Valentines Day is coming very soon! It’s a romantic holiday for some of you lucky readers that is full of fancy dinners, Godiva chocolates, and red roses. But, if you are like me, you might be starting to save your money for February 15, the day when Valentines candy is 50% off, in order to begin a massive stockpile of sweets. Mmmm, candy hearts! If one of your pastimes is enjoying sugar rushes, then I got a band for you! SWEE:D has all the sweetness you ever need. Formed in 2009, the pop band from Thailand had three members: Pin,…
Author: Scott Boland
Do you remember what you were doing that day? Do you recall what you bought? Did you, by any chance, buy Teri DeSario’s new album “Overnight Success”? Probably not, if you lived in any part of the world that’s not Japan, as the album and its tie-in singles were only released there. However, you might have heard of Teri DeSario as she is no stranger to the American music scene. In the late 1970s, she was popular at many dance clubs when her disco-themed debut album “Pleasure Train” was released. The first single from the album, “Ain’t Nothing Gonna Keep Me from You”,…
“Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure.” ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice There has been a great deal of news, either good or bad, in our lives and around the world in the last week. None more shocking than the death of Russian singer Origa on January 17. A talent that has been heard by less than ten percent of the world’s population but snuffed away too soon. Let’s take a moment to reflect on and remember Origa’s beloved career. Maybe you have heard this voice on your television, if you have cable TV, or on the…
Post autKubota Toshinobu has been rocking the Japanese music world for thirty or so years. In that time span. he has been able to adapt to and re-define musical genres while pioneering new ones like Japanese hip-hop and Japanese soul. Kubota made his start in the early 80s after winning the EastWest singing contest. But, he didn’t start off as a singer. Instead, he started as a producer; writing songs for various artists like Koizumi Kyoko, Tahara Toshihiko, and others. He was able to release material for his own solo career in 1986 when he released the single “Shitsui no…
If you are like me, you might be already suffering from the stress and some burnout from work .I thought we could take a breather and relax with the music of Art Porter, Jr. He is well-known in Arkansas for the “Art Porter Bill”; a law that was pushed by then-Attorney General Bill Clinton to allow minors to work in alcohol-serving bars with parents’ supervision. The law was created because Art Porter, Jr played in his father’s band and then as an independent artist in many events and locations, including night clubs, as a drummer and saxophonist since he was little. After graduating from Northwestern…
Happy Saturday everyone! Let’s kick back and relax with the Japanese idol group Bay Canyons (ベイキャニオンズ). The all-female idol group was formed in 1997 to promote the Fuji TV show “dai ba:ba”. The meaning of the group’s name, according to Wikipedia, is about the “cleavage of Odaiba”. Woah, talk about being a bit risque there. However, at that time, most of the members were gravure idols; a type of idol that you will usually see in swimsuits on those racy magazines, books, and other printed media at the adult section of your local Seven Eleven or bookstore. The group did release their…
When I mention the name “Stary Olsa”, what comes to mind? Do you think it’s a heavy metal band? Perhaps a girl group? Or maybe it’s a rap duo? Actually, it’s none of those above. Stary Olsa (Стары Ольса) is a medieval folk band from Belarus. Yes, you are reading that right, it’s a contemporary band that plays music from the twelfth century. Doesn’t that sound remotely cool? Indeed, it does! The band, which formed in 1999, got their name from a brook in the the Mahilou Region of Western Belarus. Stary Olsa collaborates with various historical institutions and museums to create new music with…
We are going to cross the ocean from Mexico to Europe to listen to the distinct sounds of Milk & Honey. Formed in 2006, Milk & Honey is a two-member group from Germany. However, they are quite diverse as they have released material in French, German, Arabic, and English. The members, Anne Ross and Manel Filali, had some entertainment-related experiences before creating Milk & Honey. Anne Ross was a former member of the German girl band Preluders, which was created from contestants on the German edition of Popstars. While Milk & Honey was her first musical project, Manel Filali was no stranger to show business…
Ahhh, the 90’s and boy bands. How they go hand-to-hand. Following on the success of boybands of the late 1980s like New Kids on the Block and New Edition, Troop was formed in hopes to blend the two with its popish R&B sound called “new jack swing”. Troop formed in 1987 with five members” Steve “Random” Russell, Allen McNeil, John Harreld, Rodney Benford, and Reggie Warren. They released their self-titled album in 1988, which reached #17 on the R&B album charts. Their debut single “Mamacita” debuted at the #2 spot on the R&B single charts. However, Troop didn’t get their…
Ahhh, the 90’s and boy bands. How they go hand-to-hand. Following on the success of boybands of the late 1980s like New Kids on the Block and New Edition, Troop was formed in hopes to blend the two with its popish R&B sound called “new jack swing”. Troop formed in 1987 with five members” Steve “Random” Russell, Allen McNeil, John Harreld, Rodney Benford, and Reggie Warren. They released their self-titled album in 1988, which reached #17 on the R&B album charts. Their debut single “Mamacita” debuted at the #2 spot on the R&B single charts. However, Troop didn’t get their…