fête à fête

Attention all Wong Kar Wai & "My Blueberry Nights" movie fans!!

fête à fête is doing a fun giveaway of the fabulous "My Blueberry Nights" motion picture soundtrack, along with the official movie poster. The music is amazing - it has a great sultry new song ('The Story') written specifically for the movie by Norah Jones, and many other powerhouse tracks from Cat Power, Ry Cooder, Otis Redding, Mavis Staples, Cassandra Wilson, and more.

The first few readers to correctly answer the following question will win either of the prizes mentioned above: Which Wong Kar Wai film featured the music of both Shigeru Umebayashi and Peter Raben?

Send your answer to: feteafeteswag@gmail.com
Alas, this contest is for U.S. readers only, sorry!

Check out the soundtrack here:
http://www.myspace.com/myblueberrynightssoundtrack

For my film review, click here:
http://feteafete.com/blog/film/my_blueberry_nights/

Good luck!

Tami

Tagged as: celebrity, contest, film, movie, movie soundtrack, music

Posted by Tami Yu at 5:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Since the launch of Emerson Hart's solo debut Cigarettes & Gasoline, the pop-rock album is still making waves with his stirring lyrics. The former lead singer of Tonic mines his painful past for inspiration and it shows. A couple songs I like are the accoustic "Green Hills Race for California," "Friend to a Stranger," and the title track "Cigarettes and Gasoline." Great lyrics in his work - all Tonic fans need to add this to their collection.

www.emersonhart.com

-Tami

Tagged as: celebrity, entertainment, music, music review, vocals

Posted by Tami Yu at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Another lush and ethereal release by glam electonica duo Goldfrapp, the fourth release Seventh Tree is quite a departure from the signature synth beats. Nevertheless, Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory show off their music chops by reinventing themselves with slower, sensual, and accoustic melodies.

As they take us through another euphoric adventure, the listener finds him/herself dancing through Alison's dreamily hushed vocals. Dashed with hints of electronica, the mood is upbeat, to the point where you wonder if you should be frolicking through some meadows as you listen to "Caravan Girl." "Happiness" rocks with their tongue-in-cheek lyrics, and the hypnotic "Cologne Cerrone Houdini" is a nice reminder of earlier work in Felt Mountain.

Some fans might dismiss this album as it's clearly not Supernature Part II. But it will grow on you, as this is another brilliant evolution from a group that refuses to conform to commercial pop formulas.

www.goldfrapp.com

-Tami

Tagged as: celebrity, entertainment, music, music review, vocals

Posted by Tami Yu at 4:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Seriously sassy and full of glam, The Puppini Sisters' brand new CD The Rise and Fall of Ruby Woo is pure toe-tapping fun with their famous retro harmonies, pop, and swing. These gorgeous ladies sure know how to put on a show, and what a blast this sophomore release is from Verve Records.

Named after their favorite lipstick, this album includes amazing versions of The Bangles' “Walk Like and Egyptian” and Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love”. The lovely trio (Marcella Puppini, Kate Mullins, and Stephanie O’Brien) also wrote some original tracks as well, including “I Can’t Believe I’m Not A Millionaire” and “Jilted". I just loved their rendition of “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)". I wanted to pop up and jitterbug across my hallway.

Listen to: “Crazy in Love” verve.edgeboss.net/qtime/verve/puppini/ruby_woo/audio/10_crazy_in_love.mov

www.thepuppinisisters.com

See ya on the dance floor,

Tami

Tagged as: celebrity, entertainment, music, music review

Posted by Tami Yu at 8:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My friends have raved about The Kin for a while, and I finally got to listen to their recent album release 'Rise & Fall'. Not only are the Koren brothers (Isaac and Thorry) enticing eye candy, their gorgeous vocals blend rather perfectly within each song. I especially liked the catchy 'Romeo', along with the lovely storytelling behind 'Abraham'. I tend to be drawn towards the non-epic songs, since they really highlight the beautiful songwriting and amazing melodies. In a world filled with overplayed commecial acts, this is an indie group to keep an eye on.

Check out their upcoming tour dates below:

Feb 11 – Club Infinity in Buffalo, NY
Feb 12 – Harper’s Ferry in Boston, MA
Feb 13 – Highline Ballroom in New York, NY
Feb 14 – State Theatre in Falls Church, VA
Feb 15 – The Khyber in Philadelphia, PA
Feb 16 – 8 x 10 Club in Baltimore, MD

www.thekin.com
www.myspace.com/thekin

-Tami

Tagged as: album, concert, music, music review, performance

Posted by Tami Yu at 8:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you haven't seen Ang Lee's latest masterpiece, "Lust, Caution," the soundtrack should convince you to run to the nearest theatre. Golden Globe-winning composer Alexandre Desplat perfectly captures the essence of the espionage thriller, setting a deliberate and melancholy tone that haunts the viewers over and over.

