tram” gets a blues-inflected makeover by his own sister, Trinh Vinh Trinh. The savory arrangement—crisp drums, intoxicating piano licks, exhilarating electric guitar strumming, and a strident sax solo—blends in with her soulful delivery like oil and vinegar.

In an interview with VnExpress.net, Quoc Trung criticized Vietnamese musicians for taking pop tunes and turning them into jazz. He argued that one has to write exclusively for jazz to produce its true form, and he had not found any Vietnamese musicians who have done that. Although I don’t disagree with him that songwriters should focus on jazz if they want to create original compositions, I don’t find anything wrong with taking a popular piece and arranging it with jazz’s syncopation, like Trinh Vinh Trinh’s version of “Vet Lan Tram.” If we look back at jazz history, many musicians had taken the structure of popular songs, such as George Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm” and Tony Bennett’s “Tea For Two,” and jazzed them up. That was how the 32-bar AABA was common in the early jazz.