With the subtle and delicate use of piano, strings and waltzes, Desplat's restrained music essentially plays a supporting role while the actors do most of the storytelling. I love how the strings rise over the piano on the 'The Angel' track, along with the breathtaking "Falling Rain" and "Wong Chia Chi's Theme." It's a really beautiful score to a gorgeous film.

-Tami

Tagged as: Alexandre Desplat, Ang Lee, composer, Lust, Caution, movie, movie soundtrack, music, piano, score, soundtrack, waltz

Posted by Tami Yu at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Many folks might still be in the dark about the magical wonder that is called Pink Martini, but consider yourself musically enlightened with their recent third release, Hey Eugene! Hailing from Portland, Oregon, this supremely gifted 15-piece 'little orchestra' first wowed the international music scene with their dazzling music in Sympathique, following with their second hit album Hang on Little Tomato.

From the nostalgic "Everywhere" to the lively "Dosvedanya Mio Bombino (Farewell My Bumblebee)," there is literally something for everybody, as lead singer China Forbes also sings in French, Japanese, Brazilian, Spanish and Arabic. One of my favorite tracks is "Tempo Perdido." As Forbes' plaintive voice delivers the sad lyrics, its latin rhythm is accented with upbeat background vocals from a high school gospel choir.

The beautiful Japanese number "Taya Tan" is the perfect medium to channel Forbes' vocal talent. Breathtakingly mysterious and ethereal, her voice expresses the singer's longing desire to be near her lover. It sent shivers up my spine when I listened to this song in a recent live performance. Her singing has cultivated a refined finesse since the first album, and I'm impressed to see her tackle each foreign language with such fluent passion.

Other songs to check out are "Ojala," the light French cabaret number; the pretty melody in "Cante e Dance" will make you feel as if you're on a private beach somewhere, sipping on a fruity cocktail. The album finishes with a sultry "Tea for Two" duet with Forbes and legendary Jimmy Scott, a special treat for jazz lovers.

It's so rare to find timeless music that you'll listen to again and again, but Pink Martini succeeds in this. Bringing a sophisticated mix of cultural elements to their repertoire, their songs carry a universal message of joy and beauty. I highly recommend their concerts, if you're lucky enough to see them in your hometown. It's so fun, you'll be dancing and clapping along with them each and every time.

www.pinkmartini.com

Sample the tracks here: www.pinkmartini.com/hey_eugene/pm_eugene.html

-Tami

Tagged as: album, China Forbes, concert, Hang on Little Tomato, Hey Eugene!, international, languages, music, music review, orchestra, performance, Portland, singing, song, Sympathique, Thomas Lauderdale, vocals

Posted by Tami Yu at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I love movies. And being a huge fan of foreign films, I naturally had to check out this year's San Francisco International Film Festival selections. With over 100 entries, I really had to narrow it down and choose a couple great entries from Asia that are worth a gander (in my humble opinion of course).

The opening night film, "Perhaps Love," was one of the most highly anticipated musicals from Hong Kong director Peter Chan (My favorite cinematographer Christopher Doyle also worked on this ambitious project, so that's always a BIG plus). With Bollywood choreography, it's sure to entertain even the most skeptical moviegoer. Frankly, I'm just proud of the fact that this is the first HK film to be chosen for this year's festival opening night.

Set in Shanghai and Beijing, the story is your basic doomed love triangle plot, but with the stellar international cast (Takeshi Kaneshiro (so cute), Zhou Xun, Jacky Cheung and Ji Jin-Hee) and the strong vocals of HK pop megastar Jacky Cheung, you can't help but be enthralled by the whole performance.

Already garnering a few awards, this will attract every hopeless romantic out there, and then some. Be forewarned - while many folks will compare this to "Moulin Rouge," this is more of a realistic portrayal of the many facets and emotions of love, especially the complicated, bittersweet and nasty parts (y'all know what I'm talking about).

Another festival favorite, "House of Himiko," is a dramedy by Isshin Inudo. A young Saori (Kou Shibasaki) is forced to come to terms with her past after a handsome Haruhiko (Joe Odagiri) offers her a high-paying job at a seaside gay retirement home.

Run by her dying estranged gay father (Min Tanaka), a former Ginza transvetite bar owner, she quickly falls into the zany lifestyles of the aging queens. Struggling to resolve her abandoment issues with her stoic father and overcoming her homophobia, Saori soon learns to accept and love each resident's eccentric personalities.

With Ruby the pink-haired queen leading the pack, the residents are the gems that shine throughout the entire film. Presented with a quirky comedic touch, it's an interesting look at Japan's aging gay community and how this resilient culture deals with this societal reality.

See you at the theatres!

Fashiontribes Fashiontribes Files Takeshi Kaneshiro Lifestyle Sweet Life Perhaps Love Peter Chan international films San Francisco Zhou Xun HK musical love triangle House of Himiko aging gay population Isshin Inudo SFIFF Jacky Cheung

Tagged as: fashiontribes.com, Film, Film Festival, Film Stars, Hong Kong, International, Japan, Music, San Francisco, Special Events

Posted by Tami Yu at 11:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)